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14 Copyright @copyright{} 1995--2014 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.''
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308 \gnusauthor{by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen}
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323 @dircategory Emacs network features
325 * Gnus: (gnus). The newsreader Gnus.
334 @title Gnus Manual (DEVELOPMENT VERSION)
336 @ifclear WEBHACKDEVEL
340 @author by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen
342 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
350 @top The Gnus Newsreader
354 You can read news (and mail) from within Emacs by using Gnus. The news
355 can be gotten by any nefarious means you can think of---@acronym{NNTP}, local
356 spool or your mbox file. All at the same time, if you want to push your
359 @c Adjust ../Makefile.in if you change the following line:
360 This manual corresponds to Ma Gnus v0.12
375 Gnus is the advanced, self-documenting, customizable, extensible
376 unreal-time newsreader for GNU Emacs.
378 Oops. That sounds oddly familiar, so let's start over again to avoid
379 being accused of plagiarism:
381 Gnus is a message-reading laboratory. It will let you look at just
382 about anything as if it were a newsgroup. You can read mail with it,
383 you can browse directories with it, you can @code{ftp} with it---you
384 can even read news with it!
386 Gnus tries to empower people who read news the same way Emacs empowers
387 people who edit text. Gnus sets no limits to what the user should be
388 allowed to do. Users are encouraged to extend Gnus to make it behave
389 like they want it to behave. A program should not control people;
390 people should be empowered to do what they want by using (or abusing)
393 @c Adjust ../Makefile.in if you change the following line:
394 This manual corresponds to Ma Gnus v0.12
396 @heading Other related manuals
398 @item Message manual: Composing messages
399 @item Emacs-MIME: Composing messages; @acronym{MIME}-specific parts.
400 @item Sieve: Managing Sieve scripts in Emacs.
401 @item EasyPG: @acronym{PGP/MIME} with Gnus.
402 @item SASL: @acronym{SASL} authentication in Emacs.
408 * Starting Up:: Finding news can be a pain.
409 * Group Buffer:: Selecting, subscribing and killing groups.
410 * Summary Buffer:: Reading, saving and posting articles.
411 * Article Buffer:: Displaying and handling articles.
412 * Composing Messages:: Information on sending mail and news.
413 * Select Methods:: Gnus reads all messages from various select methods.
414 * Scoring:: Assigning values to articles.
415 * Searching:: Mail and News search engines.
416 * Various:: General purpose settings.
417 * The End:: Farewell and goodbye.
418 * Appendices:: Terminology, Emacs intro, @acronym{FAQ}, History, Internals.
419 * GNU Free Documentation License:: The license for this documentation.
420 * Index:: Variable, function and concept index.
421 * Key Index:: Key Index.
423 @c Doesn't work right in html.
424 @c FIXME Do this in a more standard way.
426 Other related manuals
428 * Message:(message). Composing messages.
429 * Emacs-MIME:(emacs-mime). Composing messages; @acronym{MIME}-specific parts.
430 * Sieve:(sieve). Managing Sieve scripts in Emacs.
431 * EasyPG:(epa). @acronym{PGP/MIME} with Gnus.
432 * SASL:(sasl). @acronym{SASL} authentication in Emacs.
436 --- The Detailed Node Listing ---
440 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
441 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
442 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
443 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
444 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
445 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
446 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
447 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
448 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
449 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
453 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
454 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
455 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
459 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
460 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
461 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
462 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
463 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
464 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
465 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
466 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
467 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
468 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
469 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
470 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
471 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
472 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
473 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
474 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
475 * Non-ASCII Group Names:: Accessing groups of non-English names.
476 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
480 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
481 * Group Mode Line Specification:: The group buffer mode line.
482 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
486 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
487 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
488 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
489 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
490 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
494 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
495 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
496 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
497 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
498 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
502 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
503 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
504 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
505 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
506 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
507 * Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
508 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
509 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
510 * Threading:: How threads are made.
511 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
512 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
513 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
514 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
515 * Sticky Articles:: Article buffers that are not reused.
516 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
517 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
518 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
519 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
520 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
521 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
522 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
523 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
524 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
525 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
526 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
527 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
528 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
529 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
530 or reselecting the current group.
531 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
532 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
533 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
534 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
536 Summary Buffer Format
538 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
539 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
540 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
541 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
545 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
546 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
548 Reply, Followup and Post
550 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
551 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
552 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
553 * Canceling and Superseding::
557 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
558 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
559 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
560 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
561 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
562 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
566 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
567 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
569 Customizing Threading
571 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
572 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
573 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
574 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over@dots{} but you were wrong!
578 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
579 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
580 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
581 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
582 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
583 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
587 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
588 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
589 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
593 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
594 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
595 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
596 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
597 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
598 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
599 * Article Button Levels:: Controlling appearance of buttons.
600 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
601 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys, Gravatars
602 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
603 * Article Miscellanea:: Various other stuff.
605 Alternative Approaches
607 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
608 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
610 Various Summary Stuff
612 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
613 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
614 * Summary Generation Commands::
615 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
619 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
620 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @acronym{MIME} before reading them.
621 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
622 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
623 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
627 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
628 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
629 * POP before SMTP:: You cannot send a mail unless you read a mail.
630 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
631 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
632 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
633 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
634 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
635 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
639 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
640 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
641 * Using IMAP:: Reading mail from @acronym{IMAP}.
642 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
643 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
644 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files.
645 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
646 * Email Based Diary:: Using mails to manage diary events in Gnus.
647 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
651 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
652 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
653 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
654 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
655 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
656 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
657 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
661 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @acronym{NNTP} server.
662 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
666 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
667 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
668 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
672 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
673 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
674 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
675 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
676 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
677 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
678 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
679 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
680 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
681 * Washing Mail:: Removing cruft from the mail you get.
682 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
683 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
684 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
688 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
689 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
690 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
692 Choosing a Mail Back End
694 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
695 * Babyl:: Babyl was used by older versions of Rmail.
696 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
697 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
698 * Maildir:: Another one-file-per-message format.
699 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
700 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
705 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
706 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
710 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
711 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
712 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
713 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
714 * The Empty Backend:: The backend that never has any news.
718 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
722 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
726 * The NNDiary Back End:: Basic setup and usage.
727 * The Gnus Diary Library:: Utility toolkit on top of nndiary.
728 * Sending or Not Sending:: A final note on sending diary messages.
732 * Diary Messages:: What makes a message valid for nndiary.
733 * Running NNDiary:: NNDiary has two modes of operation.
734 * Customizing NNDiary:: Bells and whistles.
736 The Gnus Diary Library
738 * Diary Summary Line Format:: A nicer summary buffer line format.
739 * Diary Articles Sorting:: A nicer way to sort messages.
740 * Diary Headers Generation:: Not doing it manually.
741 * Diary Group Parameters:: Not handling them manually.
745 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
746 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
747 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
748 * Agent Visuals:: Ways that the agent may effect your summary buffer.
749 * Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
750 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
751 * Agent Regeneration:: How to recover from lost connections and other accidents.
752 * Agent and flags:: How the Agent maintains flags.
753 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with @acronym{IMAP}.
754 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
755 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
756 * Example Setup:: An example @file{~/.gnus.el} file for offline people.
757 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
758 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
762 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
763 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
764 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
768 * Group Agent Commands:: Configure groups and fetch their contents.
769 * Summary Agent Commands:: Manually select then fetch specific articles.
770 * Server Agent Commands:: Select the servers that are supported by the agent.
774 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
775 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
776 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
777 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
778 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
779 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
780 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
781 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
782 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
783 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
784 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
785 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
786 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
787 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
788 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
789 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
793 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
794 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
795 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
799 * nnir:: Searching with various engines.
800 * nnmairix:: Searching with Mairix.
804 * What is nnir?:: What does nnir do.
805 * Basic Usage:: How to perform simple searches.
806 * Setting up nnir:: How to set up nnir.
810 * Associating Engines:: How to associate engines.
814 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
815 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
816 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
817 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
818 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
819 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
820 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
821 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
822 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
823 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
824 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
825 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
826 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
827 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
828 * Thwarting Email Spam:: Simple ways to avoid unsolicited commercial email.
829 * Spam Package:: A package for filtering and processing spam.
830 * The Gnus Registry:: A package for tracking messages by Message-ID.
831 * Other modes:: Interaction with other modes.
832 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
836 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
837 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
838 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
839 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
840 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
841 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
842 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
843 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
847 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
848 * Face:: Display a funkier, teensier colored image.
849 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were
851 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
852 * Gravatars:: Display the avatar of people you read.
853 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
857 * The problem of spam:: Some background, and some solutions
858 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
859 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
860 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
864 * Spam Package Introduction::
865 * Filtering Incoming Mail::
866 * Detecting Spam in Groups::
867 * Spam and Ham Processors::
868 * Spam Package Configuration Examples::
870 * Extending the Spam package::
871 * Spam Statistics Package::
873 Spam Statistics Package
875 * Creating a spam-stat dictionary::
876 * Splitting mail using spam-stat::
877 * Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary::
881 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
882 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
883 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
884 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
885 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
886 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
887 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
888 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
889 * Frequently Asked Questions:: The Gnus FAQ
893 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
894 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
895 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
896 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
897 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
898 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
899 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
900 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
904 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
905 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
906 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
907 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
908 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
909 * Oort Gnus:: It's big. It's far out. Gnus 5.10/5.11.
910 * No Gnus:: Very punny. Gnus 5.12/5.13
911 * Ma Gnus:: Celebrating 25 years of Gnus.
915 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
916 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
917 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
918 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
922 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
923 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
924 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
925 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
926 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
927 * Group Info:: The group info format.
928 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
929 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
930 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
934 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
935 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
936 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
937 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
938 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
939 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
943 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
944 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
948 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
949 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
955 @chapter Starting Gnus
958 If you haven't used Emacs much before using Gnus, read @ref{Emacs for
963 If your system administrator has set things up properly, starting Gnus
964 and reading news is extremely easy---you just type @kbd{M-x gnus} in
965 your Emacs. If not, you should customize the variable
966 @code{gnus-select-method} as described in @ref{Finding the News}. For a
967 minimal setup for posting should also customize the variables
968 @code{user-full-name} and @code{user-mail-address}.
970 @findex gnus-other-frame
971 @kindex M-x gnus-other-frame
972 If you want to start Gnus in a different frame, you can use the command
973 @kbd{M-x gnus-other-frame} instead.
975 If things do not go smoothly at startup, you have to twiddle some
976 variables in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file. This file is similar to
977 @file{~/.emacs}, but is read when Gnus starts.
979 If you puzzle at any terms used in this manual, please refer to the
980 terminology section (@pxref{Terminology}).
983 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
984 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
985 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
986 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
987 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
988 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
989 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
990 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
991 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
995 @node Finding the News
996 @section Finding the News
999 First of all, you should know that there is a special buffer called
1000 @file{*Server*} that lists all the servers Gnus knows about. You can
1001 press @kbd{^} from the Group buffer to see it. In the Server buffer,
1002 you can press @kbd{RET} on a defined server to see all the groups it
1003 serves (subscribed or not!). You can also add or delete servers, edit
1004 a foreign server's definition, agentize or de-agentize a server, and
1005 do many other neat things. @xref{Server Buffer}.
1006 @xref{Foreign Groups}. @xref{Agent Basics}.
1008 @vindex gnus-select-method
1010 The @code{gnus-select-method} variable says where Gnus should look for
1011 news. This variable should be a list where the first element says
1012 @dfn{how} and the second element says @dfn{where}. This method is your
1013 native method. All groups not fetched with this method are
1014 secondary or foreign groups.
1016 For instance, if the @samp{news.somewhere.edu} @acronym{NNTP} server is where
1017 you want to get your daily dosage of news from, you'd say:
1020 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"))
1023 If you want to read directly from the local spool, say:
1026 (setq gnus-select-method '(nnspool ""))
1029 If you can use a local spool, you probably should, as it will almost
1030 certainly be much faster. But do not use the local spool if your
1031 server is running Leafnode (which is a simple, standalone private news
1032 server); in this case, use @code{(nntp "localhost")}.
1034 @vindex gnus-nntpserver-file
1036 @cindex @acronym{NNTP} server
1037 If this variable is not set, Gnus will take a look at the
1038 @env{NNTPSERVER} environment variable. If that variable isn't set,
1039 Gnus will see whether @code{gnus-nntpserver-file}
1040 (@file{/etc/nntpserver} by default) has any opinions on the matter.
1041 If that fails as well, Gnus will try to use the machine running Emacs
1042 as an @acronym{NNTP} server. That's a long shot, though.
1044 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
1046 However, if you use one @acronym{NNTP} server regularly and are just
1047 interested in a couple of groups from a different server, you would be
1048 better served by using the @kbd{B} command in the group buffer. It will
1049 let you have a look at what groups are available, and you can subscribe
1050 to any of the groups you want to. This also makes @file{.newsrc}
1051 maintenance much tidier. @xref{Foreign Groups}.
1053 @vindex gnus-secondary-select-methods
1055 A slightly different approach to foreign groups is to set the
1056 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} variable. The select methods
1057 listed in this variable are in many ways just as native as the
1058 @code{gnus-select-method} server. They will also be queried for active
1059 files during startup (if that's required), and new newsgroups that
1060 appear on these servers will be subscribed (or not) just as native
1063 For instance, if you use the @code{nnmbox} back end to read your mail,
1064 you would typically set this variable to
1067 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnmbox "")))
1072 @node The Server is Down
1073 @section The Server is Down
1074 @cindex server errors
1076 If the default server is down, Gnus will understandably have some
1077 problems starting. However, if you have some mail groups in addition to
1078 the news groups, you may want to start Gnus anyway.
1080 Gnus, being the trusting sort of program, will ask whether to proceed
1081 without a native select method if that server can't be contacted. This
1082 will happen whether the server doesn't actually exist (i.e., you have
1083 given the wrong address) or the server has just momentarily taken ill
1084 for some reason or other. If you decide to continue and have no foreign
1085 groups, you'll find it difficult to actually do anything in the group
1086 buffer. But, hey, that's your problem. Blllrph!
1088 @findex gnus-no-server
1089 @kindex M-x gnus-no-server
1091 If you know that the server is definitely down, or you just want to read
1092 your mail without bothering with the server at all, you can use the
1093 @code{gnus-no-server} command to start Gnus. That might come in handy
1094 if you're in a hurry as well. This command will not attempt to contact
1095 your primary server---instead, it will just activate all groups on level
1096 1 and 2. (You should preferably keep no native groups on those two
1097 levels.) Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
1101 @section Slave Gnusae
1104 You might want to run more than one Emacs with more than one Gnus at the
1105 same time. If you are using different @file{.newsrc} files (e.g., if you
1106 are using the two different Gnusae to read from two different servers),
1107 that is no problem whatsoever. You just do it.
1109 The problem appears when you want to run two Gnusae that use the same
1110 @file{.newsrc} file.
1112 To work around that problem some, we here at the Think-Tank at the Gnus
1113 Towers have come up with a new concept: @dfn{Masters} and
1114 @dfn{slaves}. (We have applied for a patent on this concept, and have
1115 taken out a copyright on those words. If you wish to use those words in
1116 conjunction with each other, you have to send $1 per usage instance to
1117 me. Usage of the patent (@dfn{Master/Slave Relationships In Computer
1118 Applications}) will be much more expensive, of course.)
1121 Anyway, you start one Gnus up the normal way with @kbd{M-x gnus} (or
1122 however you do it). Each subsequent slave Gnusae should be started with
1123 @kbd{M-x gnus-slave}. These slaves won't save normal @file{.newsrc}
1124 files, but instead save @dfn{slave files} that contain information only
1125 on what groups have been read in the slave session. When a master Gnus
1126 starts, it will read (and delete) these slave files, incorporating all
1127 information from them. (The slave files will be read in the sequence
1128 they were created, so the latest changes will have precedence.)
1130 Information from the slave files has, of course, precedence over the
1131 information in the normal (i.e., master) @file{.newsrc} file.
1133 If the @file{.newsrc*} files have not been saved in the master when the
1134 slave starts, you may be prompted as to whether to read an auto-save
1135 file. If you answer ``yes'', the unsaved changes to the master will be
1136 incorporated into the slave. If you answer ``no'', the slave may see some
1137 messages as unread that have been read in the master.
1144 @cindex subscription
1146 @vindex gnus-check-new-newsgroups
1147 If you are satisfied that you really never want to see any new groups,
1148 you can set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil}. This will
1149 also save you some time at startup. Even if this variable is
1150 @code{nil}, you can always subscribe to the new groups just by pressing
1151 @kbd{U} in the group buffer (@pxref{Group Maintenance}). This variable
1152 is @code{ask-server} by default. If you set this variable to
1153 @code{always}, then Gnus will query the back ends for new groups even
1154 when you do the @kbd{g} command (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
1157 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
1158 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
1159 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
1163 @node Checking New Groups
1164 @subsection Checking New Groups
1166 Gnus normally determines whether a group is new or not by comparing
1167 the list of groups from the active file(s) with the lists of
1168 subscribed and dead groups. This isn't a particularly fast method.
1169 If @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} is @code{ask-server}, Gnus will
1170 ask the server for new groups since the last time. This is both
1171 faster and cheaper. This also means that you can get rid of the list
1172 of killed groups (@pxref{Group Levels}) altogether, so you may set
1173 @code{gnus-save-killed-list} to @code{nil}, which will save time both
1174 at startup, at exit, and all over. Saves disk space, too. Why isn't
1175 this the default, then? Unfortunately, not all servers support this
1178 I bet I know what you're thinking now: How do I find out whether my
1179 server supports @code{ask-server}? No? Good, because I don't have a
1180 fail-safe answer. I would suggest just setting this variable to
1181 @code{ask-server} and see whether any new groups appear within the next
1182 few days. If any do, then it works. If none do, then it doesn't
1183 work. I could write a function to make Gnus guess whether the server
1184 supports @code{ask-server}, but it would just be a guess. So I won't.
1185 You could @code{telnet} to the server and say @code{HELP} and see
1186 whether it lists @samp{NEWGROUPS} among the commands it understands. If
1187 it does, then it might work. (But there are servers that lists
1188 @samp{NEWGROUPS} without supporting the function properly.)
1190 This variable can also be a list of select methods. If so, Gnus will
1191 issue an @code{ask-server} command to each of the select methods, and
1192 subscribe them (or not) using the normal methods. This might be handy
1193 if you are monitoring a few servers for new groups. A side effect is
1194 that startup will take much longer, so you can meditate while waiting.
1195 Use the mantra ``dingnusdingnusdingnus'' to achieve permanent bliss.
1198 @node Subscription Methods
1199 @subsection Subscription Methods
1201 @vindex gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method
1202 What Gnus does when it encounters a new group is determined by the
1203 @code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} variable.
1205 This variable should contain a function. This function will be called
1206 with the name of the new group as the only parameter.
1208 Some handy pre-fab functions are:
1212 @item gnus-subscribe-zombies
1213 @vindex gnus-subscribe-zombies
1214 Make all new groups zombies (@pxref{Group Levels}). This is the
1215 default. You can browse the zombies later (with @kbd{A z}) and either
1216 kill them all off properly (with @kbd{S z}), or subscribe to them
1219 @item gnus-subscribe-randomly
1220 @vindex gnus-subscribe-randomly
1221 Subscribe all new groups in arbitrary order. This really means that all
1222 new groups will be added at ``the top'' of the group buffer.
1224 @item gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1225 @vindex gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1226 Subscribe all new groups in alphabetical order.
1228 @item gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1229 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1230 Subscribe all new groups hierarchically. The difference between this
1231 function and @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} is slight.
1232 @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} will subscribe new groups in a strictly
1233 alphabetical fashion, while this function will enter groups into its
1234 hierarchy. So if you want to have the @samp{rec} hierarchy before the
1235 @samp{comp} hierarchy, this function will not mess that configuration
1236 up. Or something like that.
1238 @item gnus-subscribe-interactively
1239 @vindex gnus-subscribe-interactively
1240 Subscribe new groups interactively. This means that Gnus will ask
1241 you about @strong{all} new groups. The groups you choose to subscribe
1242 to will be subscribed hierarchically.
1244 @item gnus-subscribe-killed
1245 @vindex gnus-subscribe-killed
1246 Kill all new groups.
1248 @item gnus-subscribe-topics
1249 @vindex gnus-subscribe-topics
1250 Put the groups into the topic that has a matching @code{subscribe} topic
1251 parameter (@pxref{Topic Parameters}). For instance, a @code{subscribe}
1252 topic parameter that looks like
1258 will mean that all groups that match that regex will be subscribed under
1261 If no topics match the groups, the groups will be subscribed in the
1266 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive
1267 A closely related variable is
1268 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. (That's quite a
1269 mouthful.) If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will ask you in a
1270 hierarchical fashion whether to subscribe to new groups or not. Gnus
1271 will ask you for each sub-hierarchy whether you want to descend the
1274 One common mistake is to set the variable a few paragraphs above
1275 (@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method}) to
1276 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. This is an error. This
1277 will not work. This is ga-ga. So don't do it.
1280 @node Filtering New Groups
1281 @subsection Filtering New Groups
1283 A nice and portable way to control which new newsgroups should be
1284 subscribed (or ignored) is to put an @dfn{options} line at the start of
1285 the @file{.newsrc} file. Here's an example:
1288 options -n !alt.all !rec.all sci.all
1291 @vindex gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method
1292 This line obviously belongs to a serious-minded intellectual scientific
1293 person (or she may just be plain old boring), because it says that all
1294 groups that have names beginning with @samp{alt} and @samp{rec} should
1295 be ignored, and all groups with names beginning with @samp{sci} should
1296 be subscribed. Gnus will not use the normal subscription method for
1297 subscribing these groups.
1298 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method} is used instead. This
1299 variable defaults to @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically}.
1301 The ``options -n'' format is very simplistic. The syntax above is all
1302 that is supports: you can force-subscribe hierarchies, or you can
1303 deny hierarchies, and that's it.
1305 @vindex gnus-options-not-subscribe
1306 @vindex gnus-options-subscribe
1307 If you don't want to mess with your @file{.newsrc} file, you can just
1308 set the two variables @code{gnus-options-subscribe} and
1309 @code{gnus-options-not-subscribe}. These two variables do exactly the
1310 same as the @file{.newsrc} @samp{options -n} trick. Both are regexps,
1311 and if the new group matches the former, it will be unconditionally
1312 subscribed, and if it matches the latter, it will be ignored.
1314 @vindex gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
1315 Yet another variable that meddles here is
1316 @code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups}. It works exactly like
1317 @code{gnus-options-subscribe}, and is therefore really superfluous,
1318 but I thought it would be nice to have two of these. This variable is
1319 more meant for setting some ground rules, while the other variable is
1320 used more for user fiddling. By default this variable makes all new
1321 groups that come from mail back ends (@code{nnml}, @code{nnbabyl},
1322 @code{nnfolder}, @code{nnmbox}, @code{nnmh}, @code{nnimap}, and
1323 @code{nnmaildir}) subscribed. If you don't like that, just set this
1324 variable to @code{nil}.
1326 @vindex gnus-auto-subscribed-categories
1327 As if that wasn't enough, @code{gnus-auto-subscribed-categories} also
1328 allows you to specify that new groups should be subscribed based on the
1329 category their select methods belong to. The default is @samp{(mail
1330 post-mail)}, meaning that all new groups from mail-like backends
1331 should be subscribed automatically.
1333 New groups that match these variables are subscribed using
1334 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method}.
1337 @node Changing Servers
1338 @section Changing Servers
1339 @cindex changing servers
1341 Sometimes it is necessary to move from one @acronym{NNTP} server to another.
1342 This happens very rarely, but perhaps you change jobs, or one server is
1343 very flaky and you want to use another.
1345 Changing the server is pretty easy, right? You just change
1346 @code{gnus-select-method} to point to the new server?
1350 Article numbers are not (in any way) kept synchronized between different
1351 @acronym{NNTP} servers, and the only way Gnus keeps track of what articles
1352 you have read is by keeping track of article numbers. So when you
1353 change @code{gnus-select-method}, your @file{.newsrc} file becomes
1356 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1357 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1358 You can use the @kbd{M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups}
1359 command to clear out all data that you have on your native groups.
1362 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data
1363 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
1364 Clear the data from the current group only---nix out marks and the
1365 list of read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
1367 After changing servers, you @strong{must} move the cache hierarchy away,
1368 since the cached articles will have wrong article numbers, which will
1369 affect which articles Gnus thinks are read.
1370 @code{gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} will ask you if you want
1371 to have it done automatically; for @code{gnus-group-clear-data}, you
1372 can use @kbd{M-x gnus-cache-move-cache} (but beware, it will move the
1373 cache for all groups).
1377 @section Startup Files
1378 @cindex startup files
1383 Most common Unix news readers use a shared startup file called
1384 @file{.newsrc}. This file contains all the information about what
1385 groups are subscribed, and which articles in these groups have been
1388 Things got a bit more complicated with @sc{gnus}. In addition to
1389 keeping the @file{.newsrc} file updated, it also used a file called
1390 @file{.newsrc.el} for storing all the information that didn't fit into
1391 the @file{.newsrc} file. (Actually, it also duplicated everything in
1392 the @file{.newsrc} file.) @sc{gnus} would read whichever one of these
1393 files was the most recently saved, which enabled people to swap between
1394 @sc{gnus} and other newsreaders.
1396 That was kinda silly, so Gnus went one better: In addition to the
1397 @file{.newsrc} and @file{.newsrc.el} files, Gnus also has a file called
1398 @file{.newsrc.eld}. It will read whichever of these files that are most
1399 recent, but it will never write a @file{.newsrc.el} file. You should
1400 never delete the @file{.newsrc.eld} file---it contains much information
1401 not stored in the @file{.newsrc} file.
1403 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-file
1404 @vindex gnus-read-newsrc-file
1405 You can turn off writing the @file{.newsrc} file by setting
1406 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-file} to @code{nil}, which means you can delete
1407 the file and save some space, as well as exiting from Gnus faster.
1408 However, this will make it impossible to use other newsreaders than
1409 Gnus. But hey, who would want to, right? Similarly, setting
1410 @code{gnus-read-newsrc-file} to @code{nil} makes Gnus ignore the
1411 @file{.newsrc} file and any @file{.newsrc-SERVER} files, which can be
1412 convenient if you use a different news reader occasionally, and you
1413 want to read a different subset of the available groups with that
1416 @vindex gnus-save-killed-list
1417 If @code{gnus-save-killed-list} (default @code{t}) is @code{nil}, Gnus
1418 will not save the list of killed groups to the startup file. This will
1419 save both time (when starting and quitting) and space (on disk). It
1420 will also mean that Gnus has no record of what groups are new or old,
1421 so the automatic new groups subscription methods become meaningless.
1422 You should always set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil} or
1423 @code{ask-server} if you set this variable to @code{nil} (@pxref{New
1424 Groups}). This variable can also be a regular expression. If that's
1425 the case, remove all groups that do not match this regexp before
1426 saving. This can be useful in certain obscure situations that involve
1427 several servers where not all servers support @code{ask-server}.
1429 @vindex gnus-startup-file
1430 @vindex gnus-backup-startup-file
1431 @vindex version-control
1432 The @code{gnus-startup-file} variable says where the startup files are.
1433 The default value is @file{~/.newsrc}, with the Gnus (El Dingo) startup
1434 file being whatever that one is, with a @samp{.eld} appended.
1435 If you want to keep multiple numbered backups of this file, set
1436 @code{gnus-backup-startup-file}. It respects the same values as the
1437 @code{version-control} variable.
1439 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-hook
1440 @vindex gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook
1441 @vindex gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook
1442 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-hook} is called before saving any of the newsrc
1443 files, while @code{gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook} is called just before
1444 saving the @file{.newsrc.eld} file, and
1445 @code{gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook} is called just before saving the
1446 @file{.newsrc} file. The latter two are commonly used to turn version
1447 control on or off. Version control is on by default when saving the
1448 startup files. If you want to turn backup creation off, say something like:
1451 (defun turn-off-backup ()
1452 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
1454 (add-hook 'gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1455 (add-hook 'gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1458 @vindex gnus-init-file
1459 @vindex gnus-site-init-file
1460 When Gnus starts, it will read the @code{gnus-site-init-file}
1461 (@file{.../site-lisp/gnus-init} by default) and @code{gnus-init-file}
1462 (@file{~/.gnus} by default) files. These are normal Emacs Lisp files
1463 and can be used to avoid cluttering your @file{~/.emacs} and
1464 @file{site-init} files with Gnus stuff. Gnus will also check for files
1465 with the same names as these, but with @file{.elc} and @file{.el}
1466 suffixes. In other words, if you have set @code{gnus-init-file} to
1467 @file{~/.gnus}, it will look for @file{~/.gnus.elc}, @file{~/.gnus.el},
1468 and finally @file{~/.gnus} (in this order). If Emacs was invoked with
1469 the @option{-q} or @option{--no-init-file} options (@pxref{Initial
1470 Options, ,Initial Options, emacs, The Emacs Manual}), Gnus doesn't read
1471 @code{gnus-init-file}.
1476 @cindex dribble file
1479 Whenever you do something that changes the Gnus data (reading articles,
1480 catching up, killing/subscribing groups), the change is added to a
1481 special @dfn{dribble buffer}. This buffer is auto-saved the normal
1482 Emacs way. If your Emacs should crash before you have saved the
1483 @file{.newsrc} files, all changes you have made can be recovered from
1486 If Gnus detects this file at startup, it will ask the user whether to
1487 read it. The auto save file is deleted whenever the real startup file is
1490 @vindex gnus-use-dribble-file
1491 If @code{gnus-use-dribble-file} is @code{nil}, Gnus won't create and
1492 maintain a dribble buffer. The default is @code{t}.
1494 @vindex gnus-dribble-directory
1495 Gnus will put the dribble file(s) in @code{gnus-dribble-directory}. If
1496 this variable is @code{nil}, which it is by default, Gnus will dribble
1497 into the directory where the @file{.newsrc} file is located. (This is
1498 normally the user's home directory.) The dribble file will get the same
1499 file permissions as the @file{.newsrc} file.
1501 @vindex gnus-always-read-dribble-file
1502 If @code{gnus-always-read-dribble-file} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will
1503 read the dribble file on startup without querying the user.
1506 @node The Active File
1507 @section The Active File
1509 @cindex ignored groups
1511 When Gnus starts, or indeed whenever it tries to determine whether new
1512 articles have arrived, it reads the active file. This is a very large
1513 file that lists all the active groups and articles on the server.
1515 @vindex gnus-ignored-newsgroups
1516 Before examining the active file, Gnus deletes all lines that match the
1517 regexp @code{gnus-ignored-newsgroups}. This is done primarily to reject
1518 any groups with bogus names, but you can use this variable to make Gnus
1519 ignore hierarchies you aren't ever interested in. However, this is not
1520 recommended. In fact, it's highly discouraged. Instead, @pxref{New
1521 Groups} for an overview of other variables that can be used instead.
1524 @c @code{nil} by default, and will slow down active file handling somewhat
1525 @c if you set it to anything else.
1527 @vindex gnus-read-active-file
1529 The active file can be rather Huge, so if you have a slow network, you
1530 can set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{nil} to prevent Gnus from
1531 reading the active file. This variable is @code{some} by default.
1533 Gnus will try to make do by getting information just on the groups that
1534 you actually subscribe to.
1536 Note that if you subscribe to lots and lots of groups, setting this
1537 variable to @code{nil} will probably make Gnus slower, not faster. At
1538 present, having this variable @code{nil} will slow Gnus down
1539 considerably, unless you read news over a 2400 baud modem.
1541 This variable can also have the value @code{some}. Gnus will then
1542 attempt to read active info only on the subscribed groups. On some
1543 servers this is quite fast (on sparkling, brand new INN servers that
1544 support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command), on others this isn't fast
1545 at all. In any case, @code{some} should be faster than @code{nil}, and
1546 is certainly faster than @code{t} over slow lines.
1548 Some news servers (old versions of Leafnode and old versions of INN, for
1549 instance) do not support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group}. For these
1550 servers, @code{nil} is probably the most efficient value for this
1553 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will ask for group info in total
1554 lock-step, which isn't very fast. If it is @code{some} and you use an
1555 @acronym{NNTP} server, Gnus will pump out commands as fast as it can, and
1556 read all the replies in one swoop. This will normally result in better
1557 performance, but if the server does not support the aforementioned
1558 @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, this isn't very nice to the server.
1560 If you think that starting up Gnus takes too long, try all the three
1561 different values for this variable and see what works best for you.
1563 In any case, if you use @code{some} or @code{nil}, you should definitely
1564 kill all groups that you aren't interested in to speed things up.
1566 Note that this variable also affects active file retrieval from
1567 secondary select methods.
1570 @node Startup Variables
1571 @section Startup Variables
1575 @item gnus-load-hook
1576 @vindex gnus-load-hook
1577 A hook run while Gnus is being loaded. Note that this hook will
1578 normally be run just once in each Emacs session, no matter how many
1579 times you start Gnus.
1581 @item gnus-before-startup-hook
1582 @vindex gnus-before-startup-hook
1583 A hook called as the first thing when Gnus is started.
1585 @item gnus-before-resume-hook
1586 @vindex gnus-before-resume-hook
1587 A hook called as the first thing when Gnus is resumed after a suspend.
1589 @item gnus-startup-hook
1590 @vindex gnus-startup-hook
1591 A hook run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1593 @item gnus-started-hook
1594 @vindex gnus-started-hook
1595 A hook that is run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1598 @item gnus-setup-news-hook
1599 @vindex gnus-setup-news-hook
1600 A hook that is run after reading the @file{.newsrc} file(s), but before
1601 generating the group buffer.
1603 @item gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1604 @vindex gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1605 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will check for and delete all bogus groups at
1606 startup. A @dfn{bogus group} is a group that you have in your
1607 @file{.newsrc} file, but doesn't exist on the news server. Checking for
1608 bogus groups can take quite a while, so to save time and resources it's
1609 best to leave this option off, and do the checking for bogus groups once
1610 in a while from the group buffer instead (@pxref{Group Maintenance}).
1612 @item gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1613 @vindex gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1614 If non-@code{nil}, the startup message won't be displayed. That way,
1615 your boss might not notice as easily that you are reading news instead
1616 of doing your job. Note that this variable is used before
1617 @file{~/.gnus.el} is loaded, so it should be set in @file{.emacs} instead.
1619 @item gnus-no-groups-message
1620 @vindex gnus-no-groups-message
1621 Message displayed by Gnus when no groups are available.
1623 @item gnus-use-backend-marks
1624 @vindex gnus-use-backend-marks
1625 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will store article marks both in the
1626 @file{.newsrc.eld} file and in the backends. This will slow down
1627 group operation some.
1633 @chapter Group Buffer
1634 @cindex group buffer
1636 @c Alex Schroeder suggests to rearrange this as follows:
1638 @c <kensanata> ok, just save it for reference. I'll go to bed in a minute.
1639 @c 1. Selecting a Group, 2. (new) Finding a Group, 3. Group Levels,
1640 @c 4. Subscription Commands, 5. Group Maneuvering, 6. Group Data,
1641 @c 7. Group Score, 8. Group Buffer Format
1642 @c <kensanata> Group Levels should have more information on levels 5 to 9. I
1643 @c suggest to split the 4th paragraph ("Gnus considers groups...") as follows:
1644 @c <kensanata> First, "Gnus considers groups... (default 9)."
1645 @c <kensanata> New, a table summarizing what levels 1 to 9 mean.
1646 @c <kensanata> Third, "Gnus treats subscribed ... reasons of efficiency"
1647 @c <kensanata> Then expand the next paragraph or add some more to it.
1648 @c This short one sentence explains levels 1 and 2, therefore I understand
1649 @c that I should keep important news at 3 and boring news at 4.
1650 @c Say so! Then go on to explain why I should bother with levels 6 to 9.
1651 @c Maybe keep those that you don't want to read temporarily at 6,
1652 @c those that you never want to read at 8, those that offend your
1653 @c human rights at 9...
1656 The @dfn{group buffer} lists all (or parts) of the available groups. It
1657 is the first buffer shown when Gnus starts, and will never be killed as
1658 long as Gnus is active.
1662 \gnusfigure{The Group Buffer}{320}{
1663 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group,height=9cm}}
1664 \put(120,37){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Buffer name}}
1665 \put(120,38){\vector(1,2){10}}
1666 \put(40,60){\makebox(0,0)[r]{Mode line}}
1667 \put(40,58){\vector(1,0){30}}
1668 \put(200,28){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Native select method}}
1669 \put(200,26){\vector(-1,2){15}}
1675 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
1676 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
1677 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
1678 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
1679 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
1680 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
1681 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
1682 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
1683 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
1684 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
1685 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
1686 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
1687 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
1688 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
1689 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
1690 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
1691 * Non-ASCII Group Names:: Accessing groups of non-English names.
1692 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
1696 @node Group Buffer Format
1697 @section Group Buffer Format
1700 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
1701 * Group Mode Line Specification:: The group buffer mode line.
1702 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
1705 You can customize the Group Mode tool bar, see @kbd{M-x
1706 customize-apropos RET gnus-group-tool-bar}. This feature is only
1709 The tool bar icons are now (de)activated correctly depending on the
1710 cursor position. Therefore, moving around in the Group Buffer is
1711 slower. You can disable this via the variable
1712 @code{gnus-group-update-tool-bar}. Its default value depends on your
1715 @node Group Line Specification
1716 @subsection Group Line Specification
1717 @cindex group buffer format
1719 The default format of the group buffer is nice and dull, but you can
1720 make it as exciting and ugly as you feel like.
1722 Here's a couple of example group lines:
1725 25: news.announce.newusers
1726 * 0: alt.fan.andrea-dworkin
1731 You can see that there are 25 unread articles in
1732 @samp{news.announce.newusers}. There are no unread articles, but some
1733 ticked articles, in @samp{alt.fan.andrea-dworkin} (see that little
1734 asterisk at the beginning of the line?).
1736 @vindex gnus-group-line-format
1737 You can change that format to whatever you want by fiddling with the
1738 @code{gnus-group-line-format} variable. This variable works along the
1739 lines of a @code{format} specification, which is pretty much the same as
1740 a @code{printf} specifications, for those of you who use (feh!) C@.
1741 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
1743 @samp{%M%S%5y:%B%(%g%)\n} is the value that produced those lines above.
1745 There should always be a colon on the line; the cursor always moves to
1746 the colon after performing an operation. @xref{Positioning
1747 Point}. Nothing else is required---not even the group name. All
1748 displayed text is just window dressing, and is never examined by Gnus.
1749 Gnus stores all real information it needs using text properties.
1751 (Note that if you make a really strange, wonderful, spreadsheet-like
1752 layout, everybody will believe you are hard at work with the accounting
1753 instead of wasting time reading news.)
1755 Here's a list of all available format characters:
1760 An asterisk if the group only has marked articles.
1763 Whether the group is subscribed.
1766 Level of subscribedness.
1769 Number of unread articles.
1772 Number of dormant articles.
1775 Number of ticked articles.
1778 Number of read articles.
1781 Number of unseen articles.
1784 Estimated total number of articles. (This is really @var{max-number}
1785 minus @var{min-number} plus 1.)
1787 Gnus uses this estimation because the @acronym{NNTP} protocol provides
1788 efficient access to @var{max-number} and @var{min-number} but getting
1789 the true unread message count is not possible efficiently. For
1790 hysterical raisins, even the mail back ends, where the true number of
1791 unread messages might be available efficiently, use the same limited
1792 interface. To remove this restriction from Gnus means that the back
1793 end interface has to be changed, which is not an easy job.
1795 The nnml backend (@pxref{Mail Spool}) has a feature called ``group
1796 compaction'' which circumvents this deficiency: the idea is to
1797 renumber all articles from 1, removing all gaps between numbers, hence
1798 getting a correct total count. Other backends may support this in the
1799 future. In order to keep your total article count relatively up to
1800 date, you might want to compact your groups (or even directly your
1801 server) from time to time. @xref{Misc Group Stuff}, @xref{Server Commands}.
1804 Number of unread, unticked, non-dormant articles.
1807 Number of ticked and dormant articles.
1816 Group comment (@pxref{Group Parameters}) or group name if there is no
1817 comment element in the group parameters.
1820 Newsgroup description. You need to read the group descriptions
1821 before these will appear, and to do that, you either have to set
1822 @code{gnus-read-active-file} or use the group buffer @kbd{M-d}
1826 @samp{m} if moderated.
1829 @samp{(m)} if moderated.
1835 If the summary buffer for the group is open or not.
1841 A string that looks like @samp{<%s:%n>} if a foreign select method is
1845 Indentation based on the level of the topic (@pxref{Group Topics}).
1848 @vindex gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels
1849 Short (collapsed) group name. The @code{gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels}
1850 variable says how many levels to leave at the end of the group name.
1851 The default is 1---this will mean that group names like
1852 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} will be shortened to @samp{g.e.gnus}.
1855 @vindex gnus-new-mail-mark
1857 @samp{%} (@code{gnus-new-mail-mark}) if there has arrived new mail to
1861 @samp{#} (@code{gnus-process-mark}) if the group is process marked.
1864 A string that says when you last read the group (@pxref{Group
1868 The disk space used by the articles fetched by both the cache and
1869 agent. The value is automatically scaled to bytes(B), kilobytes(K),
1870 megabytes(M), or gigabytes(G) to minimize the column width. A format
1871 of %7F is sufficient for a fixed-width column.
1874 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
1875 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
1876 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
1877 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed a single dummy
1878 parameter as argument. The function should return a string, which will
1879 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
1884 All the ``number-of'' specs will be filled with an asterisk (@samp{*})
1885 if no info is available---for instance, if it is a non-activated foreign
1886 group, or a bogus native group.
1889 @node Group Mode Line Specification
1890 @subsection Group Mode Line Specification
1891 @cindex group mode line
1893 @vindex gnus-group-mode-line-format
1894 The mode line can be changed by setting
1895 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
1896 doesn't understand that many format specifiers:
1900 The native news server.
1902 The native select method.
1906 @node Group Highlighting
1907 @subsection Group Highlighting
1908 @cindex highlighting
1909 @cindex group highlighting
1911 @vindex gnus-group-highlight
1912 Highlighting in the group buffer is controlled by the
1913 @code{gnus-group-highlight} variable. This is an alist with elements
1914 that look like @code{(@var{form} . @var{face})}. If @var{form} evaluates to
1915 something non-@code{nil}, the @var{face} will be used on the line.
1917 Here's an example value for this variable that might look nice if the
1921 (cond (window-system
1922 (setq custom-background-mode 'light)
1923 (defface my-group-face-1
1924 '((t (:foreground "Red" :bold t))) "First group face")
1925 (defface my-group-face-2
1926 '((t (:foreground "DarkSeaGreen4" :bold t)))
1927 "Second group face")
1928 (defface my-group-face-3
1929 '((t (:foreground "Green4" :bold t))) "Third group face")
1930 (defface my-group-face-4
1931 '((t (:foreground "SteelBlue" :bold t))) "Fourth group face")
1932 (defface my-group-face-5
1933 '((t (:foreground "Blue" :bold t))) "Fifth group face")))
1935 (setq gnus-group-highlight
1936 '(((> unread 200) . my-group-face-1)
1937 ((and (< level 3) (zerop unread)) . my-group-face-2)
1938 ((< level 3) . my-group-face-3)
1939 ((zerop unread) . my-group-face-4)
1940 (t . my-group-face-5)))
1943 Also @pxref{Faces and Fonts}.
1945 Variables that are dynamically bound when the forms are evaluated
1952 The number of unread articles in the group.
1956 Whether the group is a mail group.
1958 The level of the group.
1960 The score of the group.
1962 The number of ticked articles in the group.
1964 The total number of articles in the group. Or rather,
1965 @var{max-number} minus @var{min-number} plus one.
1967 When using the topic minor mode, this variable is bound to the current
1968 topic being inserted.
1971 When the forms are @code{eval}ed, point is at the beginning of the line
1972 of the group in question, so you can use many of the normal Gnus
1973 functions for snarfing info on the group.
1975 @vindex gnus-group-update-hook
1976 @findex gnus-group-highlight-line
1977 @code{gnus-group-update-hook} is called when a group line is changed.
1978 It will not be called when @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
1981 @node Group Maneuvering
1982 @section Group Maneuvering
1983 @cindex group movement
1985 All movement commands understand the numeric prefix and will behave as
1986 expected, hopefully.
1992 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group
1993 Go to the next group that has unread articles
1994 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group}).
2000 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group
2001 Go to the previous group that has unread articles
2002 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group}).
2006 @findex gnus-group-next-group
2007 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
2011 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
2012 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
2016 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level
2017 Go to the next unread group on the same (or lower) level
2018 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level}).
2022 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level
2023 Go to the previous unread group on the same (or lower) level
2024 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level}).
2027 Three commands for jumping to groups:
2033 @findex gnus-group-jump-to-group
2034 Jump to a group (and make it visible if it isn't already)
2035 (@code{gnus-group-jump-to-group}). Killed groups can be jumped to, just
2040 @findex gnus-group-best-unread-group
2041 Jump to the unread group with the lowest level
2042 (@code{gnus-group-best-unread-group}).
2046 @findex gnus-group-first-unread-group
2047 Jump to the first group with unread articles
2048 (@code{gnus-group-first-unread-group}).
2051 @vindex gnus-group-goto-unread
2052 If @code{gnus-group-goto-unread} is @code{nil}, all the movement
2053 commands will move to the next group, not the next unread group. Even
2054 the commands that say they move to the next unread group. The default
2057 @vindex gnus-summary-next-group-on-exit
2058 If @code{gnus-summary-next-group-on-exit} is @code{t}, when a summary is
2059 exited, the point in the group buffer is moved to the next unread group.
2060 Otherwise, the point is set to the group just exited. The default is
2063 @node Selecting a Group
2064 @section Selecting a Group
2065 @cindex group selection
2070 @kindex SPACE (Group)
2071 @findex gnus-group-read-group
2072 Select the current group, switch to the summary buffer and display the
2073 first unread article (@code{gnus-group-read-group}). If there are no
2074 unread articles in the group, or if you give a non-numerical prefix to
2075 this command, Gnus will offer to fetch all the old articles in this
2076 group from the server. If you give a numerical prefix @var{n}, @var{n}
2077 determines the number of articles Gnus will fetch. If @var{n} is
2078 positive, Gnus fetches the @var{n} newest articles, if @var{n} is
2079 negative, Gnus fetches the @code{abs(@var{n})} oldest articles.
2081 Thus, @kbd{SPC} enters the group normally, @kbd{C-u SPC} offers old
2082 articles, @kbd{C-u 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 newest articles, and @kbd{C-u
2083 - 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 oldest ones.
2085 When you are in the group (in the Summary buffer), you can type
2086 @kbd{M-g} to fetch new articles, or @kbd{C-u M-g} to also show the old
2091 @findex gnus-group-select-group
2092 Select the current group and switch to the summary buffer
2093 (@code{gnus-group-select-group}). Takes the same arguments as
2094 @code{gnus-group-read-group}---the only difference is that this command
2095 does not display the first unread article automatically upon group
2099 @kindex M-RET (Group)
2100 @findex gnus-group-quick-select-group
2101 This does the same as the command above, but tries to do it with the
2102 minimum amount of fuzz (@code{gnus-group-quick-select-group}). No
2103 scoring/killing will be performed, there will be no highlights and no
2104 expunging. This might be useful if you're in a real hurry and have to
2105 enter some humongous group. If you give a 0 prefix to this command
2106 (i.e., @kbd{0 M-RET}), Gnus won't even generate the summary buffer,
2107 which is useful if you want to toggle threading before generating the
2108 summary buffer (@pxref{Summary Generation Commands}).
2111 @kindex M-SPACE (Group)
2112 @findex gnus-group-visible-select-group
2113 This is yet one more command that does the same as the @kbd{RET}
2114 command, but this one does it without expunging and hiding dormants
2115 (@code{gnus-group-visible-select-group}).
2118 @kindex C-M-RET (Group)
2119 @findex gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally
2120 Finally, this command selects the current group ephemerally without
2121 doing any processing of its contents
2122 (@code{gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally}). Even threading has been
2123 turned off. Everything you do in the group after selecting it in this
2124 manner will have no permanent effects.
2128 @vindex gnus-large-newsgroup
2129 The @code{gnus-large-newsgroup} variable says what Gnus should
2130 consider to be a big group. If it is @code{nil}, no groups are
2131 considered big. The default value is 200. If the group has more
2132 (unread and/or ticked) articles than this, Gnus will query the user
2133 before entering the group. The user can then specify how many
2134 articles should be fetched from the server. If the user specifies a
2135 negative number (@var{-n}), the @var{n} oldest articles will be
2136 fetched. If it is positive, the @var{n} articles that have arrived
2137 most recently will be fetched.
2139 @vindex gnus-large-ephemeral-newsgroup
2140 @code{gnus-large-ephemeral-newsgroup} is the same as
2141 @code{gnus-large-newsgroup}, but is only used for ephemeral
2144 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-maximum-articles
2145 In groups in some news servers, there might be a big gap between a few
2146 very old articles that will never be expired and the recent ones. In
2147 such a case, the server will return the data like @code{(1 . 30000000)}
2148 for the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, for example. Even if there
2149 are actually only the articles 1--10 and 29999900--30000000, Gnus doesn't
2150 know it at first and prepares for getting 30000000 articles. However,
2151 it will consume hundreds megabytes of memories and might make Emacs get
2152 stuck as the case may be. If you use such news servers, set the
2153 variable @code{gnus-newsgroup-maximum-articles} to a positive number.
2154 The value means that Gnus ignores articles other than this number of the
2155 latest ones in every group. For instance, the value 10000 makes Gnus
2156 get only the articles 29990001--30000000 (if the latest article number is
2157 30000000 in a group). Note that setting this variable to a number might
2158 prevent you from reading very old articles. The default value of the
2159 variable @code{gnus-newsgroup-maximum-articles} is @code{nil}, which
2160 means Gnus never ignores old articles.
2162 @vindex gnus-select-group-hook
2163 @vindex gnus-auto-select-first
2164 @vindex gnus-auto-select-subject
2165 If @code{gnus-auto-select-first} is non-@code{nil}, select an article
2166 automatically when entering a group with the @kbd{SPACE} command.
2167 Which article this is controlled by the
2168 @code{gnus-auto-select-subject} variable. Valid values for this
2174 Place point on the subject line of the first unread article.
2177 Place point on the subject line of the first article.
2180 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article.
2182 @item unseen-or-unread
2183 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article, and if
2184 there is no such article, place point on the subject line of the first
2188 Place point on the subject line of the highest-scored unread article.
2192 This variable can also be a function. In that case, that function
2193 will be called to place point on a subject line.
2195 If you want to prevent automatic selection in some group (say, in a
2196 binary group with Huge articles) you can set the
2197 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} variable to @code{nil} in
2198 @code{gnus-select-group-hook}, which is called when a group is
2202 @node Subscription Commands
2203 @section Subscription Commands
2204 @cindex subscription
2206 The following commands allow for managing your subscriptions in the
2207 Group buffer. If you want to subscribe to many groups, it's probably
2208 more convenient to go to the @ref{Server Buffer}, and choose the
2209 server there using @kbd{RET} or @kbd{SPC}. Then you'll have the
2210 commands listed in @ref{Browse Foreign Server} at hand.
2218 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group
2219 @c @icon{gnus-group-unsubscribe}
2220 Toggle subscription to the current group
2221 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group}).
2227 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-group
2228 Prompt for a group to subscribe, and then subscribe it. If it was
2229 subscribed already, unsubscribe it instead
2230 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-group}).
2236 @findex gnus-group-kill-group
2237 @c @icon{gnus-group-kill-group}
2238 Kill the current group (@code{gnus-group-kill-group}).
2244 @findex gnus-group-yank-group
2245 Yank the last killed group (@code{gnus-group-yank-group}).
2248 @kindex C-x C-t (Group)
2249 @findex gnus-group-transpose-groups
2250 Transpose two groups (@code{gnus-group-transpose-groups}). This isn't
2251 really a subscription command, but you can use it instead of a
2252 kill-and-yank sequence sometimes.
2258 @findex gnus-group-kill-region
2259 Kill all groups in the region (@code{gnus-group-kill-region}).
2263 @findex gnus-group-kill-all-zombies
2264 Kill all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-kill-all-zombies}).
2267 @kindex S C-k (Group)
2268 @findex gnus-group-kill-level
2269 Kill all groups on a certain level (@code{gnus-group-kill-level}).
2270 These groups can't be yanked back after killing, so this command should
2271 be used with some caution. The only time where this command comes in
2272 really handy is when you have a @file{.newsrc} with lots of unsubscribed
2273 groups that you want to get rid off. @kbd{S C-k} on level 7 will
2274 kill off all unsubscribed groups that do not have message numbers in the
2275 @file{.newsrc} file.
2279 Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
2289 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current
2290 @vindex gnus-group-catchup-group-hook
2291 @c @icon{gnus-group-catchup-current}
2292 Mark all unticked articles in this group as read
2293 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current}).
2294 @code{gnus-group-catchup-group-hook} is called when catching up a group from
2299 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current-all
2300 Mark all articles in this group, even the ticked ones, as read
2301 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current-all}).
2305 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
2306 Clear the data from the current group---nix out marks and the list of
2307 read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
2309 @item M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2310 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2311 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2312 If you have switched from one @acronym{NNTP} server to another, all your marks
2313 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use this command to
2314 clear out all data that you have on your native groups. Use with
2321 @section Group Levels
2325 All groups have a level of @dfn{subscribedness}. For instance, if a
2326 group is on level 2, it is more subscribed than a group on level 5. You
2327 can ask Gnus to just list groups on a given level or lower
2328 (@pxref{Listing Groups}), or to just check for new articles in groups on
2329 a given level or lower (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
2331 Remember: The higher the level of the group, the less important it is.
2337 @findex gnus-group-set-current-level
2338 Set the level of the current group. If a numeric prefix is given, the
2339 next @var{n} groups will have their levels set. The user will be
2340 prompted for a level.
2343 @vindex gnus-level-killed
2344 @vindex gnus-level-zombie
2345 @vindex gnus-level-unsubscribed
2346 @vindex gnus-level-subscribed
2347 Gnus considers groups from levels 1 to
2348 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (inclusive) (default 5) to be subscribed,
2349 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (exclusive) and
2350 @code{gnus-level-unsubscribed} (inclusive) (default 7) to be
2351 unsubscribed, @code{gnus-level-zombie} to be zombies (walking dead)
2352 (default 8) and @code{gnus-level-killed} to be killed (completely dead)
2353 (default 9). Gnus treats subscribed and unsubscribed groups exactly the
2354 same, but zombie and killed groups store no information on what articles
2355 you have read, etc. This distinction between dead and living
2356 groups isn't done because it is nice or clever, it is done purely for
2357 reasons of efficiency.
2359 It is recommended that you keep all your mail groups (if any) on quite
2360 low levels (e.g., 1 or 2).
2362 Maybe the following description of the default behavior of Gnus helps to
2363 understand what these levels are all about. By default, Gnus shows you
2364 subscribed nonempty groups, but by hitting @kbd{L} you can have it show
2365 empty subscribed groups and unsubscribed groups, too. Type @kbd{l} to
2366 go back to showing nonempty subscribed groups again. Thus, unsubscribed
2367 groups are hidden, in a way.
2369 @cindex zombie groups
2370 Zombie and killed groups are similar to unsubscribed groups in that they
2371 are hidden by default. But they are different from subscribed and
2372 unsubscribed groups in that Gnus doesn't ask the news server for
2373 information (number of messages, number of unread messages) on zombie
2374 and killed groups. Normally, you use @kbd{C-k} to kill the groups you
2375 aren't interested in. If most groups are killed, Gnus is faster.
2377 Why does Gnus distinguish between zombie and killed groups? Well, when
2378 a new group arrives on the server, Gnus by default makes it a zombie
2379 group. This means that you are normally not bothered with new groups,
2380 but you can type @kbd{A z} to get a list of all new groups. Subscribe
2381 the ones you like and kill the ones you don't want. (@kbd{A k} shows a
2382 list of killed groups.)
2384 If you want to play with the level variables, you should show some care.
2385 Set them once, and don't touch them ever again. Better yet, don't touch
2386 them at all unless you know exactly what you're doing.
2388 @vindex gnus-level-default-unsubscribed
2389 @vindex gnus-level-default-subscribed
2390 Two closely related variables are @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}
2391 (default 3) and @code{gnus-level-default-unsubscribed} (default 6),
2392 which are the levels that new groups will be put on if they are
2393 (un)subscribed. These two variables should, of course, be inside the
2394 relevant valid ranges.
2396 @vindex gnus-keep-same-level
2397 If @code{gnus-keep-same-level} is non-@code{nil}, some movement commands
2398 will only move to groups of the same level (or lower). In
2399 particular, going from the last article in one group to the next group
2400 will go to the next group of the same level (or lower). This might be
2401 handy if you want to read the most important groups before you read the
2404 If this variable is @code{best}, Gnus will make the next newsgroup the
2405 one with the best level.
2407 @vindex gnus-group-default-list-level
2408 All groups with a level less than or equal to
2409 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level} will be listed in the group buffer
2411 This variable can also be a function. In that case, that function will
2412 be called and the result will be used as value.
2415 @vindex gnus-group-list-inactive-groups
2416 If @code{gnus-group-list-inactive-groups} is non-@code{nil}, non-active
2417 groups will be listed along with the unread groups. This variable is
2418 @code{t} by default. If it is @code{nil}, inactive groups won't be
2421 @vindex gnus-group-use-permanent-levels
2422 If @code{gnus-group-use-permanent-levels} is non-@code{nil}, once you
2423 give a level prefix to @kbd{g} or @kbd{l}, all subsequent commands will
2424 use this level as the ``work'' level.
2426 @vindex gnus-activate-level
2427 Gnus will normally just activate (i.e., query the server about) groups
2428 on level @code{gnus-activate-level} or less. If you don't want to
2429 activate unsubscribed groups, for instance, you might set this variable
2430 to 5. The default is 6.
2434 @section Group Score
2439 You would normally keep important groups on high levels, but that scheme
2440 is somewhat restrictive. Don't you wish you could have Gnus sort the
2441 group buffer according to how often you read groups, perhaps? Within
2444 This is what @dfn{group score} is for. You can have Gnus assign a score
2445 to each group through the mechanism described below. You can then sort
2446 the group buffer based on this score. Alternatively, you can sort on
2447 score and then level. (Taken together, the level and the score is
2448 called the @dfn{rank} of the group. A group that is on level 4 and has
2449 a score of 1 has a higher rank than a group on level 5 that has a score
2450 of 300. (The level is the most significant part and the score is the
2451 least significant part.))
2453 @findex gnus-summary-bubble-group
2454 If you want groups you read often to get higher scores than groups you
2455 read seldom you can add the @code{gnus-summary-bubble-group} function to
2456 the @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} hook. This will result (after
2457 sorting) in a bubbling sort of action. If you want to see that in
2458 action after each summary exit, you can add
2459 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank} or
2460 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score} to the same hook, but that will
2461 slow things down somewhat.
2464 @node Marking Groups
2465 @section Marking Groups
2466 @cindex marking groups
2468 If you want to perform some command on several groups, and they appear
2469 subsequently in the group buffer, you would normally just give a
2470 numerical prefix to the command. Most group commands will then do your
2471 bidding on those groups.
2473 However, if the groups are not in sequential order, you can still
2474 perform a command on several groups. You simply mark the groups first
2475 with the process mark and then execute the command.
2483 @findex gnus-group-mark-group
2484 Set the mark on the current group (@code{gnus-group-mark-group}).
2490 @findex gnus-group-unmark-group
2491 Remove the mark from the current group
2492 (@code{gnus-group-unmark-group}).
2496 @findex gnus-group-unmark-all-groups
2497 Remove the mark from all groups (@code{gnus-group-unmark-all-groups}).
2501 @findex gnus-group-mark-region
2502 Mark all groups between point and mark (@code{gnus-group-mark-region}).
2506 @findex gnus-group-mark-buffer
2507 Mark all groups in the buffer (@code{gnus-group-mark-buffer}).
2511 @findex gnus-group-mark-regexp
2512 Mark all groups that match some regular expression
2513 (@code{gnus-group-mark-regexp}).
2516 Also @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
2518 @findex gnus-group-universal-argument
2519 If you want to execute some command on all groups that have been marked
2520 with the process mark, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
2521 (@code{gnus-group-universal-argument}) command. It will prompt you for
2522 the command to be executed.
2525 @node Foreign Groups
2526 @section Foreign Groups
2527 @cindex foreign groups
2529 If you recall how to subscribe to servers (@pxref{Finding the News})
2530 you will remember that @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} and
2531 @code{gnus-select-method} let you write a definition in Emacs Lisp of
2532 what servers you want to see when you start up. The alternate
2533 approach is to use foreign servers and groups. ``Foreign'' here means
2534 they are not coming from the select methods. All foreign server
2535 configuration and subscriptions are stored only in the
2536 @file{~/.newsrc.eld} file.
2538 Below are some group mode commands for making and editing general foreign
2539 groups, as well as commands to ease the creation of a few
2540 special-purpose groups. All these commands insert the newly created
2541 groups under point---@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} is not
2544 Changes from the group editing commands are stored in
2545 @file{~/.newsrc.eld} (@code{gnus-startup-file}). An alternative is the
2546 variable @code{gnus-parameters}, @xref{Group Parameters}.
2552 @findex gnus-group-make-group
2553 @cindex making groups
2554 Make a new group (@code{gnus-group-make-group}). Gnus will prompt you
2555 for a name, a method and possibly an @dfn{address}. For an easier way
2556 to subscribe to @acronym{NNTP} groups (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
2560 @findex gnus-group-read-ephemeral-group
2561 Make an ephemeral group (@code{gnus-group-read-ephemeral-group}). Gnus
2562 will prompt you for a name, a method and an @dfn{address}.
2566 @findex gnus-group-rename-group
2567 @cindex renaming groups
2568 Rename the current group to something else
2569 (@code{gnus-group-rename-group}). This is valid only on some
2570 groups---mail groups mostly. This command might very well be quite slow
2576 @findex gnus-group-customize
2577 Customize the group parameters (@code{gnus-group-customize}).
2581 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-method
2582 @cindex renaming groups
2583 Enter a buffer where you can edit the select method of the current
2584 group (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method}).
2588 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-parameters
2589 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group parameters
2590 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-parameters}).
2594 @findex gnus-group-edit-group
2595 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group info
2596 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group}).
2600 @findex gnus-group-make-directory-group
2602 Make a directory group (@pxref{Directory Groups}). You will be prompted
2603 for a directory name (@code{gnus-group-make-directory-group}).
2608 @findex gnus-group-make-help-group
2609 Make the Gnus help group (@code{gnus-group-make-help-group}).
2613 @findex gnus-group-enter-directory
2615 Read an arbitrary directory as if it were a newsgroup with the
2616 @code{nneething} back end (@code{gnus-group-enter-directory}).
2617 @xref{Anything Groups}.
2621 @findex gnus-group-make-doc-group
2622 @cindex ClariNet Briefs
2624 Make a group based on some file or other
2625 (@code{gnus-group-make-doc-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2626 command, you will be prompted for a file name and a file type.
2627 Currently supported types are @code{mbox}, @code{babyl},
2628 @code{digest}, @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward},
2629 @code{rfc934}, @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts},
2630 @code{standard-digest}, @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs},
2631 @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook}, @code{oe-dbx}, and @code{mailman}. If
2632 you run this command without a prefix, Gnus will guess at the file
2633 type. @xref{Document Groups}.
2637 @vindex gnus-useful-groups
2638 @findex gnus-group-make-useful-group
2639 Create one of the groups mentioned in @code{gnus-useful-groups}
2640 (@code{gnus-group-make-useful-group}).
2644 @findex gnus-group-make-web-group
2648 Make an ephemeral group based on a web search
2649 (@code{gnus-group-make-web-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2650 command, make a solid group instead. You will be prompted for the
2651 search engine type and the search string. Valid search engine types
2652 include @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}.
2653 @xref{Web Searches}.
2655 If you use the @code{google} search engine, you can limit the search
2656 to a particular group by using a match string like
2657 @samp{shaving group:alt.sysadmin.recovery}.
2661 @findex gnus-group-make-rss-group
2662 Make a group based on an @acronym{RSS} feed
2663 (@code{gnus-group-make-rss-group}). You will be prompted for an URL@.
2667 @kindex G DEL (Group)
2668 @findex gnus-group-delete-group
2669 This function will delete the current group
2670 (@code{gnus-group-delete-group}). If given a prefix, this function will
2671 actually delete all the articles in the group, and forcibly remove the
2672 group itself from the face of the Earth. Use a prefix only if you are
2673 absolutely sure of what you are doing. This command can't be used on
2674 read-only groups (like @code{nntp} groups), though.
2678 @findex gnus-group-make-empty-virtual
2679 Make a new, fresh, empty @code{nnvirtual} group
2680 (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}). @xref{Virtual Groups}.
2684 @findex gnus-group-add-to-virtual
2685 Add the current group to an @code{nnvirtual} group
2686 (@code{gnus-group-add-to-virtual}). Uses the process/prefix convention.
2689 @xref{Select Methods}, for more information on the various select
2692 @vindex gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups
2693 If @code{gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups} is a positive number,
2694 Gnus will check all foreign groups with this level or lower at startup.
2695 This might take quite a while, especially if you subscribe to lots of
2696 groups from different @acronym{NNTP} servers. Also @pxref{Group Levels};
2697 @code{gnus-activate-level} also affects activation of foreign
2701 The following commands create ephemeral groups. They can be called not
2702 only from the Group buffer, but in any Gnus buffer.
2705 @item gnus-read-ephemeral-gmane-group
2706 @findex gnus-read-ephemeral-gmane-group
2707 @vindex gnus-gmane-group-download-format
2708 Read an ephemeral group on Gmane.org. The articles are downloaded via
2709 HTTP using the URL specified by @code{gnus-gmane-group-download-format}.
2710 Gnus will prompt you for a group name, the start article number and an
2713 @item gnus-read-ephemeral-gmane-group-url
2714 @findex gnus-read-ephemeral-gmane-group-url
2715 This command is similar to @code{gnus-read-ephemeral-gmane-group}, but
2716 the group name and the article number and range are constructed from a
2717 given @acronym{URL}. Supported @acronym{URL} formats include:
2718 @indicateurl{http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.foo.bar/12300/focus=12399},
2719 @indicateurl{http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.foo.bar/12345/},
2720 @indicateurl{http://article.gmane.org/gmane.foo.bar/12345/},
2721 @indicateurl{http://permalink.gmane.org/gmane.foo.bar/12345/}, and
2722 @indicateurl{http://news.gmane.org/group/gmane.foo.bar/thread=12345}.
2724 @item gnus-read-ephemeral-emacs-bug-group
2725 @findex gnus-read-ephemeral-emacs-bug-group
2726 Read an Emacs bug report in an ephemeral group. Gnus will prompt for a
2727 bug number. The default is the number at point. The @acronym{URL} is
2728 specified in @code{gnus-bug-group-download-format-alist}.
2730 @item gnus-read-ephemeral-debian-bug-group
2731 @findex gnus-read-ephemeral-debian-bug-group
2732 Read a Debian bug report in an ephemeral group. Analog to
2733 @code{gnus-read-ephemeral-emacs-bug-group}.
2736 Some of these command are also useful for article buttons, @xref{Article
2744 '("#\\([0-9]+\\)\\>" 1
2745 (string-match "\\<emacs\\>" (or gnus-newsgroup-name ""))
2746 gnus-read-ephemeral-emacs-bug-group 1))
2750 @node Group Parameters
2751 @section Group Parameters
2752 @cindex group parameters
2754 The group parameters store information local to a particular group.
2756 Use the @kbd{G p} or the @kbd{G c} command to edit group parameters of a
2757 group. (@kbd{G p} presents you with a Lisp-based interface, @kbd{G c}
2758 presents you with a Customize-like interface. The latter helps avoid
2759 silly Lisp errors.) You might also be interested in reading about topic
2760 parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}).
2761 Additionally, you can set group parameters via the
2762 @code{gnus-parameters} variable, see below.
2764 Here's an example group parameter list:
2767 ((to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")
2771 We see that each element consists of a ``dotted pair''---the thing before
2772 the dot is the key, while the thing after the dot is the value. All the
2773 parameters have this form @emph{except} local variable specs, which are
2774 not dotted pairs, but proper lists.
2776 Some parameters have correspondent customizable variables, each of which
2777 is an alist of regexps and values.
2779 The following group parameters can be used:
2784 Address used by when doing followups and new posts.
2787 (to-address . "some@@where.com")
2790 This is primarily useful in mail groups that represent closed mailing
2791 lists---mailing lists where it's expected that everybody that writes to
2792 the mailing list is subscribed to it. Since using this parameter
2793 ensures that the mail only goes to the mailing list itself, it means
2794 that members won't receive two copies of your followups.
2796 Using @code{to-address} will actually work whether the group is foreign
2797 or not. Let's say there's a group on the server that is called
2798 @samp{fa.4ad-l}. This is a real newsgroup, but the server has gotten
2799 the articles from a mail-to-news gateway. Posting directly to this
2800 group is therefore impossible---you have to send mail to the mailing
2801 list address instead.
2803 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-address-alist}.
2807 Address used when doing @kbd{a} in that group.
2810 (to-list . "some@@where.com")
2813 It is totally ignored
2814 when doing a followup---except that if it is present in a news group,
2815 you'll get mail group semantics when doing @kbd{f}.
2817 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you have neither a
2818 @code{to-list} group parameter nor a @code{to-address} group parameter,
2819 then a @code{to-list} group parameter will be added automatically upon
2820 sending the message if @code{gnus-add-to-list} is set to @code{t}.
2821 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
2823 @findex gnus-mailing-list-mode
2824 @cindex mail list groups
2825 If this variable is set, @code{gnus-mailing-list-mode} is turned on when
2826 entering summary buffer.
2828 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-list-alist}.
2833 @cindex Mail-Followup-To
2834 @findex gnus-find-subscribed-addresses
2835 If this parameter is set to @code{t}, Gnus will consider the
2836 to-address and to-list parameters for this group as addresses of
2837 mailing lists you are subscribed to. Giving Gnus this information is
2838 (only) a first step in getting it to generate correct Mail-Followup-To
2839 headers for your posts to these lists. The second step is to put the
2840 following in your @file{.gnus.el}
2843 (setq message-subscribed-address-functions
2844 '(gnus-find-subscribed-addresses))
2847 @xref{Mailing Lists, ,Mailing Lists, message, The Message Manual}, for
2848 a complete treatment of available MFT support.
2852 If the group parameter list has the element @code{(visible . t)},
2853 that group will always be visible in the Group buffer, regardless
2854 of whether it has any unread articles.
2856 This parameter cannot be set via @code{gnus-parameters}. See
2857 @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} as an alternative.
2859 @item broken-reply-to
2860 @cindex broken-reply-to
2861 Elements like @code{(broken-reply-to . t)} signals that @code{Reply-To}
2862 headers in this group are to be ignored, and for the header to be hidden
2863 if @code{reply-to} is part of @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}. This
2864 can be useful if you're reading a mailing list group where the listserv
2865 has inserted @code{Reply-To} headers that point back to the listserv
2866 itself. That is broken behavior. So there!
2870 Elements like @code{(to-group . "some.group.name")} means that all
2871 posts in that group will be sent to @code{some.group.name}.
2875 If you have @code{(newsgroup . t)} in the group parameter list, Gnus
2876 will treat all responses as if they were responses to news articles.
2877 This can be useful if you have a mail group that's really a mirror of a
2882 If @code{(gcc-self . t)} is present in the group parameter list, newly
2883 composed messages will be @code{gcc}d to the current group. If
2884 @code{(gcc-self . none)} is present, no @code{Gcc:} header will be
2885 generated, if @code{(gcc-self . "group")} is present, this string will
2886 be inserted literally as a @code{Gcc:} header. It should be a group
2887 name. The @code{gcc-self} value may also be a list of strings and
2888 @code{t}, e.g., @code{(gcc-self "group1" "group2" t)} means to
2889 @code{gcc} the newly composed message into the groups @code{"group1"}
2890 and @code{"group2"}, and into the current group. The @code{gcc-self}
2891 parameter takes precedence over any default @code{Gcc} rules as
2892 described later (@pxref{Archived Messages}), with the exception for
2895 @strong{Caveat}: Adding @code{(gcc-self . t)} to the parameter list of
2896 @code{nntp} groups (or the like) isn't valid. An @code{nntp} server
2897 doesn't accept articles.
2901 @cindex expiring mail
2902 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(auto-expire
2903 . t)}, all articles read will be marked as expirable. For an
2904 alternative approach, @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
2906 See also @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups}.
2909 @cindex total-expire
2910 @cindex expiring mail
2911 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2912 @code{(total-expire . t)}, all read articles will be put through the
2913 expiry process, even if they are not marked as expirable. Use with
2914 caution. Unread, ticked and dormant articles are not eligible for
2917 See also @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups}.
2921 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
2922 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2923 @code{(expiry-wait . 10)}, this value will override any
2924 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} and @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function}
2925 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}) when expiring expirable messages. The value
2926 can either be a number of days (not necessarily an integer) or the
2927 symbols @code{never} or @code{immediate}.
2930 @cindex expiry-target
2931 Where expired messages end up. This parameter overrides
2932 @code{nnmail-expiry-target}.
2935 @cindex score file group parameter
2936 Elements that look like @code{(score-file . "file")} will make
2937 @file{file} into the current score file for the group in question. All
2938 interactive score entries will be put into this file.
2941 @cindex adapt file group parameter
2942 Elements that look like @code{(adapt-file . "file")} will make
2943 @file{file} into the current adaptive file for the group in question.
2944 All adaptive score entries will be put into this file.
2947 @cindex admin-address
2948 When unsubscribing from a mailing list you should never send the
2949 unsubscription notice to the mailing list itself. Instead, you'd send
2950 messages to the administrative address. This parameter allows you to
2951 put the admin address somewhere convenient.
2955 Elements that look like @code{(display . MODE)} say which articles to
2956 display on entering the group. Valid values are:
2960 Display all articles, both read and unread.
2963 Display the last @var{integer} articles in the group. This is the same as
2964 entering the group with @kbd{C-u @var{integer}}.
2967 Display the default visible articles, which normally includes unread and
2971 Display articles that satisfy a predicate.
2973 Here are some examples:
2977 Display only unread articles.
2980 Display everything except expirable articles.
2982 @item [and (not reply) (not expire)]
2983 Display everything except expirable and articles you've already
2987 The available operators are @code{not}, @code{and} and @code{or}.
2988 Predicates include @code{tick}, @code{unsend}, @code{undownload},
2989 @code{unread}, @code{dormant}, @code{expire}, @code{reply},
2990 @code{killed}, @code{bookmark}, @code{score}, @code{save},
2991 @code{cache}, @code{forward}, and @code{unseen}.
2995 The @code{display} parameter works by limiting the summary buffer to
2996 the subset specified. You can pop the limit by using the @kbd{/ w}
2997 command (@pxref{Limiting}).
3001 Elements that look like @code{(comment . "This is a comment")} are
3002 arbitrary comments on the group. You can display comments in the
3003 group line (@pxref{Group Line Specification}).
3007 Elements that look like @code{(charset . iso-8859-1)} will make
3008 @code{iso-8859-1} the default charset; that is, the charset that will be
3009 used for all articles that do not specify a charset.
3011 See also @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}.
3013 @item ignored-charsets
3014 @cindex ignored-charset
3015 Elements that look like @code{(ignored-charsets x-unknown iso-8859-1)}
3016 will make @code{iso-8859-1} and @code{x-unknown} ignored; that is, the
3017 default charset will be used for decoding articles.
3019 See also @code{gnus-group-ignored-charsets-alist}.
3022 @cindex posting-style
3023 You can store additional posting style information for this group
3024 here (@pxref{Posting Styles}). The format is that of an entry in the
3025 @code{gnus-posting-styles} alist, except that there's no regexp matching
3026 the group name (of course). Style elements in this group parameter will
3027 take precedence over the ones found in @code{gnus-posting-styles}.
3029 For instance, if you want a funky name and signature in this group only,
3030 instead of hacking @code{gnus-posting-styles}, you could put something
3031 like this in the group parameters:
3036 ("X-Message-SMTP-Method" "smtp smtp.example.org 587")
3037 ("X-My-Header" "Funky Value")
3038 (signature "Funky Signature"))
3041 If you're using topics to organize your group buffer
3042 (@pxref{Group Topics}), note that posting styles can also be set in
3043 the topics parameters. Posting styles in topic parameters apply to all
3044 groups in this topic. More precisely, the posting-style settings for a
3045 group result from the hierarchical merging of all posting-style
3046 entries in the parameters of this group and all the topics it belongs
3052 If it is set, the value is used as the method for posting message
3053 instead of @code{gnus-post-method}.
3057 If it is set, and the setting of @code{mail-sources} includes a
3058 @code{group} mail source (@pxref{Mail Sources}), the value is a
3059 mail source for this group.
3063 An item like @code{(banner . @var{regexp})} causes any part of an article
3064 that matches the regular expression @var{regexp} to be stripped. Instead of
3065 @var{regexp}, you can also use the symbol @code{signature} which strips the
3066 last signature or any of the elements of the alist
3067 @code{gnus-article-banner-alist}.
3071 This parameter contains a Sieve test that should match incoming mail
3072 that should be placed in this group. From this group parameter, a
3073 Sieve @samp{IF} control structure is generated, having the test as the
3074 condition and @samp{fileinto "group.name";} as the body.
3076 For example, if the @samp{INBOX.list.sieve} group has the @code{(sieve
3077 address "sender" "sieve-admin@@extundo.com")} group parameter, when
3078 translating the group parameter into a Sieve script (@pxref{Sieve
3079 Commands}) the following Sieve code is generated:
3082 if address "sender" "sieve-admin@@extundo.com" @{
3083 fileinto "INBOX.list.sieve";
3087 To generate tests for multiple email-addresses use a group parameter
3088 like @code{(sieve address "sender" ("name@@one.org" else@@two.org"))}.
3089 When generating a sieve script (@pxref{Sieve Commands}) Sieve code
3090 like the following is generated:
3093 if address "sender" ["name@@one.org", "else@@two.org"] @{
3094 fileinto "INBOX.list.sieve";
3098 You can also use regexp expansions in the rules:
3101 (sieve header :regex "list-id" "<c++std-\\1.accu.org>")
3104 See @pxref{Sieve Commands} for commands and variables that might be of
3105 interest in relation to the sieve parameter.
3107 The Sieve language is described in RFC 3028. @xref{Top, Emacs Sieve,
3108 Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
3110 @item (agent parameters)
3111 If the agent has been enabled, you can set any of its parameters to
3112 control the behavior of the agent in individual groups. See Agent
3113 Parameters in @ref{Category Syntax}. Most users will choose to set
3114 agent parameters in either an agent category or group topic to
3115 minimize the configuration effort.
3117 @item (@var{variable} @var{form})
3118 You can use the group parameters to set variables local to the group you
3119 are entering. If you want to turn threading off in @samp{news.answers},
3120 you could put @code{(gnus-show-threads nil)} in the group parameters of
3121 that group. @code{gnus-show-threads} will be made into a local variable
3122 in the summary buffer you enter, and the form @code{nil} will be
3123 @code{eval}ed there.
3125 Note that this feature sets the variable locally to the summary buffer
3126 if and only if @var{variable} has been bound as a variable. Otherwise,
3127 only evaluating the form will take place. So, you may want to bind the
3128 variable in advance using @code{defvar} or other if the result of the
3129 form needs to be set to it.
3131 But some variables are evaluated in the article buffer, or in the
3132 message buffer (of a reply or followup or otherwise newly created
3133 message). As a workaround, it might help to add the variable in
3134 question to @code{gnus-newsgroup-variables}. @xref{Various Summary
3135 Stuff}. So if you want to set @code{message-from-style} via the group
3136 parameters, then you may need the following statement elsewhere in your
3137 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
3140 (add-to-list 'gnus-newsgroup-variables 'message-from-style)
3143 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
3144 A use for this feature is to remove a mailing list identifier tag in
3145 the subject fields of articles. E.g., if the news group
3148 nntp+news.gnus.org:gmane.text.docbook.apps
3151 has the tag @samp{DOC-BOOK-APPS:} in the subject of all articles, this
3152 tag can be removed from the article subjects in the summary buffer for
3153 the group by putting @code{(gnus-list-identifiers "DOCBOOK-APPS:")}
3154 into the group parameters for the group.
3156 This can also be used as a group-specific hook function. If you want to
3157 hear a beep when you enter a group, you could put something like
3158 @code{(dummy-variable (ding))} in the parameters of that group. If
3159 @code{dummy-variable} has been bound (see above), it will be set to the
3160 (meaningless) result of the @code{(ding)} form.
3162 Alternatively, since the VARIABLE becomes local to the group, this
3163 pattern can be used to temporarily change a hook. For example, if the
3164 following is added to a group parameter
3167 (gnus-summary-prepared-hook
3168 (lambda nil (local-set-key "d" (local-key-binding "n"))))
3171 when the group is entered, the 'd' key will not mark the article as
3176 @vindex gnus-parameters
3177 Group parameters can be set via the @code{gnus-parameters} variable too.
3178 But some variables, such as @code{visible}, have no effect (For this
3179 case see @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} as an alternative.).
3183 (setq gnus-parameters
3185 (gnus-show-threads nil)
3186 (gnus-use-scoring nil)
3187 (gnus-summary-line-format
3188 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%d:%ub%-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
3192 ("^nnimap:\\(foo.bar\\)$"
3196 (gnus-use-scoring t))
3200 (broken-reply-to . t))))
3203 All clauses that matches the group name will be used, but the last
3204 setting ``wins''. So if you have two clauses that both match the
3205 group name, and both set, say @code{display}, the last setting will
3208 Parameters that are strings will be subjected to regexp substitution,
3209 as the @code{to-group} example shows.
3211 @vindex gnus-parameters-case-fold-search
3212 By default, whether comparing the group name and one of those regexps
3213 specified in @code{gnus-parameters} is done in a case-sensitive manner
3214 or a case-insensitive manner depends on the value of
3215 @code{case-fold-search} at the time when the comparison is done. The
3216 value of @code{case-fold-search} is typically @code{t}; it means, for
3217 example, the element @code{("INBOX\\.FOO" (total-expire . t))} might be
3218 applied to both the @samp{INBOX.FOO} group and the @samp{INBOX.foo}
3219 group. If you want to make those regexps always case-sensitive, set the
3220 value of the @code{gnus-parameters-case-fold-search} variable to
3221 @code{nil}. Otherwise, set it to @code{t} if you want to compare them
3222 always in a case-insensitive manner.
3224 You can define different sorting to different groups via
3225 @code{gnus-parameters}. Here is an example to sort an @acronym{NNTP}
3226 group by reverse date to see the latest news at the top and an
3227 @acronym{RSS} group by subject. In this example, the first group is the
3228 Debian daily news group @code{gmane.linux.debian.user.news} from
3229 news.gmane.org. The @acronym{RSS} group corresponds to the Debian
3230 weekly news RSS feed
3231 @url{http://packages.debian.org/unstable/newpkg_main.en.rdf},
3237 '(("nntp.*gmane\\.debian\\.user\\.news"
3238 (gnus-show-threads nil)
3239 (gnus-article-sort-functions '((not gnus-article-sort-by-date)))
3240 (gnus-use-adaptive-scoring nil)
3241 (gnus-use-scoring nil))
3243 (gnus-show-threads nil)
3244 (gnus-article-sort-functions 'gnus-article-sort-by-subject)
3245 (gnus-use-adaptive-scoring nil)
3246 (gnus-use-scoring t)
3247 (gnus-score-find-score-files-function 'gnus-score-find-single)
3248 (gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z%d %I%(%[ %s %]%)\n"))))
3252 @node Listing Groups
3253 @section Listing Groups
3254 @cindex group listing
3256 These commands all list various slices of the groups available.
3264 @findex gnus-group-list-groups
3265 List all groups that have unread articles
3266 (@code{gnus-group-list-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used, this
3267 command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default, it
3268 only lists groups of level five (i.e.,
3269 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level}) or lower (i.e., just subscribed
3276 @findex gnus-group-list-all-groups
3277 List all groups, whether they have unread articles or not
3278 (@code{gnus-group-list-all-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used,
3279 this command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default,
3280 it lists groups of level seven or lower (i.e., just subscribed and
3281 unsubscribed groups).
3285 @findex gnus-group-list-level
3286 List all unread groups on a specific level
3287 (@code{gnus-group-list-level}). If given a prefix, also list the groups
3288 with no unread articles.
3292 @findex gnus-group-list-killed
3293 List all killed groups (@code{gnus-group-list-killed}). If given a
3294 prefix argument, really list all groups that are available, but aren't
3295 currently (un)subscribed. This could entail reading the active file
3300 @findex gnus-group-list-zombies
3301 List all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-list-zombies}).
3305 @findex gnus-group-list-matching
3306 List all unread, subscribed groups with names that match a regexp
3307 (@code{gnus-group-list-matching}).
3311 @findex gnus-group-list-all-matching
3312 List groups that match a regexp (@code{gnus-group-list-all-matching}).
3316 @findex gnus-group-list-active
3317 List absolutely all groups in the active file(s) of the
3318 server(s) you are connected to (@code{gnus-group-list-active}). This
3319 might very well take quite a while. It might actually be a better idea
3320 to do a @kbd{A M} to list all matching, and just give @samp{.} as the
3321 thing to match on. Also note that this command may list groups that
3322 don't exist (yet)---these will be listed as if they were killed groups.
3323 Take the output with some grains of salt.
3327 @findex gnus-group-apropos
3328 List all groups that have names that match a regexp
3329 (@code{gnus-group-apropos}).
3333 @findex gnus-group-description-apropos
3334 List all groups that have names or descriptions that match a regexp
3335 (@code{gnus-group-description-apropos}).
3339 @findex gnus-group-list-cached
3340 List all groups with cached articles (@code{gnus-group-list-cached}).
3344 @findex gnus-group-list-dormant
3345 List all groups with dormant articles (@code{gnus-group-list-dormant}).
3349 @findex gnus-group-list-ticked
3350 List all groups with ticked articles (@code{gnus-group-list-ticked}).
3354 @findex gnus-group-list-limit
3355 Further limit groups within the current selection
3356 (@code{gnus-group-list-limit}). If you've first limited to groups
3357 with dormant articles with @kbd{A ?}, you can then further limit with
3358 @kbd{A / c}, which will then limit to groups with cached articles,
3359 giving you the groups that have both dormant articles and cached
3364 @findex gnus-group-list-flush
3365 Flush groups from the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-flush}).
3369 @findex gnus-group-list-plus
3370 List groups plus the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-plus}).
3374 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3375 @cindex visible group parameter
3376 Groups that match the @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} regexp will
3377 always be shown, whether they have unread articles or not. You can also
3378 add the @code{visible} element to the group parameters in question to
3379 get the same effect.
3381 @vindex gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles
3382 Groups that have just ticked articles in it are normally listed in the
3383 group buffer. If @code{gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles} is
3384 @code{nil}, these groups will be treated just like totally empty
3385 groups. It is @code{t} by default.
3388 @node Sorting Groups
3389 @section Sorting Groups
3390 @cindex sorting groups
3392 @kindex C-c C-s (Group)
3393 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups
3394 @vindex gnus-group-sort-function
3395 The @kbd{C-c C-s} (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups}) command sorts the
3396 group buffer according to the function(s) given by the
3397 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable. Available sorting functions
3402 @item gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3403 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3404 Sort the group names alphabetically. This is the default.
3406 @item gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3407 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3408 Sort the group alphabetically on the real (unprefixed) group names.
3410 @item gnus-group-sort-by-level
3411 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-level
3412 Sort by group level.
3414 @item gnus-group-sort-by-score
3415 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-score
3416 Sort by group score. @xref{Group Score}.
3418 @item gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3419 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3420 Sort by group score and then the group level. The level and the score
3421 are, when taken together, the group's @dfn{rank}. @xref{Group Score}.
3423 @item gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3424 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3425 Sort by number of unread articles.
3427 @item gnus-group-sort-by-method
3428 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-method
3429 Sort alphabetically on the select method.
3431 @item gnus-group-sort-by-server
3432 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-server
3433 Sort alphabetically on the Gnus server name.
3438 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} can also be a list of sorting
3439 functions. In that case, the most significant sort key function must be
3443 There are also a number of commands for sorting directly according to
3444 some sorting criteria:
3448 @kindex G S a (Group)
3449 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3450 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by group name
3451 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3454 @kindex G S u (Group)
3455 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread
3456 Sort the group buffer by the number of unread articles
3457 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3460 @kindex G S l (Group)
3461 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level
3462 Sort the group buffer by group level
3463 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level}).
3466 @kindex G S v (Group)
3467 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score
3468 Sort the group buffer by group score
3469 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3472 @kindex G S r (Group)
3473 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank
3474 Sort the group buffer by group rank
3475 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3478 @kindex G S m (Group)
3479 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method
3480 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by back end name@*
3481 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method}).
3484 @kindex G S n (Group)
3485 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-real-name
3486 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by real (unprefixed) group name
3487 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-real-name}).
3491 All the commands below obey the process/prefix convention
3492 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3494 When given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), all these
3495 commands will sort in reverse order.
3497 You can also sort a subset of the groups:
3501 @kindex G P a (Group)
3502 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet
3503 Sort the groups alphabetically by group name
3504 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet}).
3507 @kindex G P u (Group)
3508 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread
3509 Sort the groups by the number of unread articles
3510 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread}).
3513 @kindex G P l (Group)
3514 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level
3515 Sort the groups by group level
3516 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level}).
3519 @kindex G P v (Group)
3520 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score
3521 Sort the groups by group score
3522 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3525 @kindex G P r (Group)
3526 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank
3527 Sort the groups by group rank
3528 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3531 @kindex G P m (Group)
3532 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method
3533 Sort the groups alphabetically by back end name@*
3534 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method}).
3537 @kindex G P n (Group)
3538 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-real-name
3539 Sort the groups alphabetically by real (unprefixed) group name
3540 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-real-name}).
3543 @kindex G P s (Group)
3544 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups
3545 Sort the groups according to @code{gnus-group-sort-function}.
3549 And finally, note that you can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} to manually
3553 @node Group Maintenance
3554 @section Group Maintenance
3555 @cindex bogus groups
3560 @findex gnus-group-check-bogus-groups
3561 Find bogus groups and delete them
3562 (@code{gnus-group-check-bogus-groups}).
3566 @findex gnus-group-find-new-groups
3567 Find new groups and process them (@code{gnus-group-find-new-groups}).
3568 With 1 @kbd{C-u}, use the @code{ask-server} method to query the server
3569 for new groups. With 2 @kbd{C-u}'s, use most complete method possible
3570 to query the server for new groups, and subscribe the new groups as
3574 @kindex C-c C-x (Group)
3575 @findex gnus-group-expire-articles
3576 @cindex expiring mail
3577 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
3578 process (if any) (@code{gnus-group-expire-articles}). That is, delete
3579 all expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
3580 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3583 @kindex C-c C-M-x (Group)
3584 @findex gnus-group-expire-all-groups
3585 @cindex expiring mail
3586 Run all expirable articles in all groups through the expiry process
3587 (@code{gnus-group-expire-all-groups}).
3592 @node Browse Foreign Server
3593 @section Browse Foreign Server
3594 @cindex foreign servers
3595 @cindex browsing servers
3600 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
3601 You will be queried for a select method and a server name. Gnus will
3602 then attempt to contact this server and let you browse the groups there
3603 (@code{gnus-group-browse-foreign-server}).
3606 @findex gnus-browse-mode
3607 A new buffer with a list of available groups will appear. This buffer
3608 will use the @code{gnus-browse-mode}. This buffer looks a bit (well,
3609 a lot) like a normal group buffer.
3611 Here's a list of keystrokes available in the browse mode:
3616 @findex gnus-group-next-group
3617 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
3621 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
3622 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
3625 @kindex SPACE (Browse)
3626 @findex gnus-browse-read-group
3627 Enter the current group and display the first article
3628 (@code{gnus-browse-read-group}).
3631 @kindex RET (Browse)
3632 @findex gnus-browse-select-group
3633 Enter the current group (@code{gnus-browse-select-group}).
3637 @findex gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group
3638 @vindex gnus-browse-subscribe-newsgroup-method
3639 Unsubscribe to the current group, or, as will be the case here,
3640 subscribe to it (@code{gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group}). You
3641 can affect the way the new group is entered into the Group buffer
3642 using the variable @code{gnus-browse-subscribe-newsgroup-method}. See
3643 @pxref{Subscription Methods} for available options.
3649 @findex gnus-browse-exit
3650 Exit browse mode (@code{gnus-browse-exit}).
3654 @findex gnus-browse-describe-group
3655 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-browse-describe-group}).
3659 @findex gnus-browse-describe-briefly
3660 Describe browse mode briefly (well, there's not much to describe, is
3661 there) (@code{gnus-browse-describe-briefly}).
3664 @kindex DEL (Browse)
3665 @findex gnus-browse-delete-group
3666 This function will delete the current group
3667 (@code{gnus-browse-delete-group}). If given a prefix, this function
3668 will actually delete all the articles in the group, and forcibly
3669 remove the group itself from the face of the Earth. Use a prefix only
3670 if you are absolutely sure of what you are doing.
3675 @section Exiting Gnus
3676 @cindex exiting Gnus
3678 Yes, Gnus is ex(c)iting.
3683 @findex gnus-group-suspend
3684 Suspend Gnus (@code{gnus-group-suspend}). This doesn't really exit Gnus,
3685 but it kills all buffers except the Group buffer. I'm not sure why this
3686 is a gain, but then who am I to judge?
3690 @findex gnus-group-exit
3691 @c @icon{gnus-group-exit}
3692 Quit Gnus (@code{gnus-group-exit}).
3696 @findex gnus-group-quit
3697 Quit Gnus without saving the @file{.newsrc} files (@code{gnus-group-quit}).
3698 The dribble file will be saved, though (@pxref{Auto Save}).
3701 @vindex gnus-exit-gnus-hook
3702 @vindex gnus-suspend-gnus-hook
3703 @vindex gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook
3704 @code{gnus-suspend-gnus-hook} is called when you suspend Gnus and
3705 @code{gnus-exit-gnus-hook} is called when you quit Gnus, while
3706 @code{gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook} is called as the final item when
3712 Miss Lisa Cannifax, while sitting in English class, felt her feet go
3713 numbly heavy and herself fall into a hazy trance as the boy sitting
3714 behind her drew repeated lines with his pencil across the back of her
3720 @section Group Topics
3723 If you read lots and lots of groups, it might be convenient to group
3724 them hierarchically according to topics. You put your Emacs groups over
3725 here, your sex groups over there, and the rest (what, two groups or so?)
3726 you put in some misc section that you never bother with anyway. You can
3727 even group the Emacs sex groups as a sub-topic to either the Emacs
3728 groups or the sex groups---or both! Go wild!
3732 \gnusfigure{Group Topics}{400}{
3733 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group-topic,height=9cm}}
3744 2: alt.religion.emacs
3747 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3749 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3750 13: comp.sources.unix
3753 @findex gnus-topic-mode
3755 To get this @emph{fab} functionality you simply turn on (ooh!) the
3756 @code{gnus-topic} minor mode---type @kbd{t} in the group buffer. (This
3757 is a toggling command.)
3759 Go ahead, just try it. I'll still be here when you get back. La de
3760 dum@dots{} Nice tune, that@dots{} la la la@dots{} What, you're back?
3761 Yes, and now press @kbd{l}. There. All your groups are now listed
3762 under @samp{misc}. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy?
3765 If you want this permanently enabled, you should add that minor mode to
3766 the hook for the group mode. Put the following line in your
3767 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
3770 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
3774 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
3775 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
3776 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
3777 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
3778 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
3782 @node Topic Commands
3783 @subsection Topic Commands
3784 @cindex topic commands
3786 When the topic minor mode is turned on, a new @kbd{T} submap will be
3787 available. In addition, a few of the standard keys change their
3788 definitions slightly.
3790 In general, the following kinds of operations are possible on topics.
3791 First of all, you want to create topics. Secondly, you want to put
3792 groups in topics and to move them around until you have an order you
3793 like. The third kind of operation is to show/hide parts of the whole
3794 shebang. You might want to hide a topic including its subtopics and
3795 groups, to get a better overview of the other groups.
3797 Here is a list of the basic keys that you might need to set up topics
3804 @findex gnus-topic-create-topic
3805 Prompt for a new topic name and create it
3806 (@code{gnus-topic-create-topic}).
3810 @kindex T TAB (Topic)
3812 @findex gnus-topic-indent
3813 ``Indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3814 previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-indent}). If given a prefix,
3815 ``un-indent'' the topic instead.
3818 @kindex M-TAB (Topic)
3819 @findex gnus-topic-unindent
3820 ``Un-indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3821 parent of its current parent (@code{gnus-topic-unindent}).
3825 The following two keys can be used to move groups and topics around.
3826 They work like the well-known cut and paste. @kbd{C-k} is like cut and
3827 @kbd{C-y} is like paste. Of course, this being Emacs, we use the terms
3828 kill and yank rather than cut and paste.
3834 @findex gnus-topic-kill-group
3835 Kill a group or topic (@code{gnus-topic-kill-group}). All groups in the
3836 topic will be removed along with the topic.
3840 @findex gnus-topic-yank-group
3841 Yank the previously killed group or topic
3842 (@code{gnus-topic-yank-group}). Note that all topics will be yanked
3845 So, to move a topic to the beginning of the list of topics, just hit
3846 @kbd{C-k} on it. This is like the ``cut'' part of cut and paste. Then,
3847 move the cursor to the beginning of the buffer (just below the ``Gnus''
3848 topic) and hit @kbd{C-y}. This is like the ``paste'' part of cut and
3849 paste. Like I said---E-Z.
3851 You can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} on groups as well as on topics. So
3852 you can move topics around as well as groups.
3856 After setting up the topics the way you like them, you might wish to
3857 hide a topic, or to show it again. That's why we have the following
3864 @findex gnus-topic-select-group
3866 Either select a group or fold a topic (@code{gnus-topic-select-group}).
3867 When you perform this command on a group, you'll enter the group, as
3868 usual. When done on a topic line, the topic will be folded (if it was
3869 visible) or unfolded (if it was folded already). So it's basically a
3870 toggling command on topics. In addition, if you give a numerical
3871 prefix, group on that level (and lower) will be displayed.
3875 Now for a list of other commands, in no particular order.
3881 @findex gnus-topic-move-group
3882 Move the current group to some other topic
3883 (@code{gnus-topic-move-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3884 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3888 @findex gnus-topic-jump-to-topic
3889 Go to a topic (@code{gnus-topic-jump-to-topic}).
3893 @findex gnus-topic-copy-group
3894 Copy the current group to some other topic
3895 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3896 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3900 @findex gnus-topic-hide-topic
3901 Hide the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-hide-topic}). If given
3902 a prefix, hide the topic permanently.
3906 @findex gnus-topic-show-topic
3907 Show the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-show-topic}). If given
3908 a prefix, show the topic permanently.
3912 @findex gnus-topic-remove-group
3913 Remove a group from the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-remove-group}).
3914 This command is mainly useful if you have the same group in several
3915 topics and wish to remove it from one of the topics. You may also
3916 remove a group from all topics, but in that case, Gnus will add it to
3917 the root topic the next time you start Gnus. In fact, all new groups
3918 (which, naturally, don't belong to any topic) will show up in the root
3921 This command uses the process/prefix convention
3922 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3926 @findex gnus-topic-move-matching
3927 Move all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3928 (@code{gnus-topic-move-matching}).
3932 @findex gnus-topic-copy-matching
3933 Copy all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3934 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-matching}).
3938 @findex gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics
3939 Toggle hiding empty topics
3940 (@code{gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics}).
3944 @findex gnus-topic-mark-topic
3945 Mark all groups in the current topic with the process mark
3946 (@code{gnus-topic-mark-topic}). This command works recursively on
3947 sub-topics unless given a prefix.
3950 @kindex T M-# (Topic)
3951 @findex gnus-topic-unmark-topic
3952 Remove the process mark from all groups in the current topic
3953 (@code{gnus-topic-unmark-topic}). This command works recursively on
3954 sub-topics unless given a prefix.
3957 @kindex C-c C-x (Topic)
3958 @findex gnus-topic-expire-articles
3959 @cindex expiring mail
3960 Run all expirable articles in the current group or topic through the
3961 expiry process (if any)
3962 (@code{gnus-topic-expire-articles}). (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3966 @findex gnus-topic-rename
3967 Rename a topic (@code{gnus-topic-rename}).
3970 @kindex T DEL (Topic)
3971 @findex gnus-topic-delete
3972 Delete an empty topic (@code{gnus-topic-delete}).
3976 @findex gnus-topic-list-active
3977 List all groups that Gnus knows about in a topics-ified way
3978 (@code{gnus-topic-list-active}).
3981 @kindex T M-n (Topic)
3982 @findex gnus-topic-goto-next-topic
3983 Go to the next topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-next-topic}).
3986 @kindex T M-p (Topic)
3987 @findex gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic
3988 Go to the previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic}).
3992 @findex gnus-topic-edit-parameters
3993 @cindex group parameters
3994 @cindex topic parameters
3996 Edit the topic parameters (@code{gnus-topic-edit-parameters}).
3997 @xref{Topic Parameters}.
4002 @node Topic Variables
4003 @subsection Topic Variables
4004 @cindex topic variables
4006 The previous section told you how to tell Gnus which topics to display.
4007 This section explains how to tell Gnus what to display about each topic.
4009 @vindex gnus-topic-line-format
4010 The topic lines themselves are created according to the
4011 @code{gnus-topic-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
4024 Number of groups in the topic.
4026 Number of unread articles in the topic.
4028 Number of unread articles in the topic and all its subtopics.
4031 @vindex gnus-topic-indent-level
4032 Each sub-topic (and the groups in the sub-topics) will be indented with
4033 @code{gnus-topic-indent-level} times the topic level number of spaces.
4036 @vindex gnus-topic-mode-hook
4037 @code{gnus-topic-mode-hook} is called in topic minor mode buffers.
4039 @vindex gnus-topic-display-empty-topics
4040 The @code{gnus-topic-display-empty-topics} says whether to display even
4041 topics that have no unread articles in them. The default is @code{t}.
4045 @subsection Topic Sorting
4046 @cindex topic sorting
4048 You can sort the groups in each topic individually with the following
4054 @kindex T S a (Topic)
4055 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet
4056 Sort the current topic alphabetically by group name
4057 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
4060 @kindex T S u (Topic)
4061 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread
4062 Sort the current topic by the number of unread articles
4063 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread}).
4066 @kindex T S l (Topic)
4067 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level
4068 Sort the current topic by group level
4069 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level}).
4072 @kindex T S v (Topic)
4073 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score
4074 Sort the current topic by group score
4075 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
4078 @kindex T S r (Topic)
4079 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank
4080 Sort the current topic by group rank
4081 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
4084 @kindex T S m (Topic)
4085 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method
4086 Sort the current topic alphabetically by back end name
4087 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method}).
4090 @kindex T S e (Topic)
4091 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server
4092 Sort the current topic alphabetically by server name
4093 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server}).
4096 @kindex T S s (Topic)
4097 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups
4098 Sort the current topic according to the function(s) given by the
4099 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable
4100 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups}).
4104 When given a prefix argument, all these commands will sort in reverse
4105 order. @xref{Sorting Groups}, for more information about group
4109 @node Topic Topology
4110 @subsection Topic Topology
4111 @cindex topic topology
4114 So, let's have a look at an example group buffer:
4121 2: alt.religion.emacs
4124 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
4126 8: comp.binaries.fractals
4127 13: comp.sources.unix
4131 So, here we have one top-level topic (@samp{Gnus}), two topics under
4132 that, and one sub-topic under one of the sub-topics. (There is always
4133 just one (1) top-level topic). This topology can be expressed as
4138 (("Emacs -- I wuw it!" visible)
4139 (("Naughty Emacs" visible)))
4143 @vindex gnus-topic-topology
4144 This is in fact how the variable @code{gnus-topic-topology} would look
4145 for the display above. That variable is saved in the @file{.newsrc.eld}
4146 file, and shouldn't be messed with manually---unless you really want
4147 to. Since this variable is read from the @file{.newsrc.eld} file,
4148 setting it in any other startup files will have no effect.
4150 This topology shows what topics are sub-topics of what topics (right),
4151 and which topics are visible. Two settings are currently
4152 allowed---@code{visible} and @code{invisible}.
4155 @node Topic Parameters
4156 @subsection Topic Parameters
4157 @cindex topic parameters
4159 All groups in a topic will inherit group parameters from the parent
4160 (and ancestor) topic parameters. All valid group parameters are valid
4161 topic parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}). When the agent is
4162 enabled, all agent parameters (See Agent Parameters in @ref{Category
4163 Syntax}) are also valid topic parameters.
4165 In addition, the following parameters are only valid as topic
4170 When subscribing new groups by topic (@pxref{Subscription Methods}), the
4171 @code{subscribe} topic parameter says what groups go in what topic. Its
4172 value should be a regexp to match the groups that should go in that
4175 @item subscribe-level
4176 When subscribing new groups by topic (see the @code{subscribe} parameter),
4177 the group will be subscribed with the level specified in the
4178 @code{subscribe-level} instead of @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}.
4182 Group parameters (of course) override topic parameters, and topic
4183 parameters in sub-topics override topic parameters in super-topics. You
4184 know. Normal inheritance rules. (@dfn{Rules} is here a noun, not a
4185 verb, although you may feel free to disagree with me here.)
4192 2: alt.religion.emacs
4196 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
4198 8: comp.binaries.fractals
4199 13: comp.sources.unix
4204 The @samp{Emacs} topic has the topic parameter @code{(score-file
4205 . "emacs.SCORE")}; the @samp{Relief} topic has the topic parameter
4206 @code{(score-file . "relief.SCORE")}; and the @samp{Misc} topic has the
4207 topic parameter @code{(score-file . "emacs.SCORE")}. In addition,
4208 @* @samp{alt.religion.emacs} has the group parameter @code{(score-file
4209 . "religion.SCORE")}.
4211 Now, when you enter @samp{alt.sex.emacs} in the @samp{Relief} topic, you
4212 will get the @file{relief.SCORE} home score file. If you enter the same
4213 group in the @samp{Emacs} topic, you'll get the @file{emacs.SCORE} home
4214 score file. If you enter the group @samp{alt.religion.emacs}, you'll
4215 get the @file{religion.SCORE} home score file.
4217 This seems rather simple and self-evident, doesn't it? Well, yes. But
4218 there are some problems, especially with the @code{total-expiry}
4219 parameter. Say you have a mail group in two topics; one with
4220 @code{total-expiry} and one without. What happens when you do @kbd{M-x
4221 gnus-expire-all-expirable-groups}? Gnus has no way of telling which one
4222 of these topics you mean to expire articles from, so anything may
4223 happen. In fact, I hereby declare that it is @dfn{undefined} what
4224 happens. You just have to be careful if you do stuff like that.
4227 @node Non-ASCII Group Names
4228 @section Accessing groups of non-English names
4229 @cindex non-ascii group names
4231 There are some news servers that provide groups of which the names are
4232 expressed with their native languages in the world. For instance, in a
4233 certain news server there are some newsgroups of which the names are
4234 spelled in Chinese, where people are talking in Chinese. You can, of
4235 course, subscribe to such news groups using Gnus. Currently Gnus
4236 supports non-@acronym{ASCII} group names not only with the @code{nntp}
4237 back end but also with the @code{nnml} back end and the @code{nnrss}
4240 Every such group name is encoded by a certain charset in the server
4241 side (in an @acronym{NNTP} server its administrator determines the
4242 charset, but for groups in the other back ends it is determined by you).
4243 Gnus has to display the decoded ones for you in the group buffer and the
4244 article buffer, and needs to use the encoded ones when communicating
4245 with servers. However, Gnus doesn't know what charset is used for each
4246 non-@acronym{ASCII} group name. The following two variables are just
4247 the ones for telling Gnus what charset should be used for each group:
4250 @item gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4251 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4252 An alist of select methods and charsets. The default value is
4253 @code{nil}. The names of groups in the server specified by that select
4254 method are all supposed to use the corresponding charset. For example:
4257 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4258 '(((nntp "news.com.cn") . cn-gb-2312)))
4261 Charsets specified for groups with this variable are preferred to the
4262 ones specified for the same groups with the
4263 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist} variable (see below).
4265 A select method can be very long, like:
4269 (nntp-address "news.gmane.org")
4270 (nntp-end-of-line "\n")
4271 (nntp-open-connection-function
4272 nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet)
4273 (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
4274 (nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
4275 ("-C" "-t" "-e" "none"))
4276 (nntp-via-address @dots{}))
4279 In that case, you can truncate it into @code{(nntp "gmane")} in this
4280 variable. That is, it is enough to contain only the back end name and
4283 @item gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4284 @cindex UTF-8 group names
4285 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4286 An alist of regexp of group name and the charset for group names.
4287 @code{((".*" . utf-8))} is the default value if UTF-8 is supported,
4288 otherwise the default is @code{nil}. For example:
4291 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4292 '(("\\.com\\.cn:" . cn-gb-2312)
4296 Note that this variable is ignored if the match is made with
4297 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist}.
4300 Those two variables are used also to determine the charset for encoding
4301 and decoding non-@acronym{ASCII} group names that are in the back ends
4302 other than @code{nntp}. It means that it is you who determine it. If
4303 you do nothing, the charset used for group names in those back ends will
4304 all be @code{utf-8} because of the last element of
4305 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist}.
4307 There is one more important variable for non-@acronym{ASCII} group
4311 @item nnmail-pathname-coding-system
4312 @vindex nnmail-pathname-coding-system
4313 The value of this variable should be a coding system or @code{nil}. The
4314 default is @code{nil} in Emacs, or is the aliasee of the coding system
4315 named @code{file-name} (a certain coding system of which an alias is
4316 @code{file-name}) in XEmacs.
4318 The @code{nnml} back end, the @code{nnrss} back end, the agent, and
4319 the cache use non-@acronym{ASCII} group names in those files and
4320 directories. This variable overrides the value of
4321 @code{file-name-coding-system} which specifies the coding system used
4322 when encoding and decoding those file names and directory names.
4324 In XEmacs (with the @code{mule} feature), @code{file-name-coding-system}
4325 is the only means to specify the coding system used to encode and decode
4326 file names. On the other hand, Emacs uses the value of
4327 @code{default-file-name-coding-system} if @code{file-name-coding-system}
4328 is @code{nil} or it is bound to the value of
4329 @code{nnmail-pathname-coding-system} which is @code{nil}.
4331 Normally the value of @code{default-file-name-coding-system} in Emacs or
4332 @code{nnmail-pathname-coding-system} in XEmacs is initialized according
4333 to the locale, so you will need to do nothing if the value is suitable
4334 to encode and decode non-@acronym{ASCII} group names.
4336 The value of this variable (or @code{default-file-name-coding-system})
4337 does not necessarily need to be the same value that is determined by
4338 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist} and
4339 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist}.
4341 If @code{default-file-name-coding-system} or this variable is
4342 initialized by default to @code{iso-latin-1} for example, although you
4343 want to subscribe to the groups spelled in Chinese, that is the most
4344 typical case where you have to customize
4345 @code{nnmail-pathname-coding-system}. The @code{utf-8} coding system is
4346 a good candidate for it. Otherwise, you may change the locale in your
4347 system so that @code{default-file-name-coding-system} or this variable
4348 may be initialized to an appropriate value.
4351 Note that when you copy or move articles from a non-@acronym{ASCII}
4352 group to another group, the charset used to encode and decode group
4353 names should be the same in both groups. Otherwise the Newsgroups
4354 header will be displayed incorrectly in the article buffer.
4357 @node Misc Group Stuff
4358 @section Misc Group Stuff
4361 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
4362 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
4363 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
4364 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
4365 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
4372 @cindex keys, reserved for users (Group)
4373 The key @kbd{v} is reserved for users. You can bind it to some
4374 command or better use it as a prefix key. For example:
4377 (define-key gnus-group-mode-map (kbd "v j d")
4380 (gnus-group-jump-to-group "nndraft:drafts")))
4383 On keys reserved for users in Emacs and on keybindings in general
4384 @xref{Keymaps, Keymaps, , emacs, The Emacs Editor}.
4388 @findex gnus-group-enter-server-mode
4389 Enter the server buffer (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}).
4390 @xref{Server Buffer}.
4394 @findex gnus-group-post-news
4395 Start composing a message (a news by default)
4396 (@code{gnus-group-post-news}). If given a prefix, post to the group
4397 under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
4398 Contrary to what the name of this function suggests, the prepared
4399 article might be a mail instead of a news, if a mail group is specified
4400 with the prefix argument. @xref{Composing Messages}.
4404 @findex gnus-group-mail
4405 Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}). If given a prefix,
4406 use the posting style of the group under the point. If the prefix is 1,
4407 prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
4408 @xref{Composing Messages}.
4412 @findex gnus-group-news
4413 Start composing a news (@code{gnus-group-news}). If given a prefix,
4414 post to the group under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt
4415 for group to post to. @xref{Composing Messages}.
4417 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
4418 This is useful for ``posting'' messages to mail groups without actually
4419 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
4420 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
4421 for this to work though.
4425 @findex gnus-group-compact-group
4427 Compact the group under point (@code{gnus-group-compact-group}).
4428 Currently implemented only in nnml (@pxref{Mail Spool}). This removes
4429 gaps between article numbers, hence getting a correct total article
4434 Variables for the group buffer:
4438 @item gnus-group-mode-hook
4439 @vindex gnus-group-mode-hook
4440 is called after the group buffer has been
4443 @item gnus-group-prepare-hook
4444 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
4445 is called after the group buffer is
4446 generated. It may be used to modify the buffer in some strange,
4449 @item gnus-group-prepared-hook
4450 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
4451 is called as the very last thing after the group buffer has been
4452 generated. It may be used to move point around, for instance.
4454 @item gnus-permanently-visible-groups
4455 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
4456 Groups matching this regexp will always be listed in the group buffer,
4457 whether they are empty or not.
4461 @node Scanning New Messages
4462 @subsection Scanning New Messages
4463 @cindex new messages
4464 @cindex scanning new news
4470 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news
4471 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news}
4472 Check the server(s) for new articles. If the numerical prefix is used,
4473 this command will check only groups of level @var{arg} and lower
4474 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news}). If given a non-numerical prefix, this
4475 command will force a total re-reading of the active file(s) from the
4480 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group
4481 @vindex gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating
4482 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}
4483 Check whether new articles have arrived in the current group
4484 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}).
4485 @code{gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating} says whether this command is
4486 to move point to the next group or not. It is @code{t} by default.
4488 @findex gnus-activate-all-groups
4489 @cindex activating groups
4491 @kindex C-c M-g (Group)
4492 Activate absolutely all groups (@code{gnus-activate-all-groups}).
4497 @findex gnus-group-restart
4498 Restart Gnus (@code{gnus-group-restart}). This saves the @file{.newsrc}
4499 file(s), closes the connection to all servers, clears up all run-time
4500 Gnus variables, and then starts Gnus all over again.
4504 @vindex gnus-get-new-news-hook
4505 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is run just before checking for new news.
4507 @vindex gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook
4508 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook} is run after checking for new
4512 @node Group Information
4513 @subsection Group Information
4514 @cindex group information
4515 @cindex information on groups
4522 @c @icon{gnus-group-describe-group}
4524 @kindex C-c C-d (Group)
4525 @cindex describing groups
4526 @cindex group description
4527 @findex gnus-group-describe-group
4528 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-group-describe-group}). If given
4529 a prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description from the server.
4533 @findex gnus-group-describe-all-groups
4534 Describe all groups (@code{gnus-group-describe-all-groups}). If given a
4535 prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description file from the server.
4542 @findex gnus-version
4543 Display current Gnus version numbers (@code{gnus-version}).
4547 @findex gnus-group-describe-briefly
4548 Give a very short help message (@code{gnus-group-describe-briefly}).
4551 @kindex C-c C-i (Group)
4554 @findex gnus-info-find-node
4555 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
4559 @node Group Timestamp
4560 @subsection Group Timestamp
4562 @cindex group timestamps
4564 It can be convenient to let Gnus keep track of when you last read a
4565 group. To set the ball rolling, you should add
4566 @code{gnus-group-set-timestamp} to @code{gnus-select-group-hook}:
4569 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook 'gnus-group-set-timestamp)
4572 After doing this, each time you enter a group, it'll be recorded.
4574 This information can be displayed in various ways---the easiest is to
4575 use the @samp{%d} spec in the group line format:
4578 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4579 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %d\n")
4582 This will result in lines looking like:
4585 * 0: mail.ding 19961002T012943
4586 0: custom 19961002T012713
4589 As you can see, the date is displayed in compact ISO 8601 format. This
4590 may be a bit too much, so to just display the date, you could say
4594 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4595 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %6,6~(cut 2)d\n")
4598 If you would like greater control of the time format, you can use a
4599 user-defined format spec. Something like the following should do the
4603 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4604 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %ud\n")
4605 (defun gnus-user-format-function-d (headers)
4606 (let ((time (gnus-group-timestamp gnus-tmp-group)))
4608 (format-time-string "%b %d %H:%M" time)
4612 To see what variables are dynamically bound (like
4613 @code{gnus-tmp-group}), you have to look at the source code. The
4614 variable names aren't guaranteed to be stable over Gnus versions,
4619 @subsection File Commands
4620 @cindex file commands
4626 @findex gnus-group-read-init-file
4627 @vindex gnus-init-file
4628 @cindex reading init file
4629 Re-read the init file (@code{gnus-init-file}, which defaults to
4630 @file{~/.gnus.el}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
4634 @findex gnus-group-save-newsrc
4635 @cindex saving .newsrc
4636 Save the @file{.newsrc.eld} file (and @file{.newsrc} if wanted)
4637 (@code{gnus-group-save-newsrc}). If given a prefix, force saving the
4638 file(s) whether Gnus thinks it is necessary or not.
4641 @c @kindex Z (Group)
4642 @c @findex gnus-group-clear-dribble
4643 @c Clear the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-group-clear-dribble}).
4648 @node Sieve Commands
4649 @subsection Sieve Commands
4650 @cindex group sieve commands
4652 Sieve is a server-side mail filtering language. In Gnus you can use
4653 the @code{sieve} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to specify
4654 sieve rules that should apply to each group. Gnus provides two
4655 commands to translate all these group parameters into a proper Sieve
4656 script that can be transferred to the server somehow.
4658 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4659 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-start
4660 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-end
4661 The generated Sieve script is placed in @code{gnus-sieve-file} (by
4662 default @file{~/.sieve}). The Sieve code that Gnus generate is placed
4663 between two delimiters, @code{gnus-sieve-region-start} and
4664 @code{gnus-sieve-region-end}, so you may write additional Sieve code
4665 outside these delimiters that will not be removed the next time you
4666 regenerate the Sieve script.
4668 @vindex gnus-sieve-crosspost
4669 The variable @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} controls how the Sieve script
4670 is generated. If it is non-@code{nil} (the default) articles is
4671 placed in all groups that have matching rules, otherwise the article
4672 is only placed in the group with the first matching rule. For
4673 example, the group parameter @samp{(sieve address "sender"
4674 "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu")} will generate the following piece of Sieve
4675 code if @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is @code{nil}. (When
4676 @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is non-@code{nil}, it looks the same
4677 except that the line containing the call to @code{stop} is removed.)
4680 if address "sender" "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu" @{
4681 fileinto "INBOX.ding";
4686 @xref{Top, Emacs Sieve, Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
4692 @findex gnus-sieve-generate
4693 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4694 @cindex generating sieve script
4695 Regenerate a Sieve script from the @code{sieve} group parameters and
4696 put you into the @code{gnus-sieve-file} without saving it.
4700 @findex gnus-sieve-update
4701 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4702 @cindex updating sieve script
4703 Regenerates the Gnus managed part of @code{gnus-sieve-file} using the
4704 @code{sieve} group parameters, save the file and upload it to the
4705 server using the @code{sieveshell} program.
4710 @node Summary Buffer
4711 @chapter Summary Buffer
4712 @cindex summary buffer
4714 A line for each article is displayed in the summary buffer. You can
4715 move around, read articles, post articles and reply to articles.
4717 The most common way to a summary buffer is to select a group from the
4718 group buffer (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
4720 You can have as many summary buffers open as you wish.
4722 You can customize the Summary Mode tool bar, see @kbd{M-x
4723 customize-apropos RET gnus-summary-tool-bar}. This feature is only
4727 @cindex keys, reserved for users (Summary)
4728 The key @kbd{v} is reserved for users. You can bind it to some
4729 command or better use it as a prefix key. For example:
4731 (define-key gnus-summary-mode-map (kbd "v -") "LrS") ;; lower subthread
4735 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
4736 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
4737 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
4738 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
4739 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
4740 * Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
4741 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
4742 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
4743 * Threading:: How threads are made.
4744 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
4745 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
4746 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
4747 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
4748 * Sticky Articles:: Article buffers that are not reused.
4749 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
4750 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
4751 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
4752 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
4753 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
4754 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
4755 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
4756 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
4757 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
4758 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
4759 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
4760 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
4761 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
4762 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
4763 or reselecting the current group.
4764 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
4765 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
4766 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
4767 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
4771 @node Summary Buffer Format
4772 @section Summary Buffer Format
4773 @cindex summary buffer format
4777 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{180}{
4778 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary,width=7.5cm}}
4779 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-article,width=7.5cm}}}
4785 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
4786 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
4787 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
4788 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
4791 @findex mail-extract-address-components
4792 @findex gnus-extract-address-components
4793 @vindex gnus-extract-address-components
4794 Gnus will use the value of the @code{gnus-extract-address-components}
4795 variable as a function for getting the name and address parts of a
4796 @code{From} header. Two pre-defined functions exist:
4797 @code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is the default, quite
4798 fast, and too simplistic solution; and
4799 @code{mail-extract-address-components}, which works very nicely, but is
4800 slower. The default function will return the wrong answer in 5% of the
4801 cases. If this is unacceptable to you, use the other function instead:
4804 (setq gnus-extract-address-components
4805 'mail-extract-address-components)
4808 @vindex gnus-summary-same-subject
4809 @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} is a string indicating that the current
4810 article has the same subject as the previous. This string will be used
4811 with those specs that require it. The default is @code{""}.
4814 @node Summary Buffer Lines
4815 @subsection Summary Buffer Lines
4817 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4818 You can change the format of the lines in the summary buffer by changing
4819 the @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable. It works along the same
4820 lines as a normal @code{format} string, with some extensions
4821 (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
4823 There should always be a colon or a point position marker on the line;
4824 the cursor always moves to the point position marker or the colon after
4825 performing an operation. (Of course, Gnus wouldn't be Gnus if it wasn't
4826 possible to change this. Just write a new function
4827 @code{gnus-goto-colon} which does whatever you like with the cursor.)
4828 @xref{Positioning Point}.
4830 The default string is @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n}.
4832 The following format specification characters and extended format
4833 specification(s) are understood:
4839 Subject string. List identifiers stripped,
4840 @code{gnus-list-identifiers}. @xref{Article Hiding}.
4842 Subject if the article is the root of the thread or the previous article
4843 had a different subject, @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} otherwise.
4844 (@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} defaults to @code{""}.)
4846 Full @code{From} header.
4848 The name (from the @code{From} header).
4850 The name, @code{To} header or the @code{Newsgroups} header (@pxref{To
4853 The name (from the @code{From} header). This differs from the @code{n}
4854 spec in that it uses the function designated by the
4855 @code{gnus-extract-address-components} variable, which is slower, but
4856 may be more thorough.
4858 The address (from the @code{From} header). This works the same way as
4861 Number of lines in the article.
4863 Number of characters in the article. This specifier is not supported
4864 in some methods (like nnfolder).
4866 Pretty-printed version of the number of characters in the article;
4867 for example, @samp{1.2k} or @samp{0.4M}.
4869 Indentation based on thread level (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4871 A complex trn-style thread tree, showing response-connecting trace
4872 lines. A thread could be drawn like this:
4885 You can customize the appearance with the following options. Note
4886 that it is possible to make the thread display look really neat by
4887 replacing the default @acronym{ASCII} characters with graphic
4888 line-drawing glyphs.
4890 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-root
4891 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-root
4892 Used for the root of a thread. If @code{nil}, use subject
4893 instead. The default is @samp{> }.
4895 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-false-root
4896 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-false-root
4897 Used for the false root of a thread (@pxref{Loose Threads}). If
4898 @code{nil}, use subject instead. The default is @samp{> }.
4900 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-indent
4901 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-indent
4902 Used for a thread with just one message. If @code{nil}, use subject
4903 instead. The default is @samp{}.
4905 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-vertical
4906 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-vertical
4907 Used for drawing a vertical line. The default is @samp{| }.
4909 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-indent
4910 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-indent
4911 Used for indenting. The default is @samp{ }.
4913 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-leaf-with-other
4914 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-leaf-with-other
4915 Used for a leaf with brothers. The default is @samp{+-> }.
4917 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-leaf
4918 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-leaf
4919 Used for a leaf without brothers. The default is @samp{\-> }
4924 Nothing if the article is a root and lots of spaces if it isn't (it
4925 pushes everything after it off the screen).
4927 Opening bracket, which is normally @samp{[}, but can also be @samp{<}
4928 for adopted articles (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4930 Closing bracket, which is normally @samp{]}, but can also be @samp{>}
4931 for adopted articles.
4933 One space for each thread level.
4935 Twenty minus thread level spaces.
4937 Unread. @xref{Read Articles}.
4940 This misleadingly named specifier is the @dfn{secondary mark}. This
4941 mark will say whether the article has been replied to, has been cached,
4942 or has been saved. @xref{Other Marks}.
4945 Score as a number (@pxref{Scoring}).
4947 @vindex gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz
4948 Zcore, @samp{+} if above the default level and @samp{-} if below the
4949 default level. If the difference between
4950 @code{gnus-summary-default-score} and the score is less than
4951 @code{gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz}, this spec will not be used.
4959 The @code{Date} in @code{DD-MMM} format.
4961 The @code{Date} in @var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS} format.
4967 Number of articles in the current sub-thread. Using this spec will slow
4968 down summary buffer generation somewhat.
4970 An @samp{=} (@code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark}) will be displayed if the
4971 article has any children.
4977 Desired cursor position (instead of after first colon).
4979 Age sensitive date format. Various date format is defined in
4980 @code{gnus-user-date-format-alist}.
4982 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
4983 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
4984 @code{gnus-user-format-function-@var{x}}, where @var{x} is the letter
4985 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current header as
4986 argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
4987 into the summary just like information from any other summary specifier.
4990 Text between @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} will be highlighted with
4991 @code{gnus-mouse-face} when the mouse point is placed inside the area.
4992 There can only be one such area.
4994 The @samp{%U} (status), @samp{%R} (replied) and @samp{%z} (zcore) specs
4995 have to be handled with care. For reasons of efficiency, Gnus will
4996 compute what column these characters will end up in, and ``hard-code''
4997 that. This means that it is invalid to have these specs after a
4998 variable-length spec. Well, you might not be arrested, but your summary
4999 buffer will look strange, which is bad enough.
5001 The smart choice is to have these specs as far to the left as possible.
5002 (Isn't that the case with everything, though? But I digress.)
5004 This restriction may disappear in later versions of Gnus.
5007 @node To From Newsgroups
5008 @subsection To From Newsgroups
5012 In some groups (particularly in archive groups), the @code{From} header
5013 isn't very interesting, since all the articles there are written by
5014 you. To display the information in the @code{To} or @code{Newsgroups}
5015 headers instead, you need to decide three things: What information to
5016 gather; where to display it; and when to display it.
5020 @vindex gnus-extra-headers
5021 The reading of extra header information is controlled by the
5022 @code{gnus-extra-headers}. This is a list of header symbols. For
5026 (setq gnus-extra-headers
5027 '(To Newsgroups X-Newsreader))
5030 This will result in Gnus trying to obtain these three headers, and
5031 storing it in header structures for later easy retrieval.
5034 @findex gnus-extra-header
5035 The value of these extra headers can be accessed via the
5036 @code{gnus-extra-header} function. Here's a format line spec that will
5037 access the @code{X-Newsreader} header:
5040 "%~(form (gnus-extra-header 'X-Newsreader))@@"
5044 @vindex gnus-ignored-from-addresses
5045 The @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses} variable says when the @samp{%f}
5046 summary line spec returns the @code{To}, @code{Newsreader} or
5047 @code{From} header. If this regexp matches the contents of the
5048 @code{From} header, the value of the @code{To} or @code{Newsreader}
5049 headers are used instead.
5051 To distinguish regular articles from those where the @code{From} field
5052 has been swapped, a string is prefixed to the @code{To} or
5053 @code{Newsgroups} header in the summary line. By default the string is
5054 @samp{-> } for @code{To} and @samp{=> } for @code{Newsgroups}, you can
5055 customize these strings with @code{gnus-summary-to-prefix} and
5056 @code{gnus-summary-newsgroup-prefix}.
5060 @vindex nnmail-extra-headers
5061 A related variable is @code{nnmail-extra-headers}, which controls when
5062 to include extra headers when generating overview (@acronym{NOV}) files.
5063 If you have old overview files, you should regenerate them after
5064 changing this variable, by entering the server buffer using @kbd{^},
5065 and then @kbd{g} on the appropriate mail server (e.g., nnml) to cause
5068 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
5069 You also have to instruct Gnus to display the data by changing the
5070 @code{%n} spec to the @code{%f} spec in the
5071 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable.
5073 In summary, you'd typically put something like the following in
5077 (setq gnus-extra-headers
5079 (setq nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
5080 (setq gnus-summary-line-format
5081 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
5082 (setq gnus-ignored-from-addresses
5086 (The values listed above are the default values in Gnus. Alter them
5089 A note for news server administrators, or for users who wish to try to
5090 convince their news server administrator to provide some additional
5093 The above is mostly useful for mail groups, where you have control over
5094 the @acronym{NOV} files that are created. However, if you can persuade your
5095 nntp admin to add (in the usual implementation, notably INN):
5101 to the end of her @file{overview.fmt} file, then you can use that just
5102 as you would the extra headers from the mail groups.
5105 @node Summary Buffer Mode Line
5106 @subsection Summary Buffer Mode Line
5108 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-line-format
5109 You can also change the format of the summary mode bar (@pxref{Mode Line
5110 Formatting}). Set @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} to whatever you
5111 like. The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}.
5113 Here are the elements you can play with:
5119 Unprefixed group name.
5121 Current article number.
5123 Current article score.
5127 Number of unread articles in this group.
5129 Number of unread articles in this group that aren't displayed in the
5132 A string with the number of unread and unselected articles represented
5133 either as @samp{<%U(+%e) more>} if there are both unread and unselected
5134 articles, and just as @samp{<%U more>} if there are just unread articles
5135 and no unselected ones.
5137 Shortish group name. For instance, @samp{rec.arts.anime} will be
5138 shortened to @samp{r.a.anime}.
5140 Subject of the current article.
5142 User-defined spec (@pxref{User-Defined Specs}).
5144 Name of the current score file (@pxref{Scoring}).
5146 Number of dormant articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
5148 Number of ticked articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
5150 Number of articles that have been marked as read in this session.
5152 Number of articles expunged by the score files.
5156 @node Summary Highlighting
5157 @subsection Summary Highlighting
5161 @item gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
5162 @vindex gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
5163 This hook is run after selecting an article. It is meant to be used for
5164 highlighting the article in some way. It is not run if
5165 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
5167 @item gnus-summary-update-hook
5168 @vindex gnus-summary-update-hook
5169 This hook is called when a summary line is changed. It is not run if
5170 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
5172 @item gnus-summary-selected-face
5173 @vindex gnus-summary-selected-face
5174 This is the face (or @dfn{font} as some people call it) used to
5175 highlight the current article in the summary buffer.
5177 @item gnus-summary-highlight
5178 @vindex gnus-summary-highlight
5179 Summary lines are highlighted according to this variable, which is a
5180 list where the elements are of the format @code{(@var{form}
5181 . @var{face})}. If you would, for instance, like ticked articles to be
5182 italic and high-scored articles to be bold, you could set this variable
5185 (((eq mark gnus-ticked-mark) . italic)
5186 ((> score default) . bold))
5188 As you may have guessed, if @var{form} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
5189 @var{face} will be applied to the line.
5193 @node Summary Maneuvering
5194 @section Summary Maneuvering
5195 @cindex summary movement
5197 All the straight movement commands understand the numeric prefix and
5198 behave pretty much as you'd expect.
5200 None of these commands select articles.
5205 @kindex M-n (Summary)
5206 @kindex G M-n (Summary)
5207 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-subject
5208 Go to the next summary line of an unread article
5209 (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-subject}).
5213 @kindex M-p (Summary)
5214 @kindex G M-p (Summary)
5215 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject
5216 Go to the previous summary line of an unread article
5217 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject}).
5220 @kindex G g (Summary)
5221 @findex gnus-summary-goto-subject
5222 Ask for an article number and then go to the summary line of that article
5223 without displaying the article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-subject}).
5226 If Gnus asks you to press a key to confirm going to the next group, you
5227 can use the @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} keys to move around the group
5228 buffer, searching for the next group to read without actually returning
5229 to the group buffer.
5231 Variables related to summary movement:
5235 @vindex gnus-auto-select-next
5236 @item gnus-auto-select-next
5237 If you issue one of the movement commands (like @kbd{n}) and there are
5238 no more unread articles after the current one, Gnus will offer to go to
5239 the next group. If this variable is @code{t} and the next group is
5240 empty, Gnus will exit summary mode and return to the group buffer. If
5241 this variable is neither @code{t} nor @code{nil}, Gnus will select the
5242 next group with unread articles. As a special case, if this variable
5243 is @code{quietly}, Gnus will select the next group without asking for
5244 confirmation. If this variable is @code{almost-quietly}, the same
5245 will happen only if you are located on the last article in the group.
5246 Finally, if this variable is @code{slightly-quietly}, the @kbd{Z n}
5247 command will go to the next group without confirmation. Also
5248 @pxref{Group Levels}.
5250 @item gnus-auto-select-same
5251 @vindex gnus-auto-select-same
5252 If non-@code{nil}, all the movement commands will try to go to the next
5253 article with the same subject as the current. (@dfn{Same} here might
5254 mean @dfn{roughly equal}. See @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}
5255 for details (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).) If there are no more
5256 articles with the same subject, go to the first unread article.
5258 This variable is not particularly useful if you use a threaded display.
5260 @item gnus-summary-check-current
5261 @vindex gnus-summary-check-current
5262 If non-@code{nil}, all the ``unread'' movement commands will not proceed
5263 to the next (or previous) article if the current article is unread.
5264 Instead, they will choose the current article.
5266 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
5267 @vindex gnus-auto-center-summary
5268 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will keep the point in the summary buffer
5269 centered at all times. This makes things quite tidy, but if you have a
5270 slow network connection, or simply do not like this un-Emacsism, you can
5271 set this variable to @code{nil} to get the normal Emacs scrolling
5272 action. This will also inhibit horizontal re-centering of the summary
5273 buffer, which might make it more inconvenient to read extremely long
5276 This variable can also be a number. In that case, center the window at
5277 the given number of lines from the top.
5279 @item gnus-summary-stop-at-end-of-message
5280 @vindex gnus-summary-stop-at-end-of-message
5281 If non-@code{nil}, don't go to the next article when hitting
5282 @kbd{SPC}, and you're at the end of the article.
5287 @node Choosing Articles
5288 @section Choosing Articles
5289 @cindex selecting articles
5292 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
5293 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
5297 @node Choosing Commands
5298 @subsection Choosing Commands
5300 None of the following movement commands understand the numeric prefix,
5301 and they all select and display an article.
5303 If you want to fetch new articles or redisplay the group, see
5304 @ref{Exiting the Summary Buffer}.
5308 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
5309 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
5310 Select the current article, or, if that one's read already, the next
5311 unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
5313 If you have an article window open already and you press @kbd{SPACE}
5314 again, the article will be scrolled. This lets you conveniently
5315 @kbd{SPACE} through an entire newsgroup. @xref{Paging the Article}.
5320 @kindex G n (Summary)
5321 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-article
5322 @c @icon{gnus-summary-next-unread}
5323 Go to next unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-article}).
5328 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-article
5329 @c @icon{gnus-summary-prev-unread}
5330 Go to previous unread article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-article}).
5335 @kindex G N (Summary)
5336 @findex gnus-summary-next-article
5337 Go to the next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-article}).
5342 @kindex G P (Summary)
5343 @findex gnus-summary-prev-article
5344 Go to the previous article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-article}).
5347 @kindex G C-n (Summary)
5348 @findex gnus-summary-next-same-subject
5349 Go to the next article with the same subject
5350 (@code{gnus-summary-next-same-subject}).
5353 @kindex G C-p (Summary)
5354 @findex gnus-summary-prev-same-subject
5355 Go to the previous article with the same subject
5356 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-same-subject}).
5360 @kindex G f (Summary)
5362 @findex gnus-summary-first-unread-article
5363 Go to the first unread article
5364 (@code{gnus-summary-first-unread-article}).
5368 @kindex G b (Summary)
5370 @findex gnus-summary-best-unread-article
5371 Go to the unread article with the highest score
5372 (@code{gnus-summary-best-unread-article}). If given a prefix argument,
5373 go to the first unread article that has a score over the default score.
5378 @kindex G l (Summary)
5379 @findex gnus-summary-goto-last-article
5380 Go to the previous article read (@code{gnus-summary-goto-last-article}).
5383 @kindex G o (Summary)
5384 @findex gnus-summary-pop-article
5386 @cindex article history
5387 Pop an article off the summary history and go to this article
5388 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-article}). This command differs from the
5389 command above in that you can pop as many previous articles off the
5390 history as you like, while @kbd{l} toggles the two last read articles.
5391 For a somewhat related issue (if you use these commands a lot),
5392 @pxref{Article Backlog}.
5397 @kindex G j (Summary)
5398 @findex gnus-summary-goto-article
5399 Ask for an article number or @code{Message-ID}, and then go to that
5400 article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-article}).
5405 @node Choosing Variables
5406 @subsection Choosing Variables
5408 Some variables relevant for moving and selecting articles:
5411 @item gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
5412 @vindex gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
5413 All the movement commands will try to go to the previous (or next)
5414 article, even if that article isn't displayed in the Summary buffer if
5415 this variable is non-@code{nil}. Gnus will then fetch the article from
5416 the server and display it in the article buffer.
5418 @item gnus-select-article-hook
5419 @vindex gnus-select-article-hook
5420 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. The default is
5421 @code{nil}. If you would like each article to be saved in the Agent as
5422 you read it, putting @code{gnus-agent-fetch-selected-article} on this
5425 @item gnus-mark-article-hook
5426 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
5427 @findex gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read
5428 @findex gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read
5429 @findex gnus-unread-mark
5430 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. It is intended to
5431 be used for marking articles as read. The default value is
5432 @code{gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read}, and will change the
5433 mark of almost any article you read to @code{gnus-read-mark}. The only
5434 articles not affected by this function are ticked, dormant, and
5435 expirable articles. If you'd instead like to just have unread articles
5436 marked as read, you can use @code{gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read}
5437 instead. It will leave marks like @code{gnus-low-score-mark},
5438 @code{gnus-del-mark} (and so on) alone.
5443 @node Paging the Article
5444 @section Scrolling the Article
5445 @cindex article scrolling
5450 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
5451 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
5452 Pressing @kbd{SPACE} will scroll the current article forward one page,
5453 or, if you have come to the end of the current article, will choose the
5454 next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
5456 @vindex gnus-article-boring-faces
5457 @vindex gnus-article-skip-boring
5458 If @code{gnus-article-skip-boring} is non-@code{nil} and the rest of
5459 the article consists only of citations and signature, then it will be
5460 skipped; the next article will be shown instead. You can customize
5461 what is considered uninteresting with
5462 @code{gnus-article-boring-faces}. You can manually view the article's
5463 pages, no matter how boring, using @kbd{C-M-v}.
5466 @kindex DEL (Summary)
5467 @findex gnus-summary-prev-page
5468 Scroll the current article back one page (@code{gnus-summary-prev-page}).
5471 @kindex RET (Summary)
5472 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-up
5473 Scroll the current article one line forward
5474 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-up}).
5477 @kindex M-RET (Summary)
5478 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-down
5479 Scroll the current article one line backward
5480 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-down}).
5484 @kindex A g (Summary)
5486 @findex gnus-summary-show-article
5487 @vindex gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
5488 (Re)fetch the current article (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). If
5489 given a prefix, show a completely ``raw'' article, just the way it
5490 came from the server. If given a prefix twice (i.e., @kbd{C-u C-u
5491 g'}), fetch the current article, but don't run any of the article
5492 treatment functions.
5494 @cindex charset, view article with different charset
5495 If given a numerical prefix, you can do semi-manual charset stuff.
5496 @kbd{C-u 0 g cn-gb-2312 RET} will decode the message as if it were
5497 encoded in the @code{cn-gb-2312} charset. If you have
5500 (setq gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
5505 then you can say @kbd{C-u 1 g} to get the same effect.
5510 @kindex A < (Summary)
5511 @findex gnus-summary-beginning-of-article
5512 Scroll to the beginning of the article
5513 (@code{gnus-summary-beginning-of-article}).
5518 @kindex A > (Summary)
5519 @findex gnus-summary-end-of-article
5520 Scroll to the end of the article (@code{gnus-summary-end-of-article}).
5524 @kindex A s (Summary)
5526 @findex gnus-summary-isearch-article
5527 Perform an isearch in the article buffer
5528 (@code{gnus-summary-isearch-article}).
5532 @findex gnus-summary-select-article-buffer
5533 Select the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-select-article-buffer}).
5538 @node Reply Followup and Post
5539 @section Reply, Followup and Post
5542 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
5543 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
5544 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
5545 * Canceling and Superseding::
5549 @node Summary Mail Commands
5550 @subsection Summary Mail Commands
5552 @cindex composing mail
5554 Commands for composing a mail message:
5560 @kindex S r (Summary)
5562 @findex gnus-summary-reply
5563 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-reply}
5564 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply}
5565 Mail a reply to the author of the current article
5566 (@code{gnus-summary-reply}).
5571 @kindex S R (Summary)
5572 @findex gnus-summary-reply-with-original
5573 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}
5574 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
5575 original message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This
5576 command uses the process/prefix convention.
5579 @kindex S w (Summary)
5580 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply
5581 Mail a wide reply to the author of the current article
5582 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{wide reply} is a reply that
5583 goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
5584 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers. If @code{Mail-Followup-To} is
5585 present, that's used instead.
5588 @kindex S W (Summary)
5589 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original
5590 Mail a wide reply to the current article and include the original
5591 message (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original}). This command uses
5592 the process/prefix convention, but only uses the headers from the
5593 first article to determine the recipients.
5596 @kindex S L (Summary)
5597 @findex gnus-summary-reply-to-list-with-original
5598 When replying to a message from a mailing list, send a reply to that
5599 message to the mailing list, and include the original message
5600 (@code{gnus-summary-reply-to-list-with-original}).
5603 @kindex S v (Summary)
5604 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply
5605 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article
5606 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{very wide reply} is a reply
5607 that goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
5608 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers in all the process/prefixed
5609 articles. This command uses the process/prefix convention.
5612 @kindex S V (Summary)
5613 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original
5614 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article and include the
5615 original message (@code{gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original}). This
5616 command uses the process/prefix convention.
5619 @kindex S B r (Summary)
5620 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to
5621 Mail a reply to the author of the current article but ignore the
5622 @code{Reply-To} field (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to}).
5623 If you need this because a mailing list incorrectly sets a
5624 @code{Reply-To} header pointing to the list, you probably want to set
5625 the @code{broken-reply-to} group parameter instead, so things will work
5626 correctly. @xref{Group Parameters}.
5629 @kindex S B R (Summary)
5630 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original
5631 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
5632 original message but ignore the @code{Reply-To} field
5633 (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original}).
5637 @kindex S o m (Summary)
5638 @kindex C-c C-f (Summary)
5639 @findex gnus-summary-mail-forward
5640 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-forward}
5641 Forward the current article to some other person
5642 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-forward}). If no prefix is given, the message
5643 is forwarded according to the value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime})
5644 and (@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
5645 message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
5646 as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
5647 forward as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
5648 directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
5649 but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
5650 default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME}
5656 @kindex S m (Summary)
5657 @findex gnus-summary-mail-other-window
5658 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-originate}
5659 Prepare a mail (@code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}). By default, use
5660 the posting style of the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
5661 If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
5664 @kindex S i (Summary)
5665 @findex gnus-summary-news-other-window
5666 Prepare a news (@code{gnus-summary-news-other-window}). By default,
5667 post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that. If the
5668 prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
5670 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
5671 This is useful for ``posting'' messages to mail groups without actually
5672 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
5673 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
5674 for this to work though.
5677 @kindex S D b (Summary)
5678 @findex gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail
5679 @cindex bouncing mail
5680 If you have sent a mail, but the mail was bounced back to you for some
5681 reason (wrong address, transient failure), you can use this command to
5682 resend that bounced mail (@code{gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail}). You
5683 will be popped into a mail buffer where you can edit the headers before
5684 sending the mail off again. If you give a prefix to this command, and
5685 the bounced mail is a reply to some other mail, Gnus will try to fetch
5686 that mail and display it for easy perusal of its headers. This might
5687 very well fail, though.
5690 @kindex S D r (Summary)
5691 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message
5692 Not to be confused with the previous command,
5693 @code{gnus-summary-resend-message} will prompt you for an address to
5694 send the current message off to, and then send it to that place. The
5695 headers of the message won't be altered---but lots of headers that say
5696 @code{Resent-To}, @code{Resent-From} and so on will be added. This
5697 means that you actually send a mail to someone that has a @code{To}
5698 header that (probably) points to yourself. This will confuse people.
5699 So, natcherly you'll only do that if you're really eVIl.
5701 This command is mainly used if you have several accounts and want to
5702 ship a mail to a different account of yours. (If you're both
5703 @code{root} and @code{postmaster} and get a mail for @code{postmaster}
5704 to the @code{root} account, you may want to resend it to
5705 @code{postmaster}. Ordnung muss sein!
5707 This command understands the process/prefix convention
5708 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5711 @kindex S D e (Summary)
5712 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message-edit
5714 Like the previous command, but will allow you to edit the message as
5715 if it were a new message before resending.
5718 @kindex S O m (Summary)
5719 @findex gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward
5720 Digest the current series (@pxref{Decoding Articles}) and forward the
5721 result using mail (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command
5722 uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5725 @kindex S M-c (Summary)
5726 @findex gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint
5727 @cindex crossposting
5728 @cindex excessive crossposting
5729 Send a complaint about excessive crossposting to the author of the
5730 current article (@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint}).
5732 @findex gnus-crosspost-complaint
5733 This command is provided as a way to fight back against the current
5734 crossposting pandemic that's sweeping Usenet. It will compose a reply
5735 using the @code{gnus-crosspost-complaint} variable as a preamble. This
5736 command understands the process/prefix convention
5737 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) and will prompt you before sending each mail.
5741 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
5742 Manual}, for more information.
5745 @node Summary Post Commands
5746 @subsection Summary Post Commands
5748 @cindex composing news
5750 Commands for posting a news article:
5756 @kindex S p (Summary)
5757 @findex gnus-summary-post-news
5758 @c @icon{gnus-summary-post-news}
5759 Prepare for posting an article (@code{gnus-summary-post-news}). By
5760 default, post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
5761 If the prefix is 1, prompt for another group instead.
5766 @kindex S f (Summary)
5767 @findex gnus-summary-followup
5768 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup}
5769 Post a followup to the current article (@code{gnus-summary-followup}).
5773 @kindex S F (Summary)
5775 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}
5776 @findex gnus-summary-followup-with-original
5777 Post a followup to the current article and include the original message
5778 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}). This command uses the
5779 process/prefix convention.
5782 @kindex S n (Summary)
5783 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail
5784 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
5785 message through mail (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail}).
5788 @kindex S N (Summary)
5789 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original
5790 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
5791 message through mail and include the original message
5792 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original}). This command uses
5793 the process/prefix convention.
5796 @kindex S o p (Summary)
5797 @findex gnus-summary-post-forward
5798 Forward the current article to a newsgroup
5799 (@code{gnus-summary-post-forward}).
5800 If no prefix is given, the message is forwarded according to the value
5801 of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}) and
5802 (@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
5803 message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
5804 as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
5805 forward as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
5806 directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
5807 but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
5808 default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section.
5811 @kindex S O p (Summary)
5812 @findex gnus-uu-digest-post-forward
5814 @cindex making digests
5815 Digest the current series and forward the result to a newsgroup
5816 (@code{gnus-uu-digest-post-forward}). This command uses the
5817 process/prefix convention.
5820 @kindex S u (Summary)
5821 @findex gnus-uu-post-news
5822 @c @icon{gnus-uu-post-news}
5823 Uuencode a file, split it into parts, and post it as a series
5824 (@code{gnus-uu-post-news}). (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
5827 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
5828 Manual}, for more information.
5831 @node Summary Message Commands
5832 @subsection Summary Message Commands
5836 @kindex S y (Summary)
5837 @findex gnus-summary-yank-message
5838 Yank the current article into an already existing Message composition
5839 buffer (@code{gnus-summary-yank-message}). This command prompts for
5840 what message buffer you want to yank into, and understands the
5841 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5846 @node Canceling and Superseding
5847 @subsection Canceling Articles
5848 @cindex canceling articles
5849 @cindex superseding articles
5851 Have you ever written something, and then decided that you really,
5852 really, really wish you hadn't posted that?
5854 Well, you can't cancel mail, but you can cancel posts.
5856 @findex gnus-summary-cancel-article
5858 @c @icon{gnus-summary-cancel-article}
5859 Find the article you wish to cancel (you can only cancel your own
5860 articles, so don't try any funny stuff). Then press @kbd{C} or @kbd{S
5861 c} (@code{gnus-summary-cancel-article}). Your article will be
5862 canceled---machines all over the world will be deleting your article.
5863 This command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5865 Be aware, however, that not all sites honor cancels, so your article may
5866 live on here and there, while most sites will delete the article in
5869 Gnus will use the ``current'' select method when canceling. If you
5870 want to use the standard posting method, use the @samp{a} symbolic
5871 prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}).
5873 Gnus ensures that only you can cancel your own messages using a
5874 @code{Cancel-Lock} header (@pxref{Canceling News, Canceling News, ,
5875 message, Message Manual}).
5877 If you discover that you have made some mistakes and want to do some
5878 corrections, you can post a @dfn{superseding} article that will replace
5879 your original article.
5881 @findex gnus-summary-supersede-article
5883 Go to the original article and press @kbd{S s}
5884 (@code{gnus-summary-supersede-article}). You will be put in a buffer
5885 where you can edit the article all you want before sending it off the
5888 The same goes for superseding as for canceling, only more so: Some
5889 sites do not honor superseding. On those sites, it will appear that you
5890 have posted almost the same article twice.
5892 If you have just posted the article, and change your mind right away,
5893 there is a trick you can use to cancel/supersede the article without
5894 waiting for the article to appear on your site first. You simply return
5895 to the post buffer (which is called @file{*sent ...*}). There you will
5896 find the article you just posted, with all the headers intact. Change
5897 the @code{Message-ID} header to a @code{Cancel} or @code{Supersedes}
5898 header by substituting one of those words for the word
5899 @code{Message-ID}. Then just press @kbd{C-c C-c} to send the article as
5900 you would do normally. The previous article will be
5901 canceled/superseded.
5903 Just remember, kids: There is no 'c' in 'supersede'.
5905 @node Delayed Articles
5906 @section Delayed Articles
5907 @cindex delayed sending
5908 @cindex send delayed
5910 Sometimes, you might wish to delay the sending of a message. For
5911 example, you might wish to arrange for a message to turn up just in time
5912 to remind your about the birthday of your Significant Other. For this,
5913 there is the @code{gnus-delay} package. Setup is simple:
5916 (gnus-delay-initialize)
5919 @findex gnus-delay-article
5920 Normally, to send a message you use the @kbd{C-c C-c} command from
5921 Message mode. To delay a message, use @kbd{C-c C-j}
5922 (@code{gnus-delay-article}) instead. This will ask you for how long the
5923 message should be delayed. Possible answers are:
5927 A time span. Consists of an integer and a letter. For example,
5928 @code{42d} means to delay for 42 days. Available letters are @code{m}
5929 (minutes), @code{h} (hours), @code{d} (days), @code{w} (weeks), @code{M}
5930 (months) and @code{Y} (years).
5933 A specific date. Looks like @code{YYYY-MM-DD}. The message will be
5934 delayed until that day, at a specific time (eight o'clock by default).
5935 See also @code{gnus-delay-default-hour}.
5938 A specific time of day. Given in @code{hh:mm} format, 24h, no am/pm
5939 stuff. The deadline will be at that time today, except if that time has
5940 already passed, then it's at the given time tomorrow. So if it's ten
5941 o'clock in the morning and you specify @code{11:15}, then the deadline
5942 is one hour and fifteen minutes hence. But if you specify @code{9:20},
5943 that means a time tomorrow.
5946 The action of the @code{gnus-delay-article} command is influenced by a
5947 couple of variables:
5950 @item gnus-delay-default-hour
5951 @vindex gnus-delay-default-hour
5952 When you specify a specific date, the message will be due on that hour
5953 on the given date. Possible values are integers 0 through 23.
5955 @item gnus-delay-default-delay
5956 @vindex gnus-delay-default-delay
5957 This is a string and gives the default delay. It can be of any of the
5958 formats described above.
5960 @item gnus-delay-group
5961 @vindex gnus-delay-group
5962 Delayed articles will be kept in this group on the drafts server until
5963 they are due. You probably don't need to change this. The default
5964 value is @code{"delayed"}.
5966 @item gnus-delay-header
5967 @vindex gnus-delay-header
5968 The deadline for each article will be stored in a header. This variable
5969 is a string and gives the header name. You probably don't need to
5970 change this. The default value is @code{"X-Gnus-Delayed"}.
5973 The way delaying works is like this: when you use the
5974 @code{gnus-delay-article} command, you give a certain delay. Gnus
5975 calculates the deadline of the message and stores it in the
5976 @code{X-Gnus-Delayed} header and puts the message in the
5977 @code{nndraft:delayed} group.
5979 @findex gnus-delay-send-queue
5980 And whenever you get new news, Gnus looks through the group for articles
5981 which are due and sends them. It uses the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue}
5982 function for this. By default, this function is added to the hook
5983 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But of course, you can change this.
5984 Maybe you want to use the demon to send drafts? Just tell the demon to
5985 execute the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} function.
5988 @item gnus-delay-initialize
5989 @findex gnus-delay-initialize
5990 By default, this function installs @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} in
5991 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But it accepts the optional second
5992 argument @code{no-check}. If it is non-@code{nil},
5993 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is not changed. The optional first
5994 argument is ignored.
5996 For example, @code{(gnus-delay-initialize nil t)} means to do nothing.
5997 Presumably, you want to use the demon for sending due delayed articles.
5998 Just don't forget to set that up :-)
6001 When delaying an article with @kbd{C-c C-j}, Message mode will
6002 automatically add a @code{"Date"} header with the current time. In
6003 many cases you probably want the @code{"Date"} header to reflect the
6004 time the message is sent instead. To do this, you have to delete
6005 @code{Date} from @code{message-draft-headers}.
6008 @node Marking Articles
6009 @section Marking Articles
6010 @cindex article marking
6011 @cindex article ticking
6014 There are several marks you can set on an article.
6016 You have marks that decide the @dfn{readedness} (whoo, neato-keano
6017 neologism ohoy!) of the article. Alphabetic marks generally mean
6018 @dfn{read}, while non-alphabetic characters generally mean @dfn{unread}.
6020 In addition, you also have marks that do not affect readedness.
6023 There's a plethora of commands for manipulating these marks.
6027 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
6028 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
6029 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
6030 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
6031 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
6032 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
6036 @node Unread Articles
6037 @subsection Unread Articles
6039 The following marks mark articles as (kinda) unread, in one form or
6044 @vindex gnus-ticked-mark
6045 Marked as ticked (@code{gnus-ticked-mark}).
6047 @dfn{Ticked articles} are articles that will remain visible always. If
6048 you see an article that you find interesting, or you want to put off
6049 reading it, or replying to it, until sometime later, you'd typically
6050 tick it. However, articles can be expired (from news servers by the
6051 news server software, Gnus itself never expires ticked messages), so if
6052 you want to keep an article forever, you'll have to make it persistent
6053 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
6056 @vindex gnus-dormant-mark
6057 Marked as dormant (@code{gnus-dormant-mark}).
6059 @dfn{Dormant articles} will only appear in the summary buffer if there
6060 are followups to it. If you want to see them even if they don't have
6061 followups, you can use the @kbd{/ D} command (@pxref{Limiting}).
6062 Otherwise (except for the visibility issue), they are just like ticked
6066 @vindex gnus-unread-mark
6067 Marked as unread (@code{gnus-unread-mark}).
6069 @dfn{Unread articles} are articles that haven't been read at all yet.
6074 @subsection Read Articles
6075 @cindex expirable mark
6077 All the following marks mark articles as read.
6082 @vindex gnus-del-mark
6083 These are articles that the user has marked as read with the @kbd{d}
6084 command manually, more or less (@code{gnus-del-mark}).
6087 @vindex gnus-read-mark
6088 Articles that have actually been read (@code{gnus-read-mark}).
6091 @vindex gnus-ancient-mark
6092 Articles that were marked as read in previous sessions and are now
6093 @dfn{old} (@code{gnus-ancient-mark}).
6096 @vindex gnus-killed-mark
6097 Marked as killed (@code{gnus-killed-mark}).
6100 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mark
6101 Marked as killed by kill files (@code{gnus-kill-file-mark}).
6104 @vindex gnus-low-score-mark
6105 Marked as read by having too low a score (@code{gnus-low-score-mark}).
6108 @vindex gnus-catchup-mark
6109 Marked as read by a catchup (@code{gnus-catchup-mark}).
6112 @vindex gnus-canceled-mark
6113 Canceled article (@code{gnus-canceled-mark})
6116 @vindex gnus-sparse-mark
6117 Sparsely reffed article (@code{gnus-sparse-mark}). @xref{Customizing
6121 @vindex gnus-duplicate-mark
6122 Article marked as read by duplicate suppression
6123 (@code{gnus-duplicate-mark}). @xref{Duplicate Suppression}.
6127 All these marks just mean that the article is marked as read, really.
6128 They are interpreted differently when doing adaptive scoring, though.
6130 One more special mark, though:
6134 @vindex gnus-expirable-mark
6135 Marked as expirable (@code{gnus-expirable-mark}).
6137 Marking articles as @dfn{expirable} (or have them marked as such
6138 automatically) doesn't make much sense in normal groups---a user doesn't
6139 control expiring of news articles, but in mail groups, for instance,
6140 articles marked as @dfn{expirable} can be deleted by Gnus at
6146 @subsection Other Marks
6147 @cindex process mark
6150 There are some marks that have nothing to do with whether the article is
6156 You can set a bookmark in the current article. Say you are reading a
6157 long thesis on cats' urinary tracts, and have to go home for dinner
6158 before you've finished reading the thesis. You can then set a bookmark
6159 in the article, and Gnus will jump to this bookmark the next time it
6160 encounters the article. @xref{Setting Marks}.
6163 @vindex gnus-replied-mark
6164 All articles that you have replied to or made a followup to (i.e., have
6165 answered) will be marked with an @samp{A} in the second column
6166 (@code{gnus-replied-mark}).
6169 @vindex gnus-forwarded-mark
6170 All articles that you have forwarded will be marked with an @samp{F} in
6171 the second column (@code{gnus-forwarded-mark}).
6174 @vindex gnus-cached-mark
6175 Articles stored in the article cache will be marked with an @samp{*} in
6176 the second column (@code{gnus-cached-mark}). @xref{Article Caching}.
6179 @vindex gnus-saved-mark
6180 Articles ``saved'' (in some manner or other; not necessarily
6181 religiously) are marked with an @samp{S} in the second column
6182 (@code{gnus-saved-mark}).
6185 @vindex gnus-unseen-mark
6186 Articles that haven't been seen before in Gnus by the user are marked
6187 with a @samp{.} in the second column (@code{gnus-unseen-mark}).
6190 @vindex gnus-downloaded-mark
6191 When using the Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}), articles may be
6192 downloaded for unplugged (offline) viewing. If you are using the
6193 @samp{%O} spec, these articles get the @samp{+} mark in that spec.
6194 (The variable @code{gnus-downloaded-mark} controls which character to
6198 @vindex gnus-undownloaded-mark
6199 When using the Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}), some articles might
6200 not have been downloaded. Such articles cannot be viewed while you
6201 are unplugged (offline). If you are using the @samp{%O} spec, these
6202 articles get the @samp{-} mark in that spec. (The variable
6203 @code{gnus-undownloaded-mark} controls which character to use.)
6206 @vindex gnus-downloadable-mark
6207 The Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}) downloads some articles
6208 automatically, but it is also possible to explicitly mark articles for
6209 download, even if they would not be downloaded automatically. Such
6210 explicitly-marked articles get the @samp{%} mark in the first column.
6211 (The variable @code{gnus-downloadable-mark} controls which character to
6215 @vindex gnus-not-empty-thread-mark
6216 @vindex gnus-empty-thread-mark
6217 If the @samp{%e} spec is used, the presence of threads or not will be
6218 marked with @code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark} and
6219 @code{gnus-empty-thread-mark} in the third column, respectively.
6222 @vindex gnus-process-mark
6223 Finally we have the @dfn{process mark} (@code{gnus-process-mark}). A
6224 variety of commands react to the presence of the process mark. For
6225 instance, @kbd{X u} (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}) will uudecode and view
6226 all articles that have been marked with the process mark. Articles
6227 marked with the process mark have a @samp{#} in the second column.
6231 You might have noticed that most of these ``non-readedness'' marks
6232 appear in the second column by default. So if you have a cached, saved,
6233 replied article that you have process-marked, what will that look like?
6235 Nothing much. The precedence rules go as follows: process -> cache ->
6236 replied -> saved. So if the article is in the cache and is replied,
6237 you'll only see the cache mark and not the replied mark.
6241 @subsection Setting Marks
6242 @cindex setting marks
6244 All the marking commands understand the numeric prefix.
6249 @kindex M c (Summary)
6250 @kindex M-u (Summary)
6251 @findex gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward
6252 @cindex mark as unread
6253 Clear all readedness-marks from the current article
6254 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward}). In other words, mark the
6260 @kindex M t (Summary)
6261 @findex gnus-summary-tick-article-forward
6262 Tick the current article (@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}).
6263 @xref{Article Caching}.
6268 @kindex M ? (Summary)
6269 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant
6270 Mark the current article as dormant
6271 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant}). @xref{Article Caching}.
6275 @kindex M d (Summary)
6277 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward
6278 Mark the current article as read
6279 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward}).
6283 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward
6284 Mark the current article as read and move point to the previous line
6285 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward}).
6290 @kindex M k (Summary)
6291 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select
6292 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read,
6293 and then select the next unread article
6294 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select}).
6298 @kindex M K (Summary)
6299 @kindex C-k (Summary)
6300 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject
6301 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read
6302 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject}).
6305 @kindex M C (Summary)
6306 @findex gnus-summary-catchup
6307 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup}
6308 Mark all unread articles as read (@code{gnus-summary-catchup}).
6311 @kindex M C-c (Summary)
6312 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all
6313 Mark all articles in the group as read---even the ticked and dormant
6314 articles (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all}).
6317 @kindex M H (Summary)
6318 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-to-here
6319 Catchup the current group to point (before the point)
6320 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-to-here}).
6323 @kindex M h (Summary)
6324 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-from-here
6325 Catchup the current group from point (after the point)
6326 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-from-here}).
6329 @kindex C-w (Summary)
6330 @findex gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read
6331 Mark all articles between point and mark as read
6332 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read}).
6335 @kindex M V k (Summary)
6336 @findex gnus-summary-kill-below
6337 Kill all articles with scores below the default score (or below the
6338 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-kill-below}).
6342 @kindex M e (Summary)
6344 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable
6345 Mark the current article as expirable
6346 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable}).
6349 @kindex M b (Summary)
6350 @findex gnus-summary-set-bookmark
6351 Set a bookmark in the current article
6352 (@code{gnus-summary-set-bookmark}).
6355 @kindex M B (Summary)
6356 @findex gnus-summary-remove-bookmark
6357 Remove the bookmark from the current article
6358 (@code{gnus-summary-remove-bookmark}).
6361 @kindex M V c (Summary)
6362 @findex gnus-summary-clear-above
6363 Clear all marks from articles with scores over the default score (or
6364 over the numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
6367 @kindex M V u (Summary)
6368 @findex gnus-summary-tick-above
6369 Tick all articles with scores over the default score (or over the
6370 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-tick-above}).
6373 @kindex M V m (Summary)
6374 @findex gnus-summary-mark-above
6375 Prompt for a mark, and mark all articles with scores over the default
6376 score (or over the numeric prefix) with this mark
6377 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
6380 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
6381 The @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} variable controls what action should
6382 be taken after setting a mark. If non-@code{nil}, point will move to
6383 the next/previous unread article. If @code{nil}, point will just move
6384 one line up or down. As a special case, if this variable is
6385 @code{never}, all the marking commands as well as other commands (like
6386 @kbd{SPACE}) will move to the next article, whether it is unread or not.
6387 The default is @code{t}.
6390 @node Generic Marking Commands
6391 @subsection Generic Marking Commands
6393 Some people would like the command that ticks an article (@kbd{!}) to
6394 go to the next article. Others would like it to go to the next unread
6395 article. Yet others would like it to stay on the current article.
6396 And even though I haven't heard of anybody wanting it to go to the
6397 previous (unread) article, I'm sure there are people that want that as
6400 Multiply these five behaviors with five different marking commands, and
6401 you get a potentially complex set of variable to control what each
6404 To sidestep that mess, Gnus provides commands that do all these
6405 different things. They can be found on the @kbd{M M} map in the summary
6406 buffer. Type @kbd{M M C-h} to see them all---there are too many of them
6407 to list in this manual.
6409 While you can use these commands directly, most users would prefer
6410 altering the summary mode keymap. For instance, if you would like the
6411 @kbd{!} command to go to the next article instead of the next unread
6412 article, you could say something like:
6416 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'my-alter-summary-map)
6417 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
6418 (local-set-key "!" 'gnus-summary-put-mark-as-ticked-next))
6426 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
6427 (local-set-key "!" "MM!n"))
6431 @node Setting Process Marks
6432 @subsection Setting Process Marks
6433 @cindex setting process marks
6435 Process marks are displayed as @code{#} in the summary buffer, and are
6436 used for marking articles in such a way that other commands will
6437 process these articles. For instance, if you process mark four
6438 articles and then use the @kbd{*} command, Gnus will enter these four
6439 articles into the cache. For more information,
6440 @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
6447 @kindex M P p (Summary)
6448 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
6449 Mark the current article with the process mark
6450 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}).
6451 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
6455 @kindex M P u (Summary)
6456 @kindex M-# (Summary)
6457 Remove the process mark, if any, from the current article
6458 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
6461 @kindex M P U (Summary)
6462 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
6463 Remove the process mark from all articles
6464 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
6467 @kindex M P i (Summary)
6468 @findex gnus-uu-invert-processable
6469 Invert the list of process marked articles
6470 (@code{gnus-uu-invert-processable}).
6473 @kindex M P R (Summary)
6474 @findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
6475 Mark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
6476 expression (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
6479 @kindex M P G (Summary)
6480 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp
6481 Unmark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
6482 expression (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp}).
6485 @kindex M P r (Summary)
6486 @findex gnus-uu-mark-region
6487 Mark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
6490 @kindex M P g (Summary)
6491 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-region
6492 Unmark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-region}).
6495 @kindex M P t (Summary)
6496 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
6497 Mark all articles in the current (sub)thread
6498 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
6501 @kindex M P T (Summary)
6502 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
6503 Unmark all articles in the current (sub)thread
6504 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
6507 @kindex M P v (Summary)
6508 @findex gnus-uu-mark-over
6509 Mark all articles that have a score above the prefix argument
6510 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-over}).
6513 @kindex M P s (Summary)
6514 @findex gnus-uu-mark-series
6515 Mark all articles in the current series (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
6518 @kindex M P S (Summary)
6519 @findex gnus-uu-mark-sparse
6520 Mark all series that have already had some articles marked
6521 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-sparse}).
6524 @kindex M P a (Summary)
6525 @findex gnus-uu-mark-all
6526 Mark all articles in series order (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}).
6529 @kindex M P b (Summary)
6530 @findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
6531 Mark all articles in the buffer in the order they appear
6532 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
6535 @kindex M P k (Summary)
6536 @findex gnus-summary-kill-process-mark
6537 Push the current process mark set onto the stack and unmark all articles
6538 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-process-mark}).
6541 @kindex M P y (Summary)
6542 @findex gnus-summary-yank-process-mark
6543 Pop the previous process mark set from the stack and restore it
6544 (@code{gnus-summary-yank-process-mark}).
6547 @kindex M P w (Summary)
6548 @findex gnus-summary-save-process-mark
6549 Push the current process mark set onto the stack
6550 (@code{gnus-summary-save-process-mark}).
6554 Also see the @kbd{&} command in @ref{Searching for Articles}, for how to
6555 set process marks based on article body contents.
6562 It can be convenient to limit the summary buffer to just show some
6563 subset of the articles currently in the group. The effect most limit
6564 commands have is to remove a few (or many) articles from the summary
6567 Limiting commands work on subsets of the articles already fetched from
6568 the servers. These commands don't query the server for additional
6575 @kindex / / (Summary)
6576 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-subject
6577 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some subject
6578 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-subject}). If given a prefix, exclude
6582 @kindex / a (Summary)
6583 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-author
6584 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some author
6585 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-author}). If given a prefix, exclude
6589 @kindex / R (Summary)
6590 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-recipient
6591 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some recipient
6592 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-recipient}). If given a prefix, exclude
6596 @kindex / A (Summary)
6597 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-address
6598 Limit the summary buffer to articles in which contents of From, To or Cc
6599 header match a given address (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-address}). If
6600 given a prefix, exclude matching articles.
6603 @kindex / S (Summary)
6604 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-singletons
6605 Limit the summary buffer to articles that aren't part of any displayed
6606 threads (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-singletons}). If given a prefix,
6607 limit to articles that are part of displayed threads.
6610 @kindex / x (Summary)
6611 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-extra
6612 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match one of the ``extra''
6613 headers (@pxref{To From Newsgroups})
6614 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-extra}). If given a prefix, exclude
6619 @kindex / u (Summary)
6621 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unread
6622 Limit the summary buffer to articles not marked as read
6623 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unread}). If given a prefix, limit the
6624 buffer to articles strictly unread. This means that ticked and
6625 dormant articles will also be excluded.
6628 @kindex / m (Summary)
6629 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-marks
6630 Ask for a mark and then limit to all articles that have been marked
6631 with that mark (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}).
6634 @kindex / t (Summary)
6635 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-age
6636 Ask for a number and then limit the summary buffer to articles older than (or equal to) that number of days
6637 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-age}). If given a prefix, limit to
6638 articles younger than that number of days.
6641 @kindex / n (Summary)
6642 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-articles
6643 With prefix @samp{n}, limit the summary buffer to the next @samp{n}
6644 articles. If not given a prefix, use the process marked articles
6645 instead. (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-articles}).
6648 @kindex / w (Summary)
6649 @findex gnus-summary-pop-limit
6650 Pop the previous limit off the stack and restore it
6651 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-limit}). If given a prefix, pop all limits off
6655 @kindex / . (Summary)
6656 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen
6657 Limit the summary buffer to the unseen articles
6658 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen}).
6661 @kindex / v (Summary)
6662 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-score
6663 Limit the summary buffer to articles that have a score at or above some
6664 score (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-score}).
6667 @kindex / p (Summary)
6668 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate
6669 Limit the summary buffer to articles that satisfy the @code{display}
6670 group parameter predicate
6671 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate}). @xref{Group
6672 Parameters}, for more on this predicate.
6675 @kindex / r (Summary)
6676 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-replied
6677 Limit the summary buffer to replied articles
6678 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-replied}). If given a prefix, exclude
6683 @kindex M S (Summary)
6684 @kindex / E (Summary)
6685 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged
6686 Include all expunged articles in the limit
6687 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged}).
6690 @kindex / D (Summary)
6691 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant
6692 Include all dormant articles in the limit
6693 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant}).
6696 @kindex / * (Summary)
6697 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-cached
6698 Include all cached articles in the limit
6699 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}).
6702 @kindex / d (Summary)
6703 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant
6704 Exclude all dormant articles from the limit
6705 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant}).
6708 @kindex / M (Summary)
6709 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks
6710 Exclude all marked articles (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks}).
6713 @kindex / T (Summary)
6714 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-thread
6715 Include all the articles in the current thread in the limit.
6718 @kindex / c (Summary)
6719 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant
6720 Exclude all dormant articles that have no children from the limit@*
6721 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant}).
6724 @kindex / C (Summary)
6725 @findex gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read
6726 Mark all excluded unread articles as read
6727 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read}). If given a prefix,
6728 also mark excluded ticked and dormant articles as read.
6731 @kindex / b (Summary)
6732 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-bodies
6733 Limit the summary buffer to articles that have bodies that match a
6734 certain regexp (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-bodies}). If given a
6735 prefix, reverse the limit. This command is quite slow since it
6736 requires selecting each article to find the matches.
6739 @kindex / h (Summary)
6740 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-headers
6741 Like the previous command, only limit to headers instead
6742 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-headers}).
6747 The following commands aren't limiting commands, but use the @kbd{/}
6752 @kindex / N (Summary)
6753 @findex gnus-summary-insert-new-articles
6754 Insert all new articles in the summary buffer. It scans for new emails
6755 if @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} is non-@code{nil}.
6758 @kindex / o (Summary)
6759 @findex gnus-summary-insert-old-articles
6760 Insert all old articles in the summary buffer. If given a numbered
6761 prefix, fetch this number of articles.
6769 @cindex article threading
6771 Gnus threads articles by default. @dfn{To thread} is to put responses
6772 to articles directly after the articles they respond to---in a
6773 hierarchical fashion.
6775 Threading is done by looking at the @code{References} headers of the
6776 articles. In a perfect world, this would be enough to build pretty
6777 trees, but unfortunately, the @code{References} header is often broken
6778 or simply missing. Weird news propagation exacerbates the problem,
6779 so one has to employ other heuristics to get pleasing results. A
6780 plethora of approaches exists, as detailed in horrible detail in
6781 @ref{Customizing Threading}.
6783 First, a quick overview of the concepts:
6787 The top-most article in a thread; the first article in the thread.
6790 A tree-like article structure.
6793 A small(er) section of this tree-like structure.
6796 Threads often lose their roots due to article expiry, or due to the root
6797 already having been read in a previous session, and not displayed in the
6798 summary buffer. We then typically have many sub-threads that really
6799 belong to one thread, but are without connecting roots. These are
6800 called loose threads.
6802 @item thread gathering
6803 An attempt to gather loose threads into bigger threads.
6805 @item sparse threads
6806 A thread where the missing articles have been ``guessed'' at, and are
6807 displayed as empty lines in the summary buffer.
6813 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
6814 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
6818 @node Customizing Threading
6819 @subsection Customizing Threading
6820 @cindex customizing threading
6823 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
6824 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
6825 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
6826 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over@dots{} but you were wrong!
6831 @subsubsection Loose Threads
6834 @cindex loose threads
6837 @item gnus-summary-make-false-root
6838 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root
6839 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will gather all loose subtrees into one big tree
6840 and create a dummy root at the top. (Wait a minute. Root at the top?
6841 Yup.) Loose subtrees occur when the real root has expired, or you've
6842 read or killed the root in a previous session.
6844 When there is no real root of a thread, Gnus will have to fudge
6845 something. This variable says what fudging method Gnus should use.
6846 There are four possible values:
6850 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{390}{
6851 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-adopt,width=7.5cm}}
6852 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-empty,width=7.5cm}}}
6853 \put(0,400){\makebox(0,0)[tl]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-none,width=7.5cm}}}
6854 \put(445,400){\makebox(0,0)[tr]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-dummy,width=7.5cm}}}
6859 @cindex adopting articles
6864 Gnus will make the first of the orphaned articles the parent. This
6865 parent will adopt all the other articles. The adopted articles will be
6866 marked as such by pointy brackets (@samp{<>}) instead of the standard
6867 square brackets (@samp{[]}). This is the default method.
6870 @vindex gnus-summary-dummy-line-format
6871 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root-always
6872 Gnus will create a dummy summary line that will pretend to be the
6873 parent. This dummy line does not correspond to any real article, so
6874 selecting it will just select the first real article after the dummy
6875 article. @code{gnus-summary-dummy-line-format} is used to specify the
6876 format of the dummy roots. It accepts only one format spec: @samp{S},
6877 which is the subject of the article. @xref{Formatting Variables}.
6878 If you want all threads to have a dummy root, even the non-gathered
6879 ones, set @code{gnus-summary-make-false-root-always} to @code{t}.
6882 Gnus won't actually make any article the parent, but simply leave the
6883 subject field of all orphans except the first empty. (Actually, it will
6884 use @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} as the subject (@pxref{Summary
6888 Don't make any article parent at all. Just gather the threads and
6889 display them after one another.
6892 Don't gather loose threads.
6895 @item gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
6896 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
6897 Loose threads are gathered by comparing subjects of articles. If this
6898 variable is @code{nil}, Gnus requires an exact match between the
6899 subjects of the loose threads before gathering them into one big
6900 super-thread. This might be too strict a requirement, what with the
6901 presence of stupid newsreaders that chop off long subject lines. If
6902 you think so, set this variable to, say, 20 to require that only the
6903 first 20 characters of the subjects have to match. If you set this
6904 variable to a really low number, you'll find that Gnus will gather
6905 everything in sight into one thread, which isn't very helpful.
6907 @cindex fuzzy article gathering
6908 If you set this variable to the special value @code{fuzzy}, Gnus will
6909 use a fuzzy string comparison algorithm on the subjects (@pxref{Fuzzy
6912 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
6913 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
6914 This can either be a regular expression or list of regular expressions
6915 that match strings that will be removed from subjects if fuzzy subject
6916 simplification is used.
6918 @item gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6919 @vindex gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6920 If you set @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit} to something as low
6921 as 10, you might consider setting this variable to something sensible:
6923 @c Written by Michael Ernst <mernst@cs.rice.edu>
6925 (setq gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6931 "wanted" "followup" "summary\\( of\\)?"
6932 "help" "query" "problem" "question"
6933 "answer" "reference" "announce"
6934 "How can I" "How to" "Comparison of"
6939 (mapconcat 'identity
6940 '("for" "for reference" "with" "about")
6942 "\\)?\\]?:?[ \t]*"))
6945 All words that match this regexp will be removed before comparing two
6948 @item gnus-simplify-subject-functions
6949 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-functions
6950 If non-@code{nil}, this variable overrides
6951 @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}. This variable should be a
6952 list of functions to apply to the @code{Subject} string iteratively to
6953 arrive at the simplified version of the string.
6955 Useful functions to put in this list include:
6958 @item gnus-simplify-subject-re
6959 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-re
6960 Strip the leading @samp{Re:}.
6962 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
6963 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
6966 @item gnus-simplify-whitespace
6967 @findex gnus-simplify-whitespace
6968 Remove excessive whitespace.
6970 @item gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
6971 @findex gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
6972 Remove all whitespace.
6975 You may also write your own functions, of course.
6978 @item gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
6979 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
6980 Since loose thread gathering is done on subjects only, that might lead
6981 to many false hits, especially with certain common subjects like
6982 @samp{} and @samp{(none)}. To make the situation slightly better,
6983 you can use the regexp @code{gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject} to say
6984 what subjects should be excluded from the gathering process.@*
6985 The default is @samp{^ *$\\|^(none)$}.
6987 @item gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6988 @vindex gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6989 Gnus gathers threads by looking at @code{Subject} headers. This means
6990 that totally unrelated articles may end up in the same ``thread'', which
6991 is confusing. An alternate approach is to look at all the
6992 @code{Message-ID}s in all the @code{References} headers to find matches.
6993 This will ensure that no gathered threads ever include unrelated
6994 articles, but it also means that people who have posted with broken
6995 newsreaders won't be gathered properly. The choice is yours---plague or
6999 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
7000 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
7001 This function is the default gathering function and looks at
7002 @code{Subject}s exclusively.
7004 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-references
7005 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-references
7006 This function looks at @code{References} headers exclusively.
7009 If you want to test gathering by @code{References}, you could say
7013 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
7014 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
7020 @node Filling In Threads
7021 @subsubsection Filling In Threads
7024 @item gnus-fetch-old-headers
7025 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-headers
7026 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will attempt to build old threads by fetching
7027 more old headers---headers to articles marked as read. If you would
7028 like to display as few summary lines as possible, but still connect as
7029 many loose threads as possible, you should set this variable to
7030 @code{some} or a number. If you set it to a number, no more than that
7031 number of extra old headers will be fetched. In either case, fetching
7032 old headers only works if the back end you are using carries overview
7033 files---this would normally be @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool},
7034 @code{nnml}, and @code{nnmaildir}. Also remember that if the root of
7035 the thread has been expired by the server, there's not much Gnus can
7038 This variable can also be set to @code{invisible}. This won't have any
7039 visible effects, but is useful if you use the @kbd{A T} command a lot
7040 (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
7042 The server has to support @acronym{NOV} for any of this to work.
7044 @cindex Gmane, gnus-fetch-old-headers
7045 This feature can seriously impact performance it ignores all locally
7046 cached header entries. Setting it to @code{t} for groups for a server
7047 that doesn't expire articles (such as news.gmane.org), leads to very
7048 slow summary generation.
7050 @item gnus-fetch-old-ephemeral-headers
7051 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-ephemeral-headers
7052 Same as @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}, but only used for ephemeral
7055 @item gnus-build-sparse-threads
7056 @vindex gnus-build-sparse-threads
7057 Fetching old headers can be slow. A low-rent similar effect can be
7058 gotten by setting this variable to @code{some}. Gnus will then look at
7059 the complete @code{References} headers of all articles and try to string
7060 together articles that belong in the same thread. This will leave
7061 @dfn{gaps} in the threading display where Gnus guesses that an article
7062 is missing from the thread. (These gaps appear like normal summary
7063 lines. If you select a gap, Gnus will try to fetch the article in
7064 question.) If this variable is @code{t}, Gnus will display all these
7065 ``gaps'' without regard for whether they are useful for completing the
7066 thread or not. Finally, if this variable is @code{more}, Gnus won't cut
7067 off sparse leaf nodes that don't lead anywhere. This variable is
7068 @code{nil} by default.
7070 @item gnus-read-all-available-headers
7071 @vindex gnus-read-all-available-headers
7072 This is a rather obscure variable that few will find useful. It's
7073 intended for those non-news newsgroups where the back end has to fetch
7074 quite a lot to present the summary buffer, and where it's impossible to
7075 go back to parents of articles. This is mostly the case in the
7078 If you don't use those, then it's safe to leave this as the default
7079 @code{nil}. If you want to use this variable, it should be a regexp
7080 that matches the group name, or @code{t} for all groups.
7085 @node More Threading
7086 @subsubsection More Threading
7089 @item gnus-show-threads
7090 @vindex gnus-show-threads
7091 If this variable is @code{nil}, no threading will be done, and all of
7092 the rest of the variables here will have no effect. Turning threading
7093 off will speed group selection up a bit, but it is sure to make reading
7094 slower and more awkward.
7096 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
7097 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-subtree
7098 If non-@code{nil}, all threads will be hidden when the summary buffer is
7101 This can also be a predicate specifier (@pxref{Predicate Specifiers}).
7102 Available predicates are @code{gnus-article-unread-p} and
7103 @code{gnus-article-unseen-p}.
7108 (setq gnus-thread-hide-subtree
7109 '(or gnus-article-unread-p
7110 gnus-article-unseen-p))
7113 (It's a pretty nonsensical example, since all unseen articles are also
7114 unread, but you get my drift.)
7117 @item gnus-thread-expunge-below
7118 @vindex gnus-thread-expunge-below
7119 All threads that have a total score (as defined by
7120 @code{gnus-thread-score-function}) less than this number will be
7121 expunged. This variable is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
7122 threads are expunged.
7124 @item gnus-thread-hide-killed
7125 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-killed
7126 if you kill a thread and this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subtree
7129 @item gnus-thread-ignore-subject
7130 @vindex gnus-thread-ignore-subject
7131 Sometimes somebody changes the subject in the middle of a thread. If
7132 this variable is non-@code{nil}, which is the default, the subject
7133 change is ignored. If it is @code{nil}, a change in the subject will
7134 result in a new thread.
7136 @item gnus-thread-indent-level
7137 @vindex gnus-thread-indent-level
7138 This is a number that says how much each sub-thread should be indented.
7141 @item gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
7142 @vindex gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
7143 Sometimes, particularly with mailing lists, the order in which mails
7144 arrive locally is not necessarily the same as the order in which they
7145 arrived on the mailing list. Consequently, when sorting sub-threads
7146 using the default @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number}, responses can end
7147 up appearing before the article to which they are responding to.
7148 Setting this variable to an alternate value
7149 (e.g., @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}), in a group's parameters or in an
7150 appropriate hook (e.g., @code{gnus-summary-generate-hook}) can produce a
7151 more logical sub-thread ordering in such instances.
7156 @node Low-Level Threading
7157 @subsubsection Low-Level Threading
7161 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
7162 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
7163 Hook run before parsing any headers.
7165 @item gnus-alter-header-function
7166 @vindex gnus-alter-header-function
7167 If non-@code{nil}, this function will be called to allow alteration of
7168 article header structures. The function is called with one parameter,
7169 the article header vector, which it may alter in any way. For instance,
7170 if you have a mail-to-news gateway which alters the @code{Message-ID}s
7171 in systematic ways (by adding prefixes and such), you can use this
7172 variable to un-scramble the @code{Message-ID}s so that they are more
7173 meaningful. Here's one example:
7176 (setq gnus-alter-header-function 'my-alter-message-id)
7178 (defun my-alter-message-id (header)
7179 (let ((id (mail-header-id header)))
7181 "\\(<[^<>@@]*\\)\\.?cygnus\\..*@@\\([^<>@@]*>\\)" id)
7183 (concat (match-string 1 id) "@@" (match-string 2 id))
7190 @node Thread Commands
7191 @subsection Thread Commands
7192 @cindex thread commands
7198 @kindex T k (Summary)
7199 @kindex C-M-k (Summary)
7200 @findex gnus-summary-kill-thread
7201 Mark all articles in the current (sub-)thread as read
7202 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}). If the prefix argument is positive,
7203 remove all marks instead. If the prefix argument is negative, tick
7208 @kindex T l (Summary)
7209 @kindex C-M-l (Summary)
7210 @findex gnus-summary-lower-thread
7211 Lower the score of the current (sub-)thread
7212 (@code{gnus-summary-lower-thread}).
7215 @kindex T i (Summary)
7216 @findex gnus-summary-raise-thread
7217 Increase the score of the current (sub-)thread
7218 (@code{gnus-summary-raise-thread}).
7221 @kindex T # (Summary)
7222 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
7223 Set the process mark on the current (sub-)thread
7224 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
7227 @kindex T M-# (Summary)
7228 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
7229 Remove the process mark from the current (sub-)thread
7230 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
7233 @kindex T T (Summary)
7234 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-threads
7235 Toggle threading (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-threads}).
7238 @kindex T s (Summary)
7239 @findex gnus-summary-show-thread
7240 Expose the (sub-)thread hidden under the current article, if any@*
7241 (@code{gnus-summary-show-thread}).
7244 @kindex T h (Summary)
7245 @findex gnus-summary-hide-thread
7246 Hide the current (sub-)thread (@code{gnus-summary-hide-thread}).
7249 @kindex T S (Summary)
7250 @findex gnus-summary-show-all-threads
7251 Expose all hidden threads (@code{gnus-summary-show-all-threads}).
7254 @kindex T H (Summary)
7255 @findex gnus-summary-hide-all-threads
7256 Hide all threads (@code{gnus-summary-hide-all-threads}).
7259 @kindex T t (Summary)
7260 @findex gnus-summary-rethread-current
7261 Re-thread the current article's thread
7262 (@code{gnus-summary-rethread-current}). This works even when the
7263 summary buffer is otherwise unthreaded.
7266 @kindex T ^ (Summary)
7267 @findex gnus-summary-reparent-thread
7268 Make the current article the child of the marked (or previous) article
7269 (@code{gnus-summary-reparent-thread}).
7272 @kindex T M-^ (Summary)
7273 @findex gnus-summary-reparent-children
7274 Make the current article the parent of the marked articles
7275 (@code{gnus-summary-reparent-children}).
7279 The following commands are thread movement commands. They all
7280 understand the numeric prefix.
7285 @kindex T n (Summary)
7287 @kindex C-M-n (Summary)
7289 @kindex M-down (Summary)
7290 @findex gnus-summary-next-thread
7291 Go to the next thread (@code{gnus-summary-next-thread}).
7294 @kindex T p (Summary)
7296 @kindex C-M-p (Summary)
7298 @kindex M-up (Summary)
7299 @findex gnus-summary-prev-thread
7300 Go to the previous thread (@code{gnus-summary-prev-thread}).
7303 @kindex T d (Summary)
7304 @findex gnus-summary-down-thread
7305 Descend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-down-thread}).
7308 @kindex T u (Summary)
7309 @findex gnus-summary-up-thread
7310 Ascend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-up-thread}).
7313 @kindex T o (Summary)
7314 @findex gnus-summary-top-thread
7315 Go to the top of the thread (@code{gnus-summary-top-thread}).
7318 @vindex gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject
7319 If you ignore subject while threading, you'll naturally end up with
7320 threads that have several different subjects in them. If you then issue
7321 a command like @kbd{T k} (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}) you might not
7322 wish to kill the entire thread, but just those parts of the thread that
7323 have the same subject as the current article. If you like this idea,
7324 you can fiddle with @code{gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject}. If it
7325 is non-@code{nil} (which it is by default), subjects will be ignored
7326 when doing thread commands. If this variable is @code{nil}, articles in
7327 the same thread with different subjects will not be included in the
7328 operation in question. If this variable is @code{fuzzy}, only articles
7329 that have subjects fuzzily equal will be included (@pxref{Fuzzy
7333 @node Sorting the Summary Buffer
7334 @section Sorting the Summary Buffer
7336 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score
7337 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date
7338 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-score
7339 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
7340 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-author
7341 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-recipient
7342 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-number
7343 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-random
7344 @vindex gnus-thread-sort-functions
7345 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-number
7346 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-date
7347 If you are using a threaded summary display, you can sort the threads by
7348 setting @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, which can be either a single
7349 function, a list of functions, or a list containing functions and
7350 @code{(not some-function)} elements.
7352 By default, sorting is done on article numbers. Ready-made sorting
7353 predicate functions include @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number},
7354 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-recipient},
7355 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-subject},
7356 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date},
7357 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-score},
7358 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-number},
7359 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-date},
7360 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-random} and
7361 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score}.
7363 Each function takes two threads and returns non-@code{nil} if the first
7364 thread should be sorted before the other. Note that sorting really is
7365 normally done by looking only at the roots of each thread. Exceptions
7366 to this rule are @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-number} and
7367 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-date}.
7369 If you use more than one function, the primary sort key should be the
7370 last function in the list. You should probably always include
7371 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number} in the list of sorting
7372 functions---preferably first. This will ensure that threads that are
7373 equal with respect to the other sort criteria will be displayed in
7374 ascending article order.
7376 If you would like to sort by reverse score, then by subject, and finally
7377 by number, you could do something like:
7380 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
7381 '(gnus-thread-sort-by-number
7382 gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
7383 (not gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score)))
7386 The threads that have highest score will be displayed first in the
7387 summary buffer. When threads have the same score, they will be sorted
7388 alphabetically. The threads that have the same score and the same
7389 subject will be sorted by number, which is (normally) the sequence in
7390 which the articles arrived.
7392 If you want to sort by score and then reverse arrival order, you could
7396 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
7397 '((not gnus-thread-sort-by-number)
7398 gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
7401 By default, threads including their subthreads are sorted according to
7402 the value of @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}. By customizing
7403 @code{gnus-subthread-sort-functions} you can define a custom sorting
7404 order for subthreads. This allows for example to sort threads from
7405 high score to low score in the summary buffer, but to have subthreads
7406 still sorted chronologically from old to new without taking their
7409 @vindex gnus-thread-score-function
7410 The function in the @code{gnus-thread-score-function} variable (default
7411 @code{+}) is used for calculating the total score of a thread. Useful
7412 functions might be @code{max}, @code{min}, or squared means, or whatever
7415 @findex gnus-article-sort-functions
7416 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-date
7417 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-most-recent-date
7418 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-score
7419 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-subject
7420 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-author
7421 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-random
7422 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-number
7423 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-most-recent-number
7424 If you are using an unthreaded display for some strange reason or
7425 other, you have to fiddle with the @code{gnus-article-sort-functions}
7426 variable. It is very similar to the
7427 @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, except that it uses slightly
7428 different functions for article comparison. Available sorting
7429 predicate functions are @code{gnus-article-sort-by-number},
7430 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-author},
7431 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-subject}, @code{gnus-article-sort-by-date},
7432 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-random}, and
7433 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-score}.
7435 If you want to sort an unthreaded summary display by subject, you could
7439 (setq gnus-article-sort-functions
7440 '(gnus-article-sort-by-number
7441 gnus-article-sort-by-subject))
7444 You can define group specific sorting via @code{gnus-parameters},
7445 @xref{Group Parameters}.
7448 @node Asynchronous Fetching
7449 @section Asynchronous Article Fetching
7450 @cindex asynchronous article fetching
7451 @cindex article pre-fetch
7454 If you read your news from an @acronym{NNTP} server that's far away, the
7455 network latencies may make reading articles a chore. You have to wait
7456 for a while after pressing @kbd{n} to go to the next article before the
7457 article appears. Why can't Gnus just go ahead and fetch the article
7458 while you are reading the previous one? Why not, indeed.
7460 First, some caveats. There are some pitfalls to using asynchronous
7461 article fetching, especially the way Gnus does it.
7463 Let's say you are reading article 1, which is short, and article 2 is
7464 quite long, and you are not interested in reading that. Gnus does not
7465 know this, so it goes ahead and fetches article 2. You decide to read
7466 article 3, but since Gnus is in the process of fetching article 2, the
7467 connection is blocked.
7469 To avoid these situations, Gnus will open two (count 'em two)
7470 connections to the server. Some people may think this isn't a very nice
7471 thing to do, but I don't see any real alternatives. Setting up that
7472 extra connection takes some time, so Gnus startup will be slower.
7474 Gnus will fetch more articles than you will read. This will mean that
7475 the link between your machine and the @acronym{NNTP} server will become more
7476 loaded than if you didn't use article pre-fetch. The server itself will
7477 also become more loaded---both with the extra article requests, and the
7480 Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing@dots{} unless
7483 @vindex gnus-asynchronous
7484 Here's how: Set @code{gnus-asynchronous} to @code{t}. The rest should
7485 happen automatically.
7487 @vindex gnus-use-article-prefetch
7488 You can control how many articles are to be pre-fetched by setting
7489 @code{gnus-use-article-prefetch}. This is 30 by default, which means
7490 that when you read an article in the group, the back end will pre-fetch
7491 the next 30 articles. If this variable is @code{t}, the back end will
7492 pre-fetch all the articles it can without bound. If it is
7493 @code{nil}, no pre-fetching will be done.
7495 @vindex gnus-async-prefetch-article-p
7496 @findex gnus-async-unread-p
7497 There are probably some articles that you don't want to pre-fetch---read
7498 articles, for instance. The @code{gnus-async-prefetch-article-p}
7499 variable controls whether an article is to be pre-fetched. This
7500 function should return non-@code{nil} when the article in question is
7501 to be pre-fetched. The default is @code{gnus-async-unread-p}, which
7502 returns @code{nil} on read articles. The function is called with an
7503 article data structure as the only parameter.
7505 If, for instance, you wish to pre-fetch only unread articles shorter
7506 than 100 lines, you could say something like:
7509 (defun my-async-short-unread-p (data)
7510 "Return non-nil for short, unread articles."
7511 (and (gnus-data-unread-p data)
7512 (< (mail-header-lines (gnus-data-header data))
7515 (setq gnus-async-prefetch-article-p 'my-async-short-unread-p)
7518 These functions will be called many, many times, so they should
7519 preferably be short and sweet to avoid slowing down Gnus too much.
7520 It's probably a good idea to byte-compile things like this.
7522 @vindex gnus-async-post-fetch-function
7523 @findex gnus-html-prefetch-images
7524 After an article has been prefetched, this
7525 @code{gnus-async-post-fetch-function} will be called. The buffer will
7526 be narrowed to the region of the article that was fetched. A useful
7527 value would be @code{gnus-html-prefetch-images}, which will prefetch
7528 and store images referenced in the article, so that you don't have to
7529 wait for them to be fetched when you read the article. This is useful
7530 for @acronym{HTML} messages that have external images.
7532 @vindex gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy
7533 Articles have to be removed from the asynch buffer sooner or later. The
7534 @code{gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy} says when to remove
7535 articles. This is a list that may contain the following elements:
7539 Remove articles when they are read.
7542 Remove articles when exiting the group.
7545 The default value is @code{(read exit)}.
7547 @c @vindex gnus-use-header-prefetch
7548 @c If @code{gnus-use-header-prefetch} is non-@code{nil}, prefetch articles
7549 @c from the next group.
7552 @node Article Caching
7553 @section Article Caching
7554 @cindex article caching
7557 If you have an @emph{extremely} slow @acronym{NNTP} connection, you may
7558 consider turning article caching on. Each article will then be stored
7559 locally under your home directory. As you may surmise, this could
7560 potentially use @emph{huge} amounts of disk space, as well as eat up all
7561 your inodes so fast it will make your head swim. In vodka.
7563 Used carefully, though, it could be just an easier way to save articles.
7565 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
7566 @vindex gnus-cache-directory
7567 @vindex gnus-use-cache
7568 To turn caching on, set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{t}. By default,
7569 all articles ticked or marked as dormant will then be copied
7570 over to your local cache (@code{gnus-cache-directory}). Whether this
7571 cache is flat or hierarchical is controlled by the
7572 @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable, as usual.
7574 When re-selecting a ticked or dormant article, it will be fetched from the
7575 cache instead of from the server. As articles in your cache will never
7576 expire, this might serve as a method of saving articles while still
7577 keeping them where they belong. Just mark all articles you want to save
7578 as dormant, and don't worry.
7580 When an article is marked as read, is it removed from the cache.
7582 @vindex gnus-cache-remove-articles
7583 @vindex gnus-cache-enter-articles
7584 The entering/removal of articles from the cache is controlled by the
7585 @code{gnus-cache-enter-articles} and @code{gnus-cache-remove-articles}
7586 variables. Both are lists of symbols. The first is @code{(ticked
7587 dormant)} by default, meaning that ticked and dormant articles will be
7588 put in the cache. The latter is @code{(read)} by default, meaning that
7589 articles marked as read are removed from the cache. Possibly
7590 symbols in these two lists are @code{ticked}, @code{dormant},
7591 @code{unread} and @code{read}.
7593 @findex gnus-jog-cache
7594 So where does the massive article-fetching and storing come into the
7595 picture? The @code{gnus-jog-cache} command will go through all
7596 subscribed newsgroups, request all unread articles, score them, and
7597 store them in the cache. You should only ever, ever ever ever, use this
7598 command if 1) your connection to the @acronym{NNTP} server is really, really,
7599 really slow and 2) you have a really, really, really huge disk.
7600 Seriously. One way to cut down on the number of articles downloaded is
7601 to score unwanted articles down and have them marked as read. They will
7602 not then be downloaded by this command.
7604 @vindex gnus-uncacheable-groups
7605 @vindex gnus-cacheable-groups
7606 It is likely that you do not want caching on all groups. For instance,
7607 if your @code{nnml} mail is located under your home directory, it makes no
7608 sense to cache it somewhere else under your home directory. Unless you
7609 feel that it's neat to use twice as much space.
7611 To limit the caching, you could set @code{gnus-cacheable-groups} to a
7612 regexp of groups to cache, @samp{^nntp} for instance, or set the
7613 @code{gnus-uncacheable-groups} regexp to @samp{^nnml}, for instance.
7614 Both variables are @code{nil} by default. If a group matches both
7615 variables, the group is not cached.
7617 @findex gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases
7618 @findex gnus-cache-generate-active
7619 @vindex gnus-cache-active-file
7620 The cache stores information on what articles it contains in its active
7621 file (@code{gnus-cache-active-file}). If this file (or any other parts
7622 of the cache) becomes all messed up for some reason or other, Gnus
7623 offers two functions that will try to set things right. @kbd{M-x
7624 gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases} will (re)build all the @acronym{NOV}
7625 files, and @kbd{gnus-cache-generate-active} will (re)generate the active
7628 @findex gnus-cache-move-cache
7629 @code{gnus-cache-move-cache} will move your whole
7630 @code{gnus-cache-directory} to some other location. You get asked to
7631 where, isn't that cool?
7633 @node Persistent Articles
7634 @section Persistent Articles
7635 @cindex persistent articles
7637 Closely related to article caching, we have @dfn{persistent articles}.
7638 In fact, it's just a different way of looking at caching, and much more
7639 useful in my opinion.
7641 Say you're reading a newsgroup, and you happen on to some valuable gem
7642 that you want to keep and treasure forever. You'd normally just save it
7643 (using one of the many saving commands) in some file. The problem with
7644 that is that it's just, well, yucky. Ideally you'd prefer just having
7645 the article remain in the group where you found it forever; untouched by
7646 the expiry going on at the news server.
7648 This is what a @dfn{persistent article} is---an article that just won't
7649 be deleted. It's implemented using the normal cache functions, but
7650 you use two explicit commands for managing persistent articles:
7656 @findex gnus-cache-enter-article
7657 Make the current article persistent (@code{gnus-cache-enter-article}).
7660 @kindex M-* (Summary)
7661 @findex gnus-cache-remove-article
7662 Remove the current article from the persistent articles
7663 (@code{gnus-cache-remove-article}). This will normally delete the
7667 Both these commands understand the process/prefix convention.
7669 To avoid having all ticked articles (and stuff) entered into the cache,
7670 you should set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{passive} if you're just
7671 interested in persistent articles:
7674 (setq gnus-use-cache 'passive)
7677 @node Sticky Articles
7678 @section Sticky Articles
7679 @cindex sticky articles
7681 When you select an article the current article buffer will be reused
7682 according to the value of the variable
7683 @code{gnus-single-article-buffer}. If its value is non-@code{nil} (the
7684 default) all articles reuse the same article buffer. Else each group
7685 has its own article buffer.
7687 This implies that it's not possible to have more than one article buffer
7688 in a group at a time. But sometimes you might want to display all the
7689 latest emails from your mother, your father, your aunt, your uncle and
7690 your 17 cousins to coordinate the next Christmas party.
7692 That's where sticky articles come in handy. A sticky article buffer
7693 basically is a normal article buffer, but it won't be reused when you
7694 select another article. You can make an article sticky with:
7698 @kindex A S (Summary)
7699 @findex gnus-sticky-article
7700 Make the current article sticky. If a prefix arg is given, ask for a
7701 name for this sticky article buffer.
7704 To close a sticky article buffer you can use these commands:
7710 Puts this sticky article buffer at the end of the list of all buffers.
7714 @findex gnus-kill-sticky-article-buffer
7715 Kills this sticky article buffer.
7718 To kill all sticky article buffers you can use:
7720 @defun gnus-kill-sticky-article-buffers ARG
7721 Kill all sticky article buffers.
7722 If a prefix ARG is given, ask for confirmation.
7725 @node Article Backlog
7726 @section Article Backlog
7728 @cindex article backlog
7730 If you have a slow connection, but the idea of using caching seems
7731 unappealing to you (and it is, really), you can help the situation some
7732 by switching on the @dfn{backlog}. This is where Gnus will buffer
7733 already read articles so that it doesn't have to re-fetch articles
7734 you've already read. This only helps if you are in the habit of
7735 re-selecting articles you've recently read, of course. If you never do
7736 that, turning the backlog on will slow Gnus down a little bit, and
7737 increase memory usage some.
7739 @vindex gnus-keep-backlog
7740 If you set @code{gnus-keep-backlog} to a number @var{n}, Gnus will store
7741 at most @var{n} old articles in a buffer for later re-fetching. If this
7742 variable is non-@code{nil} and is not a number, Gnus will store
7743 @emph{all} read articles, which means that your Emacs will grow without
7744 bound before exploding and taking your machine down with you. I put
7745 that in there just to keep y'all on your toes.
7747 The default value is 20.
7750 @node Saving Articles
7751 @section Saving Articles
7752 @cindex saving articles
7754 Gnus can save articles in a number of ways. Below is the documentation
7755 for saving articles in a fairly straight-forward fashion (i.e., little
7756 processing of the article is done before it is saved). For a different
7757 approach (uudecoding, unsharing) you should use @code{gnus-uu}
7758 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
7760 For the commands listed here, the target is a file. If you want to
7761 save to a group, see the @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article})
7762 command (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
7764 @vindex gnus-save-all-headers
7765 If @code{gnus-save-all-headers} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will not delete
7766 unwanted headers before saving the article.
7768 @vindex gnus-saved-headers
7769 If the preceding variable is @code{nil}, all headers that match the
7770 @code{gnus-saved-headers} regexp will be kept, while the rest will be
7771 deleted before saving.
7777 @kindex O o (Summary)
7779 @findex gnus-summary-save-article
7780 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article}
7781 Save the current article using the default article saver
7782 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article}).
7785 @kindex O m (Summary)
7786 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-mail
7787 Save the current article in a Unix mail box (mbox) file
7788 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-mail}).
7791 @kindex O r (Summary)
7792 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-rmail
7793 Save the current article in Rmail format
7794 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-rmail}). This is mbox since Emacs 23,
7795 Babyl in older versions.
7798 @kindex O f (Summary)
7799 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-file
7800 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article-file}
7801 Save the current article in plain file format
7802 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-file}).
7805 @kindex O F (Summary)
7806 @findex gnus-summary-write-article-file
7807 Write the current article in plain file format, overwriting any previous
7808 file contents (@code{gnus-summary-write-article-file}).
7811 @kindex O b (Summary)
7812 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-body-file
7813 Save the current article body in plain file format
7814 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-body-file}).
7817 @kindex O h (Summary)
7818 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-folder
7819 Save the current article in mh folder format
7820 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-folder}).
7823 @kindex O v (Summary)
7824 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-vm
7825 Save the current article in a VM folder
7826 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-vm}).
7830 @kindex O p (Summary)
7832 @findex gnus-summary-pipe-output
7833 @vindex gnus-summary-pipe-output-default-command
7834 Save the current article in a pipe. Uhm, like, what I mean is---Pipe
7835 the current article to a process (@code{gnus-summary-pipe-output}).
7836 If given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), include the
7837 complete headers in the piped output. The symbolic prefix @code{r} is
7838 special; it lets this command pipe a raw article including all headers.
7839 The @code{gnus-summary-pipe-output-default-command} variable can be set
7840 to a string containing the default command and options (default
7844 @kindex O P (Summary)
7845 @findex gnus-summary-muttprint
7846 @vindex gnus-summary-muttprint-program
7847 Save the current article into muttprint. That is, print it using the
7848 external program @uref{http://muttprint.sourceforge.net/,
7849 Muttprint}. The program name and options to use is controlled by the
7850 variable @code{gnus-summary-muttprint-program}.
7851 (@code{gnus-summary-muttprint}).
7855 @vindex gnus-prompt-before-saving
7856 All these commands use the process/prefix convention
7857 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). If you save bunches of articles using these
7858 functions, you might get tired of being prompted for files to save each
7859 and every article in. The prompting action is controlled by
7860 the @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} variable, which is @code{always} by
7861 default, giving you that excessive prompting action you know and
7862 loathe. If you set this variable to @code{t} instead, you'll be prompted
7863 just once for each series of articles you save. If you like to really
7864 have Gnus do all your thinking for you, you can even set this variable
7865 to @code{nil}, which means that you will never be prompted for files to
7866 save articles in. Gnus will simply save all the articles in the default
7870 @vindex gnus-default-article-saver
7871 You can customize the @code{gnus-default-article-saver} variable to make
7872 Gnus do what you want it to. You can use any of the eight ready-made
7873 functions below, or you can create your own.
7877 @item gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
7878 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
7879 @vindex gnus-rmail-save-name
7880 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
7881 This is the default format, that used by the Rmail package. Since Emacs
7882 23, Rmail uses standard mbox format. Before this, it used the
7883 @dfn{Babyl} format. Accordingly, this command writes mbox format since
7884 Emacs 23, unless appending to an existing Babyl file. In older versions
7885 of Emacs, it always uses Babyl format. Uses the function in the
7886 @code{gnus-rmail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7887 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
7889 @item gnus-summary-save-in-mail
7890 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-mail
7891 @vindex gnus-mail-save-name
7892 Save in a Unix mail (mbox) file. Uses the function in the
7893 @code{gnus-mail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7894 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
7896 @item gnus-summary-save-in-file
7897 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-file
7898 @vindex gnus-file-save-name
7899 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
7900 Append the article straight to an ordinary file. Uses the function in
7901 the @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7902 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7904 @item gnus-summary-write-to-file
7905 @findex gnus-summary-write-to-file
7906 Write the article straight to an ordinary file. The file is
7907 overwritten if it exists. Uses the function in the
7908 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7909 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7911 @item gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
7912 @findex gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
7913 Append the article body to an ordinary file. Uses the function in the
7914 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7915 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7917 @item gnus-summary-write-body-to-file
7918 @findex gnus-summary-write-body-to-file
7919 Write the article body straight to an ordinary file. The file is
7920 overwritten if it exists. Uses the function in the
7921 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7922 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7924 @item gnus-summary-save-in-folder
7925 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-folder
7926 @findex gnus-folder-save-name
7927 @findex gnus-Folder-save-name
7928 @vindex gnus-folder-save-name
7931 Save the article to an MH folder using @code{rcvstore} from the MH
7932 library. Uses the function in the @code{gnus-folder-save-name} variable
7933 to get a file name to save the article in. The default is
7934 @code{gnus-folder-save-name}, but you can also use
7935 @code{gnus-Folder-save-name}, which creates capitalized names.
7937 @item gnus-summary-save-in-vm
7938 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-vm
7939 Save the article in a VM folder. You have to have the VM mail
7940 reader to use this setting.
7942 @item gnus-summary-save-in-pipe
7943 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-pipe
7944 Pipe the article to a shell command. This function takes optional two
7945 arguments COMMAND and RAW@. Valid values for COMMAND include:
7949 The executable command name and possibly arguments.
7951 You will be prompted for the command in the minibuffer.
7952 @item the symbol @code{default}@*
7953 It will be replaced with the command which the variable
7954 @code{gnus-summary-pipe-output-default-command} holds or the command
7955 last used for saving.
7958 Non-@code{nil} value for RAW overrides @code{:decode} and
7959 @code{:headers} properties (see below) and the raw article including all
7960 headers will be piped.
7963 The symbol of each function may have the following properties:
7967 The value non-@code{nil} means save decoded articles. This is
7968 meaningful only with @code{gnus-summary-save-in-file},
7969 @code{gnus-summary-save-body-in-file},
7970 @code{gnus-summary-write-to-file},
7971 @code{gnus-summary-write-body-to-file}, and
7972 @code{gnus-summary-save-in-pipe}.
7975 The value specifies an alternative function which appends, not
7976 overwrites, articles to a file. This implies that when saving many
7977 articles at a time, @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} is bound to
7978 @code{t} and all articles are saved in a single file. This is
7979 meaningful only with @code{gnus-summary-write-to-file} and
7980 @code{gnus-summary-write-body-to-file}.
7983 The value specifies the symbol of a variable of which the value
7984 specifies headers to be saved. If it is omitted,
7985 @code{gnus-save-all-headers} and @code{gnus-saved-headers} control what
7986 headers should be saved.
7989 @vindex gnus-article-save-directory
7990 All of these functions, except for the last one, will save the article
7991 in the @code{gnus-article-save-directory}, which is initialized from the
7992 @env{SAVEDIR} environment variable. This is @file{~/News/} by
7995 As you can see above, the functions use different functions to find a
7996 suitable name of a file to save the article in. Below is a list of
7997 available functions that generate names:
8001 @item gnus-Numeric-save-name
8002 @findex gnus-Numeric-save-name
8003 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
8005 @item gnus-numeric-save-name
8006 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
8007 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
8009 @item gnus-Plain-save-name
8010 @findex gnus-Plain-save-name
8011 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin}.
8013 @item gnus-plain-save-name
8014 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
8015 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.
8017 @item gnus-sender-save-name
8018 @findex gnus-sender-save-name
8019 File names like @file{~/News/larsi}.
8022 @vindex gnus-split-methods
8023 You can have Gnus suggest where to save articles by plonking a regexp into
8024 the @code{gnus-split-methods} alist. For instance, if you would like to
8025 save articles related to Gnus in the file @file{gnus-stuff}, and articles
8026 related to VM in @file{vm-stuff}, you could set this variable to something
8030 (("^Subject:.*gnus\\|^Newsgroups:.*gnus" "gnus-stuff")
8031 ("^Subject:.*vm\\|^Xref:.*vm" "vm-stuff")
8032 (my-choosing-function "../other-dir/my-stuff")
8033 ((equal gnus-newsgroup-name "mail.misc") "mail-stuff"))
8036 We see that this is a list where each element is a list that has two
8037 elements---the @dfn{match} and the @dfn{file}. The match can either be
8038 a string (in which case it is used as a regexp to match on the article
8039 head); it can be a symbol (which will be called as a function with the
8040 group name as a parameter); or it can be a list (which will be
8041 @code{eval}ed). If any of these actions have a non-@code{nil} result,
8042 the @dfn{file} will be used as a default prompt. In addition, the
8043 result of the operation itself will be used if the function or form
8044 called returns a string or a list of strings.
8046 You basically end up with a list of file names that might be used when
8047 saving the current article. (All ``matches'' will be used.) You will
8048 then be prompted for what you really want to use as a name, with file
8049 name completion over the results from applying this variable.
8051 This variable is @code{((gnus-article-archive-name))} by default, which
8052 means that Gnus will look at the articles it saves for an
8053 @code{Archive-name} line and use that as a suggestion for the file
8056 Here's an example function to clean up file names somewhat. If you have
8057 lots of mail groups called things like
8058 @samp{nnml:mail.whatever}, you may want to chop off the beginning of
8059 these group names before creating the file name to save to. The
8060 following will do just that:
8063 (defun my-save-name (group)
8064 (when (string-match "^nnml:mail." group)
8065 (substring group (match-end 0))))
8067 (setq gnus-split-methods
8068 '((gnus-article-archive-name)
8073 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
8074 Finally, you have the @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable. If it is
8075 @code{nil}, all the preceding functions will replace all periods
8076 (@samp{.}) in the group names with slashes (@samp{/})---which means that
8077 the functions will generate hierarchies of directories instead of having
8078 all the files in the top level directory
8079 (@file{~/News/alt/andrea-dworkin} instead of
8080 @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.) This variable is @code{t} by default
8081 on most systems. However, for historical reasons, this is @code{nil} on
8082 Xenix and usg-unix-v machines by default.
8084 This function also affects kill and score file names. If this variable
8085 is a list, and the list contains the element @code{not-score}, long file
8086 names will not be used for score files, if it contains the element
8087 @code{not-save}, long file names will not be used for saving, and if it
8088 contains the element @code{not-kill}, long file names will not be used
8091 If you'd like to save articles in a hierarchy that looks something like
8095 (setq gnus-use-long-file-name '(not-save)) ; @r{to get a hierarchy}
8096 (setq gnus-default-article-saver
8097 'gnus-summary-save-in-file) ; @r{no encoding}
8100 Then just save with @kbd{o}. You'd then read this hierarchy with
8101 ephemeral @code{nneething} groups---@kbd{G D} in the group buffer, and
8102 the top level directory as the argument (@file{~/News/}). Then just walk
8103 around to the groups/directories with @code{nneething}.
8106 @node Decoding Articles
8107 @section Decoding Articles
8108 @cindex decoding articles
8110 Sometime users post articles (or series of articles) that have been
8111 encoded in some way or other. Gnus can decode them for you.
8114 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
8115 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
8116 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
8117 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
8118 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
8119 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
8123 @cindex article series
8124 All these functions use the process/prefix convention
8125 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) for finding out what articles to work on, with
8126 the extension that a ``single article'' means ``a single series''. Gnus
8127 can find out by itself what articles belong to a series, decode all the
8128 articles and unpack/view/save the resulting file(s).
8130 Gnus guesses what articles are in the series according to the following
8131 simplish rule: The subjects must be (nearly) identical, except for the
8132 last two numbers of the line. (Spaces are largely ignored, however.)
8134 For example: If you choose a subject called @samp{cat.gif (2/3)}, Gnus
8135 will find all the articles that match the regexp @samp{^cat.gif
8136 ([0-9]+/[0-9]+).*$}.
8138 Subjects that are non-standard, like @samp{cat.gif (2/3) Part 6 of a
8139 series}, will not be properly recognized by any of the automatic viewing
8140 commands, and you have to mark the articles manually with @kbd{#}.
8143 @node Uuencoded Articles
8144 @subsection Uuencoded Articles
8146 @cindex uuencoded articles
8151 @kindex X u (Summary)
8152 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu
8153 @c @icon{gnus-uu-decode-uu}
8154 Uudecodes the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}).
8157 @kindex X U (Summary)
8158 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save
8159 Uudecodes and saves the current series
8160 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
8163 @kindex X v u (Summary)
8164 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-view
8165 Uudecodes and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-view}).
8168 @kindex X v U (Summary)
8169 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view
8170 Uudecodes, views and saves the current series
8171 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view}).
8175 Remember that these all react to the presence of articles marked with
8176 the process mark. If, for instance, you'd like to decode and save an
8177 entire newsgroup, you'd typically do @kbd{M P a}
8178 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}) and then @kbd{X U}
8179 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
8181 All this is very much different from how @code{gnus-uu} worked with
8182 @sc{gnus 4.1}, where you had explicit keystrokes for everything under
8183 the sun. This version of @code{gnus-uu} generally assumes that you mark
8184 articles in some way (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}) and then press
8187 @vindex gnus-uu-notify-files
8188 Note: When trying to decode articles that have names matching
8189 @code{gnus-uu-notify-files}, which is hard-coded to
8190 @samp{[Cc][Ii][Nn][Dd][Yy][0-9]+.\\(gif\\|jpg\\)}, @code{gnus-uu} will
8191 automatically post an article on @samp{comp.unix.wizards} saying that
8192 you have just viewed the file in question. This feature can't be turned
8196 @node Shell Archives
8197 @subsection Shell Archives
8199 @cindex shell archives
8200 @cindex shared articles
8202 Shell archives (``shar files'') used to be a popular way to distribute
8203 sources, but it isn't used all that much today. In any case, we have
8204 some commands to deal with these:
8209 @kindex X s (Summary)
8210 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar
8211 Unshars the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar}).
8214 @kindex X S (Summary)
8215 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save
8216 Unshars and saves the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save}).
8219 @kindex X v s (Summary)
8220 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view
8221 Unshars and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view}).
8224 @kindex X v S (Summary)
8225 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view
8226 Unshars, views and saves the current series
8227 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view}).
8231 @node PostScript Files
8232 @subsection PostScript Files
8238 @kindex X p (Summary)
8239 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript
8240 Unpack the current PostScript series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript}).
8243 @kindex X P (Summary)
8244 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save
8245 Unpack and save the current PostScript series
8246 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save}).
8249 @kindex X v p (Summary)
8250 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view
8251 View the current PostScript series
8252 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view}).
8255 @kindex X v P (Summary)
8256 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view
8257 View and save the current PostScript series
8258 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view}).
8263 @subsection Other Files
8267 @kindex X o (Summary)
8268 @findex gnus-uu-decode-save
8269 Save the current series
8270 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-save}).
8273 @kindex X b (Summary)
8274 @findex gnus-uu-decode-binhex
8275 Unbinhex the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-binhex}). This
8276 doesn't really work yet.
8279 @kindex X Y (Summary)
8280 @findex gnus-uu-decode-yenc
8281 yEnc-decode the current series and save it (@code{gnus-uu-decode-yenc}).
8285 @node Decoding Variables
8286 @subsection Decoding Variables
8288 Adjective, not verb.
8291 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
8292 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
8293 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
8297 @node Rule Variables
8298 @subsubsection Rule Variables
8299 @cindex rule variables
8301 Gnus uses @dfn{rule variables} to decide how to view a file. All these
8302 variables are of the form
8305 (list '(regexp1 command2)
8312 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules
8313 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules
8315 This variable is consulted first when viewing files. If you wish to use,
8316 for instance, @code{sox} to convert an @file{.au} sound file, you could
8319 (setq gnus-uu-user-view-rules
8320 (list '("\\\\.au$" "sox %s -t .aiff > /dev/audio")))
8323 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
8324 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
8325 This variable is consulted if Gnus couldn't make any matches from the
8326 user and default view rules.
8328 @item gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
8329 @vindex gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
8330 This variable can be used to say what commands should be used to unpack
8335 @node Other Decode Variables
8336 @subsubsection Other Decode Variables
8339 @vindex gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
8341 @item gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
8342 All functions in this list will be called right after each file has been
8343 successfully decoded---so that you can move or view files right away,
8344 and don't have to wait for all files to be decoded before you can do
8345 anything. Ready-made functions you can put in this list are:
8349 @item gnus-uu-grab-view
8350 @findex gnus-uu-grab-view
8353 @item gnus-uu-grab-move
8354 @findex gnus-uu-grab-move
8355 Move the file (if you're using a saving function.)
8358 @item gnus-uu-be-dangerous
8359 @vindex gnus-uu-be-dangerous
8360 Specifies what to do if unusual situations arise during decoding. If
8361 @code{nil}, be as conservative as possible. If @code{t}, ignore things
8362 that didn't work, and overwrite existing files. Otherwise, ask each
8365 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
8366 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
8367 Files with name matching this regular expression won't be viewed.
8369 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
8370 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
8371 Files with a @acronym{MIME} type matching this variable won't be viewed.
8372 Note that Gnus tries to guess what type the file is based on the name.
8373 @code{gnus-uu} is not a @acronym{MIME} package (yet), so this is slightly
8376 @item gnus-uu-tmp-dir
8377 @vindex gnus-uu-tmp-dir
8378 Where @code{gnus-uu} does its work.
8380 @item gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
8381 @vindex gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
8382 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} won't peek inside archives
8383 looking for files to display.
8385 @item gnus-uu-view-and-save
8386 @vindex gnus-uu-view-and-save
8387 Non-@code{nil} means that the user will always be asked to save a file
8390 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
8391 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
8392 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default viewing
8395 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
8396 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
8397 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default archive
8400 @item gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
8401 @vindex gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
8402 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will strip all carriage returns
8405 @item gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
8406 @vindex gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
8407 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will mark unsuccessfully
8408 decoded articles as unread.
8410 @item gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
8411 @vindex gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
8412 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will @emph{try} to fix
8413 uuencoded files that have had trailing spaces deleted.
8415 @item gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
8416 @vindex gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
8417 Hook run before sending a message to @code{uudecode}.
8419 @item gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
8420 @vindex gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
8422 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the viewing
8423 commands defined by the rule variables and just fudge a @acronym{MIME}
8424 content type based on the file name. The result will be fed to
8425 @code{metamail} for viewing.
8427 @item gnus-uu-save-in-digest
8428 @vindex gnus-uu-save-in-digest
8429 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu}, when asked to save without
8430 decoding, will save in digests. If this variable is @code{nil},
8431 @code{gnus-uu} will just save everything in a file without any
8432 embellishments. The digesting almost conforms to RFC 1153---no easy way
8433 to specify any meaningful volume and issue numbers were found, so I
8434 simply dropped them.
8439 @node Uuencoding and Posting
8440 @subsubsection Uuencoding and Posting
8444 @item gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
8445 @vindex gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
8446 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ask for a file to encode
8447 before you compose the article. If this variable is @code{t}, you can
8448 either include an encoded file with @kbd{C-c C-i} or have one included
8449 for you when you post the article.
8451 @item gnus-uu-post-length
8452 @vindex gnus-uu-post-length
8453 Maximum length of an article. The encoded file will be split into how
8454 many articles it takes to post the entire file.
8456 @item gnus-uu-post-threaded
8457 @vindex gnus-uu-post-threaded
8458 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will post the encoded file in a
8459 thread. This may not be smart, as no other decoder I have seen is able
8460 to follow threads when collecting uuencoded articles. (Well, I have
8461 seen one package that does that---@code{gnus-uu}, but somehow, I don't
8462 think that counts@dots{}) Default is @code{nil}.
8464 @item gnus-uu-post-separate-description
8465 @vindex gnus-uu-post-separate-description
8466 Non-@code{nil} means that the description will be posted in a separate
8467 article. The first article will typically be numbered (0/x). If this
8468 variable is @code{nil}, the description the user enters will be included
8469 at the beginning of the first article, which will be numbered (1/x).
8470 Default is @code{t}.
8476 @subsection Viewing Files
8477 @cindex viewing files
8478 @cindex pseudo-articles
8480 After decoding, if the file is some sort of archive, Gnus will attempt
8481 to unpack the archive and see if any of the files in the archive can be
8482 viewed. For instance, if you have a gzipped tar file @file{pics.tar.gz}
8483 containing the files @file{pic1.jpg} and @file{pic2.gif}, Gnus will
8484 uncompress and de-tar the main file, and then view the two pictures.
8485 This unpacking process is recursive, so if the archive contains archives
8486 of archives, it'll all be unpacked.
8488 Finally, Gnus will normally insert a @dfn{pseudo-article} for each
8489 extracted file into the summary buffer. If you go to these
8490 ``articles'', you will be prompted for a command to run (usually Gnus
8491 will make a suggestion), and then the command will be run.
8493 @vindex gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously
8494 If @code{gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously} is @code{nil}, Emacs will wait
8495 until the viewing is done before proceeding.
8497 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos
8498 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos} is @code{automatic}, Gnus will not insert
8499 the pseudo-articles into the summary buffer, but view them
8500 immediately. If this variable is @code{not-confirm}, the user won't even
8501 be asked for a confirmation before viewing is done.
8503 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos-separately
8504 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos-separately} is non-@code{nil}, one
8505 pseudo-article will be created for each file to be viewed. If
8506 @code{nil}, all files that use the same viewing command will be given as
8507 a list of parameters to that command.
8509 @vindex gnus-insert-pseudo-articles
8510 If @code{gnus-insert-pseudo-articles} is non-@code{nil}, insert
8511 pseudo-articles when decoding. It is @code{t} by default.
8513 So; there you are, reading your @emph{pseudo-articles} in your
8514 @emph{virtual newsgroup} from the @emph{virtual server}; and you think:
8515 Why isn't anything real anymore? How did we get here?
8518 @node Article Treatment
8519 @section Article Treatment
8521 Reading through this huge manual, you may have quite forgotten that the
8522 object of newsreaders is to actually, like, read what people have
8523 written. Reading articles. Unfortunately, people are quite bad at
8524 writing, so there are tons of functions and variables to make reading
8525 these articles easier.
8528 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
8529 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
8530 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
8531 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
8532 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
8533 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
8534 * Article Button Levels:: Controlling appearance of buttons.
8535 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
8536 * Article Display:: Display various stuff:
8537 X-Face, Picons, Gravatars, Smileys.
8538 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
8539 * Article Miscellanea:: Various other stuff.
8543 @node Article Highlighting
8544 @subsection Article Highlighting
8545 @cindex highlighting
8547 Not only do you want your article buffer to look like fruit salad, but
8548 you want it to look like technicolor fruit salad.
8553 @kindex W H a (Summary)
8554 @findex gnus-article-highlight
8555 @findex gnus-article-maybe-highlight
8556 Do much highlighting of the current article
8557 (@code{gnus-article-highlight}). This function highlights header, cited
8558 text, the signature, and adds buttons to the body and the head.
8561 @kindex W H h (Summary)
8562 @findex gnus-article-highlight-headers
8563 @vindex gnus-header-face-alist
8564 Highlight the headers (@code{gnus-article-highlight-headers}). The
8565 highlighting will be done according to the @code{gnus-header-face-alist}
8566 variable, which is a list where each element has the form
8567 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{name} @var{content})}.
8568 @var{regexp} is a regular expression for matching the
8569 header, @var{name} is the face used for highlighting the header name
8570 (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}) and @var{content} is the face for highlighting
8571 the header value. The first match made will be used. Note that
8572 @var{regexp} shouldn't have @samp{^} prepended---Gnus will add one.
8575 @kindex W H c (Summary)
8576 @findex gnus-article-highlight-citation
8577 Highlight cited text (@code{gnus-article-highlight-citation}).
8579 Some variables to customize the citation highlights:
8582 @vindex gnus-cite-parse-max-size
8584 @item gnus-cite-parse-max-size
8585 If the article size in bytes is bigger than this variable (which is
8586 25000 by default), no citation highlighting will be performed.
8588 @item gnus-cite-max-prefix
8589 @vindex gnus-cite-max-prefix
8590 Maximum possible length for a citation prefix (default 20).
8592 @item gnus-cite-face-list
8593 @vindex gnus-cite-face-list
8594 List of faces used for highlighting citations (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}).
8595 When there are citations from multiple articles in the same message,
8596 Gnus will try to give each citation from each article its own face.
8597 This should make it easier to see who wrote what.
8599 @item gnus-supercite-regexp
8600 @vindex gnus-supercite-regexp
8601 Regexp matching normal Supercite attribution lines.
8603 @item gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
8604 @vindex gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
8605 Regexp matching mangled Supercite attribution lines.
8607 @item gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
8608 @vindex gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
8609 Minimum number of identical prefixes we have to see before we believe
8610 that it's a citation.
8612 @item gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
8613 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
8614 Regexp matching the beginning of an attribution line.
8616 @item gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
8617 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
8618 Regexp matching the end of an attribution line.
8620 @item gnus-cite-attribution-face
8621 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-face
8622 Face used for attribution lines. It is merged with the face for the
8623 cited text belonging to the attribution.
8625 @item gnus-cite-ignore-quoted-from
8626 @vindex gnus-cite-ignore-quoted-from
8627 If non-@code{nil}, no citation highlighting will be performed on lines
8628 beginning with @samp{>From }. Those lines may have been quoted by MTAs
8629 in order not to mix up with the envelope From line. The default value
8636 @kindex W H s (Summary)
8637 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
8638 @vindex gnus-signature-face
8639 @findex gnus-article-highlight-signature
8640 Highlight the signature (@code{gnus-article-highlight-signature}).
8641 Everything after @code{gnus-signature-separator} (@pxref{Article
8642 Signature}) in an article will be considered a signature and will be
8643 highlighted with @code{gnus-signature-face}, which is @code{italic} by
8648 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to highlight articles automatically.
8651 @node Article Fontisizing
8652 @subsection Article Fontisizing
8654 @cindex article emphasis
8656 @findex gnus-article-emphasize
8657 @kindex W e (Summary)
8658 People commonly add emphasis to words in news articles by writing things
8659 like @samp{_this_} or @samp{*this*} or @samp{/this/}. Gnus can make
8660 this look nicer by running the article through the @kbd{W e}
8661 (@code{gnus-article-emphasize}) command.
8663 @vindex gnus-emphasis-alist
8664 How the emphasis is computed is controlled by the
8665 @code{gnus-emphasis-alist} variable. This is an alist where the first
8666 element is a regular expression to be matched. The second is a number
8667 that says what regular expression grouping is used to find the entire
8668 emphasized word. The third is a number that says what regexp grouping
8669 should be displayed and highlighted. (The text between these two
8670 groupings will be hidden.) The fourth is the face used for
8674 (setq gnus-emphasis-alist
8675 '(("_\\(\\w+\\)_" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-underline)
8676 ("\\*\\(\\w+\\)\\*" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-bold)))
8685 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline
8686 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold
8687 @vindex gnus-emphasis-italic
8688 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold
8689 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-italic
8690 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold-italic
8691 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic
8692 By default, there are seven rules, and they use the following faces:
8693 @code{gnus-emphasis-bold}, @code{gnus-emphasis-italic},
8694 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline}, @code{gnus-emphasis-bold-italic},
8695 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-italic},
8696 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold}, and
8697 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic}.
8699 If you want to change these faces, you can either use @kbd{M-x
8700 customize}, or you can use @code{copy-face}. For instance, if you want
8701 to make @code{gnus-emphasis-italic} use a red face instead, you could
8705 (copy-face 'red 'gnus-emphasis-italic)
8708 @vindex gnus-group-highlight-words-alist
8710 If you want to highlight arbitrary words, you can use the
8711 @code{gnus-group-highlight-words-alist} variable, which uses the same
8712 syntax as @code{gnus-emphasis-alist}. The @code{highlight-words} group
8713 parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) can also be used.
8715 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to fontize articles automatically.
8718 @node Article Hiding
8719 @subsection Article Hiding
8720 @cindex article hiding
8722 Or rather, hiding certain things in each article. There usually is much
8723 too much cruft in most articles.
8728 @kindex W W a (Summary)
8729 @findex gnus-article-hide
8730 Do quite a lot of hiding on the article buffer
8731 (@kbd{gnus-article-hide}). In particular, this function will hide
8732 headers, @acronym{PGP}, cited text and the signature.
8735 @kindex W W h (Summary)
8736 @findex gnus-article-hide-headers
8737 Hide headers (@code{gnus-article-hide-headers}). @xref{Hiding
8741 @kindex W W b (Summary)
8742 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
8743 Hide headers that aren't particularly interesting
8744 (@code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers}). @xref{Hiding Headers}.
8747 @kindex W W s (Summary)
8748 @findex gnus-article-hide-signature
8749 Hide signature (@code{gnus-article-hide-signature}). @xref{Article
8753 @kindex W W l (Summary)
8754 @findex gnus-article-hide-list-identifiers
8755 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
8756 Strip list identifiers specified in @code{gnus-list-identifiers}. These
8757 are strings some mailing list servers add to the beginning of all
8758 @code{Subject} headers---for example, @samp{[zebra 4711]}. Any leading
8759 @samp{Re: } is skipped before stripping. @code{gnus-list-identifiers}
8760 may not contain @code{\\(..\\)}.
8764 @item gnus-list-identifiers
8765 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
8766 A regular expression that matches list identifiers to be removed from
8767 subject. This can also be a list of regular expressions.
8772 @kindex W W P (Summary)
8773 @findex gnus-article-hide-pem
8774 Hide @acronym{PEM} (privacy enhanced messages) cruft
8775 (@code{gnus-article-hide-pem}).
8778 @kindex W W B (Summary)
8779 @findex gnus-article-strip-banner
8780 @vindex gnus-article-banner-alist
8781 @vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8784 @cindex stripping advertisements
8785 @cindex advertisements
8786 Strip the banner specified by the @code{banner} group parameter
8787 (@code{gnus-article-strip-banner}). This is mainly used to hide those
8788 annoying banners and/or signatures that some mailing lists and moderated
8789 groups adds to all the messages. The way to use this function is to add
8790 the @code{banner} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to the
8791 group you want banners stripped from. The parameter either be a string,
8792 which will be interpreted as a regular expression matching text to be
8793 removed, or the symbol @code{signature}, meaning that the (last)
8794 signature should be removed, or other symbol, meaning that the
8795 corresponding regular expression in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist} is
8801 (setq gnus-article-banner-alist
8803 "^\n*--~--~---------\\(.+\n\\)+")))
8806 Regardless of a group, you can hide things like advertisements only when
8807 the sender of an article has a certain mail address specified in
8808 @code{gnus-article-address-banner-alist}.
8812 @item gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8813 @vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8814 Alist of mail addresses and banners. Each element has the form
8815 @code{(@var{address} . @var{banner})}, where @var{address} is a regexp
8816 matching a mail address in the From header, @var{banner} is one of a
8817 symbol @code{signature}, an item in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist},
8818 a regexp and @code{nil}. If @var{address} matches author's mail
8819 address, it will remove things like advertisements. For example, if a
8820 sender has the mail address @samp{hail@@yoo-hoo.co.jp} and there is a
8821 banner something like @samp{Do You Yoo-hoo!?} in all articles he
8822 sends, you can use the following element to remove them:
8825 ("@@yoo-hoo\\.co\\.jp\\'" .
8826 "\n_+\nDo You Yoo-hoo!\\?\n.*\n.*\n")
8832 @kindex W W c (Summary)
8833 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation
8834 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation}). Some variables for
8835 customizing the hiding:
8839 @item gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
8840 @itemx gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
8841 @vindex gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
8842 @vindex gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
8843 Gnus adds buttons to show where the cited text has been hidden, and to
8844 allow toggle hiding the text. The format of the variable is specified
8845 by these format-like variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). These
8850 Starting point of the hidden text.
8852 Ending point of the hidden text.
8854 Number of characters in the hidden region.
8856 Number of lines of hidden text.
8859 @item gnus-cited-lines-visible
8860 @vindex gnus-cited-lines-visible
8861 The number of lines at the beginning of the cited text to leave
8862 shown. This can also be a cons cell with the number of lines at the top
8863 and bottom of the text, respectively, to remain visible.
8868 @kindex W W C-c (Summary)
8869 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe
8871 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe}) depending on the
8872 following two variables:
8875 @item gnus-cite-hide-percentage
8876 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-percentage
8877 If the cited text is of a bigger percentage than this variable (default
8878 50), hide the cited text.
8880 @item gnus-cite-hide-absolute
8881 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-absolute
8882 The cited text must have at least this length (default 10) before it
8887 @kindex W W C (Summary)
8888 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups
8889 Hide cited text in articles that aren't roots
8890 (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups}). This isn't very
8891 useful as an interactive command, but might be a handy function to stick
8892 have happen automatically (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
8896 All these ``hiding'' commands are toggles, but if you give a negative
8897 prefix to these commands, they will show what they have previously
8898 hidden. If you give a positive prefix, they will always hide.
8900 Also @pxref{Article Highlighting} for further variables for
8901 citation customization.
8903 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to hide article elements
8907 @node Article Washing
8908 @subsection Article Washing
8910 @cindex article washing
8912 We call this ``article washing'' for a really good reason. Namely, the
8913 @kbd{A} key was taken, so we had to use the @kbd{W} key instead.
8915 @dfn{Washing} is defined by us as ``changing something from something to
8916 something else'', but normally results in something looking better.
8919 @xref{Customizing Articles}, if you want to change how Gnus displays
8920 articles by default.
8925 This is not really washing, it's sort of the opposite of washing. If
8926 you type this, you see the article exactly as it exists on disk or on
8930 Force redisplaying of the current article
8931 (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). This is also not really washing.
8932 If you type this, you see the article without any previously applied
8933 interactive Washing functions but with all default treatments
8934 (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
8937 @kindex W l (Summary)
8938 @findex gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking
8939 Remove page breaks from the current article
8940 (@code{gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking}). @xref{Misc Article}, for page
8944 @kindex W r (Summary)
8945 @findex gnus-summary-caesar-message
8946 @c @icon{gnus-summary-caesar-message}
8947 Do a Caesar rotate (rot13) on the article buffer
8948 (@code{gnus-summary-caesar-message}).
8949 Unreadable articles that tell you to read them with Caesar rotate or rot13.
8950 (Typically offensive jokes and such.)
8952 It's commonly called ``rot13'' because each letter is rotated 13
8953 positions in the alphabet, e.g., @samp{B} (letter #2) -> @samp{O} (letter
8954 #15). It is sometimes referred to as ``Caesar rotate'' because Caesar
8955 is rumored to have employed this form of, uh, somewhat weak encryption.
8958 @kindex W m (Summary)
8959 @findex gnus-summary-morse-message
8960 Morse decode the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-morse-message}).
8963 @kindex W i (Summary)
8964 @findex gnus-summary-idna-message
8965 Decode IDNA encoded domain names in the current articles. IDNA
8966 encoded domain names looks like @samp{xn--bar}. If a string remain
8967 unencoded after running invoking this, it is likely an invalid IDNA
8968 string (@samp{xn--bar} is invalid). You must have GNU Libidn
8969 (@url{http://www.gnu.org/software/libidn/}) installed for this command
8974 @kindex W t (Summary)
8976 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-header
8977 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer
8978 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-header}).
8981 @kindex W v (Summary)
8982 @findex gnus-summary-verbose-headers
8983 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer permanently
8984 (@code{gnus-summary-verbose-headers}).
8987 @kindex W o (Summary)
8988 @findex gnus-article-treat-overstrike
8989 Treat overstrike (@code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}).
8992 @kindex W d (Summary)
8993 @findex gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes
8994 @vindex gnus-article-dumbquotes-map
8996 @cindex M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s
8998 Treat M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s according to
8999 @code{gnus-article-dumbquotes-map}
9000 (@code{gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes}). Note that this function guesses
9001 whether a character is a sm*rtq**t* or not, so it should only be used
9004 Sm*rtq**t*s are M****s***'s unilateral extension to the character map in
9005 an attempt to provide more quoting characters. If you see something
9006 like @code{\222} or @code{\264} where you're expecting some kind of
9007 apostrophe or quotation mark, then try this wash.
9010 @kindex W U (Summary)
9011 @findex gnus-article-treat-non-ascii
9013 @cindex Non-@acronym{ASCII}
9014 Translate many non-@acronym{ASCII} characters into their
9015 @acronym{ASCII} equivalents (@code{gnus-article-treat-non-ascii}).
9016 This is mostly useful if you're on a terminal that has a limited font
9017 and doesn't show accented characters, ``advanced'' punctuation, and the
9018 like. For instance, @samp{»} is translated into @samp{>>}, and so on.
9021 @kindex W Y f (Summary)
9022 @findex gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article
9023 @cindex Outlook Express
9024 Full deuglify of broken Outlook (Express) articles: Treat dumbquotes,
9025 unwrap lines, repair attribution and rearrange citation.
9026 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article}).
9029 @kindex W Y u (Summary)
9030 @findex gnus-article-outlook-unwrap-lines
9031 @vindex gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-min
9032 @vindex gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-max
9033 Unwrap lines that appear to be wrapped citation lines. You can control
9034 what lines will be unwrapped by frobbing
9035 @code{gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-min} and
9036 @code{gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-max}, indicating the minimum and
9037 maximum length of an unwrapped citation line.
9038 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-unwrap-lines}).
9041 @kindex W Y a (Summary)
9042 @findex gnus-article-outlook-repair-attribution
9043 Repair a broken attribution line.@*
9044 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-repair-attribution}).
9047 @kindex W Y c (Summary)
9048 @findex gnus-article-outlook-rearrange-citation
9049 Repair broken citations by rearranging the text.
9050 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-rearrange-citation}).
9053 @kindex W w (Summary)
9054 @findex gnus-article-fill-cited-article
9055 Do word wrap (@code{gnus-article-fill-cited-article}).
9057 You can give the command a numerical prefix to specify the width to use
9061 @kindex W Q (Summary)
9062 @findex gnus-article-fill-long-lines
9063 Fill long lines (@code{gnus-article-fill-long-lines}).
9066 @kindex W C (Summary)
9067 @findex gnus-article-capitalize-sentences
9068 Capitalize the first word in each sentence
9069 (@code{gnus-article-capitalize-sentences}).
9072 @kindex W c (Summary)
9073 @findex gnus-article-remove-cr
9074 Translate CRLF pairs (i.e., @samp{^M}s on the end of the lines) into LF
9075 (this takes care of DOS line endings), and then translate any remaining
9076 CRs into LF (this takes care of Mac line endings)
9077 (@code{gnus-article-remove-cr}).
9080 @kindex W q (Summary)
9081 @findex gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable
9082 Treat quoted-printable (@code{gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable}).
9083 Quoted-Printable is one common @acronym{MIME} encoding employed when
9084 sending non-@acronym{ASCII} (i.e., 8-bit) articles. It typically
9085 makes strings like @samp{d@'ej@`a vu} look like @samp{d=E9j=E0 vu},
9086 which doesn't look very readable to me. Note that this is usually
9087 done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
9088 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding
9089 has been done. If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
9092 @kindex W 6 (Summary)
9093 @findex gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable
9094 Treat base64 (@code{gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable}). Base64 is
9095 one common @acronym{MIME} encoding employed when sending
9096 non-@acronym{ASCII} (i.e., 8-bit) articles. Note that this is
9097 usually done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
9098 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding
9099 has been done. If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
9102 @kindex W Z (Summary)
9103 @findex gnus-article-decode-HZ
9104 Treat HZ or HZP (@code{gnus-article-decode-HZ}). HZ (or HZP) is one
9105 common encoding employed when sending Chinese articles. It typically
9106 makes strings look like @samp{~@{<:Ky2;S@{#,NpJ)l6HK!#~@}}.
9109 @kindex W A (Summary)
9110 @findex gnus-article-treat-ansi-sequences
9111 @cindex @acronym{ANSI} control sequences
9112 Translate @acronym{ANSI} SGR control sequences into overlays or
9113 extents (@code{gnus-article-treat-ansi-sequences}). @acronym{ANSI}
9114 sequences are used in some Chinese hierarchies for highlighting.
9117 @kindex W u (Summary)
9118 @findex gnus-article-unsplit-urls
9119 Remove newlines from within URLs. Some mailers insert newlines into
9120 outgoing email messages to keep lines short. This reformatting can
9121 split long URLs onto multiple lines. Repair those URLs by removing
9122 the newlines (@code{gnus-article-unsplit-urls}).
9125 @kindex W h (Summary)
9126 @findex gnus-article-wash-html
9127 Treat @acronym{HTML} (@code{gnus-article-wash-html}). Note that this is
9128 usually done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
9129 @code{Content-Type} header that says that the message is @acronym{HTML}.
9131 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for. If it is a number,
9132 the charset defined in @code{gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist}
9133 (@pxref{Paging the Article}) will be used.
9135 The default is to use the function specified by
9136 @code{mm-text-html-renderer} (@pxref{Display Customization, ,Display
9137 Customization, emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME Manual}) to convert the
9138 @acronym{HTML}. Pre-defined functions you can use include:
9142 Use Gnus simple html renderer.
9145 Use Gnus rendered based on w3m.
9148 Use @uref{http://emacs-w3m.namazu.org/, emacs-w3m}.
9150 @item w3m-standalone
9151 Use @uref{http://w3m.sourceforge.net/, w3m}.
9154 Use @uref{http://links.sf.net/, Links}.
9157 Use @uref{http://lynx.isc.org/, Lynx}.
9160 Use html2text---a simple @acronym{HTML} converter included with Gnus.
9165 @kindex W b (Summary)
9166 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons
9167 Add clickable buttons to the article (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons}).
9168 @xref{Article Buttons}.
9171 @kindex W B (Summary)
9172 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head
9173 Add clickable buttons to the article headers
9174 (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head}).
9177 @kindex W p (Summary)
9178 @findex gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig
9179 Verify a signed control message
9180 (@code{gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig}). Control messages such as
9181 @code{newgroup} and @code{checkgroups} are usually signed by the
9182 hierarchy maintainer. You need to add the @acronym{PGP} public key of
9183 the maintainer to your keyring to verify the
9184 message.@footnote{@acronym{PGP} keys for many hierarchies are
9185 available at @uref{ftp://ftp.isc.org/pub/pgpcontrol/README.html}}
9188 @kindex W s (Summary)
9189 @findex gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt
9190 Verify a signed (@acronym{PGP}, @acronym{PGP/MIME} or
9191 @acronym{S/MIME}) message
9192 (@code{gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt}). @xref{Security}.
9195 @kindex W a (Summary)
9196 @findex gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body
9197 Strip headers like the @code{X-No-Archive} header from the beginning of
9198 article bodies (@code{gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body}).
9201 @kindex W E l (Summary)
9202 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines
9203 Remove all blank lines from the beginning of the article
9204 (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines}).
9207 @kindex W E m (Summary)
9208 @findex gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines
9209 Replace all blank lines with empty lines and then all multiple empty
9210 lines with a single empty line.
9211 (@code{gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines}).
9214 @kindex W E t (Summary)
9215 @findex gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines
9216 Remove all blank lines at the end of the article
9217 (@code{gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines}).
9220 @kindex W E a (Summary)
9221 @findex gnus-article-strip-blank-lines
9222 Do all the three commands above
9223 (@code{gnus-article-strip-blank-lines}).
9226 @kindex W E A (Summary)
9227 @findex gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines
9228 Remove all blank lines
9229 (@code{gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines}).
9232 @kindex W E s (Summary)
9233 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-space
9234 Remove all white space from the beginning of all lines of the article
9235 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-space}).
9238 @kindex W E e (Summary)
9239 @findex gnus-article-strip-trailing-space
9240 Remove all white space from the end of all lines of the article
9241 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-trailing-space}).
9245 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to wash articles automatically.
9248 @node Article Header
9249 @subsection Article Header
9251 These commands perform various transformations of article header.
9256 @kindex W G u (Summary)
9257 @findex gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers
9258 Unfold folded header lines (@code{gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers}).
9261 @kindex W G n (Summary)
9262 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups
9263 Fold the @code{Newsgroups} and @code{Followup-To} headers
9264 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups}).
9267 @kindex W G f (Summary)
9268 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-headers
9269 Fold all the message headers
9270 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-headers}).
9273 @kindex W E w (Summary)
9274 @findex gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace
9275 Remove excessive whitespace from all headers
9276 (@code{gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace}).
9281 @node Article Buttons
9282 @subsection Article Buttons
9285 People often include references to other stuff in articles, and it would
9286 be nice if Gnus could just fetch whatever it is that people talk about
9287 with the minimum of fuzz when you hit @kbd{RET} or use the middle mouse
9288 button on these references.
9290 @vindex gnus-button-man-handler
9291 Gnus adds @dfn{buttons} to certain standard references by default:
9292 Well-formed URLs, mail addresses, Message-IDs, Info links, man pages and
9293 Emacs or Gnus related references. This is controlled by two variables,
9294 one that handles article bodies and one that handles article heads:
9298 @item gnus-button-alist
9299 @vindex gnus-button-alist
9300 This is an alist where each entry has this form:
9303 (@var{regexp} @var{button-par} @var{use-p} @var{function} @var{data-par})
9309 All text that match this regular expression (case insensitive) will be
9310 considered an external reference. Here's a typical regexp that matches
9311 embedded URLs: @samp{<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>}. This can also be a
9312 variable containing a regexp, useful variables to use include
9313 @code{gnus-button-url-regexp} and @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp}.
9316 Gnus has to know which parts of the matches is to be highlighted. This
9317 is a number that says what sub-expression of the regexp is to be
9318 highlighted. If you want it all highlighted, you use 0 here.
9321 This form will be @code{eval}ed, and if the result is non-@code{nil},
9322 this is considered a match. This is useful if you want extra sifting to
9323 avoid false matches. Often variables named
9324 @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} are used here, @xref{Article Button
9325 Levels}, but any other form may be used too.
9327 @c @code{use-p} is @code{eval}ed only if @code{regexp} matches.
9330 This function will be called when you click on this button.
9333 As with @var{button-par}, this is a sub-expression number, but this one
9334 says which part of the match is to be sent as data to @var{function}.
9338 So the full entry for buttonizing URLs is then
9341 ("<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>" 0 t gnus-button-url 1)
9344 @item gnus-header-button-alist
9345 @vindex gnus-header-button-alist
9346 This is just like the other alist, except that it is applied to the
9347 article head only, and that each entry has an additional element that is
9348 used to say what headers to apply the buttonize coding to:
9351 (@var{header} @var{regexp} @var{button-par} @var{use-p} @var{function} @var{data-par})
9354 @var{header} is a regular expression.
9357 @subsubsection Related variables and functions
9360 @item gnus-button-@var{*}-level
9361 @xref{Article Button Levels}.
9363 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-browse-level
9365 @item gnus-button-url-regexp
9366 @vindex gnus-button-url-regexp
9367 A regular expression that matches embedded URLs. It is used in the
9368 default values of the variables above.
9370 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-man-level
9372 @item gnus-button-man-handler
9373 @vindex gnus-button-man-handler
9374 The function to use for displaying man pages. It must take at least one
9375 argument with a string naming the man page.
9377 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-message-level
9379 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp
9380 @vindex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp
9381 Regular expression that matches a message ID or a mail address.
9383 @item gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail
9384 @vindex gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail
9385 This variable determines what to do when the button on a string as
9386 @samp{foo123@@bar.invalid} is pushed. Strings like this can be either a
9387 message ID or a mail address. If it is one of the symbols @code{mid} or
9388 @code{mail}, Gnus will always assume that the string is a message ID or
9389 a mail address, respectively. If this variable is set to the symbol
9390 @code{ask}, always query the user what to do. If it is a function, this
9391 function will be called with the string as its only argument. The
9392 function must return @code{mid}, @code{mail}, @code{invalid} or
9393 @code{ask}. The default value is the function
9394 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}.
9396 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic
9397 @findex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic
9398 Function that guesses whether its argument is a message ID or a mail
9399 address. Returns @code{mid} if it's a message IDs, @code{mail} if
9400 it's a mail address, @code{ask} if unsure and @code{invalid} if the
9403 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist
9404 @vindex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist
9405 An alist of @code{(RATE . REGEXP)} pairs used by the function
9406 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}.
9410 @item gnus-article-button-face
9411 @vindex gnus-article-button-face
9412 Face used on buttons.
9414 @item gnus-article-mouse-face
9415 @vindex gnus-article-mouse-face
9416 Face used when the mouse cursor is over a button.
9420 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to buttonize articles automatically.
9423 @node Article Button Levels
9424 @subsection Article button levels
9425 @cindex button levels
9426 The higher the value of the variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level},
9427 the more buttons will appear. If the level is zero, no corresponding
9428 buttons are displayed. With the default value (which is 5) you should
9429 already see quite a lot of buttons. With higher levels, you will see
9430 more buttons, but you may also get more false positives. To avoid them,
9431 you can set the variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} local to
9432 specific groups (@pxref{Group Parameters}). Here's an example for the
9433 variable @code{gnus-parameters}:
9436 ;; @r{increase @code{gnus-button-*-level} in some groups:}
9437 (setq gnus-parameters
9438 '(("\\<\\(emacs\\|gnus\\)\\>" (gnus-button-emacs-level 10))
9439 ("\\<unix\\>" (gnus-button-man-level 10))
9440 ("\\<tex\\>" (gnus-button-tex-level 10))))
9445 @item gnus-button-browse-level
9446 @vindex gnus-button-browse-level
9447 Controls the display of references to message IDs, mail addresses and
9448 news URLs. Related variables and functions include
9449 @code{gnus-button-url-regexp}, @code{browse-url}, and
9450 @code{browse-url-browser-function}.
9452 @item gnus-button-emacs-level
9453 @vindex gnus-button-emacs-level
9454 Controls the display of Emacs or Gnus references. Related functions are
9455 @code{gnus-button-handle-custom},
9456 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-function},
9457 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-variable},
9458 @code{gnus-button-handle-symbol},
9459 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-key},
9460 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos},
9461 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-command},
9462 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-variable},
9463 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-documentation}, and
9464 @code{gnus-button-handle-library}.
9466 @item gnus-button-man-level
9467 @vindex gnus-button-man-level
9468 Controls the display of references to (Unix) man pages.
9469 See @code{gnus-button-man-handler}.
9471 @item gnus-button-message-level
9472 @vindex gnus-button-message-level
9473 Controls the display of message IDs, mail addresses and news URLs.
9474 Related variables and functions include
9475 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp},
9476 @code{gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail},
9477 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}, and
9478 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist}.
9484 @subsection Article Date
9486 The date is most likely generated in some obscure timezone you've never
9487 heard of, so it's quite nice to be able to find out what the time was
9488 when the article was sent.
9493 @kindex W T u (Summary)
9494 @findex gnus-article-date-ut
9495 Display the date in UT (aka. GMT, aka ZULU)
9496 (@code{gnus-article-date-ut}).
9499 @kindex W T i (Summary)
9500 @findex gnus-article-date-iso8601
9502 Display the date in international format, aka. ISO 8601
9503 (@code{gnus-article-date-iso8601}).
9506 @kindex W T l (Summary)
9507 @findex gnus-article-date-local
9508 Display the date in the local timezone (@code{gnus-article-date-local}).
9511 @kindex W T p (Summary)
9512 @findex gnus-article-date-english
9513 Display the date in a format that's easily pronounceable in English
9514 (@code{gnus-article-date-english}).
9517 @kindex W T s (Summary)
9518 @vindex gnus-article-time-format
9519 @findex gnus-article-date-user
9520 @findex format-time-string
9521 Display the date using a user-defined format
9522 (@code{gnus-article-date-user}). The format is specified by the
9523 @code{gnus-article-time-format} variable, and is a string that's passed
9524 to @code{format-time-string}. See the documentation of that variable
9525 for a list of possible format specs.
9528 @kindex W T e (Summary)
9529 @findex gnus-article-date-lapsed
9530 @findex gnus-start-date-timer
9531 @findex gnus-stop-date-timer
9532 Say how much time has elapsed between the article was posted and now
9533 (@code{gnus-article-date-lapsed}). It looks something like:
9536 Date: 6 weeks, 4 days, 1 hour, 3 minutes, 8 seconds ago
9539 To make this line updated continually, set the
9540 @code{gnus-article-update-date-headers} variable to the frequency in
9541 seconds (the default is @code{nil}).
9544 @kindex W T o (Summary)
9545 @findex gnus-article-date-original
9546 Display the original date (@code{gnus-article-date-original}). This can
9547 be useful if you normally use some other conversion function and are
9548 worried that it might be doing something totally wrong. Say, claiming
9549 that the article was posted in 1854. Although something like that is
9550 @emph{totally} impossible. Don't you trust me? *titter*
9554 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to display the date in your
9555 preferred format automatically.
9558 @node Article Display
9559 @subsection Article Display
9565 These commands add various frivolous display gimmicks to the article
9566 buffer in Emacs versions that support them.
9568 @code{X-Face} headers are small black-and-white images supplied by the
9569 message headers (@pxref{X-Face}).
9571 @code{Face} headers are small colored images supplied by the message
9572 headers (@pxref{Face}).
9574 Smileys are those little @samp{:-)} symbols that people like to litter
9575 their messages with (@pxref{Smileys}).
9577 Picons, on the other hand, reside on your own system, and Gnus will
9578 try to match the headers to what you have (@pxref{Picons}).
9580 Gravatars reside on-line and are fetched from
9581 @uref{http://www.gravatar.com/} (@pxref{Gravatars}).
9583 All these functions are toggles---if the elements already exist,
9588 @kindex W D x (Summary)
9589 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
9590 Display an @code{X-Face} in the @code{From} header.
9591 (@code{gnus-article-display-x-face}).
9594 @kindex W D d (Summary)
9595 @findex gnus-article-display-face
9596 Display a @code{Face} in the @code{From} header.
9597 (@code{gnus-article-display-face}).
9600 @kindex W D s (Summary)
9601 @findex gnus-treat-smiley
9602 Display smileys (@code{gnus-treat-smiley}).
9605 @kindex W D f (Summary)
9606 @findex gnus-treat-from-picon
9607 Piconify the @code{From} header (@code{gnus-treat-from-picon}).
9610 @kindex W D m (Summary)
9611 @findex gnus-treat-mail-picon
9612 Piconify all mail headers (i.e., @code{Cc}, @code{To})
9613 (@code{gnus-treat-mail-picon}).
9616 @kindex W D n (Summary)
9617 @findex gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon
9618 Piconify all news headers (i.e., @code{Newsgroups} and
9619 @code{Followup-To}) (@code{gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon}).
9622 @kindex W D g (Summary)
9623 @findex gnus-treat-from-gravatar
9624 Gravatarify the @code{From} header (@code{gnus-treat-from-gravatar}).
9627 @kindex W D h (Summary)
9628 @findex gnus-treat-mail-gravatar
9629 Gravatarify all mail headers (i.e., @code{Cc}, @code{To})
9630 (@code{gnus-treat-from-gravatar}).
9633 @kindex W D D (Summary)
9634 @findex gnus-article-remove-images
9635 Remove all images from the article buffer
9636 (@code{gnus-article-remove-images}).
9639 @kindex W D W (Summary)
9640 @findex gnus-html-show-images
9641 If you're reading an @acronym{HTML} article rendered with
9642 @code{gnus-article-html}, then you can insert any blocked images in
9643 the buffer with this command.
9644 (@code{gnus-html-show-images}).
9650 @node Article Signature
9651 @subsection Article Signature
9653 @cindex article signature
9655 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
9656 Each article is divided into two parts---the head and the body. The
9657 body can be divided into a signature part and a text part. The variable
9658 that says what is to be considered a signature is
9659 @code{gnus-signature-separator}. This is normally the standard
9660 @samp{^-- $} as mandated by son-of-RFC 1036. However, many people use
9661 non-standard signature separators, so this variable can also be a list
9662 of regular expressions to be tested, one by one. (Searches are done
9663 from the end of the body towards the beginning.) One likely value is:
9666 (setq gnus-signature-separator
9667 '("^-- $" ; @r{The standard}
9668 "^-- *$" ; @r{A common mangling}
9669 "^-------*$" ; @r{Many people just use a looong}
9670 ; @r{line of dashes. Shame!}
9671 "^ *--------*$" ; @r{Double-shame!}
9672 "^________*$" ; @r{Underscores are also popular}
9673 "^========*$")) ; @r{Pervert!}
9676 The more permissive you are, the more likely it is that you'll get false
9679 @vindex gnus-signature-limit
9680 @code{gnus-signature-limit} provides a limit to what is considered a
9681 signature when displaying articles.
9685 If it is an integer, no signature may be longer (in characters) than
9688 If it is a floating point number, no signature may be longer (in lines)
9691 If it is a function, the function will be called without any parameters,
9692 and if it returns @code{nil}, there is no signature in the buffer.
9694 If it is a string, it will be used as a regexp. If it matches, the text
9695 in question is not a signature.
9698 This variable can also be a list where the elements may be of the types
9699 listed above. Here's an example:
9702 (setq gnus-signature-limit
9703 '(200.0 "^---*Forwarded article"))
9706 This means that if there are more than 200 lines after the signature
9707 separator, or the text after the signature separator is matched by
9708 the regular expression @samp{^---*Forwarded article}, then it isn't a
9709 signature after all.
9712 @node Article Miscellanea
9713 @subsection Article Miscellanea
9717 @kindex A t (Summary)
9718 @findex gnus-article-babel
9719 Translate the article from one language to another
9720 (@code{gnus-article-babel}).
9726 @section MIME Commands
9727 @cindex MIME decoding
9729 @cindex viewing attachments
9731 The following commands all understand the numerical prefix. For
9732 instance, @kbd{3 K v} means ``view the third @acronym{MIME} part''.
9738 @kindex K v (Summary)
9739 View the @acronym{MIME} part.
9742 @kindex K o (Summary)
9743 Save the @acronym{MIME} part.
9746 @kindex K O (Summary)
9747 Prompt for a file name, then save the @acronym{MIME} part and strip it
9748 from the article. The stripped @acronym{MIME} object will be referred
9749 via the message/external-body @acronym{MIME} type.
9752 @kindex K r (Summary)
9753 Replace the @acronym{MIME} part with an external body.
9756 @kindex K d (Summary)
9757 Delete the @acronym{MIME} part and add some information about the
9761 @kindex K c (Summary)
9762 Copy the @acronym{MIME} part.
9765 @kindex K e (Summary)
9766 View the @acronym{MIME} part externally.
9769 @kindex K i (Summary)
9770 View the @acronym{MIME} part internally.
9773 @kindex K | (Summary)
9774 Pipe the @acronym{MIME} part to an external command.
9777 The rest of these @acronym{MIME} commands do not use the numerical prefix in
9782 @kindex K H (Summary)
9783 @findex gnus-article-browse-html-article
9784 View @samp{text/html} parts of the current article with a WWW browser.
9785 Inline images embedded in a message using the @code{cid} scheme, as they
9786 are generally considered to be safe, will be processed properly. The
9787 message header is added to the beginning of every @acronym{HTML} part
9788 unless the prefix argument is given.
9790 Warning: Spammers use links to images (using the @code{http} scheme) in
9791 @acronym{HTML} articles to verify whether you have read the message. As
9792 this command passes the @acronym{HTML} content to the browser without
9793 eliminating these ``web bugs'' you should only use it for mails from
9796 If you always want to display @acronym{HTML} parts in the browser, set
9797 @code{mm-text-html-renderer} to @code{nil}.
9799 This command creates temporary files to pass @acronym{HTML} contents
9800 including images if any to the browser, and deletes them when exiting
9801 the group (if you want).
9804 @kindex K b (Summary)
9805 Make all the @acronym{MIME} parts have buttons in front of them. This is
9806 mostly useful if you wish to save (or perform other actions) on inlined
9810 @kindex W M h (Summary)
9811 @findex gnus-mime-buttonize-attachments-in-header
9812 @vindex gnus-mime-display-attachment-buttons-in-header
9813 Display @acronym{MIME} part buttons in the end of the header of an
9814 article (@code{gnus-mime-buttonize-attachments-in-header}). This
9815 command toggles the display. Note that buttons to be added to the
9816 header are only the ones that aren't inlined in the body. If you want
9817 those buttons always to be displayed, set
9818 @code{gnus-mime-display-attachment-buttons-in-header} to non-@code{nil}.
9819 The default is @code{t}. To change the appearance of buttons, customize
9820 @code{gnus-header-face-alist}.
9823 @kindex K m (Summary)
9824 @findex gnus-summary-repair-multipart
9825 Some multipart messages are transmitted with missing or faulty headers.
9826 This command will attempt to ``repair'' these messages so that they can
9827 be viewed in a more pleasant manner
9828 (@code{gnus-summary-repair-multipart}).
9831 @kindex X m (Summary)
9832 @findex gnus-summary-save-parts
9833 Save all parts matching a @acronym{MIME} type to a directory
9834 (@code{gnus-summary-save-parts}). Understands the process/prefix
9835 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
9838 @kindex M-t (Summary)
9839 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized
9840 Toggle the buttonized display of the article buffer
9841 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized}).
9844 @kindex W M w (Summary)
9845 @findex gnus-article-decode-mime-words
9846 Decode RFC 2047-encoded words in the article headers
9847 (@code{gnus-article-decode-mime-words}).
9850 @kindex W M c (Summary)
9851 @findex gnus-article-decode-charset
9852 Decode encoded article bodies as well as charsets
9853 (@code{gnus-article-decode-charset}).
9855 This command looks in the @code{Content-Type} header to determine the
9856 charset. If there is no such header in the article, you can give it a
9857 prefix, which will prompt for the charset to decode as. In regional
9858 groups where people post using some common encoding (but do not
9859 include @acronym{MIME} headers), you can set the @code{charset} group/topic
9860 parameter to the required charset (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
9863 @kindex W M v (Summary)
9864 @findex gnus-mime-view-all-parts
9865 View all the @acronym{MIME} parts in the current article
9866 (@code{gnus-mime-view-all-parts}).
9873 @item gnus-ignored-mime-types
9874 @vindex gnus-ignored-mime-types
9875 This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
9876 this list will be completely ignored by Gnus. The default value is
9879 To have all Vcards be ignored, you'd say something like this:
9882 (setq gnus-ignored-mime-types
9886 @item gnus-article-loose-mime
9887 @vindex gnus-article-loose-mime
9888 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus won't require the @samp{MIME-Version} header
9889 before interpreting the message as a @acronym{MIME} message. This helps
9890 when reading messages from certain broken mail user agents. The
9891 default is @code{t}.
9893 @item gnus-article-emulate-mime
9894 @vindex gnus-article-emulate-mime
9897 There are other, non-@acronym{MIME} encoding methods used. The most common
9898 is @samp{uuencode}, but yEncode is also getting to be popular. If
9899 this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will look in message bodies to
9900 see if it finds these encodings, and if so, it'll run them through the
9901 Gnus @acronym{MIME} machinery. The default is @code{t}. Only
9902 single-part yEnc encoded attachments can be decoded. There's no support
9903 for encoding in Gnus.
9905 @item gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
9906 @vindex gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
9907 This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
9908 this list won't have @acronym{MIME} buttons inserted unless they aren't
9909 displayed or this variable is overridden by
9910 @code{gnus-buttonized-mime-types}. The default value is
9911 @code{(".*/.*")}. This variable is only used when
9912 @code{gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing} is @code{nil}.
9914 @item gnus-buttonized-mime-types
9915 @vindex gnus-buttonized-mime-types
9916 This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
9917 this list will have @acronym{MIME} buttons inserted unless they aren't
9918 displayed. This variable overrides
9919 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types}. The default value is @code{nil}.
9920 This variable is only used when @code{gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing}
9923 E.g., to see security buttons but no other buttons, you could set this
9924 variable to @code{("multipart/signed")} and leave
9925 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types} at the default value.
9927 You could also add @code{"multipart/alternative"} to this list to
9928 display radio buttons that allow you to choose one of two media types
9929 those mails include. See also @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives}
9930 (@pxref{Display Customization, ,Display Customization, emacs-mime, The
9931 Emacs MIME Manual}).
9933 @item gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
9934 @vindex gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
9935 If this is non-@code{nil}, then all @acronym{MIME} parts get buttons. The
9936 default value is @code{nil}.
9938 @item gnus-article-mime-part-function
9939 @vindex gnus-article-mime-part-function
9940 For each @acronym{MIME} part, this function will be called with the @acronym{MIME}
9941 handle as the parameter. The function is meant to be used to allow
9942 users to gather information from the article (e.g., add Vcard info to
9943 the bbdb database) or to do actions based on parts (e.g., automatically
9944 save all jpegs into some directory).
9946 Here's an example function the does the latter:
9949 (defun my-save-all-jpeg-parts (handle)
9950 (when (equal (car (mm-handle-type handle)) "image/jpeg")
9952 (insert (mm-get-part handle))
9953 (write-region (point-min) (point-max)
9954 (read-file-name "Save jpeg to: ")))))
9955 (setq gnus-article-mime-part-function
9956 'my-save-all-jpeg-parts)
9959 @vindex gnus-mime-multipart-functions
9960 @item gnus-mime-multipart-functions
9961 Alist of @acronym{MIME} multipart types and functions to handle them.
9963 @vindex gnus-mime-display-multipart-alternative-as-mixed
9964 @item gnus-mime-display-multipart-alternative-as-mixed
9965 Display "multipart/alternative" parts as "multipart/mixed".
9967 @vindex gnus-mime-display-multipart-related-as-mixed
9968 @item gnus-mime-display-multipart-related-as-mixed
9969 Display "multipart/related" parts as "multipart/mixed".
9971 If displaying @samp{text/html} is discouraged, see
9972 @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives}, images or other material inside a
9973 "multipart/related" part might be overlooked when this variable is
9974 @code{nil}. @ref{Display Customization, Display Customization, ,
9975 emacs-mime, Emacs-Mime Manual}.
9977 @vindex gnus-mime-display-multipart-as-mixed
9978 @item gnus-mime-display-multipart-as-mixed
9979 Display "multipart" parts as "multipart/mixed". If @code{t}, it
9980 overrides @code{nil} values of
9981 @code{gnus-mime-display-multipart-alternative-as-mixed} and
9982 @code{gnus-mime-display-multipart-related-as-mixed}.
9984 @vindex mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9985 @item mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9986 List of functions used for rewriting file names of @acronym{MIME} parts.
9987 Each function takes a file name as input and returns a file name.
9989 Ready-made functions include@*
9990 @code{mm-file-name-delete-whitespace},
9991 @code{mm-file-name-trim-whitespace},
9992 @code{mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace}, and
9993 @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace}. The later uses the value of
9994 the variable @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace} to replace each
9995 whitespace character in a file name with that string; default value
9996 is @code{"_"} (a single underscore).
9997 @findex mm-file-name-delete-whitespace
9998 @findex mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
9999 @findex mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
10000 @findex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
10001 @vindex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
10003 The standard functions @code{capitalize}, @code{downcase},
10004 @code{upcase}, and @code{upcase-initials} may be useful, too.
10006 Everybody knows that whitespace characters in file names are evil,
10007 except those who don't know. If you receive lots of attachments from
10008 such unenlightened users, you can make live easier by adding
10011 (setq mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
10012 '(mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
10013 mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
10014 mm-file-name-replace-whitespace))
10018 to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
10027 People use different charsets, and we have @acronym{MIME} to let us know what
10028 charsets they use. Or rather, we wish we had. Many people use
10029 newsreaders and mailers that do not understand or use @acronym{MIME}, and
10030 just send out messages without saying what character sets they use. To
10031 help a bit with this, some local news hierarchies have policies that say
10032 what character set is the default. For instance, the @samp{fj}
10033 hierarchy uses @code{iso-2022-jp}.
10035 @vindex gnus-group-charset-alist
10036 This knowledge is encoded in the @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}
10037 variable, which is an alist of regexps (use the first item to match full
10038 group names) and default charsets to be used when reading these groups.
10040 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets
10041 In addition, some people do use soi-disant @acronym{MIME}-aware agents that
10042 aren't. These blithely mark messages as being in @code{iso-8859-1}
10043 even if they really are in @code{koi-8}. To help here, the
10044 @code{gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets} variable can be used. The
10045 charsets that are listed here will be ignored. The variable can be
10046 set on a group-by-group basis using the group parameters (@pxref{Group
10047 Parameters}). The default value is @code{(unknown-8bit x-unknown)},
10048 which includes values some agents insist on having in there.
10050 @vindex gnus-group-posting-charset-alist
10051 When posting, @code{gnus-group-posting-charset-alist} is used to
10052 determine which charsets should not be encoded using the @acronym{MIME}
10053 encodings. For instance, some hierarchies discourage using
10054 quoted-printable header encoding.
10056 This variable is an alist of regexps and permitted unencoded charsets
10057 for posting. Each element of the alist has the form @code{(}@var{test
10058 header body-list}@code{)}, where:
10062 is either a regular expression matching the newsgroup header or a
10065 is the charset which may be left unencoded in the header (@code{nil}
10066 means encode all charsets),
10068 is a list of charsets which may be encoded using 8bit content-transfer
10069 encoding in the body, or one of the special values @code{nil} (always
10070 encode using quoted-printable) or @code{t} (always use 8bit).
10077 @cindex coding system aliases
10078 @cindex preferred charset
10080 @xref{Encoding Customization, , Encoding Customization, emacs-mime,
10081 The Emacs MIME Manual}, for additional variables that control which
10082 MIME charsets are used when sending messages.
10084 Other charset tricks that may be useful, although not Gnus-specific:
10086 If there are several @acronym{MIME} charsets that encode the same Emacs
10087 charset, you can choose what charset to use by saying the following:
10090 (put-charset-property 'cyrillic-iso8859-5
10091 'preferred-coding-system 'koi8-r)
10094 This means that Russian will be encoded using @code{koi8-r} instead of
10095 the default @code{iso-8859-5} @acronym{MIME} charset.
10097 If you want to read messages in @code{koi8-u}, you can cheat and say
10100 (define-coding-system-alias 'koi8-u 'koi8-r)
10103 This will almost do the right thing.
10105 And finally, to read charsets like @code{windows-1251}, you can say
10109 (codepage-setup 1251)
10110 (define-coding-system-alias 'windows-1251 'cp1251)
10114 @node Article Commands
10115 @section Article Commands
10122 @kindex A P (Summary)
10123 @vindex gnus-ps-print-hook
10124 @findex gnus-summary-print-article
10125 Generate and print a PostScript image of the article buffer
10126 (@code{gnus-summary-print-article}). @code{gnus-ps-print-hook} will
10127 be run just before printing the buffer. An alternative way to print
10128 article is to use Muttprint (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
10131 @vindex gnus-fetch-partial-articles
10132 @findex gnus-summary-show-complete-article
10133 If @code{<backend>-fetch-partial-articles} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will
10134 fetch partial articles, if the backend it fetches them from supports
10135 it. Currently only @code{nnimap} does. If you're looking at a
10136 partial article, and want to see the complete article instead, then
10137 the @kbd{A C} command (@code{gnus-summary-show-complete-article}) will
10143 @node Summary Sorting
10144 @section Summary Sorting
10145 @cindex summary sorting
10147 You can have the summary buffer sorted in various ways, even though I
10148 can't really see why you'd want that.
10153 @kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
10154 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-number
10155 Sort by article number (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-number}).
10157 @item C-c C-s C-m C-n
10158 @kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
10159 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-most-recent-number
10160 Sort by most recent article number
10161 (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-most-recent-number}).
10164 @kindex C-c C-s C-a (Summary)
10165 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-author
10166 Sort by author (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-author}).
10169 @kindex C-c C-s C-t (Summary)
10170 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-recipient
10171 Sort by recipient (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-recipient}).
10174 @kindex C-c C-s C-s (Summary)
10175 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-subject
10176 Sort by subject (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-subject}).
10179 @kindex C-c C-s C-d (Summary)
10180 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-date
10181 Sort by date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-date}).
10183 @item C-c C-s C-m C-d
10184 @kindex C-c C-s C-m C-d (Summary)
10185 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-most-recent-date
10186 Sort by most recent date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-most-recent-date}).
10189 @kindex C-c C-s C-l (Summary)
10190 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-lines
10191 Sort by lines (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-lines}).
10194 @kindex C-c C-s C-c (Summary)
10195 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-chars
10196 Sort by article length (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-chars}).
10199 @kindex C-c C-s C-i (Summary)
10200 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-score
10201 Sort by score (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-score}).
10204 @kindex C-c C-s C-r (Summary)
10205 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-random
10206 Randomize (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-random}).
10209 @kindex C-c C-s C-o (Summary)
10210 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-original
10211 Sort using the default sorting method
10212 (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-original}).
10215 These functions will work both when you use threading and when you don't
10216 use threading. In the latter case, all summary lines will be sorted,
10217 line by line. In the former case, sorting will be done on a
10218 root-by-root basis, which might not be what you were looking for. To
10219 toggle whether to use threading, type @kbd{T T} (@pxref{Thread
10222 If a prefix argument if given, the sort order is reversed.
10225 @node Finding the Parent
10226 @section Finding the Parent
10227 @cindex parent articles
10228 @cindex referring articles
10232 @kindex ^ (Summary)
10233 @findex gnus-summary-refer-parent-article
10234 If you'd like to read the parent of the current article, and it is not
10235 displayed in the summary buffer, you might still be able to. That is,
10236 if the current group is fetched by @acronym{NNTP}, the parent hasn't expired
10237 and the @code{References} in the current article are not mangled, you
10238 can just press @kbd{^} or @kbd{A r}
10239 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article}). If everything goes well,
10240 you'll get the parent. If the parent is already displayed in the
10241 summary buffer, point will just move to this article.
10243 If given a positive numerical prefix, fetch that many articles back into
10244 the ancestry. If given a negative numerical prefix, fetch just that
10245 ancestor. So if you say @kbd{3 ^}, Gnus will fetch the parent, the
10246 grandparent and the great-grandparent of the current article. If you say
10247 @kbd{-3 ^}, Gnus will only fetch the great-grandparent of the current
10250 @item A R (Summary)
10251 @findex gnus-summary-refer-references
10252 @kindex A R (Summary)
10253 Fetch all articles mentioned in the @code{References} header of the
10254 article (@code{gnus-summary-refer-references}).
10256 @item A T (Summary)
10257 @findex gnus-summary-refer-thread
10258 @kindex A T (Summary)
10259 Display the full thread where the current article appears
10260 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-thread}). This command has to fetch all the
10261 headers in the current group to work, so it usually takes a while. If
10262 you do it often, you may consider setting @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}
10263 to @code{invisible} (@pxref{Filling In Threads}). This won't have any
10264 visible effects normally, but it'll make this command work a whole lot
10265 faster. Of course, it'll make group entry somewhat slow.
10267 @vindex gnus-refer-thread-limit
10268 The @code{gnus-refer-thread-limit} variable says how many old (i.e.,
10269 articles before the first displayed in the current group) headers to
10270 fetch when doing this command. The default is 200. If @code{t}, all
10271 the available headers will be fetched. This variable can be overridden
10272 by giving the @kbd{A T} command a numerical prefix.
10274 @item M-^ (Summary)
10275 @findex gnus-summary-refer-article
10276 @kindex M-^ (Summary)
10278 @cindex fetching by Message-ID
10279 You can also ask Gnus for an arbitrary article, no matter what group it
10280 belongs to. @kbd{M-^} (@code{gnus-summary-refer-article}) will ask you
10281 for a @code{Message-ID}, which is one of those long, hard-to-read
10282 thingies that look something like @samp{<38o6up$6f2@@hymir.ifi.uio.no>}.
10283 You have to get it all exactly right. No fuzzy searches, I'm afraid.
10285 Gnus looks for the @code{Message-ID} in the headers that have already
10286 been fetched, but also tries all the select methods specified by
10287 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} if it is not found.
10290 @vindex gnus-refer-article-method
10291 If the group you are reading is located on a back end that does not
10292 support fetching by @code{Message-ID} very well (like @code{nnspool}),
10293 you can set @code{gnus-refer-article-method} to an @acronym{NNTP} method. It
10294 would, perhaps, be best if the @acronym{NNTP} server you consult is the one
10295 updating the spool you are reading from, but that's not really
10298 It can also be a list of select methods, as well as the special symbol
10299 @code{current}, which means to use the current select method. If it
10300 is a list, Gnus will try all the methods in the list until it finds a
10303 Here's an example setting that will first try the current method, and
10304 then ask Google if that fails:
10307 (setq gnus-refer-article-method
10309 (nnweb "google" (nnweb-type google))))
10312 Most of the mail back ends support fetching by @code{Message-ID}, but
10313 do not do a particularly excellent job at it. That is, @code{nnmbox},
10314 @code{nnbabyl}, @code{nnmaildir}, @code{nnml}, are able to locate
10315 articles from any groups, while @code{nnfolder}, and @code{nnimap} are
10316 only able to locate articles that have been posted to the current
10317 group. @code{nnmh} does not support this at all.
10319 Fortunately, the special @code{nnregistry} back end is able to locate
10320 articles in any groups, regardless of their back end (@pxref{Registry
10321 Article Refer Method, fetching by @code{Message-ID} using the
10324 @node Alternative Approaches
10325 @section Alternative Approaches
10327 Different people like to read news using different methods. This being
10328 Gnus, we offer a small selection of minor modes for the summary buffers.
10331 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
10332 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
10336 @node Pick and Read
10337 @subsection Pick and Read
10338 @cindex pick and read
10340 Some newsreaders (like @code{nn} and, uhm, @code{Netnews} on VM/CMS) use
10341 a two-phased reading interface. The user first marks in a summary
10342 buffer the articles she wants to read. Then she starts reading the
10343 articles with just an article buffer displayed.
10345 @findex gnus-pick-mode
10346 @kindex M-x gnus-pick-mode
10347 Gnus provides a summary buffer minor mode that allows
10348 this---@code{gnus-pick-mode}. This basically means that a few process
10349 mark commands become one-keystroke commands to allow easy marking, and
10350 it provides one additional command for switching to the summary buffer.
10352 Here are the available keystrokes when using pick mode:
10357 @findex gnus-pick-article-or-thread
10358 Pick the article or thread on the current line
10359 (@code{gnus-pick-article-or-thread}). If the variable
10360 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key selects the
10361 entire thread when used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise,
10362 it selects just the article. If given a numerical prefix, go to that
10363 thread or article and pick it. (The line number is normally displayed
10364 at the beginning of the summary pick lines.)
10367 @kindex SPACE (Pick)
10368 @findex gnus-pick-next-page
10369 Scroll the summary buffer up one page (@code{gnus-pick-next-page}). If
10370 at the end of the buffer, start reading the picked articles.
10374 @findex gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread.
10375 Unpick the thread or article
10376 (@code{gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread}). If the variable
10377 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key unpicks the
10378 thread if used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise it unpicks
10379 just the article. You can give this key a numerical prefix to unpick
10380 the thread or article at that line.
10384 @findex gnus-pick-start-reading
10385 @vindex gnus-pick-display-summary
10386 Start reading the picked articles (@code{gnus-pick-start-reading}). If
10387 given a prefix, mark all unpicked articles as read first. If
10388 @code{gnus-pick-display-summary} is non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer
10389 will still be visible when you are reading.
10393 All the normal summary mode commands are still available in the
10394 pick-mode, with the exception of @kbd{u}. However @kbd{!} is available
10395 which is mapped to the same function
10396 @code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}.
10398 If this sounds like a good idea to you, you could say:
10401 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
10404 @vindex gnus-pick-mode-hook
10405 @code{gnus-pick-mode-hook} is run in pick minor mode buffers.
10407 @vindex gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read
10408 If @code{gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read} is non-@code{nil}, mark
10409 all unpicked articles as read. The default is @code{nil}.
10411 @vindex gnus-summary-pick-line-format
10412 The summary line format in pick mode is slightly different from the
10413 standard format. At the beginning of each line the line number is
10414 displayed. The pick mode line format is controlled by the
10415 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting
10416 Variables}). It accepts the same format specs that
10417 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} does (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}).
10420 @node Binary Groups
10421 @subsection Binary Groups
10422 @cindex binary groups
10424 @findex gnus-binary-mode
10425 @kindex M-x gnus-binary-mode
10426 If you spend much time in binary groups, you may grow tired of hitting
10427 @kbd{X u}, @kbd{n}, @kbd{RET} all the time. @kbd{M-x gnus-binary-mode}
10428 is a minor mode for summary buffers that makes all ordinary Gnus article
10429 selection functions uudecode series of articles and display the result
10430 instead of just displaying the articles the normal way.
10433 @findex gnus-binary-show-article
10434 The only way, in fact, to see the actual articles is the @kbd{g}
10435 command, when you have turned on this mode
10436 (@code{gnus-binary-show-article}).
10438 @vindex gnus-binary-mode-hook
10439 @code{gnus-binary-mode-hook} is called in binary minor mode buffers.
10443 @section Tree Display
10446 @vindex gnus-use-trees
10447 If you don't like the normal Gnus summary display, you might try setting
10448 @code{gnus-use-trees} to @code{t}. This will create (by default) an
10449 additional @dfn{tree buffer}. You can execute all summary mode commands
10450 in the tree buffer.
10452 There are a few variables to customize the tree display, of course:
10455 @item gnus-tree-mode-hook
10456 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-hook
10457 A hook called in all tree mode buffers.
10459 @item gnus-tree-mode-line-format
10460 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-line-format
10461 A format string for the mode bar in the tree mode buffers (@pxref{Mode
10462 Line Formatting}). The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b %S %Z}. For a list
10463 of valid specs, @pxref{Summary Buffer Mode Line}.
10465 @item gnus-selected-tree-face
10466 @vindex gnus-selected-tree-face
10467 Face used for highlighting the selected article in the tree buffer. The
10468 default is @code{modeline}.
10470 @item gnus-tree-line-format
10471 @vindex gnus-tree-line-format
10472 A format string for the tree nodes. The name is a bit of a misnomer,
10473 though---it doesn't define a line, but just the node. The default value
10474 is @samp{%(%[%3,3n%]%)}, which displays the first three characters of
10475 the name of the poster. It is vital that all nodes are of the same
10476 length, so you @emph{must} use @samp{%4,4n}-like specifiers.
10482 The name of the poster.
10484 The @code{From} header.
10486 The number of the article.
10488 The opening bracket.
10490 The closing bracket.
10495 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
10497 Variables related to the display are:
10500 @item gnus-tree-brackets
10501 @vindex gnus-tree-brackets
10502 This is used for differentiating between ``real'' articles and
10503 ``sparse'' articles. The format is
10505 ((@var{real-open} . @var{real-close})
10506 (@var{sparse-open} . @var{sparse-close})
10507 (@var{dummy-open} . @var{dummy-close}))
10509 and the default is @code{((?[ . ?]) (?( . ?)) (?@{ . ?@}) (?< . ?>))}.
10511 @item gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
10512 @vindex gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
10513 This is a list that contains the characters used for connecting parent
10514 nodes to their children. The default is @code{(?- ?\\ ?|)}.
10518 @item gnus-tree-minimize-window
10519 @vindex gnus-tree-minimize-window
10520 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will try to keep the tree
10521 buffer as small as possible to allow more room for the other Gnus
10522 windows. If this variable is a number, the tree buffer will never be
10523 higher than that number. The default is @code{t}. Note that if you
10524 have several windows displayed side-by-side in a frame and the tree
10525 buffer is one of these, minimizing the tree window will also resize all
10526 other windows displayed next to it.
10528 You may also wish to add the following hook to keep the window minimized
10532 (add-hook 'gnus-configure-windows-hook
10533 'gnus-tree-perhaps-minimize)
10536 @item gnus-generate-tree-function
10537 @vindex gnus-generate-tree-function
10538 @findex gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
10539 @findex gnus-generate-vertical-tree
10540 The function that actually generates the thread tree. Two predefined
10541 functions are available: @code{gnus-generate-horizontal-tree} and
10542 @code{gnus-generate-vertical-tree} (which is the default).
10546 Here's an example from a horizontal tree buffer:
10549 @{***@}-(***)-[odd]-[Gun]
10559 Here's the same thread displayed in a vertical tree buffer:
10564 |--------------------------\-----\-----\
10565 (***) [Bjo] [Gun] [Gun]
10567 [odd] [Jan] [odd] (***) [Jor]
10569 [Gun] [Eri] [Eri] [odd]
10575 If you're using horizontal trees, it might be nice to display the trees
10576 side-by-side with the summary buffer. You could add something like the
10577 following to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
10580 (setq gnus-use-trees t
10581 gnus-generate-tree-function 'gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
10582 gnus-tree-minimize-window nil)
10583 (gnus-add-configuration
10587 (summary 0.75 point)
10592 @xref{Window Layout}.
10595 @node Mail Group Commands
10596 @section Mail Group Commands
10597 @cindex mail group commands
10599 Some commands only make sense in mail groups. If these commands are
10600 invalid in the current group, they will raise a hell and let you know.
10602 All these commands (except the expiry and edit commands) use the
10603 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
10608 @kindex B e (Summary)
10609 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles
10610 @cindex expiring mail
10611 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
10612 process (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles}). That is, delete all
10613 expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
10614 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
10617 @kindex B C-M-e (Summary)
10618 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles-now
10619 @cindex expiring mail
10620 Delete all the expirable articles in the group
10621 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles-now}). This means that @strong{all}
10622 articles eligible for expiry in the current group will
10623 disappear forever into that big @file{/dev/null} in the sky.
10626 @kindex B DEL (Summary)
10627 @cindex deleting mail
10628 @findex gnus-summary-delete-article
10629 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-delete}
10630 Delete the mail article. This is ``delete'' as in ``delete it from your
10631 disk forever and ever, never to return again.'' Use with caution.
10632 (@code{gnus-summary-delete-article}).
10635 @kindex B m (Summary)
10637 @findex gnus-summary-move-article
10638 @vindex gnus-preserve-marks
10639 Move the article from one mail group to another
10640 (@code{gnus-summary-move-article}). Marks will be preserved if
10641 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
10644 @kindex B c (Summary)
10646 @findex gnus-summary-copy-article
10647 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-copy}
10648 Copy the article from one group (mail group or not) to a mail group
10649 (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}). Marks will be preserved if
10650 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
10653 @kindex B B (Summary)
10654 @cindex crosspost mail
10655 @findex gnus-summary-crosspost-article
10656 Crosspost the current article to some other group
10657 (@code{gnus-summary-crosspost-article}). This will create a new copy of
10658 the article in the other group, and the Xref headers of the article will
10659 be properly updated.
10662 @kindex B i (Summary)
10663 @findex gnus-summary-import-article
10664 Import an arbitrary file into the current mail newsgroup
10665 (@code{gnus-summary-import-article}). You will be prompted for a file
10666 name, a @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
10669 @kindex B I (Summary)
10670 @findex gnus-summary-create-article
10671 Create an empty article in the current mail newsgroups
10672 (@code{gnus-summary-create-article}). You will be prompted for a
10673 @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
10676 @kindex B r (Summary)
10677 @findex gnus-summary-respool-article
10678 @vindex gnus-summary-respool-default-method
10679 Respool the mail article (@code{gnus-summary-respool-article}).
10680 @code{gnus-summary-respool-default-method} will be used as the default
10681 select method when respooling. This variable is @code{nil} by default,
10682 which means that the current group select method will be used instead.
10683 Marks will be preserved if @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil}
10684 (which is the default).
10688 @kindex B w (Summary)
10689 @kindex e (Summary)
10690 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article
10691 @kindex C-c C-c (Article)
10692 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article-done
10693 Edit the current article (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article}). To finish
10694 editing and make the changes permanent, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
10695 (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article-done}). If you give a prefix to the
10696 @kbd{C-c C-c} command, Gnus won't re-highlight the article.
10699 @kindex B q (Summary)
10700 @findex gnus-summary-respool-query
10701 If you want to re-spool an article, you might be curious as to what group
10702 the article will end up in before you do the re-spooling. This command
10703 will tell you (@code{gnus-summary-respool-query}).
10706 @kindex B t (Summary)
10707 @findex gnus-summary-respool-trace
10708 Similarly, this command will display all fancy splitting patterns used
10709 when respooling, if any (@code{gnus-summary-respool-trace}).
10712 @kindex B p (Summary)
10713 @findex gnus-summary-article-posted-p
10714 Some people have a tendency to send you ``courtesy'' copies when they
10715 follow up to articles you have posted. These usually have a
10716 @code{Newsgroups} header in them, but not always. This command
10717 (@code{gnus-summary-article-posted-p}) will try to fetch the current
10718 article from your news server (or rather, from
10719 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} or @code{gnus-select-method}) and will
10720 report back whether it found the article or not. Even if it says that
10721 it didn't find the article, it may have been posted anyway---mail
10722 propagation is much faster than news propagation, and the news copy may
10723 just not have arrived yet.
10726 @kindex K E (Summary)
10727 @findex gnus-article-encrypt-body
10728 @vindex gnus-article-encrypt-protocol
10729 Encrypt the body of an article (@code{gnus-article-encrypt-body}).
10730 The body is encrypted with the encryption protocol specified by the
10731 variable @code{gnus-article-encrypt-protocol}.
10735 @vindex gnus-move-split-methods
10736 @cindex moving articles
10737 If you move (or copy) articles regularly, you might wish to have Gnus
10738 suggest where to put the articles. @code{gnus-move-split-methods} is a
10739 variable that uses the same syntax as @code{gnus-split-methods}
10740 (@pxref{Saving Articles}). You may customize that variable to create
10741 suggestions you find reasonable. (Note that
10742 @code{gnus-move-split-methods} uses group names where
10743 @code{gnus-split-methods} uses file names.)
10746 (setq gnus-move-split-methods
10747 '(("^From:.*Lars Magne" "nnml:junk")
10748 ("^Subject:.*gnus" "nnfolder:important")
10749 (".*" "nnml:misc")))
10753 @node Various Summary Stuff
10754 @section Various Summary Stuff
10757 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
10758 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
10759 * Summary Generation Commands::
10760 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
10764 @vindex gnus-summary-display-while-building
10765 @item gnus-summary-display-while-building
10766 If non-@code{nil}, show and update the summary buffer as it's being
10767 built. If @code{t}, update the buffer after every line is inserted.
10768 If the value is an integer, @var{n}, update the display every @var{n}
10769 lines. The default is @code{nil}.
10771 @vindex gnus-summary-display-arrow
10772 @item gnus-summary-display-arrow
10773 If non-@code{nil}, display an arrow in the fringe to indicate the
10776 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-hook
10777 @item gnus-summary-mode-hook
10778 This hook is called when creating a summary mode buffer.
10780 @vindex gnus-summary-generate-hook
10781 @item gnus-summary-generate-hook
10782 This is called as the last thing before doing the threading and the
10783 generation of the summary buffer. It's quite convenient for customizing
10784 the threading variables based on what data the newsgroup has. This hook
10785 is called from the summary buffer after most summary buffer variables
10788 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-hook
10789 @item gnus-summary-prepare-hook
10790 It is called after the summary buffer has been generated. You might use
10791 it to, for instance, highlight lines or modify the look of the buffer in
10792 some other ungodly manner. I don't care.
10794 @vindex gnus-summary-prepared-hook
10795 @item gnus-summary-prepared-hook
10796 A hook called as the very last thing after the summary buffer has been
10799 @vindex gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
10800 @item gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
10801 When Gnus discovers two articles that have the same @code{Message-ID},
10802 it has to do something drastic. No articles are allowed to have the
10803 same @code{Message-ID}, but this may happen when reading mail from some
10804 sources. Gnus allows you to customize what happens with this variable.
10805 If it is @code{nil} (which is the default), Gnus will rename the
10806 @code{Message-ID} (for display purposes only) and display the article as
10807 any other article. If this variable is @code{t}, it won't display the
10808 article---it'll be as if it never existed.
10810 @vindex gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
10811 @item gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
10812 This function, which takes two parameters (the group name and the list
10813 of articles to be selected), is called to allow the user to alter the
10814 list of articles to be selected.
10816 For instance, the following function adds the list of cached articles to
10817 the list in one particular group:
10820 (defun my-add-cached-articles (group articles)
10821 (if (string= group "some.group")
10822 (append gnus-newsgroup-cached articles)
10826 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-variables
10827 @item gnus-newsgroup-variables
10828 A list of newsgroup (summary buffer) local variables, or cons of
10829 variables and their default expressions to be evalled (when the default
10830 values are not @code{nil}), that should be made global while the summary
10833 Note: The default expressions will be evaluated (using function
10834 @code{eval}) before assignment to the local variable rather than just
10835 assigned to it. If the default expression is the symbol @code{global},
10836 that symbol will not be evaluated but the global value of the local
10837 variable will be used instead.
10839 These variables can be used to set variables in the group parameters
10840 while still allowing them to affect operations done in other
10841 buffers. For example:
10844 (setq gnus-newsgroup-variables
10845 '(message-use-followup-to
10846 (gnus-visible-headers .
10847 "^From:\\|^Newsgroups:\\|^Subject:\\|^Date:\\|^To:")))
10850 Also @pxref{Group Parameters}.
10855 @node Summary Group Information
10856 @subsection Summary Group Information
10861 @kindex H d (Summary)
10862 @findex gnus-summary-describe-group
10863 Give a brief description of the current group
10864 (@code{gnus-summary-describe-group}). If given a prefix, force
10865 rereading the description from the server.
10868 @kindex H h (Summary)
10869 @findex gnus-summary-describe-briefly
10870 Give an extremely brief description of the most important summary
10871 keystrokes (@code{gnus-summary-describe-briefly}).
10874 @kindex H i (Summary)
10875 @findex gnus-info-find-node
10876 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
10880 @node Searching for Articles
10881 @subsection Searching for Articles
10886 @kindex M-s (Summary)
10887 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
10888 Search through all subsequent (raw) articles for a regexp
10889 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-forward}).
10892 @kindex M-r (Summary)
10893 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-backward
10894 Search through all previous (raw) articles for a regexp
10895 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-backward}).
10898 @kindex M-S (Summary)
10899 @findex gnus-summary-repeat-search-article-forward
10900 Repeat the previous search forwards
10901 (@code{gnus-summary-repeat-search-article-forward}).
10904 @kindex M-R (Summary)
10905 @findex gnus-summary-repeat-search-article-backward
10906 Repeat the previous search backwards
10907 (@code{gnus-summary-repeat-search-article-backward}).
10910 @kindex & (Summary)
10911 @findex gnus-summary-execute-command
10912 This command will prompt you for a header, a regular expression to match
10913 on this field, and a command to be executed if the match is made
10914 (@code{gnus-summary-execute-command}). If the header is an empty
10915 string, the match is done on the entire article. If given a prefix,
10916 search backward instead.
10918 For instance, @kbd{& RET some.*string RET #} will put the process mark on
10919 all articles that have heads or bodies that match @samp{some.*string}.
10922 @kindex M-& (Summary)
10923 @findex gnus-summary-universal-argument
10924 Perform any operation on all articles that have been marked with
10925 the process mark (@code{gnus-summary-universal-argument}).
10928 @node Summary Generation Commands
10929 @subsection Summary Generation Commands
10934 @kindex Y g (Summary)
10935 @findex gnus-summary-prepare
10936 Regenerate the current summary buffer (@code{gnus-summary-prepare}).
10939 @kindex Y c (Summary)
10940 @findex gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles
10941 Pull all cached articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
10942 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}).
10945 @kindex Y d (Summary)
10946 @findex gnus-summary-insert-dormant-articles
10947 Pull all dormant articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
10948 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-dormant-articles}).
10951 @kindex Y t (Summary)
10952 @findex gnus-summary-insert-ticked-articles
10953 Pull all ticked articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
10954 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-ticked-articles}).
10959 @node Really Various Summary Commands
10960 @subsection Really Various Summary Commands
10966 @kindex C-d (Summary)
10967 @kindex A D (Summary)
10968 @findex gnus-summary-enter-digest-group
10969 If the current article is a collection of other articles (for instance,
10970 a digest), you might use this command to enter a group based on the that
10971 article (@code{gnus-summary-enter-digest-group}). Gnus will try to
10972 guess what article type is currently displayed unless you give a prefix
10973 to this command, which forces a ``digest'' interpretation. Basically,
10974 whenever you see a message that is a collection of other messages of
10975 some format, you @kbd{C-d} and read these messages in a more convenient
10978 @vindex gnus-auto-select-on-ephemeral-exit
10979 The variable @code{gnus-auto-select-on-ephemeral-exit} controls what
10980 article should be selected after exiting a digest group. Valid values
10985 Select the next article.
10988 Select the next unread article.
10990 @item next-noselect
10991 Move the cursor to the next article. This is the default.
10993 @item next-unread-noselect
10994 Move the cursor to the next unread article.
10997 If it has any other value or there is no next (unread) article, the
10998 article selected before entering to the digest group will appear.
11001 @kindex C-M-d (Summary)
11002 @findex gnus-summary-read-document
11003 This command is very similar to the one above, but lets you gather
11004 several documents into one biiig group
11005 (@code{gnus-summary-read-document}). It does this by opening several
11006 @code{nndoc} groups for each document, and then opening an
11007 @code{nnvirtual} group on top of these @code{nndoc} groups. This
11008 command understands the process/prefix convention
11009 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
11012 @kindex C-t (Summary)
11013 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-truncation
11014 Toggle truncation of summary lines
11015 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-truncation}). This will probably confuse the
11016 line centering function in the summary buffer, so it's not a good idea
11017 to have truncation switched off while reading articles.
11020 @kindex = (Summary)
11021 @findex gnus-summary-expand-window
11022 Expand the summary buffer window (@code{gnus-summary-expand-window}).
11023 If given a prefix, force an @code{article} window configuration.
11026 @kindex C-M-e (Summary)
11027 @findex gnus-summary-edit-parameters
11028 Edit the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
11029 group (@code{gnus-summary-edit-parameters}).
11032 @kindex C-M-a (Summary)
11033 @findex gnus-summary-customize-parameters
11034 Customize the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
11035 group (@code{gnus-summary-customize-parameters}).
11040 @node Exiting the Summary Buffer
11041 @section Exiting the Summary Buffer
11042 @cindex summary exit
11043 @cindex exiting groups
11045 Exiting from the summary buffer will normally update all info on the
11046 group and return you to the group buffer.
11053 @kindex Z Z (Summary)
11054 @kindex Z Q (Summary)
11055 @kindex q (Summary)
11056 @findex gnus-summary-exit
11057 @vindex gnus-summary-exit-hook
11058 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook
11059 @vindex gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook
11060 @c @icon{gnus-summary-exit}
11061 Exit the current group and update all information on the group
11062 (@code{gnus-summary-exit}). @code{gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook} is
11063 called before doing much of the exiting, which calls
11064 @code{gnus-summary-expire-articles} by default.
11065 @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} is called after finishing the exit
11066 process. @code{gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook} is run when returning to
11067 group mode having no more (unread) groups.
11071 @kindex Z E (Summary)
11072 @kindex Q (Summary)
11073 @findex gnus-summary-exit-no-update
11074 Exit the current group without updating any information on the group
11075 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}).
11079 @kindex Z c (Summary)
11080 @kindex c (Summary)
11081 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit
11082 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}
11083 Mark all unticked articles in the group as read and then exit
11084 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}).
11087 @kindex Z C (Summary)
11088 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit
11089 Mark all articles, even the ticked ones, as read and then exit
11090 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit}).
11093 @kindex Z n (Summary)
11094 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group
11095 Mark all articles as read and go to the next group
11096 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group}).
11099 @kindex Z p (Summary)
11100 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-prev-group
11101 Mark all articles as read and go to the previous group
11102 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-prev-group}).
11106 @kindex Z R (Summary)
11107 @kindex C-x C-s (Summary)
11108 @findex gnus-summary-reselect-current-group
11109 Exit this group, and then enter it again
11110 (@code{gnus-summary-reselect-current-group}). If given a prefix, select
11111 all articles, both read and unread.
11115 @kindex Z G (Summary)
11116 @kindex M-g (Summary)
11117 @findex gnus-summary-rescan-group
11118 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-get}
11119 Exit the group, check for new articles in the group, and select the
11120 group (@code{gnus-summary-rescan-group}). If given a prefix, select all
11121 articles, both read and unread.
11124 @kindex Z N (Summary)
11125 @findex gnus-summary-next-group
11126 Exit the group and go to the next group
11127 (@code{gnus-summary-next-group}).
11130 @kindex Z P (Summary)
11131 @findex gnus-summary-prev-group
11132 Exit the group and go to the previous group
11133 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-group}).
11136 @kindex Z s (Summary)
11137 @findex gnus-summary-save-newsrc
11138 Save the current number of read/marked articles in the dribble buffer
11139 and then save the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-summary-save-newsrc}). If
11140 given a prefix, also save the @file{.newsrc} file(s). Using this
11141 command will make exit without updating (the @kbd{Q} command) worthless.
11144 @vindex gnus-exit-group-hook
11145 @code{gnus-exit-group-hook} is called when you exit the current group
11146 with an ``updating'' exit. For instance @kbd{Q}
11147 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}) does not call this hook.
11149 @findex gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead
11150 @findex gnus-dead-summary-mode
11151 @vindex gnus-kill-summary-on-exit
11152 If you're in the habit of exiting groups, and then changing your mind
11153 about it, you might set @code{gnus-kill-summary-on-exit} to @code{nil}.
11154 If you do that, Gnus won't kill the summary buffer when you exit it.
11155 (Quelle surprise!) Instead it will change the name of the buffer to
11156 something like @file{*Dead Summary ... *} and install a minor mode
11157 called @code{gnus-dead-summary-mode}. Now, if you switch back to this
11158 buffer, you'll find that all keys are mapped to a function called
11159 @code{gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead}. So tapping any keys in a dead
11160 summary buffer will result in a live, normal summary buffer.
11162 There will never be more than one dead summary buffer at any one time.
11164 @vindex gnus-use-cross-reference
11165 The data on the current group will be updated (which articles you have
11166 read, which articles you have replied to, etc.)@: when you exit the
11167 summary buffer. If the @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} variable is
11168 @code{t} (which is the default), articles that are cross-referenced to
11169 this group and are marked as read, will also be marked as read in the
11170 other subscribed groups they were cross-posted to. If this variable is
11171 neither @code{nil} nor @code{t}, the article will be marked as read in
11172 both subscribed and unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}).
11175 @node Crosspost Handling
11176 @section Crosspost Handling
11180 Marking cross-posted articles as read ensures that you'll never have to
11181 read the same article more than once. Unless, of course, somebody has
11182 posted it to several groups separately. Posting the same article to
11183 several groups (not cross-posting) is called @dfn{spamming}, and you are
11184 by law required to send nasty-grams to anyone who perpetrates such a
11187 Remember: Cross-posting is kinda ok, but posting the same article
11188 separately to several groups is not. Massive cross-posting (aka.
11189 @dfn{velveeta}) is to be avoided at all costs, and you can even use the
11190 @code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint} command to complain about
11191 excessive crossposting (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
11193 @cindex cross-posting
11195 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
11196 One thing that may cause Gnus to not do the cross-posting thing
11197 correctly is if you use an @acronym{NNTP} server that supports @sc{xover}
11198 (which is very nice, because it speeds things up considerably) which
11199 does not include the @code{Xref} header in its @acronym{NOV} lines. This is
11200 Evil, but all too common, alas, alack. Gnus tries to Do The Right Thing
11201 even with @sc{xover} by registering the @code{Xref} lines of all
11202 articles you actually read, but if you kill the articles, or just mark
11203 them as read without reading them, Gnus will not get a chance to snoop
11204 the @code{Xref} lines out of these articles, and will be unable to use
11205 the cross reference mechanism.
11207 @cindex LIST overview.fmt
11208 @cindex overview.fmt
11209 To check whether your @acronym{NNTP} server includes the @code{Xref} header
11210 in its overview files, try @samp{telnet your.nntp.server nntp},
11211 @samp{MODE READER} on @code{inn} servers, and then say @samp{LIST
11212 overview.fmt}. This may not work, but if it does, and the last line you
11213 get does not read @samp{Xref:full}, then you should shout and whine at
11214 your news admin until she includes the @code{Xref} header in the
11217 If you want Gnus to get the @code{Xref}s right all the time, you have to
11218 set @code{nntp-nov-is-evil} to @code{t}, which slows things down
11219 considerably. Also @pxref{Slow/Expensive Connection}.
11223 For an alternative approach, @pxref{Duplicate Suppression}.
11226 @node Duplicate Suppression
11227 @section Duplicate Suppression
11229 By default, Gnus tries to make sure that you don't have to read the same
11230 article more than once by utilizing the crossposting mechanism
11231 (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}). However, that simple and efficient
11232 approach may not work satisfactory for some users for various
11237 The @acronym{NNTP} server may fail to generate the @code{Xref} header. This
11238 is evil and not very common.
11241 The @acronym{NNTP} server may fail to include the @code{Xref} header in the
11242 @file{.overview} data bases. This is evil and all too common, alas.
11245 You may be reading the same group (or several related groups) from
11246 different @acronym{NNTP} servers.
11249 You may be getting mail that duplicates articles posted to groups.
11252 I'm sure there are other situations where @code{Xref} handling fails as
11253 well, but these four are the most common situations.
11255 If, and only if, @code{Xref} handling fails for you, then you may
11256 consider switching on @dfn{duplicate suppression}. If you do so, Gnus
11257 will remember the @code{Message-ID}s of all articles you have read or
11258 otherwise marked as read, and then, as if by magic, mark them as read
11259 all subsequent times you see them---in @emph{all} groups. Using this
11260 mechanism is quite likely to be somewhat inefficient, but not overly
11261 so. It's certainly preferable to reading the same articles more than
11264 Duplicate suppression is not a very subtle instrument. It's more like a
11265 sledge hammer than anything else. It works in a very simple
11266 fashion---if you have marked an article as read, it adds this Message-ID
11267 to a cache. The next time it sees this Message-ID, it will mark the
11268 article as read with the @samp{M} mark. It doesn't care what group it
11269 saw the article in.
11272 @item gnus-suppress-duplicates
11273 @vindex gnus-suppress-duplicates
11274 If non-@code{nil}, suppress duplicates.
11276 @item gnus-save-duplicate-list
11277 @vindex gnus-save-duplicate-list
11278 If non-@code{nil}, save the list of duplicates to a file. This will
11279 make startup and shutdown take longer, so the default is @code{nil}.
11280 However, this means that only duplicate articles read in a single Gnus
11281 session are suppressed.
11283 @item gnus-duplicate-list-length
11284 @vindex gnus-duplicate-list-length
11285 This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the duplicate
11286 suppression list. The default is 10000.
11288 @item gnus-duplicate-file
11289 @vindex gnus-duplicate-file
11290 The name of the file to store the duplicate suppression list in. The
11291 default is @file{~/News/suppression}.
11294 If you have a tendency to stop and start Gnus often, setting
11295 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{t} is probably a good idea. If
11296 you leave Gnus running for weeks on end, you may have it @code{nil}. On
11297 the other hand, saving the list makes startup and shutdown much slower,
11298 so that means that if you stop and start Gnus often, you should set
11299 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{nil}. Uhm. I'll leave this up
11300 to you to figure out, I think.
11305 Gnus is able to verify signed messages or decrypt encrypted messages.
11306 The formats that are supported are @acronym{PGP}, @acronym{PGP/MIME}
11307 and @acronym{S/MIME}, however you need some external programs to get
11312 To handle @acronym{PGP} and @acronym{PGP/MIME} messages, you have to
11313 install an OpenPGP implementation such as GnuPG@. The Lisp interface
11314 to GnuPG included with Emacs is called EasyPG (@pxref{Top, ,EasyPG,
11315 epa, EasyPG Assistant user's manual}), but PGG (@pxref{Top, ,PGG, pgg,
11316 PGG Manual}), and Mailcrypt are also supported.
11319 To handle @acronym{S/MIME} message, you need to install OpenSSL@. OpenSSL 0.9.6
11320 or newer is recommended.
11324 The variables that control security functionality on reading/composing
11328 @item mm-verify-option
11329 @vindex mm-verify-option
11330 Option of verifying signed parts. @code{never}, not verify;
11331 @code{always}, always verify; @code{known}, only verify known
11332 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
11334 @item mm-decrypt-option
11335 @vindex mm-decrypt-option
11336 Option of decrypting encrypted parts. @code{never}, no decryption;
11337 @code{always}, always decrypt; @code{known}, only decrypt known
11338 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
11340 @item mm-sign-option
11341 @vindex mm-sign-option
11342 Option of creating signed parts. @code{nil}, use default signing
11343 keys; @code{guided}, ask user to select signing keys from the menu.
11345 @item mm-encrypt-option
11346 @vindex mm-encrypt-option
11347 Option of creating encrypted parts. @code{nil}, use the first
11348 public-key matching the @samp{From:} header as the recipient;
11349 @code{guided}, ask user to select recipient keys from the menu.
11352 @vindex mml1991-use
11353 Symbol indicating elisp interface to OpenPGP implementation for
11354 @acronym{PGP} messages. The default is @code{epg}, but @code{pgg},
11355 and @code{mailcrypt} are also supported although
11356 deprecated. By default, Gnus uses the first available interface in
11360 @vindex mml2015-use
11361 Symbol indicating elisp interface to OpenPGP implementation for
11362 @acronym{PGP/MIME} messages. The default is @code{epg}, but
11363 @code{pgg}, and @code{mailcrypt} are also supported
11364 although deprecated. By default, Gnus uses the first available
11365 interface in this order.
11369 By default the buttons that display security information are not
11370 shown, because they clutter reading the actual e-mail. You can type
11371 @kbd{K b} manually to display the information. Use the
11372 @code{gnus-buttonized-mime-types} and
11373 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types} variables to control this
11374 permanently. @ref{MIME Commands} for further details, and hints on
11375 how to customize these variables to always display security
11378 @cindex snarfing keys
11379 @cindex importing PGP keys
11380 @cindex PGP key ring import
11381 Snarfing OpenPGP keys (i.e., importing keys from articles into your
11382 key ring) is not supported explicitly through a menu item or command,
11383 rather Gnus do detect and label keys as @samp{application/pgp-keys},
11384 allowing you to specify whatever action you think is appropriate
11385 through the usual @acronym{MIME} infrastructure. You can use a
11386 @file{~/.mailcap} entry (@pxref{mailcap, , mailcap, emacs-mime, The
11387 Emacs MIME Manual}) such as the following to import keys using GNU
11388 Privacy Guard when you click on the @acronym{MIME} button
11389 (@pxref{Using MIME}).
11392 application/pgp-keys; gpg --import --interactive --verbose; needsterminal
11395 This happens to also be the default action defined in
11396 @code{mailcap-mime-data}.
11398 More information on how to set things for sending outgoing signed and
11399 encrypted messages up can be found in the message manual
11400 (@pxref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}).
11403 @section Mailing List
11404 @cindex mailing list
11407 @kindex A M (summary)
11408 @findex gnus-mailing-list-insinuate
11409 Gnus understands some mailing list fields of RFC 2369. To enable it,
11410 add a @code{to-list} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}),
11411 possibly using @kbd{A M} (@code{gnus-mailing-list-insinuate}) in the
11414 That enables the following commands to the summary buffer:
11419 @kindex C-c C-n h (Summary)
11420 @findex gnus-mailing-list-help
11421 Send a message to fetch mailing list help, if List-Help field exists.
11424 @kindex C-c C-n s (Summary)
11425 @findex gnus-mailing-list-subscribe
11426 Send a message to subscribe the mailing list, if List-Subscribe field exists.
11429 @kindex C-c C-n u (Summary)
11430 @findex gnus-mailing-list-unsubscribe
11431 Send a message to unsubscribe the mailing list, if List-Unsubscribe
11435 @kindex C-c C-n p (Summary)
11436 @findex gnus-mailing-list-post
11437 Post to the mailing list, if List-Post field exists.
11440 @kindex C-c C-n o (Summary)
11441 @findex gnus-mailing-list-owner
11442 Send a message to the mailing list owner, if List-Owner field exists.
11445 @kindex C-c C-n a (Summary)
11446 @findex gnus-mailing-list-archive
11447 Browse the mailing list archive, if List-Archive field exists.
11452 @node Article Buffer
11453 @chapter Article Buffer
11454 @cindex article buffer
11456 The articles are displayed in the article buffer, of which there is only
11457 one. All the summary buffers share the same article buffer unless you
11458 tell Gnus otherwise.
11461 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
11462 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @acronym{MIME} before reading them.
11463 * HTML:: Reading @acronym{HTML} messages.
11464 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
11465 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
11466 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
11470 @node Hiding Headers
11471 @section Hiding Headers
11472 @cindex hiding headers
11473 @cindex deleting headers
11475 The top section of each article is the @dfn{head}. (The rest is the
11476 @dfn{body}, but you may have guessed that already.)
11478 @vindex gnus-show-all-headers
11479 There is a lot of useful information in the head: the name of the person
11480 who wrote the article, the date it was written and the subject of the
11481 article. That's well and nice, but there's also lots of information
11482 most people do not want to see---what systems the article has passed
11483 through before reaching you, the @code{Message-ID}, the
11484 @code{References}, etc. ad nauseam---and you'll probably want to get rid
11485 of some of those lines. If you want to keep all those lines in the
11486 article buffer, you can set @code{gnus-show-all-headers} to @code{t}.
11488 Gnus provides you with two variables for sifting headers:
11492 @item gnus-visible-headers
11493 @vindex gnus-visible-headers
11494 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a regular expression
11495 that says what headers you wish to keep in the article buffer. All
11496 headers that do not match this variable will be hidden.
11498 For instance, if you only want to see the name of the person who wrote
11499 the article and the subject, you'd say:
11502 (setq gnus-visible-headers "^From:\\|^Subject:")
11505 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
11508 @item gnus-ignored-headers
11509 @vindex gnus-ignored-headers
11510 This variable is the reverse of @code{gnus-visible-headers}. If this
11511 variable is set (and @code{gnus-visible-headers} is @code{nil}), it
11512 should be a regular expression that matches all lines that you want to
11513 hide. All lines that do not match this variable will remain visible.
11515 For instance, if you just want to get rid of the @code{References} line
11516 and the @code{Xref} line, you might say:
11519 (setq gnus-ignored-headers "^References:\\|^Xref:")
11522 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
11525 Note that if @code{gnus-visible-headers} is non-@code{nil}, this
11526 variable will have no effect.
11530 @vindex gnus-sorted-header-list
11531 Gnus can also sort the headers for you. (It does this by default.) You
11532 can control the sorting by setting the @code{gnus-sorted-header-list}
11533 variable. It is a list of regular expressions that says in what order
11534 the headers are to be displayed.
11536 For instance, if you want the name of the author of the article first,
11537 and then the subject, you might say something like:
11540 (setq gnus-sorted-header-list '("^From:" "^Subject:"))
11543 Any headers that are to remain visible, but are not listed in this
11544 variable, will be displayed in random order after all the headers listed in this variable.
11546 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
11547 @vindex gnus-boring-article-headers
11548 You can hide further boring headers by setting
11549 @code{gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers} to @code{head}. What this function
11550 does depends on the @code{gnus-boring-article-headers} variable. It's a
11551 list, but this list doesn't actually contain header names. Instead it
11552 lists various @dfn{boring conditions} that Gnus can check and remove
11555 These conditions are:
11558 Remove all empty headers.
11560 Remove the @code{Followup-To} header if it is identical to the
11561 @code{Newsgroups} header.
11563 Remove the @code{Reply-To} header if it lists the same addresses as
11564 the @code{From} header, or if the @code{broken-reply-to} group
11567 Remove the @code{Newsgroups} header if it only contains the current group
11570 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
11571 the current group's @code{to-address} parameter.
11573 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
11574 the current group's @code{to-list} parameter.
11576 Remove the @code{Cc} header if it only contains the address identical to
11577 the current group's @code{to-list} parameter.
11579 Remove the @code{Date} header if the article is less than three days
11582 Remove the @code{To} and/or @code{Cc} header if it is very long.
11584 Remove all @code{To} and/or @code{Cc} headers if there are more than one.
11587 To include these three elements, you could say something like:
11590 (setq gnus-boring-article-headers
11591 '(empty followup-to reply-to))
11594 This is also the default value for this variable.
11598 @section Using MIME
11599 @cindex @acronym{MIME}
11601 Mime is a standard for waving your hands through the air, aimlessly,
11602 while people stand around yawning.
11604 @acronym{MIME}, however, is a standard for encoding your articles, aimlessly,
11605 while all newsreaders die of fear.
11607 @acronym{MIME} may specify what character set the article uses, the encoding
11608 of the characters, and it also makes it possible to embed pictures and
11609 other naughty stuff in innocent-looking articles.
11611 @vindex gnus-display-mime-function
11612 @findex gnus-display-mime
11613 Gnus pushes @acronym{MIME} articles through @code{gnus-display-mime-function}
11614 to display the @acronym{MIME} parts. This is @code{gnus-display-mime} by
11615 default, which creates a bundle of clickable buttons that can be used to
11616 display, save and manipulate the @acronym{MIME} objects.
11618 The following commands are available when you have placed point over a
11619 @acronym{MIME} button:
11622 @findex gnus-article-press-button
11623 @item RET (Article)
11624 @kindex RET (Article)
11625 @itemx BUTTON-2 (Article)
11626 Toggle displaying of the @acronym{MIME} object
11627 (@code{gnus-article-press-button}). If built-in viewers can not display
11628 the object, Gnus resorts to external viewers in the @file{mailcap}
11629 files. If a viewer has the @samp{copiousoutput} specification, the
11630 object is displayed inline.
11632 @findex gnus-mime-view-part
11633 @item M-RET (Article)
11634 @kindex M-RET (Article)
11636 Prompt for a method, and then view the @acronym{MIME} object using this
11637 method (@code{gnus-mime-view-part}).
11639 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-type
11641 @kindex t (Article)
11642 View the @acronym{MIME} object as if it were a different @acronym{MIME} media type
11643 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-type}).
11645 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-charset
11647 @kindex C (Article)
11648 Prompt for a charset, and then view the @acronym{MIME} object using this
11649 charset (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-charset}).
11651 @findex gnus-mime-save-part
11653 @kindex o (Article)
11654 Prompt for a file name, and then save the @acronym{MIME} object
11655 (@code{gnus-mime-save-part}).
11657 @findex gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip
11658 @item C-o (Article)
11659 @kindex C-o (Article)
11660 Prompt for a file name, then save the @acronym{MIME} object and strip it from
11661 the article. Then proceed to article editing, where a reasonable
11662 suggestion is being made on how the altered article should look
11663 like. The stripped @acronym{MIME} object will be referred via the
11664 message/external-body @acronym{MIME} type.
11665 (@code{gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip}).
11667 @findex gnus-mime-replace-part
11669 @kindex r (Article)
11670 Prompt for a file name, replace the @acronym{MIME} object with an
11671 external body referring to the file via the message/external-body
11672 @acronym{MIME} type. (@code{gnus-mime-replace-part}).
11674 @findex gnus-mime-delete-part
11676 @kindex d (Article)
11677 Delete the @acronym{MIME} object from the article and replace it with some
11678 information about the removed @acronym{MIME} object
11679 (@code{gnus-mime-delete-part}).
11681 @c FIXME: gnus-auto-select-part should be documented here
11683 @findex gnus-mime-copy-part
11685 @kindex c (Article)
11686 Copy the @acronym{MIME} object to a fresh buffer and display this buffer
11687 (@code{gnus-mime-copy-part}). If given a prefix, copy the raw contents
11688 without decoding. If given a numerical prefix, you can do semi-manual
11689 charset stuff (see @code{gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist} in
11690 @ref{Paging the Article}). Compressed files like @file{.gz} and
11691 @file{.bz2} are automatically decompressed if
11692 @code{auto-compression-mode} is enabled (@pxref{Compressed Files,,
11693 Accessing Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Editor}).
11695 @findex gnus-mime-print-part
11697 @kindex p (Article)
11698 Print the @acronym{MIME} object (@code{gnus-mime-print-part}). This
11699 command respects the @samp{print=} specifications in the
11700 @file{.mailcap} file.
11702 @findex gnus-mime-inline-part
11704 @kindex i (Article)
11705 Insert the contents of the @acronym{MIME} object into the buffer
11706 (@code{gnus-mime-inline-part}) as @samp{text/plain}. If given a prefix, insert
11707 the raw contents without decoding. If given a numerical prefix, you can
11708 do semi-manual charset stuff (see
11709 @code{gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist} in @ref{Paging the
11710 Article}). Compressed files like @file{.gz} and @file{.bz2} are
11711 automatically decompressed depending on @code{jka-compr} regardless of
11712 @code{auto-compression-mode} (@pxref{Compressed Files,, Accessing
11713 Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Editor}).
11715 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-internally
11717 @kindex E (Article)
11718 View the @acronym{MIME} object with an internal viewer. If no internal
11719 viewer is available, use an external viewer
11720 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-internally}).
11722 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-externally
11724 @kindex e (Article)
11725 View the @acronym{MIME} object with an external viewer.
11726 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-externally}).
11728 @findex gnus-mime-pipe-part
11730 @kindex | (Article)
11731 Output the @acronym{MIME} object to a process (@code{gnus-mime-pipe-part}).
11733 @findex gnus-mime-action-on-part
11735 @kindex . (Article)
11736 Interactively run an action on the @acronym{MIME} object
11737 (@code{gnus-mime-action-on-part}).
11741 Gnus will display some @acronym{MIME} objects automatically. The way Gnus
11742 determines which parts to do this with is described in the Emacs
11743 @acronym{MIME} manual.
11745 It might be best to just use the toggling functions from the article
11746 buffer to avoid getting nasty surprises. (For instance, you enter the
11747 group @samp{alt.sing-a-long} and, before you know it, @acronym{MIME} has
11748 decoded the sound file in the article and some horrible sing-a-long song
11749 comes screaming out your speakers, and you can't find the volume button,
11750 because there isn't one, and people are starting to look at you, and you
11751 try to stop the program, but you can't, and you can't find the program
11752 to control the volume, and everybody else in the room suddenly decides
11753 to look at you disdainfully, and you'll feel rather stupid.)
11755 Any similarity to real events and people is purely coincidental. Ahem.
11757 Also @pxref{MIME Commands}.
11761 @section @acronym{HTML}
11762 @cindex @acronym{HTML}
11764 Gnus can display @acronym{HTML} articles nicely formatted in the
11765 article buffer. There are many methods for doing that, but two of
11766 them are kind of default methods.
11768 If your Emacs copy has been built with libxml2 support, then Gnus uses
11769 its built-in, plain elisp Simple HTML Renderer (@code{shr}).
11770 @footnote{@code{shr} displays colors as declared in the @acronym{HTML}
11771 article but tries to adjust them in order to be readable. If you
11772 prefer more contrast, have a look at question 4.16 in the
11773 @xref{Frequently Asked Questions}.}
11775 If your Emacs copy lacks libxml2 support but you have @code{w3m}
11776 installed on your system, Gnus uses that to render @acronym{HTML} mail
11777 and display the results in the article buffer (@code{gnus-w3m}).
11779 For a complete overview, consult @xref{Display Customization, ,Display
11780 Customization, emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME Manual}. This section only
11781 describes the default method.
11784 @item mm-text-html-renderer
11785 @vindex mm-text-html-renderer
11786 If set to @code{shr}, Gnus uses its own simple @acronym{HTML}
11787 renderer. If set to @code{gnus-w3m}, it uses @code{w3m}.
11789 @item gnus-blocked-images
11790 @vindex gnus-blocked-images
11791 External images that have @acronym{URL}s that match this regexp won't
11792 be fetched and displayed. For instance, do block all @acronym{URL}s
11793 that have the string ``ads'' in them, do the following:
11796 (setq gnus-blocked-images "ads")
11799 This can also be a function to be evaluated. If so, it will be
11800 called with the group name as the parameter. The default value is
11801 @code{gnus-block-private-groups}, which will return @samp{"."} for
11802 anything that isn't a newsgroup. This means that no external images
11803 will be fetched as a result of reading mail, so that nobody can use
11804 web bugs (and the like) to track whether you've read email.
11806 Also @pxref{Misc Article} for @code{gnus-inhibit-images}.
11808 @item gnus-html-cache-directory
11809 @vindex gnus-html-cache-directory
11810 Gnus will download and cache images according to how
11811 @code{gnus-blocked-images} is set. These images will be stored in
11814 @item gnus-html-cache-size
11815 @vindex gnus-html-cache-size
11816 When @code{gnus-html-cache-size} bytes have been used in that
11817 directory, the oldest files will be deleted. The default is 500MB.
11819 @item gnus-html-frame-width
11820 @vindex gnus-html-frame-width
11821 The width to use when rendering HTML@. The default is 70.
11823 @item gnus-max-image-proportion
11824 @vindex gnus-max-image-proportion
11825 How big pictures displayed are in relation to the window they're in.
11826 A value of 0.7 (the default) means that they are allowed to take up
11827 70% of the width and height of the window. If they are larger than
11828 this, and Emacs supports it, then the images will be rescaled down to
11829 fit these criteria.
11833 To use this, make sure that you have @code{w3m} and @code{curl}
11834 installed. If you have, then Gnus should display @acronym{HTML}
11839 @node Customizing Articles
11840 @section Customizing Articles
11841 @cindex article customization
11843 A slew of functions for customizing how the articles are to look like
11844 exist. You can call these functions interactively
11845 (@pxref{Article Washing}), or you can have them
11846 called automatically when you select the articles.
11848 To have them called automatically, you should set the corresponding
11849 ``treatment'' variable. For instance, to have headers hidden, you'd set
11850 @code{gnus-treat-hide-headers}. Below is a list of variables that can
11851 be set, but first we discuss the values these variables can have.
11853 Note: Some values, while valid, make little sense. Check the list below
11854 for sensible values.
11858 @code{nil}: Don't do this treatment.
11861 @code{t}: Do this treatment on all body parts.
11864 @code{head}: Do the treatment on the headers.
11867 @code{first}: Do this treatment on the first body part.
11870 @code{last}: Do this treatment on the last body part.
11873 An integer: Do this treatment on all body parts that have a length less
11877 A list of strings: Do this treatment on all body parts that are in
11878 articles that are read in groups that have names that match one of the
11879 regexps in the list.
11882 A list where the first element is not a string:
11884 The list is evaluated recursively. The first element of the list is a
11885 predicate. The following predicates are recognized: @code{or},
11886 @code{and}, @code{not} and @code{typep}. Here's an example:
11890 (typep "text/x-vcard"))
11894 A function: the function is called with no arguments and should return
11895 @code{nil} or non-@code{nil}. The current article is available in the
11896 buffer named by @code{gnus-article-buffer}.
11900 You may have noticed that the word @dfn{part} is used here. This refers
11901 to the fact that some messages are @acronym{MIME} multipart articles that may
11902 be divided into several parts. Articles that are not multiparts are
11903 considered to contain just a single part.
11905 @vindex gnus-article-treat-types
11906 Are the treatments applied to all sorts of multipart parts? Yes, if you
11907 want to, but by default, only @samp{text/plain} parts are given the
11908 treatment. This is controlled by the @code{gnus-article-treat-types}
11909 variable, which is a list of regular expressions that are matched to the
11910 type of the part. This variable is ignored if the value of the
11911 controlling variable is a predicate list, as described above.
11914 @c Avoid sort of redundant entries in the same section for the printed
11915 @c manual, but add them in info to allow `i gnus-treat-foo-bar RET' or
11917 @vindex gnus-treat-buttonize
11918 @vindex gnus-treat-buttonize-head
11919 @vindex gnus-treat-capitalize-sentences
11920 @vindex gnus-treat-overstrike
11921 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-cr
11922 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-headers-in-body
11923 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-leading-blank-lines
11924 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-multiple-blank-lines
11925 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-pem
11926 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-trailing-blank-lines
11927 @vindex gnus-treat-unsplit-urls
11928 @vindex gnus-treat-wash-html
11929 @vindex gnus-treat-date
11930 @vindex gnus-treat-from-picon
11931 @vindex gnus-treat-mail-picon
11932 @vindex gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon
11933 @vindex gnus-treat-from-gravatar
11934 @vindex gnus-treat-mail-gravatar
11935 @vindex gnus-treat-display-smileys
11936 @vindex gnus-treat-body-boundary
11937 @vindex gnus-treat-display-x-face
11938 @vindex gnus-treat-display-face
11939 @vindex gnus-treat-emphasize
11940 @vindex gnus-treat-fill-article
11941 @vindex gnus-treat-fill-long-lines
11942 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers
11943 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-citation
11944 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe
11945 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-headers
11946 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-signature
11947 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-banner
11948 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-list-identifiers
11949 @vindex gnus-treat-highlight-citation
11950 @vindex gnus-treat-highlight-headers
11951 @vindex gnus-treat-highlight-signature
11952 @vindex gnus-treat-play-sounds
11953 @vindex gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig
11954 @vindex gnus-treat-unfold-headers
11955 @vindex gnus-treat-fold-headers
11956 @vindex gnus-treat-fold-newsgroups
11957 @vindex gnus-treat-leading-whitespace
11960 The following treatment options are available. The easiest way to
11961 customize this is to examine the @code{gnus-article-treat} customization
11962 group. Values in parenthesis are suggested sensible values. Others are
11963 possible but those listed are probably sufficient for most people.
11966 @item gnus-treat-buttonize (t, integer)
11967 @item gnus-treat-buttonize-head (head)
11969 @xref{Article Buttons}.
11971 @item gnus-treat-capitalize-sentences (t, integer)
11972 @item gnus-treat-overstrike (t, integer)
11973 @item gnus-treat-strip-cr (t, integer)
11974 @item gnus-treat-strip-headers-in-body (t, integer)
11975 @item gnus-treat-strip-leading-blank-lines (t, first, integer)
11976 @item gnus-treat-strip-multiple-blank-lines (t, integer)
11977 @item gnus-treat-strip-pem (t, last, integer)
11978 @item gnus-treat-strip-trailing-blank-lines (t, last, integer)
11979 @item gnus-treat-unsplit-urls (t, integer)
11980 @item gnus-treat-wash-html (t, integer)
11982 @xref{Article Washing}.
11984 @item gnus-treat-date (head)
11986 This will transform/add date headers according to the
11987 @code{gnus-article-date-headers} variable. This is a list of Date
11988 headers to display. The formats available are:
11992 Universal time, aka GMT, aka ZULU.
11995 The user's local time zone.
11998 A semi-readable English sentence.
12001 The time elapsed since the message was posted.
12003 @item combined-lapsed
12004 Both the original date header and a (shortened) elapsed time.
12007 The original date header.
12010 ISO8601 format, i.e., ``2010-11-23T22:05:21''.
12013 A format done according to the @code{gnus-article-time-format}
12018 @xref{Article Date}.
12020 @item gnus-treat-from-picon (head)
12021 @item gnus-treat-mail-picon (head)
12022 @item gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon (head)
12026 @item gnus-treat-from-gravatar (head)
12027 @item gnus-treat-mail-gravatar (head)
12031 @item gnus-treat-display-smileys (t, integer)
12033 @item gnus-treat-body-boundary (head)
12035 @vindex gnus-body-boundary-delimiter
12036 Adds a delimiter between header and body, the string used as delimiter
12037 is controlled by @code{gnus-body-boundary-delimiter}.
12041 @vindex gnus-treat-display-x-face
12042 @item gnus-treat-display-x-face (head)
12046 @vindex gnus-treat-display-face
12047 @item gnus-treat-display-face (head)
12051 @vindex gnus-treat-emphasize
12052 @item gnus-treat-emphasize (t, head, integer)
12053 @vindex gnus-treat-fill-article
12054 @item gnus-treat-fill-article (t, integer)
12055 @vindex gnus-treat-fill-long-lines
12056 @item gnus-treat-fill-long-lines (t, integer)
12057 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers
12058 @item gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers (head)
12059 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-citation
12060 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation (t, integer)
12061 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe
12062 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe (t, integer)
12063 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-headers
12064 @item gnus-treat-hide-headers (head)
12065 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-signature
12066 @item gnus-treat-hide-signature (t, last)
12067 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-banner
12068 @item gnus-treat-strip-banner (t, last)
12069 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-list-identifiers
12070 @item gnus-treat-strip-list-identifiers (head)
12072 @xref{Article Hiding}.
12074 @vindex gnus-treat-highlight-citation
12075 @item gnus-treat-highlight-citation (t, integer)
12076 @vindex gnus-treat-highlight-headers
12077 @item gnus-treat-highlight-headers (head)
12078 @vindex gnus-treat-highlight-signature
12079 @item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last, integer)
12081 @xref{Article Highlighting}.
12083 @vindex gnus-treat-play-sounds
12084 @item gnus-treat-play-sounds
12085 @item gnus-treat-ansi-sequences (t)
12086 @vindex gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig
12087 @item gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig (head)
12089 @vindex gnus-treat-unfold-headers
12090 @item gnus-treat-unfold-headers (head)
12091 @vindex gnus-treat-fold-headers
12092 @item gnus-treat-fold-headers (head)
12093 @vindex gnus-treat-fold-newsgroups
12094 @item gnus-treat-fold-newsgroups (head)
12095 @vindex gnus-treat-leading-whitespace
12096 @item gnus-treat-leading-whitespace (head)
12098 @xref{Article Header}.
12103 @vindex gnus-part-display-hook
12104 You can, of course, write your own functions to be called from
12105 @code{gnus-part-display-hook}. The functions are called narrowed to the
12106 part, and you can do anything you like, pretty much. There is no
12107 information that you have to keep in the buffer---you can change
12111 @node Article Keymap
12112 @section Article Keymap
12114 Most of the keystrokes in the summary buffer can also be used in the
12115 article buffer. They should behave as if you typed them in the summary
12116 buffer, which means that you don't actually have to have a summary
12117 buffer displayed while reading. You can do it all from the article
12120 @kindex v (Article)
12121 @cindex keys, reserved for users (Article)
12122 The key @kbd{v} is reserved for users. You can bind it to some
12123 command or better use it as a prefix key.
12125 A few additional keystrokes are available:
12130 @kindex SPACE (Article)
12131 @findex gnus-article-next-page
12132 Scroll forwards one page (@code{gnus-article-next-page}).
12133 This is exactly the same as @kbd{h SPACE h}.
12136 @kindex DEL (Article)
12137 @findex gnus-article-prev-page
12138 Scroll backwards one page (@code{gnus-article-prev-page}).
12139 This is exactly the same as @kbd{h DEL h}.
12142 @kindex C-c ^ (Article)
12143 @findex gnus-article-refer-article
12144 If point is in the neighborhood of a @code{Message-ID} and you press
12145 @kbd{C-c ^}, Gnus will try to get that article from the server
12146 (@code{gnus-article-refer-article}).
12149 @kindex C-c C-m (Article)
12150 @findex gnus-article-mail
12151 Send a reply to the address near point (@code{gnus-article-mail}). If
12152 given a prefix, include the mail.
12155 @kindex s (Article)
12156 @findex gnus-article-show-summary
12157 Reconfigure the buffers so that the summary buffer becomes visible
12158 (@code{gnus-article-show-summary}).
12161 @kindex ? (Article)
12162 @findex gnus-article-describe-briefly
12163 Give a very brief description of the available keystrokes
12164 (@code{gnus-article-describe-briefly}).
12167 @kindex TAB (Article)
12168 @findex gnus-article-next-button
12169 Go to the next button, if any (@code{gnus-article-next-button}). This
12170 only makes sense if you have buttonizing turned on.
12173 @kindex M-TAB (Article)
12174 @findex gnus-article-prev-button
12175 Go to the previous button, if any (@code{gnus-article-prev-button}).
12178 @kindex R (Article)
12179 @findex gnus-article-reply-with-original
12180 Send a reply to the current article and yank the current article
12181 (@code{gnus-article-reply-with-original}). If the region is active,
12182 only yank the text in the region.
12185 @kindex S W (Article)
12186 @findex gnus-article-wide-reply-with-original
12187 Send a wide reply to the current article and yank the current article
12188 (@code{gnus-article-wide-reply-with-original}). If the region is
12189 active, only yank the text in the region.
12192 @kindex F (Article)
12193 @findex gnus-article-followup-with-original
12194 Send a followup to the current article and yank the current article
12195 (@code{gnus-article-followup-with-original}). If the region is active,
12196 only yank the text in the region.
12203 @section Misc Article
12207 @item gnus-single-article-buffer
12208 @vindex gnus-single-article-buffer
12209 @cindex article buffers, several
12210 If non-@code{nil}, use the same article buffer for all the groups.
12211 (This is the default.) If @code{nil}, each group will have its own
12214 @item gnus-widen-article-window
12215 @cindex gnus-widen-article-window
12216 If non-@code{nil}, selecting the article buffer with the @kbd{h}
12217 command will ``widen'' the article window to take the entire frame.
12219 @vindex gnus-article-decode-hook
12220 @item gnus-article-decode-hook
12221 @cindex @acronym{MIME}
12222 Hook used to decode @acronym{MIME} articles. The default value is
12223 @code{(article-decode-charset article-decode-encoded-words)}
12225 @vindex gnus-article-prepare-hook
12226 @item gnus-article-prepare-hook
12227 This hook is called right after the article has been inserted into the
12228 article buffer. It is mainly intended for functions that do something
12229 depending on the contents; it should probably not be used for changing
12230 the contents of the article buffer.
12232 @item gnus-article-mode-hook
12233 @vindex gnus-article-mode-hook
12234 Hook called in article mode buffers.
12236 @item gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
12237 @vindex gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
12238 Syntax table used in article buffers. It is initialized from
12239 @code{text-mode-syntax-table}.
12241 @vindex gnus-article-over-scroll
12242 @item gnus-article-over-scroll
12243 If non-@code{nil}, allow scrolling the article buffer even when there
12244 no more new text to scroll in. The default is @code{nil}.
12246 @vindex gnus-article-mode-line-format
12247 @item gnus-article-mode-line-format
12248 This variable is a format string along the same lines as
12249 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Summary Buffer Mode
12250 Line}). It accepts the same format specifications as that variable,
12251 with two extensions:
12256 The @dfn{wash status} of the article. This is a short string with one
12257 character for each possible article wash operation that may have been
12258 performed. The characters and their meaning:
12263 Displayed when cited text may be hidden in the article buffer.
12266 Displayed when headers are hidden in the article buffer.
12269 Displayed when article is digitally signed or encrypted, and Gnus has
12270 hidden the security headers. (N.B. does not tell anything about
12271 security status, i.e., good or bad signature.)
12274 Displayed when the signature has been hidden in the Article buffer.
12277 Displayed when Gnus has treated overstrike characters in the article buffer.
12280 Displayed when Gnus has treated emphasized strings in the article buffer.
12285 The number of @acronym{MIME} parts in the article.
12289 @vindex gnus-break-pages
12291 @item gnus-break-pages
12292 Controls whether @dfn{page breaking} is to take place. If this variable
12293 is non-@code{nil}, the articles will be divided into pages whenever a
12294 page delimiter appears in the article. If this variable is @code{nil},
12295 paging will not be done.
12297 @item gnus-page-delimiter
12298 @vindex gnus-page-delimiter
12299 This is the delimiter mentioned above. By default, it is @samp{^L}
12303 @cindex internationalized domain names
12304 @vindex gnus-use-idna
12305 @item gnus-use-idna
12306 This variable controls whether Gnus performs IDNA decoding of
12307 internationalized domain names inside @samp{From}, @samp{To} and
12308 @samp{Cc} headers. @xref{IDNA, ,IDNA,message, The Message Manual},
12309 for how to compose such messages. This requires
12310 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/libidn/, GNU Libidn}, and this
12311 variable is only enabled if you have installed it.
12313 @vindex gnus-inhibit-images
12314 @item gnus-inhibit-images
12315 If this is non-@code{nil}, inhibit displaying of images inline in the
12316 article body. It is effective to images that are in articles as
12317 @acronym{MIME} parts, and images in @acronym{HTML} articles rendered
12318 when @code{mm-text-html-renderer} (@pxref{Display Customization,
12319 ,Display Customization, emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME Manual}) is
12320 @code{shr} or @code{gnus-w3m}.
12325 @node Composing Messages
12326 @chapter Composing Messages
12327 @cindex composing messages
12330 @cindex sending mail
12335 @cindex using s/mime
12336 @cindex using smime
12338 @kindex C-c C-c (Post)
12339 All commands for posting and mailing will put you in a message buffer
12340 where you can edit the article all you like, before you send the
12341 article by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}. @xref{Top, , Overview, message,
12342 Message Manual}. Where the message will be posted/mailed to depends
12343 on your setup (@pxref{Posting Server}).
12346 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
12347 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
12348 * POP before SMTP:: You cannot send a mail unless you read a mail.
12349 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
12350 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
12351 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
12352 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
12353 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
12354 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
12357 Also @pxref{Canceling and Superseding} for information on how to
12358 remove articles you shouldn't have posted.
12364 Variables for customizing outgoing mail:
12367 @item gnus-uu-digest-headers
12368 @vindex gnus-uu-digest-headers
12369 List of regexps to match headers included in digested messages. The
12370 headers will be included in the sequence they are matched. If
12371 @code{nil} include all headers.
12373 @item gnus-add-to-list
12374 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
12375 If non-@code{nil}, add a @code{to-list} group parameter to mail groups
12376 that have none when you do a @kbd{a}.
12378 @item gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
12379 @vindex gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
12380 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will ask you for a confirmation when you are
12381 about to reply to news articles by mail. If it is @code{nil}, nothing
12382 interferes in what you want to do. This can also be a function
12383 receiving the group name as the only parameter which should return
12384 non-@code{nil} if a confirmation is needed, or a regular expression
12385 matching group names, where confirmation should be asked for.
12387 If you find yourself never wanting to reply to mail, but occasionally
12388 press @kbd{R} anyway, this variable might be for you.
12390 @item gnus-confirm-treat-mail-like-news
12391 @vindex gnus-confirm-treat-mail-like-news
12392 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus also requests confirmation according to
12393 @code{gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news} when replying to mail. This is
12394 useful for treating mailing lists like newsgroups.
12399 @node Posting Server
12400 @section Posting Server
12402 When you press those magical @kbd{C-c C-c} keys to ship off your latest
12403 (extremely intelligent, of course) article, where does it go?
12405 Thank you for asking. I hate you.
12407 It can be quite complicated.
12409 @vindex gnus-post-method
12410 When posting news, Message usually invokes @code{message-send-news}
12411 (@pxref{News Variables, , News Variables, message, Message Manual}).
12412 Normally, Gnus will post using the same select method as you're
12413 reading from (which might be convenient if you're reading lots of
12414 groups from different private servers). However. If the server
12415 you're reading from doesn't allow posting, just reading, you probably
12416 want to use some other server to post your (extremely intelligent and
12417 fabulously interesting) articles. You can then set the
12418 @code{gnus-post-method} to some other method:
12421 (setq gnus-post-method '(nnspool ""))
12424 Now, if you've done this, and then this server rejects your article, or
12425 this server is down, what do you do then? To override this variable you
12426 can use a non-zero prefix to the @kbd{C-c C-c} command to force using
12427 the ``current'' server, to get back the default behavior, for posting.
12429 If you give a zero prefix (i.e., @kbd{C-u 0 C-c C-c}) to that command,
12430 Gnus will prompt you for what method to use for posting.
12432 You can also set @code{gnus-post-method} to a list of select methods.
12433 If that's the case, Gnus will always prompt you for what method to use
12436 Finally, if you want to always post using the native select method,
12437 you can set this variable to @code{native}.
12439 @vindex message-send-mail-function
12440 When sending mail, Message invokes the function specified by the
12441 variable @code{message-send-mail-function}. Gnus tries to set it to a
12442 value suitable for your system.
12443 @xref{Mail Variables, ,Mail Variables,message,Message manual}, for more
12447 @node POP before SMTP
12448 @section POP before SMTP
12449 @cindex pop before smtp
12450 @findex mail-source-touch-pop
12452 Does your @acronym{ISP} use @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP}
12453 authentication? This authentication method simply requires you to
12454 contact the @acronym{POP} server before sending email. To do that,
12455 put the following lines in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
12458 (add-hook 'message-send-mail-hook 'mail-source-touch-pop)
12462 The @code{mail-source-touch-pop} function does @acronym{POP}
12463 authentication according to the value of @code{mail-sources} without
12464 fetching mails, just before sending a mail. @xref{Mail Sources}.
12466 If you have two or more @acronym{POP} mail servers set in
12467 @code{mail-sources}, you may want to specify one of them to
12468 @code{mail-source-primary-source} as the @acronym{POP} mail server to be
12469 used for the @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP} authentication. If it
12470 is your primary @acronym{POP} mail server (i.e., you are fetching mails
12471 mainly from that server), you can set it permanently as follows:
12474 (setq mail-source-primary-source
12475 '(pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
12476 :password "secret"))
12480 Otherwise, bind it dynamically only when performing the
12481 @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP} authentication as follows:
12484 (add-hook 'message-send-mail-hook
12486 (let ((mail-source-primary-source
12487 '(pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
12488 :password "secret")))
12489 (mail-source-touch-pop))))
12493 @node Mail and Post
12494 @section Mail and Post
12496 Here's a list of variables relevant to both mailing and
12500 @item gnus-mailing-list-groups
12501 @findex gnus-mailing-list-groups
12502 @cindex mailing lists
12504 If your news server offers groups that are really mailing lists
12505 gatewayed to the @acronym{NNTP} server, you can read those groups without
12506 problems, but you can't post/followup to them without some difficulty.
12507 One solution is to add a @code{to-address} to the group parameters
12508 (@pxref{Group Parameters}). An easier thing to do is set the
12509 @code{gnus-mailing-list-groups} to a regexp that matches the groups that
12510 really are mailing lists. Then, at least, followups to the mailing
12511 lists will work most of the time. Posting to these groups (@kbd{a}) is
12512 still a pain, though.
12514 @item gnus-user-agent
12515 @vindex gnus-user-agent
12518 This variable controls which information should be exposed in the
12519 User-Agent header. It can be a list of symbols or a string. Valid
12520 symbols are @code{gnus} (show Gnus version) and @code{emacs} (show Emacs
12521 version). In addition to the Emacs version, you can add @code{codename}
12522 (show (S)XEmacs codename) or either @code{config} (show system
12523 configuration) or @code{type} (show system type). If you set it to a
12524 string, be sure to use a valid format, see RFC 2616.
12528 You may want to do spell-checking on messages that you send out. Or, if
12529 you don't want to spell-check by hand, you could add automatic
12530 spell-checking via the @code{ispell} package:
12533 @findex ispell-message
12535 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'ispell-message)
12538 If you want to change the @code{ispell} dictionary based on what group
12539 you're in, you could say something like the following:
12542 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook
12546 "^de\\." (gnus-group-real-name gnus-newsgroup-name))
12547 (ispell-change-dictionary "deutsch"))
12549 (ispell-change-dictionary "english")))))
12552 Modify to suit your needs.
12554 @vindex gnus-message-highlight-citation
12555 If @code{gnus-message-highlight-citation} is @code{t}, different levels of
12556 citations are highlighted like in Gnus article buffers also in message
12559 @node Archived Messages
12560 @section Archived Messages
12561 @cindex archived messages
12562 @cindex sent messages
12564 Gnus provides a few different methods for storing the mail and news you
12565 send. The default method is to use the @dfn{archive virtual server} to
12566 store the messages. If you want to disable this completely, the
12567 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable should be @code{nil}. The
12568 default is "sent.%Y-%m", which gives you one archive group per month.
12570 For archiving interesting messages in a group you read, see the
12571 @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}) command (@pxref{Mail
12574 @vindex gnus-message-archive-method
12575 @code{gnus-message-archive-method} says what virtual server Gnus is to
12576 use to store sent messages. The default is @code{"archive"}, and when
12577 actually being used it is expanded into:
12580 (nnfolder "archive"
12581 (nnfolder-directory "~/Mail/archive")
12582 (nnfolder-active-file "~/Mail/archive/active")
12583 (nnfolder-get-new-mail nil)
12584 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t))
12588 @vindex gnus-update-message-archive-method
12589 Note: a server like this is saved in the @file{~/.newsrc.eld} file first
12590 so that it may be used as a real method of the server which is named
12591 @code{"archive"} (that is, for the case where
12592 @code{gnus-message-archive-method} is set to @code{"archive"}) ever
12593 since. If it once has been saved, it will never be updated by default
12594 even if you change the value of @code{gnus-message-archive-method}
12595 afterward. Therefore, the server @code{"archive"} doesn't necessarily
12596 mean the @code{nnfolder} server like this at all times. If you want the
12597 saved method to reflect always the value of
12598 @code{gnus-message-archive-method}, set the
12599 @code{gnus-update-message-archive-method} variable to a non-@code{nil}
12600 value. The default value of this variable is @code{nil}.
12603 You can, however, use any mail select method (@code{nnml},
12604 @code{nnmbox}, etc.). @code{nnfolder} is a quite likable select method
12605 for doing this sort of thing, though. If you don't like the default
12606 directory chosen, you could say something like:
12609 (setq gnus-message-archive-method
12610 '(nnfolder "archive"
12611 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t)
12612 (nnfolder-active-file "~/News/sent-mail/active")
12613 (nnfolder-directory "~/News/sent-mail/")))
12616 @vindex gnus-message-archive-group
12618 Gnus will insert @code{Gcc} headers in all outgoing messages that point
12619 to one or more group(s) on that server. Which group to use is
12620 determined by the @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable.
12622 This variable can be used to do the following:
12626 Messages will be saved in that group.
12628 Note that you can include a select method in the group name, then the
12629 message will not be stored in the select method given by
12630 @code{gnus-message-archive-method}, but in the select method specified
12631 by the group name, instead. Suppose @code{gnus-message-archive-method}
12632 has the default value shown above. Then setting
12633 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{"foo"} means that outgoing
12634 messages are stored in @samp{nnfolder+archive:foo}, but if you use the
12635 value @code{"nnml:foo"}, then outgoing messages will be stored in
12638 @item a list of strings
12639 Messages will be saved in all those groups.
12641 @item an alist of regexps, functions and forms
12642 When a key ``matches'', the result is used.
12645 No message archiving will take place.
12650 Just saving to a single group called @samp{MisK}:
12652 (setq gnus-message-archive-group "MisK")
12655 Saving to two groups, @samp{MisK} and @samp{safe}:
12657 (setq gnus-message-archive-group '("MisK" "safe"))
12660 Save to different groups based on what group you are in:
12662 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
12663 '(("^alt" "sent-to-alt")
12664 ("mail" "sent-to-mail")
12665 (".*" "sent-to-misc")))
12668 More complex stuff:
12670 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
12671 '((if (message-news-p)
12676 How about storing all news messages in one file, but storing all mail
12677 messages in one file per month:
12680 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
12681 '((if (message-news-p)
12683 (concat "mail." (format-time-string "%Y-%m")))))
12686 Now, when you send a message off, it will be stored in the appropriate
12687 group. (If you want to disable storing for just one particular message,
12688 you can just remove the @code{Gcc} header that has been inserted.) The
12689 archive group will appear in the group buffer the next time you start
12690 Gnus, or the next time you press @kbd{F} in the group buffer. You can
12691 enter it and read the articles in it just like you'd read any other
12692 group. If the group gets really big and annoying, you can simply rename
12693 if (using @kbd{G r} in the group buffer) to something
12694 nice---@samp{misc-mail-september-1995}, or whatever. New messages will
12695 continue to be stored in the old (now empty) group.
12698 @item gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
12699 @vindex gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
12700 If non-@code{nil}, automatically mark @code{Gcc} articles as read.
12702 @item gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
12703 @vindex gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
12704 If @code{nil}, attach files as normal parts in Gcc copies; if a regexp
12705 and matches the Gcc group name, attach files as external parts; if it is
12706 @code{all}, attach local files as external parts; if it is other
12707 non-@code{nil}, the behavior is the same as @code{all}, but it may be
12708 changed in the future.
12710 @item gnus-gcc-self-resent-messages
12711 @vindex gnus-gcc-self-resent-messages
12712 Like the @code{gcc-self} group parameter, applied only for unmodified
12713 messages that @code{gnus-summary-resend-message} (@pxref{Summary Mail
12714 Commands}) resends. Non-@code{nil} value of this variable takes
12715 precedence over any existing @code{Gcc} header.
12717 If this is @code{none}, no @code{Gcc} copy will be made. If this is
12718 @code{t}, messages resent will be @code{Gcc} copied to the current
12719 group. If this is a string, it specifies a group to which resent
12720 messages will be @code{Gcc} copied. If this is @code{nil}, @code{Gcc}
12721 will be done according to existing @code{Gcc} header(s), if any. If
12722 this is @code{no-gcc-self}, that is the default, resent messages will be
12723 @code{Gcc} copied to groups that existing @code{Gcc} header specifies,
12724 except for the current group.
12726 @item gnus-gcc-pre-body-encode-hook
12727 @vindex gnus-gcc-pre-body-encode-hook
12728 @itemx gnus-gcc-post-body-encode-hook
12729 @vindex gnus-gcc-post-body-encode-hook
12731 These hooks are run before/after encoding the message body of the Gcc
12732 copy of a sent message. The current buffer (when the hook is run)
12733 contains the message including the message header. Changes made to
12734 the message will only affect the Gcc copy, but not the original
12735 message. You can use these hooks to edit the copy (and influence
12736 subsequent transformations), e.g., remove MML secure tags
12737 (@pxref{Signing and encrypting}).
12742 @node Posting Styles
12743 @section Posting Styles
12744 @cindex posting styles
12747 All them variables, they make my head swim.
12749 So what if you want a different @code{Organization} and signature based
12750 on what groups you post to? And you post both from your home machine
12751 and your work machine, and you want different @code{From} lines, and so
12754 @vindex gnus-posting-styles
12755 One way to do stuff like that is to write clever hooks that change the
12756 variables you need to have changed. That's a bit boring, so somebody
12757 came up with the bright idea of letting the user specify these things in
12758 a handy alist. Here's an example of a @code{gnus-posting-styles}
12763 (signature "Peace and happiness")
12764 (organization "What me?"))
12766 (signature "Death to everybody"))
12767 ("comp.emacs.i-love-it"
12768 (organization "Emacs is it")))
12771 As you might surmise from this example, this alist consists of several
12772 @dfn{styles}. Each style will be applicable if the first element
12773 ``matches'', in some form or other. The entire alist will be iterated
12774 over, from the beginning towards the end, and each match will be
12775 applied, which means that attributes in later styles that match override
12776 the same attributes in earlier matching styles. So
12777 @samp{comp.programming.literate} will have the @samp{Death to everybody}
12778 signature and the @samp{What me?} @code{Organization} header.
12780 The first element in each style is called the @code{match}. If it's a
12781 string, then Gnus will try to regexp match it against the group name.
12782 If it is the form @code{(header @var{match} @var{regexp})}, then Gnus
12783 will look in the original article for a header whose name is
12784 @var{match} and compare that @var{regexp}. @var{match} and
12785 @var{regexp} are strings. (The original article is the one you are
12786 replying or following up to. If you are not composing a reply or a
12787 followup, then there is nothing to match against.) If the
12788 @code{match} is a function symbol, that function will be called with
12789 no arguments. If it's a variable symbol, then the variable will be
12790 referenced. If it's a list, then that list will be @code{eval}ed. In
12791 any case, if this returns a non-@code{nil} value, then the style is
12792 said to @dfn{match}.
12794 Each style may contain an arbitrary amount of @dfn{attributes}. Each
12795 attribute consists of a @code{(@var{name} @var{value})} pair. In
12796 addition, you can also use the @code{(@var{name} :file @var{value})}
12797 form or the @code{(@var{name} :value @var{value})} form. Where
12798 @code{:file} signifies @var{value} represents a file name and its
12799 contents should be used as the attribute value, @code{:value} signifies
12800 @var{value} does not represent a file name explicitly. The attribute
12801 name can be one of:
12804 @item @code{signature}
12805 @item @code{signature-file}
12806 @item @code{x-face-file}
12807 @item @code{address}, overriding @code{user-mail-address}
12808 @item @code{name}, overriding @code{(user-full-name)}
12812 Note that the @code{signature-file} attribute honors the variable
12813 @code{message-signature-directory}.
12815 The attribute name can also be a string or a symbol. In that case,
12816 this will be used as a header name, and the value will be inserted in
12817 the headers of the article; if the value is @code{nil}, the header
12818 name will be removed. If the attribute name is @code{eval}, the form
12819 is evaluated, and the result is thrown away.
12821 The attribute value can be a string, a function with zero arguments
12822 (the return value will be used), a variable (its value will be used)
12823 or a list (it will be @code{eval}ed and the return value will be
12824 used). The functions and sexps are called/@code{eval}ed in the
12825 message buffer that is being set up. The headers of the current
12826 article are available through the @code{message-reply-headers}
12827 variable, which is a vector of the following headers: number subject
12828 from date id references chars lines xref extra.
12830 In the case of a string value, if the @code{match} is a regular
12831 expression, or if it takes the form @code{(header @var{match}
12832 @var{regexp})}, a @samp{gnus-match-substitute-replacement} is proceed
12833 on the value to replace the positional parameters @samp{\@var{n}} by
12834 the corresponding parenthetical matches (see @xref{Replacing Match,,
12835 Replacing the Text that Matched, elisp, The Emacs Lisp Reference
12838 @vindex message-reply-headers
12840 If you wish to check whether the message you are about to compose is
12841 meant to be a news article or a mail message, you can check the values
12842 of the @code{message-news-p} and @code{message-mail-p} functions.
12844 @findex message-mail-p
12845 @findex message-news-p
12847 So here's a new example:
12850 (setq gnus-posting-styles
12852 (signature-file "~/.signature")
12854 (x-face-file "~/.xface")
12855 (x-url (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
12856 (organization "People's Front Against MWM"))
12858 (signature my-funny-signature-randomizer))
12859 ((equal (system-name) "gnarly") ;; @r{A form}
12860 (signature my-quote-randomizer))
12861 (message-news-p ;; @r{A function symbol}
12862 (signature my-news-signature))
12863 (window-system ;; @r{A value symbol}
12864 ("X-Window-System" (format "%s" window-system)))
12865 ;; @r{If I'm replying to Larsi, set the Organization header.}
12866 ((header "from" "larsi.*org")
12867 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
12868 ;; @r{Reply to a message from the same subaddress the message}
12869 ;; @r{was sent to.}
12870 ((header "x-original-to" "me\\(\\+.+\\)@@example.org")
12871 (address "me\\1@@example.org"))
12872 ((posting-from-work-p) ;; @r{A user defined function}
12873 (signature-file "~/.work-signature")
12874 (address "user@@bar.foo")
12875 (body "You are fired.\n\nSincerely, your boss.")
12876 ("X-Message-SMTP-Method" "smtp smtp.example.org 587")
12877 (organization "Important Work, Inc"))
12879 (From (with-current-buffer gnus-article-buffer
12880 (message-fetch-field "to"))))
12882 (signature-file "~/.mail-signature"))))
12885 The @samp{nnml:.*} rule means that you use the @code{To} address as the
12886 @code{From} address in all your outgoing replies, which might be handy
12887 if you fill many roles.
12888 You may also use @code{message-alternative-emails} instead.
12889 @xref{Message Headers, ,Message Headers, message, Message Manual}.
12891 Of particular interest in the ``work-mail'' style is the
12892 @samp{X-Message-SMTP-Method} header. It specifies how to send the
12893 outgoing email. You may want to sent certain emails through certain
12894 @acronym{SMTP} servers due to company policies, for instance.
12895 @xref{Mail Variables, ,Message Variables, message, Message Manual}.
12902 If you are writing a message (mail or news) and suddenly remember that
12903 you have a steak in the oven (or some pesto in the food processor, you
12904 craaazy vegetarians), you'll probably wish there was a method to save
12905 the message you are writing so that you can continue editing it some
12906 other day, and send it when you feel its finished.
12908 Well, don't worry about it. Whenever you start composing a message of
12909 some sort using the Gnus mail and post commands, the buffer you get will
12910 automatically associate to an article in a special @dfn{draft} group.
12911 If you save the buffer the normal way (@kbd{C-x C-s}, for instance), the
12912 article will be saved there. (Auto-save files also go to the draft
12916 @vindex nndraft-directory
12917 The draft group is a special group (which is implemented as an
12918 @code{nndraft} group, if you absolutely have to know) called
12919 @samp{nndraft:drafts}. The variable @code{nndraft-directory} says where
12920 @code{nndraft} is to store its files. What makes this group special is
12921 that you can't tick any articles in it or mark any articles as
12922 read---all articles in the group are permanently unread.
12924 If the group doesn't exist, it will be created and you'll be subscribed
12925 to it. The only way to make it disappear from the Group buffer is to
12926 unsubscribe it. The special properties of the draft group comes from
12927 a group property (@pxref{Group Parameters}), and if lost the group
12928 behaves like any other group. This means the commands below will not
12929 be available. To restore the special properties of the group, the
12930 simplest way is to kill the group, using @kbd{C-k}, and restart
12931 Gnus. The group is automatically created again with the
12932 correct parameters. The content of the group is not lost.
12934 @c @findex gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft
12935 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Mail)
12936 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Post)
12937 @c @findex gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft
12938 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Mail)
12939 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Post)
12940 @c If you're writing some super-secret message that you later want to
12941 @c encode with PGP before sending, you may wish to turn the auto-saving
12942 @c (and association with the draft group) off. You never know who might be
12943 @c interested in reading all your extremely valuable and terribly horrible
12944 @c and interesting secrets. The @kbd{C-c M-d}
12945 @c (@code{gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft}) command does that for you.
12946 @c If you change your mind and want to turn the auto-saving back on again,
12947 @c @kbd{C-c C-d} (@code{gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft} does that.
12949 @c @vindex gnus-use-draft
12950 @c To leave association with the draft group off by default, set
12951 @c @code{gnus-use-draft} to @code{nil}. It is @code{t} by default.
12953 @findex gnus-draft-edit-message
12954 @kindex D e (Draft)
12955 When you want to continue editing the article, you simply enter the
12956 draft group and push @kbd{D e} (@code{gnus-draft-edit-message}) to do
12957 that. You will be placed in a buffer where you left off.
12959 Rejected articles will also be put in this draft group (@pxref{Rejected
12962 @findex gnus-draft-send-all-messages
12963 @kindex D s (Draft)
12964 @findex gnus-draft-send-message
12965 @kindex D S (Draft)
12966 If you have lots of rejected messages you want to post (or mail) without
12967 doing further editing, you can use the @kbd{D s} command
12968 (@code{gnus-draft-send-message}). This command understands the
12969 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). The @kbd{D S}
12970 command (@code{gnus-draft-send-all-messages}) will ship off all messages
12973 @findex gnus-draft-toggle-sending
12974 @kindex D t (Draft)
12975 If you have some messages that you wish not to send, you can use the
12976 @kbd{D t} (@code{gnus-draft-toggle-sending}) command to mark the message
12977 as unsendable. This is a toggling command.
12979 Finally, if you want to delete a draft, use the normal @kbd{B DEL}
12980 command (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
12983 @node Rejected Articles
12984 @section Rejected Articles
12985 @cindex rejected articles
12987 Sometimes a news server will reject an article. Perhaps the server
12988 doesn't like your face. Perhaps it just feels miserable. Perhaps
12989 @emph{there be demons}. Perhaps you have included too much cited text.
12990 Perhaps the disk is full. Perhaps the server is down.
12992 These situations are, of course, totally beyond the control of Gnus.
12993 (Gnus, of course, loves the way you look, always feels great, has angels
12994 fluttering around inside of it, doesn't care about how much cited text
12995 you include, never runs full and never goes down.) So Gnus saves these
12996 articles until some later time when the server feels better.
12998 The rejected articles will automatically be put in a special draft group
12999 (@pxref{Drafts}). When the server comes back up again, you'd then
13000 typically enter that group and send all the articles off.
13002 @node Signing and encrypting
13003 @section Signing and encrypting
13005 @cindex using s/mime
13006 @cindex using smime
13008 Gnus can digitally sign and encrypt your messages, using vanilla
13009 @acronym{PGP} format or @acronym{PGP/MIME} or @acronym{S/MIME}. For
13010 decoding such messages, see the @code{mm-verify-option} and
13011 @code{mm-decrypt-option} options (@pxref{Security}).
13013 @vindex gnus-message-replysign
13014 @vindex gnus-message-replyencrypt
13015 @vindex gnus-message-replysignencrypted
13016 Often, you would like to sign replies to people who send you signed
13017 messages. Even more often, you might want to encrypt messages which
13018 are in reply to encrypted messages. Gnus offers
13019 @code{gnus-message-replysign} to enable the former, and
13020 @code{gnus-message-replyencrypt} for the latter. In addition, setting
13021 @code{gnus-message-replysignencrypted} (on by default) will sign
13022 automatically encrypted messages.
13024 Instructing @acronym{MML} to perform security operations on a
13025 @acronym{MIME} part is done using the @kbd{C-c C-m s} key map for
13026 signing and the @kbd{C-c C-m c} key map for encryption, as follows.
13031 @kindex C-c C-m s s (Message)
13032 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-smime
13034 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{S/MIME}.
13037 @kindex C-c C-m s o (Message)
13038 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
13040 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{PGP}.
13043 @kindex C-c C-m s p (Message)
13044 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
13046 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{PGP/MIME}.
13049 @kindex C-c C-m c s (Message)
13050 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-smime
13052 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{S/MIME}.
13055 @kindex C-c C-m c o (Message)
13056 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgp
13058 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{PGP}.
13061 @kindex C-c C-m c p (Message)
13062 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgpmime
13064 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{PGP/MIME}.
13067 @kindex C-c C-m C-n (Message)
13068 @findex mml-unsecure-message
13069 Remove security related @acronym{MML} tags from message.
13073 @xref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}, for more information.
13075 @node Select Methods
13076 @chapter Select Methods
13077 @cindex foreign groups
13078 @cindex select methods
13080 A @dfn{foreign group} is a group not read by the usual (or
13081 default) means. It could be, for instance, a group from a different
13082 @acronym{NNTP} server, it could be a virtual group, or it could be your own
13083 personal mail group.
13085 A foreign group (or any group, really) is specified by a @dfn{name} and
13086 a @dfn{select method}. To take the latter first, a select method is a
13087 list where the first element says what back end to use (e.g., @code{nntp},
13088 @code{nnspool}, @code{nnml}) and the second element is the @dfn{server
13089 name}. There may be additional elements in the select method, where the
13090 value may have special meaning for the back end in question.
13092 One could say that a select method defines a @dfn{virtual server}---so
13093 we do just that (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
13095 The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the back end will recognize the
13098 For instance, the group @samp{soc.motss} on the @acronym{NNTP} server
13099 @samp{some.where.edu} will have the name @samp{soc.motss} and select
13100 method @code{(nntp "some.where.edu")}. Gnus will call this group
13101 @samp{nntp+some.where.edu:soc.motss}, even though the @code{nntp}
13102 back end just knows this group as @samp{soc.motss}.
13104 The different methods all have their peculiarities, of course.
13107 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
13108 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
13109 * Using IMAP:: Reading mail from @acronym{IMAP}.
13110 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
13111 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
13112 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files.
13113 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
13114 * Email Based Diary:: Using mails to manage diary events in Gnus.
13115 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
13119 @node Server Buffer
13120 @section Server Buffer
13122 Traditionally, a @dfn{server} is a machine or a piece of software that
13123 one connects to, and then requests information from. Gnus does not
13124 connect directly to any real servers, but does all transactions through
13125 one back end or other. But that's just putting one layer more between
13126 the actual media and Gnus, so we might just as well say that each
13127 back end represents a virtual server.
13129 For instance, the @code{nntp} back end may be used to connect to several
13130 different actual @acronym{NNTP} servers, or, perhaps, to many different ports
13131 on the same actual @acronym{NNTP} server. You tell Gnus which back end to
13132 use, and what parameters to set by specifying a @dfn{select method}.
13134 These select method specifications can sometimes become quite
13135 complicated---say, for instance, that you want to read from the
13136 @acronym{NNTP} server @samp{news.funet.fi} on port number 13, which
13137 hangs if queried for @acronym{NOV} headers and has a buggy select. Ahem.
13138 Anyway, if you had to specify that for each group that used this
13139 server, that would be too much work, so Gnus offers a way of naming
13140 select methods, which is what you do in the server buffer.
13142 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
13143 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
13146 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
13147 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
13148 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
13149 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
13150 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
13151 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
13152 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
13155 @vindex gnus-server-mode-hook
13156 @code{gnus-server-mode-hook} is run when creating the server buffer.
13159 @node Server Buffer Format
13160 @subsection Server Buffer Format
13161 @cindex server buffer format
13163 @vindex gnus-server-line-format
13164 You can change the look of the server buffer lines by changing the
13165 @code{gnus-server-line-format} variable. This is a @code{format}-like
13166 variable, with some simple extensions:
13171 How the news is fetched---the back end name.
13174 The name of this server.
13177 Where the news is to be fetched from---the address.
13180 The opened/closed/denied status of the server.
13183 Whether this server is agentized.
13186 @vindex gnus-server-mode-line-format
13187 The mode line can also be customized by using the
13188 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format} variable (@pxref{Mode Line
13189 Formatting}). The following specs are understood:
13199 Also @pxref{Formatting Variables}.
13202 @node Server Commands
13203 @subsection Server Commands
13204 @cindex server commands
13210 @cindex keys, reserved for users (Server)
13211 The key @kbd{v} is reserved for users. You can bind it to some
13212 command or better use it as a prefix key.
13216 @findex gnus-server-add-server
13217 Add a new server (@code{gnus-server-add-server}).
13221 @findex gnus-server-edit-server
13222 Edit a server (@code{gnus-server-edit-server}).
13226 @findex gnus-server-show-server
13227 Show the definition of a server (@code{gnus-server-show-server}).
13230 @kindex SPACE (Server)
13231 @findex gnus-server-read-server
13232 Browse the current server (@code{gnus-server-read-server}).
13236 @findex gnus-server-exit
13237 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-server-exit}).
13241 @findex gnus-server-kill-server
13242 Kill the current server (@code{gnus-server-kill-server}).
13246 @findex gnus-server-yank-server
13247 Yank the previously killed server (@code{gnus-server-yank-server}).
13251 @findex gnus-server-copy-server
13252 Copy the current server (@code{gnus-server-copy-server}).
13256 @findex gnus-server-list-servers
13257 List all servers (@code{gnus-server-list-servers}).
13261 @findex gnus-server-scan-server
13262 Request that the server scan its sources for new articles
13263 (@code{gnus-server-scan-server}). This is mainly sensible with mail
13268 @findex gnus-server-regenerate-server
13269 Request that the server regenerate all its data structures
13270 (@code{gnus-server-regenerate-server}). This can be useful if you have
13271 a mail back end that has gotten out of sync.
13275 @findex gnus-server-compact-server
13277 Compact all groups in the server under point
13278 (@code{gnus-server-compact-server}). Currently implemented only in
13279 nnml (@pxref{Mail Spool}). This removes gaps between article numbers,
13280 hence getting a correct total article count.
13284 Some more commands for closing, disabling, and re-opening servers are
13285 listed in @ref{Unavailable Servers}.
13288 @node Example Methods
13289 @subsection Example Methods
13291 Most select methods are pretty simple and self-explanatory:
13294 (nntp "news.funet.fi")
13297 Reading directly from the spool is even simpler:
13303 As you can see, the first element in a select method is the name of the
13304 back end, and the second is the @dfn{address}, or @dfn{name}, if you
13307 After these two elements, there may be an arbitrary number of
13308 @code{(@var{variable} @var{form})} pairs.
13310 To go back to the first example---imagine that you want to read from
13311 port 15 on that machine. This is what the select method should
13315 (nntp "news.funet.fi" (nntp-port-number 15))
13318 You should read the documentation to each back end to find out what
13319 variables are relevant, but here's an @code{nnmh} example:
13321 @code{nnmh} is a mail back end that reads a spool-like structure. Say
13322 you have two structures that you wish to access: One is your private
13323 mail spool, and the other is a public one. Here's the possible spec for
13327 (nnmh "private" (nnmh-directory "~/private/mail/"))
13330 (This server is then called @samp{private}, but you may have guessed
13333 Here's the method for a public spool:
13337 (nnmh-directory "/usr/information/spool/")
13338 (nnmh-get-new-mail nil))
13344 If you are behind a firewall and only have access to the @acronym{NNTP}
13345 server from the firewall machine, you can instruct Gnus to @code{rlogin}
13346 on the firewall machine and connect with
13347 @uref{http://netcat.sourceforge.net/, netcat} from there to the
13348 @acronym{NNTP} server.
13349 Doing this can be rather fiddly, but your virtual server definition
13350 should probably look something like this:
13354 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat)
13355 (nntp-via-address "the.firewall.machine")
13356 (nntp-address "the.real.nntp.host"))
13359 If you want to use the wonderful @code{ssh} program to provide a
13360 compressed connection over the modem line, you could add the following
13361 configuration to the example above:
13364 (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
13367 See also @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches}. Here's an example for
13368 an indirect connection:
13371 (setq gnus-select-method
13373 (nntp-address "news.server.example")
13374 (nntp-via-user-name "intermediate_user_name")
13375 (nntp-via-address "intermediate.host.example")
13376 (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
13377 (nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches ("-C"))
13378 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat)))
13381 This means that you have to have set up @code{ssh-agent} correctly to
13382 provide automatic authorization, of course.
13384 If you're behind a firewall, but have direct access to the outside world
13385 through a wrapper command like "runsocks", you could open a socksified
13386 netcat connection to the news server as follows:
13390 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
13391 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-netcat-stream)
13392 (nntp-address "the.news.server"))
13396 @node Creating a Virtual Server
13397 @subsection Creating a Virtual Server
13399 If you're saving lots of articles in the cache by using persistent
13400 articles, you may want to create a virtual server to read the cache.
13402 First you need to add a new server. The @kbd{a} command does that. It
13403 would probably be best to use @code{nnml} to read the cache. You
13404 could also use @code{nnspool} or @code{nnmh}, though.
13406 Type @kbd{a nnml RET cache RET}.
13408 You should now have a brand new @code{nnml} virtual server called
13409 @samp{cache}. You now need to edit it to have the right definitions.
13410 Type @kbd{e} to edit the server. You'll be entered into a buffer that
13411 will contain the following:
13421 (nnml-directory "~/News/cache/")
13422 (nnml-active-file "~/News/cache/active"))
13425 Type @kbd{C-c C-c} to return to the server buffer. If you now press
13426 @kbd{RET} over this virtual server, you should be entered into a browse
13427 buffer, and you should be able to enter any of the groups displayed.
13430 @node Server Variables
13431 @subsection Server Variables
13432 @cindex server variables
13433 @cindex server parameters
13435 One sticky point when defining variables (both on back ends and in Emacs
13436 in general) is that some variables are typically initialized from other
13437 variables when the definition of the variables is being loaded. If you
13438 change the ``base'' variable after the variables have been loaded, you
13439 won't change the ``derived'' variables.
13441 This typically affects directory and file variables. For instance,
13442 @code{nnml-directory} is @file{~/Mail/} by default, and all @code{nnml}
13443 directory variables are initialized from that variable, so
13444 @code{nnml-active-file} will be @file{~/Mail/active}. If you define a
13445 new virtual @code{nnml} server, it will @emph{not} suffice to set just
13446 @code{nnml-directory}---you have to explicitly set all the file
13447 variables to be what you want them to be. For a complete list of
13448 variables for each back end, see each back end's section later in this
13449 manual, but here's an example @code{nnml} definition:
13453 (nnml-directory "~/my-mail/")
13454 (nnml-active-file "~/my-mail/active")
13455 (nnml-newsgroups-file "~/my-mail/newsgroups"))
13458 Server variables are often called @dfn{server parameters}.
13460 @node Servers and Methods
13461 @subsection Servers and Methods
13463 Wherever you would normally use a select method
13464 (e.g., @code{gnus-secondary-select-method}, in the group select method,
13465 when browsing a foreign server) you can use a virtual server name
13466 instead. This could potentially save lots of typing. And it's nice all
13470 @node Unavailable Servers
13471 @subsection Unavailable Servers
13473 If a server seems to be unreachable, Gnus will mark that server as
13474 @code{denied}. That means that any subsequent attempt to make contact
13475 with that server will just be ignored. ``It can't be opened,'' Gnus
13476 will tell you, without making the least effort to see whether that is
13477 actually the case or not.
13479 That might seem quite naughty, but it does make sense most of the time.
13480 Let's say you have 10 groups subscribed to on server
13481 @samp{nephelococcygia.com}. This server is located somewhere quite far
13482 away from you and the machine is quite slow, so it takes 1 minute just
13483 to find out that it refuses connection to you today. If Gnus were to
13484 attempt to do that 10 times, you'd be quite annoyed, so Gnus won't
13485 attempt to do that. Once it has gotten a single ``connection refused'',
13486 it will regard that server as ``down''.
13488 So, what happens if the machine was only feeling unwell temporarily?
13489 How do you test to see whether the machine has come up again?
13491 You jump to the server buffer (@pxref{Server Buffer}) and poke it
13492 with the following commands:
13498 @findex gnus-server-open-server
13499 Try to establish connection to the server on the current line
13500 (@code{gnus-server-open-server}).
13504 @findex gnus-server-close-server
13505 Close the connection (if any) to the server
13506 (@code{gnus-server-close-server}).
13510 @findex gnus-server-deny-server
13511 Mark the current server as unreachable
13512 (@code{gnus-server-deny-server}).
13515 @kindex M-o (Server)
13516 @findex gnus-server-open-all-servers
13517 Open the connections to all servers in the buffer
13518 (@code{gnus-server-open-all-servers}).
13521 @kindex M-c (Server)
13522 @findex gnus-server-close-all-servers
13523 Close the connections to all servers in the buffer
13524 (@code{gnus-server-close-all-servers}).
13528 @findex gnus-server-remove-denials
13529 Remove all marks to whether Gnus was denied connection from any servers
13530 (@code{gnus-server-remove-denials}).
13534 @findex gnus-server-copy-server
13535 Copy a server and give it a new name
13536 (@code{gnus-server-copy-server}). This can be useful if you have a
13537 complex method definition, and want to use the same definition towards
13538 a different (physical) server.
13542 @findex gnus-server-offline-server
13543 Set server status to offline (@code{gnus-server-offline-server}).
13549 @section Getting News
13550 @cindex reading news
13551 @cindex news back ends
13553 A newsreader is normally used for reading news. Gnus currently provides
13554 only two methods of getting news---it can read from an @acronym{NNTP} server,
13555 or it can read from a local spool.
13558 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @acronym{NNTP} server.
13559 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
13567 Subscribing to a foreign group from an @acronym{NNTP} server is rather easy.
13568 You just specify @code{nntp} as method and the address of the @acronym{NNTP}
13569 server as the, uhm, address.
13571 If the @acronym{NNTP} server is located at a non-standard port, setting the
13572 third element of the select method to this port number should allow you
13573 to connect to the right port. You'll have to edit the group info for
13574 that (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
13576 The name of the foreign group can be the same as a native group. In
13577 fact, you can subscribe to the same group from as many different servers
13578 you feel like. There will be no name collisions.
13580 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nntp}
13585 @item nntp-server-opened-hook
13586 @vindex nntp-server-opened-hook
13587 @cindex @sc{mode reader}
13589 @cindex authentication
13590 @cindex nntp authentication
13591 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
13592 @findex nntp-send-mode-reader
13593 is run after a connection has been made. It can be used to send
13594 commands to the @acronym{NNTP} server after it has been contacted. By
13595 default it sends the command @code{MODE READER} to the server with the
13596 @code{nntp-send-mode-reader} function. This function should always be
13597 present in this hook.
13599 @item nntp-authinfo-function
13600 @vindex nntp-authinfo-function
13601 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
13602 @vindex nntp-authinfo-file
13603 This function will be used to send @samp{AUTHINFO} to the @acronym{NNTP}
13604 server. The default function is @code{nntp-send-authinfo}, which looks
13605 through your @file{~/.authinfo} (or whatever you've set the
13606 @code{nntp-authinfo-file} variable to) for applicable entries. If none
13607 are found, it will prompt you for a login name and a password. The
13608 format of the @file{~/.authinfo} file is (almost) the same as the
13609 @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file, which is defined in the @code{ftp}
13610 manual page, but here are the salient facts:
13614 The file contains one or more line, each of which define one server.
13617 Each line may contain an arbitrary number of token/value pairs.
13619 The valid tokens include @samp{machine}, @samp{login}, @samp{password},
13620 @samp{default}. In addition Gnus introduces two new tokens, not present
13621 in the original @file{.netrc}/@code{ftp} syntax, namely @samp{port} and
13622 @samp{force}. (This is the only way the @file{.authinfo} file format
13623 deviates from the @file{.netrc} file format.) @samp{port} is used to
13624 indicate what port on the server the credentials apply to and
13625 @samp{force} is explained below.
13629 Here's an example file:
13632 machine news.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis
13633 machine nntp.ifi.uio.no login larsi force yes
13636 The token/value pairs may appear in any order; @samp{machine} doesn't
13637 have to be first, for instance.
13639 In this example, both login name and password have been supplied for the
13640 former server, while the latter has only the login name listed, and the
13641 user will be prompted for the password. The latter also has the
13642 @samp{force} tag, which means that the authinfo will be sent to the
13643 @var{nntp} server upon connection; the default (i.e., when there is not
13644 @samp{force} tag) is to not send authinfo to the @var{nntp} server
13645 until the @var{nntp} server asks for it.
13647 You can also add @samp{default} lines that will apply to all servers
13648 that don't have matching @samp{machine} lines.
13654 This will force sending @samp{AUTHINFO} commands to all servers not
13655 previously mentioned.
13657 Remember to not leave the @file{~/.authinfo} file world-readable.
13659 @item nntp-server-action-alist
13660 @vindex nntp-server-action-alist
13661 This is a list of regexps to match on server types and actions to be
13662 taken when matches are made. For instance, if you want Gnus to beep
13663 every time you connect to innd, you could say something like:
13666 (setq nntp-server-action-alist
13667 '(("innd" (ding))))
13670 You probably don't want to do that, though.
13672 The default value is
13675 '(("nntpd 1\\.5\\.11t"
13676 (remove-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook
13677 'nntp-send-mode-reader)))
13680 This ensures that Gnus doesn't send the @code{MODE READER} command to
13681 nntpd 1.5.11t, since that command chokes that server, I've been told.
13683 @item nntp-maximum-request
13684 @vindex nntp-maximum-request
13685 If the @acronym{NNTP} server doesn't support @acronym{NOV} headers, this back end
13686 will collect headers by sending a series of @code{head} commands. To
13687 speed things up, the back end sends lots of these commands without
13688 waiting for reply, and then reads all the replies. This is controlled
13689 by the @code{nntp-maximum-request} variable, and is 400 by default. If
13690 your network is buggy, you should set this to 1.
13692 @item nntp-connection-timeout
13693 @vindex nntp-connection-timeout
13694 If you have lots of foreign @code{nntp} groups that you connect to
13695 regularly, you're sure to have problems with @acronym{NNTP} servers not
13696 responding properly, or being too loaded to reply within reasonable
13697 time. This is can lead to awkward problems, which can be helped
13698 somewhat by setting @code{nntp-connection-timeout}. This is an integer
13699 that says how many seconds the @code{nntp} back end should wait for a
13700 connection before giving up. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default,
13701 no timeouts are done.
13703 @item nntp-nov-is-evil
13704 @vindex nntp-nov-is-evil
13705 If the @acronym{NNTP} server does not support @acronym{NOV}, you could set this
13706 variable to @code{t}, but @code{nntp} usually checks automatically whether @acronym{NOV}
13709 @item nntp-xover-commands
13710 @vindex nntp-xover-commands
13711 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
13713 List of strings used as commands to fetch @acronym{NOV} lines from a
13714 server. The default value of this variable is @code{("XOVER"
13718 @vindex nntp-nov-gap
13719 @code{nntp} normally sends just one big request for @acronym{NOV} lines to
13720 the server. The server responds with one huge list of lines. However,
13721 if you have read articles 2--5000 in the group, and only want to read
13722 article 1 and 5001, that means that @code{nntp} will fetch 4999 @acronym{NOV}
13723 lines that you will not need. This variable says how
13724 big a gap between two consecutive articles is allowed to be before the
13725 @code{XOVER} request is split into several request. Note that if your
13726 network is fast, setting this variable to a really small number means
13727 that fetching will probably be slower. If this variable is @code{nil},
13728 @code{nntp} will never split requests. The default is 5.
13730 @item nntp-xref-number-is-evil
13731 @vindex nntp-xref-number-is-evil
13732 When Gnus refers to an article having the @code{Message-ID} that a user
13733 specifies or having the @code{Message-ID} of the parent article of the
13734 current one (@pxref{Finding the Parent}), Gnus sends a @code{HEAD}
13735 command to the @acronym{NNTP} server to know where it is, and the server
13736 returns the data containing the pairs of a group and an article number
13737 in the @code{Xref} header. Gnus normally uses the article number to
13738 refer to the article if the data shows that that article is in the
13739 current group, while it uses the @code{Message-ID} otherwise. However,
13740 some news servers, e.g., ones running Diablo, run multiple engines
13741 having the same articles but article numbers are not kept synchronized
13742 between them. In that case, the article number that appears in the
13743 @code{Xref} header varies by which engine is chosen, so you cannot refer
13744 to the parent article that is in the current group, for instance. If
13745 you connect to such a server, set this variable to a non-@code{nil}
13746 value, and Gnus never uses article numbers. For example:
13749 (setq gnus-select-method
13751 (nntp-address "newszilla.example.com")
13752 (nntp-xref-number-is-evil t)
13756 The default value of this server variable is @code{nil}.
13758 @item nntp-prepare-server-hook
13759 @vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
13760 A hook run before attempting to connect to an @acronym{NNTP} server.
13762 @item nntp-record-commands
13763 @vindex nntp-record-commands
13764 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nntp} will log all commands it sends to the
13765 @acronym{NNTP} server (along with a timestamp) in the @file{*nntp-log*}
13766 buffer. This is useful if you are debugging a Gnus/@acronym{NNTP} connection
13767 that doesn't seem to work.
13769 @item nntp-open-connection-function
13770 @vindex nntp-open-connection-function
13771 It is possible to customize how the connection to the nntp server will
13772 be opened. If you specify an @code{nntp-open-connection-function}
13773 parameter, Gnus will use that function to establish the connection.
13774 Seven pre-made functions are supplied. These functions can be grouped
13775 in two categories: direct connection functions (four pre-made), and
13776 indirect ones (three pre-made).
13778 @item nntp-never-echoes-commands
13779 @vindex nntp-never-echoes-commands
13780 Non-@code{nil} means the nntp server never echoes commands. It is
13781 reported that some nntps server doesn't echo commands. So, you may want
13782 to set this to non-@code{nil} in the method for such a server setting
13783 @code{nntp-open-connection-function} to @code{nntp-open-ssl-stream} for
13784 example. The default value is @code{nil}. Note that the
13785 @code{nntp-open-connection-functions-never-echo-commands} variable
13786 overrides the @code{nil} value of this variable.
13788 @item nntp-open-connection-functions-never-echo-commands
13789 @vindex nntp-open-connection-functions-never-echo-commands
13790 List of functions that never echo commands. Add or set a function which
13791 you set to @code{nntp-open-connection-function} to this list if it does
13792 not echo commands. Note that a non-@code{nil} value of the
13793 @code{nntp-never-echoes-commands} variable overrides this variable. The
13794 default value is @code{(nntp-open-network-stream)}.
13796 @item nntp-prepare-post-hook
13797 @vindex nntp-prepare-post-hook
13798 A hook run just before posting an article. If there is no
13799 @code{Message-ID} header in the article and the news server provides the
13800 recommended ID, it will be added to the article before running this
13801 hook. It is useful to make @code{Cancel-Lock} headers even if you
13802 inhibit Gnus to add a @code{Message-ID} header, you could say:
13805 (add-hook 'nntp-prepare-post-hook 'canlock-insert-header)
13808 Note that not all servers support the recommended ID@. This works for
13809 INN versions 2.3.0 and later, for instance.
13811 @item nntp-server-list-active-group
13812 If @code{nil}, then always use @samp{GROUP} instead of @samp{LIST
13813 ACTIVE}. This is usually slower, but on misconfigured servers that
13814 don't update their active files often, this can help.
13820 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
13821 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
13822 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
13826 @node Direct Functions
13827 @subsubsection Direct Functions
13828 @cindex direct connection functions
13830 These functions are called direct because they open a direct connection
13831 between your machine and the @acronym{NNTP} server. The behavior of these
13832 functions is also affected by commonly understood variables
13833 (@pxref{Common Variables}).
13836 @findex nntp-open-network-stream
13837 @item nntp-open-network-stream
13838 This is the default, and simply connects to some port or other on the
13839 remote system. If both Emacs and the server supports it, the
13840 connection will be upgraded to an encrypted @acronym{STARTTLS}
13841 connection automatically.
13844 The same as the above, but don't do automatic @acronym{STARTTLS} upgrades.
13846 @findex nntp-open-tls-stream
13847 @item nntp-open-tls-stream
13848 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use
13849 this you must have @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gnutls/, GnuTLS}
13850 installed. You then define a server as follows:
13853 ;; @r{"nntps" is port 563 and is predefined in our @file{/etc/services}}
13854 ;; @r{however, @samp{gnutls-cli -p} doesn't like named ports.}
13856 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
13857 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-tls-stream)
13858 (nntp-port-number 563)
13859 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
13862 @findex nntp-open-ssl-stream
13863 @item nntp-open-ssl-stream
13864 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use
13865 this you must have @uref{http://www.openssl.org, OpenSSL}
13867 @c Defunct URL, ancient package, so don't mention it.
13868 or @uref{ftp://ftp.psy.uq.oz.au/pub/Crypto/SSL, SSLeay}
13870 installed. You then define a server as follows:
13873 ;; @r{"snews" is port 563 and is predefined in our @file{/etc/services}}
13874 ;; @r{however, @samp{openssl s_client -port} doesn't like named ports.}
13876 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
13877 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-ssl-stream)
13878 (nntp-port-number 563)
13879 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
13882 @findex nntp-open-netcat-stream
13883 @item nntp-open-netcat-stream
13884 Opens a connection to an @acronym{NNTP} server using the @code{netcat}
13885 program. You might wonder why this function exists, since we have
13886 the default @code{nntp-open-network-stream} which would do the job. (One
13887 of) the reason(s) is that if you are behind a firewall but have direct
13888 connections to the outside world thanks to a command wrapper like
13889 @code{runsocks}, you can use it like this:
13893 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
13894 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-netcat-stream)
13895 (nntp-address "the.news.server"))
13898 With the default method, you would need to wrap your whole Emacs
13899 session, which is not a good idea.
13901 @findex nntp-open-telnet-stream
13902 @item nntp-open-telnet-stream
13903 Like @code{nntp-open-netcat-stream}, but uses @code{telnet} rather than
13904 @code{netcat}. @code{telnet} is a bit less robust because of things
13905 like line-end-conversion, but sometimes netcat is simply
13906 not available. The previous example would turn into:
13910 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
13911 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-telnet-stream)
13912 (nntp-address "the.news.server")
13913 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
13918 @node Indirect Functions
13919 @subsubsection Indirect Functions
13920 @cindex indirect connection functions
13922 These functions are called indirect because they connect to an
13923 intermediate host before actually connecting to the @acronym{NNTP} server.
13924 All of these functions and related variables are also said to belong to
13925 the ``via'' family of connection: they're all prefixed with ``via'' to make
13926 things cleaner. The behavior of these functions is also affected by
13927 commonly understood variables (@pxref{Common Variables}).
13930 @item nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat
13931 @findex nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat
13932 Does an @samp{rlogin} on a remote system, and then uses @code{netcat} to connect
13933 to the real @acronym{NNTP} server from there. This is useful for instance if
13934 you need to connect to a firewall machine first.
13936 @code{nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat}-specific variables:
13939 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command
13940 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command
13941 Command used to log in on the intermediate host. The default is
13942 @samp{rsh}, but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
13944 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
13945 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
13946 List of strings to be used as the switches to
13947 @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}. The default is @code{nil}. If you use
13948 @samp{ssh} for @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}, you may set this to
13949 @samp{("-C")} in order to compress all data connections.
13952 @item nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
13953 @findex nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
13954 Does essentially the same, but uses @code{telnet} instead of @samp{netcat}
13955 to connect to the real @acronym{NNTP} server from the intermediate host.
13956 @code{telnet} is a bit less robust because of things like
13957 line-end-conversion, but sometimes @code{netcat} is simply not available.
13959 @code{nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet}-specific variables:
13962 @item nntp-telnet-command
13963 @vindex nntp-telnet-command
13964 Command used to connect to the real @acronym{NNTP} server from the
13965 intermediate host. The default is @samp{telnet}.
13967 @item nntp-telnet-switches
13968 @vindex nntp-telnet-switches
13969 List of strings to be used as the switches to the
13970 @code{nntp-telnet-command} command. The default is @code{("-8")}.
13972 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command
13973 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command
13974 Command used to log in on the intermediate host. The default is
13975 @samp{rsh}, but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
13977 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
13978 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
13979 List of strings to be used as the switches to
13980 @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}. If you use @samp{ssh}, you may need to set
13981 this to @samp{("-t" "-e" "none")} or @samp{("-C" "-t" "-e" "none")} if
13982 the telnet command requires a pseudo-tty allocation on an intermediate
13983 host. The default is @code{nil}.
13986 Note that you may want to change the value for @code{nntp-end-of-line}
13987 to @samp{\n} (@pxref{Common Variables}).
13989 @item nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
13990 @findex nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
13991 Does essentially the same, but uses @samp{telnet} instead of
13992 @samp{rlogin} to connect to the intermediate host.
13994 @code{nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet}-specific variables:
13997 @item nntp-via-telnet-command
13998 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-command
13999 Command used to @code{telnet} the intermediate host. The default is
14002 @item nntp-via-telnet-switches
14003 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-switches
14004 List of strings to be used as the switches to the
14005 @code{nntp-via-telnet-command} command. The default is @samp{("-8")}.
14007 @item nntp-via-user-password
14008 @vindex nntp-via-user-password
14009 Password to use when logging in on the intermediate host.
14011 @item nntp-via-envuser
14012 @vindex nntp-via-envuser
14013 If non-@code{nil}, the intermediate @code{telnet} session (client and
14014 server both) will support the @code{ENVIRON} option and not prompt for
14015 login name. This works for Solaris @code{telnet}, for instance.
14017 @item nntp-via-shell-prompt
14018 @vindex nntp-via-shell-prompt
14019 Regexp matching the shell prompt on the intermediate host. The default
14020 is @samp{bash\\|\$ *\r?$\\|> *\r?}.
14024 Note that you may want to change the value for @code{nntp-end-of-line}
14025 to @samp{\n} (@pxref{Common Variables}).
14029 Here are some additional variables that are understood by all the above
14034 @item nntp-via-user-name
14035 @vindex nntp-via-user-name
14036 User name to use when connecting to the intermediate host.
14038 @item nntp-via-address
14039 @vindex nntp-via-address
14040 Address of the intermediate host to connect to.
14045 @node Common Variables
14046 @subsubsection Common Variables
14048 The following variables affect the behavior of all, or several of the
14049 pre-made connection functions. When not specified, all functions are
14050 affected (the values of the following variables will be used as the
14051 default if each virtual @code{nntp} server doesn't specify those server
14052 variables individually).
14056 @item nntp-pre-command
14057 @vindex nntp-pre-command
14058 A command wrapper to use when connecting through a non native
14059 connection function (all except @code{nntp-open-network-stream},
14060 @code{nntp-open-tls-stream}, and @code{nntp-open-ssl-stream}). This is
14061 where you would put a @samp{SOCKS} wrapper for instance.
14064 @vindex nntp-address
14065 The address of the @acronym{NNTP} server.
14067 @item nntp-port-number
14068 @vindex nntp-port-number
14069 Port number to connect to the @acronym{NNTP} server. The default is
14070 @samp{nntp}. If you use @acronym{NNTP} over
14071 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}, you may want to use integer ports rather
14072 than named ports (i.e., use @samp{563} instead of @samp{snews} or
14073 @samp{nntps}), because external @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} tools may
14074 not work with named ports.
14076 @item nntp-end-of-line
14077 @vindex nntp-end-of-line
14078 String to use as end-of-line marker when talking to the @acronym{NNTP}
14079 server. This is @samp{\r\n} by default, but should be @samp{\n} when
14080 using a non native telnet connection function.
14082 @item nntp-netcat-command
14083 @vindex nntp-netcat-command
14084 Command to use when connecting to the @acronym{NNTP} server through
14085 @samp{netcat}. This is @emph{not} for an intermediate host. This is
14086 just for the real @acronym{NNTP} server. The default is
14089 @item nntp-netcat-switches
14090 @vindex nntp-netcat-switches
14091 A list of switches to pass to @code{nntp-netcat-command}. The default
14097 @subsection News Spool
14101 Subscribing to a foreign group from the local spool is extremely easy,
14102 and might be useful, for instance, to speed up reading groups that
14103 contain very big articles---@samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}, for
14106 Anyway, you just specify @code{nnspool} as the method and @code{""} (or
14107 anything else) as the address.
14109 If you have access to a local spool, you should probably use that as the
14110 native select method (@pxref{Finding the News}). It is normally faster
14111 than using an @code{nntp} select method, but might not be. It depends.
14112 You just have to try to find out what's best at your site.
14116 @item nnspool-inews-program
14117 @vindex nnspool-inews-program
14118 Program used to post an article.
14120 @item nnspool-inews-switches
14121 @vindex nnspool-inews-switches
14122 Parameters given to the inews program when posting an article.
14124 @item nnspool-spool-directory
14125 @vindex nnspool-spool-directory
14126 Where @code{nnspool} looks for the articles. This is normally
14127 @file{/usr/spool/news/}.
14129 @item nnspool-nov-directory
14130 @vindex nnspool-nov-directory
14131 Where @code{nnspool} will look for @acronym{NOV} files. This is normally@*
14132 @file{/usr/spool/news/over.view/}.
14134 @item nnspool-lib-dir
14135 @vindex nnspool-lib-dir
14136 Where the news lib dir is (@file{/usr/lib/news/} by default).
14138 @item nnspool-active-file
14139 @vindex nnspool-active-file
14140 The name of the active file.
14142 @item nnspool-newsgroups-file
14143 @vindex nnspool-newsgroups-file
14144 The name of the group descriptions file.
14146 @item nnspool-history-file
14147 @vindex nnspool-history-file
14148 The name of the news history file.
14150 @item nnspool-active-times-file
14151 @vindex nnspool-active-times-file
14152 The name of the active date file.
14154 @item nnspool-nov-is-evil
14155 @vindex nnspool-nov-is-evil
14156 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnspool} won't try to use any @acronym{NOV} files
14159 @item nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
14160 @vindex nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
14162 If non-@code{nil}, which is the default, use @code{sed} to get the
14163 relevant portion from the overview file. If @code{nil},
14164 @code{nnspool} will load the entire file into a buffer and process it
14171 @section Using IMAP
14174 The most popular mail backend is probably @code{nnimap}, which
14175 provides access to @acronym{IMAP} servers. @acronym{IMAP} servers
14176 store mail remotely, so the client doesn't store anything locally.
14177 This means that it's a convenient choice when you're reading your mail
14178 from different locations, or with different user agents.
14181 * Connecting to an IMAP Server:: Getting started with @acronym{IMAP}.
14182 * Customizing the IMAP Connection:: Variables for @acronym{IMAP} connection.
14183 * Client-Side IMAP Splitting:: Put mail in the correct mail box.
14187 @node Connecting to an IMAP Server
14188 @subsection Connecting to an IMAP Server
14190 Connecting to an @acronym{IMAP} can be very easy. Type @kbd{B} in the
14191 group buffer, or (if your primary interest is reading email), say
14195 (setq gnus-select-method
14196 '(nnimap "imap.gmail.com"))
14199 You'll be prompted for a user name and password. If you grow tired of
14200 that, then add the following to your @file{~/.authinfo} file:
14203 machine imap.gmail.com login <username> password <password> port imap
14206 That should basically be it for most users.
14209 @node Customizing the IMAP Connection
14210 @subsection Customizing the IMAP Connection
14212 Here's an example method that's more complex:
14215 (nnimap "imap.gmail.com"
14216 (nnimap-inbox "INBOX")
14217 (nnimap-split-methods default)
14219 (nnimap-stream ssl))
14223 @item nnimap-address
14224 The address of the server, like @samp{imap.gmail.com}.
14226 @item nnimap-server-port
14227 If the server uses a non-standard port, that can be specified here. A
14228 typical port would be @code{"imap"} or @code{"imaps"}.
14230 @item nnimap-stream
14231 How @code{nnimap} should connect to the server. Possible values are:
14235 This is the default, and this first tries the @code{ssl} setting, and
14236 then tries the @code{network} setting.
14239 This uses standard @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} connections.
14242 Non-encrypted and unsafe straight socket connection, but will upgrade
14243 to encrypted @acronym{STARTTLS} if both Emacs and the server
14247 Encrypted @acronym{STARTTLS} over the normal @acronym{IMAP} port.
14250 If you need to tunnel via other systems to connect to the server, you
14251 can use this option, and customize @code{nnimap-shell-program} to be
14256 @item nnimap-authenticator
14257 Some @acronym{IMAP} servers allow anonymous logins. In that case,
14258 this should be set to @code{anonymous}. If this variable isn't set,
14259 the normal login methods will be used. If you wish to specify a
14260 specific login method to be used, you can set this variable to either
14261 @code{login} (the traditional @acronym{IMAP} login method),
14262 @code{plain} or @code{cram-md5}.
14264 @item nnimap-expunge
14265 If non-@code{nil}, expunge articles after deleting them. This is always done
14266 if the server supports UID EXPUNGE, but it's not done by default on
14267 servers that doesn't support that command.
14269 @item nnimap-streaming
14270 Virtually all @acronym{IMAP} server support fast streaming of data.
14271 If you have problems connecting to the server, try setting this to
14274 @item nnimap-fetch-partial-articles
14275 If non-@code{nil}, fetch partial articles from the server. If set to
14276 a string, then it's interpreted as a regexp, and parts that have
14277 matching types will be fetched. For instance, @samp{"text/"} will
14278 fetch all textual parts, while leaving the rest on the server.
14280 @item nnimap-record-commands
14281 If non-@code{nil}, record all @acronym{IMAP} commands in the
14282 @samp{"*imap log*"} buffer.
14287 @node Client-Side IMAP Splitting
14288 @subsection Client-Side IMAP Splitting
14290 Many people prefer to do the sorting/splitting of mail into their mail
14291 boxes on the @acronym{IMAP} server. That way they don't have to
14292 download the mail they're not all that interested in.
14294 If you do want to do client-side mail splitting, then the following
14295 variables are relevant:
14299 This is the @acronym{IMAP} mail box that will be scanned for new
14300 mail. This can also be a list of mail box names.
14302 @item nnimap-split-methods
14303 Uses the same syntax as @code{nnmail-split-methods} (@pxref{Splitting
14304 Mail}), except the symbol @code{default}, which means that it should
14305 use the value of the @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable.
14307 @item nnimap-split-fancy
14308 Uses the same syntax as @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
14310 @item nnimap-unsplittable-articles
14311 List of flag symbols to ignore when doing splitting. That is,
14312 articles that have these flags won't be considered when splitting.
14313 The default is @samp{(%Deleted %Seen)}.
14317 Here's a complete example @code{nnimap} backend with a client-side
14318 ``fancy'' splitting method:
14321 (nnimap "imap.example.com"
14322 (nnimap-inbox "INBOX")
14323 (nnimap-split-methods
14324 (| ("MailScanner-SpamCheck" "spam" "spam.detected")
14325 (to "foo@@bar.com" "foo")
14331 @section Getting Mail
14332 @cindex reading mail
14335 Reading mail with a newsreader---isn't that just plain WeIrD@? But of
14339 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
14340 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
14341 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
14342 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
14343 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
14344 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
14345 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
14346 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
14347 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
14348 * Washing Mail:: Removing cruft from the mail you get.
14349 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
14350 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
14351 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
14355 @node Mail in a Newsreader
14356 @subsection Mail in a Newsreader
14358 If you are used to traditional mail readers, but have decided to switch
14359 to reading mail with Gnus, you may find yourself experiencing something
14360 of a culture shock.
14362 Gnus does not behave like traditional mail readers. If you want to make
14363 it behave that way, you can, but it's an uphill battle.
14365 Gnus, by default, handles all its groups using the same approach. This
14366 approach is very newsreaderly---you enter a group, see the new/unread
14367 messages, and when you read the messages, they get marked as read, and
14368 you don't see them any more. (Unless you explicitly ask for them.)
14370 In particular, you do not do anything explicitly to delete messages.
14372 Does this mean that all the messages that have been marked as read are
14373 deleted? How awful!
14375 But, no, it means that old messages are @dfn{expired} according to some
14376 scheme or other. For news messages, the expire process is controlled by
14377 the news administrator; for mail, the expire process is controlled by
14378 you. The expire process for mail is covered in depth in @ref{Expiring
14381 What many Gnus users find, after using it a while for both news and
14382 mail, is that the transport mechanism has very little to do with how
14383 they want to treat a message.
14385 Many people subscribe to several mailing lists. These are transported
14386 via @acronym{SMTP}, and are therefore mail. But we might go for weeks without
14387 answering, or even reading these messages very carefully. We may not
14388 need to save them because if we should need to read one again, they are
14389 archived somewhere else.
14391 Some people have local news groups which have only a handful of readers.
14392 These are transported via @acronym{NNTP}, and are therefore news. But we may need
14393 to read and answer a large fraction of the messages very carefully in
14394 order to do our work. And there may not be an archive, so we may need
14395 to save the interesting messages the same way we would personal mail.
14397 The important distinction turns out to be not the transport mechanism,
14398 but other factors such as how interested we are in the subject matter,
14399 or how easy it is to retrieve the message if we need to read it again.
14401 Gnus provides many options for sorting mail into ``groups'' which behave
14402 like newsgroups, and for treating each group (whether mail or news)
14405 Some users never get comfortable using the Gnus (ahem) paradigm and wish
14406 that Gnus should grow up and be a male, er, mail reader. It is possible
14407 to whip Gnus into a more mailreaderly being, but, as said before, it's
14408 not easy. People who prefer proper mail readers should try @sc{vm}
14409 instead, which is an excellent, and proper, mail reader.
14411 I don't mean to scare anybody off, but I want to make it clear that you
14412 may be required to learn a new way of thinking about messages. After
14413 you've been subjected to The Gnus Way, you will come to love it. I can
14414 guarantee it. (At least the guy who sold me the Emacs Subliminal
14415 Brain-Washing Functions that I've put into Gnus did guarantee it. You
14416 Will Be Assimilated. You Love Gnus. You Love The Gnus Mail Way.
14420 @node Getting Started Reading Mail
14421 @subsection Getting Started Reading Mail
14423 It's quite easy to use Gnus to read your new mail. You just plonk the
14424 mail back end of your choice into @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods},
14425 and things will happen automatically.
14427 For instance, if you want to use @code{nnml} (which is a ``one file per
14428 mail'' back end), you could put the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
14431 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
14434 Now, the next time you start Gnus, this back end will be queried for new
14435 articles, and it will move all the messages in your spool file to its
14436 directory, which is @file{~/Mail/} by default. The new group that will
14437 be created (@samp{mail.misc}) will be subscribed, and you can read it
14438 like any other group.
14440 You will probably want to split the mail into several groups, though:
14443 (setq nnmail-split-methods
14444 '(("junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
14445 ("crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
14449 This will result in three new @code{nnml} mail groups being created:
14450 @samp{nnml:junk}, @samp{nnml:crazy}, and @samp{nnml:other}. All the
14451 mail that doesn't fit into the first two groups will be placed in the
14454 This should be sufficient for reading mail with Gnus. You might want to
14455 give the other sections in this part of the manual a perusal, though.
14456 Especially @pxref{Choosing a Mail Back End} and @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
14459 @node Splitting Mail
14460 @subsection Splitting Mail
14461 @cindex splitting mail
14462 @cindex mail splitting
14463 @cindex mail filtering (splitting)
14465 @vindex nnmail-split-methods
14466 The @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable says how the incoming mail is
14467 to be split into groups.
14470 (setq nnmail-split-methods
14471 '(("mail.junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
14472 ("mail.crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
14473 ("mail.other" "")))
14476 This variable is a list of lists, where the first element of each of
14477 these lists is the name of the mail group (they do not have to be called
14478 something beginning with @samp{mail}, by the way), and the second
14479 element is a regular expression used on the header of each mail to
14480 determine if it belongs in this mail group. The first string may
14481 contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by @code{replace-match} to
14482 insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For instance:
14485 ("list.\\1" "From:.* \\(.*\\)-list@@majordomo.com")
14489 In that case, @code{nnmail-split-lowercase-expanded} controls whether
14490 the inserted text should be made lowercase. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
14492 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
14493 called narrowed to the headers with the first element of the rule as the
14494 argument. It should return a non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the
14495 mail belongs in that group.
14497 @cindex @samp{bogus} group
14498 The last of these groups should always be a general one, and the regular
14499 expression should @emph{always} be @samp{""} so that it matches any mails
14500 that haven't been matched by any of the other regexps. (These rules are
14501 processed from the beginning of the alist toward the end. The first rule
14502 to make a match will ``win'', unless you have crossposting enabled. In
14503 that case, all matching rules will ``win''.) If no rule matched, the mail
14504 will end up in the @samp{bogus} group. When new groups are created by
14505 splitting mail, you may want to run @code{gnus-group-find-new-groups} to
14506 see the new groups. This also applies to the @samp{bogus} group.
14508 If you like to tinker with this yourself, you can set this variable to a
14509 function of your choice. This function will be called without any
14510 arguments in a buffer narrowed to the headers of an incoming mail
14511 message. The function should return a list of group names that it
14512 thinks should carry this mail message.
14514 This variable can also be a fancy split method. For the syntax,
14515 see @ref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
14517 Note that the mail back ends are free to maul the poor, innocent,
14518 incoming headers all they want to. They all add @code{Lines} headers;
14519 some add @code{X-Gnus-Group} headers; most rename the Unix mbox
14520 @code{From<SPACE>} line to something else.
14522 @vindex nnmail-crosspost
14523 The mail back ends all support cross-posting. If several regexps match,
14524 the mail will be ``cross-posted'' to all those groups.
14525 @code{nnmail-crosspost} says whether to use this mechanism or not. Note
14526 that no articles are crossposted to the general (@samp{""}) group.
14528 @vindex nnmail-crosspost-link-function
14531 @code{nnmh} and @code{nnml} makes crossposts by creating hard links to
14532 the crossposted articles. However, not all file systems support hard
14533 links. If that's the case for you, set
14534 @code{nnmail-crosspost-link-function} to @code{copy-file}. (This
14535 variable is @code{add-name-to-file} by default.)
14537 @kindex M-x nnmail-split-history
14538 @findex nnmail-split-history
14539 If you wish to see where the previous mail split put the messages, you
14540 can use the @kbd{M-x nnmail-split-history} command. If you wish to see
14541 where re-spooling messages would put the messages, you can use
14542 @code{gnus-summary-respool-trace} and related commands (@pxref{Mail
14545 @vindex nnmail-split-header-length-limit
14546 Header lines longer than the value of
14547 @code{nnmail-split-header-length-limit} are excluded from the split
14550 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes
14551 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-charset
14552 By default, splitting does not decode headers, so you can not match on
14553 non-@acronym{ASCII} strings. But it is useful if you want to match
14554 articles based on the raw header data. To enable it, set the
14555 @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes} variable to a non-@code{nil} value.
14556 In addition, the value of the @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-charset}
14557 variable is used for decoding non-@acronym{MIME} encoded string when
14558 @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes} is non-@code{nil}. The default
14559 value is @code{nil} which means not to decode non-@acronym{MIME} encoded
14560 string. A suitable value for you will be @code{undecided} or be the
14561 charset used normally in mails you are interested in.
14563 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
14564 By default, splitting is performed on all incoming messages. If you
14565 specify a @code{directory} entry for the variable @code{mail-sources}
14566 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}), however, then splitting does
14567 @emph{not} happen by default. You can set the variable
14568 @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming} to a non-@code{nil} value to make
14569 splitting happen even in this case. (This variable has no effect on
14570 other kinds of entries.)
14572 Gnus gives you all the opportunity you could possibly want for shooting
14573 yourself in the foot. Let's say you create a group that will contain
14574 all the mail you get from your boss. And then you accidentally
14575 unsubscribe from the group. Gnus will still put all the mail from your
14576 boss in the unsubscribed group, and so, when your boss mails you ``Have
14577 that report ready by Monday or you're fired!'', you'll never see it and,
14578 come Tuesday, you'll still believe that you're gainfully employed while
14579 you really should be out collecting empty bottles to save up for next
14580 month's rent money.
14584 @subsection Mail Sources
14586 Mail can be gotten from many different sources---the mail spool, from
14587 a @acronym{POP} mail server, from a procmail directory, or from a
14588 maildir, for instance.
14591 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
14592 * Mail Source Functions::
14593 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
14594 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
14598 @node Mail Source Specifiers
14599 @subsubsection Mail Source Specifiers
14601 @cindex mail server
14604 @cindex mail source
14606 You tell Gnus how to fetch mail by setting @code{mail-sources}
14607 (@pxref{Fetching Mail}) to a @dfn{mail source specifier}.
14612 (pop :server "pop3.mailserver.com" :user "myname")
14615 As can be observed, a mail source specifier is a list where the first
14616 element is a @dfn{mail source type}, followed by an arbitrary number of
14617 @dfn{keywords}. Keywords that are not explicitly specified are given
14620 The @code{mail-sources} is global for all mail groups. You can specify
14621 an additional mail source for a particular group by including the
14622 @code{group} mail specifier in @code{mail-sources}, and setting a
14623 @code{mail-source} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) specifying
14624 a single mail source. When this is used, @code{mail-sources} is
14625 typically just @code{(group)}; the @code{mail-source} parameter for a
14626 group might look like this:
14629 (mail-source . (file :path "home/user/spools/foo.spool"))
14632 This means that the group's (and only this group's) messages will be
14633 fetched from the spool file @samp{/user/spools/foo.spool}.
14635 The following mail source types are available:
14639 Get mail from a single file; typically from the mail spool.
14645 The file name. Defaults to the value of the @env{MAIL}
14646 environment variable or the value of @code{rmail-spool-directory}
14647 (usually something like @file{/usr/mail/spool/user-name}).
14651 Script run before/after fetching mail.
14654 An example file mail source:
14657 (file :path "/usr/spool/mail/user-name")
14660 Or using the default file name:
14666 If the mail spool file is not located on the local machine, it's best
14667 to use @acronym{POP} or @acronym{IMAP} or the like to fetch the mail.
14668 You can not use ange-ftp file names here---it has no way to lock the
14669 mail spool while moving the mail.
14671 If it's impossible to set up a proper server, you can use ssh instead.
14675 '((file :prescript "ssh host bin/getmail >%t")))
14678 The @samp{getmail} script would look something like the following:
14682 # getmail - move mail from spool to stdout
14685 MOVEMAIL=/usr/lib/emacs/20.3/i386-redhat-linux/movemail
14687 rm -f $TMP; $MOVEMAIL $MAIL $TMP >/dev/null && cat $TMP
14690 Alter this script to fit the @samp{movemail} and temporary
14691 file you want to use.
14695 @vindex nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once
14696 Get mail from several files in a directory. This is typically used
14697 when you have procmail split the incoming mail into several files.
14698 That is, there is a one-to-one correspondence between files in that
14699 directory and groups, so that mail from the file @file{foo.bar.spool}
14700 will be put in the group @code{foo.bar}. (You can change the suffix
14701 to be used instead of @code{.spool}.) Setting
14702 @code{nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once} to non-@code{nil} forces
14703 Gnus to scan the mail source only once. This is particularly useful
14704 if you want to scan mail groups at a specified level.
14706 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
14707 There is also the variable @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming}, if you set
14708 that to a non-@code{nil} value, then the normal splitting process is
14709 applied to all the files from the directory, @ref{Splitting Mail}.
14715 The name of the directory where the files are. There is no default
14719 Only files ending with this suffix are used. The default is
14723 Only files that have this predicate return non-@code{nil} are returned.
14724 The default is @code{identity}. This is used as an additional
14725 filter---only files that have the right suffix @emph{and} satisfy this
14726 predicate are considered.
14730 Script run before/after fetching mail.
14734 An example directory mail source:
14737 (directory :path "/home/user-name/procmail-dir/"
14742 Get mail from a @acronym{POP} server.
14748 The name of the @acronym{POP} server. The default is taken from the
14749 @env{MAILHOST} environment variable.
14752 The port number of the @acronym{POP} server. This can be a number (e.g.,
14753 @samp{:port 1234}) or a string (e.g., @samp{:port "pop3"}). If it is a
14754 string, it should be a service name as listed in @file{/etc/services} on
14755 Unix systems. The default is @samp{"pop3"}. On some systems you might
14756 need to specify it as @samp{"pop-3"} instead.
14759 The user name to give to the @acronym{POP} server. The default is the login
14763 The password to give to the @acronym{POP} server. If not specified,
14764 the user is prompted.
14767 The program to use to fetch mail from the @acronym{POP} server. This
14768 should be a @code{format}-like string. Here's an example:
14771 fetchmail %u@@%s -P %p %t
14774 The valid format specifier characters are:
14778 The name of the file the mail is to be moved to. This must always be
14779 included in this string.
14782 The name of the server.
14785 The port number of the server.
14788 The user name to use.
14791 The password to use.
14794 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
14795 corresponding keywords.
14798 A script to be run before fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
14799 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
14801 One popular way to use this is to set up an SSH tunnel to access the
14802 @acronym{POP} server. Here's an example:
14805 (pop :server "127.0.0.1"
14810 "nohup ssh -f -L 1234:pop.server:110 remote.host sleep 3600 &")
14814 A script to be run after fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
14815 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
14818 The function to use to fetch mail from the @acronym{POP} server. The
14819 function is called with one parameter---the name of the file where the
14820 mail should be moved to.
14822 @item :authentication
14823 This can be either the symbol @code{password} or the symbol @code{apop}
14824 and says what authentication scheme to use. The default is
14828 Non-@code{nil} if the mail is to be left on the @acronym{POP} server
14829 after fetching. Only the built-in @code{pop3-movemail} program (the
14830 default) supports this keyword.
14832 If this is a number, leave mails on the server for this many days since
14833 you first checked new mails. In that case, mails once fetched will
14834 never be fetched again by the @acronym{UIDL} control. If this is
14835 @code{nil} (the default), mails will be deleted on the server right
14836 after fetching. If this is neither @code{nil} nor a number, all mails
14837 will be left on the server, and you will end up getting the same mails
14840 @vindex pop3-uidl-file
14841 The @code{pop3-uidl-file} variable specifies the file to which the
14842 @acronym{UIDL} data are locally stored. The default value is
14843 @file{~/.pop3-uidl}.
14845 Note that @acronym{POP} servers maintain no state information between
14846 sessions, so what the client believes is there and what is actually
14847 there may not match up. If they do not, then you may get duplicate
14848 mails or the whole thing can fall apart and leave you with a corrupt
14853 @findex pop3-movemail
14854 @vindex pop3-leave-mail-on-server
14855 If the @code{:program} and @code{:function} keywords aren't specified,
14856 @code{pop3-movemail} will be used.
14858 Here are some examples for getting mail from a @acronym{POP} server.
14860 Fetch from the default @acronym{POP} server, using the default user
14861 name, and default fetcher:
14867 Fetch from a named server with a named user and password:
14870 (pop :server "my.pop.server"
14871 :user "user-name" :password "secret")
14874 Leave mails on the server for 14 days:
14877 (pop :server "my.pop.server"
14878 :user "user-name" :password "secret"
14882 Use @samp{movemail} to move the mail:
14885 (pop :program "movemail po:%u %t %p")
14889 Get mail from a maildir. This is a type of mailbox that is supported by
14890 at least qmail and postfix, where each file in a special directory
14891 contains exactly one mail.
14897 The name of the directory where the mails are stored. The default is
14898 taken from the @env{MAILDIR} environment variable or
14901 The subdirectories of the Maildir. The default is
14902 @samp{("new" "cur")}.
14904 @c If you sometimes look at your mail through a pop3 daemon before fetching
14905 @c them with Gnus, you may also have to fetch your mails from the
14906 @c @code{cur} directory inside the maildir, like in the first example
14909 You can also get mails from remote hosts (because maildirs don't suffer
14910 from locking problems).
14914 Two example maildir mail sources:
14917 (maildir :path "/home/user-name/Maildir/"
14918 :subdirs ("cur" "new"))
14922 (maildir :path "/user@@remotehost.org:~/Maildir/"
14927 Get mail from a @acronym{IMAP} server. If you don't want to use
14928 @acronym{IMAP} as intended, as a network mail reading protocol (i.e.,
14929 with nnimap), for some reason or other, Gnus let you treat it similar
14930 to a @acronym{POP} server and fetches articles from a given
14931 @acronym{IMAP} mailbox. @xref{Using IMAP}, for more information.
14937 The name of the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is taken from the
14938 @env{MAILHOST} environment variable.
14941 The port number of the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is @samp{143}, or
14942 @samp{993} for @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} connections.
14945 The user name to give to the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is the login
14949 The password to give to the @acronym{IMAP} server. If not specified, the user is
14953 What stream to use for connecting to the server, this is one of the
14954 symbols in @code{imap-stream-alist}. Right now, this means
14955 @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{starttls}, @samp{tls},
14956 @samp{ssl}, @samp{shell} or the default @samp{network}.
14958 @item :authentication
14959 Which authenticator to use for authenticating to the server, this is
14960 one of the symbols in @code{imap-authenticator-alist}. Right now,
14961 this means @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{digest-md5},
14962 @samp{cram-md5}, @samp{anonymous} or the default @samp{login}.
14965 When using the `shell' :stream, the contents of this variable is
14966 mapped into the @code{imap-shell-program} variable. This should be a
14967 @code{format}-like string (or list of strings). Here's an example:
14973 Make sure nothing is interfering with the output of the program, e.g.,
14974 don't forget to redirect the error output to the void. The valid format
14975 specifier characters are:
14979 The name of the server.
14982 User name from @code{imap-default-user}.
14985 The port number of the server.
14988 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
14989 corresponding keywords.
14992 The name of the mailbox to get mail from. The default is @samp{INBOX}
14993 which normally is the mailbox which receives incoming mail.
14996 The predicate used to find articles to fetch. The default, @samp{UNSEEN
14997 UNDELETED}, is probably the best choice for most people, but if you
14998 sometimes peek in your mailbox with a @acronym{IMAP} client and mark some
14999 articles as read (or; SEEN) you might want to set this to @samp{1:*}.
15000 Then all articles in the mailbox is fetched, no matter what. For a
15001 complete list of predicates, see RFC 2060 section 6.4.4.
15004 How to flag fetched articles on the server, the default @samp{\Deleted}
15005 will mark them as deleted, an alternative would be @samp{\Seen} which
15006 would simply mark them as read. These are the two most likely choices,
15007 but more flags are defined in RFC 2060 section 2.3.2.
15010 If non-@code{nil}, don't remove all articles marked as deleted in the
15011 mailbox after finishing the fetch.
15015 An example @acronym{IMAP} mail source:
15018 (imap :server "mail.mycorp.com"
15020 :fetchflag "\\Seen")
15024 Get the actual mail source from the @code{mail-source} group parameter,
15025 @xref{Group Parameters}.
15030 @item Common Keywords
15031 Common keywords can be used in any type of mail source.
15037 If non-@code{nil}, fetch the mail even when Gnus is unplugged. If you
15038 use directory source to get mail, you can specify it as in this
15043 '((directory :path "/home/pavel/.Spool/"
15048 Gnus will then fetch your mail even when you are unplugged. This is
15049 useful when you use local mail and news.
15054 @node Mail Source Functions
15055 @subsubsection Function Interface
15057 Some of the above keywords specify a Lisp function to be executed.
15058 For each keyword @code{:foo}, the Lisp variable @code{foo} is bound to
15059 the value of the keyword while the function is executing. For example,
15060 consider the following mail-source setting:
15063 (setq mail-sources '((pop :user "jrl"
15064 :server "pophost" :function fetchfunc)))
15067 While the function @code{fetchfunc} is executing, the symbol @code{user}
15068 is bound to @code{"jrl"}, and the symbol @code{server} is bound to
15069 @code{"pophost"}. The symbols @code{port}, @code{password},
15070 @code{program}, @code{prescript}, @code{postscript}, @code{function},
15071 and @code{authentication} are also bound (to their default values).
15073 See above for a list of keywords for each type of mail source.
15076 @node Mail Source Customization
15077 @subsubsection Mail Source Customization
15079 The following is a list of variables that influence how the mail is
15080 fetched. You would normally not need to set or change any of these
15084 @item mail-source-crash-box
15085 @vindex mail-source-crash-box
15086 File where mail will be stored while processing it. The default is@*
15087 @file{~/.emacs-mail-crash-box}.
15090 @item mail-source-delete-incoming
15091 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
15092 If non-@code{nil}, delete incoming files after handling them. If
15093 @code{t}, delete the files immediately, if @code{nil}, never delete any
15094 files. If a positive number, delete files older than number of days
15095 (the deletion will only happen when receiving new mail). You may also
15096 set @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} to @code{nil} and call
15097 @code{mail-source-delete-old-incoming} from a hook or interactively.
15098 @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} defaults to @code{10} in alpha Gnusae
15099 and @code{2} in released Gnusae. @xref{Gnus Development}.
15101 @item mail-source-delete-old-incoming-confirm
15102 @vindex mail-source-delete-old-incoming-confirm
15103 If non-@code{nil}, ask for confirmation before deleting old incoming
15104 files. This variable only applies when
15105 @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is a positive number.
15107 @item mail-source-ignore-errors
15108 @vindex mail-source-ignore-errors
15109 If non-@code{nil}, ignore errors when reading mail from a mail source.
15111 @item mail-source-directory
15112 @vindex mail-source-directory
15113 Directory where incoming mail source files (if any) will be stored. The
15114 default is @file{~/Mail/}. At present, the only thing this is used for
15115 is to say where the incoming files will be stored if the variable
15116 @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is @code{nil} or a number.
15118 @item mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
15119 @vindex mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
15120 Prefix for file name for storing incoming mail. The default is
15121 @file{Incoming}, in which case files will end up with names like
15122 @file{Incoming30630D_} or @file{Incoming298602ZD}. This is really only
15123 relevant if @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is @code{nil} or a
15126 @item mail-source-default-file-modes
15127 @vindex mail-source-default-file-modes
15128 All new mail files will get this file mode. The default is @code{#o600}.
15130 @item mail-source-movemail-program
15131 @vindex mail-source-movemail-program
15132 If non-@code{nil}, name of program for fetching new mail. If
15133 @code{nil}, @code{movemail} in @var{exec-directory}.
15138 @node Fetching Mail
15139 @subsubsection Fetching Mail
15141 @vindex mail-sources
15142 The way to actually tell Gnus where to get new mail from is to set
15143 @code{mail-sources} to a list of mail source specifiers
15144 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}).
15146 If this variable is @code{nil}, the mail back ends will never attempt to
15147 fetch mail by themselves.
15149 If you want to fetch mail both from your local spool as well as a
15150 @acronym{POP} mail server, you'd say something like:
15155 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
15156 :password "secret")))
15159 Or, if you don't want to use any of the keyword defaults:
15163 '((file :path "/var/spool/mail/user-name")
15164 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
15167 :password "secret")))
15171 When you use a mail back end, Gnus will slurp all your mail from your
15172 inbox and plonk it down in your home directory. Gnus doesn't move any
15173 mail if you're not using a mail back end---you have to do a lot of magic
15174 invocations first. At the time when you have finished drawing the
15175 pentagram, lightened the candles, and sacrificed the goat, you really
15176 shouldn't be too surprised when Gnus moves your mail.
15180 @node Mail Back End Variables
15181 @subsection Mail Back End Variables
15183 These variables are (for the most part) pertinent to all the various
15187 @vindex nnmail-read-incoming-hook
15188 @item nnmail-read-incoming-hook
15189 The mail back ends all call this hook after reading new mail. You can
15190 use this hook to notify any mail watch programs, if you want to.
15192 @vindex nnmail-split-hook
15193 @item nnmail-split-hook
15194 @findex gnus-article-decode-encoded-words
15195 @cindex RFC 1522 decoding
15196 @cindex RFC 2047 decoding
15197 Hook run in the buffer where the mail headers of each message is kept
15198 just before the splitting based on these headers is done. The hook is
15199 free to modify the buffer contents in any way it sees fit---the buffer
15200 is discarded after the splitting has been done, and no changes performed
15201 in the buffer will show up in any files.
15202 @code{gnus-article-decode-encoded-words} is one likely function to add
15205 @vindex nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
15206 @vindex nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
15207 @item nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
15208 @itemx nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
15209 These are two useful hooks executed when treating new incoming
15210 mail---@code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook} (is called just before
15211 starting to handle the new mail) and
15212 @code{nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook} (is called when the mail handling
15213 is done). Here's and example of using these two hooks to change the
15214 default file modes the new mail files get:
15217 (add-hook 'nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
15218 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes #o700)))
15220 (add-hook 'nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
15221 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes #o775)))
15224 @item nnmail-use-long-file-names
15225 @vindex nnmail-use-long-file-names
15226 If non-@code{nil}, the mail back ends will use long file and directory
15227 names. Groups like @samp{mail.misc} will end up in directories
15228 (assuming use of @code{nnml} back end) or files (assuming use of
15229 @code{nnfolder} back end) like @file{mail.misc}. If it is @code{nil},
15230 the same group will end up in @file{mail/misc}.
15232 @item nnmail-delete-file-function
15233 @vindex nnmail-delete-file-function
15234 @findex delete-file
15235 Function called to delete files. It is @code{delete-file} by default.
15237 @item nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
15238 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
15239 If non-@code{nil}, put the @code{Message-ID}s of articles imported into
15240 the back end (via @code{Gcc}, for instance) into the mail duplication
15241 discovery cache. The default is @code{nil}.
15243 @item nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
15244 @vindex nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
15245 This can be a regular expression or a list of regular expressions.
15246 Group names that match any of the regular expressions will never be
15247 recorded in the @code{Message-ID} cache.
15249 This can be useful, for example, when using Fancy Splitting
15250 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}) together with the function
15251 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent}.
15256 @node Fancy Mail Splitting
15257 @subsection Fancy Mail Splitting
15258 @cindex mail splitting
15259 @cindex fancy mail splitting
15261 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy
15262 @findex nnmail-split-fancy
15263 If the rather simple, standard method for specifying how to split mail
15264 doesn't allow you to do what you want, you can set
15265 @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. Then you can
15266 play with the @code{nnmail-split-fancy} variable.
15268 Let's look at an example value of this variable first:
15271 ;; @r{Messages from the mailer daemon are not crossposted to any of}
15272 ;; @r{the ordinary groups. Warnings are put in a separate group}
15273 ;; @r{from real errors.}
15274 (| ("from" mail (| ("subject" "warn.*" "mail.warning")
15276 ;; @r{Non-error messages are crossposted to all relevant}
15277 ;; @r{groups, but we don't crosspost between the group for the}
15278 ;; @r{(ding) list and the group for other (ding) related mail.}
15279 (& (| (any "ding@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "ding.list")
15280 ("subject" "ding" "ding.misc"))
15281 ;; @r{Other mailing lists@dots{}}
15282 (any "procmail@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "procmail.list")
15283 (any "SmartList@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "SmartList.list")
15284 ;; @r{Both lists below have the same suffix, so prevent}
15285 ;; @r{cross-posting to mkpkg.list of messages posted only to}
15286 ;; @r{the bugs- list, but allow cross-posting when the}
15287 ;; @r{message was really cross-posted.}
15288 (any "bugs-mypackage@@somewhere" "mypkg.bugs")
15289 (any "mypackage@@somewhere" - "bugs-mypackage" "mypkg.list")
15290 ;; @r{People@dots{}}
15291 (any "larsi@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "people.Lars_Magne_Ingebrigtsen"))
15292 ;; @r{Unmatched mail goes to the catch all group.}
15296 This variable has the format of a @dfn{split}. A split is a
15297 (possibly) recursive structure where each split may contain other
15298 splits. Here are the possible split syntaxes:
15303 If the split is a string, that will be taken as a group name. Normal
15304 regexp match expansion will be done. See below for examples.
15306 @c Don't fold this line.
15307 @item (@var{field} @var{value} [- @var{restrict} [@dots{}] ] @var{split} [@var{invert-partial}])
15308 The split can be a list containing at least three elements. If the
15309 first element @var{field} (a regexp matching a header) contains
15310 @var{value} (also a regexp) then store the message as specified by
15313 If @var{restrict} (yet another regexp) matches some string after
15314 @var{field} and before the end of the matched @var{value}, the
15315 @var{split} is ignored. If none of the @var{restrict} clauses match,
15316 @var{split} is processed.
15318 The last element @var{invert-partial} is optional. If it is
15319 non-@code{nil}, the match-partial-words behavior controlled by the
15320 variable @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} (see below) is
15321 be inverted. (New in Gnus 5.10.7)
15323 @item (| @var{split} @dots{})
15324 If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{|} (vertical
15325 bar), then process each @var{split} until one of them matches. A
15326 @var{split} is said to match if it will cause the mail message to be
15327 stored in one or more groups.
15329 @item (& @var{split} @dots{})
15330 If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{&}, then
15331 process all @var{split}s in the list.
15334 If the split is the symbol @code{junk}, then don't save (i.e., delete)
15335 this message. Use with extreme caution.
15337 @item (: @var{function} @var{arg1} @var{arg2} @dots{})
15338 If the split is a list, and the first element is @samp{:}, then the
15339 second element will be called as a function with @var{args} given as
15340 arguments. The function should return a @var{split}.
15343 For instance, the following function could be used to split based on the
15344 body of the messages:
15347 (defun split-on-body ()
15351 (goto-char (point-min))
15352 (when (re-search-forward "Some.*string" nil t)
15356 The buffer is narrowed to the header of the message in question when
15357 @var{function} is run. That's why @code{(widen)} needs to be called
15358 after @code{save-excursion} and @code{save-restriction} in the example
15359 above. Also note that with the nnimap backend, message bodies will
15360 not be downloaded by default. You need to set
15361 @code{nnimap-split-download-body} to @code{t} to do that
15362 (@pxref{Client-Side IMAP Splitting}).
15364 @item (! @var{func} @var{split})
15365 If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{!}, then
15366 @var{split} will be processed, and @var{func} will be called as a
15367 function with the result of @var{split} as argument. @var{func}
15368 should return a split.
15371 If the split is @code{nil}, it is ignored.
15375 In these splits, @var{field} must match a complete field name.
15377 Normally, @var{value} in these splits must match a complete @emph{word}
15378 according to the fundamental mode syntax table. In other words, all
15379 @var{value}'s will be implicitly surrounded by @code{\<...\>} markers,
15380 which are word delimiters. Therefore, if you use the following split,
15384 (any "joe" "joemail")
15388 messages sent from @samp{joedavis@@foo.org} will normally not be filed
15389 in @samp{joemail}. If you want to alter this behavior, you can use any
15390 of the following three ways:
15394 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words
15395 You can set the @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} variable
15396 to non-@code{nil} in order to ignore word boundaries and instead the
15397 match becomes more like a grep. This variable controls whether partial
15398 words are matched during fancy splitting. The default value is
15401 Note that it influences all @var{value}'s in your split rules.
15404 @var{value} beginning with @code{.*} ignores word boundaries in front of
15405 a word. Similarly, if @var{value} ends with @code{.*}, word boundaries
15406 in the rear of a word will be ignored. For example, the @var{value}
15407 @code{"@@example\\.com"} does not match @samp{foo@@example.com} but
15408 @code{".*@@example\\.com"} does.
15411 You can set the @var{invert-partial} flag in your split rules of the
15412 @samp{(@var{field} @var{value} @dots{})} types, aforementioned in this
15413 section. If the flag is set, word boundaries on both sides of a word
15414 are ignored even if @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} is
15415 @code{nil}. Contrarily, if the flag is set, word boundaries are not
15416 ignored even if @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} is
15417 non-@code{nil}. (New in Gnus 5.10.7)
15420 @vindex nnmail-split-abbrev-alist
15421 @var{field} and @var{value} can also be Lisp symbols, in that case
15422 they are expanded as specified by the variable
15423 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist}. This is an alist of cons cells,
15424 where the @sc{car} of a cell contains the key, and the @sc{cdr}
15425 contains the associated value. Predefined entries in
15426 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist} include:
15430 Matches the @samp{From}, @samp{Sender} and @samp{Resent-From} fields.
15432 Matches the @samp{To}, @samp{Cc}, @samp{Apparently-To},
15433 @samp{Resent-To} and @samp{Resent-Cc} fields.
15435 Is the union of the @code{from} and @code{to} entries.
15438 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table
15439 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table} is the syntax table in effect
15440 when all this splitting is performed.
15442 If you want to have Gnus create groups dynamically based on some
15443 information in the headers (i.e., do @code{replace-match}-like
15444 substitutions in the group names), you can say things like:
15447 (any "debian-\\b\\(\\w+\\)@@lists.debian.org" "mail.debian.\\1")
15450 In this example, messages sent to @samp{debian-foo@@lists.debian.org}
15451 will be filed in @samp{mail.debian.foo}.
15453 If the string contains the element @samp{\\&}, then the previously
15454 matched string will be substituted. Similarly, the elements @samp{\\1}
15455 up to @samp{\\9} will be substituted with the text matched by the
15456 groupings 1 through 9.
15458 @vindex nnmail-split-lowercase-expanded
15459 Where @code{nnmail-split-lowercase-expanded} controls whether the
15460 lowercase of the matched string should be used for the substitution.
15461 Setting it as non-@code{nil} is useful to avoid the creation of multiple
15462 groups when users send to an address using different case
15463 (i.e., mailing-list@@domain vs Mailing-List@@Domain). The default value
15466 @findex nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent
15467 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} is a function which allows you to
15468 split followups into the same groups their parents are in. Sometimes
15469 you can't make splitting rules for all your mail. For example, your
15470 boss might send you personal mail regarding different projects you are
15471 working on, and as you can't tell your boss to put a distinguishing
15472 string into the subject line, you have to resort to manually moving the
15473 messages into the right group. With this function, you only have to do
15474 it once per thread.
15476 To use this feature, you have to set @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates}
15477 and @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} to a non-@code{nil}
15478 value. And then you can include @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent}
15479 using the colon feature, like so:
15481 (setq nnmail-treat-duplicates 'warn ; @r{or @code{delete}}
15482 nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids t
15484 '(| (: nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent)
15485 ;; @r{other splits go here}
15489 This feature works as follows: when @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} is
15490 non-@code{nil}, Gnus records the message id of every message it sees
15491 in the file specified by the variable
15492 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, together with the group it is in
15493 (the group is omitted for non-mail messages). When mail splitting is
15494 invoked, the function @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} then looks
15495 at the References (and In-Reply-To) header of each message to split
15496 and searches the file specified by @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}
15497 for the message ids. When it has found a parent, it returns the
15498 corresponding group name unless the group name matches the regexp
15499 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent-ignore-groups}. It is
15500 recommended that you set @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length} to a
15501 somewhat higher number than the default so that the message ids are
15502 still in the cache. (A value of 5000 appears to create a file some
15503 300 kBytes in size.)
15504 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
15505 When @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus
15506 also records the message ids of moved articles, so that the followup
15507 messages goes into the new group.
15509 Also see the variable @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} if you don't
15510 want certain groups to be recorded in the cache. For example, if all
15511 outgoing messages are written to an ``outgoing'' group, you could set
15512 @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} to match that group name.
15513 Otherwise, answers to all your messages would end up in the
15514 ``outgoing'' group.
15517 @node Group Mail Splitting
15518 @subsection Group Mail Splitting
15519 @cindex mail splitting
15520 @cindex group mail splitting
15522 @findex gnus-group-split
15523 If you subscribe to dozens of mailing lists but you don't want to
15524 maintain mail splitting rules manually, group mail splitting is for you.
15525 You just have to set @code{to-list} and/or @code{to-address} in group
15526 parameters or group customization and set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to
15527 @code{gnus-group-split}. This splitting function will scan all groups
15528 for those parameters and split mail accordingly, i.e., messages posted
15529 from or to the addresses specified in the parameters @code{to-list} or
15530 @code{to-address} of a mail group will be stored in that group.
15532 Sometimes, mailing lists have multiple addresses, and you may want mail
15533 splitting to recognize them all: just set the @code{extra-aliases} group
15534 parameter to the list of additional addresses and it's done. If you'd
15535 rather use a regular expression, set @code{split-regexp}.
15537 All these parameters in a group will be used to create an
15538 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split, in which the @var{field} is @samp{any},
15539 the @var{value} is a single regular expression that matches
15540 @code{to-list}, @code{to-address}, all of @code{extra-aliases} and all
15541 matches of @code{split-regexp}, and the @var{split} is the name of the
15542 group. @var{restrict}s are also supported: just set the
15543 @code{split-exclude} parameter to a list of regular expressions.
15545 If you can't get the right split to be generated using all these
15546 parameters, or you just need something fancier, you can set the
15547 parameter @code{split-spec} to an @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split. In
15548 this case, all other aforementioned parameters will be ignored by
15549 @code{gnus-group-split}. In particular, @code{split-spec} may be set to
15550 @code{nil}, in which case the group will be ignored by
15551 @code{gnus-group-split}.
15553 @vindex gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group
15554 @code{gnus-group-split} will do cross-posting on all groups that match,
15555 by defining a single @code{&} fancy split containing one split for each
15556 group. If a message doesn't match any split, it will be stored in the
15557 group named in @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}, unless
15558 some group has @code{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all}, in which case
15559 that group is used as the catch-all group. Even though this variable is
15560 often used just to name a group, it may also be set to an arbitrarily
15561 complex fancy split (after all, a group name is a fancy split), and this
15562 may be useful to split mail that doesn't go to any mailing list to
15563 personal mail folders. Note that this fancy split is added as the last
15564 element of a @code{|} split list that also contains a @code{&} split
15565 with the rules extracted from group parameters.
15567 It's time for an example. Assume the following group parameters have
15572 ((to-address . "bar@@femail.com")
15573 (split-regexp . ".*@@femail\\.com"))
15575 ((to-list . "foo@@nowhere.gov")
15576 (extra-aliases "foo@@localhost" "foo-redist@@home")
15577 (split-exclude "bugs-foo" "rambling-foo")
15578 (admin-address . "foo-request@@nowhere.gov"))
15580 ((split-spec . catch-all))
15583 Setting @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{gnus-group-split} will
15584 behave as if @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been selected and variable
15585 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been set as follows:
15588 (| (& (any "\\(bar@@femail\\.com\\|.*@@femail\\.com\\)" "mail.bar")
15589 (any "\\(foo@@nowhere\\.gov\\|foo@@localhost\\|foo-redist@@home\\)"
15590 - "bugs-foo" - "rambling-foo" "mail.foo"))
15594 @findex gnus-group-split-fancy
15595 If you'd rather not use group splitting for all your mail groups, you
15596 may use it for only some of them, by using @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
15600 (: gnus-group-split-fancy @var{groups} @var{no-crosspost} @var{catch-all})
15603 @var{groups} may be a regular expression or a list of group names whose
15604 parameters will be scanned to generate the output split.
15605 @var{no-crosspost} can be used to disable cross-posting; in this case, a
15606 single @code{|} split will be output. @var{catch-all} is the fall back
15607 fancy split, used like @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}.
15608 If @var{catch-all} is @code{nil}, or if @code{split-regexp} matches the
15609 empty string in any selected group, no catch-all split will be issued.
15610 Otherwise, if some group has @code{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all},
15611 this group will override the value of the @var{catch-all} argument.
15613 @findex gnus-group-split-setup
15614 Unfortunately, scanning all groups and their parameters can be quite
15615 slow, especially considering that it has to be done for every message.
15616 But don't despair! The function @code{gnus-group-split-setup} can be
15617 used to enable @code{gnus-group-split} in a much more efficient way. It
15618 sets @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy} and sets
15619 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} to the split produced by
15620 @code{gnus-group-split-fancy}. Thus, the group parameters are only
15621 scanned once, no matter how many messages are split.
15623 @findex gnus-group-split-update
15624 However, if you change group parameters, you'd have to update
15625 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} manually. You can do it by running
15626 @code{gnus-group-split-update}. If you'd rather have it updated
15627 automatically, just tell @code{gnus-group-split-setup} to do it for
15628 you. For example, add to your @file{~/.gnus.el}:
15631 (gnus-group-split-setup @var{auto-update} @var{catch-all})
15634 If @var{auto-update} is non-@code{nil}, @code{gnus-group-split-update}
15635 will be added to @code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook}, so you won't ever
15636 have to worry about updating @code{nnmail-split-fancy} again. If you
15637 don't omit @var{catch-all} (it's optional, equivalent to @code{nil}),
15638 @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group} will be set to its
15641 @vindex gnus-group-split-updated-hook
15642 Because you may want to change @code{nnmail-split-fancy} after it is set
15643 by @code{gnus-group-split-update}, this function will run
15644 @code{gnus-group-split-updated-hook} just before finishing.
15646 @node Incorporating Old Mail
15647 @subsection Incorporating Old Mail
15648 @cindex incorporating old mail
15649 @cindex import old mail
15651 Most people have lots of old mail stored in various file formats. If
15652 you have set up Gnus to read mail using one of the spiffy Gnus mail
15653 back ends, you'll probably wish to have that old mail incorporated into
15656 Doing so can be quite easy.
15658 To take an example: You're reading mail using @code{nnml}
15659 (@pxref{Mail Spool}), and have set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to a
15660 satisfactory value (@pxref{Splitting Mail}). You have an old Unix mbox
15661 file filled with important, but old, mail. You want to move it into
15662 your @code{nnml} groups.
15668 Go to the group buffer.
15671 Type @kbd{G f} and give the file name to the mbox file when prompted to create an
15672 @code{nndoc} group from the mbox file (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
15675 Type @kbd{SPACE} to enter the newly created group.
15678 Type @kbd{M P b} to process-mark all articles in this group's buffer
15679 (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
15682 Type @kbd{B r} to respool all the process-marked articles, and answer
15683 @samp{nnml} when prompted (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
15686 All the mail messages in the mbox file will now also be spread out over
15687 all your @code{nnml} groups. Try entering them and check whether things
15688 have gone without a glitch. If things look ok, you may consider
15689 deleting the mbox file, but I wouldn't do that unless I was absolutely
15690 sure that all the mail has ended up where it should be.
15692 Respooling is also a handy thing to do if you're switching from one mail
15693 back end to another. Just respool all the mail in the old mail groups
15694 using the new mail back end.
15697 @node Expiring Mail
15698 @subsection Expiring Mail
15699 @cindex article expiry
15700 @cindex expiring mail
15702 Traditional mail readers have a tendency to remove mail articles when
15703 you mark them as read, in some way. Gnus takes a fundamentally
15704 different approach to mail reading.
15706 Gnus basically considers mail just to be news that has been received in
15707 a rather peculiar manner. It does not think that it has the power to
15708 actually change the mail, or delete any mail messages. If you enter a
15709 mail group, and mark articles as ``read'', or kill them in some other
15710 fashion, the mail articles will still exist on the system. I repeat:
15711 Gnus will not delete your old, read mail. Unless you ask it to, of
15714 To make Gnus get rid of your unwanted mail, you have to mark the
15715 articles as @dfn{expirable}. (With the default key bindings, this means
15716 that you have to type @kbd{E}.) This does not mean that the articles
15717 will disappear right away, however. In general, a mail article will be
15718 deleted from your system if, 1) it is marked as expirable, AND 2) it is
15719 more than one week old. If you do not mark an article as expirable, it
15720 will remain on your system until hell freezes over. This bears
15721 repeating one more time, with some spurious capitalizations: IF you do
15722 NOT mark articles as EXPIRABLE, Gnus will NEVER delete those ARTICLES.
15724 @vindex gnus-auto-expirable-marks
15725 You do not have to mark articles as expirable by hand. Gnus provides
15726 two features, called ``auto-expire'' and ``total-expire'', that can help you
15727 with this. In a nutshell, ``auto-expire'' means that Gnus hits @kbd{E}
15728 for you when you select an article. And ``total-expire'' means that Gnus
15729 considers all articles as expirable that are read. So, in addition to
15730 the articles marked @samp{E}, also the articles marked @samp{r},
15731 @samp{R}, @samp{O}, @samp{K}, @samp{Y} (and so on) are considered
15732 expirable. @code{gnus-auto-expirable-marks} has the full list of
15735 When should either auto-expire or total-expire be used? Most people
15736 who are subscribed to mailing lists split each list into its own group
15737 and then turn on auto-expire or total-expire for those groups.
15738 (@xref{Splitting Mail}, for more information on splitting each list
15739 into its own group.)
15741 Which one is better, auto-expire or total-expire? It's not easy to
15742 answer. Generally speaking, auto-expire is probably faster. Another
15743 advantage of auto-expire is that you get more marks to work with: for
15744 the articles that are supposed to stick around, you can still choose
15745 between tick and dormant and read marks. But with total-expire, you
15746 only have dormant and ticked to choose from. The advantage of
15747 total-expire is that it works well with adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive
15748 Scoring}). Auto-expire works with normal scoring but not with adaptive
15751 @vindex gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
15752 Groups that match the regular expression
15753 @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups} will have all articles that you
15754 read marked as expirable automatically. All articles marked as
15755 expirable have an @samp{E} in the first column in the summary buffer.
15757 By default, if you have auto expiry switched on, Gnus will mark all the
15758 articles you read as expirable, no matter if they were read or unread
15759 before. To avoid having articles marked as read marked as expirable
15760 automatically, you can put something like the following in your
15761 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
15763 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
15765 (remove-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook
15766 'gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read)
15767 (add-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook 'gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read)
15770 Note that making a group auto-expirable doesn't mean that all read
15771 articles are expired---only the articles marked as expirable
15772 will be expired. Also note that using the @kbd{d} command won't make
15773 articles expirable---only semi-automatic marking of articles as read will
15774 mark the articles as expirable in auto-expirable groups.
15776 Let's say you subscribe to a couple of mailing lists, and you want the
15777 articles you have read to disappear after a while:
15780 (setq gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
15781 "mail.nonsense-list\\|mail.nice-list")
15784 Another way to have auto-expiry happen is to have the element
15785 @code{auto-expire} in the group parameters of the group.
15787 If you use adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}) and
15788 auto-expiring, you'll have problems. Auto-expiring and adaptive scoring
15789 don't really mix very well.
15791 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait
15792 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable supplies the default time an
15793 expirable article has to live. Gnus starts counting days from when the
15794 message @emph{arrived}, not from when it was sent. The default is seven
15797 Gnus also supplies a function that lets you fine-tune how long articles
15798 are to live, based on what group they are in. Let's say you want to
15799 have one month expiry period in the @samp{mail.private} group, a one day
15800 expiry period in the @samp{mail.junk} group, and a six day expiry period
15803 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
15805 (setq nnmail-expiry-wait-function
15807 (cond ((string= group "mail.private")
15809 ((string= group "mail.junk")
15811 ((string= group "important")
15817 The group names this function is fed are ``unadorned'' group
15818 names---no @samp{nnml:} prefixes and the like.
15820 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable and
15821 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} function can either be a number (not
15822 necessarily an integer) or one of the symbols @code{immediate} or
15825 You can also use the @code{expiry-wait} group parameter to selectively
15826 change the expiry period (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
15828 @vindex nnmail-expiry-target
15829 The normal action taken when expiring articles is to delete them.
15830 However, in some circumstances it might make more sense to move them
15831 to other groups instead of deleting them. The variable
15832 @code{nnmail-expiry-target} (and the @code{expiry-target} group
15833 parameter) controls this. The variable supplies a default value for
15834 all groups, which can be overridden for specific groups by the group
15835 parameter. default value is @code{delete}, but this can also be a
15836 string (which should be the name of the group the message should be
15837 moved to), or a function (which will be called in a buffer narrowed to
15838 the message in question, and with the name of the group being moved
15839 from as its parameter) which should return a target---either a group
15840 name or @code{delete}.
15842 Here's an example for specifying a group name:
15844 (setq nnmail-expiry-target "nnml:expired")
15847 @findex nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
15848 @vindex nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
15849 Gnus provides a function @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-target} which will
15850 expire mail to groups according to the variable
15851 @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets}. Here's an example:
15854 (setq nnmail-expiry-target 'nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
15855 nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
15856 '((to-from "boss" "nnfolder:Work")
15857 ("subject" "IMPORTANT" "nnfolder:IMPORTANT.%Y.%b")
15858 ("from" ".*" "nnfolder:Archive-%Y")))
15861 With this setup, any mail that has @code{IMPORTANT} in its Subject
15862 header and was sent in the year @code{YYYY} and month @code{MMM}, will
15863 get expired to the group @code{nnfolder:IMPORTANT.YYYY.MMM}. If its
15864 From or To header contains the string @code{boss}, it will get expired
15865 to @code{nnfolder:Work}. All other mail will get expired to
15866 @code{nnfolder:Archive-YYYY}.
15868 @vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
15869 If @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will never
15870 expire the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is to make life
15871 easier for procmail users.
15873 @vindex gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups
15874 By the way: That line up there, about Gnus never expiring non-expirable
15875 articles, is a lie. If you put @code{total-expire} in the group
15876 parameters, articles will not be marked as expirable, but all read
15877 articles will be put through the expiry process. Use with extreme
15878 caution. Even more dangerous is the
15879 @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups} variable. All groups that match
15880 this regexp will have all read articles put through the expiry process,
15881 which means that @emph{all} old mail articles in the groups in question
15882 will be deleted after a while. Use with extreme caution, and don't come
15883 crying to me when you discover that the regexp you used matched the
15884 wrong group and all your important mail has disappeared. Be a
15885 @emph{man}! Or a @emph{woman}! Whatever you feel more comfortable
15888 Most people make most of their mail groups total-expirable, though.
15890 @vindex gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire
15891 If @code{gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire} is non-@code{nil}, user marking
15892 commands will not mark an article as expirable, even if the group has
15893 auto-expire turned on.
15895 @vindex gnus-mark-copied-or-moved-articles-as-expirable
15896 The expirable marks of articles will be removed when copying or moving
15897 them to a group in which auto-expire is not turned on. This is for
15898 preventing articles from being expired unintentionally. On the other
15899 hand, to a group that has turned auto-expire on, the expirable marks of
15900 articles that are copied or moved will not be changed by default. I.e.,
15901 when copying or moving to such a group, articles that were expirable
15902 will be left expirable and ones that were not expirable will not be
15903 marked as expirable. So, even though in auto-expire groups, some
15904 articles will never get expired (unless you read them again). If you
15905 don't side with that behavior that unexpirable articles may be mixed
15906 into auto-expire groups, you can set
15907 @code{gnus-mark-copied-or-moved-articles-as-expirable} to a
15908 non-@code{nil} value. In that case, articles that have been read will
15909 be marked as expirable automatically when being copied or moved to a
15910 group that has auto-expire turned on. The default value is @code{nil}.
15914 @subsection Washing Mail
15915 @cindex mail washing
15916 @cindex list server brain damage
15917 @cindex incoming mail treatment
15919 Mailers and list servers are notorious for doing all sorts of really,
15920 really stupid things with mail. ``Hey, RFC 822 doesn't explicitly
15921 prohibit us from adding the string @code{wE aRe ElItE!!!!!1!!} to the
15922 end of all lines passing through our server, so let's do that!!!!1!''
15923 Yes, but RFC 822 wasn't designed to be read by morons. Things that were
15924 considered to be self-evident were not discussed. So. Here we are.
15926 Case in point: The German version of Microsoft Exchange adds @samp{AW:
15927 } to the subjects of replies instead of @samp{Re: }. I could pretend to
15928 be shocked and dismayed by this, but I haven't got the energy. It is to
15931 Gnus provides a plethora of functions for washing articles while
15932 displaying them, but it might be nicer to do the filtering before
15933 storing the mail to disk. For that purpose, we have three hooks and
15934 various functions that can be put in these hooks.
15937 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
15938 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
15939 This hook is called before doing anything with the mail and is meant for
15940 grand, sweeping gestures. It is called in a buffer that contains all
15941 the new, incoming mail. Functions to be used include:
15944 @item nnheader-ms-strip-cr
15945 @findex nnheader-ms-strip-cr
15946 Remove trailing carriage returns from each line. This is default on
15947 Emacs running on MS machines.
15951 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
15952 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
15953 This hook is called narrowed to each header. It can be used when
15954 cleaning up the headers. Functions that can be used include:
15957 @item nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
15958 @findex nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
15959 Clear leading white space that ``helpful'' listservs have added to the
15960 headers to make them look nice. Aaah.
15962 (Note that this function works on both the header on the body of all
15963 messages, so it is a potentially dangerous function to use (if a body
15964 of a message contains something that looks like a header line). So
15965 rather than fix the bug, it is of course the right solution to make it
15966 into a feature by documenting it.)
15968 @item nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
15969 @findex nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
15970 Some list servers add an identifier---for example, @samp{(idm)}---to the
15971 beginning of all @code{Subject} headers. I'm sure that's nice for
15972 people who use stone age mail readers. This function will remove
15973 strings that match the @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} regexp, which can
15974 also be a list of regexp. @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} may not contain
15977 For instance, if you want to remove the @samp{(idm)} and the
15978 @samp{nagnagnag} identifiers:
15981 (setq nnmail-list-identifiers
15982 '("(idm)" "nagnagnag"))
15985 This can also be done non-destructively with
15986 @code{gnus-list-identifiers}, @xref{Article Hiding}.
15988 @item nnmail-remove-tabs
15989 @findex nnmail-remove-tabs
15990 Translate all @samp{TAB} characters into @samp{SPACE} characters.
15992 @item nnmail-ignore-broken-references
15993 @findex nnmail-ignore-broken-references
15994 @c @findex nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
15997 Some mail user agents (e.g., Eudora and Pegasus) produce broken
15998 @code{References} headers, but correct @code{In-Reply-To} headers. This
15999 function will get rid of the @code{References} header if the headers
16000 contain a line matching the regular expression
16001 @code{nnmail-broken-references-mailers}.
16005 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
16006 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
16007 This hook is called narrowed to each message. Functions to be used
16011 @item article-de-quoted-unreadable
16012 @findex article-de-quoted-unreadable
16013 Decode Quoted Readable encoding.
16020 @subsection Duplicates
16022 @vindex nnmail-treat-duplicates
16023 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-length
16024 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-file
16025 @cindex duplicate mails
16026 If you are a member of a couple of mailing lists, you will sometimes
16027 receive two copies of the same mail. This can be quite annoying, so
16028 @code{nnmail} checks for and treats any duplicates it might find. To do
16029 this, it keeps a cache of old @code{Message-ID}s:
16030 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, which is @file{~/.nnmail-cache} by
16031 default. The approximate maximum number of @code{Message-ID}s stored
16032 there is controlled by the @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length}
16033 variable, which is 1000 by default. (So 1000 @code{Message-ID}s will be
16034 stored.) If all this sounds scary to you, you can set
16035 @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to @code{warn} (which is what it is by
16036 default), and @code{nnmail} won't delete duplicate mails. Instead it
16037 will insert a warning into the head of the mail saying that it thinks
16038 that this is a duplicate of a different message.
16040 This variable can also be a function. If that's the case, the function
16041 will be called from a buffer narrowed to the message in question with
16042 the @code{Message-ID} as a parameter. The function must return either
16043 @code{nil}, @code{warn}, or @code{delete}.
16045 You can turn this feature off completely by setting the variable to
16048 If you want all the duplicate mails to be put into a special
16049 @dfn{duplicates} group, you could do that using the normal mail split
16053 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
16054 '(| ;; @r{Messages duplicates go to a separate group.}
16055 ("gnus-warning" "duplicat\\(e\\|ion\\) of message" "duplicate")
16056 ;; @r{Message from daemons, postmaster, and the like to another.}
16057 (any mail "mail.misc")
16058 ;; @r{Other rules.}
16064 (setq nnmail-split-methods
16065 '(("duplicates" "^Gnus-Warning:.*duplicate")
16066 ;; @r{Other rules.}
16070 Here's a neat feature: If you know that the recipient reads her mail
16071 with Gnus, and that she has @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} set to
16072 @code{delete}, you can send her as many insults as you like, just by
16073 using a @code{Message-ID} of a mail that you know that she's already
16074 received. Think of all the fun! She'll never see any of it! Whee!
16077 @node Not Reading Mail
16078 @subsection Not Reading Mail
16080 If you start using any of the mail back ends, they have the annoying
16081 habit of assuming that you want to read mail with them. This might not
16082 be unreasonable, but it might not be what you want.
16084 If you set @code{mail-sources} and @code{nnmail-spool-file} to
16085 @code{nil}, none of the back ends will ever attempt to read incoming
16086 mail, which should help.
16088 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
16089 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
16090 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
16091 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
16092 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
16093 This might be too much, if, for instance, you are reading mail quite
16094 happily with @code{nnml} and just want to peek at some old (pre-Emacs
16095 23) Rmail file you have stashed away with @code{nnbabyl}. All back ends have
16096 variables called back-end-@code{get-new-mail}. If you want to disable
16097 the @code{nnbabyl} mail reading, you edit the virtual server for the
16098 group to have a setting where @code{nnbabyl-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}.
16100 All the mail back ends will call @code{nn}*@code{-prepare-save-mail-hook}
16101 narrowed to the article to be saved before saving it when reading
16105 @node Choosing a Mail Back End
16106 @subsection Choosing a Mail Back End
16108 Gnus will read the mail spool when you activate a mail group. The mail
16109 file is first copied to your home directory. What happens after that
16110 depends on what format you want to store your mail in.
16112 There are six different mail back ends in the standard Gnus, and more
16113 back ends are available separately. The mail back end most people use
16114 (because it is possibly the fastest) is @code{nnml} (@pxref{Mail
16118 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
16119 * Babyl:: Babyl was used by older versions of Rmail.
16120 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
16121 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
16122 * Maildir:: Another one-file-per-message format.
16123 * nnmaildir Group Parameters::
16124 * Article Identification::
16127 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
16128 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
16133 @node Unix Mail Box
16134 @subsubsection Unix Mail Box
16136 @cindex unix mail box
16138 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
16139 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
16140 The @dfn{nnmbox} back end will use the standard Un*x mbox file to store
16141 mail. @code{nnmbox} will add extra headers to each mail article to say
16142 which group it belongs in.
16144 Virtual server settings:
16147 @item nnmbox-mbox-file
16148 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
16149 The name of the mail box in the user's home directory. Default is
16152 @item nnmbox-active-file
16153 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
16154 The name of the active file for the mail box. Default is
16155 @file{~/.mbox-active}.
16157 @item nnmbox-get-new-mail
16158 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
16159 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmbox} will read incoming mail and split it
16160 into groups. Default is @code{t}.
16165 @subsubsection Babyl
16168 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
16169 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
16170 The @dfn{nnbabyl} back end will use a Babyl mail box to store mail.
16171 @code{nnbabyl} will add extra headers to each mail article to say which
16172 group it belongs in.
16174 Virtual server settings:
16177 @item nnbabyl-mbox-file
16178 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
16179 The name of the Babyl file. The default is @file{~/RMAIL}
16181 @item nnbabyl-active-file
16182 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
16183 The name of the active file for the Babyl file. The default is
16184 @file{~/.rmail-active}
16186 @item nnbabyl-get-new-mail
16187 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
16188 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnbabyl} will read incoming mail. Default is
16194 @subsubsection Mail Spool
16196 @cindex mail @acronym{NOV} spool
16198 The @dfn{nnml} spool mail format isn't compatible with any other known
16199 format. It should be used with some caution.
16201 @vindex nnml-directory
16202 If you use this back end, Gnus will split all incoming mail into files,
16203 one file for each mail, and put the articles into the corresponding
16204 directories under the directory specified by the @code{nnml-directory}
16205 variable. The default value is @file{~/Mail/}.
16207 You do not have to create any directories beforehand; Gnus will take
16210 If you have a strict limit as to how many files you are allowed to store
16211 in your account, you should not use this back end. As each mail gets its
16212 own file, you might very well occupy thousands of inodes within a few
16213 weeks. If this is no problem for you, and it isn't a problem for you
16214 having your friendly systems administrator walking around, madly,
16215 shouting ``Who is eating all my inodes?! Who? Who!?!'', then you should
16216 know that this is probably the fastest format to use. You do not have
16217 to trudge through a big mbox file just to read your new mail.
16219 @code{nnml} is probably the slowest back end when it comes to article
16220 splitting. It has to create lots of files, and it also generates
16221 @acronym{NOV} databases for the incoming mails. This makes it possibly the
16222 fastest back end when it comes to reading mail.
16224 Virtual server settings:
16227 @item nnml-directory
16228 @vindex nnml-directory
16229 All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory. The
16230 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default value
16233 @item nnml-active-file
16234 @vindex nnml-active-file
16235 The active file for the @code{nnml} server. The default is
16236 @file{~/Mail/active}.
16238 @item nnml-newsgroups-file
16239 @vindex nnml-newsgroups-file
16240 The @code{nnml} group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
16241 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups}.
16243 @item nnml-get-new-mail
16244 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
16245 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail. The default is
16248 @item nnml-nov-is-evil
16249 @vindex nnml-nov-is-evil
16250 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @acronym{NOV} files. The
16251 default is @code{nil}.
16253 @item nnml-nov-file-name
16254 @vindex nnml-nov-file-name
16255 The name of the @acronym{NOV} files. The default is @file{.overview}.
16257 @item nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
16258 @vindex nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
16259 Hook run narrowed to an article before saving.
16261 @item nnml-use-compressed-files
16262 @vindex nnml-use-compressed-files
16263 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will allow using compressed message
16264 files. This requires @code{auto-compression-mode} to be enabled
16265 (@pxref{Compressed Files, ,Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Manual}).
16266 If the value of @code{nnml-use-compressed-files} is a string, it is used
16267 as the file extension specifying the compression program. You can set it
16268 to @samp{.bz2} if your Emacs supports it. A value of @code{t} is
16269 equivalent to @samp{.gz}.
16271 @item nnml-compressed-files-size-threshold
16272 @vindex nnml-compressed-files-size-threshold
16273 Default size threshold for compressed message files. Message files with
16274 bodies larger than that many characters will be automatically compressed
16275 if @code{nnml-use-compressed-files} is non-@code{nil}.
16279 @findex nnml-generate-nov-databases
16280 If your @code{nnml} groups and @acronym{NOV} files get totally out of
16281 whack, you can do a complete update by typing @kbd{M-x
16282 nnml-generate-nov-databases}. This command will trawl through the
16283 entire @code{nnml} hierarchy, looking at each and every article, so it
16284 might take a while to complete. A better interface to this
16285 functionality can be found in the server buffer (@pxref{Server
16290 @subsubsection MH Spool
16292 @cindex mh-e mail spool
16294 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, except that is doesn't generate
16295 @acronym{NOV} databases and it doesn't keep an active file or marks
16296 file. This makes @code{nnmh} a @emph{much} slower back end than
16297 @code{nnml}, but it also makes it easier to write procmail scripts
16300 Virtual server settings:
16303 @item nnmh-directory
16304 @vindex nnmh-directory
16305 All @code{nnmh} directories will be located under this directory. The
16306 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
16309 @item nnmh-get-new-mail
16310 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
16311 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail. The default is
16315 @vindex nnmh-be-safe
16316 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will go to ridiculous lengths to make
16317 sure that the articles in the folder are actually what Gnus thinks
16318 they are. It will check date stamps and stat everything in sight, so
16319 setting this to @code{t} will mean a serious slow-down. If you never
16320 use anything but Gnus to read the @code{nnmh} articles, you do not
16321 have to set this variable to @code{t}. The default is @code{nil}.
16326 @subsubsection Maildir
16330 @code{nnmaildir} stores mail in the maildir format, with each maildir
16331 corresponding to a group in Gnus. This format is documented here:
16332 @uref{http://cr.yp.to/proto/maildir.html} and here:
16333 @uref{http://www.qmail.org/man/man5/maildir.html}. @code{nnmaildir}
16334 also stores extra information in the @file{.nnmaildir/} directory
16337 Maildir format was designed to allow concurrent deliveries and
16338 reading, without needing locks. With other back ends, you would have
16339 your mail delivered to a spool of some kind, and then you would
16340 configure Gnus to split mail from that spool into your groups. You
16341 can still do that with @code{nnmaildir}, but the more common
16342 configuration is to have your mail delivered directly to the maildirs
16343 that appear as group in Gnus.
16345 @code{nnmaildir} is designed to be perfectly reliable: @kbd{C-g} will
16346 never corrupt its data in memory, and @code{SIGKILL} will never
16347 corrupt its data in the filesystem.
16349 @code{nnmaildir} stores article marks and @acronym{NOV} data in each
16350 maildir. So you can copy a whole maildir from one Gnus setup to
16351 another, and you will keep your marks.
16353 Virtual server settings:
16357 For each of your @code{nnmaildir} servers (it's very unlikely that
16358 you'd need more than one), you need to create a directory and populate
16359 it with maildirs or symlinks to maildirs (and nothing else; do not
16360 choose a directory already used for other purposes). Each maildir
16361 will be represented in Gnus as a newsgroup on that server; the
16362 filename of the symlink will be the name of the group. Any filenames
16363 in the directory starting with @samp{.} are ignored. The directory is
16364 scanned when you first start Gnus, and each time you type @kbd{g} in
16365 the group buffer; if any maildirs have been removed or added,
16366 @code{nnmaildir} notices at these times.
16368 The value of the @code{directory} parameter should be a Lisp form
16369 which is processed by @code{eval} and @code{expand-file-name} to get
16370 the path of the directory for this server. The form is @code{eval}ed
16371 only when the server is opened; the resulting string is used until the
16372 server is closed. (If you don't know about forms and @code{eval},
16373 don't worry---a simple string will work.) This parameter is not
16374 optional; you must specify it. I don't recommend using
16375 @code{"~/Mail"} or a subdirectory of it; several other parts of Gnus
16376 use that directory by default for various things, and may get confused
16377 if @code{nnmaildir} uses it too. @code{"~/.nnmaildir"} is a typical
16380 @item target-prefix
16381 This should be a Lisp form which is processed by @code{eval} and
16382 @code{expand-file-name}. The form is @code{eval}ed only when the
16383 server is opened; the resulting string is used until the server is
16386 When you create a group on an @code{nnmaildir} server, the maildir is
16387 created with @code{target-prefix} prepended to its name, and a symlink
16388 pointing to that maildir is created, named with the plain group name.
16389 So if @code{directory} is @code{"~/.nnmaildir"} and
16390 @code{target-prefix} is @code{"../maildirs/"}, then when you create
16391 the group @code{foo}, @code{nnmaildir} will create
16392 @file{~/.nnmaildir/../maildirs/foo} as a maildir, and will create
16393 @file{~/.nnmaildir/foo} as a symlink pointing to
16394 @file{../maildirs/foo}.
16396 You can set @code{target-prefix} to a string without any slashes to
16397 create both maildirs and symlinks in the same @code{directory}; in
16398 this case, any maildirs found in @code{directory} whose names start
16399 with @code{target-prefix} will not be listed as groups (but the
16400 symlinks pointing to them will be).
16402 As a special case, if @code{target-prefix} is @code{""} (the default),
16403 then when you create a group, the maildir will be created in
16404 @code{directory} without a corresponding symlink. Beware that you
16405 cannot use @code{gnus-group-delete-group} on such groups without the
16406 @code{force} argument.
16408 @item directory-files
16409 This should be a function with the same interface as
16410 @code{directory-files} (such as @code{directory-files} itself). It is
16411 used to scan the server's @code{directory} for maildirs. This
16412 parameter is optional; the default is
16413 @code{nnheader-directory-files-safe} if
16414 @code{nnheader-directory-files-is-safe} is @code{nil}, and
16415 @code{directory-files} otherwise.
16416 (@code{nnheader-directory-files-is-safe} is checked only once when the
16417 server is opened; if you want to check it each time the directory is
16418 scanned, you'll have to provide your own function that does that.)
16421 If non-@code{nil}, then after scanning for new mail in the group
16422 maildirs themselves as usual, this server will also incorporate mail
16423 the conventional Gnus way, from @code{mail-sources} according to
16424 @code{nnmail-split-methods} or @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. The default
16425 value is @code{nil}.
16427 Do @emph{not} use the same maildir both in @code{mail-sources} and as
16428 an @code{nnmaildir} group. The results might happen to be useful, but
16429 that would be by chance, not by design, and the results might be
16430 different in the future. If your split rules create new groups,
16431 remember to supply a @code{create-directory} server parameter.
16434 @node nnmaildir Group Parameters
16435 @subsubsection Group parameters
16437 @code{nnmaildir} uses several group parameters. It's safe to ignore
16438 all this; the default behavior for @code{nnmaildir} is the same as the
16439 default behavior for other mail back ends: articles are deleted after
16440 one week, etc. Except for the expiry parameters, all this
16441 functionality is unique to @code{nnmaildir}, so you can ignore it if
16442 you're just trying to duplicate the behavior you already have with
16445 If the value of any of these parameters is a vector, the first element
16446 is evaluated as a Lisp form and the result is used, rather than the
16447 original value. If the value is not a vector, the value itself is
16448 evaluated as a Lisp form. (This is why these parameters use names
16449 different from those of other, similar parameters supported by other
16450 back ends: they have different, though similar, meanings.) (For
16451 numbers, strings, @code{nil}, and @code{t}, you can ignore the
16452 @code{eval} business again; for other values, remember to use an extra
16453 quote and wrap the value in a vector when appropriate.)
16457 An integer specifying the minimum age, in seconds, of an article
16458 before it will be expired, or the symbol @code{never} to specify that
16459 articles should never be expired. If this parameter is not set,
16460 @code{nnmaildir} falls back to the usual
16461 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait}(@code{-function}) variables (the
16462 @code{expiry-wait} group parameter overrides @code{nnmail-expiry-wait}
16463 and makes @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} ineffective). If you
16464 wanted a value of 3 days, you could use something like @code{[(* 3 24
16465 60 60)]}; @code{nnmaildir} will evaluate the form and use the result.
16466 An article's age is measured starting from the article file's
16467 modification time. Normally, this is the same as the article's
16468 delivery time, but editing an article makes it younger. Moving an
16469 article (other than via expiry) may also make an article younger.
16472 If this is set to a string such as a full Gnus group name, like
16474 "backend+server.address.string:group.name"
16476 and if it is not the name of the same group that the parameter belongs
16477 to, then articles will be moved to the specified group during expiry
16478 before being deleted. @emph{If this is set to an @code{nnmaildir}
16479 group, the article will be just as old in the destination group as it
16480 was in the source group.} So be careful with @code{expire-age} in the
16481 destination group. If this is set to the name of the same group that
16482 the parameter belongs to, then the article is not expired at all. If
16483 you use the vector form, the first element is evaluated once for each
16484 article. So that form can refer to
16485 @code{nnmaildir-article-file-name}, etc., to decide where to put the
16486 article. @emph{Even if this parameter is not set, @code{nnmaildir}
16487 does not fall back to the @code{expiry-target} group parameter or the
16488 @code{nnmail-expiry-target} variable.}
16491 If this is set to @code{t}, @code{nnmaildir} will treat the articles
16492 in this maildir as read-only. This means: articles are not renamed
16493 from @file{new/} into @file{cur/}; articles are only found in
16494 @file{new/}, not @file{cur/}; articles are never deleted; articles
16495 cannot be edited. @file{new/} is expected to be a symlink to the
16496 @file{new/} directory of another maildir---e.g., a system-wide mailbox
16497 containing a mailing list of common interest. Everything in the
16498 maildir outside @file{new/} is @emph{not} treated as read-only, so for
16499 a shared mailbox, you do still need to set up your own maildir (or
16500 have write permission to the shared mailbox); your maildir just won't
16501 contain extra copies of the articles.
16503 @item directory-files
16504 A function with the same interface as @code{directory-files}. It is
16505 used to scan the directories in the maildir corresponding to this
16506 group to find articles. The default is the function specified by the
16507 server's @code{directory-files} parameter.
16509 @item distrust-Lines:
16510 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmaildir} will always count the lines of an
16511 article, rather than use the @code{Lines:} header field. If
16512 @code{nil}, the header field will be used if present.
16515 A list of mark symbols, such as @code{['(read expire)]}. Whenever
16516 Gnus asks @code{nnmaildir} for article marks, @code{nnmaildir} will
16517 say that all articles have these marks, regardless of whether the
16518 marks stored in the filesystem say so. This is a proof-of-concept
16519 feature that will probably be removed eventually; it ought to be done
16520 in Gnus proper, or abandoned if it's not worthwhile.
16523 A list of mark symbols, such as @code{['(tick expire)]}. Whenever
16524 Gnus asks @code{nnmaildir} for article marks, @code{nnmaildir} will
16525 say that no articles have these marks, regardless of whether the marks
16526 stored in the filesystem say so. @code{never-marks} overrides
16527 @code{always-marks}. This is a proof-of-concept feature that will
16528 probably be removed eventually; it ought to be done in Gnus proper, or
16529 abandoned if it's not worthwhile.
16531 @item nov-cache-size
16532 An integer specifying the size of the @acronym{NOV} memory cache. To
16533 speed things up, @code{nnmaildir} keeps @acronym{NOV} data in memory
16534 for a limited number of articles in each group. (This is probably not
16535 worthwhile, and will probably be removed in the future.) This
16536 parameter's value is noticed only the first time a group is seen after
16537 the server is opened---i.e., when you first start Gnus, typically.
16538 The @acronym{NOV} cache is never resized until the server is closed
16539 and reopened. The default is an estimate of the number of articles
16540 that would be displayed in the summary buffer: a count of articles
16541 that are either marked with @code{tick} or not marked with
16542 @code{read}, plus a little extra.
16545 @node Article Identification
16546 @subsubsection Article identification
16547 Articles are stored in the @file{cur/} subdirectory of each maildir.
16548 Each article file is named like @code{uniq:info}, where @code{uniq}
16549 contains no colons. @code{nnmaildir} ignores, but preserves, the
16550 @code{:info} part. (Other maildir readers typically use this part of
16551 the filename to store marks.) The @code{uniq} part uniquely
16552 identifies the article, and is used in various places in the
16553 @file{.nnmaildir/} subdirectory of the maildir to store information
16554 about the corresponding article. The full pathname of an article is
16555 available in the variable @code{nnmaildir-article-file-name} after you
16556 request the article in the summary buffer.
16559 @subsubsection NOV data
16560 An article identified by @code{uniq} has its @acronym{NOV} data (used
16561 to generate lines in the summary buffer) stored in
16562 @code{.nnmaildir/nov/uniq}. There is no
16563 @code{nnmaildir-generate-nov-databases} function. (There isn't much
16564 need for it---an article's @acronym{NOV} data is updated automatically
16565 when the article or @code{nnmail-extra-headers} has changed.) You can
16566 force @code{nnmaildir} to regenerate the @acronym{NOV} data for a
16567 single article simply by deleting the corresponding @acronym{NOV}
16568 file, but @emph{beware}: this will also cause @code{nnmaildir} to
16569 assign a new article number for this article, which may cause trouble
16570 with @code{seen} marks, the Agent, and the cache.
16572 @node Article Marks
16573 @subsubsection Article marks
16574 An article identified by @code{uniq} is considered to have the mark
16575 @code{flag} when the file @file{.nnmaildir/marks/flag/uniq} exists.
16576 When Gnus asks @code{nnmaildir} for a group's marks, @code{nnmaildir}
16577 looks for such files and reports the set of marks it finds. When Gnus
16578 asks @code{nnmaildir} to store a new set of marks, @code{nnmaildir}
16579 creates and deletes the corresponding files as needed. (Actually,
16580 rather than create a new file for each mark, it just creates hard
16581 links to @file{.nnmaildir/markfile}, to save inodes.)
16583 You can invent new marks by creating a new directory in
16584 @file{.nnmaildir/marks/}. You can tar up a maildir and remove it from
16585 your server, untar it later, and keep your marks. You can add and
16586 remove marks yourself by creating and deleting mark files. If you do
16587 this while Gnus is running and your @code{nnmaildir} server is open,
16588 it's best to exit all summary buffers for @code{nnmaildir} groups and
16589 type @kbd{s} in the group buffer first, and to type @kbd{g} or
16590 @kbd{M-g} in the group buffer afterwards. Otherwise, Gnus might not
16591 pick up the changes, and might undo them.
16595 @subsubsection Mail Folders
16597 @cindex mbox folders
16598 @cindex mail folders
16600 @code{nnfolder} is a back end for storing each mail group in a
16601 separate file. Each file is in the standard Un*x mbox format.
16602 @code{nnfolder} will add extra headers to keep track of article
16603 numbers and arrival dates.
16605 Virtual server settings:
16608 @item nnfolder-directory
16609 @vindex nnfolder-directory
16610 All the @code{nnfolder} mail boxes will be stored under this
16611 directory. The default is the value of @code{message-directory}
16612 (whose default is @file{~/Mail})
16614 @item nnfolder-active-file
16615 @vindex nnfolder-active-file
16616 The name of the active file. The default is @file{~/Mail/active}.
16618 @item nnfolder-newsgroups-file
16619 @vindex nnfolder-newsgroups-file
16620 The name of the group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
16621 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups}
16623 @item nnfolder-get-new-mail
16624 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
16625 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail. The
16626 default is @code{t}
16628 @item nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
16629 @vindex nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
16630 @cindex backup files
16631 Hook run before saving the folders. Note that Emacs does the normal
16632 backup renaming of files even with the @code{nnfolder} buffers. If
16633 you wish to switch this off, you could say something like the
16634 following in your @file{.emacs} file:
16637 (defun turn-off-backup ()
16638 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
16640 (add-hook 'nnfolder-save-buffer-hook 'turn-off-backup)
16643 @item nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
16644 @vindex nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
16645 Hook run in a buffer narrowed to the message that is to be deleted.
16646 This function can be used to copy the message to somewhere else, or to
16647 extract some information from it before removing it.
16649 @item nnfolder-nov-is-evil
16650 @vindex nnfolder-nov-is-evil
16651 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @acronym{NOV} files. The
16652 default is @code{nil}.
16654 @item nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
16655 @vindex nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
16656 The extension for @acronym{NOV} files. The default is @file{.nov}.
16658 @item nnfolder-nov-directory
16659 @vindex nnfolder-nov-directory
16660 The directory where the @acronym{NOV} files should be stored. If
16661 @code{nil}, @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
16666 @findex nnfolder-generate-active-file
16667 @kindex M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file
16668 If you have lots of @code{nnfolder}-like files you'd like to read with
16669 @code{nnfolder}, you can use the @kbd{M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file}
16670 command to make @code{nnfolder} aware of all likely files in
16671 @code{nnfolder-directory}. This only works if you use long file names,
16674 @node Comparing Mail Back Ends
16675 @subsubsection Comparing Mail Back Ends
16677 First, just for terminology, the @dfn{back end} is the common word for a
16678 low-level access method---a transport, if you will, by which something
16679 is acquired. The sense is that one's mail has to come from somewhere,
16680 and so selection of a suitable back end is required in order to get that
16681 mail within spitting distance of Gnus.
16683 The same concept exists for Usenet itself: Though access to articles is
16684 typically done by @acronym{NNTP} these days, once upon a midnight dreary, everyone
16685 in the world got at Usenet by running a reader on the machine where the
16686 articles lay (the machine which today we call an @acronym{NNTP} server), and
16687 access was by the reader stepping into the articles' directory spool
16688 area directly. One can still select between either the @code{nntp} or
16689 @code{nnspool} back ends, to select between these methods, if one happens
16690 actually to live on the server (or can see its spool directly, anyway,
16693 The goal in selecting a mail back end is to pick one which
16694 simultaneously represents a suitable way of dealing with the original
16695 format plus leaving mail in a form that is convenient to use in the
16696 future. Here are some high and low points on each:
16701 UNIX systems have historically had a single, very common, and well-defined
16702 format. All messages arrive in a single @dfn{spool file}, and
16703 they are delineated by a line whose regular expression matches
16704 @samp{^From_}. (My notational use of @samp{_} is to indicate a space,
16705 to make it clear in this instance that this is not the RFC-specified
16706 @samp{From:} header.) Because Emacs and therefore Gnus emanate
16707 historically from the Unix environment, it is simplest if one does not
16708 mess a great deal with the original mailbox format, so if one chooses
16709 this back end, Gnus' primary activity in getting mail from the real spool
16710 area to Gnus' preferred directory is simply to copy it, with no
16711 (appreciable) format change in the process. It is the ``dumbest'' way
16712 to move mail into availability in the Gnus environment. This makes it
16713 fast to move into place, but slow to parse, when Gnus has to look at
16718 Once upon a time, there was the DEC-10 and DEC-20, running operating
16719 systems called TOPS and related things, and the usual (only?) mail
16720 reading environment was a thing called Babyl. I don't know what format
16721 was used for mail landing on the system, but Babyl had its own internal
16722 format to which mail was converted, primarily involving creating a
16723 spool-file-like entity with a scheme for inserting Babyl-specific
16724 headers and status bits above the top of each message in the file.
16725 Rmail was Emacs's first mail reader, it was written by Richard Stallman,
16726 and Stallman came out of that TOPS/Babyl environment, so he wrote Rmail
16727 to understand the mail files folks already had in existence. Gnus (and
16728 VM, for that matter) continue to support this format because it's
16729 perceived as having some good qualities in those mailer-specific
16730 headers/status bits stuff. Rmail itself still exists as well, of
16731 course, and is still maintained within Emacs. Since Emacs 23, it
16732 uses standard mbox format rather than Babyl.
16734 Both of the above forms leave your mail in a single file on your
16735 file system, and they must parse that entire file each time you take a
16740 @code{nnml} is the back end which smells the most as though you were
16741 actually operating with an @code{nnspool}-accessed Usenet system. (In
16742 fact, I believe @code{nnml} actually derived from @code{nnspool} code,
16743 lo these years ago.) One's mail is taken from the original spool file,
16744 and is then cut up into individual message files, 1:1. It maintains a
16745 Usenet-style active file (analogous to what one finds in an INN- or
16746 CNews-based news system in (for instance) @file{/var/lib/news/active},
16747 or what is returned via the @samp{NNTP LIST} verb) and also creates
16748 @dfn{overview} files for efficient group entry, as has been defined for
16749 @acronym{NNTP} servers for some years now. It is slower in mail-splitting,
16750 due to the creation of lots of files, updates to the @code{nnml} active
16751 file, and additions to overview files on a per-message basis, but it is
16752 extremely fast on access because of what amounts to the indexing support
16753 provided by the active file and overviews.
16755 @code{nnml} costs @dfn{inodes} in a big way; that is, it soaks up the
16756 resource which defines available places in the file system to put new
16757 files. Sysadmins take a dim view of heavy inode occupation within
16758 tight, shared file systems. But if you live on a personal machine where
16759 the file system is your own and space is not at a premium, @code{nnml}
16762 It is also problematic using this back end if you are living in a
16763 FAT16-based Windows world, since much space will be wasted on all these
16768 The Rand MH mail-reading system has been around UNIX systems for a very
16769 long time; it operates by splitting one's spool file of messages into
16770 individual files, but with little or no indexing support---@code{nnmh}
16771 is considered to be semantically equivalent to ``@code{nnml} without
16772 active file or overviews''. This is arguably the worst choice, because
16773 one gets the slowness of individual file creation married to the
16774 slowness of access parsing when learning what's new in one's groups.
16778 Basically the effect of @code{nnfolder} is @code{nnmbox} (the first
16779 method described above) on a per-group basis. That is, @code{nnmbox}
16780 itself puts @emph{all} one's mail in one file; @code{nnfolder} provides a
16781 little bit of optimization to this so that each of one's mail groups has
16782 a Unix mail box file. It's faster than @code{nnmbox} because each group
16783 can be parsed separately, and still provides the simple Unix mail box
16784 format requiring minimal effort in moving the mail around. In addition,
16785 it maintains an ``active'' file making it much faster for Gnus to figure
16786 out how many messages there are in each separate group.
16788 If you have groups that are expected to have a massive amount of
16789 messages, @code{nnfolder} is not the best choice, but if you receive
16790 only a moderate amount of mail, @code{nnfolder} is probably the most
16791 friendly mail back end all over.
16795 For configuring expiry and other things, @code{nnmaildir} uses
16796 incompatible group parameters, slightly different from those of other
16799 @code{nnmaildir} is largely similar to @code{nnml}, with some notable
16800 differences. Each message is stored in a separate file, but the
16801 filename is unrelated to the article number in Gnus. @code{nnmaildir}
16802 also stores the equivalent of @code{nnml}'s overview files in one file
16803 per article, so it uses about twice as many inodes as @code{nnml}.
16804 (Use @code{df -i} to see how plentiful your inode supply is.) If this
16805 slows you down or takes up very much space, a non-block-structured
16808 Since maildirs don't require locking for delivery, the maildirs you use
16809 as groups can also be the maildirs your mail is directly delivered to.
16810 This means you can skip Gnus' mail splitting if your mail is already
16811 organized into different mailboxes during delivery. A @code{directory}
16812 entry in @code{mail-sources} would have a similar effect, but would
16813 require one set of mailboxes for spooling deliveries (in mbox format,
16814 thus damaging message bodies), and another set to be used as groups (in
16815 whatever format you like). A maildir has a built-in spool, in the
16816 @code{new/} subdirectory. Beware that currently, mail moved from
16817 @code{new/} to @code{cur/} instead of via mail splitting will not
16818 undergo treatment such as duplicate checking.
16820 @code{nnmaildir} stores article marks for a given group in the
16821 corresponding maildir, in a way designed so that it's easy to manipulate
16822 them from outside Gnus. You can tar up a maildir, unpack it somewhere
16823 else, and still have your marks.
16825 @code{nnmaildir} uses a significant amount of memory to speed things up.
16826 (It keeps in memory some of the things that @code{nnml} stores in files
16827 and that @code{nnmh} repeatedly parses out of message files.) If this
16828 is a problem for you, you can set the @code{nov-cache-size} group
16829 parameter to something small (0 would probably not work, but 1 probably
16830 would) to make it use less memory. This caching will probably be
16831 removed in the future.
16833 Startup is likely to be slower with @code{nnmaildir} than with other
16834 back ends. Everything else is likely to be faster, depending in part
16835 on your file system.
16837 @code{nnmaildir} does not use @code{nnoo}, so you cannot use @code{nnoo}
16838 to write an @code{nnmaildir}-derived back end.
16843 @node Browsing the Web
16844 @section Browsing the Web
16846 @cindex browsing the web
16850 Web-based discussion forums are getting more and more popular. On many
16851 subjects, the web-based forums have become the most important forums,
16852 eclipsing the importance of mailing lists and news groups. The reason
16853 is easy to understand---they are friendly to new users; you just point
16854 and click, and there's the discussion. With mailing lists, you have to
16855 go through a cumbersome subscription procedure, and most people don't
16856 even know what a news group is.
16858 The problem with this scenario is that web browsers are not very good at
16859 being newsreaders. They do not keep track of what articles you've read;
16860 they do not allow you to score on subjects you're interested in; they do
16861 not allow off-line browsing; they require you to click around and drive
16862 you mad in the end.
16864 So---if web browsers suck at reading discussion forums, why not use Gnus
16867 Gnus has been getting a bit of a collection of back ends for providing
16868 interfaces to these sources.
16872 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
16873 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
16876 The main caveat with all these web sources is that they probably won't
16877 work for a very long time. Gleaning information from the @acronym{HTML} data
16878 is guesswork at best, and when the layout is altered, the Gnus back end
16879 will fail. If you have reasonably new versions of these back ends,
16880 though, you should be ok.
16882 One thing all these Web methods have in common is that the Web sources
16883 are often down, unavailable or just plain too slow to be fun. In those
16884 cases, it makes a lot of sense to let the Gnus Agent (@pxref{Gnus
16885 Unplugged}) handle downloading articles, and then you can read them at
16886 leisure from your local disk. No more World Wide Wait for you.
16888 @node Archiving Mail
16889 @subsection Archiving Mail
16890 @cindex archiving mail
16891 @cindex backup of mail
16893 Some of the back ends, notably @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, and
16894 @code{nnmaildir}, now actually store the article marks with each group.
16895 For these servers, archiving and restoring a group while preserving
16896 marks is fairly simple.
16898 (Preserving the group level and group parameters as well still
16899 requires ritual dancing and sacrifices to the @file{.newsrc.eld} deity
16902 To archive an entire @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir}
16903 server, take a recursive copy of the server directory. There is no need
16904 to shut down Gnus, so archiving may be invoked by @code{cron} or
16905 similar. You restore the data by restoring the directory tree, and
16906 adding a server definition pointing to that directory in Gnus. The
16907 @ref{Article Backlog}, @ref{Asynchronous Fetching} and other things
16908 might interfere with overwriting data, so you may want to shut down Gnus
16909 before you restore the data.
16912 @subsection Web Searches
16917 @cindex Usenet searches
16918 @cindex searching the Usenet
16920 It's, like, too neat to search the Usenet for articles that match a
16921 string, but it, like, totally @emph{sucks}, like, totally, to use one of
16922 those, like, Web browsers, and you, like, have to, rilly, like, look at
16923 the commercials, so, like, with Gnus you can do @emph{rad}, rilly,
16924 searches without having to use a browser.
16926 The @code{nnweb} back end allows an easy interface to the mighty search
16927 engine. You create an @code{nnweb} group, enter a search pattern, and
16928 then enter the group and read the articles like you would any normal
16929 group. The @kbd{G w} command in the group buffer (@pxref{Foreign
16930 Groups}) will do this in an easy-to-use fashion.
16932 @code{nnweb} groups don't really lend themselves to being solid
16933 groups---they have a very fleeting idea of article numbers. In fact,
16934 each time you enter an @code{nnweb} group (not even changing the search
16935 pattern), you are likely to get the articles ordered in a different
16936 manner. Not even using duplicate suppression (@pxref{Duplicate
16937 Suppression}) will help, since @code{nnweb} doesn't even know the
16938 @code{Message-ID} of the articles before reading them using some search
16939 engines (Google, for instance). The only possible way to keep track
16940 of which articles you've read is by scoring on the @code{Date}
16941 header---mark all articles posted before the last date you read the
16944 If the search engine changes its output substantially, @code{nnweb}
16945 won't be able to parse it and will fail. One could hardly fault the Web
16946 providers if they were to do this---their @emph{raison d'@^etre} is to
16947 make money off of advertisements, not to provide services to the
16948 community. Since @code{nnweb} washes the ads off all the articles, one
16949 might think that the providers might be somewhat miffed. We'll see.
16951 Virtual server variables:
16956 What search engine type is being used. The currently supported types
16957 are @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}. Note that
16958 @code{dejanews} is an alias to @code{google}.
16961 @vindex nnweb-search
16962 The search string to feed to the search engine.
16964 @item nnweb-max-hits
16965 @vindex nnweb-max-hits
16966 Advisory maximum number of hits per search to display. The default is
16969 @item nnweb-type-definition
16970 @vindex nnweb-type-definition
16971 Type-to-definition alist. This alist says what @code{nnweb} should do
16972 with the various search engine types. The following elements must be
16977 Function to decode the article and provide something that Gnus
16981 Function to create an article number to message header and URL alist.
16984 Function to send the search string to the search engine.
16987 The address the aforementioned function should send the search string
16991 Format string URL to fetch an article by @code{Message-ID}.
17002 Some web sites have an RDF Site Summary (@acronym{RSS}).
17003 @acronym{RSS} is a format for summarizing headlines from news related
17004 sites (such as BBC or CNN). But basically anything list-like can be
17005 presented as an @acronym{RSS} feed: weblogs, changelogs or recent
17006 changes to a wiki (e.g., @url{http://cliki.net/site/recent-changes}).
17008 @acronym{RSS} has a quite regular and nice interface, and it's
17009 possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
17011 Note: you had better use Emacs which supports the @code{utf-8} coding
17012 system because @acronym{RSS} uses UTF-8 for encoding non-@acronym{ASCII}
17013 text by default. It is also used by default for non-@acronym{ASCII}
17016 @kindex G R (Group)
17017 Use @kbd{G R} from the group buffer to subscribe to a feed---you will be
17018 prompted for the location, the title and the description of the feed.
17019 The title, which allows any characters, will be used for the group name
17020 and the name of the group data file. The description can be omitted.
17022 An easy way to get started with @code{nnrss} is to say something like
17023 the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnrss RET RET y}, then
17024 subscribe to groups.
17026 The @code{nnrss} back end saves the group data file in
17027 @code{nnrss-directory} (see below) for each @code{nnrss} group. File
17028 names containing non-@acronym{ASCII} characters will be encoded by the
17029 coding system specified with the @code{nnmail-pathname-coding-system}
17030 variable or other. Also @xref{Non-ASCII Group Names}, for more
17033 The @code{nnrss} back end generates @samp{multipart/alternative}
17034 @acronym{MIME} articles in which each contains a @samp{text/plain} part
17035 and a @samp{text/html} part.
17038 You can also use the following commands to import and export your
17039 subscriptions from a file in @acronym{OPML} format (Outline Processor
17042 @defun nnrss-opml-import file
17043 Prompt for an @acronym{OPML} file, and subscribe to each feed in the
17047 @defun nnrss-opml-export
17048 Write your current @acronym{RSS} subscriptions to a buffer in
17049 @acronym{OPML} format.
17052 The following @code{nnrss} variables can be altered:
17055 @item nnrss-directory
17056 @vindex nnrss-directory
17057 The directory where @code{nnrss} stores its files. The default is
17058 @file{~/News/rss/}.
17060 @item nnrss-file-coding-system
17061 @vindex nnrss-file-coding-system
17062 The coding system used when reading and writing the @code{nnrss} groups
17063 data files. The default is the value of
17064 @code{mm-universal-coding-system} (which defaults to @code{emacs-mule}
17065 in Emacs or @code{escape-quoted} in XEmacs).
17067 @item nnrss-ignore-article-fields
17068 @vindex nnrss-ignore-article-fields
17069 Some feeds update constantly article fields during their publications,
17070 e.g., to indicate the number of comments. However, if there is
17071 a difference between the local article and the distant one, the latter
17072 is considered to be new. To avoid this and discard some fields, set this
17073 variable to the list of fields to be ignored. The default is
17074 @code{'(slash:comments)}.
17076 @item nnrss-use-local
17077 @vindex nnrss-use-local
17078 @findex nnrss-generate-download-script
17079 If you set @code{nnrss-use-local} to @code{t}, @code{nnrss} will read
17080 the feeds from local files in @code{nnrss-directory}. You can use
17081 the command @code{nnrss-generate-download-script} to generate a
17082 download script using @command{wget}.
17085 The following code may be helpful, if you want to show the description in
17086 the summary buffer.
17089 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-description-field)
17090 (setq gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-15,15f%]%) %s%uX\n")
17092 (defun gnus-user-format-function-X (header)
17094 (assq nnrss-description-field (mail-header-extra header))))
17095 (if descr (concat "\n\t" (cdr descr)) "")))
17098 The following code may be useful to open an nnrss url directly from the
17102 (require 'browse-url)
17104 (defun browse-nnrss-url (arg)
17106 (let ((url (assq nnrss-url-field
17109 (assq (gnus-summary-article-number)
17110 gnus-newsgroup-data))))))
17113 (browse-url (cdr url))
17114 (gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward 1))
17115 (gnus-summary-scroll-up arg))))
17117 (eval-after-load "gnus"
17118 #'(define-key gnus-summary-mode-map
17119 (kbd "<RET>") 'browse-nnrss-url))
17120 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-url-field)
17123 Even if you have added @samp{text/html} to the
17124 @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives} variable (@pxref{Display
17125 Customization, ,Display Customization, emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME
17126 Manual}) since you don't want to see @acronym{HTML} parts, it might be
17127 more useful especially in @code{nnrss} groups to display
17128 @samp{text/html} parts. Here's an example of setting
17129 @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives} as a group parameter (@pxref{Group
17130 Parameters}) in order to display @samp{text/html} parts only in
17131 @code{nnrss} groups:
17134 ;; @r{Set the default value of @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives}.}
17135 (eval-after-load "gnus-sum"
17137 'gnus-newsgroup-variables
17138 '(mm-discouraged-alternatives
17139 . '("text/html" "image/.*"))))
17141 ;; @r{Display @samp{text/html} parts in @code{nnrss} groups.}
17144 '("\\`nnrss:" (mm-discouraged-alternatives nil)))
17148 @node Other Sources
17149 @section Other Sources
17151 Gnus can do more than just read news or mail. The methods described
17152 below allow Gnus to view directories and files as if they were
17156 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
17157 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
17158 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
17159 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
17160 * The Empty Backend:: The backend that never has any news.
17164 @node Directory Groups
17165 @subsection Directory Groups
17167 @cindex directory groups
17169 If you have a directory that has lots of articles in separate files in
17170 it, you might treat it as a newsgroup. The files have to have numerical
17173 This might be an opportune moment to mention @code{ange-ftp} (and its
17174 successor @code{efs}), that most wonderful of all wonderful Emacs
17175 packages. When I wrote @code{nndir}, I didn't think much about it---a
17176 back end to read directories. Big deal.
17178 @code{ange-ftp} changes that picture dramatically. For instance, if you
17179 enter the @code{ange-ftp} file name
17180 @file{/ftp.hpc.uh.edu:/pub/emacs/ding-list/} as the directory name,
17181 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will actually allow you to read this
17182 directory over at @samp{sina} as a newsgroup. Distributed news ahoy!
17184 @code{nndir} will use @acronym{NOV} files if they are present.
17186 @code{nndir} is a ``read-only'' back end---you can't delete or expire
17187 articles with this method. You can use @code{nnmh} or @code{nnml} for
17188 whatever you use @code{nndir} for, so you could switch to any of those
17189 methods if you feel the need to have a non-read-only @code{nndir}.
17192 @node Anything Groups
17193 @subsection Anything Groups
17196 From the @code{nndir} back end (which reads a single spool-like
17197 directory), it's just a hop and a skip to @code{nneething}, which
17198 pretends that any arbitrary directory is a newsgroup. Strange, but
17201 When @code{nneething} is presented with a directory, it will scan this
17202 directory and assign article numbers to each file. When you enter such
17203 a group, @code{nneething} must create ``headers'' that Gnus can use.
17204 After all, Gnus is a newsreader, in case you're forgetting.
17205 @code{nneething} does this in a two-step process. First, it snoops each
17206 file in question. If the file looks like an article (i.e., the first
17207 few lines look like headers), it will use this as the head. If this is
17208 just some arbitrary file without a head (e.g., a C source file),
17209 @code{nneething} will cobble up a header out of thin air. It will use
17210 file ownership, name and date and do whatever it can with these
17213 All this should happen automatically for you, and you will be presented
17214 with something that looks very much like a newsgroup. Totally like a
17215 newsgroup, to be precise. If you select an article, it will be displayed
17216 in the article buffer, just as usual.
17218 If you select a line that represents a directory, Gnus will pop you into
17219 a new summary buffer for this @code{nneething} group. And so on. You can
17220 traverse the entire disk this way, if you feel like, but remember that
17221 Gnus is not dired, really, and does not intend to be, either.
17223 There are two overall modes to this action---ephemeral or solid. When
17224 doing the ephemeral thing (i.e., @kbd{G D} from the group buffer), Gnus
17225 will not store information on what files you have read, and what files
17226 are new, and so on. If you create a solid @code{nneething} group the
17227 normal way with @kbd{G m}, Gnus will store a mapping table between
17228 article numbers and file names, and you can treat this group like any
17229 other groups. When you activate a solid @code{nneething} group, you will
17230 be told how many unread articles it contains, etc., etc.
17235 @item nneething-map-file-directory
17236 @vindex nneething-map-file-directory
17237 All the mapping files for solid @code{nneething} groups will be stored
17238 in this directory, which defaults to @file{~/.nneething/}.
17240 @item nneething-exclude-files
17241 @vindex nneething-exclude-files
17242 All files that match this regexp will be ignored. Nice to use to exclude
17243 auto-save files and the like, which is what it does by default.
17245 @item nneething-include-files
17246 @vindex nneething-include-files
17247 Regexp saying what files to include in the group. If this variable is
17248 non-@code{nil}, only files matching this regexp will be included.
17250 @item nneething-map-file
17251 @vindex nneething-map-file
17252 Name of the map files.
17256 @node Document Groups
17257 @subsection Document Groups
17259 @cindex documentation group
17262 @code{nndoc} is a cute little thing that will let you read a single file
17263 as a newsgroup. Several files types are supported:
17273 The standard Unix mbox file.
17275 @cindex MMDF mail box
17277 The MMDF mail box format.
17280 Several news articles appended into a file.
17282 @cindex rnews batch files
17284 The rnews batch transport format.
17287 Netscape mail boxes.
17290 @acronym{MIME} multipart messages.
17292 @item standard-digest
17293 The standard (RFC 1153) digest format.
17296 A @acronym{MIME} digest of messages.
17298 @item lanl-gov-announce
17299 Announcement messages from LANL Gov Announce.
17301 @cindex git commit messages
17303 @code{git} commit messages.
17305 @cindex forwarded messages
17306 @item rfc822-forward
17307 A message forwarded according to RFC822.
17310 The Outlook mail box.
17313 The Outlook Express dbx mail box.
17316 A bounce message from the Exim MTA.
17319 A message forwarded according to informal rules.
17322 An RFC934-forwarded message.
17328 A digest of Clarinet brief news items.
17331 Non-standard digest format---matches most things, but does it badly.
17337 You can also use the special ``file type'' @code{guess}, which means
17338 that @code{nndoc} will try to guess what file type it is looking at.
17339 @code{digest} means that @code{nndoc} should guess what digest type the
17342 @code{nndoc} will not try to change the file or insert any extra headers into
17343 it---it will simply, like, let you use the file as the basis for a
17344 group. And that's it.
17346 If you have some old archived articles that you want to insert into your
17347 new & spiffy Gnus mail back end, @code{nndoc} can probably help you with
17348 that. Say you have an old @file{RMAIL} file with mail that you now want
17349 to split into your new @code{nnml} groups. You look at that file using
17350 @code{nndoc} (using the @kbd{G f} command in the group buffer
17351 (@pxref{Foreign Groups})), set the process mark on all the articles in
17352 the buffer (@kbd{M P b}, for instance), and then re-spool (@kbd{B r})
17353 using @code{nnml}. If all goes well, all the mail in the @file{RMAIL}
17354 file is now also stored in lots of @code{nnml} directories, and you can
17355 delete that pesky @file{RMAIL} file. If you have the guts!
17357 Virtual server variables:
17360 @item nndoc-article-type
17361 @vindex nndoc-article-type
17362 This should be one of @code{mbox}, @code{babyl}, @code{digest},
17363 @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward}, @code{rfc934},
17364 @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts}, @code{standard-digest},
17365 @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs}, @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook},
17366 @code{oe-dbx}, @code{mailman}, and @code{mail-in-mail} or @code{guess}.
17368 @item nndoc-post-type
17369 @vindex nndoc-post-type
17370 This variable says whether Gnus is to consider the group a news group or
17371 a mail group. There are two valid values: @code{mail} (the default)
17376 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
17380 @node Document Server Internals
17381 @subsubsection Document Server Internals
17383 Adding new document types to be recognized by @code{nndoc} isn't
17384 difficult. You just have to whip up a definition of what the document
17385 looks like, write a predicate function to recognize that document type,
17386 and then hook into @code{nndoc}.
17388 First, here's an example document type definition:
17392 (article-begin . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n")
17393 (body-end . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n"))
17396 The definition is simply a unique @dfn{name} followed by a series of
17397 regexp pseudo-variable settings. Below are the possible
17398 variables---don't be daunted by the number of variables; most document
17399 types can be defined with very few settings:
17402 @item first-article
17403 If present, @code{nndoc} will skip past all text until it finds
17404 something that match this regexp. All text before this will be
17407 @item article-begin
17408 This setting has to be present in all document type definitions. It
17409 says what the beginning of each article looks like. To do more
17410 complicated things that cannot be dealt with a simple regexp, you can
17411 use @code{article-begin-function} instead of this.
17413 @item article-begin-function
17414 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the beginning
17415 of each article. This setting overrides @code{article-begin}.
17418 If present, this should be a regexp that matches the head of the
17419 article. To do more complicated things that cannot be dealt with a
17420 simple regexp, you can use @code{head-begin-function} instead of this.
17422 @item head-begin-function
17423 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the head of
17424 the article. This setting overrides @code{head-begin}.
17427 This should match the end of the head of the article. It defaults to
17428 @samp{^$}---the empty line.
17431 This should match the beginning of the body of the article. It defaults
17432 to @samp{^\n}. To do more complicated things that cannot be dealt with
17433 a simple regexp, you can use @code{body-begin-function} instead of this.
17435 @item body-begin-function
17436 If present, this function should move point to the beginning of the body
17437 of the article. This setting overrides @code{body-begin}.
17440 If present, this should match the end of the body of the article. To do
17441 more complicated things that cannot be dealt with a simple regexp, you
17442 can use @code{body-end-function} instead of this.
17444 @item body-end-function
17445 If present, this function should move point to the end of the body of
17446 the article. This setting overrides @code{body-end}.
17449 If present, this should match the beginning of the file. All text
17450 before this regexp will be totally ignored.
17453 If present, this should match the end of the file. All text after this
17454 regexp will be totally ignored.
17458 So, using these variables @code{nndoc} is able to dissect a document
17459 file into a series of articles, each with a head and a body. However, a
17460 few more variables are needed since not all document types are all that
17461 news-like---variables needed to transform the head or the body into
17462 something that's palatable for Gnus:
17465 @item prepare-body-function
17466 If present, this function will be called when requesting an article. It
17467 will be called with point at the start of the body, and is useful if the
17468 document has encoded some parts of its contents.
17470 @item article-transform-function
17471 If present, this function is called when requesting an article. It's
17472 meant to be used for more wide-ranging transformation of both head and
17473 body of the article.
17475 @item generate-head-function
17476 If present, this function is called to generate a head that Gnus can
17477 understand. It is called with the article number as a parameter, and is
17478 expected to generate a nice head for the article in question. It is
17479 called when requesting the headers of all articles.
17481 @item generate-article-function
17482 If present, this function is called to generate an entire article that
17483 Gnus can understand. It is called with the article number as a
17484 parameter when requesting all articles.
17486 @item dissection-function
17487 If present, this function is called to dissect a document by itself,
17488 overriding @code{first-article}, @code{article-begin},
17489 @code{article-begin-function}, @code{head-begin},
17490 @code{head-begin-function}, @code{head-end}, @code{body-begin},
17491 @code{body-begin-function}, @code{body-end}, @code{body-end-function},
17492 @code{file-begin}, and @code{file-end}.
17496 Let's look at the most complicated example I can come up with---standard
17501 (first-article . ,(concat "^" (make-string 70 ?-) "\n\n+"))
17502 (article-begin . ,(concat "\n\n" (make-string 30 ?-) "\n\n+"))
17503 (prepare-body-function . nndoc-unquote-dashes)
17504 (body-end-function . nndoc-digest-body-end)
17505 (head-end . "^ ?$")
17506 (body-begin . "^ ?\n")
17507 (file-end . "^End of .*digest.*[0-9].*\n\\*\\*\\|^End of.*Digest *$")
17508 (subtype digest guess))
17511 We see that all text before a 70-width line of dashes is ignored; all
17512 text after a line that starts with that @samp{^End of} is also ignored;
17513 each article begins with a 30-width line of dashes; the line separating
17514 the head from the body may contain a single space; and that the body is
17515 run through @code{nndoc-unquote-dashes} before being delivered.
17517 To hook your own document definition into @code{nndoc}, use the
17518 @code{nndoc-add-type} function. It takes two parameters---the first
17519 is the definition itself and the second (optional) parameter says
17520 where in the document type definition alist to put this definition.
17521 The alist is traversed sequentially, and
17522 @code{nndoc-@var{type}-type-p} is called for a given type @var{type}.
17523 So @code{nndoc-mmdf-type-p} is called to see whether a document is of
17524 @code{mmdf} type, and so on. These type predicates should return
17525 @code{nil} if the document is not of the correct type; @code{t} if it
17526 is of the correct type; and a number if the document might be of the
17527 correct type. A high number means high probability; a low number
17528 means low probability with @samp{0} being the lowest valid number.
17531 @node Mail-To-News Gateways
17532 @subsection Mail-To-News Gateways
17533 @cindex mail-to-news gateways
17536 If your local @code{nntp} server doesn't allow posting, for some reason
17537 or other, you can post using one of the numerous mail-to-news gateways.
17538 The @code{nngateway} back end provides the interface.
17540 Note that you can't read anything from this back end---it can only be
17546 @item nngateway-address
17547 @vindex nngateway-address
17548 This is the address of the mail-to-news gateway.
17550 @item nngateway-header-transformation
17551 @vindex nngateway-header-transformation
17552 News headers often have to be transformed in some odd way or other
17553 for the mail-to-news gateway to accept it. This variable says what
17554 transformation should be called, and defaults to
17555 @code{nngateway-simple-header-transformation}. The function is called
17556 narrowed to the headers to be transformed and with one parameter---the
17559 This default function just inserts a new @code{To} header based on the
17560 @code{Newsgroups} header and the gateway address.
17561 For instance, an article with this @code{Newsgroups} header:
17564 Newsgroups: alt.religion.emacs
17567 will get this @code{To} header inserted:
17570 To: alt-religion-emacs@@GATEWAY
17573 The following pre-defined functions exist:
17575 @findex nngateway-simple-header-transformation
17578 @item nngateway-simple-header-transformation
17579 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
17580 @var{newsgroup}@@@code{nngateway-address}.
17582 @findex nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
17584 @item nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
17585 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
17586 @code{nngateway-address}.
17594 (setq gnus-post-method
17596 "mail2news@@replay.com"
17597 (nngateway-header-transformation
17598 nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation)))
17601 So, to use this, simply say something like:
17604 (setq gnus-post-method '(nngateway "GATEWAY.ADDRESS"))
17608 @node The Empty Backend
17609 @subsection The Empty Backend
17612 @code{nnnil} is a backend that can be used as a placeholder if you
17613 have to specify a backend somewhere, but don't really want to. The
17614 classical example is if you don't want to have a primary select
17615 methods, but want to only use secondary ones:
17618 (setq gnus-select-method '(nnnil ""))
17619 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
17625 @node Combined Groups
17626 @section Combined Groups
17628 Gnus allows combining a mixture of all the other group types into bigger
17632 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
17636 @node Virtual Groups
17637 @subsection Virtual Groups
17639 @cindex virtual groups
17640 @cindex merging groups
17642 An @dfn{nnvirtual group} is really nothing more than a collection of
17645 For instance, if you are tired of reading many small groups, you can
17646 put them all in one big group, and then grow tired of reading one
17647 big, unwieldy group. The joys of computing!
17649 You specify @code{nnvirtual} as the method. The address should be a
17650 regexp to match component groups.
17652 All marks in the virtual group will stick to the articles in the
17653 component groups. So if you tick an article in a virtual group, the
17654 article will also be ticked in the component group from whence it
17655 came. (And vice versa---marks from the component groups will also be
17656 shown in the virtual group.). To create an empty virtual group, run
17657 @kbd{G V} (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}) in the group buffer
17658 and edit the method regexp with @kbd{M-e}
17659 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method})
17661 Here's an example @code{nnvirtual} method that collects all Andrea Dworkin
17662 newsgroups into one, big, happy newsgroup:
17665 (nnvirtual "^alt\\.fan\\.andrea-dworkin$\\|^rec\\.dworkin.*")
17668 The component groups can be native or foreign; everything should work
17669 smoothly, but if your computer explodes, it was probably my fault.
17671 Collecting the same group from several servers might actually be a good
17672 idea if users have set the Distribution header to limit distribution.
17673 If you would like to read @samp{soc.motss} both from a server in Japan
17674 and a server in Norway, you could use the following as the group regexp:
17677 "^nntp\\+server\\.jp:soc\\.motss$\\|^nntp\\+server\\.no:soc\\.motss$"
17680 (Remember, though, that if you're creating the group with @kbd{G m}, you
17681 shouldn't double the backslashes, and you should leave off the quote
17682 characters at the beginning and the end of the string.)
17684 This should work kinda smoothly---all articles from both groups should
17685 end up in this one, and there should be no duplicates. Threading (and
17686 the rest) will still work as usual, but there might be problems with the
17687 sequence of articles. Sorting on date might be an option here
17688 (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
17690 One limitation, however---all groups included in a virtual
17691 group have to be alive (i.e., subscribed or unsubscribed). Killed or
17692 zombie groups can't be component groups for @code{nnvirtual} groups.
17694 @vindex nnvirtual-always-rescan
17695 If the @code{nnvirtual-always-rescan} variable is non-@code{nil} (which
17696 is the default), @code{nnvirtual} will always scan groups for unread
17697 articles when entering a virtual group. If this variable is @code{nil}
17698 and you read articles in a component group after the virtual group has
17699 been activated, the read articles from the component group will show up
17700 when you enter the virtual group. You'll also see this effect if you
17701 have two virtual groups that have a component group in common. If
17702 that's the case, you should set this variable to @code{t}. Or you can
17703 just tap @code{M-g} on the virtual group every time before you enter
17704 it---it'll have much the same effect.
17706 @code{nnvirtual} can have both mail and news groups as component groups.
17707 When responding to articles in @code{nnvirtual} groups, @code{nnvirtual}
17708 has to ask the back end of the component group the article comes from
17709 whether it is a news or mail back end. However, when you do a @kbd{^},
17710 there is typically no sure way for the component back end to know this,
17711 and in that case @code{nnvirtual} tells Gnus that the article came from a
17712 not-news back end. (Just to be on the safe side.)
17714 @kbd{C-c C-n} in the message buffer will insert the @code{Newsgroups}
17715 line from the article you respond to in these cases.
17717 @code{nnvirtual} groups do not inherit anything but articles and marks
17718 from component groups---group parameters, for instance, are not
17722 @node Email Based Diary
17723 @section Email Based Diary
17725 @cindex email based diary
17728 This section describes a special mail back end called @code{nndiary},
17729 and its companion library @code{gnus-diary}. It is ``special'' in the
17730 sense that it is not meant to be one of the standard alternatives for
17731 reading mail with Gnus. See @ref{Choosing a Mail Back End} for that.
17732 Instead, it is used to treat @emph{some} of your mails in a special way,
17733 namely, as event reminders.
17735 Here is a typical scenario:
17739 You've got a date with Andy Mc Dowell or Bruce Willis (select according
17740 to your sexual preference) in one month. You don't want to forget it.
17742 So you send a ``reminder'' message (actually, a diary one) to yourself.
17744 You forget all about it and keep on getting and reading new mail, as usual.
17746 From time to time, as you type `g' in the group buffer and as the date
17747 is getting closer, the message will pop up again to remind you of your
17748 appointment, just as if it were new and unread.
17750 Read your ``new'' messages, this one included, and start dreaming again
17751 of the night you're gonna have.
17753 Once the date is over (you actually fell asleep just after dinner), the
17754 message will be automatically deleted if it is marked as expirable.
17757 The Gnus Diary back end has the ability to handle regular appointments
17758 (that wouldn't ever be deleted) as well as punctual ones, operates as a
17759 real mail back end and is configurable in many ways. All of this is
17760 explained in the sections below.
17763 * The NNDiary Back End:: Basic setup and usage.
17764 * The Gnus Diary Library:: Utility toolkit on top of nndiary.
17765 * Sending or Not Sending:: A final note on sending diary messages.
17769 @node The NNDiary Back End
17770 @subsection The NNDiary Back End
17772 @cindex the nndiary back end
17774 @code{nndiary} is a back end very similar to @code{nnml} (@pxref{Mail
17775 Spool}). Actually, it could appear as a mix of @code{nnml} and
17776 @code{nndraft}. If you know @code{nnml}, you're already familiar with
17777 the message storing scheme of @code{nndiary}: one file per message, one
17778 directory per group.
17780 Before anything, there is one requirement to be able to run
17781 @code{nndiary} properly: you @emph{must} use the group timestamp feature
17782 of Gnus. This adds a timestamp to each group's parameters. @ref{Group
17783 Timestamp} to see how it's done.
17786 * Diary Messages:: What makes a message valid for nndiary.
17787 * Running NNDiary:: NNDiary has two modes of operation.
17788 * Customizing NNDiary:: Bells and whistles.
17791 @node Diary Messages
17792 @subsubsection Diary Messages
17793 @cindex nndiary messages
17794 @cindex nndiary mails
17796 @code{nndiary} messages are just normal ones, except for the mandatory
17797 presence of 7 special headers. These headers are of the form
17798 @code{X-Diary-<something>}, @code{<something>} being one of
17799 @code{Minute}, @code{Hour}, @code{Dom}, @code{Month}, @code{Year},
17800 @code{Time-Zone} and @code{Dow}. @code{Dom} means ``Day of Month'', and
17801 @code{dow} means ``Day of Week''. These headers actually behave like
17802 crontab specifications and define the event date(s):
17806 For all headers except the @code{Time-Zone} one, a header value is
17807 either a star (meaning all possible values), or a list of fields
17808 (separated by a comma).
17810 A field is either an integer, or a range.
17812 A range is two integers separated by a dash.
17814 Possible integer values are 0--59 for @code{Minute}, 0--23 for
17815 @code{Hour}, 1--31 for @code{Dom}, 1--12 for @code{Month}, above 1971
17816 for @code{Year} and 0--6 for @code{Dow} (0 meaning Sunday).
17818 As a special case, a star in either @code{Dom} or @code{Dow} doesn't
17819 mean ``all possible values'', but ``use only the other field''. Note
17820 that if both are star'ed, the use of either one gives the same result.
17822 The @code{Time-Zone} header is special in that it can only have one
17823 value (@code{GMT}, for instance). A star doesn't mean ``all possible
17824 values'' (because it makes no sense), but ``the current local time
17825 zone''. Most of the time, you'll be using a star here. However, for a
17826 list of available time zone values, see the variable
17827 @code{nndiary-headers}.
17830 As a concrete example, here are the diary headers to add to your message
17831 for specifying ``Each Monday and each 1st of month, at 12:00, 20:00,
17832 21:00, 22:00, 23:00 and 24:00, from 1999 to 2010'' (I'll let you find
17837 X-Diary-Hour: 12, 20-24
17840 X-Diary-Year: 1999-2010
17842 X-Diary-Time-Zone: *
17845 @node Running NNDiary
17846 @subsubsection Running NNDiary
17847 @cindex running nndiary
17848 @cindex nndiary operation modes
17850 @code{nndiary} has two modes of operation: ``traditional'' (the default)
17851 and ``autonomous''. In traditional mode, @code{nndiary} does not get new
17852 mail by itself. You have to move (@kbd{B m}) or copy (@kbd{B c}) mails
17853 from your primary mail back end to nndiary groups in order to handle them
17854 as diary messages. In autonomous mode, @code{nndiary} retrieves its own
17855 mail and handles it independently from your primary mail back end.
17857 One should note that Gnus is not inherently designed to allow several
17858 ``master'' mail back ends at the same time. However, this does make
17859 sense with @code{nndiary}: you really want to send and receive diary
17860 messages to your diary groups directly. So, @code{nndiary} supports
17861 being sort of a ``second primary mail back end'' (to my knowledge, it is
17862 the only back end offering this feature). However, there is a limitation
17863 (which I hope to fix some day): respooling doesn't work in autonomous
17866 In order to use @code{nndiary} in autonomous mode, you have several
17871 Allow @code{nndiary} to retrieve new mail by itself. Put the following
17872 line in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
17875 (setq nndiary-get-new-mail t)
17878 You must arrange for diary messages (those containing @code{X-Diary-*}
17879 headers) to be split in a private folder @emph{before} Gnus treat them.
17880 Again, this is needed because Gnus cannot (yet ?) properly handle
17881 multiple primary mail back ends. Getting those messages from a separate
17882 source will compensate this misfeature to some extent.
17884 As an example, here's my procmailrc entry to store diary files in
17885 @file{~/.nndiary} (the default @code{nndiary} mail source file):
17894 Once this is done, you might want to customize the following two options
17895 that affect the diary mail retrieval and splitting processes:
17897 @defvar nndiary-mail-sources
17898 This is the diary-specific replacement for the standard
17899 @code{mail-sources} variable. It obeys the same syntax, and defaults to
17900 @code{(file :path "~/.nndiary")}.
17903 @defvar nndiary-split-methods
17904 This is the diary-specific replacement for the standard
17905 @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable. It obeys the same syntax.
17908 Finally, you may add a permanent @code{nndiary} virtual server
17909 (something like @code{(nndiary "diary")} should do) to your
17910 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods}.
17912 Hopefully, almost everything (see the TODO section in
17913 @file{nndiary.el}) will work as expected when you restart Gnus: in
17914 autonomous mode, typing @kbd{g} and @kbd{M-g} in the group buffer, will
17915 also get your new diary mails and split them according to your
17916 diary-specific rules, @kbd{F} will find your new diary groups etc.
17918 @node Customizing NNDiary
17919 @subsubsection Customizing NNDiary
17920 @cindex customizing nndiary
17921 @cindex nndiary customization
17923 Now that @code{nndiary} is up and running, it's time to customize it.
17924 The custom group is called @code{nndiary} (no, really ?!). You should
17925 browse it to figure out which options you'd like to tweak. The following
17926 two variables are probably the only ones you will want to change:
17928 @defvar nndiary-reminders
17929 This is the list of times when you want to be reminded of your
17930 appointments (e.g., 3 weeks before, then 2 days before, then 1 hour
17931 before and that's it). Remember that ``being reminded'' means that the
17932 diary message will pop up as brand new and unread again when you get new
17936 @defvar nndiary-week-starts-on-monday
17937 Rather self-explanatory. Otherwise, Sunday is assumed (this is the
17942 @node The Gnus Diary Library
17943 @subsection The Gnus Diary Library
17945 @cindex the gnus diary library
17947 Using @code{nndiary} manually (I mean, writing the headers by hand and
17948 so on) would be rather boring. Fortunately, there is a library called
17949 @code{gnus-diary} written on top of @code{nndiary}, that does many
17950 useful things for you.
17952 In order to use it, add the following line to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
17955 (require 'gnus-diary)
17958 Also, you shouldn't use any @code{gnus-user-format-function-[d|D]}
17959 (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}). @code{gnus-diary} provides both of these
17960 (sorry if you used them before).
17964 * Diary Summary Line Format:: A nicer summary buffer line format.
17965 * Diary Articles Sorting:: A nicer way to sort messages.
17966 * Diary Headers Generation:: Not doing it manually.
17967 * Diary Group Parameters:: Not handling them manually.
17970 @node Diary Summary Line Format
17971 @subsubsection Diary Summary Line Format
17972 @cindex diary summary buffer line
17973 @cindex diary summary line format
17975 Displaying diary messages in standard summary line format (usually
17976 something like @samp{From Joe: Subject}) is pretty useless. Most of
17977 the time, you're the one who wrote the message, and you mostly want to
17978 see the event's date.
17980 @code{gnus-diary} provides two supplemental user formats to be used in
17981 summary line formats. @code{D} corresponds to a formatted time string
17982 for the next occurrence of the event (e.g., ``Sat, Sep 22 01, 12:00''),
17983 while @code{d} corresponds to an approximate remaining time until the
17984 next occurrence of the event (e.g., ``in 6 months, 1 week'').
17986 For example, here's how Joe's birthday is displayed in my
17987 @code{nndiary+diary:birthdays} summary buffer (note that the message is
17988 expirable, but will never be deleted, as it specifies a periodic event):
17991 E Sat, Sep 22 01, 12:00: Joe's birthday (in 6 months, 1 week)
17994 In order to get something like the above, you would normally add the
17995 following line to your diary groups'parameters:
17998 (gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z %uD: %(%s%) (%ud)\n")
18001 However, @code{gnus-diary} does it automatically (@pxref{Diary Group
18002 Parameters}). You can however customize the provided summary line format
18003 with the following user options:
18005 @defvar gnus-diary-summary-line-format
18006 Defines the summary line format used for diary groups (@pxref{Summary
18007 Buffer Lines}). @code{gnus-diary} uses it to automatically update the
18008 diary groups'parameters.
18011 @defvar gnus-diary-time-format
18012 Defines the format to display dates in diary summary buffers. This is
18013 used by the @code{D} user format. See the docstring for details.
18016 @defvar gnus-diary-delay-format-function
18017 Defines the format function to use for displaying delays (remaining
18018 times) in diary summary buffers. This is used by the @code{d} user
18019 format. There are currently built-in functions for English and French;
18020 you can also define your own. See the docstring for details.
18023 @node Diary Articles Sorting
18024 @subsubsection Diary Articles Sorting
18025 @cindex diary articles sorting
18026 @cindex diary summary lines sorting
18027 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-schedule
18028 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-schedule
18029 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-schedule
18031 @code{gnus-diary} provides new sorting functions (@pxref{Sorting the
18032 Summary Buffer} ) called @code{gnus-summary-sort-by-schedule},
18033 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-schedule} and
18034 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-schedule}. These functions let you organize
18035 your diary summary buffers from the closest event to the farthest one.
18037 @code{gnus-diary} automatically installs
18038 @code{gnus-summary-sort-by-schedule} as a menu item in the summary
18039 buffer's ``sort'' menu, and the two others as the primary (hence
18040 default) sorting functions in the group parameters (@pxref{Diary Group
18043 @node Diary Headers Generation
18044 @subsubsection Diary Headers Generation
18045 @cindex diary headers generation
18046 @findex gnus-diary-check-message
18048 @code{gnus-diary} provides a function called
18049 @code{gnus-diary-check-message} to help you handle the @code{X-Diary-*}
18050 headers. This function ensures that the current message contains all the
18051 required diary headers, and prompts you for values or corrections if
18054 This function is hooked into the @code{nndiary} back end, so that
18055 moving or copying an article to a diary group will trigger it
18056 automatically. It is also bound to @kbd{C-c C-f d} in
18057 @code{message-mode} and @code{article-edit-mode} in order to ease the
18058 process of converting a usual mail to a diary one.
18060 This function takes a prefix argument which will force prompting of
18061 all diary headers, regardless of their presence or validity. That way,
18062 you can very easily reschedule an already valid diary message, for
18065 @node Diary Group Parameters
18066 @subsubsection Diary Group Parameters
18067 @cindex diary group parameters
18069 When you create a new diary group, or visit one, @code{gnus-diary}
18070 automatically checks your group parameters and if needed, sets the
18071 summary line format to the diary-specific value, installs the
18072 diary-specific sorting functions, and also adds the different
18073 @code{X-Diary-*} headers to the group's posting-style. It is then easier
18074 to send a diary message, because if you use @kbd{C-u a} or @kbd{C-u m}
18075 on a diary group to prepare a message, these headers will be inserted
18076 automatically (although not filled with proper values yet).
18078 @node Sending or Not Sending
18079 @subsection Sending or Not Sending
18081 Well, assuming you've read all of the above, here are two final notes on
18082 mail sending with @code{nndiary}:
18086 @code{nndiary} is a @emph{real} mail back end. You really send real diary
18087 messages for real. This means for instance that you can give
18088 appointments to anybody (provided they use Gnus and @code{nndiary}) by
18089 sending the diary message to them as well.
18091 However, since @code{nndiary} also has a @code{request-post} method, you
18092 can also use @kbd{C-u a} instead of @kbd{C-u m} on a diary group and the
18093 message won't actually be sent; just stored locally in the group. This
18094 comes in very handy for private appointments.
18097 @node Gnus Unplugged
18098 @section Gnus Unplugged
18103 @cindex Gnus unplugged
18105 In olden times (ca. February '88), people used to run their newsreaders
18106 on big machines with permanent connections to the net. News transport
18107 was dealt with by news servers, and all the newsreaders had to do was to
18108 read news. Believe it or not.
18110 Nowadays most people read news and mail at home, and use some sort of
18111 modem to connect to the net. To avoid running up huge phone bills, it
18112 would be nice to have a way to slurp down all the news and mail, hang up
18113 the phone, read for several hours, and then upload any responses you
18114 have to make. And then you repeat the procedure.
18116 Of course, you can use news servers for doing this as well. I've used
18117 @code{inn} together with @code{slurp}, @code{pop} and @code{sendmail}
18118 for some years, but doing that's a bore. Moving the news server
18119 functionality up to the newsreader makes sense if you're the only person
18120 reading news on a machine.
18122 Setting up Gnus as an ``offline'' newsreader is quite simple. In
18123 fact, you don't have to configure anything as the agent is now enabled
18124 by default (@pxref{Agent Variables, gnus-agent}).
18126 Of course, to use it as such, you have to learn a few new commands.
18129 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
18130 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
18131 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
18132 * Agent Visuals:: Ways that the agent may effect your summary buffer.
18133 * Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
18134 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
18135 * Agent Regeneration:: How to recover from lost connections and other accidents.
18136 * Agent and flags:: How the Agent maintains flags.
18137 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with @acronym{IMAP}.
18138 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
18139 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
18140 * Example Setup:: An example @file{~/.gnus.el} file for offline people.
18141 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
18142 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
18147 @subsection Agent Basics
18149 First, let's get some terminology out of the way.
18151 The Gnus Agent is said to be @dfn{unplugged} when you have severed the
18152 connection to the net (and notified the Agent that this is the case).
18153 When the connection to the net is up again (and Gnus knows this), the
18154 Agent is @dfn{plugged}.
18156 The @dfn{local} machine is the one you're running on, and which isn't
18157 connected to the net continuously.
18159 @dfn{Downloading} means fetching things from the net to your local
18160 machine. @dfn{Uploading} is doing the opposite.
18162 You know that Gnus gives you all the opportunity you'd ever want for
18163 shooting yourself in the foot. Some people call it flexibility. Gnus
18164 is also customizable to a great extent, which means that the user has a
18165 say on how Gnus behaves. Other newsreaders might unconditionally shoot
18166 you in your foot, but with Gnus, you have a choice!
18168 Gnus is never really in plugged or unplugged state. Rather, it applies
18169 that state to each server individually. This means that some servers
18170 can be plugged while others can be unplugged. Additionally, some
18171 servers can be ignored by the Agent altogether (which means that
18172 they're kinda like plugged always).
18174 So when you unplug the Agent and then wonder why is Gnus opening a
18175 connection to the Net, the next step to do is to look whether all
18176 servers are agentized. If there is an unagentized server, you found
18179 Another thing is the @dfn{offline} state. Sometimes, servers aren't
18180 reachable. When Gnus notices this, it asks you whether you want the
18181 server to be switched to offline state. If you say yes, then the
18182 server will behave somewhat as if it was unplugged, except that Gnus
18183 will ask you whether you want to switch it back online again.
18185 Let's take a typical Gnus session using the Agent.
18190 @findex gnus-unplugged
18191 You start Gnus with @code{gnus-unplugged}. This brings up the Gnus
18192 Agent in a disconnected state. You can read all the news that you have
18193 already fetched while in this mode.
18196 You then decide to see whether any new news has arrived. You connect
18197 your machine to the net (using PPP or whatever), and then hit @kbd{J j}
18198 to make Gnus become @dfn{plugged} and use @kbd{g} to check for new mail
18199 as usual. To check for new mail in unplugged mode (@pxref{Mail
18200 Source Specifiers}).
18203 You can then read the new news immediately, or you can download the
18204 news onto your local machine. If you want to do the latter, you press
18205 @kbd{g} to check if there are any new news and then @kbd{J s} to fetch
18206 all the eligible articles in all the groups. (To let Gnus know which
18207 articles you want to download, @pxref{Agent Categories}).
18210 After fetching the articles, you press @kbd{J j} to make Gnus become
18211 unplugged again, and you shut down the PPP thing (or whatever). And
18212 then you read the news offline.
18215 And then you go to step 2.
18218 Here are some things you should do the first time (or so) that you use
18224 Decide which servers should be covered by the Agent. If you have a mail
18225 back end, it would probably be nonsensical to have it covered by the
18226 Agent. Go to the server buffer (@kbd{^} in the group buffer) and press
18227 @kbd{J a} on the server (or servers) that you wish to have covered by the
18228 Agent (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}), or @kbd{J r} on automatically
18229 added servers you do not wish to have covered by the Agent. By default,
18230 no servers are agentized.
18233 Decide on download policy. It's fairly simple once you decide whether
18234 you are going to use agent categories, topic parameters, and/or group
18235 parameters to implement your policy. If you're new to gnus, it
18236 is probably best to start with a category, @xref{Agent Categories}.
18238 Both topic parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}) and agent categories
18239 (@pxref{Agent Categories}) provide for setting a policy that applies
18240 to multiple groups. Which you use is entirely up to you. Topic
18241 parameters do override categories so, if you mix the two, you'll have
18242 to take that into account. If you have a few groups that deviate from
18243 your policy, you can use group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to
18247 Uhm@dots{} that's it.
18251 @node Agent Categories
18252 @subsection Agent Categories
18254 One of the main reasons to integrate the news transport layer into the
18255 newsreader is to allow greater control over what articles to download.
18256 There's not much point in downloading huge amounts of articles, just to
18257 find out that you're not interested in reading any of them. It's better
18258 to be somewhat more conservative in choosing what to download, and then
18259 mark the articles for downloading manually if it should turn out that
18260 you're interested in the articles anyway.
18262 One of the more effective methods for controlling what is to be
18263 downloaded is to create a @dfn{category} and then assign some (or all)
18264 groups to this category. Groups that do not belong in any other
18265 category belong to the @code{default} category. Gnus has its own
18266 buffer for creating and managing categories.
18268 If you prefer, you can also use group parameters (@pxref{Group
18269 Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}) for an
18270 alternative approach to controlling the agent. The only real
18271 difference is that categories are specific to the agent (so there is
18272 less to learn) while group and topic parameters include the kitchen
18275 Since you can set agent parameters in several different places we have
18276 a rule to decide which source to believe. This rule specifies that
18277 the parameter sources are checked in the following order: group
18278 parameters, topic parameters, agent category, and finally customizable
18279 variables. So you can mix all of these sources to produce a wide range
18280 of behavior, just don't blame me if you don't remember where you put
18284 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
18285 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
18286 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
18290 @node Category Syntax
18291 @subsubsection Category Syntax
18293 A category consists of a name, the list of groups belonging to the
18294 category, and a number of optional parameters that override the
18295 customizable variables. The complete list of agent parameters are
18298 @cindex Agent Parameters
18301 The list of groups that are in this category.
18303 @item agent-predicate
18304 A predicate which (generally) gives a rough outline of which articles
18305 are eligible for downloading; and
18308 a score rule which (generally) gives you a finer granularity when
18309 deciding what articles to download. (Note that this @dfn{download
18310 score} is not necessarily related to normal scores.)
18312 @item agent-enable-expiration
18313 a boolean indicating whether the agent should expire old articles in
18314 this group. Most groups should be expired to conserve disk space. In
18315 fact, its probably safe to say that the gnus.* hierarchy contains the
18316 only groups that should not be expired.
18318 @item agent-days-until-old
18319 an integer indicating the number of days that the agent should wait
18320 before deciding that a read article is safe to expire.
18322 @item agent-low-score
18323 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-low-score}.
18325 @item agent-high-score
18326 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-high-score}.
18328 @item agent-short-article
18329 an integer that overrides the value of
18330 @code{gnus-agent-short-article}.
18332 @item agent-long-article
18333 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-long-article}.
18335 @item agent-enable-undownloaded-faces
18336 a symbol indicating whether the summary buffer should display
18337 undownloaded articles using the @code{gnus-summary-*-undownloaded-face}
18338 faces. Any symbol other than @code{nil} will enable the use of
18339 undownloaded faces.
18342 The name of a category can not be changed once the category has been
18345 Each category maintains a list of groups that are exclusive members of
18346 that category. The exclusivity rule is automatically enforced, add a
18347 group to a new category and it is automatically removed from its old
18350 A predicate in its simplest form can be a single predicate such as
18351 @code{true} or @code{false}. These two will download every available
18352 article or nothing respectively. In the case of these two special
18353 predicates an additional score rule is superfluous.
18355 Predicates of @code{high} or @code{low} download articles in respect of
18356 their scores in relationship to @code{gnus-agent-high-score} and
18357 @code{gnus-agent-low-score} as described below.
18359 To gain even finer control of what is to be regarded eligible for
18360 download a predicate can consist of a number of predicates with logical
18361 operators sprinkled in between.
18363 Perhaps some examples are in order.
18365 Here's a simple predicate. (It's the default predicate, in fact, used
18366 for all groups that don't belong to any other category.)
18372 Quite simple, eh? This predicate is true if and only if the article is
18373 short (for some value of ``short'').
18375 Here's a more complex predicate:
18384 This means that an article should be downloaded if it has a high score,
18385 or if the score is not low and the article is not long. You get the
18388 The available logical operators are @code{or}, @code{and} and
18389 @code{not}. (If you prefer, you can use the more ``C''-ish operators
18390 @samp{|}, @code{&} and @code{!} instead.)
18392 The following predicates are pre-defined, but if none of these fit what
18393 you want to do, you can write your own.
18395 When evaluating each of these predicates, the named constant will be
18396 bound to the value determined by calling
18397 @code{gnus-agent-find-parameter} on the appropriate parameter. For
18398 example, gnus-agent-short-article will be bound to
18399 @code{(gnus-agent-find-parameter group 'agent-short-article)}. This
18400 means that you can specify a predicate in your category then tune that
18401 predicate to individual groups.
18405 True if the article is shorter than @code{gnus-agent-short-article}
18406 lines; default 100.
18409 True if the article is longer than @code{gnus-agent-long-article}
18410 lines; default 200.
18413 True if the article has a download score less than
18414 @code{gnus-agent-low-score}; default 0.
18417 True if the article has a download score greater than
18418 @code{gnus-agent-high-score}; default 0.
18421 True if the Gnus Agent guesses that the article is spam. The
18422 heuristics may change over time, but at present it just computes a
18423 checksum and sees whether articles match.
18432 If you want to create your own predicate function, here's what you have
18433 to know: The functions are called with no parameters, but the
18434 @code{gnus-headers} and @code{gnus-score} dynamic variables are bound to
18437 For example, you could decide that you don't want to download articles
18438 that were posted more than a certain number of days ago (e.g., posted
18439 more than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} ago) you might write a function
18440 something along the lines of the following:
18443 (defun my-article-old-p ()
18444 "Say whether an article is old."
18445 (< (time-to-days (date-to-time (mail-header-date gnus-headers)))
18446 (- (time-to-days (current-time)) gnus-agent-expire-days)))
18449 with the predicate then defined as:
18452 (not my-article-old-p)
18455 or you could append your predicate to the predefined
18456 @code{gnus-category-predicate-alist} in your @file{~/.gnus.el} or
18460 (require 'gnus-agent)
18461 (setq gnus-category-predicate-alist
18462 (append gnus-category-predicate-alist
18463 '((old . my-article-old-p))))
18466 and simply specify your predicate as:
18472 If/when using something like the above, be aware that there are many
18473 misconfigured systems/mailers out there and so an article's date is not
18474 always a reliable indication of when it was posted. Hell, some people
18475 just don't give a damn.
18477 The above predicates apply to @emph{all} the groups which belong to the
18478 category. However, if you wish to have a specific predicate for an
18479 individual group within a category, or you're just too lazy to set up a
18480 new category, you can enter a group's individual predicate in its group
18481 parameters like so:
18484 (agent-predicate . short)
18487 This is the group/topic parameter equivalent of the agent category default.
18488 Note that when specifying a single word predicate like this, the
18489 @code{agent-predicate} specification must be in dotted pair notation.
18491 The equivalent of the longer example from above would be:
18494 (agent-predicate or high (and (not low) (not long)))
18497 The outer parenthesis required in the category specification are not
18498 entered here as, not being in dotted pair notation, the value of the
18499 predicate is assumed to be a list.
18502 Now, the syntax of the download score is the same as the syntax of
18503 normal score files, except that all elements that require actually
18504 seeing the article itself are verboten. This means that only the
18505 following headers can be scored on: @code{Subject}, @code{From},
18506 @code{Date}, @code{Message-ID}, @code{References}, @code{Chars},
18507 @code{Lines}, and @code{Xref}.
18509 As with predicates, the specification of the @code{download score rule}
18510 to use in respect of a group can be in either the category definition if
18511 it's to be applicable to all groups in therein, or a group's parameters
18512 if it's to be specific to that group.
18514 In both of these places the @code{download score rule} can take one of
18521 This has the same syntax as a normal Gnus score file except only a
18522 subset of scoring keywords are available as mentioned above.
18528 Category specification
18532 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
18538 Group/Topic Parameter specification
18541 (agent-score ("from"
18542 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
18547 Again, note the omission of the outermost parenthesis here.
18553 These score files must @emph{only} contain the permitted scoring
18554 keywords stated above.
18560 Category specification
18563 ("~/News/agent.SCORE")
18569 ("~/News/agent.SCORE" "~/News/agent.group.SCORE")
18573 Group Parameter specification
18576 (agent-score "~/News/agent.SCORE")
18579 Additional score files can be specified as above. Need I say anything
18584 Use @code{normal} score files
18586 If you don't want to maintain two sets of scoring rules for a group, and
18587 your desired @code{downloading} criteria for a group are the same as your
18588 @code{reading} criteria then you can tell the agent to refer to your
18589 @code{normal} score files when deciding what to download.
18591 These directives in either the category definition or a group's
18592 parameters will cause the agent to read in all the applicable score
18593 files for a group, @emph{filtering out} those sections that do not
18594 relate to one of the permitted subset of scoring keywords.
18598 Category Specification
18605 Group Parameter specification
18608 (agent-score . file)
18613 @node Category Buffer
18614 @subsubsection Category Buffer
18616 You'd normally do all category maintenance from the category buffer.
18617 When you enter it for the first time (with the @kbd{J c} command from
18618 the group buffer), you'll only see the @code{default} category.
18620 The following commands are available in this buffer:
18624 @kindex q (Category)
18625 @findex gnus-category-exit
18626 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-category-exit}).
18629 @kindex e (Category)
18630 @findex gnus-category-customize-category
18631 Use a customization buffer to set all of the selected category's
18632 parameters at one time (@code{gnus-category-customize-category}).
18635 @kindex k (Category)
18636 @findex gnus-category-kill
18637 Kill the current category (@code{gnus-category-kill}).
18640 @kindex c (Category)
18641 @findex gnus-category-copy
18642 Copy the current category (@code{gnus-category-copy}).
18645 @kindex a (Category)
18646 @findex gnus-category-add
18647 Add a new category (@code{gnus-category-add}).
18650 @kindex p (Category)
18651 @findex gnus-category-edit-predicate
18652 Edit the predicate of the current category
18653 (@code{gnus-category-edit-predicate}).
18656 @kindex g (Category)
18657 @findex gnus-category-edit-groups
18658 Edit the list of groups belonging to the current category
18659 (@code{gnus-category-edit-groups}).
18662 @kindex s (Category)
18663 @findex gnus-category-edit-score
18664 Edit the download score rule of the current category
18665 (@code{gnus-category-edit-score}).
18668 @kindex l (Category)
18669 @findex gnus-category-list
18670 List all the categories (@code{gnus-category-list}).
18674 @node Category Variables
18675 @subsubsection Category Variables
18678 @item gnus-category-mode-hook
18679 @vindex gnus-category-mode-hook
18680 Hook run in category buffers.
18682 @item gnus-category-line-format
18683 @vindex gnus-category-line-format
18684 Format of the lines in the category buffer (@pxref{Formatting
18685 Variables}). Valid elements are:
18689 The name of the category.
18692 The number of groups in the category.
18695 @item gnus-category-mode-line-format
18696 @vindex gnus-category-mode-line-format
18697 Format of the category mode line (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}).
18699 @item gnus-agent-short-article
18700 @vindex gnus-agent-short-article
18701 Articles that have fewer lines than this are short. Default 100.
18703 @item gnus-agent-long-article
18704 @vindex gnus-agent-long-article
18705 Articles that have more lines than this are long. Default 200.
18707 @item gnus-agent-low-score
18708 @vindex gnus-agent-low-score
18709 Articles that have a score lower than this have a low score. Default
18712 @item gnus-agent-high-score
18713 @vindex gnus-agent-high-score
18714 Articles that have a score higher than this have a high score. Default
18717 @item gnus-agent-expire-days
18718 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
18719 The number of days that a @samp{read} article must stay in the agent's
18720 local disk before becoming eligible for expiration (While the name is
18721 the same, this doesn't mean expiring the article on the server. It
18722 just means deleting the local copy of the article). What is also
18723 important to understand is that the counter starts with the time the
18724 article was written to the local disk and not the time the article was
18728 @item gnus-agent-enable-expiration
18729 @vindex gnus-agent-enable-expiration
18730 Determines whether articles in a group are, by default, expired or
18731 retained indefinitely. The default is @code{ENABLE} which means that
18732 you'll have to disable expiration when desired. On the other hand,
18733 you could set this to @code{DISABLE}. In that case, you would then
18734 have to enable expiration in selected groups.
18739 @node Agent Commands
18740 @subsection Agent Commands
18741 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-plugged
18742 @kindex J j (Agent)
18744 All the Gnus Agent commands are on the @kbd{J} submap. The @kbd{J j}
18745 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-plugged}) command works in all modes, and
18746 toggles the plugged/unplugged state of the Gnus Agent.
18750 * Group Agent Commands:: Configure groups and fetch their contents.
18751 * Summary Agent Commands:: Manually select then fetch specific articles.
18752 * Server Agent Commands:: Select the servers that are supported by the agent.
18758 @node Group Agent Commands
18759 @subsubsection Group Agent Commands
18763 @kindex J u (Agent Group)
18764 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-groups
18765 Fetch all eligible articles in the current group
18766 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-groups}).
18769 @kindex J c (Agent Group)
18770 @findex gnus-enter-category-buffer
18771 Enter the Agent category buffer (@code{gnus-enter-category-buffer}).
18774 @kindex J s (Agent Group)
18775 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-session
18776 Fetch all eligible articles in all groups
18777 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-session}).
18780 @kindex J S (Agent Group)
18781 @findex gnus-group-send-queue
18782 Send all sendable messages in the queue group
18783 (@code{gnus-group-send-queue}). @xref{Drafts}.
18786 @kindex J a (Agent Group)
18787 @findex gnus-agent-add-group
18788 Add the current group to an Agent category
18789 (@code{gnus-agent-add-group}). This command understands the
18790 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
18793 @kindex J r (Agent Group)
18794 @findex gnus-agent-remove-group
18795 Remove the current group from its category, if any
18796 (@code{gnus-agent-remove-group}). This command understands the
18797 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
18800 @kindex J Y (Agent Group)
18801 @findex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
18802 Synchronize flags changed while unplugged with remote server, if any.
18808 @node Summary Agent Commands
18809 @subsubsection Summary Agent Commands
18813 @kindex J # (Agent Summary)
18814 @findex gnus-agent-mark-article
18815 Mark the article for downloading (@code{gnus-agent-mark-article}).
18818 @kindex J M-# (Agent Summary)
18819 @findex gnus-agent-unmark-article
18820 Remove the downloading mark from the article
18821 (@code{gnus-agent-unmark-article}).
18825 @kindex @@ (Agent Summary)
18826 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-mark
18827 Toggle whether to download the article
18828 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-mark}). The download mark is @samp{%} by
18832 @kindex J c (Agent Summary)
18833 @findex gnus-agent-catchup
18834 Mark all articles as read (@code{gnus-agent-catchup}) that are neither cached, downloaded, nor downloadable.
18837 @kindex J S (Agent Summary)
18838 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-group
18839 Download all eligible (@pxref{Agent Categories}) articles in this group.
18840 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-group}).
18843 @kindex J s (Agent Summary)
18844 @findex gnus-agent-summary-fetch-series
18845 Download all processable articles in this group.
18846 (@code{gnus-agent-summary-fetch-series}).
18849 @kindex J u (Agent Summary)
18850 @findex gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group
18851 Download all downloadable articles in the current group
18852 (@code{gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group}).
18857 @node Server Agent Commands
18858 @subsubsection Server Agent Commands
18862 @kindex J a (Agent Server)
18863 @findex gnus-agent-add-server
18864 Add the current server to the list of servers covered by the Gnus Agent
18865 (@code{gnus-agent-add-server}).
18868 @kindex J r (Agent Server)
18869 @findex gnus-agent-remove-server
18870 Remove the current server from the list of servers covered by the Gnus
18871 Agent (@code{gnus-agent-remove-server}).
18876 @node Agent Visuals
18877 @subsection Agent Visuals
18879 If you open a summary while unplugged and, Gnus knows from the group's
18880 active range that there are more articles than the headers currently
18881 stored in the Agent, you may see some articles whose subject looks
18882 something like @samp{[Undownloaded article #####]}. These are
18883 placeholders for the missing headers. Aside from setting a mark,
18884 there is not much that can be done with one of these placeholders.
18885 When Gnus finally gets a chance to fetch the group's headers, the
18886 placeholders will automatically be replaced by the actual headers.
18887 You can configure the summary buffer's maneuvering to skip over the
18888 placeholders if you care (See @code{gnus-auto-goto-ignores}).
18890 While it may be obvious to all, the only headers and articles
18891 available while unplugged are those headers and articles that were
18892 fetched into the Agent while previously plugged. To put it another
18893 way, ``If you forget to fetch something while plugged, you might have a
18894 less than satisfying unplugged session''. For this reason, the Agent
18895 adds two visual effects to your summary buffer. These effects display
18896 the download status of each article so that you always know which
18897 articles will be available when unplugged.
18899 The first visual effect is the @samp{%O} spec. If you customize
18900 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} to include this specifier, you will add
18901 a single character field that indicates an article's download status.
18902 Articles that have been fetched into either the Agent or the Cache,
18903 will display @code{gnus-downloaded-mark} (defaults to @samp{+}). All
18904 other articles will display @code{gnus-undownloaded-mark} (defaults to
18905 @samp{-}). If you open a group that has not been agentized, a space
18906 (@samp{ }) will be displayed.
18908 The second visual effect are the undownloaded faces. The faces, there
18909 are three indicating the article's score (low, normal, high), seem to
18910 result in a love/hate response from many Gnus users. The problem is
18911 that the face selection is controlled by a list of condition tests and
18912 face names (See @code{gnus-summary-highlight}). Each condition is
18913 tested in the order in which it appears in the list so early
18914 conditions have precedence over later conditions. All of this means
18915 that, if you tick an undownloaded article, the article will continue
18916 to be displayed in the undownloaded face rather than the ticked face.
18918 If you use the Agent as a cache (to avoid downloading the same article
18919 each time you visit it or to minimize your connection time), the
18920 undownloaded face will probably seem like a good idea. The reason
18921 being that you do all of our work (marking, reading, deleting) with
18922 downloaded articles so the normal faces always appear. For those
18923 users using the agent to improve online performance by caching the NOV
18924 database (most users since 5.10.2), the undownloaded faces may appear
18925 to be an absolutely horrible idea. The issue being that, since none
18926 of their articles have been fetched into the Agent, all of the
18927 normal faces will be obscured by the undownloaded faces.
18929 If you would like to use the undownloaded faces, you must enable the
18930 undownloaded faces by setting the @code{agent-enable-undownloaded-faces}
18931 group parameter to @code{t}. This parameter, like all other agent
18932 parameters, may be set on an Agent Category (@pxref{Agent Categories}),
18933 a Group Topic (@pxref{Topic Parameters}), or an individual group
18934 (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
18936 The one problem common to all users using the agent is how quickly it
18937 can consume disk space. If you using the agent on many groups, it is
18938 even more difficult to effectively recover disk space. One solution
18939 is the @samp{%F} format available in @code{gnus-group-line-format}.
18940 This format will display the actual disk space used by articles
18941 fetched into both the agent and cache. By knowing which groups use
18942 the most space, users know where to focus their efforts when ``agent
18943 expiring'' articles.
18945 @node Agent as Cache
18946 @subsection Agent as Cache
18948 When Gnus is plugged, it is not efficient to download headers or
18949 articles from the server again, if they are already stored in the
18950 Agent. So, Gnus normally only downloads headers once, and stores them
18951 in the Agent. These headers are later used when generating the summary
18952 buffer, regardless of whether you are plugged or unplugged. Articles
18953 are not cached in the Agent by default though (that would potentially
18954 consume lots of disk space), but if you have already downloaded an
18955 article into the Agent, Gnus will not download the article from the
18956 server again but use the locally stored copy instead.
18958 If you so desire, you can configure the agent (see @code{gnus-agent-cache}
18959 @pxref{Agent Variables}) to always download headers and articles while
18960 plugged. Gnus will almost certainly be slower, but it will be kept
18961 synchronized with the server. That last point probably won't make any
18962 sense if you are using a nntp or nnimap back end.
18965 @subsection Agent Expiry
18967 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
18968 @findex gnus-agent-expire
18969 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire
18970 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire-group
18971 @findex gnus-agent-expire-group
18972 @cindex agent expiry
18973 @cindex Gnus agent expiry
18974 @cindex expiry, in Gnus agent
18976 The Agent back end, @code{nnagent}, doesn't handle expiry. Well, at
18977 least it doesn't handle it like other back ends. Instead, there are
18978 special @code{gnus-agent-expire} and @code{gnus-agent-expire-group}
18979 commands that will expire all read articles that are older than
18980 @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} days. They can be run whenever you feel
18981 that you're running out of space. Neither are particularly fast or
18982 efficient, and it's not a particularly good idea to interrupt them (with
18983 @kbd{C-g} or anything else) once you've started one of them.
18985 Note that other functions might run @code{gnus-agent-expire} for you
18986 to keep the agent synchronized with the group.
18988 The agent parameter @code{agent-enable-expiration} may be used to
18989 prevent expiration in selected groups.
18991 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-all
18992 If @code{gnus-agent-expire-all} is non-@code{nil}, the agent
18993 expiration commands will expire all articles---unread, read, ticked
18994 and dormant. If @code{nil} (which is the default), only read articles
18995 are eligible for expiry, and unread, ticked and dormant articles will
18996 be kept indefinitely.
18998 If you find that some articles eligible for expiry are never expired,
18999 perhaps some Gnus Agent files are corrupted. There's are special
19000 commands, @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} and
19001 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group}, to fix possible problems.
19003 @node Agent Regeneration
19004 @subsection Agent Regeneration
19006 @cindex agent regeneration
19007 @cindex Gnus agent regeneration
19008 @cindex regeneration
19010 The local data structures used by @code{nnagent} may become corrupted
19011 due to certain exceptional conditions. When this happens,
19012 @code{nnagent} functionality may degrade or even fail. The solution
19013 to this problem is to repair the local data structures by removing all
19014 internal inconsistencies.
19016 For example, if your connection to your server is lost while
19017 downloaded articles into the agent, the local data structures will not
19018 know about articles successfully downloaded prior to the connection
19019 failure. Running @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} or
19020 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} will update the data structures
19021 such that you don't need to download these articles a second time.
19023 @findex gnus-agent-regenerate
19024 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-regenerate
19025 The command @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} will perform
19026 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} on every agentized group. While
19027 you can run @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} in any buffer, it is strongly
19028 recommended that you first close all summary buffers.
19030 @findex gnus-agent-regenerate-group
19031 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-regenerate-group
19032 The command @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} uses the local copies
19033 of individual articles to repair the local @acronym{NOV}(header) database. It
19034 then updates the internal data structures that document which articles
19035 are stored locally. An optional argument will mark articles in the
19038 @node Agent and flags
19039 @subsection Agent and flags
19041 The Agent works with any Gnus back end including those, such as
19042 nnimap, that store flags (read, ticked, etc.)@: on the server. Sadly,
19043 the Agent does not actually know which backends keep their flags in
19044 the backend server rather than in @file{.newsrc}. This means that the
19045 Agent, while unplugged or disconnected, will always record all changes
19046 to the flags in its own files.
19048 When you plug back in, Gnus will then check to see if you have any
19049 changed any flags and ask if you wish to synchronize these with the
19050 server. This behavior is customizable by @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags}.
19052 @vindex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
19053 If @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} is @code{nil}, the Agent will
19054 never automatically synchronize flags. If it is @code{ask}, which is
19055 the default, the Agent will check if you made any changes and if so
19056 ask if you wish to synchronize these when you re-connect. If it has
19057 any other value, all flags will be synchronized automatically.
19059 If you do not wish to synchronize flags automatically when you
19060 re-connect, you can do it manually with the
19061 @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} command that is bound to @kbd{J Y}
19062 in the group buffer.
19064 Technical note: the synchronization algorithm does not work by ``pushing''
19065 all local flags to the server, but rather by incrementally updated the
19066 server view of flags by changing only those flags that were changed by
19067 the user. Thus, if you set one flag on an article, quit the group then
19068 re-select the group and remove the flag; the flag will be set and
19069 removed from the server when you ``synchronize''. The queued flag
19070 operations can be found in the per-server @code{flags} file in the Agent
19071 directory. It's emptied when you synchronize flags.
19073 @node Agent and IMAP
19074 @subsection Agent and IMAP
19076 The Agent works with any Gnus back end, including nnimap. However,
19077 since there are some conceptual differences between @acronym{NNTP} and
19078 @acronym{IMAP}, this section (should) provide you with some information to
19079 make Gnus Agent work smoother as a @acronym{IMAP} Disconnected Mode client.
19081 Some things are currently not implemented in the Agent that you'd might
19082 expect from a disconnected @acronym{IMAP} client, including:
19087 Copying/moving articles into nnimap groups when unplugged.
19090 Creating/deleting nnimap groups when unplugged.
19094 @node Outgoing Messages
19095 @subsection Outgoing Messages
19097 By default, when Gnus is unplugged, all outgoing messages (both mail
19098 and news) are stored in the draft group ``queue'' (@pxref{Drafts}).
19099 You can view them there after posting, and edit them at will.
19101 You can control the circumstances under which outgoing mail is queued
19102 (see @code{gnus-agent-queue-mail}, @pxref{Agent Variables}). Outgoing
19103 news is always queued when Gnus is unplugged, and never otherwise.
19105 You can send the messages either from the draft group with the special
19106 commands available there, or you can use the @kbd{J S} command in the
19107 group buffer to send all the sendable messages in the draft group.
19108 Posting news will only work when Gnus is plugged, but you can send
19111 If sending mail while unplugged does not work for you and you worry
19112 about hitting @kbd{J S} by accident when unplugged, you can have Gnus
19113 ask you to confirm your action (see
19114 @code{gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue}, @pxref{Agent Variables}).
19116 @node Agent Variables
19117 @subsection Agent Variables
19122 Is the agent enabled? The default is @code{t}. When first enabled,
19123 the agent will use @code{gnus-agent-auto-agentize-methods} to
19124 automatically mark some back ends as agentized. You may change which
19125 back ends are agentized using the agent commands in the server buffer.
19127 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
19128 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
19131 @item gnus-agent-directory
19132 @vindex gnus-agent-directory
19133 Where the Gnus Agent will store its files. The default is
19134 @file{~/News/agent/}.
19136 @item gnus-agent-handle-level
19137 @vindex gnus-agent-handle-level
19138 Groups on levels (@pxref{Group Levels}) higher than this variable will
19139 be ignored by the Agent. The default is @code{gnus-level-subscribed},
19140 which means that only subscribed group will be considered by the Agent
19143 @item gnus-agent-plugged-hook
19144 @vindex gnus-agent-plugged-hook
19145 Hook run when connecting to the network.
19147 @item gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
19148 @vindex gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
19149 Hook run when disconnecting from the network.
19151 @item gnus-agent-fetched-hook
19152 @vindex gnus-agent-fetched-hook
19153 Hook run when finished fetching articles.
19155 @item gnus-agent-cache
19156 @vindex gnus-agent-cache
19157 Variable to control whether use the locally stored @acronym{NOV} and
19158 articles when plugged, e.g., essentially using the Agent as a cache.
19159 The default is non-@code{nil}, which means to use the Agent as a cache.
19161 @item gnus-agent-go-online
19162 @vindex gnus-agent-go-online
19163 If @code{gnus-agent-go-online} is @code{nil}, the Agent will never
19164 automatically switch offline servers into online status. If it is
19165 @code{ask}, the default, the Agent will ask if you wish to switch
19166 offline servers into online status when you re-connect. If it has any
19167 other value, all offline servers will be automatically switched into
19170 @item gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded
19171 @vindex gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded
19172 If @code{gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded} is non-@code{nil},
19173 mark articles as unread after downloading. This is usually a safe
19174 thing to do as the newly downloaded article has obviously not been
19175 read. The default is @code{t}.
19177 @item gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
19178 @vindex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
19179 If @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} is @code{nil}, the Agent will
19180 never automatically synchronize flags. If it is @code{ask}, which is
19181 the default, the Agent will check if you made any changes and if so
19182 ask if you wish to synchronize these when you re-connect. If it has
19183 any other value, all flags will be synchronized automatically.
19185 @item gnus-agent-consider-all-articles
19186 @vindex gnus-agent-consider-all-articles
19187 If @code{gnus-agent-consider-all-articles} is non-@code{nil}, the
19188 agent will let the agent predicate decide whether articles need to be
19189 downloaded or not, for all articles. When @code{nil}, the default,
19190 the agent will only let the predicate decide whether unread articles
19191 are downloaded or not. If you enable this, you may also want to look
19192 into the agent expiry settings (@pxref{Category Variables}), so that
19193 the agent doesn't download articles which the agent will later expire,
19194 over and over again.
19196 @item gnus-agent-max-fetch-size
19197 @vindex gnus-agent-max-fetch-size
19198 The agent fetches articles into a temporary buffer prior to parsing
19199 them into individual files. To avoid exceeding the max. buffer size,
19200 the agent alternates between fetching and parsing until all articles
19201 have been fetched. @code{gnus-agent-max-fetch-size} provides a size
19202 limit to control how often the cycling occurs. A large value improves
19203 performance. A small value minimizes the time lost should the
19204 connection be lost while fetching (You may need to run
19205 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} to update the group's state.
19206 However, all articles parsed prior to losing the connection will be
19207 available while unplugged). The default is 10M so it is unusual to
19210 @item gnus-server-unopen-status
19211 @vindex gnus-server-unopen-status
19212 Perhaps not an Agent variable, but closely related to the Agent, this
19213 variable says what will happen if Gnus cannot open a server. If the
19214 Agent is enabled, the default, @code{nil}, makes Gnus ask the user
19215 whether to deny the server or whether to unplug the agent. If the
19216 Agent is disabled, Gnus always simply deny the server. Other choices
19217 for this variable include @code{denied} and @code{offline} the latter
19218 is only valid if the Agent is used.
19220 @item gnus-auto-goto-ignores
19221 @vindex gnus-auto-goto-ignores
19222 Another variable that isn't an Agent variable, yet so closely related
19223 that most will look for it here, this variable tells the summary
19224 buffer how to maneuver around undownloaded (only headers stored in the
19225 agent) and unfetched (neither article nor headers stored) articles.
19227 The valid values are @code{nil} (maneuver to any article),
19228 @code{undownloaded} (maneuvering while unplugged ignores articles that
19229 have not been fetched), @code{always-undownloaded} (maneuvering always
19230 ignores articles that have not been fetched), @code{unfetched}
19231 (maneuvering ignores articles whose headers have not been fetched).
19233 @item gnus-agent-queue-mail
19234 @vindex gnus-agent-queue-mail
19235 When @code{gnus-agent-queue-mail} is @code{always}, Gnus will always
19236 queue mail rather than sending it straight away. When @code{t}, Gnus
19237 will queue mail when unplugged only. When @code{nil}, never queue
19238 mail. The default is @code{t}.
19240 @item gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue
19241 @vindex gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue
19242 When @code{gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue} is non-@code{nil} Gnus will
19243 prompt you to confirm that you really wish to proceed if you hit
19244 @kbd{J S} while unplugged. The default is @code{nil}.
19246 @item gnus-agent-auto-agentize-methods
19247 @vindex gnus-agent-auto-agentize-methods
19248 If you have never used the Agent before (or more technically, if
19249 @file{~/News/agent/lib/servers} does not exist), Gnus will
19250 automatically agentize a few servers for you. This variable control
19251 which back ends should be auto-agentized. It is typically only useful
19252 to agentize remote back ends. The auto-agentizing has the same effect
19253 as running @kbd{J a} on the servers (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}).
19254 If the file exist, you must manage the servers manually by adding or
19255 removing them, this variable is only applicable the first time you
19256 start Gnus. The default is @samp{nil}.
19261 @node Example Setup
19262 @subsection Example Setup
19264 If you don't want to read this manual, and you have a fairly standard
19265 setup, you may be able to use something like the following as your
19266 @file{~/.gnus.el} file to get started.
19269 ;; @r{Define how Gnus is to fetch news. We do this over @acronym{NNTP}}
19270 ;; @r{from your ISP's server.}
19271 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.your-isp.com"))
19273 ;; @r{Define how Gnus is to read your mail. We read mail from}
19274 ;; @r{your ISP's @acronym{POP} server.}
19275 (setq mail-sources '((pop :server "pop.your-isp.com")))
19277 ;; @r{Say how Gnus is to store the mail. We use nnml groups.}
19278 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
19280 ;; @r{Make Gnus into an offline newsreader.}
19281 ;; (gnus-agentize) ; @r{The obsolete setting.}
19282 ;; (setq gnus-agent t) ; @r{Now the default.}
19285 That should be it, basically. Put that in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file,
19286 edit to suit your needs, start up PPP (or whatever), and type @kbd{M-x
19289 If this is the first time you've run Gnus, you will be subscribed
19290 automatically to a few default newsgroups. You'll probably want to
19291 subscribe to more groups, and to do that, you have to query the
19292 @acronym{NNTP} server for a complete list of groups with the @kbd{A A}
19293 command. This usually takes quite a while, but you only have to do it
19296 After reading and parsing a while, you'll be presented with a list of
19297 groups. Subscribe to the ones you want to read with the @kbd{u}
19298 command. @kbd{l} to make all the killed groups disappear after you've
19299 subscribe to all the groups you want to read. (@kbd{A k} will bring
19300 back all the killed groups.)
19302 You can now read the groups at once, or you can download the articles
19303 with the @kbd{J s} command. And then read the rest of this manual to
19304 find out which of the other gazillion things you want to customize.
19307 @node Batching Agents
19308 @subsection Batching Agents
19309 @findex gnus-agent-batch
19311 Having the Gnus Agent fetch articles (and post whatever messages you've
19312 written) is quite easy once you've gotten things set up properly. The
19313 following shell script will do everything that is necessary:
19315 You can run a complete batch command from the command line with the
19316 following incantation:
19320 emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-agent-batch >/dev/null 2>&1
19324 @node Agent Caveats
19325 @subsection Agent Caveats
19327 The Gnus Agent doesn't seem to work like most other offline
19328 newsreaders. Here are some common questions that some imaginary people
19332 @item If I read an article while plugged, do they get entered into the Agent?
19334 @strong{No}. If you want this behavior, add
19335 @code{gnus-agent-fetch-selected-article} to
19336 @code{gnus-select-article-hook}.
19338 @item If I read an article while plugged, and the article already exists in
19339 the Agent, will it get downloaded once more?
19341 @strong{No}, unless @code{gnus-agent-cache} is @code{nil}.
19345 In short, when Gnus is unplugged, it only looks into the locally stored
19346 articles; when it's plugged, it talks to your ISP and may also use the
19347 locally stored articles.
19354 Other people use @dfn{kill files}, but we here at Gnus Towers like
19355 scoring better than killing, so we'd rather switch than fight. They do
19356 something completely different as well, so sit up straight and pay
19359 @vindex gnus-summary-mark-below
19360 All articles have a default score (@code{gnus-summary-default-score}),
19361 which is 0 by default. This score may be raised or lowered either
19362 interactively or by score files. Articles that have a score lower than
19363 @code{gnus-summary-mark-below} are marked as read.
19365 Gnus will read any @dfn{score files} that apply to the current group
19366 before generating the summary buffer.
19368 There are several commands in the summary buffer that insert score
19369 entries based on the current article. You can, for instance, ask Gnus to
19370 lower or increase the score of all articles with a certain subject.
19372 There are two sorts of scoring entries: Permanent and temporary.
19373 Temporary score entries are self-expiring entries. Any entries that are
19374 temporary and have not been used for, say, a week, will be removed
19375 silently to help keep the sizes of the score files down.
19378 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
19379 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
19380 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
19381 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
19382 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
19383 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
19384 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
19385 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
19386 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
19387 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
19388 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
19389 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
19390 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
19391 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
19392 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
19393 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
19397 @node Summary Score Commands
19398 @section Summary Score Commands
19399 @cindex score commands
19401 The score commands that alter score entries do not actually modify real
19402 score files. That would be too inefficient. Gnus maintains a cache of
19403 previously loaded score files, one of which is considered the
19404 @dfn{current score file alist}. The score commands simply insert
19405 entries into this list, and upon group exit, this list is saved.
19407 The current score file is by default the group's local score file, even
19408 if no such score file actually exists. To insert score commands into
19409 some other score file (e.g., @file{all.SCORE}), you must first make this
19410 score file the current one.
19412 General score commands that don't actually change the score file:
19417 @kindex V s (Summary)
19418 @findex gnus-summary-set-score
19419 Set the score of the current article (@code{gnus-summary-set-score}).
19422 @kindex V S (Summary)
19423 @findex gnus-summary-current-score
19424 Display the score of the current article
19425 (@code{gnus-summary-current-score}).
19428 @kindex V t (Summary)
19429 @findex gnus-score-find-trace
19430 Display all score rules that have been used on the current article
19431 (@code{gnus-score-find-trace}). In the @file{*Score Trace*} buffer, you
19432 may type @kbd{e} to edit score file corresponding to the score rule on
19433 current line and @kbd{f} to format (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) the
19434 score file and edit it.
19437 @kindex V w (Summary)
19438 @findex gnus-score-find-favourite-words
19439 List words used in scoring (@code{gnus-score-find-favourite-words}).
19442 @kindex V R (Summary)
19443 @findex gnus-summary-rescore
19444 Run the current summary through the scoring process
19445 (@code{gnus-summary-rescore}). This might be useful if you're playing
19446 around with your score files behind Gnus' back and want to see the
19447 effect you're having.
19450 @kindex V c (Summary)
19451 @findex gnus-score-change-score-file
19452 Make a different score file the current
19453 (@code{gnus-score-change-score-file}).
19456 @kindex V e (Summary)
19457 @findex gnus-score-edit-current-scores
19458 Edit the current score file (@code{gnus-score-edit-current-scores}).
19459 You will be popped into a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score
19463 @kindex V f (Summary)
19464 @findex gnus-score-edit-file
19465 Edit a score file and make this score file the current one
19466 (@code{gnus-score-edit-file}).
19469 @kindex V F (Summary)
19470 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
19471 Flush the score cache (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}). This is useful
19472 after editing score files.
19475 @kindex V C (Summary)
19476 @findex gnus-score-customize
19477 Customize a score file in a visually pleasing manner
19478 (@code{gnus-score-customize}).
19482 The rest of these commands modify the local score file.
19487 @kindex V m (Summary)
19488 @findex gnus-score-set-mark-below
19489 Prompt for a score, and mark all articles with a score below this as
19490 read (@code{gnus-score-set-mark-below}).
19493 @kindex V x (Summary)
19494 @findex gnus-score-set-expunge-below
19495 Prompt for a score, and add a score rule to the current score file to
19496 expunge all articles below this score
19497 (@code{gnus-score-set-expunge-below}).
19500 The keystrokes for actually making score entries follow a very regular
19501 pattern, so there's no need to list all the commands. (Hundreds of
19504 @findex gnus-summary-increase-score
19505 @findex gnus-summary-lower-score
19509 The first key is either @kbd{I} (upper case i) for increasing the score
19510 or @kbd{L} for lowering the score.
19512 The second key says what header you want to score on. The following
19513 keys are available:
19517 Score on the author name.
19520 Score on the subject line.
19523 Score on the @code{Xref} line---i.e., the cross-posting line.
19526 Score on the @code{References} line.
19532 Score on the number of lines.
19535 Score on the @code{Message-ID} header.
19538 Score on an ``extra'' header, that is, one of those in gnus-extra-headers,
19539 if your @acronym{NNTP} server tracks additional header data in overviews.
19542 Score on followups---this matches the author name, and adds scores to
19543 the followups to this author. (Using this key leads to the creation of
19544 @file{ADAPT} files.)
19553 Score on thread. (Using this key leads to the creation of @file{ADAPT}
19559 The third key is the match type. Which match types are valid depends on
19560 what headers you are scoring on.
19572 Substring matching.
19575 Fuzzy matching (@pxref{Fuzzy Matching}).
19604 Greater than number.
19609 The fourth and usually final key says whether this is a temporary (i.e.,
19610 expiring) score entry, or a permanent (i.e., non-expiring) score entry,
19611 or whether it is to be done immediately, without adding to the score
19616 Temporary score entry.
19619 Permanent score entry.
19622 Immediately scoring.
19626 If you are scoring on `e' (extra) headers, you will then be prompted for
19627 the header name on which you wish to score. This must be a header named
19628 in gnus-extra-headers, and @samp{TAB} completion is available.
19632 So, let's say you want to increase the score on the current author with
19633 exact matching permanently: @kbd{I a e p}. If you want to lower the
19634 score based on the subject line, using substring matching, and make a
19635 temporary score entry: @kbd{L s s t}. Pretty easy.
19637 To make things a bit more complicated, there are shortcuts. If you use
19638 a capital letter on either the second or third keys, Gnus will use
19639 defaults for the remaining one or two keystrokes. The defaults are
19640 ``substring'' and ``temporary''. So @kbd{I A} is the same as @kbd{I a s
19641 t}, and @kbd{I a R} is the same as @kbd{I a r t}.
19643 These functions take both the numerical prefix and the symbolic prefix
19644 (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}). A numerical prefix says how much to lower
19645 (or increase) the score of the article. A symbolic prefix of @code{a}
19646 says to use the @file{all.SCORE} file for the command instead of the
19647 current score file.
19649 @vindex gnus-score-mimic-keymap
19650 The @code{gnus-score-mimic-keymap} says whether these commands will
19651 pretend they are keymaps or not.
19654 @node Group Score Commands
19655 @section Group Score Commands
19656 @cindex group score commands
19658 There aren't many of these as yet, I'm afraid.
19663 @kindex W e (Group)
19664 @findex gnus-score-edit-all-score
19665 Edit the apply-to-all-groups all.SCORE file. You will be popped into
19666 a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score File Editing}).
19669 @kindex W f (Group)
19670 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
19671 Gnus maintains a cache of score alists to avoid having to reload them
19672 all the time. This command will flush the cache
19673 (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}).
19677 You can do scoring from the command line by saying something like:
19679 @findex gnus-batch-score
19680 @cindex batch scoring
19682 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-batch-score
19686 @node Score Variables
19687 @section Score Variables
19688 @cindex score variables
19692 @item gnus-use-scoring
19693 @vindex gnus-use-scoring
19694 If @code{nil}, Gnus will not check for score files, and will not, in
19695 general, do any score-related work. This is @code{t} by default.
19697 @item gnus-kill-killed
19698 @vindex gnus-kill-killed
19699 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will never apply score files to
19700 articles that have already been through the kill process. While this
19701 may save you lots of time, it also means that if you apply a kill file
19702 to a group, and then change the kill file and want to run it over you
19703 group again to kill more articles, it won't work. You have to set this
19704 variable to @code{t} to do that. (It is @code{t} by default.)
19706 @item gnus-kill-files-directory
19707 @vindex gnus-kill-files-directory
19708 All kill and score files will be stored in this directory, which is
19709 initialized from the @env{SAVEDIR} environment variable by default.
19710 This is @file{~/News/} by default.
19712 @item gnus-score-file-suffix
19713 @vindex gnus-score-file-suffix
19714 Suffix to add to the group name to arrive at the score file name
19715 (@file{SCORE} by default.)
19717 @item gnus-score-uncacheable-files
19718 @vindex gnus-score-uncacheable-files
19719 @cindex score cache
19720 All score files are normally cached to avoid excessive re-loading of
19721 score files. However, this might make your Emacs grow big and
19722 bloated, so this regexp can be used to weed out score files unlikely
19723 to be needed again. It would be a bad idea to deny caching of
19724 @file{all.SCORE}, while it might be a good idea to not cache
19725 @file{comp.infosystems.www.authoring.misc.ADAPT}. In fact, this
19726 variable is @samp{ADAPT$} by default, so no adaptive score files will
19729 @item gnus-save-score
19730 @vindex gnus-save-score
19731 If you have really complicated score files, and do lots of batch
19732 scoring, then you might set this variable to @code{t}. This will make
19733 Gnus save the scores into the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
19735 If you do not set this to @code{t}, then manual scores (like those set
19736 with @kbd{V s} (@code{gnus-summary-set-score})) will not be preserved
19737 across group visits.
19739 @item gnus-score-interactive-default-score
19740 @vindex gnus-score-interactive-default-score
19741 Score used by all the interactive raise/lower commands to raise/lower
19742 score with. Default is 1000, which may seem excessive, but this is to
19743 ensure that the adaptive scoring scheme gets enough room to play with.
19744 We don't want the small changes from the adaptive scoring to overwrite
19745 manually entered data.
19747 @item gnus-summary-default-score
19748 @vindex gnus-summary-default-score
19749 Default score of an article, which is 0 by default.
19751 @item gnus-summary-expunge-below
19752 @vindex gnus-summary-expunge-below
19753 Don't display the summary lines of articles that have scores lower than
19754 this variable. This is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
19755 articles will be hidden. This variable is local to the summary buffers,
19756 and has to be set from @code{gnus-summary-mode-hook}.
19758 @item gnus-score-over-mark
19759 @vindex gnus-score-over-mark
19760 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score over the
19761 default. Default is @samp{+}.
19763 @item gnus-score-below-mark
19764 @vindex gnus-score-below-mark
19765 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score below the
19766 default. Default is @samp{-}.
19768 @item gnus-score-find-score-files-function
19769 @vindex gnus-score-find-score-files-function
19770 Function used to find score files for the current group. This function
19771 is called with the name of the group as the argument.
19773 Predefined functions available are:
19776 @item gnus-score-find-single
19777 @findex gnus-score-find-single
19778 Only apply the group's own score file.
19780 @item gnus-score-find-bnews
19781 @findex gnus-score-find-bnews
19782 Apply all score files that match, using bnews syntax. This is the
19783 default. If the current group is @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}, for instance,
19784 @file{all.emacs.all.SCORE}, @file{not.alt.all.SCORE} and
19785 @file{gnu.all.SCORE} would all apply. In short, the instances of
19786 @samp{all} in the score file names are translated into @samp{.*}, and
19787 then a regexp match is done.
19789 This means that if you have some score entries that you want to apply to
19790 all groups, then you put those entries in the @file{all.SCORE} file.
19792 The score files are applied in a semi-random order, although Gnus will
19793 try to apply the more general score files before the more specific score
19794 files. It does this by looking at the number of elements in the score
19795 file names---discarding the @samp{all} elements.
19797 @item gnus-score-find-hierarchical
19798 @findex gnus-score-find-hierarchical
19799 Apply all score files from all the parent groups. This means that you
19800 can't have score files like @file{all.SCORE}, but you can have
19801 @file{SCORE}, @file{comp.SCORE} and @file{comp.emacs.SCORE} for each
19805 This variable can also be a list of functions. In that case, all
19806 these functions will be called with the group name as argument, and
19807 all the returned lists of score files will be applied. These
19808 functions can also return lists of lists of score alists directly. In
19809 that case, the functions that return these non-file score alists
19810 should probably be placed before the ``real'' score file functions, to
19811 ensure that the last score file returned is the local score file.
19814 For example, to do hierarchical scoring but use a non-server-specific
19815 overall score file, you could use the value
19817 (list (lambda (group) ("all.SCORE"))
19818 'gnus-score-find-hierarchical)
19821 @item gnus-score-expiry-days
19822 @vindex gnus-score-expiry-days
19823 This variable says how many days should pass before an unused score file
19824 entry is expired. If this variable is @code{nil}, no score file entries
19825 are expired. It's 7 by default.
19827 @item gnus-update-score-entry-dates
19828 @vindex gnus-update-score-entry-dates
19829 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, temporary score entries that have
19830 been triggered (matched) will have their dates updated. (This is how Gnus
19831 controls expiry---all non-matched-entries will become too old while
19832 matched entries will stay fresh and young.) However, if you set this
19833 variable to @code{nil}, even matched entries will grow old and will
19834 have to face that oh-so grim reaper.
19836 @item gnus-score-after-write-file-function
19837 @vindex gnus-score-after-write-file-function
19838 Function called with the name of the score file just written.
19840 @item gnus-score-thread-simplify
19841 @vindex gnus-score-thread-simplify
19842 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, article subjects will be
19843 simplified for subject scoring purposes in the same manner as with
19844 threading---according to the current value of
19845 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions}. If the scoring entry uses
19846 @code{substring} or @code{exact} matching, the match will also be
19847 simplified in this manner.
19852 @node Score File Format
19853 @section Score File Format
19854 @cindex score file format
19856 A score file is an @code{emacs-lisp} file that normally contains just a
19857 single form. Casual users are not expected to edit these files;
19858 everything can be changed from the summary buffer.
19860 Anyway, if you'd like to dig into it yourself, here's an example:
19864 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" -10000)
19866 ("larsi\\|lmi" -50000 nil R))
19868 ("Ding is Badd" nil 728373))
19870 ("alt.politics" -1000 728372 s))
19875 (mark-and-expunge -10)
19879 (files "/hom/larsi/News/gnu.SCORE")
19880 (exclude-files "all.SCORE")
19881 (local (gnus-newsgroup-auto-expire t)
19882 (gnus-summary-make-false-root empty))
19886 This example demonstrates most score file elements. @xref{Advanced
19887 Scoring}, for a different approach.
19889 Even though this looks much like Lisp code, nothing here is actually
19890 @code{eval}ed. The Lisp reader is used to read this form, though, so it
19891 has to be valid syntactically, if not semantically.
19893 Six keys are supported by this alist:
19898 If the key is a string, it is the name of the header to perform the
19899 match on. Scoring can only be performed on these eight headers:
19900 @code{From}, @code{Subject}, @code{References}, @code{Message-ID},
19901 @code{Xref}, @code{Lines}, @code{Chars} and @code{Date}. In addition to
19902 these headers, there are three strings to tell Gnus to fetch the entire
19903 article and do the match on larger parts of the article: @code{Body}
19904 will perform the match on the body of the article, @code{Head} will
19905 perform the match on the head of the article, and @code{All} will
19906 perform the match on the entire article. Note that using any of these
19907 last three keys will slow down group entry @emph{considerably}. The
19908 final ``header'' you can score on is @code{Followup}. These score
19909 entries will result in new score entries being added for all follow-ups
19910 to articles that matches these score entries.
19912 Following this key is an arbitrary number of score entries, where each
19913 score entry has one to four elements.
19917 The first element is the @dfn{match element}. On most headers this will
19918 be a string, but on the Lines and Chars headers, this must be an
19922 If the second element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{score
19923 element}. This number should be an integer in the neginf to posinf
19924 interval. This number is added to the score of the article if the match
19925 is successful. If this element is not present, the
19926 @code{gnus-score-interactive-default-score} number will be used
19927 instead. This is 1000 by default.
19930 If the third element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{date
19931 element}. This date says when the last time this score entry matched,
19932 which provides a mechanism for expiring the score entries. It this
19933 element is not present, the score entry is permanent. The date is
19934 represented by the number of days since December 31, 1 BCE.
19937 If the fourth element is present, it should be a symbol---the @dfn{type
19938 element}. This element specifies what function should be used to see
19939 whether this score entry matches the article. What match types that can
19940 be used depends on what header you wish to perform the match on.
19943 @item From, Subject, References, Xref, Message-ID
19944 For most header types, there are the @code{r} and @code{R} (regexp), as
19945 well as @code{s} and @code{S} (substring) types, and @code{e} and
19946 @code{E} (exact match), and @code{w} (word match) types. If this
19947 element is not present, Gnus will assume that substring matching should
19948 be used. @code{R}, @code{S}, and @code{E} differ from the others in
19949 that the matches will be done in a case-sensitive manner. All these
19950 one-letter types are really just abbreviations for the @code{regexp},
19951 @code{string}, @code{exact}, and @code{word} types, which you can use
19952 instead, if you feel like.
19955 Just as for the standard string overview headers, if you are using
19956 gnus-extra-headers, you can score on these headers' values. In this
19957 case, there is a 5th element in the score entry, being the name of the
19958 header to be scored. The following entry is useful in your
19959 @file{all.SCORE} file in case of spam attacks from a single origin
19960 host, if your @acronym{NNTP} server tracks @samp{NNTP-Posting-Host} in
19964 ("111.222.333.444" -1000 nil s
19965 "NNTP-Posting-Host")
19969 These two headers use different match types: @code{<}, @code{>},
19970 @code{=}, @code{>=} and @code{<=}.
19972 These predicates are true if
19975 (PREDICATE HEADER MATCH)
19978 evaluates to non-@code{nil}. For instance, the advanced match
19979 @code{("lines" 4 <)} (@pxref{Advanced Scoring}) will result in the
19986 Or to put it another way: When using @code{<} on @code{Lines} with 4 as
19987 the match, we get the score added if the article has less than 4 lines.
19988 (It's easy to get confused and think it's the other way around. But
19989 it's not. I think.)
19991 When matching on @code{Lines}, be careful because some back ends (like
19992 @code{nndir}) do not generate @code{Lines} header, so every article ends
19993 up being marked as having 0 lines. This can lead to strange results if
19994 you happen to lower score of the articles with few lines.
19997 For the Date header we have three kinda silly match types:
19998 @code{before}, @code{at} and @code{after}. I can't really imagine this
19999 ever being useful, but, like, it would feel kinda silly not to provide
20000 this function. Just in case. You never know. Better safe than sorry.
20001 Once burnt, twice shy. Don't judge a book by its cover. Never not have
20002 sex on a first date. (I have been told that at least one person, and I
20003 quote, ``found this function indispensable'', however.)
20007 A more useful match type is @code{regexp}. With it, you can match the
20008 date string using a regular expression. The date is normalized to
20009 ISO8601 compact format first---@var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS}. If
20010 you want to match all articles that have been posted on April 1st in
20011 every year, you could use @samp{....0401.........} as a match string,
20012 for instance. (Note that the date is kept in its original time zone, so
20013 this will match articles that were posted when it was April 1st where
20014 the article was posted from. Time zones are such wholesome fun for the
20017 @item Head, Body, All
20018 These three match keys use the same match types as the @code{From} (etc.)@:
20022 This match key is somewhat special, in that it will match the
20023 @code{From} header, and affect the score of not only the matching
20024 articles, but also all followups to the matching articles. This allows
20025 you to increase the score of followups to your own articles, or
20026 decrease the score of followups to the articles of some known
20027 trouble-maker. Uses the same match types as the @code{From} header
20028 uses. (Using this match key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT}
20032 This match key works along the same lines as the @code{Followup} match
20033 key. If you say that you want to score on a (sub-)thread started by an
20034 article with a @code{Message-ID} @var{x}, then you add a @samp{thread}
20035 match. This will add a new @samp{thread} match for each article that
20036 has @var{x} in its @code{References} header. (These new @samp{thread}
20037 matches will use the @code{Message-ID}s of these matching articles.)
20038 This will ensure that you can raise/lower the score of an entire thread,
20039 even though some articles in the thread may not have complete
20040 @code{References} headers. Note that using this may lead to
20041 nondeterministic scores of the articles in the thread. (Using this match
20042 key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT} files.)
20046 @cindex score file atoms
20048 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
20049 lower than this number will be marked as read.
20052 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
20053 lower than this number will be removed from the summary buffer.
20055 @item mark-and-expunge
20056 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
20057 lower than this number will be marked as read and removed from the
20060 @item thread-mark-and-expunge
20061 The value of this entry should be a number. All articles that belong to
20062 a thread that has a total score below this number will be marked as read
20063 and removed from the summary buffer. @code{gnus-thread-score-function}
20064 says how to compute the total score for a thread.
20067 The value of this entry should be any number of file names. These files
20068 are assumed to be score files as well, and will be loaded the same way
20071 @item exclude-files
20072 The clue of this entry should be any number of files. These files will
20073 not be loaded, even though they would normally be so, for some reason or
20077 The value of this entry will be @code{eval}ed. This element will be
20078 ignored when handling global score files.
20081 Read-only score files will not be updated or saved. Global score files
20082 should feature this atom (@pxref{Global Score Files}). (Note:
20083 @dfn{Global} here really means @dfn{global}; not your personal
20084 apply-to-all-groups score files.)
20087 The value of this entry should be a number. Articles that do not have
20088 parents will get this number added to their scores. Imagine you follow
20089 some high-volume newsgroup, like @samp{comp.lang.c}. Most likely you
20090 will only follow a few of the threads, also want to see any new threads.
20092 You can do this with the following two score file entries:
20096 (mark-and-expunge -100)
20099 When you enter the group the first time, you will only see the new
20100 threads. You then raise the score of the threads that you find
20101 interesting (with @kbd{I T} or @kbd{I S}), and ignore (@kbd{c y}) the
20102 rest. Next time you enter the group, you will see new articles in the
20103 interesting threads, plus any new threads.
20105 I.e., the orphan score atom is for high-volume groups where a few
20106 interesting threads which can't be found automatically by ordinary
20107 scoring rules exist.
20110 This entry controls the adaptive scoring. If it is @code{t}, the
20111 default adaptive scoring rules will be used. If it is @code{ignore}, no
20112 adaptive scoring will be performed on this group. If it is a list, this
20113 list will be used as the adaptive scoring rules. If it isn't present,
20114 or is something other than @code{t} or @code{ignore}, the default
20115 adaptive scoring rules will be used. If you want to use adaptive
20116 scoring on most groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
20117 @code{t}, and insert an @code{(adapt ignore)} in the groups where you do
20118 not want adaptive scoring. If you only want adaptive scoring in a few
20119 groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to @code{nil}, and
20120 insert @code{(adapt t)} in the score files of the groups where you want
20124 All adaptive score entries will go to the file named by this entry. It
20125 will also be applied when entering the group. This atom might be handy
20126 if you want to adapt on several groups at once, using the same adaptive
20127 file for a number of groups.
20130 @cindex local variables
20131 The value of this entry should be a list of @code{(@var{var}
20132 @var{value})} pairs. Each @var{var} will be made buffer-local to the
20133 current summary buffer, and set to the value specified. This is a
20134 convenient, if somewhat strange, way of setting variables in some
20135 groups if you don't like hooks much. Note that the @var{value} won't
20140 @node Score File Editing
20141 @section Score File Editing
20143 You normally enter all scoring commands from the summary buffer, but you
20144 might feel the urge to edit them by hand as well, so we've supplied you
20145 with a mode for that.
20147 It's simply a slightly customized @code{emacs-lisp} mode, with these
20148 additional commands:
20153 @kindex C-c C-c (Score)
20154 @findex gnus-score-edit-exit
20155 Save the changes you have made and return to the summary buffer
20156 (@code{gnus-score-edit-exit}).
20159 @kindex C-c C-d (Score)
20160 @findex gnus-score-edit-insert-date
20161 Insert the current date in numerical format
20162 (@code{gnus-score-edit-insert-date}). This is really the day number, if
20163 you were wondering.
20166 @kindex C-c C-p (Score)
20167 @findex gnus-score-pretty-print
20168 The adaptive score files are saved in an unformatted fashion. If you
20169 intend to read one of these files, you want to @dfn{pretty print} it
20170 first. This command (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) does that for
20175 Type @kbd{M-x gnus-score-mode} to use this mode.
20177 @vindex gnus-score-mode-hook
20178 @code{gnus-score-menu-hook} is run in score mode buffers.
20180 In the summary buffer you can use commands like @kbd{V f}, @kbd{V e} and
20181 @kbd{V t} to begin editing score files.
20184 @node Adaptive Scoring
20185 @section Adaptive Scoring
20186 @cindex adaptive scoring
20188 If all this scoring is getting you down, Gnus has a way of making it all
20189 happen automatically---as if by magic. Or rather, as if by artificial
20190 stupidity, to be precise.
20192 @vindex gnus-use-adaptive-scoring
20193 When you read an article, or mark an article as read, or kill an
20194 article, you leave marks behind. On exit from the group, Gnus can sniff
20195 these marks and add score elements depending on what marks it finds.
20196 You turn on this ability by setting @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
20197 @code{t} or @code{(line)}. If you want score adaptively on separate
20198 words appearing in the subjects, you should set this variable to
20199 @code{(word)}. If you want to use both adaptive methods, set this
20200 variable to @code{(word line)}.
20202 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
20203 To give you complete control over the scoring process, you can customize
20204 the @code{gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist} variable. For instance, it
20205 might look something like this:
20208 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
20209 '((gnus-unread-mark)
20210 (gnus-ticked-mark (from 4))
20211 (gnus-dormant-mark (from 5))
20212 (gnus-del-mark (from -4) (subject -1))
20213 (gnus-read-mark (from 4) (subject 2))
20214 (gnus-expirable-mark (from -1) (subject -1))
20215 (gnus-killed-mark (from -1) (subject -3))
20216 (gnus-kill-file-mark)
20217 (gnus-ancient-mark)
20218 (gnus-low-score-mark)
20219 (gnus-catchup-mark (from -1) (subject -1))))
20222 As you see, each element in this alist has a mark as a key (either a
20223 variable name or a ``real'' mark---a character). Following this key is
20224 a arbitrary number of header/score pairs. If there are no header/score
20225 pairs following the key, no adaptive scoring will be done on articles
20226 that have that key as the article mark. For instance, articles with
20227 @code{gnus-unread-mark} in the example above will not get adaptive score
20230 Each article can have only one mark, so just a single of these rules
20231 will be applied to each article.
20233 To take @code{gnus-del-mark} as an example---this alist says that all
20234 articles that have that mark (i.e., are marked with @samp{e}) will have a
20235 score entry added to lower based on the @code{From} header by -4, and
20236 lowered by @code{Subject} by -1. Change this to fit your prejudices.
20238 If you have marked 10 articles with the same subject with
20239 @code{gnus-del-mark}, the rule for that mark will be applied ten times.
20240 That means that that subject will get a score of ten times -1, which
20241 should be, unless I'm much mistaken, -10.
20243 If you have auto-expirable (mail) groups (@pxref{Expiring Mail}), all
20244 the read articles will be marked with the @samp{E} mark. This'll
20245 probably make adaptive scoring slightly impossible, so auto-expiring and
20246 adaptive scoring doesn't really mix very well.
20248 The headers you can score on are @code{from}, @code{subject},
20249 @code{message-id}, @code{references}, @code{xref}, @code{lines},
20250 @code{chars} and @code{date}. In addition, you can score on
20251 @code{followup}, which will create an adaptive score entry that matches
20252 on the @code{References} header using the @code{Message-ID} of the
20253 current article, thereby matching the following thread.
20255 If you use this scheme, you should set the score file atom @code{mark}
20256 to something small---like -300, perhaps, to avoid having small random
20257 changes result in articles getting marked as read.
20259 After using adaptive scoring for a week or so, Gnus should start to
20260 become properly trained and enhance the authors you like best, and kill
20261 the authors you like least, without you having to say so explicitly.
20263 You can control what groups the adaptive scoring is to be performed on
20264 by using the score files (@pxref{Score File Format}). This will also
20265 let you use different rules in different groups.
20267 @vindex gnus-adaptive-file-suffix
20268 The adaptive score entries will be put into a file where the name is the
20269 group name with @code{gnus-adaptive-file-suffix} appended. The default
20272 @vindex gnus-adaptive-pretty-print
20273 Adaptive score files can get huge and are not meant to be edited by
20274 human hands. If @code{gnus-adaptive-pretty-print} is @code{nil} (the
20275 default) those files will not be written in a human readable way.
20277 @vindex gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit
20278 When doing adaptive scoring, substring or fuzzy matching would probably
20279 give you the best results in most cases. However, if the header one
20280 matches is short, the possibility for false positives is great, so if
20281 the length of the match is less than
20282 @code{gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit}, exact matching will be used. If
20283 this variable is @code{nil}, exact matching will always be used to avoid
20286 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
20287 As mentioned above, you can adapt either on individual words or entire
20288 headers. If you adapt on words, the
20289 @code{gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist} variable says what score
20290 each instance of a word should add given a mark.
20293 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
20294 `((,gnus-read-mark . 30)
20295 (,gnus-catchup-mark . -10)
20296 (,gnus-killed-mark . -20)
20297 (,gnus-del-mark . -15)))
20300 This is the default value. If you have adaption on words enabled, every
20301 word that appears in subjects of articles marked with
20302 @code{gnus-read-mark} will result in a score rule that increase the
20303 score with 30 points.
20305 @vindex gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words
20306 @vindex gnus-ignored-adaptive-words
20307 Words that appear in the @code{gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words} list
20308 will be ignored. If you wish to add more words to be ignored, use the
20309 @code{gnus-ignored-adaptive-words} list instead.
20311 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit
20312 Some may feel that short words shouldn't count when doing adaptive
20313 scoring. If so, you may set @code{gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit} to
20314 an integer. Words shorter than this number will be ignored. This
20315 variable defaults to @code{nil}.
20317 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table
20318 When the scoring is done, @code{gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table} is the
20319 syntax table in effect. It is similar to the standard syntax table, but
20320 it considers numbers to be non-word-constituent characters.
20322 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-minimum
20323 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} is set to a number, the adaptive
20324 word scoring process will never bring down the score of an article to
20325 below this number. The default is @code{nil}.
20327 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words
20328 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words} is set to @code{t}, gnus
20329 won't adaptively word score any of the words in the group name. Useful
20330 for groups like @samp{comp.editors.emacs}, where most of the subject
20331 lines contain the word @samp{emacs}.
20333 After using this scheme for a while, it might be nice to write a
20334 @code{gnus-psychoanalyze-user} command to go through the rules and see
20335 what words you like and what words you don't like. Or perhaps not.
20337 Note that the adaptive word scoring thing is highly experimental and is
20338 likely to change in the future. Initial impressions seem to indicate
20339 that it's totally useless as it stands. Some more work (involving more
20340 rigorous statistical methods) will have to be done to make this useful.
20343 @node Home Score File
20344 @section Home Score File
20346 The score file where new score file entries will go is called the
20347 @dfn{home score file}. This is normally (and by default) the score file
20348 for the group itself. For instance, the home score file for
20349 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} is @file{gnu.emacs.gnus.SCORE}.
20351 However, this may not be what you want. It is often convenient to share
20352 a common home score file among many groups---all @samp{emacs} groups
20353 could perhaps use the same home score file.
20355 @vindex gnus-home-score-file
20356 The variable that controls this is @code{gnus-home-score-file}. It can
20361 A string. Then this file will be used as the home score file for all
20365 A function. The result of this function will be used as the home score
20366 file. The function will be called with the name of the group as the
20370 A list. The elements in this list can be:
20374 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{file-name})}. If the @var{regexp} matches the
20375 group name, the @var{file-name} will be used as the home score file.
20378 A function. If the function returns non-@code{nil}, the result will
20379 be used as the home score file. The function will be called with the
20380 name of the group as the parameter.
20383 A string. Use the string as the home score file.
20386 The list will be traversed from the beginning towards the end looking
20391 So, if you want to use just a single score file, you could say:
20394 (setq gnus-home-score-file
20395 "my-total-score-file.SCORE")
20398 If you want to use @file{gnu.SCORE} for all @samp{gnu} groups and
20399 @file{rec.SCORE} for all @samp{rec} groups (and so on), you can say:
20401 @findex gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file
20403 (setq gnus-home-score-file
20404 'gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file)
20407 This is a ready-made function provided for your convenience.
20408 Other functions include
20411 @item gnus-current-home-score-file
20412 @findex gnus-current-home-score-file
20413 Return the ``current'' regular score file. This will make scoring
20414 commands add entry to the ``innermost'' matching score file.
20418 If you want to have one score file for the @samp{emacs} groups and
20419 another for the @samp{comp} groups, while letting all other groups use
20420 their own home score files:
20423 (setq gnus-home-score-file
20424 ;; @r{All groups that match the regexp @code{"\\.emacs"}}
20425 '(("\\.emacs" "emacs.SCORE")
20426 ;; @r{All the comp groups in one score file}
20427 ("^comp" "comp.SCORE")))
20430 @vindex gnus-home-adapt-file
20431 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file} works exactly the same way as
20432 @code{gnus-home-score-file}, but says what the home adaptive score file
20433 is instead. All new adaptive file entries will go into the file
20434 specified by this variable, and the same syntax is allowed.
20436 In addition to using @code{gnus-home-score-file} and
20437 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file}, you can also use group parameters
20438 (@pxref{Group Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
20439 Parameters}) to achieve much the same. Group and topic parameters take
20440 precedence over this variable.
20443 @node Followups To Yourself
20444 @section Followups To Yourself
20446 Gnus offers two commands for picking out the @code{Message-ID} header in
20447 the current buffer. Gnus will then add a score rule that scores using
20448 this @code{Message-ID} on the @code{References} header of other
20449 articles. This will, in effect, increase the score of all articles that
20450 respond to the article in the current buffer. Quite useful if you want
20451 to easily note when people answer what you've said.
20455 @item gnus-score-followup-article
20456 @findex gnus-score-followup-article
20457 This will add a score to articles that directly follow up your own
20460 @item gnus-score-followup-thread
20461 @findex gnus-score-followup-thread
20462 This will add a score to all articles that appear in a thread ``below''
20466 @vindex message-sent-hook
20467 These two functions are both primarily meant to be used in hooks like
20468 @code{message-sent-hook}, like this:
20470 (add-hook 'message-sent-hook 'gnus-score-followup-thread)
20474 If you look closely at your own @code{Message-ID}, you'll notice that
20475 the first two or three characters are always the same. Here's two of
20479 <x6u3u47icf.fsf@@eyesore.no>
20480 <x6sp9o7ibw.fsf@@eyesore.no>
20483 So ``my'' ident on this machine is @samp{x6}. This can be
20484 exploited---the following rule will raise the score on all followups to
20489 ("<x6[0-9a-z]+\\.fsf\\(_-_\\)?@@.*eyesore\\.no>"
20493 Whether it's the first two or first three characters that are ``yours''
20494 is system-dependent.
20497 @node Scoring On Other Headers
20498 @section Scoring On Other Headers
20499 @cindex scoring on other headers
20501 Gnus is quite fast when scoring the ``traditional''
20502 headers---@samp{From}, @samp{Subject} and so on. However, scoring
20503 other headers requires writing a @code{head} scoring rule, which means
20504 that Gnus has to request every single article from the back end to find
20505 matches. This takes a long time in big groups.
20507 @vindex gnus-inhibit-slow-scoring
20508 You can inhibit this slow scoring on headers or body by setting the
20509 variable @code{gnus-inhibit-slow-scoring}. If
20510 @code{gnus-inhibit-slow-scoring} is regexp, slow scoring is inhibited if
20511 the group matches the regexp. If it is @code{t}, slow scoring on it is
20512 inhibited for all groups.
20514 Now, there's not much you can do about the slowness for news groups, but for
20515 mail groups, you have greater control. In @ref{To From Newsgroups},
20516 it's explained in greater detail what this mechanism does, but here's
20517 a cookbook example for @code{nnml} on how to allow scoring on the
20518 @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} headers.
20520 Put the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
20523 (setq gnus-extra-headers '(To Cc Newsgroups Keywords)
20524 nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
20527 Restart Gnus and rebuild your @code{nnml} overview files with the
20528 @kbd{M-x nnml-generate-nov-databases} command. This will take a long
20529 time if you have much mail.
20531 Now you can score on @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} as ``extra headers'' like
20532 so: @kbd{I e s p To RET <your name> RET}.
20538 @section Scoring Tips
20539 @cindex scoring tips
20545 @cindex scoring crossposts
20546 If you want to lower the score of crossposts, the line to match on is
20547 the @code{Xref} header.
20549 ("xref" (" talk.politics.misc:" -1000))
20552 @item Multiple crossposts
20553 If you want to lower the score of articles that have been crossposted to
20554 more than, say, 3 groups:
20557 ("[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+"
20561 @item Matching on the body
20562 This is generally not a very good idea---it takes a very long time.
20563 Gnus actually has to fetch each individual article from the server. But
20564 you might want to anyway, I guess. Even though there are three match
20565 keys (@code{Head}, @code{Body} and @code{All}), you should choose one
20566 and stick with it in each score file. If you use any two, each article
20567 will be fetched @emph{twice}. If you want to match a bit on the
20568 @code{Head} and a bit on the @code{Body}, just use @code{All} for all
20571 @item Marking as read
20572 You will probably want to mark articles that have scores below a certain
20573 number as read. This is most easily achieved by putting the following
20574 in your @file{all.SCORE} file:
20578 You may also consider doing something similar with @code{expunge}.
20580 @item Negated character classes
20581 If you say stuff like @code{[^abcd]*}, you may get unexpected results.
20582 That will match newlines, which might lead to, well, The Unknown. Say
20583 @code{[^abcd\n]*} instead.
20587 @node Reverse Scoring
20588 @section Reverse Scoring
20589 @cindex reverse scoring
20591 If you want to keep just articles that have @samp{Sex with Emacs} in the
20592 subject header, and expunge all other articles, you could put something
20593 like this in your score file:
20597 ("Sex with Emacs" 2))
20602 So, you raise all articles that match @samp{Sex with Emacs} and mark the
20603 rest as read, and expunge them to boot.
20606 @node Global Score Files
20607 @section Global Score Files
20608 @cindex global score files
20610 Sure, other newsreaders have ``global kill files''. These are usually
20611 nothing more than a single kill file that applies to all groups, stored
20612 in the user's home directory. Bah! Puny, weak newsreaders!
20614 What I'm talking about here are Global Score Files. Score files from
20615 all over the world, from users everywhere, uniting all nations in one
20616 big, happy score file union! Ange-score! New and untested!
20618 @vindex gnus-global-score-files
20619 All you have to do to use other people's score files is to set the
20620 @code{gnus-global-score-files} variable. One entry for each score file,
20621 or each score file directory. Gnus will decide by itself what score
20622 files are applicable to which group.
20624 To use the score file
20625 @file{/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE} and
20626 all score files in the @file{/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score} directory,
20630 (setq gnus-global-score-files
20631 '("/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE"
20632 "/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score/"))
20635 @findex gnus-score-search-global-directories
20637 Simple, eh? Directory names must end with a @samp{/}. These
20638 directories are typically scanned only once during each Gnus session.
20639 If you feel the need to manually re-scan the remote directories, you can
20640 use the @code{gnus-score-search-global-directories} command.
20642 Note that, at present, using this option will slow down group entry
20643 somewhat. (That is---a lot.)
20645 If you want to start maintaining score files for other people to use,
20646 just put your score file up for anonymous ftp and announce it to the
20647 world. Become a retro-moderator! Participate in the retro-moderator
20648 wars sure to ensue, where retro-moderators battle it out for the
20649 sympathy of the people, luring them to use their score files on false
20650 premises! Yay! The net is saved!
20652 Here are some tips for the would-be retro-moderator, off the top of my
20658 Articles heavily crossposted are probably junk.
20660 To lower a single inappropriate article, lower by @code{Message-ID}.
20662 Particularly brilliant authors can be raised on a permanent basis.
20664 Authors that repeatedly post off-charter for the group can safely be
20665 lowered out of existence.
20667 Set the @code{mark} and @code{expunge} atoms to obliterate the nastiest
20668 articles completely.
20671 Use expiring score entries to keep the size of the file down. You
20672 should probably have a long expiry period, though, as some sites keep
20673 old articles for a long time.
20676 @dots{} I wonder whether other newsreaders will support global score files
20677 in the future. @emph{Snicker}. Yup, any day now, newsreaders like Blue
20678 Wave, xrn and 1stReader are bound to implement scoring. Should we start
20679 holding our breath yet?
20683 @section Kill Files
20686 Gnus still supports those pesky old kill files. In fact, the kill file
20687 entries can now be expiring, which is something I wrote before Daniel
20688 Quinlan thought of doing score files, so I've left the code in there.
20690 In short, kill processing is a lot slower (and I do mean @emph{a lot})
20691 than score processing, so it might be a good idea to rewrite your kill
20692 files into score files.
20694 Anyway, a kill file is a normal @code{emacs-lisp} file. You can put any
20695 forms into this file, which means that you can use kill files as some
20696 sort of primitive hook function to be run on group entry, even though
20697 that isn't a very good idea.
20699 Normal kill files look like this:
20702 (gnus-kill "From" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
20703 (gnus-kill "Subject" "ding")
20707 This will mark every article written by me as read, and remove the
20708 marked articles from the summary buffer. Very useful, you'll agree.
20710 Other programs use a totally different kill file syntax. If Gnus
20711 encounters what looks like a @code{rn} kill file, it will take a stab at
20714 Two summary functions for editing a @sc{gnus} kill file:
20719 @kindex M-k (Summary)
20720 @findex gnus-summary-edit-local-kill
20721 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-local-kill}).
20724 @kindex M-K (Summary)
20725 @findex gnus-summary-edit-global-kill
20726 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-global-kill}).
20729 Two group mode functions for editing the kill files:
20734 @kindex M-k (Group)
20735 @findex gnus-group-edit-local-kill
20736 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-local-kill}).
20739 @kindex M-K (Group)
20740 @findex gnus-group-edit-global-kill
20741 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-global-kill}).
20744 Kill file variables:
20747 @item gnus-kill-file-name
20748 @vindex gnus-kill-file-name
20749 A kill file for the group @samp{soc.motss} is normally called
20750 @file{soc.motss.KILL}. The suffix appended to the group name to get
20751 this file name is detailed by the @code{gnus-kill-file-name} variable.
20752 The ``global'' kill file (not in the score file sense of ``global'', of
20753 course) is just called @file{KILL}.
20755 @vindex gnus-kill-save-kill-file
20756 @item gnus-kill-save-kill-file
20757 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will save the
20758 kill file after processing, which is necessary if you use expiring
20761 @item gnus-apply-kill-hook
20762 @vindex gnus-apply-kill-hook
20763 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored
20764 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file
20765 A hook called to apply kill files to a group. It is
20766 @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file)} by default. If you want to ignore the
20767 kill file if you have a score file for the same group, you can set this
20768 hook to @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored)}. If you don't want
20769 kill files to be processed, you should set this variable to @code{nil}.
20771 @item gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
20772 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
20773 A hook called in kill-file mode buffers.
20778 @node Converting Kill Files
20779 @section Converting Kill Files
20781 @cindex converting kill files
20783 If you have loads of old kill files, you may want to convert them into
20784 score files. If they are ``regular'', you can use
20785 the @file{gnus-kill-to-score.el} package; if not, you'll have to do it
20788 The kill to score conversion package isn't included in Emacs by default.
20789 You can fetch it from the contrib directory of the Gnus distribution or
20791 @uref{http://heim.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/ding-various/gnus-kill-to-score.el}.
20793 If your old kill files are very complex---if they contain more
20794 non-@code{gnus-kill} forms than not, you'll have to convert them by
20795 hand. Or just let them be as they are. Gnus will still use them as
20799 @node Advanced Scoring
20800 @section Advanced Scoring
20802 Scoring on Subjects and From headers is nice enough, but what if you're
20803 really interested in what a person has to say only when she's talking
20804 about a particular subject? Or what if you really don't want to
20805 read what person A has to say when she's following up to person B, but
20806 want to read what she says when she's following up to person C?
20808 By using advanced scoring rules you may create arbitrarily complex
20812 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
20813 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
20814 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
20818 @node Advanced Scoring Syntax
20819 @subsection Advanced Scoring Syntax
20821 Ordinary scoring rules have a string as the first element in the rule.
20822 Advanced scoring rules have a list as the first element. The second
20823 element is the score to be applied if the first element evaluated to a
20824 non-@code{nil} value.
20826 These lists may consist of three logical operators, one redirection
20827 operator, and various match operators.
20834 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
20835 one that evaluates to @code{false}, and then it'll stop. If all arguments
20836 evaluate to @code{true} values, then this operator will return
20841 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
20842 one that evaluates to @code{true}. If no arguments are @code{true},
20843 then this operator will return @code{false}.
20848 This logical operator only takes a single argument. It returns the
20849 logical negation of the value of its argument.
20853 There is an @dfn{indirection operator} that will make its arguments
20854 apply to the ancestors of the current article being scored. For
20855 instance, @code{1-} will make score rules apply to the parent of the
20856 current article. @code{2-} will make score rules apply to the
20857 grandparent of the current article. Alternatively, you can write
20858 @code{^^}, where the number of @code{^}s (carets) says how far back into
20859 the ancestry you want to go.
20861 Finally, we have the match operators. These are the ones that do the
20862 real work. Match operators are header name strings followed by a match
20863 and a match type. A typical match operator looks like @samp{("from"
20864 "Lars Ingebrigtsen" s)}. The header names are the same as when using
20865 simple scoring, and the match types are also the same.
20868 @node Advanced Scoring Examples
20869 @subsection Advanced Scoring Examples
20871 Please note that the following examples are score file rules. To
20872 make a complete score file from them, surround them with another pair
20875 Let's say you want to increase the score of articles written by Lars
20876 when he's talking about Gnus:
20881 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
20882 ("subject" "Gnus"))
20889 When he writes long articles, he sometimes has something nice to say:
20893 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
20900 However, when he responds to things written by Reig Eigil Logge, you
20901 really don't want to read what he's written:
20905 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
20906 (1- ("from" "Reig Eigil Logge")))
20910 Everybody that follows up Redmondo when he writes about disappearing
20911 socks should have their scores raised, but only when they talk about
20912 white socks. However, when Lars talks about socks, it's usually not
20919 ("from" "redmondo@@.*no" r)
20920 ("body" "disappearing.*socks" t)))
20921 (! ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen"))
20922 ("body" "white.*socks"))
20926 Suppose you're reading a high volume group and you're only interested
20927 in replies. The plan is to score down all articles that don't have
20928 subject that begin with "Re:", "Fw:" or "Fwd:" and then score up all
20929 parents of articles that have subjects that begin with reply marks.
20932 ((! ("subject" "re:\\|fwd?:" r))
20934 ((1- ("subject" "re:\\|fwd?:" r))
20938 The possibilities are endless.
20940 @node Advanced Scoring Tips
20941 @subsection Advanced Scoring Tips
20943 The @code{&} and @code{|} logical operators do short-circuit logic.
20944 That is, they stop processing their arguments when it's clear what the
20945 result of the operation will be. For instance, if one of the arguments
20946 of an @code{&} evaluates to @code{false}, there's no point in evaluating
20947 the rest of the arguments. This means that you should put slow matches
20948 (@samp{body}, @samp{header}) last and quick matches (@samp{from},
20949 @samp{subject}) first.
20951 The indirection arguments (@code{1-} and so on) will make their
20952 arguments work on previous generations of the thread. If you say
20963 Then that means ``score on the from header of the grandparent of the
20964 current article''. An indirection is quite fast, but it's better to say:
20970 ("subject" "Gnus")))
20977 (1- ("from" "Lars"))
20978 (1- ("subject" "Gnus")))
20983 @section Score Decays
20984 @cindex score decays
20987 You may find that your scores have a tendency to grow without
20988 bounds, especially if you're using adaptive scoring. If scores get too
20989 big, they lose all meaning---they simply max out and it's difficult to
20990 use them in any sensible way.
20992 @vindex gnus-decay-scores
20993 @findex gnus-decay-score
20994 @vindex gnus-decay-score-function
20995 Gnus provides a mechanism for decaying scores to help with this problem.
20996 When score files are loaded and @code{gnus-decay-scores} is
20997 non-@code{nil}, Gnus will run the score files through the decaying
20998 mechanism thereby lowering the scores of all non-permanent score rules.
20999 If @code{gnus-decay-scores} is a regexp, only score files matching this
21000 regexp are treated. E.g., you may set it to @samp{\\.ADAPT\\'} if only
21001 @emph{adaptive} score files should be decayed. The decay itself if
21002 performed by the @code{gnus-decay-score-function} function, which is
21003 @code{gnus-decay-score} by default. Here's the definition of that
21007 (defun gnus-decay-score (score)
21008 "Decay SCORE according to `gnus-score-decay-constant'
21009 and `gnus-score-decay-scale'."
21011 (* (if (< score 0) -1 1)
21013 (max gnus-score-decay-constant
21015 gnus-score-decay-scale)))))))
21016 (if (and (featurep 'xemacs)
21017 ;; XEmacs's floor can handle only the floating point
21018 ;; number below the half of the maximum integer.
21019 (> (abs n) (lsh -1 -2)))
21021 (car (split-string (number-to-string n) "\\.")))
21025 @vindex gnus-score-decay-scale
21026 @vindex gnus-score-decay-constant
21027 @code{gnus-score-decay-constant} is 3 by default and
21028 @code{gnus-score-decay-scale} is 0.05. This should cause the following:
21032 Scores between -3 and 3 will be set to 0 when this function is called.
21035 Scores with magnitudes between 3 and 60 will be shrunk by 3.
21038 Scores with magnitudes greater than 60 will be shrunk by 5% of the
21042 If you don't like this decay function, write your own. It is called
21043 with the score to be decayed as its only parameter, and it should return
21044 the new score, which should be an integer.
21046 Gnus will try to decay scores once a day. If you haven't run Gnus for
21047 four days, Gnus will decay the scores four times, for instance.
21053 FIXME: Add a brief overview of Gnus search capabilities. A brief
21054 comparison of nnir, nnmairix, contrib/gnus-namazu would be nice
21057 This chapter describes tools for searching groups and servers for
21058 articles matching a query and then retrieving those articles. Gnus
21059 provides a simpler mechanism for searching through articles in a summary buffer
21060 to find those matching a pattern. @xref{Searching for Articles}.
21063 * nnir:: Searching with various engines.
21064 * nnmairix:: Searching with Mairix.
21071 This section describes how to use @code{nnir} to search for articles
21075 * What is nnir?:: What does @code{nnir} do?
21076 * Basic Usage:: How to perform simple searches.
21077 * Setting up nnir:: How to set up @code{nnir}.
21080 @node What is nnir?
21081 @subsection What is nnir?
21083 @code{nnir} is a Gnus interface to a number of tools for searching
21084 through mail and news repositories. Different backends (like
21085 @code{nnimap} and @code{nntp}) work with different tools (called
21086 @dfn{engines} in @code{nnir} lingo), but all use the same basic search
21089 The @code{nnimap} and @code{gmane} search engines should work with no
21090 configuration. Other engines require a local index that needs to be
21091 created and maintained outside of Gnus.
21095 @subsection Basic Usage
21097 In the group buffer typing @kbd{G G} will search the group on the
21098 current line by calling @code{gnus-group-make-nnir-group}. This prompts
21099 for a query string, creates an ephemeral @code{nnir} group containing
21100 the articles that match this query, and takes you to a summary buffer
21101 showing these articles. Articles may then be read, moved and deleted
21102 using the usual commands.
21104 The @code{nnir} group made in this way is an @code{ephemeral} group,
21105 and some changes are not permanent: aside from reading, moving, and
21106 deleting, you can't act on the original article. But there is an
21107 alternative: you can @emph{warp} (i.e., jump) to the original group
21108 for the article on the current line with @kbd{A W}, aka
21109 @code{gnus-warp-to-article}. Even better, the function
21110 @code{gnus-summary-refer-thread}, bound by default in summary buffers
21111 to @kbd{A T}, will first warp to the original group before it works
21112 its magic and includes all the articles in the thread. From here you
21113 can read, move and delete articles, but also copy them, alter article
21114 marks, whatever. Go nuts.
21116 You say you want to search more than just the group on the current line?
21117 No problem: just process-mark the groups you want to search. You want
21118 even more? Calling for an nnir search with the cursor on a topic heading
21119 will search all the groups under that heading.
21121 Still not enough? OK, in the server buffer
21122 @code{gnus-group-make-nnir-group} (now bound to @kbd{G}) will search all
21123 groups from the server on the current line. Too much? Want to ignore
21124 certain groups when searching, like spam groups? Just customize
21125 @code{nnir-ignored-newsgroups}.
21127 One more thing: individual search engines may have special search
21128 features. You can access these special features by giving a prefix-arg
21129 to @code{gnus-group-make-nnir-group}. If you are searching multiple
21130 groups with different search engines you will be prompted for the
21131 special search features for each engine separately.
21134 @node Setting up nnir
21135 @subsection Setting up nnir
21137 To set up nnir you may need to do some prep work. Firstly, you may need
21138 to configure the search engines you plan to use. Some of them, like
21139 @code{imap} and @code{gmane}, need no special configuration. Others,
21140 like @code{namazu} and @code{swish}, require configuration as described
21141 below. Secondly, you need to associate a search engine with a server or
21144 If you just want to use the @code{imap} engine to search @code{nnimap}
21145 servers, and the @code{gmane} engine to search @code{gmane} then you
21146 don't have to do anything. But you might want to read the details of the
21147 query language anyway.
21150 * Associating Engines:: How to associate engines.
21151 * The imap Engine:: Imap configuration and usage.
21152 * The gmane Engine:: Gmane configuration and usage.
21153 * The swish++ Engine:: Swish++ configuration and usage.
21154 * The swish-e Engine:: Swish-e configuration and usage.
21155 * The namazu Engine:: Namazu configuration and usage.
21156 * The notmuch Engine:: Notmuch configuration and usage.
21157 * The hyrex Engine:: Hyrex configuration and usage.
21158 * Customizations:: User customizable settings.
21161 @node Associating Engines
21162 @subsubsection Associating Engines
21165 When searching a group, @code{nnir} needs to know which search engine to
21166 use. You can configure a given server to use a particular engine by
21167 setting the server variable @code{nnir-search-engine} to the engine
21168 name. For example to use the @code{namazu} engine to search the server
21169 named @code{home} you can use
21172 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
21174 (nnimap-address "localhost")
21175 (nnir-search-engine namazu))))
21178 Alternatively you might want to use a particular engine for all servers
21179 with a given backend. For example, you might want to use the @code{imap}
21180 engine for all servers using the @code{nnimap} backend. In this case you
21181 can customize the variable @code{nnir-method-default-engines}. This is
21182 an alist of pairs of the form @code{(backend . engine)}. By default this
21183 variable is set to use the @code{imap} engine for all servers using the
21184 @code{nnimap} backend, and the @code{gmane} backend for @code{nntp}
21185 servers. (Don't worry, the @code{gmane} search engine won't actually try
21186 to search non-gmane @code{nntp} servers.) But if you wanted to use
21187 @code{namazu} for all your servers with an @code{nnimap} backend you
21188 could change this to
21191 '((nnimap . namazu)
21195 @node The imap Engine
21196 @subsubsection The imap Engine
21198 The @code{imap} engine requires no configuration.
21200 Queries using the @code{imap} engine follow a simple query language.
21201 The search is always case-insensitive and supports the following
21202 features (inspired by the Google search input language):
21206 @item Boolean query operators
21207 AND, OR, and NOT are supported, and parentheses can be used to control
21208 operator precedence, e.g., (emacs OR xemacs) AND linux. Note that
21209 operators must be written with all capital letters to be
21210 recognized. Also preceding a term with a @minus{} sign is equivalent
21213 @item Automatic AND queries
21214 If you specify multiple words then they will be treated as an AND
21215 expression intended to match all components.
21217 @item Phrase searches
21218 If you wrap your query in double-quotes then it will be treated as a
21223 By default the whole message will be searched. The query can be limited
21224 to a specific part of a message by using a prefix-arg. After inputting
21225 the query this will prompt (with completion) for a message part.
21226 Choices include ``Whole message'', ``Subject'', ``From'', and
21227 ``To''. Any unrecognized input is interpreted as a header name. For
21228 example, typing @kbd{Message-ID} in response to this prompt will limit
21229 the query to the Message-ID header.
21231 Finally selecting ``Imap'' will interpret the query as a raw
21232 @acronym{IMAP} search query. The format of such queries can be found in
21235 If you don't like the default of searching whole messages you can
21236 customize @code{nnir-imap-default-search-key}. For example to use
21237 @acronym{IMAP} queries by default
21240 (setq nnir-imap-default-search-key "Imap")
21243 @node The gmane Engine
21244 @subsubsection The gmane Engine
21246 The @code{gmane} engine requires no configuration.
21248 Gmane queries follow a simple query language:
21251 @item Boolean query operators
21252 AND, OR, NOT (or AND NOT), and XOR are supported, and brackets can be
21253 used to control operator precedence, e.g., (emacs OR xemacs) AND linux.
21254 Note that operators must be written with all capital letters to be
21257 @item Required and excluded terms
21258 + and @minus{} can be used to require or exclude terms, e.g., football
21261 @item Unicode handling
21262 The search engine converts all text to utf-8, so searching should work
21266 Common English words (like 'the' and 'a') are ignored by default. You
21267 can override this by prefixing such words with a + (e.g., +the) or
21268 enclosing the word in quotes (e.g., "the").
21272 The query can be limited to articles by a specific author using a
21273 prefix-arg. After inputting the query this will prompt for an author
21274 name (or part of a name) to match.
21276 @node The swish++ Engine
21277 @subsubsection The swish++ Engine
21279 FIXME: Say something more here.
21281 Documentation for swish++ may be found at the swish++ sourceforge page:
21282 @uref{http://swishplusplus.sourceforge.net}
21286 @item nnir-swish++-program
21287 The name of the swish++ executable. Defaults to @code{search}
21289 @item nnir-swish++-additional-switches
21290 A list of strings to be given as additional arguments to
21291 swish++. @code{nil} by default.
21293 @item nnir-swish++-remove-prefix
21294 The prefix to remove from each file name returned by swish++ in order
21295 to get a group name. By default this is @code{$HOME/Mail}.
21299 @node The swish-e Engine
21300 @subsubsection The swish-e Engine
21302 FIXME: Say something more here.
21304 Documentation for swish-e may be found at the swish-e homepage
21305 @uref{http://swish-e.org}
21309 @item nnir-swish-e-program
21310 The name of the swish-e search program. Defaults to @code{swish-e}.
21312 @item nnir-swish-e-additional-switches
21313 A list of strings to be given as additional arguments to
21314 swish-e. @code{nil} by default.
21316 @item nnir-swish-e-remove-prefix
21317 The prefix to remove from each file name returned by swish-e in order
21318 to get a group name. By default this is @code{$HOME/Mail}.
21322 @node The namazu Engine
21323 @subsubsection The namazu Engine
21325 Using the namazu engine requires creating and maintaining index files.
21326 One directory should contain all the index files, and nnir must be told
21327 where to find them by setting the @code{nnir-namazu-index-directory}
21330 To work correctly the @code{nnir-namazu-remove-prefix} variable must
21331 also be correct. This is the prefix to remove from each file name
21332 returned by Namazu in order to get a proper group name (albeit with `/'
21335 For example, suppose that Namazu returns file names such as
21336 @samp{/home/john/Mail/mail/misc/42}. For this example, use the
21337 following setting: @code{(setq nnir-namazu-remove-prefix
21338 "/home/john/Mail/")} Note the trailing slash. Removing this prefix from
21339 the directory gives @samp{mail/misc/42}. @code{nnir} knows to remove
21340 the @samp{/42} and to replace @samp{/} with @samp{.} to arrive at the
21341 correct group name @samp{mail.misc}.
21343 Extra switches may be passed to the namazu search command by setting the
21344 variable @code{nnir-namazu-additional-switches}. It is particularly
21345 important not to pass any any switches to namazu that will change the
21346 output format. Good switches to use include `--sort', `--ascending',
21347 `--early' and `--late'. Refer to the Namazu documentation for further
21348 information on valid switches.
21350 Mail must first be indexed with the `mknmz' program. Read the documentation
21351 for namazu to create a configuration file. Here is an example:
21355 package conf; # Don't remove this line!
21357 # Paths which will not be indexed. Don't use `^' or `$' anchors.
21358 $EXCLUDE_PATH = "spam|sent";
21360 # Header fields which should be searchable. case-insensitive
21361 $REMAIN_HEADER = "from|date|message-id|subject";
21363 # Searchable fields. case-insensitive
21364 $SEARCH_FIELD = "from|date|message-id|subject";
21366 # The max length of a word.
21367 $WORD_LENG_MAX = 128;
21369 # The max length of a field.
21370 $MAX_FIELD_LENGTH = 256;
21374 For this example, mail is stored in the directories @samp{~/Mail/mail/},
21375 @samp{~/Mail/lists/} and @samp{~/Mail/archive/}, so to index them go to
21376 the index directory set in @code{nnir-namazu-index-directory} and issue
21377 the following command:
21380 mknmz --mailnews ~/Mail/archive/ ~/Mail/mail/ ~/Mail/lists/
21383 For maximum searching efficiency you might want to have a cron job run
21384 this command periodically, say every four hours.
21387 @node The notmuch Engine
21388 @subsubsection The notmuch Engine
21391 @item nnir-notmuch-program
21392 The name of the notmuch search executable. Defaults to
21395 @item nnir-notmuch-additional-switches
21396 A list of strings, to be given as additional arguments to notmuch.
21398 @item nnir-notmuch-remove-prefix
21399 The prefix to remove from each file name returned by notmuch in order
21400 to get a group name (albeit with @samp{/} instead of @samp{.}). This
21401 is a regular expression.
21406 @node The hyrex Engine
21407 @subsubsection The hyrex Engine
21408 This engine is obsolete.
21410 @node Customizations
21411 @subsubsection Customizations
21415 @item nnir-method-default-engines
21416 Alist of pairs of server backends and search engines. The default
21423 @item nnir-ignored-newsgroups
21424 A regexp to match newsgroups in the active file that should be skipped
21425 when searching all groups on a server.
21427 @item nnir-summary-line-format
21428 The format specification to be used for lines in an nnir summary buffer.
21429 All the items from `gnus-summary-line-format' are available, along with
21430 three items unique to nnir summary buffers:
21433 %Z Search retrieval score value (integer)
21434 %G Article original full group name (string)
21435 %g Article original short group name (string)
21438 If @code{nil} (the default) this will use @code{gnus-summary-line-format}.
21440 @item nnir-retrieve-headers-override-function
21441 If non-@code{nil}, a function that retrieves article headers rather than using
21442 the gnus built-in function. This function takes an article list and
21443 group as arguments and populates the `nntp-server-buffer' with the
21444 retrieved headers. It should then return either 'nov or 'headers
21445 indicating the retrieved header format. Failure to retrieve headers
21446 should return @code{nil}.
21448 If this variable is @code{nil}, or if the provided function returns
21449 @code{nil} for a search result, @code{gnus-retrieve-headers} will be
21461 This paragraph describes how to set up mairix and the back end
21462 @code{nnmairix} for indexing and searching your mail from within
21463 Gnus. Additionally, you can create permanent ``smart'' groups which are
21464 bound to mairix searches and are automatically updated.
21467 * About mairix:: About the mairix mail search engine
21468 * nnmairix requirements:: What you will need for using nnmairix
21469 * What nnmairix does:: What does nnmairix actually do?
21470 * Setting up mairix:: Set up your mairix installation
21471 * Configuring nnmairix:: Set up the nnmairix back end
21472 * nnmairix keyboard shortcuts:: List of available keyboard shortcuts
21473 * Propagating marks:: How to propagate marks from nnmairix groups
21474 * nnmairix tips and tricks:: Some tips, tricks and examples
21475 * nnmairix caveats:: Some more stuff you might want to know
21478 @c FIXME: The markup in this section might need improvement.
21479 @c E.g., adding @samp, @var, @file, @command, etc.
21480 @c Cf. (info "(texinfo)Indicating")
21483 @subsection About mairix
21485 Mairix is a tool for indexing and searching words in locally stored
21486 mail. It was written by Richard Curnow and is licensed under the
21487 GPL@. Mairix comes with most popular GNU/Linux distributions, but it also
21488 runs under Windows (with cygwin), Mac OS X and Solaris. The homepage can
21490 @uref{http://www.rpcurnow.force9.co.uk/mairix/index.html}
21492 Though mairix might not be as flexible as other search tools like
21493 swish++ or namazu, which you can use via the @code{nnir} back end, it
21494 has the prime advantage of being incredibly fast. On current systems, it
21495 can easily search through headers and message bodies of thousands and
21496 thousands of mails in well under a second. Building the database
21497 necessary for searching might take a minute or two, but only has to be
21498 done once fully. Afterwards, the updates are done incrementally and
21499 therefore are really fast, too. Additionally, mairix is very easy to set
21502 For maximum speed though, mairix should be used with mails stored in
21503 @code{Maildir} or @code{MH} format (this includes the @code{nnml} back
21504 end), although it also works with mbox. Mairix presents the search
21505 results by populating a @emph{virtual} maildir/MH folder with symlinks
21506 which point to the ``real'' message files (if mbox is used, copies are
21507 made). Since mairix already presents search results in such a virtual
21508 mail folder, it is very well suited for using it as an external program
21509 for creating @emph{smart} mail folders, which represent certain mail
21512 @node nnmairix requirements
21513 @subsection nnmairix requirements
21515 Mairix searches local mail---that means, mairix absolutely must have
21516 direct access to your mail folders. If your mail resides on another
21517 server (e.g., an @acronym{IMAP} server) and you happen to have shell
21518 access, @code{nnmairix} supports running mairix remotely, e.g., via ssh.
21520 Additionally, @code{nnmairix} only supports the following Gnus back
21521 ends: @code{nnml}, @code{nnmaildir}, and @code{nnimap}. You must use
21522 one of these back ends for using @code{nnmairix}. Other back ends, like
21523 @code{nnmbox}, @code{nnfolder} or @code{nnmh}, won't work.
21525 If you absolutely must use mbox and still want to use @code{nnmairix},
21526 you can set up a local @acronym{IMAP} server, which you then access via
21527 @code{nnimap}. This is a rather massive setup for accessing some mbox
21528 files, so just change to MH or Maildir already... However, if you're
21529 really, really passionate about using mbox, you might want to look into
21530 the package @file{mairix.el}, which comes with Emacs 23.
21532 @node What nnmairix does
21533 @subsection What nnmairix does
21535 The back end @code{nnmairix} enables you to call mairix from within Gnus,
21536 either to query mairix with a search term or to update the
21537 database. While visiting a message in the summary buffer, you can use
21538 several pre-defined shortcuts for calling mairix, e.g., to quickly
21539 search for all mails from the sender of the current message or to
21540 display the whole thread associated with the message, even if the
21541 mails are in different folders.
21543 Additionally, you can create permanent @code{nnmairix} groups which are bound
21544 to certain mairix searches. This way, you can easily create a group
21545 containing mails from a certain sender, with a certain subject line or
21546 even for one specific thread based on the Message-ID@. If you check for
21547 new mail in these folders (e.g., by pressing @kbd{g} or @kbd{M-g}), they
21548 automatically update themselves by calling mairix.
21550 You might ask why you need @code{nnmairix} at all, since mairix already
21551 creates the group, populates it with links to the mails so that you can
21552 then access it with Gnus, right? Well, this @emph{might} work, but often
21553 does not---at least not without problems. Most probably you will get
21554 strange article counts, and sometimes you might see mails which Gnus
21555 claims have already been canceled and are inaccessible. This is due to
21556 the fact that Gnus isn't really amused when things are happening behind
21557 its back. Another problem can be the mail back end itself, e.g., if you
21558 use mairix with an @acronym{IMAP} server (I had Dovecot complaining
21559 about corrupt index files when mairix changed the contents of the search
21560 group). Using @code{nnmairix} should circumvent these problems.
21562 @code{nnmairix} is not really a mail back end---it's actually more like
21563 a wrapper, sitting between a ``real'' mail back end where mairix stores
21564 the searches and the Gnus front end. You can choose between three
21565 different mail back ends for the mairix folders: @code{nnml},
21566 @code{nnmaildir} or @code{nnimap}. @code{nnmairix} will call the mairix
21567 binary so that the search results are stored in folders named
21568 @code{zz_mairix-<NAME>-<NUMBER>} on this mail back end, but it will
21569 present these folders in the Gnus front end only with @code{<NAME>}.
21570 You can use an existing mail back end where you already store your mail,
21571 but if you're uncomfortable with @code{nnmairix} creating new mail
21572 groups alongside your other mail, you can also create, e.g., a new
21573 @code{nnmaildir} or @code{nnml} server exclusively for mairix, but then
21574 make sure those servers do not accidentally receive your new mail
21575 (@pxref{nnmairix caveats}). A special case exists if you want to use
21576 mairix remotely on an IMAP server with @code{nnimap}---here the mairix
21577 folders and your other mail must be on the same @code{nnimap} back end.
21579 @node Setting up mairix
21580 @subsection Setting up mairix
21582 First: create a backup of your mail folders (@pxref{nnmairix caveats}).
21584 Setting up mairix is easy: simply create a @file{.mairixrc} file with
21585 (at least) the following entries:
21588 # Your Maildir/MH base folder
21592 This is the base folder for your mails. All the following directories
21593 are relative to this base folder. If you want to use @code{nnmairix}
21594 with @code{nnimap}, this base directory has to point to the mail
21595 directory where the @acronym{IMAP} server stores the mail folders!
21598 maildir= ... your maildir folders which should be indexed ...
21599 mh= ... your nnml/mh folders which should be indexed ...
21600 mbox = ... your mbox files which should be indexed ...
21603 This specifies all your mail folders and mbox files (relative to the
21604 base directory!) you want to index with mairix. Note that the
21605 @code{nnml} back end saves mails in MH format, so you have to put those
21606 directories in the @code{mh} line. See the example at the end of this
21607 section and mairixrc's man-page for further details.
21613 @vindex nnmairix-group-prefix
21614 This should make sure that you don't accidentally index the mairix
21615 search results. You can change the prefix of these folders with the
21616 variable @code{nnmairix-group-prefix}.
21619 mformat= ... 'maildir' or 'mh' ...
21620 database= ... location of database file ...
21623 The @code{format} setting specifies the output format for the mairix
21624 search folder. Set this to @code{mh} if you want to access search results
21625 with @code{nnml}. Otherwise choose @code{maildir}.
21627 To summarize, here is my shortened @file{.mairixrc} file as an example:
21631 maildir=.personal:.work:.logcheck:.sent
21632 mh=../Mail/nnml/*...
21633 mbox=../mboxmail/mailarchive_year*
21636 database=~/.mairixdatabase
21639 In this case, the base directory is @file{~/Maildir}, where all my Maildir
21640 folders are stored. As you can see, the folders are separated by
21641 colons. If you wonder why every folder begins with a dot: this is
21642 because I use Dovecot as @acronym{IMAP} server, which again uses
21643 @code{Maildir++} folders. For testing nnmairix, I also have some
21644 @code{nnml} mail, which is saved in @file{~/Mail/nnml}. Since this has
21645 to be specified relative to the @code{base} directory, the @code{../Mail}
21646 notation is needed. Note that the line ends in @code{*...}, which means
21647 to recursively scan all files under this directory. Without the three
21648 dots, the wildcard @code{*} will not work recursively. I also have some
21649 old mbox files with archived mail lying around in @file{~/mboxmail}.
21650 The other lines should be obvious.
21652 See the man page for @code{mairixrc} for details and further options,
21653 especially regarding wildcard usage, which may be a little different
21654 than you are used to.
21656 Now simply call @code{mairix} to create the index for the first time.
21657 Note that this may take a few minutes, but every following index will do
21658 the updates incrementally and hence is very fast.
21660 @node Configuring nnmairix
21661 @subsection Configuring nnmairix
21663 In group mode, type @kbd{G b c}
21664 (@code{nnmairix-create-server-and-default-group}). This will ask you for all
21665 necessary information and create a @code{nnmairix} server as a foreign
21666 server. You will have to specify the following:
21671 The @strong{name} of the @code{nnmairix} server---choose whatever you
21675 The name of the @strong{back end server} where mairix should store its
21676 searches. This must be a full server name, like @code{nnml:mymail}.
21677 Just hit @kbd{TAB} to see the available servers. Currently, servers
21678 which are accessed through @code{nnmaildir}, @code{nnimap} and
21679 @code{nnml} are supported. As explained above, for locally stored
21680 mails, this can be an existing server where you store your mails.
21681 However, you can also create, e.g., a new @code{nnmaildir} or @code{nnml}
21682 server exclusively for @code{nnmairix} in your secondary select methods
21683 (@pxref{Finding the News}). If you use a secondary @code{nnml} server
21684 just for mairix, make sure that you explicitly set the server variable
21685 @code{nnml-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}, or you might lose mail
21686 (@pxref{nnmairix caveats}). If you want to use mairix remotely on an
21687 @acronym{IMAP} server, you have to choose the corresponding
21688 @code{nnimap} server here.
21691 @vindex nnmairix-mairix-search-options
21692 The @strong{command} to call the mairix binary. This will usually just
21693 be @code{mairix}, but you can also choose something like @code{ssh
21694 SERVER mairix} if you want to call mairix remotely, e.g., on your
21695 @acronym{IMAP} server. If you want to add some default options to
21696 mairix, you could do this here, but better use the variable
21697 @code{nnmairix-mairix-search-options} instead.
21700 The name of the @strong{default search group}. This will be the group
21701 where all temporary mairix searches are stored, i.e., all searches which
21702 are not bound to permanent @code{nnmairix} groups. Choose whatever you
21706 If the mail back end is @code{nnimap} or @code{nnmaildir}, you will be
21707 asked if you work with @strong{Maildir++}, i.e., with hidden maildir
21708 folders (=beginning with a dot). For example, you have to answer
21709 @samp{yes} here if you work with the Dovecot @acronym{IMAP}
21710 server. Otherwise, you should answer @samp{no} here.
21714 @node nnmairix keyboard shortcuts
21715 @subsection nnmairix keyboard shortcuts
21722 @kindex G b c (Group)
21723 @findex nnmairix-create-server-and-default-group
21724 Creates @code{nnmairix} server and default search group for this server
21725 (@code{nnmairix-create-server-and-default-group}). You should have done
21726 this by now (@pxref{Configuring nnmairix}).
21729 @kindex G b s (Group)
21730 @findex nnmairix-search
21731 Prompts for query which is then sent to the mairix binary. Search
21732 results are put into the default search group which is automatically
21733 displayed (@code{nnmairix-search}).
21736 @kindex G b m (Group)
21737 @findex nnmairix-widget-search
21738 Allows you to create a mairix search or a permanent group more
21739 comfortably using graphical widgets, similar to a customization
21740 group. Just try it to see how it works (@code{nnmairix-widget-search}).
21743 @kindex G b i (Group)
21744 @findex nnmairix-search-interactive
21745 Another command for creating a mairix query more comfortably, but uses
21746 only the minibuffer (@code{nnmairix-search-interactive}).
21749 @kindex G b g (Group)
21750 @findex nnmairix-create-search-group
21751 Creates a permanent group which is associated with a search query
21752 (@code{nnmairix-create-search-group}). The @code{nnmairix} back end
21753 automatically calls mairix when you update this group with @kbd{g} or
21757 @kindex G b q (Group)
21758 @findex nnmairix-group-change-query-this-group
21759 Changes the search query for the @code{nnmairix} group under cursor
21760 (@code{nnmairix-group-change-query-this-group}).
21763 @kindex G b t (Group)
21764 @findex nnmairix-group-toggle-threads-this-group
21765 Toggles the 'threads' parameter for the @code{nnmairix} group under cursor,
21766 i.e., if you want see the whole threads of the found messages
21767 (@code{nnmairix-group-toggle-threads-this-group}).
21770 @kindex G b u (Group)
21771 @findex nnmairix-update-database
21772 @vindex nnmairix-mairix-update-options
21773 Calls mairix binary for updating the database
21774 (@code{nnmairix-update-database}). The default parameters are @code{-F}
21775 and @code{-Q} for making this as fast as possible (see variable
21776 @code{nnmairix-mairix-update-options} for defining these default
21780 @kindex G b r (Group)
21781 @findex nnmairix-group-toggle-readmarks-this-group
21782 Keep articles in this @code{nnmairix} group always read or unread, or leave the
21783 marks unchanged (@code{nnmairix-group-toggle-readmarks-this-group}).
21786 @kindex G b d (Group)
21787 @findex nnmairix-group-delete-recreate-this-group
21788 Recreate @code{nnmairix} group on the ``real'' mail back end
21789 (@code{nnmairix-group-delete-recreate-this-group}). You can do this if
21790 you always get wrong article counts with a @code{nnmairix} group.
21793 @kindex G b a (Group)
21794 @findex nnmairix-group-toggle-allowfast-this-group
21795 Toggles the @code{allow-fast} parameters for group under cursor
21796 (@code{nnmairix-group-toggle-allowfast-this-group}). The default
21797 behavior of @code{nnmairix} is to do a mairix search every time you
21798 update or enter the group. With the @code{allow-fast} parameter set,
21799 mairix will only be called when you explicitly update the group, but not
21800 upon entering. This makes entering the group faster, but it may also
21801 lead to dangling symlinks if something changed between updating and
21802 entering the group which is not yet in the mairix database.
21805 @kindex G b p (Group)
21806 @findex nnmairix-group-toggle-propmarks-this-group
21807 Toggle marks propagation for this group
21808 (@code{nnmairix-group-toggle-propmarks-this-group}). (@pxref{Propagating
21812 @kindex G b o (Group)
21813 @findex nnmairix-propagate-marks
21814 Manually propagate marks (@code{nnmairix-propagate-marks}); needed only when
21815 @code{nnmairix-propagate-marks-upon-close} is set to @code{nil}.
21824 @kindex $ m (Summary)
21825 @findex nnmairix-widget-search-from-this-article
21826 Allows you to create a mairix query or group based on the current
21827 message using graphical widgets (same as @code{nnmairix-widget-search})
21828 (@code{nnmairix-widget-search-from-this-article}).
21831 @kindex $ g (Summary)
21832 @findex nnmairix-create-search-group-from-message
21833 Interactively creates a new search group with query based on the current
21834 message, but uses the minibuffer instead of graphical widgets
21835 (@code{nnmairix-create-search-group-from-message}).
21838 @kindex $ t (Summary)
21839 @findex nnmairix-search-thread-this-article
21840 Searches thread for the current article
21841 (@code{nnmairix-search-thread-this-article}). This is effectively a
21842 shortcut for calling @code{nnmairix-search} with @samp{m:msgid} of the
21843 current article and enabled threads.
21846 @kindex $ f (Summary)
21847 @findex nnmairix-search-from-this-article
21848 Searches all messages from sender of the current article
21849 (@code{nnmairix-search-from-this-article}). This is a shortcut for
21850 calling @code{nnmairix-search} with @samp{f:From}.
21853 @kindex $ o (Summary)
21854 @findex nnmairix-goto-original-article
21855 (Only in @code{nnmairix} groups!) Tries determine the group this article
21856 originally came from and displays the article in this group, so that,
21857 e.g., replying to this article the correct posting styles/group
21858 parameters are applied (@code{nnmairix-goto-original-article}). This
21859 function will use the registry if available, but can also parse the
21860 article file name as a fallback method.
21863 @kindex $ u (Summary)
21864 @findex nnmairix-remove-tick-mark-original-article
21865 Remove possibly existing tick mark from original article
21866 (@code{nnmairix-remove-tick-mark-original-article}). (@pxref{nnmairix
21871 @node Propagating marks
21872 @subsection Propagating marks
21874 First of: you really need a patched mairix binary for using the marks
21875 propagation feature efficiently. Otherwise, you would have to update
21876 the mairix database all the time. You can get the patch at
21878 @uref{http://www.randomsample.de/mairix-maildir-patch.tar}
21880 You need the mairix v0.21 source code for this patch; everything else
21881 is explained in the accompanied readme file. If you don't want to use
21882 marks propagation, you don't have to apply these patches, but they also
21883 fix some annoyances regarding changing maildir flags, so it might still
21886 With the patched mairix binary, you can use @code{nnmairix} as an
21887 alternative to mail splitting (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}). For
21888 example, instead of splitting all mails from @samp{david@@foobar.com}
21889 into a group, you can simply create a search group with the query
21890 @samp{f:david@@foobar.com}. This is actually what ``smart folders'' are
21891 all about: simply put everything in one mail folder and dynamically
21892 create searches instead of splitting. This is more flexible, since you
21893 can dynamically change your folders any time you want to. This also
21894 implies that you will usually read your mails in the @code{nnmairix}
21895 groups instead of your ``real'' mail groups.
21897 There is one problem, though: say you got a new mail from
21898 @samp{david@@foobar.com}; it will now show up in two groups, the
21899 ``real'' group (your INBOX, for example) and in the @code{nnmairix}
21900 search group (provided you have updated the mairix database). Now you
21901 enter the @code{nnmairix} group and read the mail. The mail will be
21902 marked as read, but only in the @code{nnmairix} group---in the ``real''
21903 mail group it will be still shown as unread.
21905 You could now catch up the mail group (@pxref{Group Data}), but this is
21906 tedious and error prone, since you may overlook mails you don't have
21907 created @code{nnmairix} groups for. Of course, you could first use
21908 @code{nnmairix-goto-original-article} (@pxref{nnmairix keyboard
21909 shortcuts}) and then read the mail in the original group, but that's
21910 even more cumbersome.
21912 Clearly, the easiest way would be if marks could somehow be
21913 automatically set for the original article. This is exactly what
21914 @emph{marks propagation} is about.
21916 Marks propagation is inactive by default. You can activate it for a
21917 certain @code{nnmairix} group with
21918 @code{nnmairix-group-toggle-propmarks-this-group} (bound to @kbd{G b
21919 p}). This function will warn you if you try to use it with your default
21920 search group; the reason is that the default search group is used for
21921 temporary searches, and it's easy to accidentally propagate marks from
21922 this group. However, you can ignore this warning if you really want to.
21924 With marks propagation enabled, all the marks you set in a @code{nnmairix}
21925 group should now be propagated to the original article. For example,
21926 you can now tick an article (by default with @kbd{!}) and this mark should
21927 magically be set for the original article, too.
21929 A few more remarks which you may or may not want to know:
21931 @vindex nnmairix-propagate-marks-upon-close
21932 Marks will not be set immediately, but only upon closing a group. This
21933 not only makes marks propagation faster, it also avoids problems with
21934 dangling symlinks when dealing with maildir files (since changing flags
21935 will change the file name). You can also control when to propagate marks
21936 via @code{nnmairix-propagate-marks-upon-close} (see the doc-string for
21939 Obviously, @code{nnmairix} will have to look up the original group for every
21940 article you want to set marks for. If available, @code{nnmairix} will first
21941 use the registry for determining the original group. The registry is very
21942 fast, hence you should really, really enable the registry when using
21943 marks propagation. If you don't have to worry about RAM and disc space,
21944 set @code{gnus-registry-max-entries} to a large enough value; to be on
21945 the safe side, choose roughly the amount of mails you index with mairix.
21947 @vindex nnmairix-only-use-registry
21948 If you don't want to use the registry or the registry hasn't seen the
21949 original article yet, @code{nnmairix} will use an additional mairix
21950 search for determining the file name of the article. This, of course, is
21951 way slower than the registry---if you set hundreds or even thousands of
21952 marks this way, it might take some time. You can avoid this situation by
21953 setting @code{nnmairix-only-use-registry} to @code{t}.
21955 Maybe you also want to propagate marks the other way round, i.e., if you
21956 tick an article in a "real" mail group, you'd like to have the same
21957 article in a @code{nnmairix} group ticked, too. For several good
21958 reasons, this can only be done efficiently if you use maildir. To
21959 immediately contradict myself, let me mention that it WON'T work with
21960 @code{nnmaildir}, since @code{nnmaildir} stores the marks externally and
21961 not in the file name. Therefore, propagating marks to @code{nnmairix}
21962 groups will usually only work if you use an IMAP server which uses
21963 maildir as its file format.
21965 @vindex nnmairix-propagate-marks-to-nnmairix-groups
21966 If you work with this setup, just set
21967 @code{nnmairix-propagate-marks-to-nnmairix-groups} to @code{t} and see what
21968 happens. If you don't like what you see, just set it to @code{nil} again.
21969 One problem might be that you get a wrong number of unread articles; this
21970 usually happens when you delete or expire articles in the original
21971 groups. When this happens, you can recreate the @code{nnmairix} group on
21972 the back end using @kbd{G b d}.
21974 @node nnmairix tips and tricks
21975 @subsection nnmairix tips and tricks
21981 @findex nnmairix-update-groups
21982 I put all my important mail groups at group level 1. The mairix groups
21983 have group level 5, so they do not get checked at start up (@pxref{Group
21986 I use the following to check for mails:
21989 (defun my-check-mail-mairix-update (level)
21991 ;; if no prefix given, set level=1
21992 (gnus-group-get-new-news (or level 1))
21993 (nnmairix-update-groups "mairixsearch" t t)
21994 (gnus-group-list-groups))
21996 (define-key gnus-group-mode-map "g" 'my-check-mail-mairix-update)
21999 Instead of @samp{"mairixsearch"} use the name of your @code{nnmairix}
22000 server. See the doc string for @code{nnmairix-update-groups} for
22004 Example: search group for ticked articles
22006 For example, you can create a group for all ticked articles, where the
22007 articles always stay unread:
22009 Hit @kbd{G b g}, enter group name (e.g., @samp{important}), use
22010 @samp{F:f} as query and do not include threads.
22012 Now activate marks propagation for this group by using @kbd{G b p}. Then
22013 activate the always-unread feature by using @kbd{G b r} twice.
22015 So far so good---but how do you remove the tick marks in the @code{nnmairix}
22016 group? There are two options: You may simply use
22017 @code{nnmairix-remove-tick-mark-original-article} (bound to @kbd{$ u}) to remove
22018 tick marks from the original article. The other possibility is to set
22019 @code{nnmairix-propagate-marks-to-nnmairix-groups} to @code{t}, but see the above
22020 comments about this option. If it works for you, the tick marks should
22021 also exist in the @code{nnmairix} group and you can remove them as usual,
22022 e.g., by marking an article as read.
22024 When you have removed a tick mark from the original article, this
22025 article should vanish from the @code{nnmairix} group after you have updated the
22026 mairix database and updated the group. Fortunately, there is a function
22027 for doing exactly that: @code{nnmairix-update-groups}. See the previous code
22028 snippet and the doc string for details.
22031 Dealing with auto-subscription of mail groups
22033 As described before, all @code{nnmairix} groups are in fact stored on
22034 the mail back end in the form @samp{zz_mairix-<NAME>-<NUMBER>}. You can
22035 see them when you enter the back end server in the server buffer. You
22036 should not subscribe these groups! Unfortunately, these groups will
22037 usually get @emph{auto-subscribed} when you use @code{nnmaildir} or
22038 @code{nnml}, i.e., you will suddenly see groups of the form
22039 @samp{zz_mairix*} pop up in your group buffer. If this happens to you,
22040 simply kill these groups with C-k. For avoiding this, turn off
22041 auto-subscription completely by setting the variable
22042 @code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups} to @code{nil} (@pxref{Filtering New
22043 Groups}), or if you like to keep this feature use the following kludge
22044 for turning it off for all groups beginning with @samp{zz_}:
22047 (setq gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
22048 "^\\(nnml\\|nnfolder\\|nnmbox\\|nnmh\\|nnbabyl\\|nnmaildir\\).*:\\([^z]\\|z$\\|\\z[^z]\\|zz$\\|zz[^_]\\|zz_$\\).*")
22053 @node nnmairix caveats
22054 @subsection nnmairix caveats
22058 You can create a secondary @code{nnml} server just for nnmairix, but then
22059 you have to explicitly set the corresponding server variable
22060 @code{nnml-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}. Otherwise, new mail might get
22061 put into this secondary server (and would never show up again). Here's
22062 an example server definition:
22065 (nnml "mairix" (nnml-directory "mairix") (nnml-get-new-mail nil))
22068 (The @code{nnmaildir} back end also has a server variable
22069 @code{get-new-mail}, but its default value is @code{nil}, so you don't
22070 have to explicitly set it if you use a @code{nnmaildir} server just for
22074 If you use the Gnus registry: don't use the registry with
22075 @code{nnmairix} groups (put them in
22076 @code{gnus-registry-unfollowed-groups}; this is the default). Be
22077 @emph{extra careful} if you use
22078 @code{gnus-registry-split-fancy-with-parent}; mails which are split
22079 into @code{nnmairix} groups are usually gone for good as soon as you
22080 check the group for new mail (yes, it has happened to me...).
22083 Therefore: @emph{Never ever} put ``real'' mails into @code{nnmairix}
22084 groups (you shouldn't be able to, anyway).
22087 If you use the Gnus agent (@pxref{Gnus Unplugged}): don't agentize
22088 @code{nnmairix} groups (though I have no idea what happens if you do).
22091 mairix does only support us-ascii characters.
22094 @code{nnmairix} uses a rather brute force method to force Gnus to
22095 completely reread the group on the mail back end after mairix was
22096 called---it simply deletes and re-creates the group on the mail
22097 back end. So far, this has worked for me without any problems, and I
22098 don't see how @code{nnmairix} could delete other mail groups than its
22099 own, but anyway: you really should have a backup of your mail
22103 All necessary information is stored in the group parameters
22104 (@pxref{Group Parameters}). This has the advantage that no active file
22105 is needed, but also implies that when you kill a @code{nnmairix} group,
22106 it is gone for good.
22109 @findex nnmairix-purge-old-groups
22110 If you create and kill a lot of @code{nnmairix} groups, the
22111 ``zz_mairix-*'' groups will accumulate on the mail back end server. To
22112 delete old groups which are no longer needed, call
22113 @code{nnmairix-purge-old-groups}. Note that this assumes that you don't
22114 save any ``real'' mail in folders of the form
22115 @code{zz_mairix-<NAME>-<NUMBER>}. You can change the prefix of
22116 @code{nnmairix} groups by changing the variable
22117 @code{nnmairix-group-prefix}.
22120 The following only applies if you @emph{don't} use the mentioned patch
22121 for mairix (@pxref{Propagating marks}):
22123 A problem can occur when using @code{nnmairix} with maildir folders and
22124 comes with the fact that maildir stores mail flags like @samp{Seen} or
22125 @samp{Replied} by appending chars @samp{S} and @samp{R} to the message
22126 file name, respectively. This implies that currently you would have to
22127 update the mairix database not only when new mail arrives, but also when
22128 mail flags are changing. The same applies to new mails which are indexed
22129 while they are still in the @samp{new} folder but then get moved to
22130 @samp{cur} when Gnus has seen the mail. If you don't update the database
22131 after this has happened, a mairix query can lead to symlinks pointing to
22132 non-existing files. In Gnus, these messages will usually appear with
22133 ``(none)'' entries in the header and can't be accessed. If this happens
22134 to you, using @kbd{G b u} and updating the group will usually fix this.
22141 @include message.texi
22142 @chapter Emacs MIME
22143 @include emacs-mime.texi
22145 @include sieve.texi
22157 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
22158 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
22159 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
22160 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
22161 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
22162 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
22163 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
22164 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
22165 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
22166 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
22167 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
22168 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
22169 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
22170 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
22171 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
22172 * Thwarting Email Spam:: Simple ways to avoid unsolicited commercial email.
22173 * Spam Package:: A package for filtering and processing spam.
22174 * The Gnus Registry:: A package for tracking messages by Message-ID.
22175 * Other modes:: Interaction with other modes.
22176 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
22180 @node Process/Prefix
22181 @section Process/Prefix
22182 @cindex process/prefix convention
22184 Many functions, among them functions for moving, decoding and saving
22185 articles, use what is known as the @dfn{Process/Prefix convention}.
22187 This is a method for figuring out what articles the user wants the
22188 command to be performed on.
22192 If the numeric prefix is N, perform the operation on the next N
22193 articles, starting with the current one. If the numeric prefix is
22194 negative, perform the operation on the previous N articles, starting
22195 with the current one.
22197 @vindex transient-mark-mode
22198 If @code{transient-mark-mode} in non-@code{nil} and the region is
22199 active, all articles in the region will be worked upon.
22201 If there is no numeric prefix, but some articles are marked with the
22202 process mark, perform the operation on the articles marked with
22205 If there is neither a numeric prefix nor any articles marked with the
22206 process mark, just perform the operation on the current article.
22208 Quite simple, really, but it needs to be made clear so that surprises
22211 Commands that react to the process mark will push the current list of
22212 process marked articles onto a stack and will then clear all process
22213 marked articles. You can restore the previous configuration with the
22214 @kbd{M P y} command (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
22216 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
22217 One thing that seems to shock & horrify lots of people is that, for
22218 instance, @kbd{3 d} does exactly the same as @kbd{d} @kbd{d} @kbd{d}.
22219 Since each @kbd{d} (which marks the current article as read) by default
22220 goes to the next unread article after marking, this means that @kbd{3 d}
22221 will mark the next three unread articles as read, no matter what the
22222 summary buffer looks like. Set @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} to
22223 @code{nil} for a more straightforward action.
22225 Many commands do not use the process/prefix convention. All commands
22226 that do explicitly say so in this manual. To apply the process/prefix
22227 convention to commands that do not use it, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
22228 command. For instance, to mark all the articles in the group as
22229 expirable, you could say @kbd{M P b M-& E}.
22233 @section Interactive
22234 @cindex interaction
22238 @item gnus-novice-user
22239 @vindex gnus-novice-user
22240 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you are either a newcomer to the
22241 World of Usenet, or you are very cautious, which is a nice thing to be,
22242 really. You will be given questions of the type ``Are you sure you want
22243 to do this?'' before doing anything dangerous. This is @code{t} by
22246 @item gnus-expert-user
22247 @vindex gnus-expert-user
22248 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you will seldom be asked any
22249 questions by Gnus. It will simply assume you know what you're doing,
22250 no matter how strange. For example, quitting Gnus, exiting a group
22251 without an update, catching up with a group, deleting expired
22252 articles, and replying by mail to a news message will not require
22255 @item gnus-interactive-catchup
22256 @vindex gnus-interactive-catchup
22257 Require confirmation before catching up a group if non-@code{nil}. It
22258 is @code{t} by default.
22260 @item gnus-interactive-exit
22261 @vindex gnus-interactive-exit
22262 If non-@code{nil}, require a confirmation when exiting Gnus. If
22263 @code{quiet}, update any active summary buffers automatically without
22264 querying. The default value is @code{t}.
22268 @node Symbolic Prefixes
22269 @section Symbolic Prefixes
22270 @cindex symbolic prefixes
22272 Quite a lot of Emacs commands react to the (numeric) prefix. For
22273 instance, @kbd{C-u 4 C-f} moves point four characters forward, and
22274 @kbd{C-u 9 0 0 I s s p} adds a permanent @code{Subject} substring score
22275 rule of 900 to the current article.
22277 This is all nice and well, but what if you want to give a command some
22278 additional information? Well, what most commands do is interpret the
22279 ``raw'' prefix in some special way. @kbd{C-u 0 C-x C-s} means that one
22280 doesn't want a backup file to be created when saving the current buffer,
22281 for instance. But what if you want to save without making a backup
22282 file, and you want Emacs to flash lights and play a nice tune at the
22283 same time? You can't, and you're probably perfectly happy that way.
22285 @kindex M-i (Summary)
22286 @findex gnus-symbolic-argument
22287 I'm not, so I've added a second prefix---the @dfn{symbolic prefix}. The
22288 prefix key is @kbd{M-i} (@code{gnus-symbolic-argument}), and the next
22289 character typed in is the value. You can stack as many @kbd{M-i}
22290 prefixes as you want. @kbd{M-i a C-M-u} means ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u}
22291 command the symbolic prefix @code{a}''. @kbd{M-i a M-i b C-M-u} means
22292 ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u} command the symbolic prefixes @code{a} and
22293 @code{b}''. You get the drift.
22295 Typing in symbolic prefixes to commands that don't accept them doesn't
22296 hurt, but it doesn't do any good either. Currently not many Gnus
22297 functions make use of the symbolic prefix.
22299 If you're interested in how Gnus implements this, @pxref{Extended
22303 @node Formatting Variables
22304 @section Formatting Variables
22305 @cindex formatting variables
22307 Throughout this manual you've probably noticed lots of variables called
22308 things like @code{gnus-group-line-format} and
22309 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. These control how Gnus is to
22310 output lines in the various buffers. There's quite a lot of them.
22311 Fortunately, they all use the same syntax, so there's not that much to
22314 Here's an example format spec (from the group buffer): @samp{%M%S%5y:
22315 %(%g%)\n}. We see that it is indeed extremely ugly, and that there are
22316 lots of percentages everywhere.
22319 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
22320 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
22321 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
22322 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
22323 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
22324 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
22325 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
22326 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
22329 Currently Gnus uses the following formatting variables:
22330 @code{gnus-group-line-format}, @code{gnus-summary-line-format},
22331 @code{gnus-server-line-format}, @code{gnus-topic-line-format},
22332 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format},
22333 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format},
22334 @code{gnus-article-mode-line-format},
22335 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format}, and
22336 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format}.
22338 All these format variables can also be arbitrary elisp forms. In that
22339 case, they will be @code{eval}ed to insert the required lines.
22341 @kindex M-x gnus-update-format
22342 @findex gnus-update-format
22343 Gnus includes a command to help you while creating your own format
22344 specs. @kbd{M-x gnus-update-format} will @code{eval} the current form,
22345 update the spec in question and pop you to a buffer where you can
22346 examine the resulting Lisp code to be run to generate the line.
22350 @node Formatting Basics
22351 @subsection Formatting Basics
22353 Each @samp{%} element will be replaced by some string or other when the
22354 buffer in question is generated. @samp{%5y} means ``insert the @samp{y}
22355 spec, and pad with spaces to get a 5-character field''.
22357 As with normal C and Emacs Lisp formatting strings, the numerical
22358 modifier between the @samp{%} and the formatting type character will
22359 @dfn{pad} the output so that it is always at least that long.
22360 @samp{%5y} will make the field always (at least) five characters wide by
22361 padding with spaces to the left. If you say @samp{%-5y}, it will pad to
22364 You may also wish to limit the length of the field to protect against
22365 particularly wide values. For that you can say @samp{%4,6y}, which
22366 means that the field will never be more than 6 characters wide and never
22367 less than 4 characters wide.
22369 Also Gnus supports some extended format specifications, such as
22370 @samp{%&user-date;}.
22373 @node Mode Line Formatting
22374 @subsection Mode Line Formatting
22376 Mode line formatting variables (e.g.,
22377 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}) follow the same rules as other,
22378 buffer line oriented formatting variables (@pxref{Formatting Basics})
22379 with the following two differences:
22384 There must be no newline (@samp{\n}) at the end.
22387 The special @samp{%%b} spec can be used to display the buffer name.
22388 Well, it's no spec at all, really---@samp{%%} is just a way to quote
22389 @samp{%} to allow it to pass through the formatting machinery unmangled,
22390 so that Emacs receives @samp{%b}, which is something the Emacs mode line
22391 display interprets to mean ``show the buffer name''. For a full list of
22392 mode line specs Emacs understands, see the documentation of the
22393 @code{mode-line-format} variable.
22398 @node Advanced Formatting
22399 @subsection Advanced Formatting
22401 It is frequently useful to post-process the fields in some way.
22402 Padding, limiting, cutting off parts and suppressing certain values can
22403 be achieved by using @dfn{tilde modifiers}. A typical tilde spec might
22404 look like @samp{%~(cut 3)~(ignore "0")y}.
22406 These are the valid modifiers:
22411 Pad the field to the left with spaces until it reaches the required
22415 Pad the field to the right with spaces until it reaches the required
22420 Cut off characters from the left until it reaches the specified length.
22423 Cut off characters from the right until it reaches the specified
22428 Cut off the specified number of characters from the left.
22431 Cut off the specified number of characters from the right.
22434 Return an empty string if the field is equal to the specified value.
22437 Use the specified form as the field value when the @samp{@@} spec is
22443 "~(form (current-time-string))@@"
22448 Let's take an example. The @samp{%o} spec in the summary mode lines
22449 will return a date in compact ISO8601 format---@samp{19960809T230410}.
22450 This is quite a mouthful, so we want to shave off the century number and
22451 the time, leaving us with a six-character date. That would be
22452 @samp{%~(cut-left 2)~(max-right 6)~(pad 6)o}. (Cutting is done before
22453 maxing, and we need the padding to ensure that the date is never less
22454 than 6 characters to make it look nice in columns.)
22456 Ignoring is done first; then cutting; then maxing; and then as the very
22457 last operation, padding.
22460 @node User-Defined Specs
22461 @subsection User-Defined Specs
22463 All the specs allow for inserting user defined specifiers---@samp{u}.
22464 The next character in the format string should be a letter. Gnus
22465 will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where
22466 @samp{X} is the letter following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed
22467 a single parameter---what the parameter means depends on what buffer
22468 it's being called from. The function should return a string, which will
22469 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
22470 specifier. This function may also be called with dummy values, so it
22471 should protect against that.
22473 Also Gnus supports extended user-defined specs, such as @samp{%u&foo;}.
22474 Gnus will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{foo}.
22476 You can also use tilde modifiers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting} to achieve
22477 much the same without defining new functions. Here's an example:
22478 @samp{%~(form (count-lines (point-min) (point)))@@}. The form
22479 given here will be evaluated to yield the current line number, and then
22483 @node Formatting Fonts
22484 @subsection Formatting Fonts
22487 @vindex gnus-mouse-face
22488 There are specs for highlighting, and these are shared by all the format
22489 variables. Text inside the @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} specifiers will get
22490 the special @code{mouse-face} property set, which means that it will be
22491 highlighted (with @code{gnus-mouse-face}) when you put the mouse pointer
22495 @vindex gnus-face-0
22496 Text inside the @samp{%@{} and @samp{%@}} specifiers will have their
22497 normal faces set using @code{gnus-face-0}, which is @code{bold} by
22498 default. If you say @samp{%1@{}, you'll get @code{gnus-face-1} instead,
22499 and so on. Create as many faces as you wish. The same goes for the
22500 @code{mouse-face} specs---you can say @samp{%3(hello%)} to have
22501 @samp{hello} mouse-highlighted with @code{gnus-mouse-face-3}.
22503 @cindex %<<, %>>, guillemets
22504 @c @cindex %<<, %>>, %«, %», guillemets
22505 @vindex gnus-balloon-face-0
22506 Text inside the @samp{%<<} and @samp{%>>} specifiers will get the
22507 special @code{balloon-help} property set to
22508 @code{gnus-balloon-face-0}. If you say @samp{%1<<}, you'll get
22509 @code{gnus-balloon-face-1} and so on. The @code{gnus-balloon-face-*}
22510 variables should be either strings or symbols naming functions that
22511 return a string. When the mouse passes over text with this property
22512 set, a balloon window will appear and display the string. Please
22513 refer to @ref{Tooltips, ,Tooltips, emacs, The Emacs Manual},
22514 (in Emacs) or the doc string of @code{balloon-help-mode} (in
22515 XEmacs) for more information on this. (For technical reasons, the
22516 guillemets have been approximated as @samp{<<} and @samp{>>} in this
22519 Here's an alternative recipe for the group buffer:
22522 ;; @r{Create three face types.}
22523 (setq gnus-face-1 'bold)
22524 (setq gnus-face-3 'italic)
22526 ;; @r{We want the article count to be in}
22527 ;; @r{a bold and green face. So we create}
22528 ;; @r{a new face called @code{my-green-bold}.}
22529 (copy-face 'bold 'my-green-bold)
22530 ;; @r{Set the color.}
22531 (set-face-foreground 'my-green-bold "ForestGreen")
22532 (setq gnus-face-2 'my-green-bold)
22534 ;; @r{Set the new & fancy format.}
22535 (setq gnus-group-line-format
22536 "%M%S%3@{%5y%@}%2[:%] %(%1@{%g%@}%)\n")
22539 I'm sure you'll be able to use this scheme to create totally unreadable
22540 and extremely vulgar displays. Have fun!
22542 Note that the @samp{%(} specs (and friends) do not make any sense on the
22543 mode-line variables.
22545 @node Positioning Point
22546 @subsection Positioning Point
22548 Gnus usually moves point to a pre-defined place on each line in most
22549 buffers. By default, point move to the first colon character on the
22550 line. You can customize this behavior in three different ways.
22552 You can move the colon character to somewhere else on the line.
22554 @findex gnus-goto-colon
22555 You can redefine the function that moves the point to the colon. The
22556 function is called @code{gnus-goto-colon}.
22558 But perhaps the most convenient way to deal with this, if you don't want
22559 to have a colon in your line, is to use the @samp{%*} specifier. If you
22560 put a @samp{%*} somewhere in your format line definition, Gnus will
22565 @subsection Tabulation
22567 You can usually line up your displays by padding and cutting your
22568 strings. However, when combining various strings of different size, it
22569 can often be more convenient to just output the strings, and then worry
22570 about lining up the following text afterwards.
22572 To do that, Gnus supplies tabulator specs---@samp{%=}. There are two
22573 different types---@dfn{hard tabulators} and @dfn{soft tabulators}.
22575 @samp{%50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
22576 50. If the text is already past column 50, nothing will be inserted.
22577 This is the soft tabulator.
22579 @samp{%-50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
22580 50. If the text is already past column 50, the excess text past column
22581 50 will be removed. This is the hard tabulator.
22584 @node Wide Characters
22585 @subsection Wide Characters
22587 Fixed width fonts in most countries have characters of the same width.
22588 Some countries, however, use Latin characters mixed with wider
22589 characters---most notable East Asian countries.
22591 The problem is that when formatting, Gnus assumes that if a string is 10
22592 characters wide, it'll be 10 Latin characters wide on the screen. In
22593 these countries, that's not true.
22595 @vindex gnus-use-correct-string-widths
22596 To help fix this, you can set @code{gnus-use-correct-string-widths} to
22597 @code{t}. This makes buffer generation slower, but the results will be
22598 prettier. The default value under XEmacs is @code{t} but @code{nil}
22602 @node Window Layout
22603 @section Window Layout
22604 @cindex window layout
22606 No, there's nothing here about X, so be quiet.
22608 @vindex gnus-use-full-window
22609 If @code{gnus-use-full-window} non-@code{nil}, Gnus will delete all
22610 other windows and occupy the entire Emacs screen by itself. It is
22611 @code{t} by default.
22613 Setting this variable to @code{nil} kinda works, but there are
22614 glitches. Use at your own peril.
22616 @vindex gnus-buffer-configuration
22617 @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} describes how much space each Gnus
22618 buffer should be given. Here's an excerpt of this variable:
22621 ((group (vertical 1.0 (group 1.0 point)))
22622 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
22626 This is an alist. The @dfn{key} is a symbol that names some action or
22627 other. For instance, when displaying the group buffer, the window
22628 configuration function will use @code{group} as the key. A full list of
22629 possible names is listed below.
22631 The @dfn{value} (i.e., the @dfn{split}) says how much space each buffer
22632 should occupy. To take the @code{article} split as an example:
22635 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
22639 This @dfn{split} says that the summary buffer should occupy 25% of upper
22640 half of the screen, and that it is placed over the article buffer. As
22641 you may have noticed, 100% + 25% is actually 125% (yup, I saw y'all
22642 reaching for that calculator there). However, the special number
22643 @code{1.0} is used to signal that this buffer should soak up all the
22644 rest of the space available after the rest of the buffers have taken
22645 whatever they need. There should be only one buffer with the @code{1.0}
22646 size spec per split.
22648 Point will be put in the buffer that has the optional third element
22649 @code{point}. In a @code{frame} split, the last subsplit having a leaf
22650 split where the tag @code{frame-focus} is a member (i.e., is the third or
22651 fourth element in the list, depending on whether the @code{point} tag is
22652 present) gets focus.
22654 Here's a more complicated example:
22657 (article (vertical 1.0 (group 4)
22658 (summary 0.25 point)
22662 If the size spec is an integer instead of a floating point number,
22663 then that number will be used to say how many lines a buffer should
22664 occupy, not a percentage.
22666 If the @dfn{split} looks like something that can be @code{eval}ed (to be
22667 precise---if the @code{car} of the split is a function or a subr), this
22668 split will be @code{eval}ed. If the result is non-@code{nil}, it will
22669 be used as a split.
22671 Not complicated enough for you? Well, try this on for size:
22674 (article (horizontal 1.0
22678 (summary 0.25 point)
22682 Whoops. Two buffers with the mystery 100% tag. And what's that
22683 @code{horizontal} thingie?
22685 If the first element in one of the split is @code{horizontal}, Gnus will
22686 split the window horizontally, giving you two windows side-by-side.
22687 Inside each of these strips you may carry on all you like in the normal
22688 fashion. The number following @code{horizontal} says what percentage of
22689 the screen is to be given to this strip.
22691 For each split, there @emph{must} be one element that has the 100% tag.
22692 The splitting is never accurate, and this buffer will eat any leftover
22693 lines from the splits.
22695 To be slightly more formal, here's a definition of what a valid split
22700 split = frame | horizontal | vertical | buffer | form
22701 frame = "(frame " size *split ")"
22702 horizontal = "(horizontal " size *split ")"
22703 vertical = "(vertical " size *split ")"
22704 buffer = "(" buf-name " " size *[ "point" ] *[ "frame-focus"] ")"
22705 size = number | frame-params
22706 buf-name = group | article | summary ...
22710 The limitations are that the @code{frame} split can only appear as the
22711 top-level split. @var{form} should be an Emacs Lisp form that should
22712 return a valid split. We see that each split is fully recursive, and
22713 may contain any number of @code{vertical} and @code{horizontal} splits.
22715 @vindex gnus-window-min-width
22716 @vindex gnus-window-min-height
22717 @cindex window height
22718 @cindex window width
22719 Finding the right sizes can be a bit complicated. No window may be less
22720 than @code{gnus-window-min-height} (default 1) characters high, and all
22721 windows must be at least @code{gnus-window-min-width} (default 1)
22722 characters wide. Gnus will try to enforce this before applying the
22723 splits. If you want to use the normal Emacs window width/height limit,
22724 you can just set these two variables to @code{nil}.
22726 If you're not familiar with Emacs terminology, @code{horizontal} and
22727 @code{vertical} splits may work the opposite way of what you'd expect.
22728 Windows inside a @code{horizontal} split are shown side-by-side, and
22729 windows within a @code{vertical} split are shown above each other.
22731 @findex gnus-configure-frame
22732 If you want to experiment with window placement, a good tip is to call
22733 @code{gnus-configure-frame} directly with a split. This is the function
22734 that does all the real work when splitting buffers. Below is a pretty
22735 nonsensical configuration with 5 windows; two for the group buffer and
22736 three for the article buffer. (I said it was nonsensical.) If you
22737 @code{eval} the statement below, you can get an idea of how that would
22738 look straight away, without going through the normal Gnus channels.
22739 Play with it until you're satisfied, and then use
22740 @code{gnus-add-configuration} to add your new creation to the buffer
22741 configuration list.
22744 (gnus-configure-frame
22748 (article 0.3 point))
22756 You might want to have several frames as well. No prob---just use the
22757 @code{frame} split:
22760 (gnus-configure-frame
22763 (summary 0.25 point frame-focus)
22765 (vertical ((height . 5) (width . 15)
22766 (user-position . t)
22767 (left . -1) (top . 1))
22772 This split will result in the familiar summary/article window
22773 configuration in the first (or ``main'') frame, while a small additional
22774 frame will be created where picons will be shown. As you can see,
22775 instead of the normal @code{1.0} top-level spec, each additional split
22776 should have a frame parameter alist as the size spec.
22777 @xref{Frame Parameters, , Frame Parameters, elisp, The GNU Emacs Lisp
22778 Reference Manual}. Under XEmacs, a frame property list will be
22779 accepted, too---for instance, @code{(height 5 width 15 left -1 top 1)}
22781 The list of all possible keys for @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} can
22782 be found in its default value.
22784 Note that the @code{message} key is used for both
22785 @code{gnus-group-mail} and @code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}. If
22786 it is desirable to distinguish between the two, something like this
22790 (message (horizontal 1.0
22791 (vertical 1.0 (message 1.0 point))
22793 (if (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer)
22798 One common desire for a multiple frame split is to have a separate frame
22799 for composing mail and news while leaving the original frame intact. To
22800 accomplish that, something like the following can be done:
22805 (if (not (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer))
22806 (car (cdr (assoc 'group gnus-buffer-configuration)))
22807 (car (cdr (assoc 'summary gnus-buffer-configuration))))
22808 (vertical ((user-position . t) (top . 1) (left . 1)
22809 (name . "Message"))
22810 (message 1.0 point))))
22813 @findex gnus-add-configuration
22814 Since the @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} variable is so long and
22815 complicated, there's a function you can use to ease changing the config
22816 of a single setting: @code{gnus-add-configuration}. If, for instance,
22817 you want to change the @code{article} setting, you could say:
22820 (gnus-add-configuration
22821 '(article (vertical 1.0
22823 (summary .25 point)
22827 You'd typically stick these @code{gnus-add-configuration} calls in your
22828 @file{~/.gnus.el} file or in some startup hook---they should be run after
22829 Gnus has been loaded.
22831 @vindex gnus-always-force-window-configuration
22832 If all windows mentioned in the configuration are already visible, Gnus
22833 won't change the window configuration. If you always want to force the
22834 ``right'' window configuration, you can set
22835 @code{gnus-always-force-window-configuration} to non-@code{nil}.
22837 If you're using tree displays (@pxref{Tree Display}), and the tree
22838 window is displayed vertically next to another window, you may also want
22839 to fiddle with @code{gnus-tree-minimize-window} to avoid having the
22842 @subsection Window Configuration Names
22844 Here's a list of most of the currently known window configurations,
22845 and when they're used:
22852 Entering a group and showing only the summary.
22855 Selecting an article.
22861 Browsing groups from the server buffer.
22864 Composing a (new) message.
22867 Showing only the article buffer.
22870 Editing an article.
22873 Editing group parameters and the like.
22876 Editing a server definition.
22879 Composing a news message.
22882 Replying or following up an article without yanking the text.
22885 Forwarding a message.
22888 Replying or following up an article with yanking the text.
22891 Bouncing a message.
22894 Sending an article to an external process.
22897 Sending a bug report.
22900 Displaying the score trace.
22903 Displaying the score words.
22906 Displaying the split trace.
22908 @item compose-bounce
22909 Composing a bounce message.
22912 Previewing a @acronym{MIME} part.
22917 @subsection Example Window Configurations
22921 Narrow left hand side occupied by group buffer. Right hand side split
22922 between summary buffer (top one-sixth) and article buffer (bottom).
22937 (gnus-add-configuration
22940 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
22942 (summary 0.16 point)
22945 (gnus-add-configuration
22948 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
22949 (vertical 1.0 (summary 1.0 point)))))
22955 @node Faces and Fonts
22956 @section Faces and Fonts
22961 Fiddling with fonts and faces used to be very difficult, but these days
22962 it is very simple. You simply say @kbd{M-x customize-face}, pick out
22963 the face you want to alter, and alter it via the standard Customize
22968 @section Mode Lines
22971 @vindex gnus-updated-mode-lines
22972 @code{gnus-updated-mode-lines} says what buffers should keep their mode
22973 lines updated. It is a list of symbols. Supported symbols include
22974 @code{group}, @code{article}, @code{summary}, @code{server},
22975 @code{browse}, and @code{tree}. If the corresponding symbol is present,
22976 Gnus will keep that mode line updated with information that may be
22977 pertinent. If this variable is @code{nil}, screen refresh may be
22980 @cindex display-time
22982 @vindex gnus-mode-non-string-length
22983 By default, Gnus displays information on the current article in the mode
22984 lines of the summary and article buffers. The information Gnus wishes
22985 to display (e.g., the subject of the article) is often longer than the
22986 mode lines, and therefore have to be cut off at some point. The
22987 @code{gnus-mode-non-string-length} variable says how long the other
22988 elements on the line is (i.e., the non-info part). If you put
22989 additional elements on the mode line (e.g., a clock), you should modify
22992 @c Hook written by Francesco Potortì <pot@cnuce.cnr.it>
22994 (add-hook 'display-time-hook
22995 (lambda () (setq gnus-mode-non-string-length
22997 (if line-number-mode 5 0)
22998 (if column-number-mode 4 0)
22999 (length display-time-string)))))
23002 If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the default), the mode line
23003 strings won't be chopped off, and they won't be padded either. Note
23004 that the default is unlikely to be desirable, as even the percentage
23005 complete in the buffer may be crowded off the mode line; the user should
23006 configure this variable appropriately for her configuration.
23009 @node Highlighting and Menus
23010 @section Highlighting and Menus
23012 @cindex highlighting
23015 @vindex gnus-visual
23016 The @code{gnus-visual} variable controls most of the Gnus-prettifying
23017 aspects. If @code{nil}, Gnus won't attempt to create menus or use fancy
23018 colors or fonts. This will also inhibit loading the @file{gnus-vis.el}
23021 This variable can be a list of visual properties that are enabled. The
23022 following elements are valid, and are all included by default:
23025 @item group-highlight
23026 Do highlights in the group buffer.
23027 @item summary-highlight
23028 Do highlights in the summary buffer.
23029 @item article-highlight
23030 Do highlights in the article buffer.
23032 Turn on highlighting in all buffers.
23034 Create menus in the group buffer.
23036 Create menus in the summary buffers.
23038 Create menus in the article buffer.
23040 Create menus in the browse buffer.
23042 Create menus in the server buffer.
23044 Create menus in the score buffers.
23046 Create menus in all buffers.
23049 So if you only want highlighting in the article buffer and menus in all
23050 buffers, you could say something like:
23053 (setq gnus-visual '(article-highlight menu))
23056 If you want highlighting only and no menus whatsoever, you'd say:
23059 (setq gnus-visual '(highlight))
23062 If @code{gnus-visual} is @code{t}, highlighting and menus will be used
23063 in all Gnus buffers.
23065 Other general variables that influence the look of all buffers include:
23068 @item gnus-mouse-face
23069 @vindex gnus-mouse-face
23070 This is the face (i.e., font) used for mouse highlighting in Gnus. No
23071 mouse highlights will be done if @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
23075 There are hooks associated with the creation of all the different menus:
23079 @item gnus-article-menu-hook
23080 @vindex gnus-article-menu-hook
23081 Hook called after creating the article mode menu.
23083 @item gnus-group-menu-hook
23084 @vindex gnus-group-menu-hook
23085 Hook called after creating the group mode menu.
23087 @item gnus-summary-menu-hook
23088 @vindex gnus-summary-menu-hook
23089 Hook called after creating the summary mode menu.
23091 @item gnus-server-menu-hook
23092 @vindex gnus-server-menu-hook
23093 Hook called after creating the server mode menu.
23095 @item gnus-browse-menu-hook
23096 @vindex gnus-browse-menu-hook
23097 Hook called after creating the browse mode menu.
23099 @item gnus-score-menu-hook
23100 @vindex gnus-score-menu-hook
23101 Hook called after creating the score mode menu.
23111 Gnus, being larger than any program ever written (allegedly), does lots
23112 of strange stuff that you may wish to have done while you're not
23113 present. For instance, you may want it to check for new mail once in a
23114 while. Or you may want it to close down all connections to all servers
23115 when you leave Emacs idle. And stuff like that.
23117 Gnus will let you do stuff like that by defining various
23118 @dfn{handlers}. Each handler consists of three elements: A
23119 @var{function}, a @var{time}, and an @var{idle} parameter.
23121 Here's an example of a handler that closes connections when Emacs has
23122 been idle for thirty minutes:
23125 (gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
23128 Here's a handler that scans for @acronym{PGP} headers every hour when
23132 (gnus-demon-scan-pgp 60 t)
23135 This @var{time} parameter and that @var{idle} parameter work together
23136 in a strange, but wonderful fashion. Basically, if @var{idle} is
23137 @code{nil}, then the function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
23139 If @var{idle} is @code{t}, then the function will be called after
23140 @var{time} minutes only if Emacs is idle. So if Emacs is never idle,
23141 the function will never be called. But once Emacs goes idle, the
23142 function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
23144 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is a number, the function will
23145 be called every @var{time} minutes only when Emacs has been idle for
23146 @var{idle} minutes.
23148 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is @code{nil}, the function
23149 will be called once every time Emacs has been idle for @var{idle}
23152 And if @var{time} is a string, it should look like @samp{07:31}, and
23153 the function will then be called once every day somewhere near that
23154 time. Modified by the @var{idle} parameter, of course.
23156 @vindex gnus-demon-timestep
23157 (When I say ``minute'' here, I really mean @code{gnus-demon-timestep}
23158 seconds. This is 60 by default. If you change that variable,
23159 all the timings in the handlers will be affected.)
23161 So, if you want to add a handler, you could put something like this in
23162 your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
23164 @findex gnus-demon-add-handler
23166 (gnus-demon-add-handler 'gnus-demon-close-connections 30 t)
23169 @findex gnus-demon-add-scanmail
23170 @findex gnus-demon-add-rescan
23171 @findex gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps
23172 @findex gnus-demon-add-disconnection
23173 Some ready-made functions to do this have been created:
23174 @code{gnus-demon-add-disconnection},
23175 @code{gnus-demon-add-nntp-close-connection},
23176 @code{gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps}, @code{gnus-demon-add-rescan}, and
23177 @code{gnus-demon-add-scanmail}. Just put those functions in your
23178 @file{~/.gnus.el} if you want those abilities.
23180 @findex gnus-demon-init
23181 @findex gnus-demon-cancel
23182 @vindex gnus-demon-handlers
23183 If you add handlers to @code{gnus-demon-handlers} directly, you should
23184 run @code{gnus-demon-init} to make the changes take hold. To cancel all
23185 daemons, you can use the @code{gnus-demon-cancel} function.
23187 Note that adding daemons can be pretty naughty if you over do it. Adding
23188 functions that scan all news and mail from all servers every two seconds
23189 is a sure-fire way of getting booted off any respectable system. So
23197 It is very useful to be able to undo actions one has done. In normal
23198 Emacs buffers, it's easy enough---you just push the @code{undo} button.
23199 In Gnus buffers, however, it isn't that simple.
23201 The things Gnus displays in its buffer is of no value whatsoever to
23202 Gnus---it's all just data designed to look nice to the user.
23203 Killing a group in the group buffer with @kbd{C-k} makes the line
23204 disappear, but that's just a side-effect of the real action---the
23205 removal of the group in question from the internal Gnus structures.
23206 Undoing something like that can't be done by the normal Emacs
23207 @code{undo} function.
23209 Gnus tries to remedy this somewhat by keeping track of what the user
23210 does and coming up with actions that would reverse the actions the user
23211 takes. When the user then presses the @code{undo} key, Gnus will run
23212 the code to reverse the previous action, or the previous actions.
23213 However, not all actions are easily reversible, so Gnus currently offers
23214 a few key functions to be undoable. These include killing groups,
23215 yanking groups, and changing the list of read articles of groups.
23216 That's it, really. More functions may be added in the future, but each
23217 added function means an increase in data to be stored, so Gnus will
23218 never be totally undoable.
23220 @findex gnus-undo-mode
23221 @vindex gnus-use-undo
23223 The undoability is provided by the @code{gnus-undo-mode} minor mode. It
23224 is used if @code{gnus-use-undo} is non-@code{nil}, which is the
23225 default. The @kbd{C-M-_} key performs the @code{gnus-undo}
23226 command, which should feel kinda like the normal Emacs @code{undo}
23230 @node Predicate Specifiers
23231 @section Predicate Specifiers
23232 @cindex predicate specifiers
23234 Some Gnus variables are @dfn{predicate specifiers}. This is a special
23235 form that allows flexible specification of predicates without having
23236 to type all that much.
23238 These specifiers are lists consisting of functions, symbols and lists.
23243 (or gnus-article-unseen-p
23244 gnus-article-unread-p)
23247 The available symbols are @code{or}, @code{and} and @code{not}. The
23248 functions all take one parameter.
23250 @findex gnus-make-predicate
23251 Internally, Gnus calls @code{gnus-make-predicate} on these specifiers
23252 to create a function that can be called. This input parameter to this
23253 function will be passed along to all the functions in the predicate
23258 @section Moderation
23261 If you are a moderator, you can use the @file{gnus-mdrtn.el} package.
23262 It is not included in the standard Gnus package. Write a mail to
23263 @samp{larsi@@gnus.org} and state what group you moderate, and you'll
23266 The moderation package is implemented as a minor mode for summary
23270 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-moderate)
23273 in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
23275 If you are the moderator of @samp{rec.zoofle}, this is how it's
23280 You split your incoming mail by matching on
23281 @samp{Newsgroups:.*rec.zoofle}, which will put all the to-be-posted
23282 articles in some mail group---for instance, @samp{nnml:rec.zoofle}.
23285 You enter that group once in a while and post articles using the @kbd{e}
23286 (edit-and-post) or @kbd{s} (just send unedited) commands.
23289 If, while reading the @samp{rec.zoofle} newsgroup, you happen upon some
23290 articles that weren't approved by you, you can cancel them with the
23294 To use moderation mode in these two groups, say:
23297 (setq gnus-moderated-list
23298 "^nnml:rec.zoofle$\\|^rec.zoofle$")
23302 @node Fetching a Group
23303 @section Fetching a Group
23304 @cindex fetching a group
23306 @findex gnus-fetch-group
23307 It is sometimes convenient to be able to just say ``I want to read this
23308 group and I don't care whether Gnus has been started or not''. This is
23309 perhaps more useful for people who write code than for users, but the
23310 command @code{gnus-fetch-group} provides this functionality in any case.
23311 It takes the group name as a parameter.
23314 @node Image Enhancements
23315 @section Image Enhancements
23317 XEmacs, as well as Emacs 21@footnote{Emacs 21 on MS Windows doesn't
23318 support images, Emacs 22 does.} and up, are able to display pictures and
23319 stuff, so Gnus has taken advantage of that.
23322 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
23323 * Face:: Display a funkier, teensier colored image.
23324 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
23325 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
23326 * Gravatars:: Display the avatar of people you read.
23327 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
23335 @code{X-Face} headers describe a 48x48 pixel black-and-white (1 bit
23336 depth) image that's supposed to represent the author of the message.
23337 It seems to be supported by an ever-growing number of mail and news
23341 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
23342 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-command
23343 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly
23351 Viewing an @code{X-Face} header either requires an Emacs that has
23352 @samp{compface} support (which most XEmacs versions have), or that you
23353 have suitable conversion or display programs installed. If your Emacs
23354 has image support the default action is to display the face before the
23355 @code{From} header. If there's no native @code{X-Face} support, Gnus
23356 will try to convert the @code{X-Face} header using external programs
23357 from the @code{pbmplus} package and friends, see below. For XEmacs it's
23358 faster if XEmacs has been compiled with @code{X-Face} support. The
23359 default action under Emacs without image support is to fork off the
23360 @code{display} program.
23362 On a GNU/Linux system, the @code{display} program is included in the
23363 ImageMagick package. For external conversion programs look for packages
23364 with names like @code{netpbm}, @code{libgr-progs} and @code{compface}.
23365 On Windows, you may use the packages @code{netpbm} and @code{compface}
23366 from @url{http://gnuwin32.sourceforge.net}. You need to add the
23367 @code{bin} directory to your @code{PATH} environment variable.
23368 @c In fact only the following DLLs and binaries seem to be required:
23369 @c compface1.dll uncompface.exe libnetpbm10.dll icontopbm.exe
23371 The variable @code{gnus-article-x-face-command} controls which programs
23372 are used to display the @code{X-Face} header. If this variable is a
23373 string, this string will be executed in a sub-shell. If it is a
23374 function, this function will be called with the face as the argument.
23375 If @code{gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly} (which is a regexp) matches the
23376 @code{From} header, the face will not be shown.
23378 (Note: @code{x-face} is used in the variable/function names, not
23386 @vindex gnus-x-face
23387 Face to show X-Face. The colors from this face are used as the
23388 foreground and background colors of the displayed X-Faces. The
23389 default colors are black and white.
23391 @item gnus-face-properties-alist
23392 @vindex gnus-face-properties-alist
23393 Alist of image types and properties applied to Face (@pxref{Face}) and
23394 X-Face images. The default value is @code{((pbm . (:face gnus-x-face))
23395 (png . nil))} for Emacs or @code{((xface . (:face gnus-x-face)))} for
23396 XEmacs. Here are examples:
23399 ;; Specify the altitude of Face and X-Face images in the From header.
23400 (setq gnus-face-properties-alist
23401 '((pbm . (:face gnus-x-face :ascent 80))
23402 (png . (:ascent 80))))
23404 ;; Show Face and X-Face images as pressed buttons.
23405 (setq gnus-face-properties-alist
23406 '((pbm . (:face gnus-x-face :relief -2))
23407 (png . (:relief -2))))
23410 @pxref{Image Descriptors, ,Image Descriptors, elisp, The Emacs Lisp
23411 Reference Manual} for the valid properties for various image types.
23412 Currently, @code{pbm} is used for X-Face images and @code{png} is used
23413 for Face images in Emacs. Only the @code{:face} property is effective
23414 on the @code{xface} image type in XEmacs if it is built with the
23415 @samp{libcompface} library.
23418 If you use posting styles, you can use an @code{x-face-file} entry in
23419 @code{gnus-posting-styles}, @xref{Posting Styles}. If you don't, Gnus
23420 provides a few convenience functions and variables to allow easier
23421 insertion of X-Face headers in outgoing messages. You also need the
23422 above mentioned ImageMagick, netpbm or other image conversion packages
23423 (depending the values of the variables below) for these functions.
23425 @findex gnus-random-x-face
23426 @vindex gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command
23427 @vindex gnus-x-face-directory
23428 @code{gnus-random-x-face} goes through all the @samp{pbm} files in
23429 @code{gnus-x-face-directory} and picks one at random, and then
23430 converts it to the X-Face format by using the
23431 @code{gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command} shell command. The
23432 @samp{pbm} files should be 48x48 pixels big. It returns the X-Face
23433 header data as a string.
23435 @findex gnus-insert-random-x-face-header
23436 @code{gnus-insert-random-x-face-header} calls
23437 @code{gnus-random-x-face} and inserts a @samp{X-Face} header with the
23438 randomly generated data.
23440 @findex gnus-x-face-from-file
23441 @vindex gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command
23442 @code{gnus-x-face-from-file} takes a GIF file as the parameter, and then
23443 converts the file to X-Face format by using the
23444 @code{gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command} shell command.
23446 Here's how you would typically use the first function. Put something
23447 like the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
23450 (setq message-required-news-headers
23451 (nconc message-required-news-headers
23452 (list '(X-Face . gnus-random-x-face))))
23455 Using the last function would be something like this:
23458 (setq message-required-news-headers
23459 (nconc message-required-news-headers
23460 (list '(X-Face . (lambda ()
23461 (gnus-x-face-from-file
23462 "~/My-face.gif"))))))
23470 @c #### FIXME: faces and x-faces' implementations should really be harmonized.
23472 @code{Face} headers are essentially a funkier version of @code{X-Face}
23473 ones. They describe a 48x48 pixel colored image that's supposed to
23474 represent the author of the message.
23477 @findex gnus-article-display-face
23478 The contents of a @code{Face} header must be a base64 encoded PNG image.
23479 See @uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/circus/face/} for the precise
23482 The @code{gnus-face-properties-alist} variable affects the appearance of
23483 displayed Face images. @xref{X-Face}.
23485 Viewing a @code{Face} header requires an Emacs that is able to display
23488 @c (if (featurep 'xemacs)
23490 @c (image-type-available-p 'png))
23492 Gnus provides a few convenience functions and variables to allow
23493 easier insertion of Face headers in outgoing messages.
23495 @findex gnus-convert-png-to-face
23496 @code{gnus-convert-png-to-face} takes a 48x48 PNG image, no longer than
23497 726 bytes long, and converts it to a face.
23499 @findex gnus-face-from-file
23500 @vindex gnus-convert-image-to-face-command
23501 @code{gnus-face-from-file} takes a JPEG file as the parameter, and then
23502 converts the file to Face format by using the
23503 @code{gnus-convert-image-to-face-command} shell command.
23505 Here's how you would typically use this function. Put something like the
23506 following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
23509 (setq message-required-news-headers
23510 (nconc message-required-news-headers
23511 (list '(Face . (lambda ()
23512 (gnus-face-from-file "~/face.jpg"))))))
23517 @subsection Smileys
23522 \gnusfig{-3cm}{0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/BigFace,height=20cm}}
23527 @dfn{Smiley} is a package separate from Gnus, but since Gnus is
23528 currently the only package that uses Smiley, it is documented here.
23530 In short---to use Smiley in Gnus, put the following in your
23531 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
23534 (setq gnus-treat-display-smileys t)
23537 Smiley maps text smiley faces---@samp{:-)}, @samp{8-)}, @samp{:-(} and
23538 the like---to pictures and displays those instead of the text smiley
23539 faces. The conversion is controlled by a list of regexps that matches
23540 text and maps that to file names.
23542 @vindex smiley-regexp-alist
23543 The alist used is specified by the @code{smiley-regexp-alist}
23544 variable. The first item in each element is the regexp to be matched;
23545 the second element is the regexp match group that is to be replaced by
23546 the picture; and the third element is the name of the file to be
23549 The following variables customize the appearance of the smileys:
23554 @vindex smiley-style
23555 Specifies the smiley style. Predefined smiley styles include
23556 @code{low-color} (small 13x14 pixel, three-color images), @code{medium}
23557 (more colorful images, 16x16 pixel), and @code{grayscale} (grayscale
23558 images, 14x14 pixel). The default depends on the height of the default
23561 @item smiley-data-directory
23562 @vindex smiley-data-directory
23563 Where Smiley will look for smiley faces files. You shouldn't set this
23564 variable anymore. Customize @code{smiley-style} instead.
23566 @item gnus-smiley-file-types
23567 @vindex gnus-smiley-file-types
23568 List of suffixes on smiley file names to try.
23582 So@dots{} You want to slow down your news reader even more! This is a
23583 good way to do so. It's also a great way to impress people staring
23584 over your shoulder as you read news.
23586 What are Picons? To quote directly from the Picons Web site:
23595 @dfn{Picons} is short for ``personal icons''. They're small,
23596 constrained images used to represent users and domains on the net,
23597 organized into databases so that the appropriate image for a given
23598 e-mail address can be found. Besides users and domains, there are picon
23599 databases for Usenet newsgroups and weather forecasts. The picons are
23600 in either monochrome @code{XBM} format or color @code{XPM} and
23601 @code{GIF} formats.
23604 @vindex gnus-picon-databases
23605 For instructions on obtaining and installing the picons databases,
23606 point your Web browser at
23607 @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/ftp/index.html}.
23609 If you are using Debian GNU/Linux, saying @samp{apt-get install
23610 picons.*} will install the picons where Gnus can find them.
23612 To enable displaying picons, simply make sure that
23613 @code{gnus-picon-databases} points to the directory containing the
23616 @vindex gnus-picon-style
23617 The variable @code{gnus-picon-style} controls how picons are displayed.
23618 If @code{inline}, the textual representation is replaced. If
23619 @code{right}, picons are added right to the textual representation.
23621 @vindex gnus-picon-properties
23622 The value of the variable @code{gnus-picon-properties} is a list of
23623 properties applied to picons.
23625 The following variables offer control over where things are located.
23629 @item gnus-picon-databases
23630 @vindex gnus-picon-databases
23631 The location of the picons database. This is a list of directories
23632 containing the @file{news}, @file{domains}, @file{users} (and so on)
23633 subdirectories. Defaults to @code{("/usr/lib/picon"
23634 "/usr/local/faces")}.
23636 @item gnus-picon-news-directories
23637 @vindex gnus-picon-news-directories
23638 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for
23639 newsgroups faces. @code{("news")} is the default.
23641 @item gnus-picon-user-directories
23642 @vindex gnus-picon-user-directories
23643 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for user
23644 faces. @code{("users" "usenix" "local" "misc")} is the default.
23646 @item gnus-picon-domain-directories
23647 @vindex gnus-picon-domain-directories
23648 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for
23649 domain name faces. Defaults to @code{("domains")}. Some people may
23650 want to add @samp{"unknown"} to this list.
23652 @item gnus-picon-file-types
23653 @vindex gnus-picon-file-types
23654 Ordered list of suffixes on picon file names to try. Defaults to
23655 @code{("xpm" "gif" "xbm")} minus those not built-in your Emacs.
23657 @item gnus-picon-inhibit-top-level-domains
23658 @vindex gnus-picon-inhibit-top-level-domains
23659 If non-@code{nil} (which is the default), don't display picons for
23660 things like @samp{.net} and @samp{.de}, which aren't usually very
23666 @subsection Gravatars
23670 \include{gravatars}
23674 A gravatar is an image registered to an e-mail address.
23676 You can submit yours on-line at @uref{http://www.gravatar.com}.
23678 The following variables offer control over how things are displayed.
23682 @item gnus-gravatar-size
23683 @vindex gnus-gravatar-size
23684 The size in pixels of gravatars. Gravatars are always square, so one
23685 number for the size is enough.
23687 @item gnus-gravatar-properties
23688 @vindex gnus-gravatar-properties
23689 List of image properties applied to Gravatar images.
23691 @item gnus-gravatar-too-ugly
23692 @vindex gnus-gravatar-too-ugly
23693 Regexp that matches mail addresses or names of people of which avatars
23694 should not be displayed, or @code{nil}. It default to the value of
23695 @code{gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly} (@pxref{X-Face}).
23699 If you want to see them in the From field, set:
23701 (setq gnus-treat-from-gravatar 'head)
23704 If you want to see them in the Cc and To fields, set:
23707 (setq gnus-treat-mail-gravatar 'head)
23712 @subsection Various XEmacs Variables
23715 @item gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
23716 @vindex gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
23717 This is where Gnus will look for pictures. Gnus will normally
23718 auto-detect this directory, but you may set it manually if you have an
23719 unusual directory structure.
23721 @item gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
23722 @vindex gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
23723 A glyph displayed in all Gnus mode lines. It is a tiny gnu head by
23728 @subsubsection Toolbar
23732 @item gnus-use-toolbar
23733 @vindex gnus-use-toolbar
23734 This variable specifies the position to display the toolbar. If
23735 @code{nil}, don't display toolbars. If it is non-@code{nil}, it should
23736 be one of the symbols @code{default}, @code{top}, @code{bottom},
23737 @code{right}, and @code{left}. @code{default} means to use the default
23738 toolbar, the rest mean to display the toolbar on the place which those
23739 names show. The default is @code{default}.
23741 @item gnus-toolbar-thickness
23742 @vindex gnus-toolbar-thickness
23743 Cons of the height and the width specifying the thickness of a toolbar.
23744 The height is used for the toolbar displayed on the top or the bottom,
23745 the width is used for the toolbar displayed on the right or the left.
23746 The default is that of the default toolbar.
23748 @item gnus-group-toolbar
23749 @vindex gnus-group-toolbar
23750 The toolbar in the group buffer.
23752 @item gnus-summary-toolbar
23753 @vindex gnus-summary-toolbar
23754 The toolbar in the summary buffer.
23756 @item gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
23757 @vindex gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
23758 The toolbar in the summary buffer of mail groups.
23769 @node Fuzzy Matching
23770 @section Fuzzy Matching
23771 @cindex fuzzy matching
23773 Gnus provides @dfn{fuzzy matching} of @code{Subject} lines when doing
23774 things like scoring, thread gathering and thread comparison.
23776 As opposed to regular expression matching, fuzzy matching is very fuzzy.
23777 It's so fuzzy that there's not even a definition of what @dfn{fuzziness}
23778 means, and the implementation has changed over time.
23780 Basically, it tries to remove all noise from lines before comparing.
23781 @samp{Re: }, parenthetical remarks, white space, and so on, are filtered
23782 out of the strings before comparing the results. This often leads to
23783 adequate results---even when faced with strings generated by text
23784 manglers masquerading as newsreaders.
23787 @node Thwarting Email Spam
23788 @section Thwarting Email Spam
23792 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
23794 In these last days of the Usenet, commercial vultures are hanging about
23795 and grepping through news like crazy to find email addresses they can
23796 foist off their scams and products to. As a reaction to this, many
23797 people have started putting nonsense addresses into their @code{From}
23798 lines. I think this is counterproductive---it makes it difficult for
23799 people to send you legitimate mail in response to things you write, as
23800 well as making it difficult to see who wrote what. This rewriting may
23801 perhaps be a bigger menace than the unsolicited commercial email itself
23804 The biggest problem I have with email spam is that it comes in under
23805 false pretenses. I press @kbd{g} and Gnus merrily informs me that I
23806 have 10 new emails. I say ``Golly gee! Happy is me!'' and select the
23807 mail group, only to find two pyramid schemes, seven advertisements
23808 (``New! Miracle tonic for growing full, lustrous hair on your toes!'')
23809 and one mail asking me to repent and find some god.
23811 This is annoying. Here's what you can do about it.
23814 * The problem of spam:: Some background, and some solutions
23815 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
23816 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
23817 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
23820 @node The problem of spam
23821 @subsection The problem of spam
23823 @cindex spam filtering approaches
23824 @cindex filtering approaches, spam
23826 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
23828 First, some background on spam.
23830 If you have access to e-mail, you are familiar with spam (technically
23831 termed @acronym{UCE}, Unsolicited Commercial E-mail). Simply put, it
23832 exists because e-mail delivery is very cheap compared to paper mail,
23833 so only a very small percentage of people need to respond to an UCE to
23834 make it worthwhile to the advertiser. Ironically, one of the most
23835 common spams is the one offering a database of e-mail addresses for
23836 further spamming. Senders of spam are usually called @emph{spammers},
23837 but terms like @emph{vermin}, @emph{scum}, @emph{sociopaths}, and
23838 @emph{morons} are in common use as well.
23840 Spam comes from a wide variety of sources. It is simply impossible to
23841 dispose of all spam without discarding useful messages. A good
23842 example is the TMDA system, which requires senders
23843 unknown to you to confirm themselves as legitimate senders before
23844 their e-mail can reach you. Without getting into the technical side
23845 of TMDA, a downside is clearly that e-mail from legitimate sources may
23846 be discarded if those sources can't or won't confirm themselves
23847 through the TMDA system. Another problem with TMDA is that it
23848 requires its users to have a basic understanding of e-mail delivery
23851 The simplest approach to filtering spam is filtering, at the mail
23852 server or when you sort through incoming mail. If you get 200 spam
23853 messages per day from @samp{random-address@@vmadmin.com}, you block
23854 @samp{vmadmin.com}. If you get 200 messages about @samp{VIAGRA}, you
23855 discard all messages with @samp{VIAGRA} in the message. If you get
23856 lots of spam from Bulgaria, for example, you try to filter all mail
23857 from Bulgarian IPs.
23859 This, unfortunately, is a great way to discard legitimate e-mail. The
23860 risks of blocking a whole country (Bulgaria, Norway, Nigeria, China,
23861 etc.)@: or even a continent (Asia, Africa, Europe, etc.)@: from contacting
23862 you should be obvious, so don't do it if you have the choice.
23864 In another instance, the very informative and useful RISKS digest has
23865 been blocked by overzealous mail filters because it @strong{contained}
23866 words that were common in spam messages. Nevertheless, in isolated
23867 cases, with great care, direct filtering of mail can be useful.
23869 Another approach to filtering e-mail is the distributed spam
23870 processing, for instance DCC implements such a system. In essence,
23871 @var{N} systems around the world agree that a machine @var{X} in
23872 Ghana, Estonia, or California is sending out spam e-mail, and these
23873 @var{N} systems enter @var{X} or the spam e-mail from @var{X} into a
23874 database. The criteria for spam detection vary---it may be the number
23875 of messages sent, the content of the messages, and so on. When a user
23876 of the distributed processing system wants to find out if a message is
23877 spam, he consults one of those @var{N} systems.
23879 Distributed spam processing works very well against spammers that send
23880 a large number of messages at once, but it requires the user to set up
23881 fairly complicated checks. There are commercial and free distributed
23882 spam processing systems. Distributed spam processing has its risks as
23883 well. For instance legitimate e-mail senders have been accused of
23884 sending spam, and their web sites and mailing lists have been shut
23885 down for some time because of the incident.
23887 The statistical approach to spam filtering is also popular. It is
23888 based on a statistical analysis of previous spam messages. Usually
23889 the analysis is a simple word frequency count, with perhaps pairs of
23890 words or 3-word combinations thrown into the mix. Statistical
23891 analysis of spam works very well in most of the cases, but it can
23892 classify legitimate e-mail as spam in some cases. It takes time to
23893 run the analysis, the full message must be analyzed, and the user has
23894 to store the database of spam analysis. Statistical analysis on the
23895 server is gaining popularity. This has the advantage of letting the
23896 user Just Read Mail, but has the disadvantage that it's harder to tell
23897 the server that it has misclassified mail.
23899 Fighting spam is not easy, no matter what anyone says. There is no
23900 magic switch that will distinguish Viagra ads from Mom's e-mails.
23901 Even people are having a hard time telling spam apart from non-spam,
23902 because spammers are actively looking to fool us into thinking they
23903 are Mom, essentially. Spamming is irritating, irresponsible, and
23904 idiotic behavior from a bunch of people who think the world owes them
23905 a favor. We hope the following sections will help you in fighting the
23908 @node Anti-Spam Basics
23909 @subsection Anti-Spam Basics
23913 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
23915 One way of dealing with spam is having Gnus split out all spam into a
23916 @samp{spam} mail group (@pxref{Splitting Mail}).
23918 First, pick one (1) valid mail address that you can be reached at, and
23919 put it in your @code{From} header of all your news articles. (I've
23920 chosen @samp{larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no}, but for many addresses on the form
23921 @samp{larsi+usenet@@ifi.uio.no} will be a better choice. Ask your
23922 sysadmin whether your sendmail installation accepts keywords in the local
23923 part of the mail address.)
23926 (setq message-default-news-headers
23927 "From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no>\n")
23930 Then put the following split rule in @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
23931 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
23935 (to "larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no"
23936 (| ("subject" "re:.*" "misc")
23937 ("references" ".*@@.*" "misc")
23942 This says that all mail to this address is suspect, but if it has a
23943 @code{Subject} that starts with a @samp{Re:} or has a @code{References}
23944 header, it's probably ok. All the rest goes to the @samp{spam} group.
23945 (This idea probably comes from Tim Pierce.)
23947 In addition, many mail spammers talk directly to your @acronym{SMTP} server
23948 and do not include your email address explicitly in the @code{To}
23949 header. Why they do this is unknown---perhaps it's to thwart this
23950 thwarting scheme? In any case, this is trivial to deal with---you just
23951 put anything not addressed to you in the @samp{spam} group by ending
23952 your fancy split rule in this way:
23957 (to "larsi" "misc")
23961 In my experience, this will sort virtually everything into the right
23962 group. You still have to check the @samp{spam} group from time to time to
23963 check for legitimate mail, though. If you feel like being a good net
23964 citizen, you can even send off complaints to the proper authorities on
23965 each unsolicited commercial email---at your leisure.
23967 This works for me. It allows people an easy way to contact me (they can
23968 just press @kbd{r} in the usual way), and I'm not bothered at all with
23969 spam. It's a win-win situation. Forging @code{From} headers to point
23970 to non-existent domains is yucky, in my opinion.
23972 Be careful with this approach. Spammers are wise to it.
23976 @subsection SpamAssassin, Vipul's Razor, DCC, etc
23977 @cindex SpamAssassin
23978 @cindex Vipul's Razor
23981 The days where the hints in the previous section were sufficient in
23982 avoiding spam are coming to an end. There are many tools out there
23983 that claim to reduce the amount of spam you get. This section could
23984 easily become outdated fast, as new products replace old, but
23985 fortunately most of these tools seem to have similar interfaces. Even
23986 though this section will use SpamAssassin as an example, it should be
23987 easy to adapt it to most other tools.
23989 Note that this section does not involve the @code{spam.el} package,
23990 which is discussed in the next section. If you don't care for all
23991 the features of @code{spam.el}, you can make do with these simple
23994 If the tool you are using is not installed on the mail server, you
23995 need to invoke it yourself. Ideas on how to use the
23996 @code{:postscript} mail source parameter (@pxref{Mail Source
23997 Specifiers}) follow.
24001 '((file :prescript "formail -bs spamassassin < /var/mail/%u")
24005 "mv %t /tmp/foo; formail -bs spamc < /tmp/foo > %t")))
24008 Once you manage to process your incoming spool somehow, thus making
24009 the mail contain, e.g., a header indicating it is spam, you are ready to
24010 filter it out. Using normal split methods (@pxref{Splitting Mail}):
24013 (setq nnmail-split-methods '(("spam" "^X-Spam-Flag: YES")
24017 Or using fancy split methods (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
24020 (setq nnmail-split-methods 'nnmail-split-fancy
24021 nnmail-split-fancy '(| ("X-Spam-Flag" "YES" "spam")
24025 Some people might not like the idea of piping the mail through various
24026 programs using a @code{:prescript} (if some program is buggy, you
24027 might lose all mail). If you are one of them, another solution is to
24028 call the external tools during splitting. Example fancy split method:
24031 (setq nnmail-split-fancy '(| (: kevin-spamassassin)
24033 (defun kevin-spamassassin ()
24037 (if (eq 1 (call-process-region (point-min) (point-max)
24038 "spamc" nil nil nil "-c"))
24042 Note that with the nnimap back end, message bodies will not be
24043 downloaded by default. You need to set
24044 @code{nnimap-split-download-body} to @code{t} to do that
24045 (@pxref{Client-Side IMAP Splitting}).
24047 That is about it. As some spam is likely to get through anyway, you
24048 might want to have a nifty function to call when you happen to read
24049 spam. And here is the nifty function:
24052 (defun my-gnus-raze-spam ()
24053 "Submit SPAM to Vipul's Razor, then mark it as expirable."
24055 (gnus-summary-save-in-pipe "razor-report -f -d" t)
24056 (gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable 1))
24060 @subsection Hashcash
24063 A novel technique to fight spam is to require senders to do something
24064 costly and demonstrably unique for each message they send. This has
24065 the obvious drawback that you cannot rely on everyone in the world
24066 using this technique, since it is not part of the Internet standards,
24067 but it may be useful in smaller communities.
24069 While the tools in the previous section work well in practice, they
24070 work only because the tools are constantly maintained and updated as
24071 new form of spam appears. This means that a small percentage of spam
24072 will always get through. It also means that somewhere, someone needs
24073 to read lots of spam to update these tools. Hashcash avoids that, but
24074 instead prefers that everyone you contact through e-mail supports the
24075 scheme. You can view the two approaches as pragmatic vs dogmatic.
24076 The approaches have their own advantages and disadvantages, but as
24077 often in the real world, a combination of them is stronger than either
24078 one of them separately.
24081 The ``something costly'' is to burn CPU time, more specifically to
24082 compute a hash collision up to a certain number of bits. The
24083 resulting hashcash cookie is inserted in a @samp{X-Hashcash:} header.
24084 For more details, and for the external application @code{hashcash} you
24085 need to install to use this feature, see
24086 @uref{http://www.hashcash.org/}. Even more information can be found
24087 at @uref{http://www.camram.org/}.
24089 If you wish to generate hashcash for each message you send, you can
24090 customize @code{message-generate-hashcash} (@pxref{Mail Headers, ,Mail
24091 Headers,message, The Message Manual}), as in:
24094 (setq message-generate-hashcash t)
24097 You will need to set up some additional variables as well:
24101 @item hashcash-default-payment
24102 @vindex hashcash-default-payment
24103 This variable indicates the default number of bits the hash collision
24104 should consist of. By default this is 20. Suggested useful values
24107 @item hashcash-payment-alist
24108 @vindex hashcash-payment-alist
24109 Some receivers may require you to spend burn more CPU time than the
24110 default. This variable contains a list of @samp{(@var{addr}
24111 @var{amount})} cells, where @var{addr} is the receiver (email address
24112 or newsgroup) and @var{amount} is the number of bits in the collision
24113 that is needed. It can also contain @samp{(@var{addr} @var{string}
24114 @var{amount})} cells, where the @var{string} is the string to use
24115 (normally the email address or newsgroup name is used).
24117 @item hashcash-path
24118 @vindex hashcash-path
24119 Where the @code{hashcash} binary is installed. This variable should
24120 be automatically set by @code{executable-find}, but if it's @code{nil}
24121 (usually because the @code{hashcash} binary is not in your path)
24122 you'll get a warning when you check hashcash payments and an error
24123 when you generate hashcash payments.
24127 Gnus can verify hashcash cookies, although this can also be done by
24128 hand customized mail filtering scripts. To verify a hashcash cookie
24129 in a message, use the @code{mail-check-payment} function in the
24130 @code{hashcash.el} library. You can also use the @code{spam.el}
24131 package with the @code{spam-use-hashcash} back end to validate hashcash
24132 cookies in incoming mail and filter mail accordingly (@pxref{Anti-spam
24133 Hashcash Payments}).
24136 @section Spam Package
24137 @cindex spam filtering
24140 The Spam package provides Gnus with a centralized mechanism for
24141 detecting and filtering spam. It filters new mail, and processes
24142 messages according to whether they are spam or ham. (@dfn{Ham} is the
24143 name used throughout this manual to indicate non-spam messages.)
24146 * Spam Package Introduction::
24147 * Filtering Incoming Mail::
24148 * Detecting Spam in Groups::
24149 * Spam and Ham Processors::
24150 * Spam Package Configuration Examples::
24152 * Extending the Spam package::
24153 * Spam Statistics Package::
24156 @node Spam Package Introduction
24157 @subsection Spam Package Introduction
24158 @cindex spam filtering
24159 @cindex spam filtering sequence of events
24162 You must read this section to understand how the Spam package works.
24163 Do not skip, speed-read, or glance through this section.
24165 Make sure you read the section on the @code{spam.el} sequence of
24166 events. See @xref{Extending the Spam package}.
24168 @cindex spam-initialize
24169 @vindex spam-use-stat
24170 To use the Spam package, you @strong{must} first run the function
24171 @code{spam-initialize}:
24177 This autoloads @code{spam.el} and installs the various hooks necessary
24178 to let the Spam package do its job. In order to make use of the Spam
24179 package, you have to set up certain group parameters and variables,
24180 which we will describe below. All of the variables controlling the
24181 Spam package can be found in the @samp{spam} customization group.
24183 There are two ``contact points'' between the Spam package and the rest
24184 of Gnus: checking new mail for spam, and leaving a group.
24186 Checking new mail for spam is done in one of two ways: while splitting
24187 incoming mail, or when you enter a group.
24189 The first way, checking for spam while splitting incoming mail, is
24190 suited to mail back ends such as @code{nnml} or @code{nnimap}, where
24191 new mail appears in a single spool file. The Spam package processes
24192 incoming mail, and sends mail considered to be spam to a designated
24193 ``spam'' group. @xref{Filtering Incoming Mail}.
24195 The second way is suited to back ends such as @code{nntp}, which have
24196 no incoming mail spool, or back ends where the server is in charge of
24197 splitting incoming mail. In this case, when you enter a Gnus group,
24198 the unseen or unread messages in that group are checked for spam.
24199 Detected spam messages are marked as spam. @xref{Detecting Spam in
24202 @cindex spam back ends
24203 In either case, you have to tell the Spam package what method to use
24204 to detect spam messages. There are several methods, or @dfn{spam back
24205 ends} (not to be confused with Gnus back ends!) to choose from: spam
24206 ``blacklists'' and ``whitelists'', dictionary-based filters, and so
24207 forth. @xref{Spam Back Ends}.
24209 In the Gnus summary buffer, messages that have been identified as spam
24210 always appear with a @samp{$} symbol.
24212 The Spam package divides Gnus groups into three categories: ham
24213 groups, spam groups, and unclassified groups. You should mark each of
24214 the groups you subscribe to as either a ham group or a spam group,
24215 using the @code{spam-contents} group parameter (@pxref{Group
24216 Parameters}). Spam groups have a special property: when you enter a
24217 spam group, all unseen articles are marked as spam. Thus, mail split
24218 into a spam group is automatically marked as spam.
24220 Identifying spam messages is only half of the Spam package's job. The
24221 second half comes into play whenever you exit a group buffer. At this
24222 point, the Spam package does several things:
24224 First, it calls @dfn{spam and ham processors} to process the articles
24225 according to whether they are spam or ham. There is a pair of spam
24226 and ham processors associated with each spam back end, and what the
24227 processors do depends on the back end. At present, the main role of
24228 spam and ham processors is for dictionary-based spam filters: they add
24229 the contents of the messages in the group to the filter's dictionary,
24230 to improve its ability to detect future spam. The @code{spam-process}
24231 group parameter specifies what spam processors to use. @xref{Spam and
24234 If the spam filter failed to mark a spam message, you can mark it
24235 yourself, so that the message is processed as spam when you exit the
24243 @kindex $ (Summary)
24244 @kindex M-d (Summary)
24245 @kindex S x (Summary)
24246 @kindex M s x (Summary)
24247 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-spam
24248 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-spam
24249 Mark current article as spam, showing it with the @samp{$} mark
24250 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}).
24254 Similarly, you can unmark an article if it has been erroneously marked
24255 as spam. @xref{Setting Marks}.
24257 Normally, a ham message found in a non-ham group is not processed as
24258 ham---the rationale is that it should be moved into a ham group for
24259 further processing (see below). However, you can force these articles
24260 to be processed as ham by setting
24261 @code{spam-process-ham-in-spam-groups} and
24262 @code{spam-process-ham-in-nonham-groups}.
24264 @vindex gnus-ham-process-destinations
24265 @vindex gnus-spam-process-destinations
24266 The second thing that the Spam package does when you exit a group is
24267 to move ham articles out of spam groups, and spam articles out of ham
24268 groups. Ham in a spam group is moved to the group specified by the
24269 variable @code{gnus-ham-process-destinations}, or the group parameter
24270 @code{ham-process-destination}. Spam in a ham group is moved to the
24271 group specified by the variable @code{gnus-spam-process-destinations},
24272 or the group parameter @code{spam-process-destination}. If these
24273 variables are not set, the articles are left in their current group.
24274 If an article cannot be moved (e.g., with a read-only backend such
24275 as @acronym{NNTP}), it is copied.
24277 If an article is moved to another group, it is processed again when
24278 you visit the new group. Normally, this is not a problem, but if you
24279 want each article to be processed only once, load the
24280 @code{gnus-registry.el} package and set the variable
24281 @code{spam-log-to-registry} to @code{t}. @xref{Spam Package
24282 Configuration Examples}.
24284 Normally, spam groups ignore @code{gnus-spam-process-destinations}.
24285 However, if you set @code{spam-move-spam-nonspam-groups-only} to
24286 @code{nil}, spam will also be moved out of spam groups, depending on
24287 the @code{spam-process-destination} parameter.
24289 The final thing the Spam package does is to mark spam articles as
24290 expired, which is usually the right thing to do.
24292 If all this seems confusing, don't worry. Soon it will be as natural
24293 as typing Lisp one-liners on a neural interface@dots{} err, sorry, that's
24294 50 years in the future yet. Just trust us, it's not so bad.
24296 @node Filtering Incoming Mail
24297 @subsection Filtering Incoming Mail
24298 @cindex spam filtering
24299 @cindex spam filtering incoming mail
24302 To use the Spam package to filter incoming mail, you must first set up
24303 fancy mail splitting. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}. The Spam package
24304 defines a special splitting function that you can add to your fancy
24305 split variable (either @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or
24306 @code{nnimap-split-fancy}, depending on your mail back end):
24312 @vindex spam-split-group
24314 The @code{spam-split} function scans incoming mail according to your
24315 chosen spam back end(s), and sends messages identified as spam to a
24316 spam group. By default, the spam group is a group named @samp{spam},
24317 but you can change this by customizing @code{spam-split-group}. Make
24318 sure the contents of @code{spam-split-group} are an unqualified group
24319 name. For instance, in an @code{nnimap} server @samp{your-server},
24320 the value @samp{spam} means @samp{nnimap+your-server:spam}. The value
24321 @samp{nnimap+server:spam} is therefore wrong---it gives the group
24322 @samp{nnimap+your-server:nnimap+server:spam}.
24324 @code{spam-split} does not modify the contents of messages in any way.
24326 @vindex nnimap-split-download-body
24327 Note for IMAP users: if you use the @code{spam-check-bogofilter},
24328 @code{spam-check-ifile}, and @code{spam-check-stat} spam back ends,
24329 you should also set the variable @code{nnimap-split-download-body} to
24330 @code{t}. These spam back ends are most useful when they can ``scan''
24331 the full message body. By default, the nnimap back end only retrieves
24332 the message headers; @code{nnimap-split-download-body} tells it to
24333 retrieve the message bodies as well. We don't set this by default
24334 because it will slow @acronym{IMAP} down, and that is not an
24335 appropriate decision to make on behalf of the user. @xref{Client-Side
24338 You have to specify one or more spam back ends for @code{spam-split}
24339 to use, by setting the @code{spam-use-*} variables. @xref{Spam Back
24340 Ends}. Normally, @code{spam-split} simply uses all the spam back ends
24341 you enabled in this way. However, you can tell @code{spam-split} to
24342 use only some of them. Why this is useful? Suppose you are using the
24343 @code{spam-use-regex-headers} and @code{spam-use-blackholes} spam back
24344 ends, and the following split rule:
24347 nnimap-split-fancy '(|
24348 (any "ding" "ding")
24350 ;; @r{default mailbox}
24355 The problem is that you want all ding messages to make it to the ding
24356 folder. But that will let obvious spam (for example, spam detected by
24357 SpamAssassin, and @code{spam-use-regex-headers}) through, when it's
24358 sent to the ding list. On the other hand, some messages to the ding
24359 list are from a mail server in the blackhole list, so the invocation
24360 of @code{spam-split} can't be before the ding rule.
24362 The solution is to let SpamAssassin headers supersede ding rules, and
24363 perform the other @code{spam-split} rules (including a second
24364 invocation of the regex-headers check) after the ding rule. This is
24365 done by passing a parameter to @code{spam-split}:
24370 ;; @r{spam detected by @code{spam-use-regex-headers} goes to @samp{regex-spam}}
24371 (: spam-split "regex-spam" 'spam-use-regex-headers)
24372 (any "ding" "ding")
24373 ;; @r{all other spam detected by spam-split goes to @code{spam-split-group}}
24375 ;; @r{default mailbox}
24380 This lets you invoke specific @code{spam-split} checks depending on
24381 your particular needs, and target the results of those checks to a
24382 particular spam group. You don't have to throw all mail into all the
24383 spam tests. Another reason why this is nice is that messages to
24384 mailing lists you have rules for don't have to have resource-intensive
24385 blackhole checks performed on them. You could also specify different
24386 spam checks for your nnmail split vs. your nnimap split. Go crazy.
24388 You should set the @code{spam-use-*} variables for whatever spam back
24389 ends you intend to use. The reason is that when loading
24390 @file{spam.el}, some conditional loading is done depending on what
24391 @code{spam-use-xyz} variables you have set. @xref{Spam Back Ends}.
24393 @c @emph{TODO: spam.el needs to provide a uniform way of training all the
24394 @c statistical databases. Some have that functionality built-in, others
24397 @node Detecting Spam in Groups
24398 @subsection Detecting Spam in Groups
24400 To detect spam when visiting a group, set the group's
24401 @code{spam-autodetect} and @code{spam-autodetect-methods} group
24402 parameters. These are accessible with @kbd{G c} or @kbd{G p}, as
24403 usual (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
24405 You should set the @code{spam-use-*} variables for whatever spam back
24406 ends you intend to use. The reason is that when loading
24407 @file{spam.el}, some conditional loading is done depending on what
24408 @code{spam-use-xyz} variables you have set.
24410 By default, only unseen articles are processed for spam. You can
24411 force Gnus to recheck all messages in the group by setting the
24412 variable @code{spam-autodetect-recheck-messages} to @code{t}.
24414 If you use the @code{spam-autodetect} method of checking for spam, you
24415 can specify different spam detection methods for different groups.
24416 For instance, the @samp{ding} group may have @code{spam-use-BBDB} as
24417 the autodetection method, while the @samp{suspect} group may have the
24418 @code{spam-use-blacklist} and @code{spam-use-bogofilter} methods
24419 enabled. Unlike with @code{spam-split}, you don't have any control
24420 over the @emph{sequence} of checks, but this is probably unimportant.
24422 @node Spam and Ham Processors
24423 @subsection Spam and Ham Processors
24424 @cindex spam filtering
24425 @cindex spam filtering variables
24426 @cindex spam variables
24429 @vindex gnus-spam-process-newsgroups
24430 Spam and ham processors specify special actions to take when you exit
24431 a group buffer. Spam processors act on spam messages, and ham
24432 processors on ham messages. At present, the main role of these
24433 processors is to update the dictionaries of dictionary-based spam back
24434 ends such as Bogofilter (@pxref{Bogofilter}) and the Spam Statistics
24435 package (@pxref{Spam Statistics Filtering}).
24437 The spam and ham processors that apply to each group are determined by
24438 the group's@code{spam-process} group parameter. If this group
24439 parameter is not defined, they are determined by the variable
24440 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups}.
24442 @vindex gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents
24443 Gnus learns from the spam you get. You have to collect your spam in
24444 one or more spam groups, and set or customize the variable
24445 @code{spam-junk-mailgroups} as appropriate. You can also declare
24446 groups to contain spam by setting their group parameter
24447 @code{spam-contents} to @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-spam}, or
24448 by customizing the corresponding variable
24449 @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents}. The @code{spam-contents} group
24450 parameter and the @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents} variable can
24451 also be used to declare groups as @emph{ham} groups if you set their
24452 classification to @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-ham}. If
24453 groups are not classified by means of @code{spam-junk-mailgroups},
24454 @code{spam-contents}, or @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents}, they are
24455 considered @emph{unclassified}. All groups are unclassified by
24458 @vindex gnus-spam-mark
24460 In spam groups, all messages are considered to be spam by default:
24461 they get the @samp{$} mark (@code{gnus-spam-mark}) when you enter the
24462 group. If you have seen a message, had it marked as spam, then
24463 unmarked it, it won't be marked as spam when you enter the group
24464 thereafter. You can disable that behavior, so all unread messages
24465 will get the @samp{$} mark, if you set the
24466 @code{spam-mark-only-unseen-as-spam} parameter to @code{nil}. You
24467 should remove the @samp{$} mark when you are in the group summary
24468 buffer for every message that is not spam after all. To remove the
24469 @samp{$} mark, you can use @kbd{M-u} to ``unread'' the article, or
24470 @kbd{d} for declaring it read the non-spam way. When you leave a
24471 group, all spam-marked (@samp{$}) articles are sent to a spam
24472 processor which will study them as spam samples.
24474 Messages may also be deleted in various other ways, and unless
24475 @code{ham-marks} group parameter gets overridden below, marks @samp{R}
24476 and @samp{r} for default read or explicit delete, marks @samp{X} and
24477 @samp{K} for automatic or explicit kills, as well as mark @samp{Y} for
24478 low scores, are all considered to be associated with articles which
24479 are not spam. This assumption might be false, in particular if you
24480 use kill files or score files as means for detecting genuine spam, you
24481 should then adjust the @code{ham-marks} group parameter.
24484 You can customize this group or topic parameter to be the list of
24485 marks you want to consider ham. By default, the list contains the
24486 deleted, read, killed, kill-filed, and low-score marks (the idea is
24487 that these articles have been read, but are not spam). It can be
24488 useful to also include the tick mark in the ham marks. It is not
24489 recommended to make the unread mark a ham mark, because it normally
24490 indicates a lack of classification. But you can do it, and we'll be
24495 You can customize this group or topic parameter to be the list of
24496 marks you want to consider spam. By default, the list contains only
24497 the spam mark. It is not recommended to change that, but you can if
24498 you really want to.
24501 When you leave @emph{any} group, regardless of its
24502 @code{spam-contents} classification, all spam-marked articles are sent
24503 to a spam processor, which will study these as spam samples. If you
24504 explicit kill a lot, you might sometimes end up with articles marked
24505 @samp{K} which you never saw, and which might accidentally contain
24506 spam. Best is to make sure that real spam is marked with @samp{$},
24509 @vindex gnus-ham-process-destinations
24510 When you leave a @emph{spam} group, all spam-marked articles are
24511 marked as expired after processing with the spam processor. This is
24512 not done for @emph{unclassified} or @emph{ham} groups. Also, any
24513 @strong{ham} articles in a spam group will be moved to a location
24514 determined by either the @code{ham-process-destination} group
24515 parameter or a match in the @code{gnus-ham-process-destinations}
24516 variable, which is a list of regular expressions matched with group
24517 names (it's easiest to customize this variable with @kbd{M-x
24518 customize-variable @key{RET} gnus-ham-process-destinations}). Each
24519 group name list is a standard Lisp list, if you prefer to customize
24520 the variable manually. If the @code{ham-process-destination}
24521 parameter is not set, ham articles are left in place. If the
24522 @code{spam-mark-ham-unread-before-move-from-spam-group} parameter is
24523 set, the ham articles are marked as unread before being moved.
24525 If ham can not be moved---because of a read-only back end such as
24526 @acronym{NNTP}, for example, it will be copied.
24528 Note that you can use multiples destinations per group or regular
24529 expression! This enables you to send your ham to a regular mail
24530 group and to a @emph{ham training} group.
24532 When you leave a @emph{ham} group, all ham-marked articles are sent to
24533 a ham processor, which will study these as non-spam samples.
24535 @vindex spam-process-ham-in-spam-groups
24536 By default the variable @code{spam-process-ham-in-spam-groups} is
24537 @code{nil}. Set it to @code{t} if you want ham found in spam groups
24538 to be processed. Normally this is not done, you are expected instead
24539 to send your ham to a ham group and process it there.
24541 @vindex spam-process-ham-in-nonham-groups
24542 By default the variable @code{spam-process-ham-in-nonham-groups} is
24543 @code{nil}. Set it to @code{t} if you want ham found in non-ham (spam
24544 or unclassified) groups to be processed. Normally this is not done,
24545 you are expected instead to send your ham to a ham group and process
24548 @vindex gnus-spam-process-destinations
24549 When you leave a @emph{ham} or @emph{unclassified} group, all
24550 @strong{spam} articles are moved to a location determined by either
24551 the @code{spam-process-destination} group parameter or a match in the
24552 @code{gnus-spam-process-destinations} variable, which is a list of
24553 regular expressions matched with group names (it's easiest to
24554 customize this variable with @kbd{M-x customize-variable @key{RET}
24555 gnus-spam-process-destinations}). Each group name list is a standard
24556 Lisp list, if you prefer to customize the variable manually. If the
24557 @code{spam-process-destination} parameter is not set, the spam
24558 articles are only expired. The group name is fully qualified, meaning
24559 that if you see @samp{nntp:servername} before the group name in the
24560 group buffer then you need it here as well.
24562 If spam can not be moved---because of a read-only back end such as
24563 @acronym{NNTP}, for example, it will be copied.
24565 Note that you can use multiples destinations per group or regular
24566 expression! This enables you to send your spam to multiple @emph{spam
24569 @vindex spam-log-to-registry
24570 The problem with processing ham and spam is that Gnus doesn't track
24571 this processing by default. Enable the @code{spam-log-to-registry}
24572 variable so @code{spam.el} will use @code{gnus-registry.el} to track
24573 what articles have been processed, and avoid processing articles
24574 multiple times. Keep in mind that if you limit the number of registry
24575 entries, this won't work as well as it does without a limit.
24577 @vindex spam-mark-only-unseen-as-spam
24578 Set this variable if you want only unseen articles in spam groups to
24579 be marked as spam. By default, it is set. If you set it to
24580 @code{nil}, unread articles will also be marked as spam.
24582 @vindex spam-mark-ham-unread-before-move-from-spam-group
24583 Set this variable if you want ham to be unmarked before it is moved
24584 out of the spam group. This is very useful when you use something
24585 like the tick mark @samp{!} to mark ham---the article will be placed
24586 in your @code{ham-process-destination}, unmarked as if it came fresh
24587 from the mail server.
24589 @vindex spam-autodetect-recheck-messages
24590 When autodetecting spam, this variable tells @code{spam.el} whether
24591 only unseen articles or all unread articles should be checked for
24592 spam. It is recommended that you leave it off.
24594 @node Spam Package Configuration Examples
24595 @subsection Spam Package Configuration Examples
24596 @cindex spam filtering
24597 @cindex spam filtering configuration examples
24598 @cindex spam configuration examples
24601 @subsubheading Ted's setup
24603 From Ted Zlatanov <tzz@@lifelogs.com>.
24605 ;; @r{for @code{gnus-registry-split-fancy-with-parent} and spam autodetection}
24606 ;; @r{see @file{gnus-registry.el} for more information}
24607 (gnus-registry-initialize)
24611 spam-log-to-registry t ; @r{for spam autodetection}
24613 spam-use-regex-headers t ; @r{catch X-Spam-Flag (SpamAssassin)}
24614 ;; @r{all groups with @samp{spam} in the name contain spam}
24615 gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents
24616 '(("spam" gnus-group-spam-classification-spam))
24617 ;; @r{see documentation for these}
24618 spam-move-spam-nonspam-groups-only nil
24619 spam-mark-only-unseen-as-spam t
24620 spam-mark-ham-unread-before-move-from-spam-group t
24621 ;; @r{understand what this does before you copy it to your own setup!}
24622 ;; @r{for nnimap you'll probably want to set nnimap-split-methods, see the manual}
24623 nnimap-split-fancy '(|
24624 ;; @r{trace references to parents and put in their group}
24625 (: gnus-registry-split-fancy-with-parent)
24626 ;; @r{this will catch server-side SpamAssassin tags}
24627 (: spam-split 'spam-use-regex-headers)
24628 (any "ding" "ding")
24629 ;; @r{note that spam by default will go to @samp{spam}}
24631 ;; @r{default mailbox}
24634 ;; @r{my parameters, set with @kbd{G p}}
24636 ;; @r{all nnml groups, and all nnimap groups except}
24637 ;; @r{@samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train} and}
24638 ;; @r{@samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:spam}: any spam goes to nnimap training,}
24639 ;; @r{because it must have been detected manually}
24641 ((spam-process-destination . "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train"))
24643 ;; @r{all @acronym{NNTP} groups}
24644 ;; @r{autodetect spam with the blacklist and ham with the BBDB}
24645 ((spam-autodetect-methods spam-use-blacklist spam-use-BBDB)
24646 ;; @r{send all spam to the training group}
24647 (spam-process-destination . "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train"))
24649 ;; @r{only some @acronym{NNTP} groups, where I want to autodetect spam}
24650 ((spam-autodetect . t))
24652 ;; @r{my nnimap @samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:spam} group}
24654 ;; @r{this is a spam group}
24655 ((spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-spam)
24657 ;; @r{any spam (which happens when I enter for all unseen messages,}
24658 ;; @r{because of the @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents} setting above), goes to}
24659 ;; @r{@samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train} unless I mark it as ham}
24661 (spam-process-destination "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train")
24663 ;; @r{any ham goes to my @samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:mail} folder, but}
24664 ;; @r{also to my @samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:trainham} folder for training}
24666 (ham-process-destination "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:mail"
24667 "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:trainham")
24668 ;; @r{in this group, only @samp{!} marks are ham}
24670 (gnus-ticked-mark))
24671 ;; @r{remembers senders in the blacklist on the way out---this is}
24672 ;; @r{definitely not needed, it just makes me feel better}
24673 (spam-process (gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist)))
24675 ;; @r{Later, on the @acronym{IMAP} server I use the @samp{train} group for training}
24676 ;; @r{SpamAssassin to recognize spam, and the @samp{trainham} group fora}
24677 ;; @r{recognizing ham---but Gnus has nothing to do with it.}
24681 @subsubheading Using @code{spam.el} on an IMAP server with a statistical filter on the server
24682 From Reiner Steib <reiner.steib@@gmx.de>.
24684 My provider has set up bogofilter (in combination with @acronym{DCC}) on
24685 the mail server (@acronym{IMAP}). Recognized spam goes to
24686 @samp{spam.detected}, the rest goes through the normal filter rules,
24687 i.e., to @samp{some.folder} or to @samp{INBOX}. Training on false
24688 positives or negatives is done by copying or moving the article to
24689 @samp{training.ham} or @samp{training.spam} respectively. A cron job on
24690 the server feeds those to bogofilter with the suitable ham or spam
24691 options and deletes them from the @samp{training.ham} and
24692 @samp{training.spam} folders.
24694 With the following entries in @code{gnus-parameters}, @code{spam.el}
24695 does most of the job for me:
24698 ("nnimap:spam\\.detected"
24699 (gnus-article-sort-functions '(gnus-article-sort-by-chars))
24700 (ham-process-destination "nnimap:INBOX" "nnimap:training.ham")
24701 (spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-spam))
24702 ("nnimap:\\(INBOX\\|other-folders\\)"
24703 (spam-process-destination . "nnimap:training.spam")
24704 (spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-ham))
24709 @item @b{The Spam folder:}
24711 In the folder @samp{spam.detected}, I have to check for false positives
24712 (i.e., legitimate mails, that were wrongly judged as spam by
24713 bogofilter or DCC).
24715 Because of the @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-spam} entry, all
24716 messages are marked as spam (with @code{$}). When I find a false
24717 positive, I mark the message with some other ham mark
24718 (@code{ham-marks}, @ref{Spam and Ham Processors}). On group exit,
24719 those messages are copied to both groups, @samp{INBOX} (where I want
24720 to have the article) and @samp{training.ham} (for training bogofilter)
24721 and deleted from the @samp{spam.detected} folder.
24723 The @code{gnus-article-sort-by-chars} entry simplifies detection of
24724 false positives for me. I receive lots of worms (sweN, @dots{}), that all
24725 have a similar size. Grouping them by size (i.e., chars) makes finding
24726 other false positives easier. (Of course worms aren't @i{spam}
24727 (@acronym{UCE}, @acronym{UBE}) strictly speaking. Anyhow, bogofilter is
24728 an excellent tool for filtering those unwanted mails for me.)
24730 @item @b{Ham folders:}
24732 In my ham folders, I just hit @kbd{S x}
24733 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}) whenever I see an unrecognized spam
24734 mail (false negative). On group exit, those messages are moved to
24735 @samp{training.spam}.
24738 @subsubheading Reporting spam articles in Gmane groups with @code{spam-report.el}
24740 From Reiner Steib <reiner.steib@@gmx.de>.
24742 With following entry in @code{gnus-parameters}, @kbd{S x}
24743 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}) marks articles in @code{gmane.*}
24744 groups as spam and reports the to Gmane at group exit:
24748 (spam-process (gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-report-gmane)))
24751 Additionally, I use @code{(setq spam-report-gmane-use-article-number nil)}
24752 because I don't read the groups directly from news.gmane.org, but
24753 through my local news server (leafnode). I.e., the article numbers are
24754 not the same as on news.gmane.org, thus @code{spam-report.el} has to check
24755 the @code{X-Report-Spam} header to find the correct number.
24757 @node Spam Back Ends
24758 @subsection Spam Back Ends
24759 @cindex spam back ends
24761 The spam package offers a variety of back ends for detecting spam.
24762 Each back end defines a set of methods for detecting spam
24763 (@pxref{Filtering Incoming Mail}, @pxref{Detecting Spam in Groups}),
24764 and a pair of spam and ham processors (@pxref{Spam and Ham
24768 * Blacklists and Whitelists::
24769 * BBDB Whitelists::
24770 * Gmane Spam Reporting::
24771 * Anti-spam Hashcash Payments::
24773 * Regular Expressions Header Matching::
24775 * SpamAssassin back end::
24776 * ifile spam filtering::
24777 * Spam Statistics Filtering::
24781 @node Blacklists and Whitelists
24782 @subsubsection Blacklists and Whitelists
24783 @cindex spam filtering
24784 @cindex whitelists, spam filtering
24785 @cindex blacklists, spam filtering
24788 @defvar spam-use-blacklist
24790 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use blacklists when
24791 splitting incoming mail. Messages whose senders are in the blacklist
24792 will be sent to the @code{spam-split-group}. This is an explicit
24793 filter, meaning that it acts only on mail senders @emph{declared} to
24798 @defvar spam-use-whitelist
24800 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use whitelists when
24801 splitting incoming mail. Messages whose senders are not in the
24802 whitelist will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an
24803 explicit filter, meaning that unless someone is in the whitelist, their
24804 messages are not assumed to be spam or ham.
24808 @defvar spam-use-whitelist-exclusive
24810 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use whitelists as an
24811 implicit filter, meaning that every message will be considered spam
24812 unless the sender is in the whitelist. Use with care.
24816 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist
24818 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24819 customizing the group parameters or the
24820 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
24821 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
24822 spam-marked articles will be added to the blacklist.
24826 Instead of the obsolete
24827 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist}, it is recommended
24828 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-blacklist)}. Everything will work
24829 the same way, we promise.
24833 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-whitelist
24835 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24836 customizing the group parameters or the
24837 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
24838 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
24839 ham-marked articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the
24844 Instead of the obsolete
24845 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-whitelist}, it is recommended
24846 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-whitelist)}. Everything will work
24847 the same way, we promise.
24851 Blacklists are lists of regular expressions matching addresses you
24852 consider to be spam senders. For instance, to block mail from any
24853 sender at @samp{vmadmin.com}, you can put @samp{vmadmin.com} in your
24854 blacklist. You start out with an empty blacklist. Blacklist entries
24855 use the Emacs regular expression syntax.
24857 Conversely, whitelists tell Gnus what addresses are considered
24858 legitimate. All messages from whitelisted addresses are considered
24859 non-spam. Also see @ref{BBDB Whitelists}. Whitelist entries use the
24860 Emacs regular expression syntax.
24862 The blacklist and whitelist file locations can be customized with the
24863 @code{spam-directory} variable (@file{~/News/spam} by default), or
24864 the @code{spam-whitelist} and @code{spam-blacklist} variables
24865 directly. The whitelist and blacklist files will by default be in the
24866 @code{spam-directory} directory, named @file{whitelist} and
24867 @file{blacklist} respectively.
24869 @node BBDB Whitelists
24870 @subsubsection BBDB Whitelists
24871 @cindex spam filtering
24872 @cindex BBDB whitelists, spam filtering
24873 @cindex BBDB, spam filtering
24876 @defvar spam-use-BBDB
24878 Analogous to @code{spam-use-whitelist} (@pxref{Blacklists and
24879 Whitelists}), but uses the BBDB as the source of whitelisted
24880 addresses, without regular expressions. You must have the BBDB loaded
24881 for @code{spam-use-BBDB} to work properly. Messages whose senders are
24882 not in the BBDB will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an
24883 explicit filter, meaning that unless someone is in the BBDB, their
24884 messages are not assumed to be spam or ham.
24888 @defvar spam-use-BBDB-exclusive
24890 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use the BBDB as an
24891 implicit filter, meaning that every message will be considered spam
24892 unless the sender is in the BBDB@. Use with care. Only sender
24893 addresses in the BBDB will be allowed through; all others will be
24894 classified as spammers.
24896 While @code{spam-use-BBDB-exclusive} @emph{can} be used as an alias
24897 for @code{spam-use-BBDB} as far as @code{spam.el} is concerned, it is
24898 @emph{not} a separate back end. If you set
24899 @code{spam-use-BBDB-exclusive} to @code{t}, @emph{all} your BBDB splitting
24904 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-BBDB
24906 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24907 customizing the group parameters or the
24908 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
24909 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
24910 ham-marked articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the
24915 Instead of the obsolete
24916 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-BBDB}, it is recommended
24917 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-BBDB)}. Everything will work
24918 the same way, we promise.
24922 @node Gmane Spam Reporting
24923 @subsubsection Gmane Spam Reporting
24924 @cindex spam reporting
24925 @cindex Gmane, spam reporting
24926 @cindex Gmane, spam reporting
24929 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-report-gmane
24931 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24932 customizing the group parameters or the
24933 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
24934 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the spam-marked
24935 articles groups will be reported to the Gmane administrators via a
24938 Gmane can be found at @uref{http://gmane.org}.
24942 Instead of the obsolete
24943 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-report-gmane}, it is recommended
24944 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-gmane)}. Everything will work the
24945 same way, we promise.
24949 @defvar spam-report-gmane-use-article-number
24951 This variable is @code{t} by default. Set it to @code{nil} if you are
24952 running your own news server, for instance, and the local article
24953 numbers don't correspond to the Gmane article numbers. When
24954 @code{spam-report-gmane-use-article-number} is @code{nil},
24955 @code{spam-report.el} will fetch the number from the article headers.
24959 @defvar spam-report-user-mail-address
24961 Mail address exposed in the User-Agent spam reports to Gmane. It allows
24962 the Gmane administrators to contact you in case of misreports. The
24963 default is @code{user-mail-address}.
24967 @node Anti-spam Hashcash Payments
24968 @subsubsection Anti-spam Hashcash Payments
24969 @cindex spam filtering
24970 @cindex hashcash, spam filtering
24973 @defvar spam-use-hashcash
24975 Similar to @code{spam-use-whitelist} (@pxref{Blacklists and
24976 Whitelists}), but uses hashcash tokens for whitelisting messages
24977 instead of the sender address. Messages without a hashcash payment
24978 token will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an explicit
24979 filter, meaning that unless a hashcash token is found, the messages
24980 are not assumed to be spam or ham.
24985 @subsubsection Blackholes
24986 @cindex spam filtering
24987 @cindex blackholes, spam filtering
24990 @defvar spam-use-blackholes
24992 This option is disabled by default. You can let Gnus consult the
24993 blackhole-type distributed spam processing systems (DCC, for instance)
24994 when you set this option. The variable @code{spam-blackhole-servers}
24995 holds the list of blackhole servers Gnus will consult. The current
24996 list is fairly comprehensive, but make sure to let us know if it
24997 contains outdated servers.
24999 The blackhole check uses the @code{dig.el} package, but you can tell
25000 @code{spam.el} to use @code{dns.el} instead for better performance if
25001 you set @code{spam-use-dig} to @code{nil}. It is not recommended at
25002 this time to set @code{spam-use-dig} to @code{nil} despite the
25003 possible performance improvements, because some users may be unable to
25004 use it, but you can try it and see if it works for you.
25008 @defvar spam-blackhole-servers
25010 The list of servers to consult for blackhole checks.
25014 @defvar spam-blackhole-good-server-regex
25016 A regular expression for IPs that should not be checked against the
25017 blackhole server list. When set to @code{nil}, it has no effect.
25021 @defvar spam-use-dig
25023 Use the @code{dig.el} package instead of the @code{dns.el} package.
25024 The default setting of @code{t} is recommended.
25028 Blackhole checks are done only on incoming mail. There is no spam or
25029 ham processor for blackholes.
25031 @node Regular Expressions Header Matching
25032 @subsubsection Regular Expressions Header Matching
25033 @cindex spam filtering
25034 @cindex regular expressions header matching, spam filtering
25037 @defvar spam-use-regex-headers
25039 This option is disabled by default. You can let Gnus check the
25040 message headers against lists of regular expressions when you set this
25041 option. The variables @code{spam-regex-headers-spam} and
25042 @code{spam-regex-headers-ham} hold the list of regular expressions.
25043 Gnus will check against the message headers to determine if the
25044 message is spam or ham, respectively.
25048 @defvar spam-regex-headers-spam
25050 The list of regular expressions that, when matched in the headers of
25051 the message, positively identify it as spam.
25055 @defvar spam-regex-headers-ham
25057 The list of regular expressions that, when matched in the headers of
25058 the message, positively identify it as ham.
25062 Regular expression header checks are done only on incoming mail.
25063 There is no specific spam or ham processor for regular expressions.
25066 @subsubsection Bogofilter
25067 @cindex spam filtering
25068 @cindex bogofilter, spam filtering
25071 @defvar spam-use-bogofilter
25073 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use Eric Raymond's
25076 With a minimum of care for associating the @samp{$} mark for spam
25077 articles only, Bogofilter training all gets fairly automatic. You
25078 should do this until you get a few hundreds of articles in each
25079 category, spam or not. The command @kbd{S t} in summary mode, either
25080 for debugging or for curiosity, shows the @emph{spamicity} score of
25081 the current article (between 0.0 and 1.0).
25083 Bogofilter determines if a message is spam based on a specific
25084 threshold. That threshold can be customized, consult the Bogofilter
25087 If the @code{bogofilter} executable is not in your path, Bogofilter
25088 processing will be turned off.
25090 You should not enable this if you use @code{spam-use-bogofilter-headers}.
25099 @findex spam-bogofilter-score
25100 Get the Bogofilter spamicity score (@code{spam-bogofilter-score}).
25103 @defvar spam-use-bogofilter-headers
25105 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use Eric Raymond's
25106 speedy Bogofilter, looking only at the message headers. It works
25107 similarly to @code{spam-use-bogofilter}, but the @code{X-Bogosity} header
25108 must be in the message already. Normally you would do this with a
25109 procmail recipe or something similar; consult the Bogofilter
25110 installation documents for details.
25112 You should not enable this if you use @code{spam-use-bogofilter}.
25116 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-bogofilter
25117 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
25118 customizing the group parameters or the
25119 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
25120 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, spam-marked articles
25121 will be added to the Bogofilter spam database.
25125 Instead of the obsolete
25126 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-bogofilter}, it is recommended
25127 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-bogofilter)}. Everything will work
25128 the same way, we promise.
25131 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-bogofilter
25132 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
25133 customizing the group parameters or the
25134 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
25135 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked
25136 articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the Bogofilter database
25137 of non-spam messages.
25141 Instead of the obsolete
25142 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-bogofilter}, it is recommended
25143 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-bogofilter)}. Everything will work
25144 the same way, we promise.
25147 @defvar spam-bogofilter-database-directory
25149 This is the directory where Bogofilter will store its databases. It
25150 is not specified by default, so Bogofilter will use its own default
25151 database directory.
25155 The Bogofilter mail classifier is similar to @command{ifile} in intent and
25156 purpose. A ham and a spam processor are provided, plus the
25157 @code{spam-use-bogofilter} and @code{spam-use-bogofilter-headers}
25158 variables to indicate to spam-split that Bogofilter should either be
25159 used, or has already been used on the article. The 0.9.2.1 version of
25160 Bogofilter was used to test this functionality.
25162 @node SpamAssassin back end
25163 @subsubsection SpamAssassin back end
25164 @cindex spam filtering
25165 @cindex spamassassin, spam filtering
25168 @defvar spam-use-spamassassin
25170 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use SpamAssassin.
25172 SpamAssassin assigns a score to each article based on a set of rules
25173 and tests, including a Bayesian filter. The Bayesian filter can be
25174 trained by associating the @samp{$} mark for spam articles. The
25175 spam score can be viewed by using the command @kbd{S t} in summary
25178 If you set this variable, each article will be processed by
25179 SpamAssassin when @code{spam-split} is called. If your mail is
25180 preprocessed by SpamAssassin, and you want to just use the
25181 SpamAssassin headers, set @code{spam-use-spamassassin-headers}
25184 You should not enable this if you use
25185 @code{spam-use-spamassassin-headers}.
25189 @defvar spam-use-spamassassin-headers
25191 Set this variable if your mail is preprocessed by SpamAssassin and
25192 want @code{spam-split} to split based on the SpamAssassin headers.
25194 You should not enable this if you use @code{spam-use-spamassassin}.
25198 @defvar spam-spamassassin-program
25200 This variable points to the SpamAssassin executable. If you have
25201 @code{spamd} running, you can set this variable to the @code{spamc}
25202 executable for faster processing. See the SpamAssassin documentation
25203 for more information on @code{spamd}/@code{spamc}.
25207 SpamAssassin is a powerful and flexible spam filter that uses a wide
25208 variety of tests to identify spam. A ham and a spam processors are
25209 provided, plus the @code{spam-use-spamassassin} and
25210 @code{spam-use-spamassassin-headers} variables to indicate to
25211 spam-split that SpamAssassin should be either used, or has already
25212 been used on the article. The 2.63 version of SpamAssassin was used
25213 to test this functionality.
25215 @node ifile spam filtering
25216 @subsubsection ifile spam filtering
25217 @cindex spam filtering
25218 @cindex ifile, spam filtering
25221 @defvar spam-use-ifile
25223 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use @command{ifile}, a
25224 statistical analyzer similar to Bogofilter.
25228 @defvar spam-ifile-all-categories
25230 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-use-ifile} to give you all
25231 the ifile categories, not just spam/non-spam. If you use this, make
25232 sure you train ifile as described in its documentation.
25236 @defvar spam-ifile-spam-category
25238 This is the category of spam messages as far as ifile is concerned.
25239 The actual string used is irrelevant, but you probably want to leave
25240 the default value of @samp{spam}.
25243 @defvar spam-ifile-database
25245 This is the filename for the ifile database. It is not specified by
25246 default, so ifile will use its own default database name.
25250 The ifile mail classifier is similar to Bogofilter in intent and
25251 purpose. A ham and a spam processor are provided, plus the
25252 @code{spam-use-ifile} variable to indicate to spam-split that ifile
25253 should be used. The 1.2.1 version of ifile was used to test this
25256 @node Spam Statistics Filtering
25257 @subsubsection Spam Statistics Filtering
25258 @cindex spam filtering
25259 @cindex spam-stat, spam filtering
25263 This back end uses the Spam Statistics Emacs Lisp package to perform
25264 statistics-based filtering (@pxref{Spam Statistics Package}). Before
25265 using this, you may want to perform some additional steps to
25266 initialize your Spam Statistics dictionary. @xref{Creating a
25267 spam-stat dictionary}.
25269 @defvar spam-use-stat
25273 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-stat
25274 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
25275 customizing the group parameters or the
25276 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
25277 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the spam-marked
25278 articles will be added to the spam-stat database of spam messages.
25282 Instead of the obsolete
25283 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-stat}, it is recommended
25284 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-stat)}. Everything will work
25285 the same way, we promise.
25288 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-stat
25289 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
25290 customizing the group parameters or the
25291 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
25292 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked
25293 articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the spam-stat database
25294 of non-spam messages.
25298 Instead of the obsolete
25299 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-stat}, it is recommended
25300 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-stat)}. Everything will work
25301 the same way, we promise.
25304 This enables @code{spam.el} to cooperate with @file{spam-stat.el}.
25305 @file{spam-stat.el} provides an internal (Lisp-only) spam database,
25306 which unlike ifile or Bogofilter does not require external programs.
25307 A spam and a ham processor, and the @code{spam-use-stat} variable for
25308 @code{spam-split} are provided.
25311 @subsubsection Using SpamOracle with Gnus
25312 @cindex spam filtering
25316 An easy way to filter out spam is to use SpamOracle. SpamOracle is an
25317 statistical mail filtering tool written by Xavier Leroy and needs to be
25318 installed separately.
25320 There are several ways to use SpamOracle with Gnus. In all cases, your
25321 mail is piped through SpamOracle in its @emph{mark} mode. SpamOracle will
25322 then enter an @samp{X-Spam} header indicating whether it regards the
25323 mail as a spam mail or not.
25325 One possibility is to run SpamOracle as a @code{:prescript} from the
25326 @xref{Mail Source Specifiers}, (@pxref{SpamAssassin}). This method has
25327 the advantage that the user can see the @emph{X-Spam} headers.
25329 The easiest method is to make @file{spam.el} (@pxref{Spam Package})
25332 @vindex spam-use-spamoracle
25333 To enable SpamOracle usage by @code{spam.el}, set the variable
25334 @code{spam-use-spamoracle} to @code{t} and configure the
25335 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or @code{nnimap-split-fancy}. @xref{Spam
25336 Package}. In this example the @samp{INBOX} of an nnimap server is
25337 filtered using SpamOracle. Mails recognized as spam mails will be
25338 moved to @code{spam-split-group}, @samp{Junk} in this case. Ham
25339 messages stay in @samp{INBOX}:
25342 (setq spam-use-spamoracle t
25343 spam-split-group "Junk"
25344 ;; @r{for nnimap you'll probably want to set nnimap-split-methods, see the manual}
25345 nnimap-split-inbox '("INBOX")
25346 nnimap-split-fancy '(| (: spam-split) "INBOX"))
25349 @defvar spam-use-spamoracle
25350 Set to @code{t} if you want Gnus to enable spam filtering using
25354 @defvar spam-spamoracle-binary
25355 Gnus uses the SpamOracle binary called @file{spamoracle} found in the
25356 user's PATH@. Using the variable @code{spam-spamoracle-binary}, this
25360 @defvar spam-spamoracle-database
25361 By default, SpamOracle uses the file @file{~/.spamoracle.db} as a database to
25362 store its analysis. This is controlled by the variable
25363 @code{spam-spamoracle-database} which defaults to @code{nil}. That means
25364 the default SpamOracle database will be used. In case you want your
25365 database to live somewhere special, set
25366 @code{spam-spamoracle-database} to this path.
25369 SpamOracle employs a statistical algorithm to determine whether a
25370 message is spam or ham. In order to get good results, meaning few
25371 false hits or misses, SpamOracle needs training. SpamOracle learns
25372 the characteristics of your spam mails. Using the @emph{add} mode
25373 (training mode) one has to feed good (ham) and spam mails to
25374 SpamOracle. This can be done by pressing @kbd{|} in the Summary
25375 buffer and pipe the mail to a SpamOracle process or using
25376 @file{spam.el}'s spam- and ham-processors, which is much more
25377 convenient. For a detailed description of spam- and ham-processors,
25378 @xref{Spam Package}.
25380 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-spamoracle
25381 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
25382 customizing the group parameter or the
25383 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is added
25384 to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, spam-marked articles will be
25385 sent to SpamOracle as spam samples.
25389 Instead of the obsolete
25390 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-spamoracle}, it is recommended
25391 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-spamoracle)}. Everything will work
25392 the same way, we promise.
25395 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-spamoracle
25396 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
25397 customizing the group parameter or the
25398 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is added
25399 to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked articles in
25400 @emph{ham} groups will be sent to the SpamOracle as samples of ham
25405 Instead of the obsolete
25406 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-spamoracle}, it is recommended
25407 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-spamoracle)}. Everything will work
25408 the same way, we promise.
25411 @emph{Example:} These are the Group Parameters of a group that has been
25412 classified as a ham group, meaning that it should only contain ham
25415 ((spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-ham)
25416 (spam-process ((ham spam-use-spamoracle)
25417 (spam spam-use-spamoracle))))
25419 For this group the @code{spam-use-spamoracle} is installed for both
25420 ham and spam processing. If the group contains spam message
25421 (e.g., because SpamOracle has not had enough sample messages yet) and
25422 the user marks some messages as spam messages, these messages will be
25423 processed by SpamOracle. The processor sends the messages to
25424 SpamOracle as new samples for spam.
25426 @node Extending the Spam package
25427 @subsection Extending the Spam package
25428 @cindex spam filtering
25429 @cindex spam elisp package, extending
25430 @cindex extending the spam elisp package
25432 Say you want to add a new back end called blackbox. For filtering
25433 incoming mail, provide the following:
25441 (defvar spam-use-blackbox nil
25442 "True if blackbox should be used.")
25445 Write @code{spam-check-blackbox} if Blackbox can check incoming mail.
25447 Write @code{spam-blackbox-register-routine} and
25448 @code{spam-blackbox-unregister-routine} using the bogofilter
25449 register/unregister routines as a start, or other register/unregister
25450 routines more appropriate to Blackbox, if Blackbox can
25451 register/unregister spam and ham.
25456 The @code{spam-check-blackbox} function should return @samp{nil} or
25457 @code{spam-split-group}, observing the other conventions. See the
25458 existing @code{spam-check-*} functions for examples of what you can
25459 do, and stick to the template unless you fully understand the reasons
25464 For processing spam and ham messages, provide the following:
25471 Note you don't have to provide a spam or a ham processor. Only
25472 provide them if Blackbox supports spam or ham processing.
25474 Also, ham and spam processors are being phased out as single
25475 variables. Instead the form @code{(spam spam-use-blackbox)} or
25476 @code{(ham spam-use-blackbox)} is favored. For now, spam/ham
25477 processor variables are still around but they won't be for long.
25480 (defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blackbox "blackbox-spam"
25481 "The Blackbox summary exit spam processor.
25482 Only applicable to spam groups.")
25484 (defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-blackbox "blackbox-ham"
25485 "The whitelist summary exit ham processor.
25486 Only applicable to non-spam (unclassified and ham) groups.")
25495 (const :tag "Spam: Blackbox" (spam spam-use-blackbox))
25496 (const :tag "Ham: Blackbox" (ham spam-use-blackbox))
25498 to the @code{spam-process} group parameter in @code{gnus.el}. Make
25499 sure you do it twice, once for the parameter and once for the
25500 variable customization.
25504 (variable-item spam-use-blackbox)
25506 to the @code{spam-autodetect-methods} group parameter in
25507 @code{gnus.el} if Blackbox can check incoming mail for spam contents.
25509 Finally, use the appropriate @code{spam-install-*-backend} function in
25510 @code{spam.el}. Here are the available functions.
25516 @code{spam-install-backend-alias}
25518 This function will simply install an alias for a back end that does
25519 everything like the original back end. It is currently only used to
25520 make @code{spam-use-BBDB-exclusive} act like @code{spam-use-BBDB}.
25523 @code{spam-install-nocheck-backend}
25525 This function installs a back end that has no check function, but can
25526 register/unregister ham or spam. The @code{spam-use-gmane} back end is
25530 @code{spam-install-checkonly-backend}
25532 This function will install a back end that can only check incoming mail
25533 for spam contents. It can't register or unregister messages.
25534 @code{spam-use-blackholes} and @code{spam-use-hashcash} are such
25538 @code{spam-install-statistical-checkonly-backend}
25540 This function installs a statistical back end (one which requires the
25541 full body of a message to check it) that can only check incoming mail
25542 for contents. @code{spam-use-regex-body} is such a filter.
25545 @code{spam-install-statistical-backend}
25547 This function install a statistical back end with incoming checks and
25548 registration/unregistration routines. @code{spam-use-bogofilter} is
25552 @code{spam-install-backend}
25554 This is the most normal back end installation, where a back end that can
25555 check and register/unregister messages is set up without statistical
25556 abilities. The @code{spam-use-BBDB} is such a back end.
25559 @code{spam-install-mover-backend}
25561 Mover back ends are internal to @code{spam.el} and specifically move
25562 articles around when the summary is exited. You will very probably
25563 never install such a back end.
25568 @node Spam Statistics Package
25569 @subsection Spam Statistics Package
25570 @cindex Paul Graham
25571 @cindex Graham, Paul
25572 @cindex naive Bayesian spam filtering
25573 @cindex Bayesian spam filtering, naive
25574 @cindex spam filtering, naive Bayesian
25576 Paul Graham has written an excellent essay about spam filtering using
25577 statistics: @uref{http://www.paulgraham.com/spam.html,A Plan for
25578 Spam}. In it he describes the inherent deficiency of rule-based
25579 filtering as used by SpamAssassin, for example: Somebody has to write
25580 the rules, and everybody else has to install these rules. You are
25581 always late. It would be much better, he argues, to filter mail based
25582 on whether it somehow resembles spam or non-spam. One way to measure
25583 this is word distribution. He then goes on to describe a solution
25584 that checks whether a new mail resembles any of your other spam mails
25587 The basic idea is this: Create a two collections of your mail, one
25588 with spam, one with non-spam. Count how often each word appears in
25589 either collection, weight this by the total number of mails in the
25590 collections, and store this information in a dictionary. For every
25591 word in a new mail, determine its probability to belong to a spam or a
25592 non-spam mail. Use the 15 most conspicuous words, compute the total
25593 probability of the mail being spam. If this probability is higher
25594 than a certain threshold, the mail is considered to be spam.
25596 The Spam Statistics package adds support to Gnus for this kind of
25597 filtering. It can be used as one of the back ends of the Spam package
25598 (@pxref{Spam Package}), or by itself.
25600 Before using the Spam Statistics package, you need to set it up.
25601 First, you need two collections of your mail, one with spam, one with
25602 non-spam. Then you need to create a dictionary using these two
25603 collections, and save it. And last but not least, you need to use
25604 this dictionary in your fancy mail splitting rules.
25607 * Creating a spam-stat dictionary::
25608 * Splitting mail using spam-stat::
25609 * Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary::
25612 @node Creating a spam-stat dictionary
25613 @subsubsection Creating a spam-stat dictionary
25615 Before you can begin to filter spam based on statistics, you must
25616 create these statistics based on two mail collections, one with spam,
25617 one with non-spam. These statistics are then stored in a dictionary
25618 for later use. In order for these statistics to be meaningful, you
25619 need several hundred emails in both collections.
25621 Gnus currently supports only the nnml back end for automated dictionary
25622 creation. The nnml back end stores all mails in a directory, one file
25623 per mail. Use the following:
25625 @defun spam-stat-process-spam-directory
25626 Create spam statistics for every file in this directory. Every file
25627 is treated as one spam mail.
25630 @defun spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory
25631 Create non-spam statistics for every file in this directory. Every
25632 file is treated as one non-spam mail.
25635 Usually you would call @code{spam-stat-process-spam-directory} on a
25636 directory such as @file{~/Mail/mail/spam} (this usually corresponds to
25637 the group @samp{nnml:mail.spam}), and you would call
25638 @code{spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory} on a directory such as
25639 @file{~/Mail/mail/misc} (this usually corresponds to the group
25640 @samp{nnml:mail.misc}).
25642 When you are using @acronym{IMAP}, you won't have the mails available
25643 locally, so that will not work. One solution is to use the Gnus Agent
25644 to cache the articles. Then you can use directories such as
25645 @file{"~/News/agent/nnimap/mail.yourisp.com/personal_spam"} for
25646 @code{spam-stat-process-spam-directory}. @xref{Agent as Cache}.
25649 This variable holds the hash-table with all the statistics---the
25650 dictionary we have been talking about. For every word in either
25651 collection, this hash-table stores a vector describing how often the
25652 word appeared in spam and often it appeared in non-spam mails.
25655 If you want to regenerate the statistics from scratch, you need to
25656 reset the dictionary.
25658 @defun spam-stat-reset
25659 Reset the @code{spam-stat} hash-table, deleting all the statistics.
25662 When you are done, you must save the dictionary. The dictionary may
25663 be rather large. If you will not update the dictionary incrementally
25664 (instead, you will recreate it once a month, for example), then you
25665 can reduce the size of the dictionary by deleting all words that did
25666 not appear often enough or that do not clearly belong to only spam or
25667 only non-spam mails.
25669 @defun spam-stat-reduce-size
25670 Reduce the size of the dictionary. Use this only if you do not want
25671 to update the dictionary incrementally.
25674 @defun spam-stat-save
25675 Save the dictionary.
25678 @defvar spam-stat-file
25679 The filename used to store the dictionary. This defaults to
25680 @file{~/.spam-stat.el}.
25683 @node Splitting mail using spam-stat
25684 @subsubsection Splitting mail using spam-stat
25686 This section describes how to use the Spam statistics
25687 @emph{independently} of the @xref{Spam Package}.
25689 First, add the following to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
25692 (require 'spam-stat)
25696 This will load the necessary Gnus code, and the dictionary you
25699 Next, you need to adapt your fancy splitting rules: You need to
25700 determine how to use @code{spam-stat}. The following examples are for
25701 the nnml back end. Using the nnimap back end works just as well. Just
25702 use @code{nnimap-split-fancy} instead of @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
25704 In the simplest case, you only have two groups, @samp{mail.misc} and
25705 @samp{mail.spam}. The following expression says that mail is either
25706 spam or it should go into @samp{mail.misc}. If it is spam, then
25707 @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} will return @samp{mail.spam}.
25710 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
25711 `(| (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
25715 @defvar spam-stat-split-fancy-spam-group
25716 The group to use for spam. Default is @samp{mail.spam}.
25719 If you also filter mail with specific subjects into other groups, use
25720 the following expression. Only mails not matching the regular
25721 expression are considered potential spam.
25724 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
25725 `(| ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
25726 (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
25730 If you want to filter for spam first, then you must be careful when
25731 creating the dictionary. Note that @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} must
25732 consider both mails in @samp{mail.emacs} and in @samp{mail.misc} as
25733 non-spam, therefore both should be in your collection of non-spam
25734 mails, when creating the dictionary!
25737 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
25738 `(| (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
25739 ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
25743 You can combine this with traditional filtering. Here, we move all
25744 HTML-only mails into the @samp{mail.spam.filtered} group. Note that since
25745 @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} will never see them, the mails in
25746 @samp{mail.spam.filtered} should be neither in your collection of spam mails,
25747 nor in your collection of non-spam mails, when creating the
25751 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
25752 `(| ("Content-Type" "text/html" "mail.spam.filtered")
25753 (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
25754 ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
25759 @node Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary
25760 @subsubsection Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary
25762 The main interface to using @code{spam-stat}, are the following functions:
25764 @defun spam-stat-buffer-is-spam
25765 Called in a buffer, that buffer is considered to be a new spam mail.
25766 Use this for new mail that has not been processed before.
25769 @defun spam-stat-buffer-is-no-spam
25770 Called in a buffer, that buffer is considered to be a new non-spam
25771 mail. Use this for new mail that has not been processed before.
25774 @defun spam-stat-buffer-change-to-spam
25775 Called in a buffer, that buffer is no longer considered to be normal
25776 mail but spam. Use this to change the status of a mail that has
25777 already been processed as non-spam.
25780 @defun spam-stat-buffer-change-to-non-spam
25781 Called in a buffer, that buffer is no longer considered to be spam but
25782 normal mail. Use this to change the status of a mail that has already
25783 been processed as spam.
25786 @defun spam-stat-save
25787 Save the hash table to the file. The filename used is stored in the
25788 variable @code{spam-stat-file}.
25791 @defun spam-stat-load
25792 Load the hash table from a file. The filename used is stored in the
25793 variable @code{spam-stat-file}.
25796 @defun spam-stat-score-word
25797 Return the spam score for a word.
25800 @defun spam-stat-score-buffer
25801 Return the spam score for a buffer.
25804 @defun spam-stat-split-fancy
25805 Use this function for fancy mail splitting. Add the rule @samp{(:
25806 spam-stat-split-fancy)} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
25809 Make sure you load the dictionary before using it. This requires the
25810 following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
25813 (require 'spam-stat)
25817 Typical test will involve calls to the following functions:
25820 Reset: (setq spam-stat (make-hash-table :test 'equal))
25821 Learn spam: (spam-stat-process-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
25822 Learn non-spam: (spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
25823 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
25824 File size: (nth 7 (file-attributes spam-stat-file))
25825 Number of words: (hash-table-count spam-stat)
25826 Test spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
25827 Test non-spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
25828 Reduce table size: (spam-stat-reduce-size)
25829 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
25830 File size: (nth 7 (file-attributes spam-stat-file))
25831 Number of words: (hash-table-count spam-stat)
25832 Test spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
25833 Test non-spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
25836 Here is how you would create your dictionary:
25839 Reset: (setq spam-stat (make-hash-table :test 'equal))
25840 Learn spam: (spam-stat-process-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
25841 Learn non-spam: (spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
25842 Repeat for any other non-spam group you need...
25843 Reduce table size: (spam-stat-reduce-size)
25844 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
25847 @node The Gnus Registry
25848 @section The Gnus Registry
25853 The Gnus registry is a package that tracks messages by their
25854 Message-ID across all backends. This allows Gnus users to do several
25855 cool things, be the envy of the locals, get free haircuts, and be
25856 experts on world issues. Well, maybe not all of those, but the
25857 features are pretty cool.
25859 Although they will be explained in detail shortly, here's a quick list
25860 of said features in case your attention span is... never mind.
25864 Split messages to their parent
25866 This keeps discussions in the same group. You can use the subject and
25867 the sender in addition to the Message-ID@. Several strategies are
25871 Refer to messages by ID
25873 Commands like @code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article} can take
25874 advantage of the registry to jump to the referred article, regardless
25875 of the group the message is in.
25878 Store custom flags and keywords
25880 The registry can store custom flags and keywords for a message. For
25881 instance, you can mark a message ``To-Do'' this way and the flag will
25882 persist whether the message is in the nnimap, nnml, nnmaildir,
25886 Store arbitrary data
25888 Through a simple ELisp API, the registry can remember any data for a
25889 message. A built-in inverse map, when activated, allows quick lookups
25890 of all messages matching a particular set of criteria.
25894 * Gnus Registry Setup::
25895 * Registry Article Refer Method::
25896 * Fancy splitting to parent::
25897 * Store custom flags and keywords::
25898 * Store arbitrary data::
25901 @node Gnus Registry Setup
25902 @subsection Gnus Registry Setup
25904 Fortunately, setting up the Gnus registry is pretty easy:
25907 (setq gnus-registry-max-entries 2500)
25909 (gnus-registry-initialize)
25912 This adds registry saves to Gnus newsrc saves (which happen on exit
25913 and when you press @kbd{s} from the @file{*Group*} buffer. It also
25914 adds registry calls to article actions in Gnus (copy, move, etc.)@: so
25915 it's not easy to undo the initialization. See
25916 @code{gnus-registry-initialize} for the gory details.
25918 Here are other settings used by the author of the registry (understand
25919 what they do before you copy them blindly).
25923 gnus-registry-split-strategy 'majority
25924 gnus-registry-ignored-groups '(("nntp" t)
25928 gnus-registry-max-entries 500000
25929 ;; this is the default
25930 gnus-registry-track-extra '(sender subject))
25933 They say: keep a lot of messages around, track messages by sender and
25934 subject (not just parent Message-ID), and when the registry splits
25935 incoming mail, use a majority rule to decide where messages should go
25936 if there's more than one possibility. In addition, the registry
25937 should ignore messages in groups that match ``nntp'', ``nnrss'',
25938 ``spam'', or ``train.''
25940 You are doubtless impressed by all this, but you ask: ``I am a Gnus
25941 user, I customize to live. Give me more.'' Here you go, these are
25942 the general settings.
25944 @defvar gnus-registry-unfollowed-groups
25945 The groups that will not be followed by
25946 @code{gnus-registry-split-fancy-with-parent}. They will still be
25947 remembered by the registry. This is a list of regular expressions.
25948 By default any group name that ends with ``delayed'', ``drafts'',
25949 ``queue'', or ``INBOX'', belongs to the nnmairix backend, or contains
25950 the word ``archive'' is not followed.
25953 @defvar gnus-registry-max-entries
25954 The number (an integer or @code{nil} for unlimited) of entries the
25955 registry will keep.
25958 @defvar gnus-registry-max-pruned-entries
25959 The maximum number (an integer or @code{nil} for unlimited) of entries
25960 the registry will keep after pruning.
25963 @defvar gnus-registry-cache-file
25964 The file where the registry will be stored between Gnus sessions. By
25965 default the file name is @code{.gnus.registry.eioio} in the same
25966 directory as your @code{.newsrc.eld}.
25969 @node Registry Article Refer Method
25970 @subsection Fetching by @code{Message-ID} Using the Registry
25972 The registry knows how to map each @code{Message-ID} to the group it's
25973 in. This can be leveraged to enhance the ``article refer method'',
25974 the thing that tells Gnus how to look up an article given its
25975 Message-ID (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
25978 @vindex gnus-refer-article-method
25980 The @code{nnregistry} refer method does exactly that. It has the
25981 advantage that an article may be found regardless of the group it's
25982 in---provided its @code{Message-ID} is known to the registry. It can
25983 be enabled by augmenting the start-up file with something along these
25987 ;; Keep enough entries to have a good hit rate when referring to an
25988 ;; article using the registry. Use long group names so that Gnus
25989 ;; knows where the article is.
25990 (setq gnus-registry-max-entries 2500)
25992 (gnus-registry-initialize)
25994 (setq gnus-refer-article-method
25997 (nnweb "gmane" (nnweb-type gmane))))
26000 The example above instructs Gnus to first look up the article in the
26001 current group, or, alternatively, using the registry, and finally, if
26002 all else fails, using Gmane.
26004 @node Fancy splitting to parent
26005 @subsection Fancy splitting to parent
26007 Simply put, this lets you put followup e-mail where it belongs.
26009 Every message has a Message-ID, which is unique, and the registry
26010 remembers it. When the message is moved or copied, the registry will
26011 notice this and offer the new group as a choice to the splitting
26014 When a followup is made, usually it mentions the original message's
26015 Message-ID in the headers. The registry knows this and uses that
26016 mention to find the group where the original message lives. You only
26017 have to put a rule like this:
26020 (setq nnimap-my-split-fancy '(|
26022 ;; split to parent: you need this
26023 (: gnus-registry-split-fancy-with-parent)
26025 ;; other rules, as an example
26031 in your fancy split setup. In addition, you may want to customize the
26032 following variables.
26034 @defvar gnus-registry-track-extra
26035 This is a list of symbols, so it's best to change it from the
26036 Customize interface. By default it's @code{(subject sender recipient)},
26037 which may work for you. It can be annoying if your mail flow is large
26038 and people don't stick to the same groups.
26040 When you decide to stop tracking any of those extra data, you can use
26041 the command @code{gnus-registry-remove-extra-data} to purge it from
26042 the existing registry entries.
26045 @defvar gnus-registry-split-strategy
26046 This is a symbol, so it's best to change it from the Customize
26047 interface. By default it's @code{nil}, but you may want to set it to
26048 @code{majority} or @code{first} to split by sender or subject based on
26049 the majority of matches or on the first found. I find @code{majority}
26053 @node Store custom flags and keywords
26054 @subsection Store custom flags and keywords
26056 The registry lets you set custom flags and keywords per message. You
26057 can use the Gnus->Registry Marks menu or the @kbd{M M x} keyboard
26058 shortcuts, where @code{x} is the first letter of the mark's name.
26060 @defvar gnus-registry-marks
26061 The custom marks that the registry can use. You can modify the
26062 default list, if you like. If you do, you'll have to exit Emacs
26063 before they take effect (you can also unload the registry and reload
26064 it or evaluate the specific macros you'll need, but you probably don't
26065 want to bother). Use the Customize interface to modify the list.
26067 By default this list has the @code{Important}, @code{Work},
26068 @code{Personal}, @code{To-Do}, and @code{Later} marks. They all have
26069 keyboard shortcuts like @kbd{M M i} for Important, using the first
26073 @defun gnus-registry-mark-article
26074 Call this function to mark an article with a custom registry mark. It
26075 will offer the available marks for completion.
26078 You can use @code{defalias} to install a summary line formatting
26079 function that will show the registry marks. There are two flavors of
26080 this function, either showing the marks as single characters, using
26081 their @code{:char} property, or showing the marks as full strings.
26084 ;; show the marks as single characters (see the :char property in
26085 ;; `gnus-registry-marks'):
26086 ;; (defalias 'gnus-user-format-function-M 'gnus-registry-article-marks-to-chars)
26088 ;; show the marks by name (see `gnus-registry-marks'):
26089 ;; (defalias 'gnus-user-format-function-M 'gnus-registry-article-marks-to-names)
26093 @node Store arbitrary data
26094 @subsection Store arbitrary data
26096 The registry has a simple API that uses a Message-ID as the key to
26097 store arbitrary data (as long as it can be converted to a list for
26100 @defun gnus-registry-set-id-key (id key value)
26101 Store @code{value} under @code{key} for message @code{id}.
26104 @defun gnus-registry-get-id-key (id key)
26105 Get the data under @code{key} for message @code{id}.
26108 @defvar gnus-registry-extra-entries-precious
26109 If any extra entries are precious, their presence will make the
26110 registry keep the whole entry forever, even if there are no groups for
26111 the Message-ID and if the size limit of the registry is reached. By
26112 default this is just @code{(marks)} so the custom registry marks are
26117 @section Interaction with other modes
26122 @code{gnus-dired-minor-mode} provides some useful functions for dired
26123 buffers. It is enabled with
26125 (add-hook 'dired-mode-hook 'turn-on-gnus-dired-mode)
26130 @findex gnus-dired-attach
26131 @cindex attachments, selection via dired
26132 Send dired's marked files as an attachment (@code{gnus-dired-attach}).
26133 You will be prompted for a message buffer.
26136 @findex gnus-dired-find-file-mailcap
26137 Visit a file according to the appropriate mailcap entry
26138 (@code{gnus-dired-find-file-mailcap}). With prefix, open file in a new
26142 @findex gnus-dired-print
26143 Print file according to the mailcap entry (@code{gnus-dired-print}). If
26144 there is no print command, print in a PostScript image.
26147 @node Various Various
26148 @section Various Various
26154 @item gnus-home-directory
26155 @vindex gnus-home-directory
26156 All Gnus file and directory variables will be initialized from this
26157 variable, which defaults to @file{~/}.
26159 @item gnus-directory
26160 @vindex gnus-directory
26161 Most Gnus storage file and directory variables will be initialized from
26162 this variable, which defaults to the @env{SAVEDIR} environment
26163 variable, or @file{~/News/} if that variable isn't set.
26165 Note that Gnus is mostly loaded when the @file{~/.gnus.el} file is read.
26166 This means that other directory variables that are initialized from this
26167 variable won't be set properly if you set this variable in
26168 @file{~/.gnus.el}. Set this variable in @file{.emacs} instead.
26170 @item gnus-default-directory
26171 @vindex gnus-default-directory
26172 Not related to the above variable at all---this variable says what the
26173 default directory of all Gnus buffers should be. If you issue commands
26174 like @kbd{C-x C-f}, the prompt you'll get starts in the current buffer's
26175 default directory. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
26176 default), the default directory will be the default directory of the
26177 buffer you were in when you started Gnus.
26180 @vindex gnus-verbose
26181 This variable is an integer between zero and ten. The higher the value,
26182 the more messages will be displayed. If this variable is zero, Gnus
26183 will never flash any messages, if it is seven (which is the default),
26184 most important messages will be shown, and if it is ten, Gnus won't ever
26185 shut up, but will flash so many messages it will make your head swim.
26187 @item gnus-verbose-backends
26188 @vindex gnus-verbose-backends
26189 This variable works the same way as @code{gnus-verbose}, but it applies
26190 to the Gnus back ends instead of Gnus proper.
26192 @item gnus-add-timestamp-to-message
26193 @vindex gnus-add-timestamp-to-message
26194 This variable controls whether to add timestamps to messages that are
26195 controlled by @code{gnus-verbose} and @code{gnus-verbose-backends} and
26196 are issued. The default value is @code{nil} which means never to add
26197 timestamp. If it is @code{log}, add timestamps to only the messages
26198 that go into the @file{*Messages*} buffer (in XEmacs, it is the
26199 @w{@file{ *Message-Log*}} buffer). If it is neither @code{nil} nor
26200 @code{log}, add timestamps not only to log messages but also to the ones
26201 displayed in the echo area.
26203 @item nnheader-max-head-length
26204 @vindex nnheader-max-head-length
26205 When the back ends read straight heads of articles, they all try to read
26206 as little as possible. This variable (default 8192) specifies
26207 the absolute max length the back ends will try to read before giving up
26208 on finding a separator line between the head and the body. If this
26209 variable is @code{nil}, there is no upper read bound. If it is
26210 @code{t}, the back ends won't try to read the articles piece by piece,
26211 but read the entire articles. This makes sense with some versions of
26212 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs}.
26214 @item nnheader-head-chop-length
26215 @vindex nnheader-head-chop-length
26216 This variable (default 2048) says how big a piece of each article to
26217 read when doing the operation described above.
26219 @item nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
26220 @vindex nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
26222 @cindex invalid characters in file names
26223 @cindex characters in file names
26224 This is an alist that says how to translate characters in file names.
26225 For instance, if @samp{:} is invalid as a file character in file names
26226 on your system (you OS/2 user you), you could say something like:
26230 (setq nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
26235 In fact, this is the default value for this variable on OS/2 and MS
26236 Windows (phooey) systems.
26238 @item gnus-hidden-properties
26239 @vindex gnus-hidden-properties
26240 This is a list of properties to use to hide ``invisible'' text. It is
26241 @code{(invisible t intangible t)} by default on most systems, which
26242 makes invisible text invisible and intangible.
26244 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
26245 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
26246 A hook called before parsing headers. It can be used, for instance, to
26247 gather statistics on the headers fetched, or perhaps you'd like to prune
26248 some headers. I don't see why you'd want that, though.
26250 @item gnus-shell-command-separator
26251 @vindex gnus-shell-command-separator
26252 String used to separate two shell commands. The default is @samp{;}.
26254 @item gnus-invalid-group-regexp
26255 @vindex gnus-invalid-group-regexp
26257 Regexp to match ``invalid'' group names when querying user for a group
26258 name. The default value catches some @strong{really} invalid group
26259 names who could possibly mess up Gnus internally (like allowing
26260 @samp{:} in a group name, which is normally used to delimit method and
26263 @acronym{IMAP} users might want to allow @samp{/} in group names though.
26265 @item gnus-safe-html-newsgroups
26266 @vindex gnus-safe-html-newsgroups
26267 Groups in which links in html articles are considered all safe. The
26268 value may be a regexp matching those groups, a list of group names, or
26269 @code{nil}. This overrides @code{mm-w3m-safe-url-regexp}. The default
26270 value is @code{"\\`nnrss[+:]"}. This is effective only when emacs-w3m
26271 renders html articles, i.e., in the case @code{mm-text-html-renderer} is
26272 set to @code{w3m}. @xref{Display Customization, ,Display Customization,
26273 emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME Manual}.
26280 Well, that's the manual---you can get on with your life now. Keep in
26281 touch. Say hello to your cats from me.
26283 My @strong{ghod}---I just can't stand goodbyes. Sniffle.
26285 Ol' Charles Reznikoff said it pretty well, so I leave the floor to him:
26291 Not because of victories @*
26294 but for the common sunshine,@*
26296 the largess of the spring.
26300 but for the day's work done@*
26301 as well as I was able;@*
26302 not for a seat upon the dais@*
26303 but at the common table.@*
26308 @chapter Appendices
26311 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
26312 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
26313 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
26314 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
26315 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
26316 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
26317 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
26318 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
26319 * Frequently Asked Questions:: The Gnus FAQ
26326 @cindex installing under XEmacs
26328 XEmacs is distributed as a collection of packages. You should install
26329 whatever packages the Gnus XEmacs package requires. The current
26330 requirements are @samp{gnus}, @samp{mail-lib}, @samp{xemacs-base},
26331 @samp{eterm}, @samp{sh-script}, @samp{net-utils}, @samp{os-utils},
26332 @samp{dired}, @samp{mh-e}, @samp{sieve}, @samp{ps-print},
26333 @samp{pgg}, @samp{mailcrypt}, @samp{ecrypto}, and @samp{sasl}.
26340 @sc{gnus} was written by Masanobu @sc{Umeda}. When autumn crept up in
26341 '94, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen grew bored and decided to rewrite Gnus.
26343 If you want to investigate the person responsible for this outrage,
26344 you can point your (feh!) web browser to
26345 @uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/}. This is also the primary
26346 distribution point for the new and spiffy versions of Gnus, and is
26347 known as The Site That Destroys Newsrcs And Drives People Mad.
26349 During the first extended alpha period of development, the new Gnus was
26350 called ``(ding) Gnus''. @dfn{(ding)} is, of course, short for
26351 @dfn{ding is not Gnus}, which is a total and utter lie, but who cares?
26352 (Besides, the ``Gnus'' in this abbreviation should probably be
26353 pronounced ``news'' as @sc{Umeda} intended, which makes it a more
26354 appropriate name, don't you think?)
26356 In any case, after spending all that energy on coming up with a new and
26357 spunky name, we decided that the name was @emph{too} spunky, so we
26358 renamed it back again to ``Gnus''. But in mixed case. ``Gnus'' vs.
26359 ``@sc{gnus}''. New vs. old.
26362 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
26363 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
26364 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
26365 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
26366 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
26367 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
26368 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
26369 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
26373 @node Gnus Versions
26374 @subsection Gnus Versions
26376 @cindex September Gnus
26378 @cindex Quassia Gnus
26379 @cindex Pterodactyl Gnus
26383 @cindex Gnus versions
26385 The first ``proper'' release of Gnus 5 was done in November 1995 when it
26386 was included in the Emacs 19.30 distribution (132 (ding) Gnus releases
26387 plus 15 Gnus 5.0 releases).
26389 In May 1996 the next Gnus generation (aka. ``September Gnus'' (after 99
26390 releases)) was released under the name ``Gnus 5.2'' (40 releases).
26392 On July 28th 1996 work on Red Gnus was begun, and it was released on
26393 January 25th 1997 (after 84 releases) as ``Gnus 5.4'' (67 releases).
26395 On September 13th 1997, Quassia Gnus was started and lasted 37 releases.
26396 It was released as ``Gnus 5.6'' on March 8th 1998 (46 releases).
26398 Gnus 5.6 begat Pterodactyl Gnus on August 29th 1998 and was released as
26399 ``Gnus 5.8'' (after 99 releases and a CVS repository) on December 3rd
26402 On the 26th of October 2000, Oort Gnus was begun and was released as
26403 Gnus 5.10 on May 1st 2003 (24 releases).
26405 On the January 4th 2004, No Gnus was begun.
26407 On April 19, 2010 Gnus development was moved to Git. See
26408 http://git.gnus.org for details (http://www.gnus.org will be updated
26409 with the information when possible).
26411 On the January 31th 2012, Ma Gnus was begun.
26413 If you happen upon a version of Gnus that has a prefixed name---``(ding)
26414 Gnus'', ``September Gnus'', ``Red Gnus'', ``Quassia Gnus'',
26415 ``Pterodactyl Gnus'', ``Oort Gnus'', ``No Gnus'', ``Ma Gnus''---don't
26416 panic. Don't let it know that you're frightened. Back away. Slowly.
26417 Whatever you do, don't run. Walk away, calmly, until you're out of
26418 its reach. Find a proper released version of Gnus and snuggle up to
26425 What's the point of Gnus?
26427 I want to provide a ``rad'', ``happening'', ``way cool'' and ``hep''
26428 newsreader, that lets you do anything you can think of. That was my
26429 original motivation, but while working on Gnus, it has become clear to
26430 me that this generation of newsreaders really belong in the stone age.
26431 Newsreaders haven't developed much since the infancy of the net. If the
26432 volume continues to rise with the current rate of increase, all current
26433 newsreaders will be pretty much useless. How do you deal with
26434 newsgroups that have thousands of new articles each day? How do you
26435 keep track of millions of people who post?
26437 Gnus offers no real solutions to these questions, but I would very much
26438 like to see Gnus being used as a testing ground for new methods of
26439 reading and fetching news. Expanding on @sc{Umeda}-san's wise decision
26440 to separate the newsreader from the back ends, Gnus now offers a simple
26441 interface for anybody who wants to write new back ends for fetching mail
26442 and news from different sources. I have added hooks for customizations
26443 everywhere I could imagine it being useful. By doing so, I'm inviting
26444 every one of you to explore and invent.
26446 May Gnus never be complete. @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-emacs} and
26447 @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-xemacs}.
26450 @node Compatibility
26451 @subsection Compatibility
26453 @cindex compatibility
26454 Gnus was designed to be fully compatible with @sc{gnus}. Almost all key
26455 bindings have been kept. More key bindings have been added, of course,
26456 but only in one or two obscure cases have old bindings been changed.
26461 @center In a cloud bones of steel.
26465 All commands have kept their names. Some internal functions have changed
26468 The @code{gnus-uu} package has changed drastically. @xref{Decoding
26471 One major compatibility question is the presence of several summary
26472 buffers. All variables relevant while reading a group are
26473 buffer-local to the summary buffer they belong in. Although many
26474 important variables have their values copied into their global
26475 counterparts whenever a command is executed in the summary buffer, this
26476 change might lead to incorrect values being used unless you are careful.
26478 All code that relies on knowledge of @sc{gnus} internals will probably
26479 fail. To take two examples: Sorting @code{gnus-newsrc-alist} (or
26480 changing it in any way, as a matter of fact) is strictly verboten. Gnus
26481 maintains a hash table that points to the entries in this alist (which
26482 speeds up many functions), and changing the alist directly will lead to
26486 @cindex highlighting
26487 Old hilit19 code does not work at all. In fact, you should probably
26488 remove all hilit code from all Gnus hooks
26489 (@code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} and @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook}).
26490 Gnus provides various integrated functions for highlighting. These are
26491 faster and more accurate. To make life easier for everybody, Gnus will
26492 by default remove all hilit calls from all hilit hooks. Uncleanliness!
26495 Packages like @code{expire-kill} will no longer work. As a matter of
26496 fact, you should probably remove all old @sc{gnus} packages (and other
26497 code) when you start using Gnus. More likely than not, Gnus already
26498 does what you have written code to make @sc{gnus} do. (Snicker.)
26500 Even though old methods of doing things are still supported, only the
26501 new methods are documented in this manual. If you detect a new method of
26502 doing something while reading this manual, that does not mean you have
26503 to stop doing it the old way.
26505 Gnus understands all @sc{gnus} startup files.
26507 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
26509 @cindex reporting bugs
26511 Overall, a casual user who hasn't written much code that depends on
26512 @sc{gnus} internals should suffer no problems. If problems occur,
26513 please let me know by issuing that magic command @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}.
26515 @vindex gnus-bug-create-help-buffer
26516 If you are in the habit of sending bug reports @emph{very} often, you
26517 may find the helpful help buffer annoying after a while. If so, set
26518 @code{gnus-bug-create-help-buffer} to @code{nil} to avoid having it pop
26523 @subsection Conformity
26525 No rebels without a clue here, ma'am. We conform to all standards known
26526 to (wo)man. Except for those standards and/or conventions we disagree
26534 There are no known breaches of this standard.
26538 There are no known breaches of this standard, either.
26540 @item Son-of-RFC 1036
26541 @cindex Son-of-RFC 1036
26542 We do have some breaches to this one.
26548 These are considered to be ``vanity headers'', while I consider them
26549 to be consumer information. After seeing so many badly formatted
26550 articles coming from @code{tin} and @code{Netscape} I know not to use
26551 either of those for posting articles. I would not have known that if
26552 it wasn't for the @code{X-Newsreader} header.
26557 USEFOR is an IETF working group writing a successor to RFC 1036, based
26558 on Son-of-RFC 1036. They have produced a number of drafts proposing
26559 various changes to the format of news articles. The Gnus towers will
26560 look into implementing the changes when the draft is accepted as an RFC.
26562 @item MIME---RFC 2045--2049 etc
26563 @cindex @acronym{MIME}
26564 All the various @acronym{MIME} RFCs are supported.
26566 @item Disposition Notifications---RFC 2298
26567 Message Mode is able to request notifications from the receiver.
26569 @item PGP---RFC 1991 and RFC 2440
26572 RFC 1991 is the original @acronym{PGP} message specification,
26573 published as an informational RFC@. RFC 2440 was the follow-up, now
26574 called Open PGP, and put on the Standards Track. Both document a
26575 non-@acronym{MIME} aware @acronym{PGP} format. Gnus supports both
26576 encoding (signing and encryption) and decoding (verification and
26579 @item PGP/MIME---RFC 2015/3156
26580 RFC 2015 (superseded by 3156 which references RFC 2440 instead of RFC
26581 1991) describes the @acronym{MIME}-wrapping around the RFC 1991/2440 format.
26582 Gnus supports both encoding and decoding.
26584 @item S/MIME---RFC 2633
26585 RFC 2633 describes the @acronym{S/MIME} format.
26587 @item IMAP---RFC 1730/2060, RFC 2195, RFC 2086, RFC 2359, RFC 2595, RFC 1731
26588 RFC 1730 is @acronym{IMAP} version 4, updated somewhat by RFC 2060
26589 (@acronym{IMAP} 4 revision 1). RFC 2195 describes CRAM-MD5
26590 authentication for @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 2086 describes access control
26591 lists (ACLs) for @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 2359 describes a @acronym{IMAP}
26592 protocol enhancement. RFC 2595 describes the proper @acronym{TLS}
26593 integration (STARTTLS) with @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 1731 describes the
26594 GSSAPI/Kerberos4 mechanisms for @acronym{IMAP}.
26598 If you ever notice Gnus acting non-compliant with regards to the texts
26599 mentioned above, don't hesitate to drop a note to Gnus Towers and let us
26604 @subsection Emacsen
26610 This version of Gnus should work on:
26618 XEmacs 21.4 and up.
26622 This Gnus version will absolutely not work on any Emacsen older than
26623 that. Not reliably, at least. Older versions of Gnus may work on older
26624 Emacs versions. Particularly, Gnus 5.10.8 should also work on Emacs
26625 20.7 and XEmacs 21.1.
26627 @c No-merge comment: The paragraph added in v5-10 here must not be
26630 @node Gnus Development
26631 @subsection Gnus Development
26633 Gnus is developed in a two-phased cycle. The first phase involves much
26634 discussion on the development mailing list @samp{ding@@gnus.org}, where people
26635 propose changes and new features, post patches and new back ends. This
26636 phase is called the @dfn{alpha} phase, since the Gnusae released in this
26637 phase are @dfn{alpha releases}, or (perhaps more commonly in other
26638 circles) @dfn{snapshots}. During this phase, Gnus is assumed to be
26639 unstable and should not be used by casual users. Gnus alpha releases
26640 have names like ``Oort Gnus'' and ``No Gnus''. @xref{Gnus Versions}.
26642 After futzing around for 10--100 alpha releases, Gnus is declared
26643 @dfn{frozen}, and only bug fixes are applied. Gnus loses the prefix,
26644 and is called things like ``Gnus 5.10.1'' instead. Normal people are
26645 supposed to be able to use these, and these are mostly discussed on the
26646 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} newsgroup. This newgroup is mirrored to the
26647 mailing list @samp{info-gnus-english@@gnu.org} which is carried on Gmane
26648 as @samp{gmane.emacs.gnus.user}. These releases are finally integrated
26652 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
26653 Some variable defaults differ between alpha Gnusae and released Gnusae,
26654 in particular, @code{mail-source-delete-incoming}. This is to prevent
26655 lossage of mail if an alpha release hiccups while handling the mail.
26656 @xref{Mail Source Customization}.
26658 The division of discussion between the ding mailing list and the Gnus
26659 newsgroup is not purely based on publicity concerns. It's true that
26660 having people write about the horrible things that an alpha Gnus release
26661 can do (sometimes) in a public forum may scare people off, but more
26662 importantly, talking about new experimental features that have been
26663 introduced may confuse casual users. New features are frequently
26664 introduced, fiddled with, and judged to be found wanting, and then
26665 either discarded or totally rewritten. People reading the mailing list
26666 usually keep up with these rapid changes, while people on the newsgroup
26667 can't be assumed to do so.
26669 So if you have problems with or questions about the alpha versions,
26670 direct those to the ding mailing list @samp{ding@@gnus.org}. This list
26671 is also available on Gmane as @samp{gmane.emacs.gnus.general}.
26674 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
26675 Some variable defaults differ between alpha Gnusae and released Gnusae,
26676 in particular, @code{mail-source-delete-incoming}. This is to prevent
26677 lossage of mail if an alpha release hiccups while handling the mail.
26678 @xref{Mail Source Customization}.
26681 @subsection Contributors
26682 @cindex contributors
26684 The new Gnus version couldn't have been done without the help of all the
26685 people on the (ding) mailing list. Every day for over a year I have
26686 gotten billions of nice bug reports from them, filling me with joy,
26687 every single one of them. Smooches. The people on the list have been
26688 tried beyond endurance, what with my ``oh, that's a neat idea <type
26689 type>, yup, I'll release it right away <ship off> no wait, that doesn't
26690 work at all <type type>, yup, I'll ship that one off right away <ship
26691 off> no, wait, that absolutely does not work'' policy for releases.
26692 Micro$oft---bah. Amateurs. I'm @emph{much} worse. (Or is that
26693 ``worser''? ``much worser''? ``worsest''?)
26695 I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Academy for@dots{} oops,
26701 Masanobu @sc{Umeda}---the writer of the original @sc{gnus}.
26704 Shenghuo Zhu---uudecode.el, mm-uu.el, rfc1843.el,
26705 nnwarchive and many, many other things connected with @acronym{MIME} and
26706 other types of en/decoding, as well as general bug fixing, new
26707 functionality and stuff.
26710 Per Abrahamsen---custom, scoring, highlighting and @sc{soup} code (as
26711 well as numerous other things).
26714 Luis Fernandes---design and graphics.
26717 Joe Reiss---creator of the smiley faces.
26720 Justin Sheehy---the @acronym{FAQ} maintainer.
26723 Erik Naggum---help, ideas, support, code and stuff.
26726 Wes Hardaker---@file{gnus-picon.el} and the manual section on
26727 @dfn{picons} (@pxref{Picons}).
26730 Kim-Minh Kaplan---further work on the picon code.
26733 Brad Miller---@file{gnus-gl.el} and the GroupLens manual section.
26736 Sudish Joseph---innumerable bug fixes.
26739 Ilja Weis---@file{gnus-topic.el}.
26742 Steven L. Baur---lots and lots and lots of bug detection and fixes.
26745 Vladimir Alexiev---the refcard and reference booklets.
26748 Felix Lee & Jamie Zawinski---I stole some pieces from the XGnus
26749 distribution by Felix Lee and JWZ.
26752 Scott Byer---@file{nnfolder.el} enhancements & rewrite.
26755 Peter Mutsaers---orphan article scoring code.
26758 Ken Raeburn---POP mail support.
26761 Hallvard B Furuseth---various bits and pieces, especially dealing with
26765 Brian Edmonds---@file{gnus-bbdb.el}.
26768 David Moore---rewrite of @file{nnvirtual.el} and many other things.
26771 Kevin Davidson---came up with the name @dfn{ding}, so blame him.
26774 Fran@,{c}ois Pinard---many, many interesting and thorough bug reports, as
26775 well as autoconf support.
26779 This manual was proof-read by Adrian Aichner, with Ricardo Nassif, Mark
26780 Borges, and Jost Krieger proof-reading parts of the manual.
26782 The following people have contributed many patches and suggestions:
26797 Jason L. Tibbitts, III,
26799 Katsumi Yamaoka, @c Yamaoka
26803 Also thanks to the following for patches and stuff:
26813 Alexei V. Barantsev,
26828 Massimo Campostrini,
26833 Jae-you Chung, @c ?
26834 James H. Cloos, Jr.,
26838 Andrew J. Cosgriff,
26841 Geoffrey T. Dairiki,
26847 Michael Welsh Duggan,
26852 Enami Tsugutomo, @c Enami
26856 Nelson Jose dos Santos Ferreira,
26864 Arne Georg Gleditsch,
26866 Michelangelo Grigni,
26870 Kenichi Handa, @c Handa
26872 Yoshiki Hayashi, @c Hayashi
26874 Hisashige Kenji, @c Hisashige
26882 Fran@,{c}ois Felix Ingrand,
26883 Tatsuya Ichikawa, @c Ichikawa
26884 Ishikawa Ichiro, @c Ishikawa
26886 Iwamuro Motonori, @c Iwamuro
26896 Peter Skov Knudsen,
26897 Shuhei Kobayashi, @c Kobayashi
26899 Koseki Yoshinori, @c Koseki
26900 Thor Kristoffersen,
26903 Seokchan Lee, @c Lee
26921 Morioka Tomohiko, @c Morioka
26922 Erik Toubro Nielsen,
26929 Masaharu Onishi, @c Onishi
26934 Jens-Ulrik Holger Petersen,
26938 John McClary Prevost,
26944 Lars Balker Rasmussen,
26949 Christian von Roques,
26952 Wolfgang Rupprecht,
26959 Philippe Schnoebelen,
26961 Randal L. Schwartz,
26975 Kiyokazu Suto, @c Suto
26980 Tozawa Akihiko, @c Tozawa
27000 For a full overview of what each person has done, the ChangeLogs
27001 included in the Gnus alpha distributions should give ample reading
27002 (550kB and counting).
27004 Apologies to everybody that I've forgotten, of which there are many, I'm
27007 Gee, that's quite a list of people. I guess that must mean that there
27008 actually are people who are using Gnus. Who'd'a thunk it!
27012 @subsection New Features
27013 @cindex new features
27016 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
27017 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
27018 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
27019 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
27020 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
27021 * Oort Gnus:: It's big. It's far out. Gnus 5.10/5.11.
27022 * No Gnus:: Very punny. Gnus 5.12/5.13.
27023 * Ma Gnus:: Celebrating 25 years of Gnus.
27026 These lists are, of course, just @emph{short} overviews of the
27027 @emph{most} important new features. No, really. There are tons more.
27028 Yes, we have feeping creaturism in full effect.
27031 @subsubsection (ding) Gnus
27033 New features in Gnus 5.0/5.1:
27038 The look of all buffers can be changed by setting format-like variables
27039 (@pxref{Group Buffer Format} and @pxref{Summary Buffer Format}).
27042 Local spool and several @acronym{NNTP} servers can be used at once
27043 (@pxref{Select Methods}).
27046 You can combine groups into virtual groups (@pxref{Virtual Groups}).
27049 You can read a number of different mail formats (@pxref{Getting Mail}).
27050 All the mail back ends implement a convenient mail expiry scheme
27051 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
27054 Gnus can use various strategies for gathering threads that have lost
27055 their roots (thereby gathering loose sub-threads into one thread) or it
27056 can go back and retrieve enough headers to build a complete thread
27057 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
27060 Killed groups can be displayed in the group buffer, and you can read
27061 them as well (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
27064 Gnus can do partial group updates---you do not have to retrieve the
27065 entire active file just to check for new articles in a few groups
27066 (@pxref{The Active File}).
27069 Gnus implements a sliding scale of subscribedness to groups
27070 (@pxref{Group Levels}).
27073 You can score articles according to any number of criteria
27074 (@pxref{Scoring}). You can even get Gnus to find out how to score
27075 articles for you (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
27078 Gnus maintains a dribble buffer that is auto-saved the normal Emacs
27079 manner, so it should be difficult to lose much data on what you have
27080 read if your machine should go down (@pxref{Auto Save}).
27083 Gnus now has its own startup file (@file{~/.gnus.el}) to avoid
27084 cluttering up the @file{.emacs} file.
27087 You can set the process mark on both groups and articles and perform
27088 operations on all the marked items (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
27091 You can list subsets of groups according to, well, anything
27092 (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
27095 You can browse foreign servers and subscribe to groups from those
27096 servers (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
27099 Gnus can fetch articles, asynchronously, on a second connection to the
27100 server (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
27103 You can cache articles locally (@pxref{Article Caching}).
27106 The uudecode functions have been expanded and generalized
27107 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
27110 You can still post uuencoded articles, which was a little-known feature
27111 of @sc{gnus}' past (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
27114 Fetching parents (and other articles) now actually works without
27115 glitches (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
27118 Gnus can fetch @acronym{FAQ}s and group descriptions (@pxref{Group Information}).
27121 Digests (and other files) can be used as the basis for groups
27122 (@pxref{Document Groups}).
27125 Articles can be highlighted and customized (@pxref{Customizing
27129 URLs and other external references can be buttonized (@pxref{Article
27133 You can do lots of strange stuff with the Gnus window & frame
27134 configuration (@pxref{Window Layout}).
27139 @node September Gnus
27140 @subsubsection September Gnus
27144 \gnusfig{-28cm}{0cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/september,height=20cm}}
27148 New features in Gnus 5.2/5.3:
27153 A new message composition mode is used. All old customization variables
27154 for @code{mail-mode}, @code{rnews-reply-mode} and @code{gnus-msg} are
27158 Gnus is now able to generate @dfn{sparse} threads---threads where
27159 missing articles are represented by empty nodes (@pxref{Customizing
27163 (setq gnus-build-sparse-threads 'some)
27167 Outgoing articles are stored on a special archive server
27168 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
27171 Partial thread regeneration now happens when articles are
27175 Gnus can make use of GroupLens predictions.
27178 Picons (personal icons) can be displayed under XEmacs (@pxref{Picons}).
27181 A @code{trn}-like tree buffer can be displayed (@pxref{Tree Display}).
27184 (setq gnus-use-trees t)
27188 An @code{nn}-like pick-and-read minor mode is available for the summary
27189 buffers (@pxref{Pick and Read}).
27192 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
27196 In binary groups you can use a special binary minor mode (@pxref{Binary
27200 Groups can be grouped in a folding topic hierarchy (@pxref{Group
27204 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
27208 Gnus can re-send and bounce mail (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
27211 Groups can now have a score, and bubbling based on entry frequency
27212 is possible (@pxref{Group Score}).
27215 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-exit-hook 'gnus-summary-bubble-group)
27219 Groups can be process-marked, and commands can be performed on
27220 groups of groups (@pxref{Marking Groups}).
27223 Caching is possible in virtual groups.
27226 @code{nndoc} now understands all kinds of digests, mail boxes, rnews
27227 news batches, ClariNet briefs collections, and just about everything
27228 else (@pxref{Document Groups}).
27231 Gnus has a new back end (@code{nnsoup}) to create/read SOUP packets.
27234 The Gnus cache is much faster.
27237 Groups can be sorted according to many criteria (@pxref{Sorting
27241 New group parameters have been introduced to set list-addresses and
27242 expiry times (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
27245 All formatting specs allow specifying faces to be used
27246 (@pxref{Formatting Fonts}).
27249 There are several more commands for setting/removing/acting on process
27250 marked articles on the @kbd{M P} submap (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
27253 The summary buffer can be limited to show parts of the available
27254 articles based on a wide range of criteria. These commands have been
27255 bound to keys on the @kbd{/} submap (@pxref{Limiting}).
27258 Articles can be made persistent with the @kbd{*} command
27259 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
27262 All functions for hiding article elements are now toggles.
27265 Article headers can be buttonized (@pxref{Article Washing}).
27268 All mail back ends support fetching articles by @code{Message-ID}.
27271 Duplicate mail can now be treated properly (@pxref{Duplicates}).
27274 All summary mode commands are available directly from the article
27275 buffer (@pxref{Article Keymap}).
27278 Frames can be part of @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} (@pxref{Window
27282 Mail can be re-scanned by a daemonic process (@pxref{Daemons}).
27285 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}}
27290 Groups can be made permanently visible (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
27293 (setq gnus-permanently-visible-groups "^nnml:")
27297 Many new hooks have been introduced to make customizing easier.
27300 Gnus respects the @code{Mail-Copies-To} header.
27303 Threads can be gathered by looking at the @code{References} header
27304 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
27307 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
27308 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
27312 Read articles can be stored in a special backlog buffer to avoid
27313 refetching (@pxref{Article Backlog}).
27316 (setq gnus-keep-backlog 50)
27320 A clean copy of the current article is always stored in a separate
27321 buffer to allow easier treatment.
27324 Gnus can suggest where to save articles (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
27327 Gnus doesn't have to do as much prompting when saving (@pxref{Saving
27331 (setq gnus-prompt-before-saving t)
27335 @code{gnus-uu} can view decoded files asynchronously while fetching
27336 articles (@pxref{Other Decode Variables}).
27339 (setq gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions 'gnus-uu-grab-view)
27343 Filling in the article buffer now works properly on cited text
27344 (@pxref{Article Washing}).
27347 Hiding cited text adds buttons to toggle hiding, and how much
27348 cited text to hide is now customizable (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
27351 (setq gnus-cited-lines-visible 2)
27355 Boring headers can be hidden (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
27358 Default scoring values can now be set from the menu bar.
27361 Further syntax checking of outgoing articles have been added.
27367 @subsubsection Red Gnus
27369 New features in Gnus 5.4/5.5:
27373 \gnusfig{-5.5cm}{-4cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/red,height=20cm}}
27380 @file{nntp.el} has been totally rewritten in an asynchronous fashion.
27383 Article prefetching functionality has been moved up into
27384 Gnus (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
27387 Scoring can now be performed with logical operators like @code{and},
27388 @code{or}, @code{not}, and parent redirection (@pxref{Advanced
27392 Article washing status can be displayed in the
27393 article mode line (@pxref{Misc Article}).
27396 @file{gnus.el} has been split into many smaller files.
27399 Suppression of duplicate articles based on Message-ID can be done
27400 (@pxref{Duplicate Suppression}).
27403 (setq gnus-suppress-duplicates t)
27407 New variables for specifying what score and adapt files are to be
27408 considered home score and adapt files (@pxref{Home Score File}) have
27412 @code{nndoc} was rewritten to be easily extensible (@pxref{Document
27413 Server Internals}).
27416 Groups can inherit group parameters from parent topics (@pxref{Topic
27420 Article editing has been revamped and is now actually usable.
27423 Signatures can be recognized in more intelligent fashions
27424 (@pxref{Article Signature}).
27427 Summary pick mode has been made to look more @code{nn}-like. Line
27428 numbers are displayed and the @kbd{.} command can be used to pick
27429 articles (@code{Pick and Read}).
27432 Commands for moving the @file{.newsrc.eld} from one server to
27433 another have been added (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
27436 There's a way now to specify that ``uninteresting'' fields be suppressed
27437 when generating lines in buffers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting}).
27440 Several commands in the group buffer can be undone with @kbd{C-M-_}
27444 Scoring can be done on words using the new score type @code{w}
27445 (@pxref{Score File Format}).
27448 Adaptive scoring can be done on a Subject word-by-word basis
27449 (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
27452 (setq gnus-use-adaptive-scoring '(word))
27456 Scores can be decayed (@pxref{Score Decays}).
27459 (setq gnus-decay-scores t)
27463 Scoring can be performed using a regexp on the Date header. The Date is
27464 normalized to compact ISO 8601 format first (@pxref{Score File Format}).
27467 A new command has been added to remove all data on articles from
27468 the native server (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
27471 A new command for reading collections of documents
27472 (@code{nndoc} with @code{nnvirtual} on top) has been added---@kbd{C-M-d}
27473 (@pxref{Really Various Summary Commands}).
27476 Process mark sets can be pushed and popped (@pxref{Setting Process
27480 A new mail-to-news back end makes it possible to post even when the @acronym{NNTP}
27481 server doesn't allow posting (@pxref{Mail-To-News Gateways}).
27484 A new back end for reading searches from Web search engines
27485 (@dfn{DejaNews}, @dfn{Alta Vista}, @dfn{InReference}) has been added
27486 (@pxref{Web Searches}).
27489 Groups inside topics can now be sorted using the standard sorting
27490 functions, and each topic can be sorted independently (@pxref{Topic
27494 Subsets of the groups can be sorted independently (@code{Sorting
27498 Cached articles can be pulled into the groups (@pxref{Summary Generation
27502 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}}
27507 Score files are now applied in a more reliable order (@pxref{Score
27511 Reports on where mail messages end up can be generated (@pxref{Splitting
27515 More hooks and functions have been added to remove junk from incoming
27516 mail before saving the mail (@pxref{Washing Mail}).
27519 Emphasized text can be properly fontisized:
27525 @subsubsection Quassia Gnus
27527 New features in Gnus 5.6:
27532 New functionality for using Gnus as an offline newsreader has been
27533 added. A plethora of new commands and modes have been added.
27534 @xref{Gnus Unplugged}, for the full story.
27537 The @code{nndraft} back end has returned, but works differently than
27538 before. All Message buffers are now also articles in the @code{nndraft}
27539 group, which is created automatically.
27542 @code{gnus-alter-header-function} can now be used to alter header
27546 @code{gnus-summary-goto-article} now accept Message-IDs.
27549 A new Message command for deleting text in the body of a message
27550 outside the region: @kbd{C-c C-v}.
27553 You can now post to component group in @code{nnvirtual} groups with
27557 @code{nntp-rlogin-program}---new variable to ease customization.
27560 @code{C-u C-c C-c} in @code{gnus-article-edit-mode} will now inhibit
27561 re-highlighting of the article buffer.
27564 New element in @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}---@code{long-to}.
27567 @kbd{M-i} symbolic prefix command. @xref{Symbolic Prefixes}, for
27571 @kbd{L} and @kbd{I} in the summary buffer now take the symbolic prefix
27572 @kbd{a} to add the score rule to the @file{all.SCORE} file.
27575 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions} variable to allow greater
27576 control over simplification.
27579 @kbd{A T}---new command for fetching the current thread.
27582 @kbd{/ T}---new command for including the current thread in the
27586 @kbd{M-RET} is a new Message command for breaking cited text.
27589 @samp{\\1}-expressions are now valid in @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
27592 The @code{custom-face-lookup} function has been removed.
27593 If you used this function in your initialization files, you must
27594 rewrite them to use @code{face-spec-set} instead.
27597 Canceling now uses the current select method. Symbolic prefix
27598 @kbd{a} forces normal posting method.
27601 New command to translate M******** sm*rtq**t*s into proper
27605 For easier debugging of @code{nntp}, you can set
27606 @code{nntp-record-commands} to a non-@code{nil} value.
27609 @code{nntp} now uses @file{~/.authinfo}, a @file{.netrc}-like file, for
27610 controlling where and how to send @sc{authinfo} to @acronym{NNTP} servers.
27613 A command for editing group parameters from the summary buffer
27617 A history of where mails have been split is available.
27620 A new article date command has been added---@code{article-date-iso8601}.
27623 Subjects can be simplified when threading by setting
27624 @code{gnus-score-thread-simplify}.
27627 A new function for citing in Message has been
27628 added---@code{message-cite-original-without-signature}.
27631 @code{article-strip-all-blank-lines}---new article command.
27634 A new Message command to kill to the end of the article has
27638 A minimum adaptive score can be specified by using the
27639 @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} variable.
27642 The ``lapsed date'' article header can be kept continually
27643 updated by the @code{gnus-start-date-timer} command.
27646 Web listserv archives can be read with the @code{nnlistserv} back end.
27649 Old dejanews archives can now be read by @code{nnweb}.
27653 @node Pterodactyl Gnus
27654 @subsubsection Pterodactyl Gnus
27656 New features in Gnus 5.8:
27661 The mail-fetching functions have changed. See the manual for the
27662 many details. In particular, all procmail fetching variables are gone.
27664 If you used procmail like in
27667 (setq nnmail-use-procmail t)
27668 (setq nnmail-spool-file 'procmail)
27669 (setq nnmail-procmail-directory "~/mail/incoming/")
27670 (setq nnmail-procmail-suffix "\\.in")
27673 this now has changed to
27677 '((directory :path "~/mail/incoming/"
27681 @xref{Mail Source Specifiers}.
27684 Gnus is now a @acronym{MIME}-capable reader. This affects many parts of
27685 Gnus, and adds a slew of new commands. See the manual for details.
27688 Gnus has also been multilingualized. This also affects too
27689 many parts of Gnus to summarize here, and adds many new variables.
27692 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} can now be a function to be
27693 called to position point.
27696 The user can now decide which extra headers should be included in
27697 summary buffers and @acronym{NOV} files.
27700 @code{gnus-article-display-hook} has been removed. Instead, a number
27701 of variables starting with @code{gnus-treat-} have been added.
27704 The Gnus posting styles have been redone again and now works in a
27705 subtly different manner.
27708 New web-based back ends have been added: @code{nnslashdot},
27709 @code{nnwarchive} and @code{nnultimate}. nnweb has been revamped,
27710 again, to keep up with ever-changing layouts.
27713 Gnus can now read @acronym{IMAP} mail via @code{nnimap}.
27718 @subsubsection Oort Gnus
27721 New features in Gnus 5.10:
27725 @item Installation changes
27726 @c ***********************
27730 Upgrading from previous (stable) version if you have used Oort.
27732 If you have tried Oort (the unstable Gnus branch leading to this
27733 release) but went back to a stable version, be careful when upgrading to
27734 this version. In particular, you will probably want to remove all
27735 @file{.marks} (nnml) and @file{.mrk} (nnfolder) files, so that flags are
27736 read from your @file{.newsrc.eld} instead of from the
27737 @file{.marks}/@file{.mrk} file where this release store flags. See a
27738 later entry for more information about marks. Note that downgrading
27739 isn't save in general.
27742 Lisp files are now installed in @file{.../site-lisp/gnus/} by default.
27743 It defaulted to @file{.../site-lisp/} formerly. In addition to this,
27744 the new installer issues a warning if other Gnus installations which
27745 will shadow the latest one are detected. You can then remove those
27746 shadows manually or remove them using @code{make
27747 remove-installed-shadows}.
27750 New @file{make.bat} for compiling and installing Gnus under MS Windows
27752 Use @file{make.bat} if you want to install Gnus under MS Windows, the
27753 first argument to the batch-program should be the directory where
27754 @file{xemacs.exe} respectively @file{emacs.exe} is located, if you want
27755 to install Gnus after compiling it, give @file{make.bat} @code{/copy} as
27756 the second parameter.
27758 @file{make.bat} has been rewritten from scratch, it now features
27759 automatic recognition of XEmacs and Emacs, generates
27760 @file{gnus-load.el}, checks if errors occur while compilation and
27761 generation of info files and reports them at the end of the build
27762 process. It now uses @code{makeinfo} if it is available and falls
27763 back to @file{infohack.el} otherwise. @file{make.bat} should now
27764 install all files which are necessary to run Gnus and be generally a
27765 complete replacement for the @code{configure; make; make install}
27766 cycle used under Unix systems.
27768 The new @file{make.bat} makes @file{make-x.bat} and @file{xemacs.mak}
27769 superfluous, so they have been removed.
27772 @file{~/News/overview/} not used.
27774 As a result of the following change, the @file{~/News/overview/}
27775 directory is not used any more. You can safely delete the entire
27778 @c FIXME: `gnus-load' is mentioned in README, which is not included in
27779 @c the repository. We should find a better place for this item.
27781 @code{(require 'gnus-load)}
27783 If you use a stand-alone Gnus distribution, you'd better add
27784 @code{(require 'gnus-load)} into your @file{~/.emacs} after adding the Gnus
27785 lisp directory into load-path.
27787 File @file{gnus-load.el} contains autoload commands, functions and variables,
27788 some of which may not be included in distributions of Emacsen.
27792 @item New packages and libraries within Gnus
27793 @c *****************************************
27798 The revised Gnus @acronym{FAQ} is included in the manual,
27799 @xref{Frequently Asked Questions}.
27802 @acronym{TLS} wrapper shipped with Gnus
27804 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} is now supported in @acronym{IMAP} and
27805 @acronym{NNTP} via @file{tls.el} and GnuTLS.
27808 Improved anti-spam features.
27810 Gnus is now able to take out spam from your mail and news streams
27811 using a wide variety of programs and filter rules. Among the supported
27812 methods are RBL blocklists, bogofilter and white/blacklists. Hooks
27813 for easy use of external packages such as SpamAssassin and Hashcash
27814 are also new. @ref{Thwarting Email Spam} and @ref{Spam Package}.
27815 @c FIXME: @xref{Spam Package}?. Should this be under Misc?
27818 Gnus supports server-side mail filtering using Sieve.
27820 Sieve rules can be added as Group Parameters for groups, and the
27821 complete Sieve script is generated using @kbd{D g} from the Group
27822 buffer, and then uploaded to the server using @kbd{C-c C-l} in the
27823 generated Sieve buffer. @xref{Sieve Commands}, and the new Sieve
27824 manual @ref{Top, , Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
27828 @item Changes in group mode
27829 @c ************************
27834 @code{gnus-group-read-ephemeral-group} can be called interactively,
27838 Retrieval of charters and control messages
27840 There are new commands for fetching newsgroup charters (@kbd{H c}) and
27841 control messages (@kbd{H C}).
27844 The new variable @code{gnus-parameters} can be used to set group parameters.
27846 Earlier this was done only via @kbd{G p} (or @kbd{G c}), which stored
27847 the parameters in @file{~/.newsrc.eld}, but via this variable you can
27848 enjoy the powers of customize, and simplified backups since you set the
27849 variable in @file{~/.gnus.el} instead of @file{~/.newsrc.eld}. The
27850 variable maps regular expressions matching group names to group
27853 (setq gnus-parameters
27855 (gnus-show-threads nil)
27856 (gnus-use-scoring nil))
27857 ("^nnimap:\\(foo.bar\\)$"
27858 (to-group . "\\1"))))
27862 Unread count correct in nnimap groups.
27864 The estimated number of unread articles in the group buffer should now
27865 be correct for nnimap groups. This is achieved by calling
27866 @code{nnimap-fixup-unread-after-getting-new-news} from the
27867 @code{gnus-setup-news-hook} (called on startup) and
27868 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook} (called after getting new
27869 mail). If you have modified those variables from the default, you may
27870 want to add @code{nnimap-fixup-unread-after-getting-new-news} again. If
27871 you were happy with the estimate and want to save some (minimal) time
27872 when getting new mail, remove the function.
27875 Group names are treated as UTF-8 by default.
27877 This is supposedly what USEFOR wanted to migrate to. See
27878 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist} and
27879 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist} for customization.
27882 @code{gnus-group-charset-alist} and
27883 @code{gnus-group-ignored-charsets-alist}.
27885 The regexps in these variables are compared with full group names
27886 instead of real group names in 5.8. Users who customize these
27887 variables should change those regexps accordingly. For example:
27889 ("^han\\>" euc-kr) -> ("\\(^\\|:\\)han\\>" euc-kr)
27893 Old intermediate incoming mail files (@file{Incoming*}) are deleted
27894 after a couple of days, not immediately. @xref{Mail Source
27895 Customization}. (New in Gnus 5.10.10 / Emacs 22.2)
27899 @item Changes in summary and article mode
27900 @c **************************************
27905 @kbd{F} (@code{gnus-article-followup-with-original}) and @kbd{R}
27906 (@code{gnus-article-reply-with-original}) only yank the text in the
27907 region if the region is active.
27910 In draft groups, @kbd{e} is now bound to @code{gnus-draft-edit-message}.
27911 Use @kbd{B w} for @code{gnus-summary-edit-article} instead.
27916 More buttons for URLs, mail addresses, Message-IDs, Info links, man
27917 pages and Emacs or Gnus related references. @xref{Article Buttons}. The
27918 variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} can be used to control the
27919 appearance of all article buttons. @xref{Article Button Levels}.
27922 Single-part yenc encoded attachments can be decoded.
27927 The picons code has been reimplemented to work in GNU Emacs---some of
27928 the previous options have been removed or renamed.
27930 Picons are small ``personal icons'' representing users, domain and
27931 newsgroups, which can be displayed in the Article buffer.
27935 If the new option @code{gnus-treat-body-boundary} is non-@code{nil}, a
27936 boundary line is drawn at the end of the headers.
27939 Signed article headers (X-PGP-Sig) can be verified with @kbd{W p}.
27942 The Summary Buffer uses an arrow in the fringe to indicate the current
27943 article. Use @code{(setq gnus-summary-display-arrow nil)} to disable it.
27946 Warn about email replies to news
27948 Do you often find yourself replying to news by email by mistake? Then
27949 the new option @code{gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news} is just the thing for
27953 If the new option @code{gnus-summary-display-while-building} is
27954 non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer is shown and updated as it's being
27958 Gnus supports RFC 2369 mailing list headers, and adds a number of
27959 related commands in mailing list groups. @xref{Mailing List}.
27962 The Date header can be displayed in a format that can be read aloud
27963 in English. @xref{Article Date}.
27966 diffs are automatically highlighted in groups matching
27967 @code{mm-uu-diff-groups-regexp}
27970 Better handling of Microsoft citation styles
27972 Gnus now tries to recognize the mangled header block that some Microsoft
27973 mailers use to indicate that the rest of the message is a citation, even
27974 though it is not quoted in any way. The variable
27975 @code{gnus-cite-unsightly-citation-regexp} matches the start of these
27978 The new command @kbd{W Y f}
27979 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article}) allows deuglifying broken
27980 Outlook (Express) articles.
27983 @code{gnus-article-skip-boring}
27985 If you set @code{gnus-article-skip-boring} to @code{t}, then Gnus will
27986 not scroll down to show you a page that contains only boring text,
27987 which by default means cited text and signature. You can customize
27988 what is skippable using @code{gnus-article-boring-faces}.
27990 This feature is especially useful if you read many articles that
27991 consist of a little new content at the top with a long, untrimmed
27992 message cited below.
27995 Smileys (@samp{:-)}, @samp{;-)} etc.)@: are now displayed graphically in
27998 Put @code{(setq gnus-treat-display-smileys nil)} in @file{~/.gnus.el} to
28002 Face headers handling. @xref{Face}.
28005 In the summary buffer, the new command @kbd{/ N} inserts new messages
28006 and @kbd{/ o} inserts old messages.
28009 Gnus decodes morse encoded messages if you press @kbd{W m}.
28012 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}
28014 The default value changed to @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%)
28015 %s\n}. Moreover @code{gnus-extra-headers},
28016 @code{nnmail-extra-headers} and @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses}
28017 changed their default so that the users name will be replaced by the
28018 recipient's name or the group name posting to for @acronym{NNTP}
28022 Deleting of attachments.
28024 The command @code{gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip} (bound to @kbd{C-o}
28025 on @acronym{MIME} buttons) saves a part and replaces the part with an
28026 external one. @code{gnus-mime-delete-part} (bound to @kbd{d} on
28027 @acronym{MIME} buttons) removes a part. It works only on back ends
28028 that support editing.
28031 @code{gnus-default-charset}
28033 The default value is determined from the
28034 @code{current-language-environment} variable, instead of
28035 @code{iso-8859-1}. Also the @samp{.*} item in
28036 @code{gnus-group-charset-alist} is removed.
28039 Printing capabilities are enhanced.
28041 Gnus supports Muttprint natively with @kbd{O P} from the Summary and
28042 Article buffers. Also, each individual @acronym{MIME} part can be
28043 printed using @kbd{p} on the @acronym{MIME} button.
28046 Extended format specs.
28048 Format spec @samp{%&user-date;} is added into
28049 @code{gnus-summary-line-format-alist}. Also, user defined extended
28050 format specs are supported. The extended format specs look like
28051 @samp{%u&foo;}, which invokes function
28052 @code{gnus-user-format-function-@var{foo}}. Because @samp{&} is used as the
28053 escape character, old user defined format @samp{%u&} is no longer supported.
28056 @kbd{/ *} (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}) is rewritten.
28057 @c FIXME: Was this a user-visible change?
28059 It was aliased to @kbd{Y c}
28060 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}). The new function filters
28061 out other articles.
28064 Some limiting commands accept a @kbd{C-u} prefix to negate the match.
28066 If @kbd{C-u} is used on subject, author or extra headers, i.e., @kbd{/
28067 s}, @kbd{/ a}, and @kbd{/ x}
28068 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-@{subject,author,extra@}}) respectively, the
28069 result will be to display all articles that do not match the expression.
28072 Gnus inlines external parts (message/external).
28076 @item Changes in Message mode and related Gnus features
28077 @c ****************************************************
28084 You can delay the sending of a message with @kbd{C-c C-j} in the Message
28085 buffer. The messages are delivered at specified time. This is useful
28086 for sending yourself reminders. @xref{Delayed Articles}.
28089 If the new option @code{nnml-use-compressed-files} is non-@code{nil},
28090 the nnml back end allows compressed message files.
28093 The new option @code{gnus-gcc-mark-as-read} automatically marks
28094 Gcc articles as read.
28097 Externalizing of attachments
28099 If @code{gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments} or
28100 @code{message-fcc-externalize-attachments} is non-@code{nil}, attach
28101 local files as external parts.
28104 The envelope sender address can be customized when using Sendmail.
28105 @xref{Mail Variables, Mail Variables,, message, Message Manual}.
28108 Gnus no longer generate the Sender: header automatically.
28110 Earlier it was generated when the user configurable email address was
28111 different from the Gnus guessed default user address. As the guessing
28112 algorithm is rarely correct these days, and (more controversially) the
28113 only use of the Sender: header was to check if you are entitled to
28114 cancel/supersede news (which is now solved by Cancel Locks instead,
28115 see another entry), generation of the header has been disabled by
28116 default. See the variables @code{message-required-headers},
28117 @code{message-required-news-headers}, and
28118 @code{message-required-mail-headers}.
28121 Features from third party @file{message-utils.el} added to @file{message.el}.
28123 Message now asks if you wish to remove @samp{(was: <old subject>)} from
28124 subject lines (see @code{message-subject-trailing-was-query}). @kbd{C-c
28125 M-m} and @kbd{C-c M-f} inserts markers indicating included text.
28126 @kbd{C-c C-f a} adds a X-No-Archive: header. @kbd{C-c C-f x} inserts
28127 appropriate headers and a note in the body for cross-postings and
28128 followups (see the variables @code{message-cross-post-@var{*}}).
28131 References and X-Draft-From headers are no longer generated when you
28132 start composing messages and @code{message-generate-headers-first} is
28136 Easy inclusion of X-Faces headers. @xref{X-Face}.
28139 Group Carbon Copy (GCC) quoting
28141 To support groups that contains SPC and other weird characters, groups
28142 are quoted before they are placed in the Gcc: header. This means
28143 variables such as @code{gnus-message-archive-group} should no longer
28144 contain quote characters to make groups containing SPC work. Also, if
28145 you are using the string @samp{nnml:foo, nnml:bar} (indicating Gcc
28146 into two groups) you must change it to return the list
28147 @code{("nnml:foo" "nnml:bar")}, otherwise the Gcc: line will be quoted
28148 incorrectly. Note that returning the string @samp{nnml:foo, nnml:bar}
28149 was incorrect earlier, it just didn't generate any problems since it
28150 was inserted directly.
28153 @code{message-insinuate-rmail}
28155 @c FIXME should that not be 'message-user-agent?
28156 Adding @code{(message-insinuate-rmail)} and @code{(setq
28157 mail-user-agent 'gnus-user-agent)} in @file{.emacs} convinces Rmail to
28158 compose, reply and forward messages in message-mode, where you can
28159 enjoy the power of @acronym{MML}.
28162 @code{message-minibuffer-local-map}
28164 The line below enables BBDB in resending a message:
28166 (define-key message-minibuffer-local-map [(tab)]
28167 'bbdb-complete-name)
28171 @code{gnus-posting-styles}
28173 Add a new format of match like
28175 ((header "to" "larsi.*org")
28176 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
28178 The old format like the lines below is obsolete, but still accepted.
28180 (header "to" "larsi.*org"
28181 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
28185 @code{message-ignored-news-headers} and @code{message-ignored-mail-headers}
28187 @samp{X-Draft-From} and @samp{X-Gnus-Agent-Meta-Information} have been
28188 added into these two variables. If you customized those, perhaps you
28189 need add those two headers too.
28192 Gnus supports the ``format=flowed'' (RFC 2646) parameter. On
28193 composing messages, it is enabled by @code{use-hard-newlines}.
28194 Decoding format=flowed was present but not documented in earlier
28198 The option @code{mm-fill-flowed} can be used to disable treatment of
28199 ``format=flowed'' messages. Also, flowed text is disabled when sending
28200 inline PGP signed messages. @xref{Flowed text, , Flowed text,
28201 emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME Manual}. (New in Gnus 5.10.7)
28202 @c This entry is also present in the node "No Gnus".
28205 Gnus supports the generation of RFC 2298 Disposition Notification requests.
28207 This is invoked with the @kbd{C-c M-n} key binding from message mode.
28210 Message supports the Importance: (RFC 2156) header.
28212 In the message buffer, @kbd{C-c C-f C-i} or @kbd{C-c C-u} cycles through
28216 Gnus supports Cancel Locks in News.
28218 This means a header @samp{Cancel-Lock} is inserted in news posting. It is
28219 used to determine if you wrote an article or not (for canceling and
28220 superseding). Gnus generates a random password string the first time
28221 you post a message, and saves it in your @file{~/.emacs} using the Custom
28222 system. While the variable is called @code{canlock-password}, it is not
28223 security sensitive data. Publishing your canlock string on the web
28224 will not allow anyone to be able to anything she could not already do.
28225 The behavior can be changed by customizing @code{message-insert-canlock}.
28228 Gnus supports @acronym{PGP} (RFC 1991/2440), @acronym{PGP/MIME} (RFC
28229 2015/3156) and @acronym{S/MIME} (RFC 2630--2633).
28231 It needs an external @acronym{S/MIME} and OpenPGP implementation, but no
28232 additional Lisp libraries. This add several menu items to the
28233 Attachments menu, and @kbd{C-c RET} key bindings, when composing
28234 messages. This also obsoletes @code{gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook}.
28237 @acronym{MML} (Mime compose) prefix changed from @kbd{M-m} to @kbd{C-c
28240 This change was made to avoid conflict with the standard binding of
28241 @code{back-to-indentation}, which is also useful in message mode.
28244 The default for @code{message-forward-show-mml} changed to the symbol
28247 The behavior for the @code{best} value is to show @acronym{MML} (i.e.,
28248 convert to @acronym{MIME}) when appropriate. @acronym{MML} will not be
28249 used when forwarding signed or encrypted messages, as the conversion
28250 invalidate the digital signature.
28253 If @code{auto-compression-mode} is enabled, attachments are automatically
28254 decompressed when activated.
28255 @c FIXME: Does this affect article or message mode?
28258 Support for non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names
28260 Message supports non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names in From:, To: and
28261 Cc: and will query you whether to perform encoding when you try to
28262 send a message. The variable @code{message-use-idna} controls this.
28263 Gnus will also decode non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names in From:, To:
28264 and Cc: when you view a message. The variable @code{gnus-use-idna}
28267 @item You can now drag and drop attachments to the Message buffer.
28268 See @code{mml-dnd-protocol-alist} and @code{mml-dnd-attach-options}.
28269 @xref{MIME, ,MIME, message, Message Manual}.
28270 @c New in 5.10.9 / 5.11 (Emacs 22.1)
28272 @item @code{auto-fill-mode} is enabled by default in Message mode.
28273 See @code{message-fill-column}. @xref{Various Message Variables, ,
28274 Message Headers, message, Message Manual}.
28275 @c New in Gnus 5.10.12 / 5.11 (Emacs 22.3)
28279 @item Changes in back ends
28280 @c ***********************
28284 Gnus can display RSS newsfeeds as a newsgroup. @xref{RSS}.
28287 The nndoc back end now supports mailman digests and exim bounces.
28290 Gnus supports Maildir groups.
28292 Gnus includes a new back end @file{nnmaildir.el}. @xref{Maildir}.
28295 The nnml and nnfolder back ends store marks for each groups.
28297 This makes it possible to take backup of nnml/nnfolder servers/groups
28298 separately of @file{~/.newsrc.eld}, while preserving marks. It also
28299 makes it possible to share articles and marks between users (without
28300 sharing the @file{~/.newsrc.eld} file) within, e.g., a department. It
28301 works by storing the marks stored in @file{~/.newsrc.eld} in a per-group
28302 file @file{.marks} (for nnml) and @file{@var{groupname}.mrk} (for
28303 nnfolder, named @var{groupname}). If the nnml/nnfolder is moved to
28304 another machine, Gnus will automatically use the @file{.marks} or
28305 @file{.mrk} file instead of the information in @file{~/.newsrc.eld}.
28306 The new server variables @code{nnml-marks-is-evil} and
28307 @code{nnfolder-marks-is-evil} can be used to disable this feature.
28317 The menu bar item (in Group and Summary buffer) named ``Misc'' has
28318 been renamed to ``Gnus''.
28321 The menu bar item (in Message mode) named ``@acronym{MML}'' has been
28322 renamed to ``Attachments''. Note that this menu also contains security
28323 related stuff, like signing and encryption (@pxref{Security, Security,,
28324 message, Message Manual}).
28327 The tool bars have been updated to use GNOME icons in Group, Summary and
28328 Message mode. You can also customize the tool bars: @kbd{M-x
28329 customize-apropos RET -tool-bar$} should get you started. This is a new
28330 feature in Gnus 5.10.10. (Only for Emacs, not in XEmacs.)
28332 @item The tool bar icons are now (de)activated correctly
28333 in the group buffer, see the variable @code{gnus-group-update-tool-bar}.
28334 Its default value depends on your Emacs version. This is a new feature
28339 @item Miscellaneous changes
28340 @c ************************
28347 The Gnus Agent has seen a major updated and is now enabled by default,
28348 and all nntp and nnimap servers from @code{gnus-select-method} and
28349 @code{gnus-secondary-select-method} are agentized by default. Earlier
28350 only the server in @code{gnus-select-method} was agentized by the
28351 default, and the agent was disabled by default. When the agent is
28352 enabled, headers are now also retrieved from the Agent cache instead
28353 of the back ends when possible. Earlier this only happened in the
28354 unplugged state. You can enroll or remove servers with @kbd{J a} and
28355 @kbd{J r} in the server buffer. Gnus will not download articles into
28356 the Agent cache, unless you instruct it to do so, though, by using
28357 @kbd{J u} or @kbd{J s} from the Group buffer. You revert to the old
28358 behavior of having the Agent disabled with @code{(setq gnus-agent
28359 nil)}. Note that putting @code{(gnus-agentize)} in @file{~/.gnus.el}
28360 is not needed any more.
28363 Gnus reads the @acronym{NOV} and articles in the Agent if plugged.
28365 If one reads an article while plugged, and the article already exists
28366 in the Agent, it won't get downloaded once more. @code{(setq
28367 gnus-agent-cache nil)} reverts to the old behavior.
28372 @code{gnus-dired-minor-mode} (see @ref{Other modes}) installs key
28373 bindings in dired buffers to send a file as an attachment, open a file
28374 using the appropriate mailcap entry, and print a file using the mailcap
28378 The format spec @code{%C} for positioning point has changed to @code{%*}.
28381 @code{gnus-slave-unplugged}
28383 A new command which starts Gnus offline in slave mode.
28390 @subsubsection No Gnus
28393 New features in No Gnus:
28394 @c FIXME: Gnus 5.12?
28396 @include gnus-news.texi
28399 @subsubsection Ma Gnus
28402 I'm sure there will be lots of text here. It's really spelled 真
28405 New features in Ma Gnus:
28409 @item Installation changes
28410 @c ***********************
28414 Lisp source files and info files to be installed will be compressed by
28417 If you don't want those files to be compressed, use the configure option
28418 @samp{--without-compress-install}. Lisp source files that don't have
28419 the compiled elc version in the installation directory will not be
28424 @item Changes in summary and article mode
28425 @c **************************************
28430 By default, @acronym{MIME} part buttons for attachments (if any) will
28431 appear in the end of the article header in addition to the bottom of the
28432 article body, so you can easily find them without scrolling the article
28433 again and again. @xref{MIME Commands}.
28437 @item Changes in Message mode and related Gnus features
28438 @c ****************************************************
28443 The new hooks @code{gnus-gcc-pre-body-encode-hook} and
28444 @code{gnus-gcc-post-body-encode-hook} are run before/after encoding
28445 the message body of the Gcc copy of a sent message. See
28446 @xref{Archived Messages}.
28456 @section The Manual
28460 This manual was generated from a TeXinfo file and then run through
28461 either @code{texi2dvi}
28463 or my own home-brewed TeXinfo to \LaTeX\ transformer,
28464 and then run through @code{latex} and @code{dvips}
28466 to get what you hold in your hands now.
28468 The following conventions have been used:
28473 This is a @samp{string}
28476 This is a @kbd{keystroke}
28479 This is a @file{file}
28482 This is a @code{symbol}
28486 So if I were to say ``set @code{flargnoze} to @samp{yes}'', that would
28490 (setq flargnoze "yes")
28493 If I say ``set @code{flumphel} to @code{yes}'', that would mean:
28496 (setq flumphel 'yes)
28499 @samp{yes} and @code{yes} are two @emph{very} different things---don't
28500 ever get them confused.
28504 Of course, everything in this manual is of vital interest, so you should
28505 read it all. Several times. However, if you feel like skimming the
28506 manual, look for that gnu head you should see in the margin over
28507 there---it means that what's being discussed is of more importance than
28508 the rest of the stuff. (On the other hand, if everything is infinitely
28509 important, how can anything be more important than that? Just one more
28510 of the mysteries of this world, I guess.)
28516 @node On Writing Manuals
28517 @section On Writing Manuals
28519 I guess most manuals are written after-the-fact; documenting a program
28520 that's already there. This is not how this manual is written. When
28521 implementing something, I write the manual entry for that something
28522 straight away. I then see that it's difficult to explain the
28523 functionality, so I write how it's supposed to be, and then I change the
28524 implementation. Writing the documentation and writing the code go hand
28527 This, of course, means that this manual has no, or little, flow. It
28528 documents absolutely everything in Gnus, but often not where you're
28529 looking for it. It is a reference manual, and not a guide to how to get
28532 That would be a totally different book, that should be written using the
28533 reference manual as source material. It would look quite different.
28538 @section Terminology
28540 @cindex terminology
28545 This is what you are supposed to use this thing for---reading news.
28546 News is generally fetched from a nearby @acronym{NNTP} server, and is
28547 generally publicly available to everybody. If you post news, the entire
28548 world is likely to read just what you have written, and they'll all
28549 snigger mischievously. Behind your back.
28553 Everything that's delivered to you personally is mail. Some news/mail
28554 readers (like Gnus) blur the distinction between mail and news, but
28555 there is a difference. Mail is private. News is public. Mailing is
28556 not posting, and replying is not following up.
28560 Send a mail to the person who has written what you are reading.
28564 Post an article to the current newsgroup responding to the article you
28569 Gnus considers mail and news to be mostly the same, really. The only
28570 difference is how to access the actual articles. News articles are
28571 commonly fetched via the protocol @acronym{NNTP}, whereas mail
28572 messages could be read from a file on the local disk. The internal
28573 architecture of Gnus thus comprises a ``front end'' and a number of
28574 ``back ends''. Internally, when you enter a group (by hitting
28575 @key{RET}, say), you thereby invoke a function in the front end in
28576 Gnus. The front end then ``talks'' to a back end and says things like
28577 ``Give me the list of articles in the foo group'' or ``Show me article
28580 So a back end mainly defines either a protocol (the @code{nntp} back
28581 end accesses news via @acronym{NNTP}, the @code{nnimap} back end
28582 accesses mail via @acronym{IMAP}) or a file format and directory
28583 layout (the @code{nnspool} back end accesses news via the common
28584 ``spool directory'' format, the @code{nnml} back end access mail via a
28585 file format and directory layout that's quite similar).
28587 Gnus does not handle the underlying media, so to speak---this is all
28588 done by the back ends. A back end is a collection of functions to
28589 access the articles.
28591 However, sometimes the term ``back end'' is also used where ``server''
28592 would have been more appropriate. And then there is the term ``select
28593 method'' which can mean either. The Gnus terminology can be quite
28598 Gnus will always use one method (and back end) as the @dfn{native}, or
28599 default, way of getting news. Groups from the native select method
28600 have names like @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}.
28604 You can also have any number of foreign groups active at the same
28605 time. These are groups that use non-native non-secondary back ends
28606 for getting news. Foreign groups have names like
28607 @samp{nntp+news.gmane.org:gmane.emacs.gnus.devel}.
28611 Secondary back ends are somewhere half-way between being native and
28612 being foreign, but they mostly act like they are native, but they, too
28613 have names like @samp{nntp+news.gmane.org:gmane.emacs.gnus.devel}.
28617 A message that has been posted as news.
28620 @cindex mail message
28621 A message that has been mailed.
28625 A mail message or news article
28629 The top part of a message, where administrative information (etc.)@: is
28634 The rest of an article. Everything not in the head is in the
28639 A line from the head of an article.
28643 A collection of such lines, or a collection of heads. Or even a
28644 collection of @acronym{NOV} lines.
28646 @item @acronym{NOV}
28647 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
28648 @acronym{NOV} stands for News OverView, which is a type of news server
28649 header which provide datas containing the condensed header information
28650 of articles. They are produced by the server itself; in the @code{nntp}
28651 back end Gnus uses the ones that the @acronym{NNTP} server makes, but
28652 Gnus makes them by itself for some backends (in particular, @code{nnml}).
28654 When Gnus enters a group, it asks the back end for the headers of all
28655 unread articles in the group. Most servers support the News OverView
28656 format, which is more compact and much faster to read and parse than the
28657 normal @sc{head} format.
28659 The @acronym{NOV} data consist of one or more text lines (@pxref{Text
28660 Lines, ,Motion by Text Lines, elisp, The Emacs Lisp Reference Manual})
28661 where each line has the header information of one article. The header
28662 information is a tab-separated series of the header's contents including
28663 an article number, a subject, an author, a date, a message-id,
28666 Those data enable Gnus to generate summary lines quickly. However, if
28667 the server does not support @acronym{NOV} or you disable it purposely or
28668 for some reason, Gnus will try to generate the header information by
28669 parsing each article's headers one by one. It will take time.
28670 Therefore, it is not usually a good idea to set nn*-nov-is-evil
28671 (@pxref{Slow/Expensive Connection}) to a non-@code{nil} value unless you
28672 know that the server makes wrong @acronym{NOV} data.
28676 Each group is subscribed at some @dfn{level} or other (1--9). The ones
28677 that have a lower level are ``more'' subscribed than the groups with a
28678 higher level. In fact, groups on levels 1--5 are considered
28679 @dfn{subscribed}; 6--7 are @dfn{unsubscribed}; 8 are @dfn{zombies}; and 9
28680 are @dfn{killed}. Commands for listing groups and scanning for new
28681 articles will all use the numeric prefix as @dfn{working level}.
28683 @item killed groups
28684 @cindex killed groups
28685 No information on killed groups is stored or updated, which makes killed
28686 groups much easier to handle than subscribed groups.
28688 @item zombie groups
28689 @cindex zombie groups
28690 Just like killed groups, only slightly less dead.
28693 @cindex active file
28694 The news server has to keep track of what articles it carries, and what
28695 groups exist. All this information in stored in the active file, which
28696 is rather large, as you might surmise.
28699 @cindex bogus groups
28700 A group that exists in the @file{.newsrc} file, but isn't known to the
28701 server (i.e., it isn't in the active file), is a @emph{bogus group}.
28702 This means that the group probably doesn't exist (any more).
28705 @cindex activating groups
28706 The act of asking the server for info on a group and computing the
28707 number of unread articles is called @dfn{activating the group}.
28708 Un-activated groups are listed with @samp{*} in the group buffer.
28712 News servers store their articles locally in one fashion or other.
28713 One old-fashioned storage method is to have just one file per
28714 article. That's called a ``traditional spool''.
28718 A machine one can connect to and get news (or mail) from.
28720 @item select method
28721 @cindex select method
28722 A structure that specifies the back end, the server and the virtual
28725 @item virtual server
28726 @cindex virtual server
28727 A named select method. Since a select method defines all there is to
28728 know about connecting to a (physical) server, taking the thing as a
28729 whole is a virtual server.
28733 Taking a buffer and running it through a filter of some sort. The
28734 result will (more often than not) be cleaner and more pleasing than the
28737 @item ephemeral groups
28738 @cindex ephemeral groups
28739 @cindex temporary groups
28740 Most groups store data on what articles you have read. @dfn{Ephemeral}
28741 groups are groups that will have no data stored---when you exit the
28742 group, it'll disappear into the aether.
28745 @cindex solid groups
28746 This is the opposite of ephemeral groups. All groups listed in the
28747 group buffer are solid groups.
28749 @item sparse articles
28750 @cindex sparse articles
28751 These are article placeholders shown in the summary buffer when
28752 @code{gnus-build-sparse-threads} has been switched on.
28756 To put responses to articles directly after the articles they respond
28757 to---in a hierarchical fashion.
28761 @cindex thread root
28762 The first article in a thread is the root. It is the ancestor of all
28763 articles in the thread.
28767 An article that has responses.
28771 An article that responds to a different article---its parent.
28775 A collection of messages in one file. The most common digest format is
28776 specified by RFC 1153.
28779 @cindex splitting, terminology
28780 @cindex mail sorting
28781 @cindex mail filtering (splitting)
28782 The action of sorting your emails according to certain rules. Sometimes
28783 incorrectly called mail filtering.
28789 @node Customization
28790 @section Customization
28791 @cindex general customization
28793 All variables are properly documented elsewhere in this manual. This
28794 section is designed to give general pointers on how to customize Gnus
28795 for some quite common situations.
28798 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
28799 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
28800 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
28801 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
28805 @node Slow/Expensive Connection
28806 @subsection Slow/Expensive Connection
28808 If you run Emacs on a machine locally, and get your news from a machine
28809 over some very thin strings, you want to cut down on the amount of data
28810 Gnus has to get from the server.
28814 @item gnus-read-active-file
28815 Set this to @code{nil}, which will inhibit Gnus from requesting the
28816 entire active file from the server. This file is often very large. You
28817 also have to set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
28818 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make sure that Gnus
28819 doesn't suddenly decide to fetch the active file anyway.
28821 @item gnus-nov-is-evil
28822 @vindex gnus-nov-is-evil
28823 Usually this one must @emph{always} be @code{nil} (which is the
28824 default). If, for example, you wish to not use @acronym{NOV}
28825 (@pxref{Terminology}) with the @code{nntp} back end (@pxref{Crosspost
28826 Handling}), set @code{nntp-nov-is-evil} to a non-@code{nil} value
28827 instead of setting this. But you normally do not need to set
28828 @code{nntp-nov-is-evil} since Gnus by itself will detect whether the
28829 @acronym{NNTP} server supports @acronym{NOV}. Anyway, grabbing article
28830 headers from the @acronym{NNTP} server will not be very fast if you tell
28831 Gnus not to use @acronym{NOV}.
28833 As the variables for the other back ends, there are
28834 @code{nndiary-nov-is-evil}, @code{nndir-nov-is-evil},
28835 @code{nnfolder-nov-is-evil}, @code{nnimap-nov-is-evil},
28836 @code{nnml-nov-is-evil}, and @code{nnspool-nov-is-evil}. Note that a
28837 non-@code{nil} value for @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} overrides all those
28842 @node Slow Terminal Connection
28843 @subsection Slow Terminal Connection
28845 Let's say you use your home computer for dialing up the system that runs
28846 Emacs and Gnus. If your modem is slow, you want to reduce (as much as
28847 possible) the amount of data sent over the wires.
28851 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
28852 Set this to @code{nil} to inhibit Gnus from re-centering the summary
28853 buffer all the time. If it is @code{vertical}, do only vertical
28854 re-centering. If it is neither @code{nil} nor @code{vertical}, do both
28855 horizontal and vertical recentering.
28857 @item gnus-visible-headers
28858 Cut down on the headers included in the articles to the
28859 minimum. You can, in fact, make do without them altogether---most of the
28860 useful data is in the summary buffer, anyway. Set this variable to
28861 @samp{^NEVVVVER} or @samp{From:}, or whatever you feel you need.
28863 Use the following to enable all the available hiding features:
28865 (setq gnus-treat-hide-headers 'head
28866 gnus-treat-hide-signature t
28867 gnus-treat-hide-citation t)
28870 @item gnus-use-full-window
28871 By setting this to @code{nil}, you can make all the windows smaller.
28872 While this doesn't really cut down much generally, it means that you
28873 have to see smaller portions of articles before deciding that you didn't
28874 want to read them anyway.
28876 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
28877 If this is non-@code{nil}, all threads in the summary buffer will be
28881 @item gnus-updated-mode-lines
28882 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not put information in the buffer mode
28883 lines, which might save some time.
28887 @node Little Disk Space
28888 @subsection Little Disk Space
28891 The startup files can get rather large, so you may want to cut their
28892 sizes a bit if you are running out of space.
28896 @item gnus-save-newsrc-file
28897 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never save @file{.newsrc}---it will
28898 only save @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
28899 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
28902 @item gnus-read-newsrc-file
28903 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never read @file{.newsrc}---it will
28904 only read @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
28905 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
28908 @item gnus-save-killed-list
28909 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not save the list of dead groups. You
28910 should also set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{ask-server}
28911 and @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} if you set this
28912 variable to @code{nil}. This variable is @code{t} by default.
28918 @subsection Slow Machine
28919 @cindex slow machine
28921 If you have a slow machine, or are just really impatient, there are a
28922 few things you can do to make Gnus run faster.
28924 Set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
28925 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make startup faster.
28927 Set @code{gnus-show-threads}, @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} and
28928 @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{nil} to make entering and exiting the
28929 summary buffer faster. Also @pxref{Slow/Expensive Connection}.
28933 @node Troubleshooting
28934 @section Troubleshooting
28935 @cindex troubleshooting
28937 Gnus works @emph{so} well straight out of the box---I can't imagine any
28945 Make sure your computer is switched on.
28948 Make sure that you really load the current Gnus version. If you have
28949 been running @sc{gnus}, you need to exit Emacs and start it up again before
28953 Try doing an @kbd{M-x gnus-version}. If you get something that looks
28955 @samp{Ma Gnus v0.12} @c Adjust ../Makefile.in if you change this line!
28957 you have the right files loaded. Otherwise you have some old @file{.el}
28958 files lying around. Delete these.
28961 Read the help group (@kbd{G h} in the group buffer) for a
28962 @acronym{FAQ} and a how-to.
28965 @vindex max-lisp-eval-depth
28966 Gnus works on many recursive structures, and in some extreme (and very
28967 rare) cases Gnus may recurse down ``too deeply'' and Emacs will beep at
28968 you. If this happens to you, set @code{max-lisp-eval-depth} to 500 or
28969 something like that.
28972 If all else fails, report the problem as a bug.
28975 @cindex reporting bugs
28977 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
28979 If you find a bug in Gnus, you can report it with the @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}
28980 command. @kbd{M-x set-variable RET debug-on-error RET t RET}, and send
28981 me the backtrace. I will fix bugs, but I can only fix them if you send
28982 me a precise description as to how to reproduce the bug.
28984 You really can never be too detailed in a bug report. Always use the
28985 @kbd{M-x gnus-bug} command when you make bug reports, even if it creates
28986 a 10Kb mail each time you use it, and even if you have sent me your
28987 environment 500 times before. I don't care. I want the full info each
28990 It is also important to remember that I have no memory whatsoever. If
28991 you send a bug report, and I send you a reply, and then you just send
28992 back ``No, it's not! Moron!'', I will have no idea what you are
28993 insulting me about. Always over-explain everything. It's much easier
28994 for all of us---if I don't have all the information I need, I will just
28995 mail you and ask for more info, and everything takes more time.
28997 If the problem you're seeing is very visual, and you can't quite explain
28998 it, copy the Emacs window to a file (with @code{xwd}, for instance), put
28999 it somewhere it can be reached, and include the URL of the picture in
29003 If you would like to contribute a patch to fix bugs or make
29004 improvements, please produce the patch using @samp{diff -u}.
29007 If you want to debug your problem further before reporting, possibly
29008 in order to solve the problem yourself and send a patch, you can use
29009 edebug. Debugging Lisp code is documented in the Elisp manual
29010 (@pxref{Debugging, , Debugging Lisp Programs, elisp, The GNU Emacs
29011 Lisp Reference Manual}). To get you started with edebug, consider if
29012 you discover some weird behavior when pressing @kbd{c}, the first
29013 step is to do @kbd{C-h k c} and click on the hyperlink (Emacs only) in
29014 the documentation buffer that leads you to the function definition,
29015 then press @kbd{M-x edebug-defun RET} with point inside that function,
29016 return to Gnus and press @kbd{c} to invoke the code. You will be
29017 placed in the lisp buffer and can single step using @kbd{SPC} and
29018 evaluate expressions using @kbd{M-:} or inspect variables using
29019 @kbd{C-h v}, abort execution with @kbd{q}, and resume execution with
29020 @kbd{c} or @kbd{g}.
29025 Sometimes, a problem do not directly generate an elisp error but
29026 manifests itself by causing Gnus to be very slow. In these cases, you
29027 can use @kbd{M-x toggle-debug-on-quit} and press @kbd{C-g} when things are
29028 slow, and then try to analyze the backtrace (repeating the procedure
29029 helps isolating the real problem areas).
29031 A fancier approach is to use the elisp profiler, ELP@. The profiler is
29032 (or should be) fully documented elsewhere, but to get you started
29033 there are a few steps that need to be followed. First, instrument the
29034 part of Gnus you are interested in for profiling, e.g., @kbd{M-x
29035 elp-instrument-package RET gnus} or @kbd{M-x elp-instrument-package
29036 RET message}. Then perform the operation that is slow and press
29037 @kbd{M-x elp-results}. You will then see which operations that takes
29038 time, and can debug them further. If the entire operation takes much
29039 longer than the time spent in the slowest function in the profiler
29040 output, you probably profiled the wrong part of Gnus. To reset
29041 profiling statistics, use @kbd{M-x elp-reset-all}. @kbd{M-x
29042 elp-restore-all} is supposed to remove profiling, but given the
29043 complexities and dynamic code generation in Gnus, it might not always
29046 @cindex gnu.emacs.gnus
29047 @cindex ding mailing list
29048 If you just need help, you are better off asking on
29049 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}. I'm not very helpful. You can also ask on
29050 @email{ding@@gnus.org, the ding mailing list}. Write to
29051 @email{ding-request@@gnus.org} to subscribe.
29055 @node Gnus Reference Guide
29056 @section Gnus Reference Guide
29058 It is my hope that other people will figure out smart stuff that Gnus
29059 can do, and that other people will write those smart things as well. To
29060 facilitate that I thought it would be a good idea to describe the inner
29061 workings of Gnus. And some of the not-so-inner workings, while I'm at
29064 You can never expect the internals of a program not to change, but I
29065 will be defining (in some details) the interface between Gnus and its
29066 back ends (this is written in stone), the format of the score files
29067 (ditto), data structures (some are less likely to change than others)
29068 and general methods of operation.
29071 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
29072 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
29073 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
29074 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
29075 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
29076 * Group Info:: The group info format.
29077 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
29078 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
29079 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
29083 @node Gnus Utility Functions
29084 @subsection Gnus Utility Functions
29085 @cindex Gnus utility functions
29086 @cindex utility functions
29088 @cindex internal variables
29090 When writing small functions to be run from hooks (and stuff), it's
29091 vital to have access to the Gnus internal functions and variables.
29092 Below is a list of the most common ones.
29096 @item gnus-newsgroup-name
29097 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-name
29098 This variable holds the name of the current newsgroup.
29100 @item gnus-find-method-for-group
29101 @findex gnus-find-method-for-group
29102 A function that returns the select method for @var{group}.
29104 @item gnus-group-real-name
29105 @findex gnus-group-real-name
29106 Takes a full (prefixed) Gnus group name, and returns the unprefixed
29109 @item gnus-group-prefixed-name
29110 @findex gnus-group-prefixed-name
29111 Takes an unprefixed group name and a select method, and returns the full
29112 (prefixed) Gnus group name.
29114 @item gnus-get-info
29115 @findex gnus-get-info
29116 Returns the group info list for @var{group} (@pxref{Group Info}).
29118 @item gnus-group-unread
29119 @findex gnus-group-unread
29120 The number of unread articles in @var{group}, or @code{t} if that is
29124 @findex gnus-active
29125 The active entry (i.e., a cons cell containing the lowest and highest
29126 article numbers) for @var{group}.
29128 @item gnus-set-active
29129 @findex gnus-set-active
29130 Set the active entry for @var{group}.
29132 @item gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
29133 @findex gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
29134 Adds the current buffer to the list of buffers to be killed on Gnus
29137 @item gnus-continuum-version
29138 @findex gnus-continuum-version
29139 Takes a Gnus version string as a parameter and returns a floating point
29140 number. Earlier versions will always get a lower number than later
29143 @item gnus-group-read-only-p
29144 @findex gnus-group-read-only-p
29145 Says whether @var{group} is read-only or not.
29147 @item gnus-news-group-p
29148 @findex gnus-news-group-p
29149 Says whether @var{group} came from a news back end.
29151 @item gnus-ephemeral-group-p
29152 @findex gnus-ephemeral-group-p
29153 Says whether @var{group} is ephemeral or not.
29155 @item gnus-server-to-method
29156 @findex gnus-server-to-method
29157 Returns the select method corresponding to @var{server}.
29159 @item gnus-server-equal
29160 @findex gnus-server-equal
29161 Says whether two virtual servers are essentially equal. For instance,
29162 two virtual servers may have server parameters in different order, but
29163 this function will consider them equal.
29165 @item gnus-group-native-p
29166 @findex gnus-group-native-p
29167 Says whether @var{group} is native or not.
29169 @item gnus-group-secondary-p
29170 @findex gnus-group-secondary-p
29171 Says whether @var{group} is secondary or not.
29173 @item gnus-group-foreign-p
29174 @findex gnus-group-foreign-p
29175 Says whether @var{group} is foreign or not.
29177 @item gnus-group-find-parameter
29178 @findex gnus-group-find-parameter
29179 Returns the parameter list of @var{group} (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
29180 If given a second parameter, returns the value of that parameter for
29183 @item gnus-group-set-parameter
29184 @findex gnus-group-set-parameter
29185 Takes three parameters; @var{group}, @var{parameter} and @var{value}.
29187 @item gnus-narrow-to-body
29188 @findex gnus-narrow-to-body
29189 Narrows the current buffer to the body of the article.
29191 @item gnus-check-backend-function
29192 @findex gnus-check-backend-function
29193 Takes two parameters, @var{function} and @var{group}. If the back end
29194 @var{group} comes from supports @var{function}, return non-@code{nil}.
29197 (gnus-check-backend-function "request-scan" "nnml:misc")
29201 @item gnus-read-method
29202 @findex gnus-read-method
29203 Prompts the user for a select method.
29208 @node Back End Interface
29209 @subsection Back End Interface
29211 Gnus doesn't know anything about @acronym{NNTP}, spools, mail or virtual
29212 groups. It only knows how to talk to @dfn{virtual servers}. A virtual
29213 server is a @dfn{back end} and some @dfn{back end variables}. As examples
29214 of the first, we have @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and @code{nnmbox}. As
29215 examples of the latter we have @code{nntp-port-number} and
29216 @code{nnmbox-directory}.
29218 When Gnus asks for information from a back end---say @code{nntp}---on
29219 something, it will normally include a virtual server name in the
29220 function parameters. (If not, the back end should use the ``current''
29221 virtual server.) For instance, @code{nntp-request-list} takes a virtual
29222 server as its only (optional) parameter. If this virtual server hasn't
29223 been opened, the function should fail.
29225 Note that a virtual server name has no relation to some physical server
29226 name. Take this example:
29230 (nntp-address "ifi.uio.no")
29231 (nntp-port-number 4324))
29234 Here the virtual server name is @samp{odd-one} while the name of
29235 the physical server is @samp{ifi.uio.no}.
29237 The back ends should be able to switch between several virtual servers.
29238 The standard back ends implement this by keeping an alist of virtual
29239 server environments that they pull down/push up when needed.
29241 There are two groups of interface functions: @dfn{required functions},
29242 which must be present, and @dfn{optional functions}, which Gnus will
29243 always check for presence before attempting to call 'em.
29245 All these functions are expected to return data in the buffer
29246 @code{nntp-server-buffer} (@samp{ *nntpd*}), which is somewhat
29247 unfortunately named, but we'll have to live with it. When I talk about
29248 @dfn{resulting data}, I always refer to the data in that buffer. When I
29249 talk about @dfn{return value}, I talk about the function value returned by
29250 the function call. Functions that fail should return @code{nil} as the
29253 Some back ends could be said to be @dfn{server-forming} back ends, and
29254 some might be said not to be. The latter are back ends that generally
29255 only operate on one group at a time, and have no concept of ``server'';
29256 they have a group, and they deliver info on that group and nothing
29259 Gnus identifies each message by way of group name and article number. A
29260 few remarks about these article numbers might be useful. First of all,
29261 the numbers are positive integers. Secondly, it is normally not
29262 possible for later articles to ``re-use'' older article numbers without
29263 confusing Gnus. That is, if a group has ever contained a message
29264 numbered 42, then no other message may get that number, or Gnus will get
29265 mightily confused.@footnote{See the function
29266 @code{nnchoke-request-update-info}, @ref{Optional Back End Functions}.}
29267 Third, article numbers must be assigned in order of arrival in the
29268 group; this is not necessarily the same as the date of the message.
29270 The previous paragraph already mentions all the ``hard'' restrictions that
29271 article numbers must fulfill. But it seems that it might be useful to
29272 assign @emph{consecutive} article numbers, for Gnus gets quite confused
29273 if there are holes in the article numbering sequence. However, due to
29274 the ``no-reuse'' restriction, holes cannot be avoided altogether. It's
29275 also useful for the article numbers to start at 1 to avoid running out
29276 of numbers as long as possible.
29278 Note that by convention, back ends are named @code{nnsomething}, but
29279 Gnus also comes with some @code{nnnotbackends}, such as
29280 @file{nnheader.el}, @file{nnmail.el} and @file{nnoo.el}.
29282 In the examples and definitions I will refer to the imaginary back end
29285 @cindex @code{nnchoke}
29288 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
29289 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
29290 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
29291 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
29292 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
29293 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
29297 @node Required Back End Functions
29298 @subsubsection Required Back End Functions
29302 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-headers ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FETCH-OLD)
29304 @var{articles} is either a range of article numbers or a list of
29305 @code{Message-ID}s. Current back ends do not fully support either---only
29306 sequences (lists) of article numbers, and most back ends do not support
29307 retrieval of @code{Message-ID}s. But they should try for both.
29309 The result data should either be HEADs or @acronym{NOV} lines, and the result
29310 value should either be @code{headers} or @code{nov} to reflect this.
29311 This might later be expanded to @code{various}, which will be a mixture
29312 of HEADs and @acronym{NOV} lines, but this is currently not supported by Gnus.
29314 If @var{fetch-old} is non-@code{nil} it says to try fetching ``extra
29315 headers'', in some meaning of the word. This is generally done by
29316 fetching (at most) @var{fetch-old} extra headers less than the smallest
29317 article number in @code{articles}, and filling the gaps as well. The
29318 presence of this parameter can be ignored if the back end finds it
29319 cumbersome to follow the request. If this is non-@code{nil} and not a
29320 number, do maximum fetches.
29322 Here's an example HEAD:
29325 221 1056 Article retrieved.
29326 Path: ifi.uio.no!sturles
29327 From: sturles@@ifi.uio.no (Sturle Sunde)
29328 Newsgroups: ifi.discussion
29329 Subject: Re: Something very droll
29330 Date: 27 Oct 1994 14:02:57 +0100
29331 Organization: Dept. of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway
29333 Message-ID: <38o8e1$a0o@@holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no>
29334 References: <38jdmq$4qu@@visbur.ifi.uio.no>
29335 NNTP-Posting-Host: holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no
29339 So a @code{headers} return value would imply that there's a number of
29340 these in the data buffer.
29342 Here's a BNF definition of such a buffer:
29346 head = error / valid-head
29347 error-message = [ "4" / "5" ] 2number " " <error message> eol
29348 valid-head = valid-message *header "." eol
29349 valid-message = "221 " <number> " Article retrieved." eol
29350 header = <text> eol
29354 (The version of BNF used here is the one used in RFC822.)
29356 If the return value is @code{nov}, the data buffer should contain
29357 @dfn{network overview database} lines. These are basically fields
29361 nov-buffer = *nov-line
29362 nov-line = field 7*8[ <TAB> field ] eol
29363 field = <text except TAB>
29366 For a closer look at what should be in those fields,
29370 @item (nnchoke-open-server SERVER &optional DEFINITIONS)
29372 @var{server} is here the virtual server name. @var{definitions} is a
29373 list of @code{(VARIABLE VALUE)} pairs that define this virtual server.
29375 If the server can't be opened, no error should be signaled. The back end
29376 may then choose to refuse further attempts at connecting to this
29377 server. In fact, it should do so.
29379 If the server is opened already, this function should return a
29380 non-@code{nil} value. There should be no data returned.
29383 @item (nnchoke-close-server &optional SERVER)
29385 Close connection to @var{server} and free all resources connected
29386 to it. Return @code{nil} if the server couldn't be closed for some
29389 There should be no data returned.
29392 @item (nnchoke-request-close)
29394 Close connection to all servers and free all resources that the back end
29395 have reserved. All buffers that have been created by that back end
29396 should be killed. (Not the @code{nntp-server-buffer}, though.) This
29397 function is generally only called when Gnus is shutting down.
29399 There should be no data returned.
29402 @item (nnchoke-server-opened &optional SERVER)
29404 If @var{server} is the current virtual server, and the connection to the
29405 physical server is alive, then this function should return a
29406 non-@code{nil} value. This function should under no circumstances
29407 attempt to reconnect to a server we have lost connection to.
29409 There should be no data returned.
29412 @item (nnchoke-status-message &optional SERVER)
29414 This function should return the last error message from @var{server}.
29416 There should be no data returned.
29419 @item (nnchoke-request-article ARTICLE &optional GROUP SERVER TO-BUFFER)
29421 The result data from this function should be the article specified by
29422 @var{article}. This might either be a @code{Message-ID} or a number.
29423 It is optional whether to implement retrieval by @code{Message-ID}, but
29424 it would be nice if that were possible.
29426 If @var{to-buffer} is non-@code{nil}, the result data should be returned
29427 in this buffer instead of the normal data buffer. This is to make it
29428 possible to avoid copying large amounts of data from one buffer to
29429 another, while Gnus mainly requests articles to be inserted directly
29430 into its article buffer.
29432 If it is at all possible, this function should return a cons cell where
29433 the @code{car} is the group name the article was fetched from, and the @code{cdr} is
29434 the article number. This will enable Gnus to find out what the real
29435 group and article numbers are when fetching articles by
29436 @code{Message-ID}. If this isn't possible, @code{t} should be returned
29437 on successful article retrieval.
29440 @item (nnchoke-request-group GROUP &optional SERVER FAST INFO)
29442 Get data on @var{group}. This function also has the side effect of
29443 making @var{group} the current group.
29445 If @var{fast}, don't bother to return useful data, just make @var{group}
29448 If @var{info}, it allows the backend to update the group info
29451 Here's an example of some result data and a definition of the same:
29454 211 56 1000 1059 ifi.discussion
29457 The first number is the status, which should be 211. Next is the
29458 total number of articles in the group, the lowest article number, the
29459 highest article number, and finally the group name. Note that the total
29460 number of articles may be less than one might think while just
29461 considering the highest and lowest article numbers, but some articles
29462 may have been canceled. Gnus just discards the total-number, so
29463 whether one should take the bother to generate it properly (if that is a
29464 problem) is left as an exercise to the reader. If the group contains no
29465 articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1 and the
29469 group-status = [ error / info ] eol
29470 error = [ "4" / "5" ] 2<number> " " <Error message>
29471 info = "211 " 3* [ <number> " " ] <string>
29475 @item (nnchoke-close-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
29477 Close @var{group} and free any resources connected to it. This will be
29478 a no-op on most back ends.
29480 There should be no data returned.
29483 @item (nnchoke-request-list &optional SERVER)
29485 Return a list of all groups available on @var{server}. And that means
29488 Here's an example from a server that only carries two groups:
29491 ifi.test 0000002200 0000002000 y
29492 ifi.discussion 3324 3300 n
29495 On each line we have a group name, then the highest article number in
29496 that group, the lowest article number, and finally a flag. If the group
29497 contains no articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1
29498 and the highest as 0.
29501 active-file = *active-line
29502 active-line = name " " <number> " " <number> " " flags eol
29504 flags = "n" / "y" / "m" / "x" / "j" / "=" name
29507 The flag says whether the group is read-only (@samp{n}), is moderated
29508 (@samp{m}), is dead (@samp{x}), is aliased to some other group
29509 (@samp{=other-group}) or none of the above (@samp{y}).
29512 @item (nnchoke-request-post &optional SERVER)
29514 This function should post the current buffer. It might return whether
29515 the posting was successful or not, but that's not required. If, for
29516 instance, the posting is done asynchronously, it has generally not been
29517 completed by the time this function concludes. In that case, this
29518 function should set up some kind of sentinel to beep the user loud and
29519 clear if the posting could not be completed.
29521 There should be no result data from this function.
29526 @node Optional Back End Functions
29527 @subsubsection Optional Back End Functions
29531 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-groups GROUPS &optional SERVER)
29533 @var{groups} is a list of groups, and this function should request data
29534 on all those groups. How it does it is of no concern to Gnus, but it
29535 should attempt to do this in a speedy fashion.
29537 The return value of this function can be either @code{active} or
29538 @code{group}, which says what the format of the result data is. The
29539 former is in the same format as the data from
29540 @code{nnchoke-request-list}, while the latter is a buffer full of lines
29541 in the same format as @code{nnchoke-request-group} gives.
29544 group-buffer = *active-line / *group-status
29548 @item (nnchoke-request-update-info GROUP INFO &optional SERVER)
29550 A Gnus group info (@pxref{Group Info}) is handed to the back end for
29551 alterations. This comes in handy if the back end really carries all
29552 the information (as is the case with virtual and imap groups). This
29553 function should destructively alter the info to suit its needs, and
29554 should return a non-@code{nil} value (exceptionally,
29555 @code{nntp-request-update-info} always returns @code{nil} not to waste
29556 the network resources).
29558 There should be no result data from this function.
29561 @item (nnchoke-request-type GROUP &optional ARTICLE)
29563 When the user issues commands for ``sending news'' (@kbd{F} in the
29564 summary buffer, for instance), Gnus has to know whether the article the
29565 user is following up on is news or mail. This function should return
29566 @code{news} if @var{article} in @var{group} is news, @code{mail} if it
29567 is mail and @code{unknown} if the type can't be decided. (The
29568 @var{article} parameter is necessary in @code{nnvirtual} groups which
29569 might very well combine mail groups and news groups.) Both @var{group}
29570 and @var{article} may be @code{nil}.
29572 There should be no result data from this function.
29575 @item (nnchoke-request-set-mark GROUP ACTION &optional SERVER)
29577 Set/remove/add marks on articles. Normally Gnus handles the article
29578 marks (such as read, ticked, expired etc.)@: internally, and store them in
29579 @file{~/.newsrc.eld}. Some back ends (such as @acronym{IMAP}) however carry
29580 all information about the articles on the server, so Gnus need to
29581 propagate the mark information to the server.
29583 @var{action} is a list of mark setting requests, having this format:
29586 (RANGE ACTION MARK)
29589 @var{range} is a range of articles you wish to update marks on.
29590 @var{action} is @code{add} or @code{del}, used to add marks or remove
29591 marks (preserving all marks not mentioned). @var{mark} is a list of
29592 marks; where each mark is a symbol. Currently used marks are
29593 @code{read}, @code{tick}, @code{reply}, @code{expire}, @code{killed},
29594 @code{dormant}, @code{save}, @code{download}, @code{unsend}, and
29595 @code{forward}, but your back end should, if possible, not limit
29598 Given contradictory actions, the last action in the list should be the
29599 effective one. That is, if your action contains a request to add the
29600 @code{tick} mark on article 1 and, later in the list, a request to
29601 remove the mark on the same article, the mark should in fact be removed.
29603 An example action list:
29606 (((5 12 30) 'del '(tick))
29607 ((10 . 90) 'add '(read expire))
29608 ((92 94) 'del '(read)))
29611 The function should return a range of articles it wasn't able to set the
29612 mark on (currently not used for anything).
29614 There should be no result data from this function.
29616 @item (nnchoke-request-update-mark GROUP ARTICLE MARK)
29618 If the user tries to set a mark that the back end doesn't like, this
29619 function may change the mark. Gnus will use whatever this function
29620 returns as the mark for @var{article} instead of the original
29621 @var{mark}. If the back end doesn't care, it must return the original
29622 @var{mark}, and not @code{nil} or any other type of garbage.
29624 The only use for this I can see is what @code{nnvirtual} does with
29625 it---if a component group is auto-expirable, marking an article as read
29626 in the virtual group should result in the article being marked as
29629 There should be no result data from this function.
29632 @item (nnchoke-request-scan &optional GROUP SERVER)
29634 This function may be called at any time (by Gnus or anything else) to
29635 request that the back end check for incoming articles, in one way or
29636 another. A mail back end will typically read the spool file or query
29637 the @acronym{POP} server when this function is invoked. The
29638 @var{group} doesn't have to be heeded---if the back end decides that
29639 it is too much work just scanning for a single group, it may do a
29640 total scan of all groups. It would be nice, however, to keep things
29641 local if that's practical.
29643 There should be no result data from this function.
29646 @item (nnchoke-request-group-description GROUP &optional SERVER)
29648 The result data from this function should be a description of
29652 description-line = name <TAB> description eol
29654 description = <text>
29657 @item (nnchoke-request-list-newsgroups &optional SERVER)
29659 The result data from this function should be the description of all
29660 groups available on the server.
29663 description-buffer = *description-line
29667 @item (nnchoke-request-newgroups DATE &optional SERVER)
29669 The result data from this function should be all groups that were
29670 created after @samp{date}, which is in normal human-readable date format
29671 (i.e., the date format used in mail and news headers, and returned by
29672 the function @code{message-make-date} by default). The data should be
29673 in the active buffer format.
29675 It is okay for this function to return ``too many'' groups; some back ends
29676 might find it cheaper to return the full list of groups, rather than
29677 just the new groups. But don't do this for back ends with many groups.
29678 Normally, if the user creates the groups herself, there won't be too
29679 many groups, so @code{nnml} and the like are probably safe. But for
29680 back ends like @code{nntp}, where the groups have been created by the
29681 server, it is quite likely that there can be many groups.
29684 @item (nnchoke-request-create-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
29686 This function should create an empty group with name @var{group}.
29688 There should be no return data.
29691 @item (nnchoke-request-expire-articles ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FORCE)
29693 This function should run the expiry process on all articles in the
29694 @var{articles} range (which is currently a simple list of article
29695 numbers.) It is left up to the back end to decide how old articles
29696 should be before they are removed by this function. If @var{force} is
29697 non-@code{nil}, all @var{articles} should be deleted, no matter how new
29700 This function should return a list of articles that it did not/was not
29703 There should be no result data returned.
29706 @item (nnchoke-request-move-article ARTICLE GROUP SERVER ACCEPT-FORM &optional LAST)
29708 This function should move @var{article} (which is a number) from
29709 @var{group} by calling @var{accept-form}.
29711 This function should ready the article in question for moving by
29712 removing any header lines it has added to the article, and generally
29713 should ``tidy up'' the article. Then it should @code{eval}
29714 @var{accept-form} in the buffer where the ``tidy'' article is. This
29715 will do the actual copying. If this @code{eval} returns a
29716 non-@code{nil} value, the article should be removed.
29718 If @var{last} is @code{nil}, that means that there is a high likelihood
29719 that there will be more requests issued shortly, so that allows some
29722 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
29723 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
29725 There should be no data returned.
29728 @item (nnchoke-request-accept-article GROUP &optional SERVER LAST)
29730 This function takes the current buffer and inserts it into @var{group}.
29731 If @var{last} in @code{nil}, that means that there will be more calls to
29732 this function in short order.
29734 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
29735 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
29737 The group should exist before the back end is asked to accept the
29738 article for that group.
29740 There should be no data returned.
29743 @item (nnchoke-request-replace-article ARTICLE GROUP BUFFER)
29745 This function should remove @var{article} (which is a number) from
29746 @var{group} and insert @var{buffer} there instead.
29748 There should be no data returned.
29751 @item (nnchoke-request-delete-group GROUP FORCE &optional SERVER)
29753 This function should delete @var{group}. If @var{force}, it should
29754 really delete all the articles in the group, and then delete the group
29755 itself. (If there is such a thing as ``the group itself''.)
29757 There should be no data returned.
29760 @item (nnchoke-request-rename-group GROUP NEW-NAME &optional SERVER)
29762 This function should rename @var{group} into @var{new-name}. All
29763 articles in @var{group} should move to @var{new-name}.
29765 There should be no data returned.
29770 @node Error Messaging
29771 @subsubsection Error Messaging
29773 @findex nnheader-report
29774 @findex nnheader-get-report
29775 The back ends should use the function @code{nnheader-report} to report
29776 error conditions---they should not raise errors when they aren't able to
29777 perform a request. The first argument to this function is the back end
29778 symbol, and the rest are interpreted as arguments to @code{format} if
29779 there are multiple of them, or just a string if there is one of them.
29780 This function must always returns @code{nil}.
29783 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "You did something totally bogus")
29785 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "Could not request group %s" group)
29788 Gnus, in turn, will call @code{nnheader-get-report} when it gets a
29789 @code{nil} back from a server, and this function returns the most
29790 recently reported message for the back end in question. This function
29791 takes one argument---the server symbol.
29793 Internally, these functions access @var{back-end}@code{-status-string},
29794 so the @code{nnchoke} back end will have its error message stored in
29795 @code{nnchoke-status-string}.
29798 @node Writing New Back Ends
29799 @subsubsection Writing New Back Ends
29801 Many back ends are quite similar. @code{nnml} is just like
29802 @code{nnspool}, but it allows you to edit the articles on the server.
29803 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, but it doesn't use an active file,
29804 and it doesn't maintain overview databases. @code{nndir} is just like
29805 @code{nnml}, but it has no concept of ``groups'', and it doesn't allow
29808 It would make sense if it were possible to ``inherit'' functions from
29809 back ends when writing new back ends. And, indeed, you can do that if you
29810 want to. (You don't have to if you don't want to, of course.)
29812 All the back ends declare their public variables and functions by using a
29813 package called @code{nnoo}.
29815 To inherit functions from other back ends (and allow other back ends to
29816 inherit functions from the current back end), you should use the
29822 This macro declares the first parameter to be a child of the subsequent
29823 parameters. For instance:
29826 (nnoo-declare nndir
29830 @code{nndir} has declared here that it intends to inherit functions from
29831 both @code{nnml} and @code{nnmh}.
29834 This macro is equivalent to @code{defvar}, but registers the variable as
29835 a public server variable. Most state-oriented variables should be
29836 declared with @code{defvoo} instead of @code{defvar}.
29838 In addition to the normal @code{defvar} parameters, it takes a list of
29839 variables in the parent back ends to map the variable to when executing
29840 a function in those back ends.
29843 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
29844 "Where nndir will look for groups."
29845 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
29848 This means that @code{nnml-current-directory} will be set to
29849 @code{nndir-directory} when an @code{nnml} function is called on behalf
29850 of @code{nndir}. (The same with @code{nnmh}.)
29852 @item nnoo-define-basics
29853 This macro defines some common functions that almost all back ends should
29857 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
29861 This macro is just like @code{defun} and takes the same parameters. In
29862 addition to doing the normal @code{defun} things, it registers the
29863 function as being public so that other back ends can inherit it.
29865 @item nnoo-map-functions
29866 This macro allows mapping of functions from the current back end to
29867 functions from the parent back ends.
29870 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
29871 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
29872 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0))
29875 This means that when @code{nndir-retrieve-headers} is called, the first,
29876 third, and fourth parameters will be passed on to
29877 @code{nnml-retrieve-headers}, while the second parameter is set to the
29878 value of @code{nndir-current-group}.
29881 This macro allows importing functions from back ends. It should be the
29882 last thing in the source file, since it will only define functions that
29883 haven't already been defined.
29889 nnmh-request-newgroups)
29893 This means that calls to @code{nndir-request-list} should just be passed
29894 on to @code{nnmh-request-list}, while all public functions from
29895 @code{nnml} that haven't been defined in @code{nndir} yet should be
29900 Below is a slightly shortened version of the @code{nndir} back end.
29903 ;;; @r{nndir.el --- single directory newsgroup access for Gnus}
29904 ;; @r{Copyright (C) 1995,1996 Free Software Foundation, Inc.}
29908 (require 'nnheader)
29912 (eval-when-compile (require 'cl))
29914 (nnoo-declare nndir
29917 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
29918 "Where nndir will look for groups."
29919 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
29921 (defvoo nndir-nov-is-evil nil
29922 "*Non-nil means that nndir will never retrieve NOV headers."
29925 (defvoo nndir-current-group ""
29927 nnml-current-group nnmh-current-group)
29928 (defvoo nndir-top-directory nil nil nnml-directory nnmh-directory)
29929 (defvoo nndir-get-new-mail nil nil nnml-get-new-mail nnmh-get-new-mail)
29931 (defvoo nndir-status-string "" nil nnmh-status-string)
29932 (defconst nndir-version "nndir 1.0")
29934 ;;; @r{Interface functions.}
29936 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
29938 (deffoo nndir-open-server (server &optional defs)
29939 (setq nndir-directory
29940 (or (cadr (assq 'nndir-directory defs))
29942 (unless (assq 'nndir-directory defs)
29943 (push `(nndir-directory ,server) defs))
29944 (push `(nndir-current-group
29945 ,(file-name-nondirectory
29946 (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
29948 (push `(nndir-top-directory
29949 ,(file-name-directory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
29951 (nnoo-change-server 'nndir server defs))
29953 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
29954 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
29955 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
29956 (nnmh-request-group nndir-current-group 0 0)
29957 (nnmh-close-group nndir-current-group 0))
29961 nnmh-status-message
29963 nnmh-request-newgroups))
29969 @node Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
29970 @subsubsection Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
29972 @vindex gnus-valid-select-methods
29973 @findex gnus-declare-backend
29974 Having Gnus start using your new back end is rather easy---you just
29975 declare it with the @code{gnus-declare-backend} functions. This will
29976 enter the back end into the @code{gnus-valid-select-methods} variable.
29978 @code{gnus-declare-backend} takes two parameters---the back end name and
29979 an arbitrary number of @dfn{abilities}.
29984 (gnus-declare-backend "nnchoke" 'mail 'respool 'address)
29987 The above line would then go in the @file{nnchoke.el} file.
29989 The abilities can be:
29993 This is a mailish back end---followups should (probably) go via mail.
29995 This is a newsish back end---followups should (probably) go via news.
29997 This back end supports both mail and news.
29999 This is neither a post nor mail back end---it's something completely
30002 It supports respooling---or rather, it is able to modify its source
30003 articles and groups.
30005 The name of the server should be in the virtual server name. This is
30006 true for almost all back ends.
30007 @item prompt-address
30008 The user should be prompted for an address when doing commands like
30009 @kbd{B} in the group buffer. This is true for back ends like
30010 @code{nntp}, but not @code{nnmbox}, for instance.
30014 @node Mail-like Back Ends
30015 @subsubsection Mail-like Back Ends
30017 One of the things that separate the mail back ends from the rest of the
30018 back ends is the heavy dependence by most of the mail back ends on
30019 common functions in @file{nnmail.el}. For instance, here's the
30020 definition of @code{nnml-request-scan}:
30023 (deffoo nnml-request-scan (&optional group server)
30024 (setq nnml-article-file-alist nil)
30025 (nnmail-get-new-mail 'nnml 'nnml-save-nov nnml-directory group))
30028 It simply calls @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} with a few parameters,
30029 and @code{nnmail} takes care of all the moving and splitting of the
30032 This function takes four parameters.
30036 This should be a symbol to designate which back end is responsible for
30039 @item exit-function
30040 This function should be called after the splitting has been performed.
30042 @item temp-directory
30043 Where the temporary files should be stored.
30046 This optional argument should be a group name if the splitting is to be
30047 performed for one group only.
30050 @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} will call @var{back-end}@code{-save-mail} to
30051 save each article. @var{back-end}@code{-active-number} will be called to
30052 find the article number assigned to this article.
30054 The function also uses the following variables:
30055 @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} (to see whether to get new mail for
30056 this back end); and @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} and
30057 @var{back-end}@code{-active-file} to generate the new active file.
30058 @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} should be a group-active alist, like
30062 (("a-group" (1 . 10))
30063 ("some-group" (34 . 39)))
30067 @node Score File Syntax
30068 @subsection Score File Syntax
30070 Score files are meant to be easily parsable, but yet extremely
30071 malleable. It was decided that something that had the same read syntax
30072 as an Emacs Lisp list would fit that spec.
30074 Here's a typical score file:
30078 ("Windows 95" -10000 nil s)
30085 BNF definition of a score file:
30088 score-file = "" / "(" *element ")"
30089 element = rule / atom
30090 rule = string-rule / number-rule / date-rule
30091 string-rule = "(" quote string-header quote space *string-match ")"
30092 number-rule = "(" quote number-header quote space *number-match ")"
30093 date-rule = "(" quote date-header quote space *date-match ")"
30095 string-header = "subject" / "from" / "references" / "message-id" /
30096 "xref" / "body" / "head" / "all" / "followup"
30097 number-header = "lines" / "chars"
30098 date-header = "date"
30099 string-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
30100 space date [ "" / [ space string-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
30101 score = "nil" / <integer>
30102 date = "nil" / <natural number>
30103 string-match-t = "nil" / "s" / "substring" / "S" / "Substring" /
30104 "r" / "regex" / "R" / "Regex" /
30105 "e" / "exact" / "E" / "Exact" /
30106 "f" / "fuzzy" / "F" / "Fuzzy"
30107 number-match = "(" <integer> [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
30108 space date [ "" / [ space number-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
30109 number-match-t = "nil" / "=" / "<" / ">" / ">=" / "<="
30110 date-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
30111 space date [ "" / [ space date-match-t ] ] ] ] ")"
30112 date-match-t = "nil" / "at" / "before" / "after"
30113 atom = "(" [ required-atom / optional-atom ] ")"
30114 required-atom = mark / expunge / mark-and-expunge / files /
30115 exclude-files / read-only / touched
30116 optional-atom = adapt / local / eval
30117 mark = "mark" space nil-or-number
30118 nil-or-number = "nil" / <integer>
30119 expunge = "expunge" space nil-or-number
30120 mark-and-expunge = "mark-and-expunge" space nil-or-number
30121 files = "files" *[ space <string> ]
30122 exclude-files = "exclude-files" *[ space <string> ]
30123 read-only = "read-only" [ space "nil" / space "t" ]
30124 adapt = "adapt" [ space "ignore" / space "t" / space adapt-rule ]
30125 adapt-rule = "(" *[ <string> *[ "(" <string> <integer> ")" ] ")"
30126 local = "local" *[ space "(" <string> space <form> ")" ]
30127 eval = "eval" space <form>
30128 space = *[ " " / <TAB> / <NEWLINE> ]
30131 Any unrecognized elements in a score file should be ignored, but not
30134 As you can see, white space is needed, but the type and amount of white
30135 space is irrelevant. This means that formatting of the score file is
30136 left up to the programmer---if it's simpler to just spew it all out on
30137 one looong line, then that's ok.
30139 The meaning of the various atoms are explained elsewhere in this
30140 manual (@pxref{Score File Format}).
30144 @subsection Headers
30146 Internally Gnus uses a format for storing article headers that
30147 corresponds to the @acronym{NOV} format in a mysterious fashion. One could
30148 almost suspect that the author looked at the @acronym{NOV} specification and
30149 just shamelessly @emph{stole} the entire thing, and one would be right.
30151 @dfn{Header} is a severely overloaded term. ``Header'' is used in
30152 RFC 1036 to talk about lines in the head of an article (e.g.,
30153 @code{From}). It is used by many people as a synonym for
30154 ``head''---``the header and the body''. (That should be avoided, in my
30155 opinion.) And Gnus uses a format internally that it calls ``header'',
30156 which is what I'm talking about here. This is a 9-element vector,
30157 basically, with each header (ouch) having one slot.
30159 These slots are, in order: @code{number}, @code{subject}, @code{from},
30160 @code{date}, @code{id}, @code{references}, @code{chars}, @code{lines},
30161 @code{xref}, and @code{extra}. There are macros for accessing and
30162 setting these slots---they all have predictable names beginning with
30163 @code{mail-header-} and @code{mail-header-set-}, respectively.
30165 All these slots contain strings, except the @code{extra} slot, which
30166 contains an alist of header/value pairs (@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
30172 @sc{gnus} introduced a concept that I found so useful that I've started
30173 using it a lot and have elaborated on it greatly.
30175 The question is simple: If you have a large amount of objects that are
30176 identified by numbers (say, articles, to take a @emph{wild} example)
30177 that you want to qualify as being ``included'', a normal sequence isn't
30178 very useful. (A 200,000 length sequence is a bit long-winded.)
30180 The solution is as simple as the question: You just collapse the
30184 (1 2 3 4 5 6 10 11 12)
30187 is transformed into
30190 ((1 . 6) (10 . 12))
30193 To avoid having those nasty @samp{(13 . 13)} elements to denote a
30194 lonesome object, a @samp{13} is a valid element:
30197 ((1 . 6) 7 (10 . 12))
30200 This means that comparing two ranges to find out whether they are equal
30201 is slightly tricky:
30204 ((1 . 5) 7 8 (10 . 12))
30210 ((1 . 5) (7 . 8) (10 . 12))
30213 are equal. In fact, any non-descending list is a range:
30219 is a perfectly valid range, although a pretty long-winded one. This is
30226 and is equal to the previous range.
30228 Here's a BNF definition of ranges. Of course, one must remember the
30229 semantic requirement that the numbers are non-descending. (Any number
30230 of repetition of the same number is allowed, but apt to disappear in
30234 range = simple-range / normal-range
30235 simple-range = "(" number " . " number ")"
30236 normal-range = "(" start-contents ")"
30237 contents = "" / simple-range *[ " " contents ] /
30238 number *[ " " contents ]
30241 Gnus currently uses ranges to keep track of read articles and article
30242 marks. I plan on implementing a number of range operators in C if The
30243 Powers That Be are willing to let me. (I haven't asked yet, because I
30244 need to do some more thinking on what operators I need to make life
30245 totally range-based without ever having to convert back to normal
30250 @subsection Group Info
30252 Gnus stores all permanent info on groups in a @dfn{group info} list.
30253 This list is from three to six elements (or more) long and exhaustively
30254 describes the group.
30256 Here are two example group infos; one is a very simple group while the
30257 second is a more complex one:
30260 ("no.group" 5 ((1 . 54324)))
30262 ("nnml:my.mail" 3 ((1 . 5) 9 (20 . 55))
30263 ((tick (15 . 19)) (replied 3 6 (19 . 3)))
30265 ((auto-expire . t) (to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")))
30268 The first element is the @dfn{group name}---as Gnus knows the group,
30269 anyway. The second element is the @dfn{subscription level}, which
30270 normally is a small integer. (It can also be the @dfn{rank}, which is a
30271 cons cell where the @code{car} is the level and the @code{cdr} is the
30272 score.) The third element is a list of ranges of read articles. The
30273 fourth element is a list of lists of article marks of various kinds.
30274 The fifth element is the select method (or virtual server, if you like).
30275 The sixth element is a list of @dfn{group parameters}, which is what
30276 this section is about.
30278 Any of the last three elements may be missing if they are not required.
30279 In fact, the vast majority of groups will normally only have the first
30280 three elements, which saves quite a lot of cons cells.
30282 Here's a BNF definition of the group info format:
30285 info = "(" group space ralevel space read
30286 [ "" / [ space marks-list [ "" / [ space method [ "" /
30287 space parameters ] ] ] ] ] ")"
30288 group = quote <string> quote
30289 ralevel = rank / level
30290 level = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
30291 rank = "(" level "." score ")"
30292 score = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
30294 marks-lists = nil / "(" *marks ")"
30295 marks = "(" <string> range ")"
30296 method = "(" <string> *elisp-forms ")"
30297 parameters = "(" *elisp-forms ")"
30300 Actually that @samp{marks} rule is a fib. A @samp{marks} is a
30301 @samp{<string>} consed on to a @samp{range}, but that's a bitch to say
30304 If you have a Gnus info and want to access the elements, Gnus offers a
30305 series of macros for getting/setting these elements.
30308 @item gnus-info-group
30309 @itemx gnus-info-set-group
30310 @findex gnus-info-group
30311 @findex gnus-info-set-group
30312 Get/set the group name.
30314 @item gnus-info-rank
30315 @itemx gnus-info-set-rank
30316 @findex gnus-info-rank
30317 @findex gnus-info-set-rank
30318 Get/set the group rank (@pxref{Group Score}).
30320 @item gnus-info-level
30321 @itemx gnus-info-set-level
30322 @findex gnus-info-level
30323 @findex gnus-info-set-level
30324 Get/set the group level.
30326 @item gnus-info-score
30327 @itemx gnus-info-set-score
30328 @findex gnus-info-score
30329 @findex gnus-info-set-score
30330 Get/set the group score (@pxref{Group Score}).
30332 @item gnus-info-read
30333 @itemx gnus-info-set-read
30334 @findex gnus-info-read
30335 @findex gnus-info-set-read
30336 Get/set the ranges of read articles.
30338 @item gnus-info-marks
30339 @itemx gnus-info-set-marks
30340 @findex gnus-info-marks
30341 @findex gnus-info-set-marks
30342 Get/set the lists of ranges of marked articles.
30344 @item gnus-info-method
30345 @itemx gnus-info-set-method
30346 @findex gnus-info-method
30347 @findex gnus-info-set-method
30348 Get/set the group select method.
30350 @item gnus-info-params
30351 @itemx gnus-info-set-params
30352 @findex gnus-info-params
30353 @findex gnus-info-set-params
30354 Get/set the group parameters.
30357 All the getter functions take one parameter---the info list. The setter
30358 functions take two parameters---the info list and the new value.
30360 The last three elements in the group info aren't mandatory, so it may be
30361 necessary to extend the group info before setting the element. If this
30362 is necessary, you can just pass on a non-@code{nil} third parameter to
30363 the three final setter functions to have this happen automatically.
30366 @node Extended Interactive
30367 @subsection Extended Interactive
30368 @cindex interactive
30369 @findex gnus-interactive
30371 Gnus extends the standard Emacs @code{interactive} specification
30372 slightly to allow easy use of the symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic
30373 Prefixes}). Here's an example of how this is used:
30376 (defun gnus-summary-increase-score (&optional score symp)
30377 (interactive (gnus-interactive "P\ny"))
30382 The best thing to do would have been to implement
30383 @code{gnus-interactive} as a macro which would have returned an
30384 @code{interactive} form, but this isn't possible since Emacs checks
30385 whether a function is interactive or not by simply doing an @code{assq}
30386 on the lambda form. So, instead we have @code{gnus-interactive}
30387 function that takes a string and returns values that are usable to
30388 @code{interactive}.
30390 This function accepts (almost) all normal @code{interactive} specs, but
30395 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbol
30396 The current symbolic prefix---the @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol}
30400 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbols
30401 A list of the current symbolic prefixes---the
30402 @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol} variable.
30405 The current article number---the @code{gnus-summary-article-number}
30409 The current article header---the @code{gnus-summary-article-header}
30413 The current group name---the @code{gnus-group-group-name}
30419 @node Emacs/XEmacs Code
30420 @subsection Emacs/XEmacs Code
30424 While Gnus runs under Emacs, XEmacs and Mule, I decided that one of the
30425 platforms must be the primary one. I chose Emacs. Not because I don't
30426 like XEmacs or Mule, but because it comes first alphabetically.
30428 This means that Gnus will byte-compile under Emacs with nary a warning,
30429 while XEmacs will pump out gigabytes of warnings while byte-compiling.
30430 As I use byte-compilation warnings to help me root out trivial errors in
30431 Gnus, that's very useful.
30433 I've also consistently used Emacs function interfaces, but have used
30434 Gnusey aliases for the functions. To take an example: Emacs defines a
30435 @code{run-at-time} function while XEmacs defines a @code{start-itimer}
30436 function. I then define a function called @code{gnus-run-at-time} that
30437 takes the same parameters as the Emacs @code{run-at-time}. When running
30438 Gnus under Emacs, the former function is just an alias for the latter.
30439 However, when running under XEmacs, the former is an alias for the
30440 following function:
30443 (defun gnus-xmas-run-at-time (time repeat function &rest args)
30447 (,function ,@@args))
30451 This sort of thing has been done for bunches of functions. Gnus does
30452 not redefine any native Emacs functions while running under XEmacs---it
30453 does this @code{defalias} thing with Gnus equivalents instead. Cleaner
30456 In the cases where the XEmacs function interface was obviously cleaner,
30457 I used it instead. For example @code{gnus-region-active-p} is an alias
30458 for @code{region-active-p} in XEmacs, whereas in Emacs it is a function.
30460 Of course, I could have chosen XEmacs as my native platform and done
30461 mapping functions the other way around. But I didn't. The performance
30462 hit these indirections impose on Gnus under XEmacs should be slight.
30465 @node Various File Formats
30466 @subsection Various File Formats
30469 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
30470 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
30474 @node Active File Format
30475 @subsubsection Active File Format
30477 The active file lists all groups available on the server in
30478 question. It also lists the highest and lowest current article numbers
30481 Here's an excerpt from a typical active file:
30484 soc.motss 296030 293865 y
30485 alt.binaries.pictures.fractals 3922 3913 n
30486 comp.sources.unix 1605 1593 m
30487 comp.binaries.ibm.pc 5097 5089 y
30488 no.general 1000 900 y
30491 Here's a pseudo-BNF definition of this file:
30494 active = *group-line
30495 group-line = group spc high-number spc low-number spc flag <NEWLINE>
30496 group = <non-white-space string>
30498 high-number = <non-negative integer>
30499 low-number = <positive integer>
30500 flag = "y" / "n" / "m" / "j" / "x" / "=" group
30503 For a full description of this file, see the manual pages for
30504 @samp{innd}, in particular @samp{active(5)}.
30507 @node Newsgroups File Format
30508 @subsubsection Newsgroups File Format
30510 The newsgroups file lists groups along with their descriptions. Not all
30511 groups on the server have to be listed, and not all groups in the file
30512 have to exist on the server. The file is meant purely as information to
30515 The format is quite simple; a group name, a tab, and the description.
30516 Here's the definition:
30520 line = group tab description <NEWLINE>
30521 group = <non-white-space string>
30523 description = <string>
30528 @node Emacs for Heathens
30529 @section Emacs for Heathens
30531 Believe it or not, but some people who use Gnus haven't really used
30532 Emacs much before they embarked on their journey on the Gnus Love Boat.
30533 If you are one of those unfortunates whom ``@kbd{C-M-a}'', ``kill the
30534 region'', and ``set @code{gnus-flargblossen} to an alist where the key
30535 is a regexp that is used for matching on the group name'' are magical
30536 phrases with little or no meaning, then this appendix is for you. If
30537 you are already familiar with Emacs, just ignore this and go fondle your
30541 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
30542 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
30547 @subsection Keystrokes
30551 Q: What is an experienced Emacs user?
30554 A: A person who wishes that the terminal had pedals.
30557 Yes, when you use Emacs, you are apt to use the control key, the shift
30558 key and the meta key a lot. This is very annoying to some people
30559 (notably @code{vi}le users), and the rest of us just love the hell out
30560 of it. Just give up and submit. Emacs really does stand for
30561 ``Escape-Meta-Alt-Control-Shift'', and not ``Editing Macros'', as you
30562 may have heard from other disreputable sources (like the Emacs author).
30564 The shift keys are normally located near your pinky fingers, and are
30565 normally used to get capital letters and stuff. You probably use it all
30566 the time. The control key is normally marked ``CTRL'' or something like
30567 that. The meta key is, funnily enough, never marked as such on any
30568 keyboard. The one I'm currently at has a key that's marked ``Alt'',
30569 which is the meta key on this keyboard. It's usually located somewhere
30570 to the left hand side of the keyboard, usually on the bottom row.
30572 Now, us Emacs people don't say ``press the meta-control-m key'',
30573 because that's just too inconvenient. We say ``press the @kbd{C-M-m}
30574 key''. @kbd{M-} is the prefix that means ``meta'' and ``C-'' is the
30575 prefix that means ``control''. So ``press @kbd{C-k}'' means ``press
30576 down the control key, and hold it down while you press @kbd{k}''.
30577 ``Press @kbd{C-M-k}'' means ``press down and hold down the meta key and
30578 the control key and then press @kbd{k}''. Simple, ay?
30580 This is somewhat complicated by the fact that not all keyboards have a
30581 meta key. In that case you can use the ``escape'' key. Then @kbd{M-k}
30582 means ``press escape, release escape, press @kbd{k}''. That's much more
30583 work than if you have a meta key, so if that's the case, I respectfully
30584 suggest you get a real keyboard with a meta key. You can't live without
30590 @subsection Emacs Lisp
30592 Emacs is the King of Editors because it's really a Lisp interpreter.
30593 Each and every key you tap runs some Emacs Lisp code snippet, and since
30594 Emacs Lisp is an interpreted language, that means that you can configure
30595 any key to run any arbitrary code. You just, like, do it.
30597 Gnus is written in Emacs Lisp, and is run as a bunch of interpreted
30598 functions. (These are byte-compiled for speed, but it's still
30599 interpreted.) If you decide that you don't like the way Gnus does
30600 certain things, it's trivial to have it do something a different way.
30601 (Well, at least if you know how to write Lisp code.) However, that's
30602 beyond the scope of this manual, so we are simply going to talk about
30603 some common constructs that you normally use in your @file{~/.gnus.el}
30604 file to customize Gnus. (You can also use the @file{~/.emacs} file, but
30605 in order to set things of Gnus up, it is much better to use the
30606 @file{~/.gnus.el} file, @xref{Startup Files}.)
30608 If you want to set the variable @code{gnus-florgbnize} to four (4), you
30609 write the following:
30612 (setq gnus-florgbnize 4)
30615 This function (really ``special form'') @code{setq} is the one that can
30616 set a variable to some value. This is really all you need to know. Now
30617 you can go and fill your @file{~/.gnus.el} file with lots of these to
30618 change how Gnus works.
30620 If you have put that thing in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file, it will be
30621 read and @code{eval}ed (which is Lisp-ese for ``run'') the next time you
30622 start Gnus. If you want to change the variable right away, simply say
30623 @kbd{C-x C-e} after the closing parenthesis. That will @code{eval} the
30624 previous ``form'', which is a simple @code{setq} statement here.
30626 Go ahead---just try it, if you're located at your Emacs. After you
30627 @kbd{C-x C-e}, you will see @samp{4} appear in the echo area, which
30628 is the return value of the form you @code{eval}ed.
30632 If the manual says ``set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{some}'',
30636 (setq gnus-read-active-file 'some)
30639 On the other hand, if the manual says ``set @code{gnus-nntp-server-file} to
30640 @samp{/etc/nntpserver}'', that means:
30643 (setq gnus-nntp-server-file "/etc/nntpserver")
30646 So be careful not to mix up strings (the latter) with symbols (the
30647 former). The manual is unambiguous, but it can be confusing.
30650 @include gnus-faq.texi
30652 @node GNU Free Documentation License
30653 @chapter GNU Free Documentation License
30654 @include doclicense.texi
30672 @c Local Variables: