9 @documentencoding ISO-8859-1
12 Copyright @copyright{} 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001,
13 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
16 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
17 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or
18 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
19 Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
20 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
21 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
22 License'' in the Emacs manual.
24 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
25 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
26 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
28 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
29 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
30 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
31 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
37 \documentclass[twoside,a4paper,openright,11pt]{book}
38 \usepackage[latin1]{inputenc}
39 \usepackage{pagestyle}
42 \input{gnusconfig.tex}
44 \ifx\pdfoutput\undefined
46 \usepackage[pdftex,bookmarks,colorlinks=true]{hyperref}
54 % Adjust ../Makefile.in if you change the following line:
55 \newcommand{\gnusversionname}{No Gnus v0.7}
56 \newcommand{\gnuschaptername}{}
57 \newcommand{\gnussectionname}{}
59 \newcommand{\gnusbackslash}{/}
61 \newcommand{\gnusref}[1]{``#1'' on page \pageref{#1}}
62 \ifx\pdfoutput\undefined
63 \newcommand{\gnusuref}[1]{\gnustt{#1}}
65 \newcommand{\gnusuref}[1]{\href{#1}{\gnustt{#1}}}
67 \newcommand{\gnusxref}[1]{See ``#1'' on page \pageref{#1}}
68 \newcommand{\gnuspxref}[1]{see ``#1'' on page \pageref{#1}}
70 \newcommand{\gnuskindex}[1]{\index{#1}}
71 \newcommand{\gnusindex}[1]{\index{#1}}
73 \newcommand{\gnustt}[1]{{\gnusselectttfont{}#1}}
74 \newcommand{\gnuscode}[1]{\gnustt{#1}}
75 \newcommand{\gnusasis}[1]{\gnustt{#1}}
76 \newcommand{\gnusurl}[1]{\gnustt{#1}}
77 \newcommand{\gnuscommand}[1]{\gnustt{#1}}
78 \newcommand{\gnusenv}[1]{\gnustt{#1}}
79 \newcommand{\gnussamp}[1]{``{\fontencoding{OT1}\gnusselectttfont{}#1}''}
80 \newcommand{\gnuslisp}[1]{\gnustt{#1}}
81 \newcommand{\gnuskbd}[1]{`\gnustt{#1}'}
82 \newcommand{\gnuskey}[1]{`\gnustt{#1}'}
83 \newcommand{\gnusfile}[1]{`\gnustt{#1}'}
84 \newcommand{\gnusdfn}[1]{\textit{#1}}
85 \newcommand{\gnusi}[1]{\textit{#1}}
86 \newcommand{\gnusr}[1]{\textrm{#1}}
87 \newcommand{\gnusstrong}[1]{\textbf{#1}}
88 \newcommand{\gnusemph}[1]{\textit{#1}}
89 \newcommand{\gnusvar}[1]{{\fontsize{10pt}{10}\selectfont\textsl{\textsf{#1}}}}
90 \newcommand{\gnussc}[1]{\textsc{#1}}
91 \newcommand{\gnustitle}[1]{{\huge\textbf{#1}}}
92 \newcommand{\gnusversion}[1]{{\small\textit{#1}}}
93 \newcommand{\gnusauthor}[1]{{\large\textbf{#1}}}
94 \newcommand{\gnusresult}[1]{\gnustt{=> #1}}
95 \newcommand{\gnusacronym}[1]{\textsc{#1}}
96 \newcommand{\gnusemail}[1]{\textit{#1}}
98 \newcommand{\gnusbullet}{{${\bullet}$}}
99 \newcommand{\gnusdollar}{\$}
100 \newcommand{\gnusampersand}{\&}
101 \newcommand{\gnuspercent}{\%}
102 \newcommand{\gnushash}{\#}
103 \newcommand{\gnushat}{\symbol{"5E}}
104 \newcommand{\gnusunderline}{\symbol{"5F}}
105 \newcommand{\gnusnot}{$\neg$}
106 \newcommand{\gnustilde}{\symbol{"7E}}
107 \newcommand{\gnusless}{{$<$}}
108 \newcommand{\gnusgreater}{{$>$}}
109 \newcommand{\gnusbraceleft}{{$>$}}
110 \newcommand{\gnusbraceright}{{$>$}}
112 \newcommand{\gnushead}{\raisebox{-1cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/gnus-head,height=1cm}}}
113 \newcommand{\gnusinteresting}{
114 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\gnushead]{\gnushead}
117 \newcommand{\gnuscleardoublepage}{\ifodd\count0\mbox{}\clearpage\thispagestyle{empty}\mbox{}\clearpage\else\clearpage\fi}
119 \newcommand{\gnuspagechapter}[1]{
123 \newdimen{\gnusdimen}
126 \newcommand{\gnuschapter}[2]{
128 \ifdim \gnusdimen = 0pt\setcounter{page}{1}\pagestyle{gnus}\pagenumbering{arabic} \gnusdimen 1pt\fi
130 \renewcommand{\gnussectionname}{}
131 \renewcommand{\gnuschaptername}{#2}
132 \thispagestyle{empty}
134 \begin{picture}(500,500)(0,0)
135 \put(480,350){\makebox(0,0)[tr]{#1}}
136 \put(40,300){\makebox(500,50)[bl]{{\Huge\bf{#2}}}}
141 \newcommand{\gnusfigure}[3]{
143 \mbox{}\ifodd\count0\hspace*{-0.8cm}\else\hspace*{-3cm}\fi\begin{picture}(440,#2)
150 \newcommand{\gnusicon}[1]{
151 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\raisebox{-1.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/#1-up,height=1.5cm}}]{\raisebox{-1cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/#1-up,height=1cm}}}
154 \newcommand{\gnuspicon}[1]{
155 \margindex{\epsfig{figure=#1,width=2cm}}
158 \newcommand{\gnusxface}[2]{
159 \margindex{\epsfig{figure=#1,width=1cm}\epsfig{figure=#2,width=1cm}}
162 \newcommand{\gnussmiley}[2]{
163 \margindex{\makebox[2cm]{\hfill\epsfig{figure=#1,width=0.5cm}\hfill\epsfig{figure=#2,width=0.5cm}\hfill}}
166 \newcommand{\gnusitemx}[1]{\mbox{}\vspace*{-\itemsep}\vspace*{-\parsep}\item#1}
168 \newcommand{\gnussection}[1]{
169 \renewcommand{\gnussectionname}{#1}
173 \newenvironment{codelist}%
178 \newenvironment{asislist}%
183 \newenvironment{kbdlist}%
189 \newenvironment{dfnlist}%
194 \newenvironment{stronglist}%
199 \newenvironment{samplist}%
204 \newenvironment{varlist}%
209 \newenvironment{emphlist}%
214 \newlength\gnusheadtextwidth
215 \setlength{\gnusheadtextwidth}{\headtextwidth}
216 \addtolength{\gnusheadtextwidth}{1cm}
218 \newpagestyle{gnuspreamble}%
223 \hspace*{-0.23cm}\underline{\makebox[\gnusheadtextwidth]{\mbox{}}\textbf{\hfill\roman{page}}}
227 \hspace*{-3.25cm}\underline{\makebox[\gnusheadtextwidth]{\textbf{\roman{page}\hfill\mbox{}}}
236 \raisebox{-0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/gnus-big-logo,height=1cm}}
238 \raisebox{-0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/gnus-big-logo,height=1cm}}
243 \newpagestyle{gnusindex}%
248 \hspace*{-0.23cm}\underline{\makebox[\gnusheadtextwidth]{\textbf{\gnuschaptername\hfill\arabic{page}}}}
252 \hspace*{-3.25cm}\underline{\makebox[\gnusheadtextwidth]{\textbf{\arabic{page}\hfill\gnuschaptername}}}
260 \raisebox{-0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/gnus-big-logo,height=1cm}}
262 \raisebox{-0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/gnus-big-logo,height=1cm}}
272 \makebox[12cm]{\hspace*{3.1cm}\underline{\makebox[\gnusheadtextwidth]{\textbf{\arabic{chapter}.\arabic{section}} \textbf{\gnussectionname\hfill\arabic{page}}}}}
276 \makebox[12cm]{\hspace*{-2.95cm}\underline{\makebox[\gnusheadtextwidth]{\textbf{\arabic{page}\hfill\gnuschaptername}}}}
284 \raisebox{-0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/gnus-big-logo,height=1cm}}
286 \raisebox{-0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/gnus-big-logo,height=1cm}}
291 \pagenumbering{roman}
292 \pagestyle{gnuspreamble}
303 %\addtolength{\oddsidemargin}{-5cm}
304 %\addtolength{\evensidemargin}{-5cm}
306 \addtolength{\textheight}{2cm}
308 \gnustitle{\gnustitlename}\hfill\gnusversion{\gnusversionname}\\
311 \hspace*{0cm}\epsfig{figure=ps/gnus-big-logo,height=15cm}
314 \gnusauthor{by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen}
321 \thispagestyle{empty}
335 * Gnus: (gnus). The newsreader Gnus.
340 @setchapternewpage odd
347 @author by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen
349 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
355 @top The Gnus Newsreader
359 You can read news (and mail) from within Emacs by using Gnus. The news
360 can be gotten by any nefarious means you can think of---@acronym{NNTP}, local
361 spool or your mbox file. All at the same time, if you want to push your
364 @c Adjust ../Makefile.in if you change the following line:
365 This manual corresponds to No Gnus v0.7.
376 Gnus is the advanced, self-documenting, customizable, extensible
377 unreal-time newsreader for GNU Emacs.
379 Oops. That sounds oddly familiar, so let's start over again to avoid
380 being accused of plagiarism:
382 Gnus is a message-reading laboratory. It will let you look at just
383 about anything as if it were a newsgroup. You can read mail with it,
384 you can browse directories with it, you can @code{ftp} with it---you
385 can even read news with it!
387 Gnus tries to empower people who read news the same way Emacs empowers
388 people who edit text. Gnus sets no limits to what the user should be
389 allowed to do. Users are encouraged to extend Gnus to make it behave
390 like they want it to behave. A program should not control people;
391 people should be empowered to do what they want by using (or abusing)
397 * Starting Up:: Finding news can be a pain.
398 * Group Buffer:: Selecting, subscribing and killing groups.
399 * Summary Buffer:: Reading, saving and posting articles.
400 * Article Buffer:: Displaying and handling articles.
401 * Composing Messages:: Information on sending mail and news.
402 * Select Methods:: Gnus reads all messages from various select methods.
403 * Scoring:: Assigning values to articles.
404 * Various:: General purpose settings.
405 * The End:: Farewell and goodbye.
406 * Appendices:: Terminology, Emacs intro, @acronym{FAQ}, History, Internals.
407 * GNU Free Documentation License:: The license for this documentation.
408 * Index:: Variable, function and concept index.
409 * Key Index:: Key Index.
411 Other related manuals
413 * Message:(message). Composing messages.
414 * Emacs-MIME:(emacs-mime). Composing messages; @acronym{MIME}-specific parts.
415 * Sieve:(sieve). Managing Sieve scripts in Emacs.
416 * PGG:(pgg). @acronym{PGP/MIME} with Gnus.
417 * SASL:(sasl). @acronym{SASL} authentication in Emacs.
420 --- The Detailed Node Listing ---
424 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
425 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
426 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
427 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
428 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
429 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
430 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
431 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
432 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
433 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
434 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
438 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
439 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
440 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
444 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
445 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
446 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
447 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
448 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
449 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
450 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
451 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
452 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
453 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
454 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
455 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
456 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
457 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
458 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
459 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
460 * Non-ASCII Group Names:: Accessing groups of non-English names.
461 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
465 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
466 * Group Mode Line Specification:: The group buffer mode line.
467 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
471 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
472 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
473 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
474 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
475 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
479 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
480 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
481 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
482 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
483 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
487 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
488 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
489 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
490 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
491 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
492 * Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
493 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
494 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
495 * Threading:: How threads are made.
496 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
497 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
498 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
499 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
500 * Sticky Articles:: Article buffers that are not reused.
501 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
502 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
503 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
504 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
505 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
506 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
507 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
508 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
509 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
510 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
511 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
512 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
513 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
514 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
515 or reselecting the current group.
516 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
517 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
518 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
519 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
521 Summary Buffer Format
523 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
524 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
525 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
526 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
530 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
531 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
533 Reply, Followup and Post
535 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
536 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
537 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
538 * Canceling and Superseding::
542 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
543 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
544 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
545 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
546 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
547 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
551 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
552 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
554 Customizing Threading
556 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
557 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
558 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
559 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over@dots{} but you were wrong!
563 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
564 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
565 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
566 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
567 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
568 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
572 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
573 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
574 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
578 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
579 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
580 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
581 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
582 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
583 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
584 * Article Button Levels:: Controlling appearance of buttons.
585 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
586 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
587 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
588 * Article Miscellanea:: Various other stuff.
590 Alternative Approaches
592 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
593 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
595 Various Summary Stuff
597 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
598 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
599 * Summary Generation Commands::
600 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
604 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
605 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @acronym{MIME} before reading them.
606 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
607 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
608 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
612 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
613 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
614 * POP before SMTP:: You cannot send a mail unless you read a mail.
615 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
616 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
617 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
618 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
619 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
620 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
624 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
625 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
626 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
627 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
628 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @acronym{IMAP} client.
629 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
630 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
631 * Email Based Diary:: Using mails to manage diary events in Gnus.
632 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
636 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
637 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
638 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
639 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
640 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
641 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
642 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
646 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @acronym{NNTP} server.
647 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
651 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
652 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
653 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
654 * NNTP marks:: Storing marks for @acronym{NNTP} servers.
658 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
659 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
660 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
661 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
662 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
663 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
664 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
665 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
666 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
667 * Washing Mail:: Removing cruft from the mail you get.
668 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
669 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
670 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
674 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
675 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
676 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
678 Choosing a Mail Back End
680 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
681 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the Rmail Babyl format.
682 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
683 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
684 * Maildir:: Another one-file-per-message format.
685 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
686 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
691 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
692 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
693 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
694 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
695 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
696 * Customizing W3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/W3 from Gnus.
700 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
701 * Expiring in IMAP:: Expiring mail with nnimap.
702 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
703 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a ``compress mailbox'' button.
704 * A note on namespaces:: How to (not) use @acronym{IMAP} namespace in Gnus.
705 * Debugging IMAP:: What to do when things don't work.
709 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
710 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
711 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
712 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
713 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
717 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
721 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
722 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
723 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
727 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
728 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
732 * The NNDiary Back End:: Basic setup and usage.
733 * The Gnus Diary Library:: Utility toolkit on top of nndiary.
734 * Sending or Not Sending:: A final note on sending diary messages.
738 * Diary Messages:: What makes a message valid for nndiary.
739 * Running NNDiary:: NNDiary has two modes of operation.
740 * Customizing NNDiary:: Bells and whistles.
742 The Gnus Diary Library
744 * Diary Summary Line Format:: A nicer summary buffer line format.
745 * Diary Articles Sorting:: A nicer way to sort messages.
746 * Diary Headers Generation:: Not doing it manually.
747 * Diary Group Parameters:: Not handling them manually.
751 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
752 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
753 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
754 * Agent Visuals:: Ways that the agent may effect your summary buffer.
755 * Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
756 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
757 * Agent Regeneration:: How to recover from lost connections and other accidents.
758 * Agent and flags:: How the Agent maintains flags.
759 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with @acronym{IMAP}.
760 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
761 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
762 * Example Setup:: An example @file{~/.gnus.el} file for offline people.
763 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
764 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
768 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
769 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
770 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
774 * Group Agent Commands:: Configure groups and fetch their contents.
775 * Summary Agent Commands:: Manually select then fetch specific articles.
776 * Server Agent Commands:: Select the servers that are supported by the agent.
780 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
781 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
782 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
783 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
784 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
785 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
786 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
787 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
788 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
789 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
790 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
791 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
792 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
793 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
794 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
795 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
799 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
800 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
801 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
805 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
806 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
807 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
808 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
809 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
810 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
811 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
812 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
813 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
814 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
815 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
816 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
817 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
818 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
819 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
820 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
821 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
822 * Thwarting Email Spam:: Simple ways to avoid unsolicited commercial email.
823 * Spam Package:: A package for filtering and processing spam.
824 * Other modes:: Interaction with other modes.
825 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
829 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
830 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
831 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
832 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
833 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
834 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
835 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
836 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
840 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
841 * Face:: Display a funkier, teensier colored image.
842 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were
844 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
845 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
849 * The problem of spam:: Some background, and some solutions
850 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
851 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
852 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
856 * Spam Package Introduction::
857 * Filtering Incoming Mail::
858 * Detecting Spam in Groups::
859 * Spam and Ham Processors::
860 * Spam Package Configuration Examples::
862 * Extending the Spam package::
863 * Spam Statistics Package::
865 Spam Statistics Package
867 * Creating a spam-stat dictionary::
868 * Splitting mail using spam-stat::
869 * Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary::
873 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
874 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
875 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
876 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
877 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
878 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
879 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
880 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
881 * Frequently Asked Questions:: The Gnus FAQ
885 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
886 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
887 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
888 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
889 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
890 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
891 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
892 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
893 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
897 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
898 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
899 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
900 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
901 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
902 * Oort Gnus:: It's big. It's far out. Gnus 5.10/5.11.
903 * No Gnus:: Very punny.
907 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
908 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
909 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
910 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
914 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
915 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
916 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
917 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
918 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
919 * Group Info:: The group info format.
920 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
921 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
922 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
926 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
927 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
928 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
929 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
930 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
931 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
935 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
936 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
940 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
941 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
947 @chapter Starting Gnus
950 If you haven't used Emacs much before using Gnus, read @ref{Emacs for
955 If your system administrator has set things up properly, starting Gnus
956 and reading news is extremely easy---you just type @kbd{M-x gnus} in
957 your Emacs. If not, you should customize the variable
958 @code{gnus-select-method} as described in @ref{Finding the News}. For a
959 minimal setup for posting should also customize the variables
960 @code{user-full-name} and @code{user-mail-address}.
962 @findex gnus-other-frame
963 @kindex M-x gnus-other-frame
964 If you want to start Gnus in a different frame, you can use the command
965 @kbd{M-x gnus-other-frame} instead.
967 If things do not go smoothly at startup, you have to twiddle some
968 variables in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file. This file is similar to
969 @file{~/.emacs}, but is read when Gnus starts.
971 If you puzzle at any terms used in this manual, please refer to the
972 terminology section (@pxref{Terminology}).
975 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
976 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
977 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
978 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
979 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
980 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
981 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
982 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
983 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
984 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
988 @node Finding the News
989 @section Finding the News
992 @vindex gnus-select-method
994 The @code{gnus-select-method} variable says where Gnus should look for
995 news. This variable should be a list where the first element says
996 @dfn{how} and the second element says @dfn{where}. This method is your
997 native method. All groups not fetched with this method are
1000 For instance, if the @samp{news.somewhere.edu} @acronym{NNTP} server is where
1001 you want to get your daily dosage of news from, you'd say:
1004 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"))
1007 If you want to read directly from the local spool, say:
1010 (setq gnus-select-method '(nnspool ""))
1013 If you can use a local spool, you probably should, as it will almost
1014 certainly be much faster. But do not use the local spool if your
1015 server is running Leafnode (which is a simple, standalone private news
1016 server); in this case, use @code{(nntp "localhost")}.
1018 @vindex gnus-nntpserver-file
1020 @cindex @acronym{NNTP} server
1021 If this variable is not set, Gnus will take a look at the
1022 @env{NNTPSERVER} environment variable. If that variable isn't set,
1023 Gnus will see whether @code{gnus-nntpserver-file}
1024 (@file{/etc/nntpserver} by default) has any opinions on the matter.
1025 If that fails as well, Gnus will try to use the machine running Emacs
1026 as an @acronym{NNTP} server. That's a long shot, though.
1028 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
1029 If @code{gnus-nntp-server} is set, this variable will override
1030 @code{gnus-select-method}. You should therefore set
1031 @code{gnus-nntp-server} to @code{nil}, which is what it is by default.
1033 @vindex gnus-secondary-servers
1034 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
1035 You can also make Gnus prompt you interactively for the name of an
1036 @acronym{NNTP} server. If you give a non-numerical prefix to @code{gnus}
1037 (i.e., @kbd{C-u M-x gnus}), Gnus will let you choose between the servers
1038 in the @code{gnus-secondary-servers} list (if any). You can also just
1039 type in the name of any server you feel like visiting. (Note that this
1040 will set @code{gnus-nntp-server}, which means that if you then @kbd{M-x
1041 gnus} later in the same Emacs session, Gnus will contact the same
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 "")))
1070 Note: the @acronym{NNTP} back end stores marks in marks files
1071 (@pxref{NNTP marks}). This feature makes it easy to share marks between
1072 several Gnus installations, but may slow down things a bit when fetching
1073 new articles. @xref{NNTP marks}, for more information.
1076 @node The First Time
1077 @section The First Time
1078 @cindex first time usage
1080 If no startup files exist (@pxref{Startup Files}), Gnus will try to
1081 determine what groups should be subscribed by default.
1083 @vindex gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups
1084 If the variable @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is set, Gnus
1085 will subscribe you to just those groups in that list, leaving the rest
1086 killed. Your system administrator should have set this variable to
1089 Since she hasn't, Gnus will just subscribe you to a few arbitrarily
1090 picked groups (i.e., @samp{*.newusers}). (@dfn{Arbitrary} is defined
1091 here as @dfn{whatever Lars thinks you should read}.)
1093 You'll also be subscribed to the Gnus documentation group, which should
1094 help you with most common problems.
1096 If @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is @code{t}, Gnus will just
1097 use the normal functions for handling new groups, and not do anything
1101 @node The Server is Down
1102 @section The Server is Down
1103 @cindex server errors
1105 If the default server is down, Gnus will understandably have some
1106 problems starting. However, if you have some mail groups in addition to
1107 the news groups, you may want to start Gnus anyway.
1109 Gnus, being the trusting sort of program, will ask whether to proceed
1110 without a native select method if that server can't be contacted. This
1111 will happen whether the server doesn't actually exist (i.e., you have
1112 given the wrong address) or the server has just momentarily taken ill
1113 for some reason or other. If you decide to continue and have no foreign
1114 groups, you'll find it difficult to actually do anything in the group
1115 buffer. But, hey, that's your problem. Blllrph!
1117 @findex gnus-no-server
1118 @kindex M-x gnus-no-server
1120 If you know that the server is definitely down, or you just want to read
1121 your mail without bothering with the server at all, you can use the
1122 @code{gnus-no-server} command to start Gnus. That might come in handy
1123 if you're in a hurry as well. This command will not attempt to contact
1124 your primary server---instead, it will just activate all groups on level
1125 1 and 2. (You should preferably keep no native groups on those two
1126 levels.) Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
1130 @section Slave Gnusae
1133 You might want to run more than one Emacs with more than one Gnus at the
1134 same time. If you are using different @file{.newsrc} files (e.g., if you
1135 are using the two different Gnusae to read from two different servers),
1136 that is no problem whatsoever. You just do it.
1138 The problem appears when you want to run two Gnusae that use the same
1139 @file{.newsrc} file.
1141 To work around that problem some, we here at the Think-Tank at the Gnus
1142 Towers have come up with a new concept: @dfn{Masters} and
1143 @dfn{slaves}. (We have applied for a patent on this concept, and have
1144 taken out a copyright on those words. If you wish to use those words in
1145 conjunction with each other, you have to send $1 per usage instance to
1146 me. Usage of the patent (@dfn{Master/Slave Relationships In Computer
1147 Applications}) will be much more expensive, of course.)
1150 Anyway, you start one Gnus up the normal way with @kbd{M-x gnus} (or
1151 however you do it). Each subsequent slave Gnusae should be started with
1152 @kbd{M-x gnus-slave}. These slaves won't save normal @file{.newsrc}
1153 files, but instead save @dfn{slave files} that contain information only
1154 on what groups have been read in the slave session. When a master Gnus
1155 starts, it will read (and delete) these slave files, incorporating all
1156 information from them. (The slave files will be read in the sequence
1157 they were created, so the latest changes will have precedence.)
1159 Information from the slave files has, of course, precedence over the
1160 information in the normal (i.e., master) @file{.newsrc} file.
1162 If the @file{.newsrc*} files have not been saved in the master when the
1163 slave starts, you may be prompted as to whether to read an auto-save
1164 file. If you answer ``yes'', the unsaved changes to the master will be
1165 incorporated into the slave. If you answer ``no'', the slave may see some
1166 messages as unread that have been read in the master.
1173 @cindex subscription
1175 @vindex gnus-check-new-newsgroups
1176 If you are satisfied that you really never want to see any new groups,
1177 you can set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil}. This will
1178 also save you some time at startup. Even if this variable is
1179 @code{nil}, you can always subscribe to the new groups just by pressing
1180 @kbd{U} in the group buffer (@pxref{Group Maintenance}). This variable
1181 is @code{ask-server} by default. If you set this variable to
1182 @code{always}, then Gnus will query the back ends for new groups even
1183 when you do the @kbd{g} command (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
1186 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
1187 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
1188 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
1192 @node Checking New Groups
1193 @subsection Checking New Groups
1195 Gnus normally determines whether a group is new or not by comparing the
1196 list of groups from the active file(s) with the lists of subscribed and
1197 dead groups. This isn't a particularly fast method. If
1198 @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} is @code{ask-server}, Gnus will ask the
1199 server for new groups since the last time. This is both faster and
1200 cheaper. This also means that you can get rid of the list of killed
1201 groups altogether, so you may set @code{gnus-save-killed-list} to
1202 @code{nil}, which will save time both at startup, at exit, and all over.
1203 Saves disk space, too. Why isn't this the default, then?
1204 Unfortunately, not all servers support this command.
1206 I bet I know what you're thinking now: How do I find out whether my
1207 server supports @code{ask-server}? No? Good, because I don't have a
1208 fail-safe answer. I would suggest just setting this variable to
1209 @code{ask-server} and see whether any new groups appear within the next
1210 few days. If any do, then it works. If none do, then it doesn't
1211 work. I could write a function to make Gnus guess whether the server
1212 supports @code{ask-server}, but it would just be a guess. So I won't.
1213 You could @code{telnet} to the server and say @code{HELP} and see
1214 whether it lists @samp{NEWGROUPS} among the commands it understands. If
1215 it does, then it might work. (But there are servers that lists
1216 @samp{NEWGROUPS} without supporting the function properly.)
1218 This variable can also be a list of select methods. If so, Gnus will
1219 issue an @code{ask-server} command to each of the select methods, and
1220 subscribe them (or not) using the normal methods. This might be handy
1221 if you are monitoring a few servers for new groups. A side effect is
1222 that startup will take much longer, so you can meditate while waiting.
1223 Use the mantra ``dingnusdingnusdingnus'' to achieve permanent bliss.
1226 @node Subscription Methods
1227 @subsection Subscription Methods
1229 @vindex gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method
1230 What Gnus does when it encounters a new group is determined by the
1231 @code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} variable.
1233 This variable should contain a function. This function will be called
1234 with the name of the new group as the only parameter.
1236 Some handy pre-fab functions are:
1240 @item gnus-subscribe-zombies
1241 @vindex gnus-subscribe-zombies
1242 Make all new groups zombies. This is the default. You can browse the
1243 zombies later (with @kbd{A z}) and either kill them all off properly
1244 (with @kbd{S z}), or subscribe to them (with @kbd{u}).
1246 @item gnus-subscribe-randomly
1247 @vindex gnus-subscribe-randomly
1248 Subscribe all new groups in arbitrary order. This really means that all
1249 new groups will be added at ``the top'' of the group buffer.
1251 @item gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1252 @vindex gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1253 Subscribe all new groups in alphabetical order.
1255 @item gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1256 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1257 Subscribe all new groups hierarchically. The difference between this
1258 function and @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} is slight.
1259 @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} will subscribe new groups in a strictly
1260 alphabetical fashion, while this function will enter groups into its
1261 hierarchy. So if you want to have the @samp{rec} hierarchy before the
1262 @samp{comp} hierarchy, this function will not mess that configuration
1263 up. Or something like that.
1265 @item gnus-subscribe-interactively
1266 @vindex gnus-subscribe-interactively
1267 Subscribe new groups interactively. This means that Gnus will ask
1268 you about @strong{all} new groups. The groups you choose to subscribe
1269 to will be subscribed hierarchically.
1271 @item gnus-subscribe-killed
1272 @vindex gnus-subscribe-killed
1273 Kill all new groups.
1275 @item gnus-subscribe-topics
1276 @vindex gnus-subscribe-topics
1277 Put the groups into the topic that has a matching @code{subscribe} topic
1278 parameter (@pxref{Topic Parameters}). For instance, a @code{subscribe}
1279 topic parameter that looks like
1285 will mean that all groups that match that regex will be subscribed under
1288 If no topics match the groups, the groups will be subscribed in the
1293 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive
1294 A closely related variable is
1295 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. (That's quite a
1296 mouthful.) If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will ask you in a
1297 hierarchical fashion whether to subscribe to new groups or not. Gnus
1298 will ask you for each sub-hierarchy whether you want to descend the
1301 One common mistake is to set the variable a few paragraphs above
1302 (@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method}) to
1303 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. This is an error. This
1304 will not work. This is ga-ga. So don't do it.
1307 @node Filtering New Groups
1308 @subsection Filtering New Groups
1310 A nice and portable way to control which new newsgroups should be
1311 subscribed (or ignored) is to put an @dfn{options} line at the start of
1312 the @file{.newsrc} file. Here's an example:
1315 options -n !alt.all !rec.all sci.all
1318 @vindex gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method
1319 This line obviously belongs to a serious-minded intellectual scientific
1320 person (or she may just be plain old boring), because it says that all
1321 groups that have names beginning with @samp{alt} and @samp{rec} should
1322 be ignored, and all groups with names beginning with @samp{sci} should
1323 be subscribed. Gnus will not use the normal subscription method for
1324 subscribing these groups.
1325 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method} is used instead. This
1326 variable defaults to @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically}.
1328 @vindex gnus-options-not-subscribe
1329 @vindex gnus-options-subscribe
1330 If you don't want to mess with your @file{.newsrc} file, you can just
1331 set the two variables @code{gnus-options-subscribe} and
1332 @code{gnus-options-not-subscribe}. These two variables do exactly the
1333 same as the @file{.newsrc} @samp{options -n} trick. Both are regexps,
1334 and if the new group matches the former, it will be unconditionally
1335 subscribed, and if it matches the latter, it will be ignored.
1337 @vindex gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
1338 Yet another variable that meddles here is
1339 @code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups}. It works exactly like
1340 @code{gnus-options-subscribe}, and is therefore really superfluous,
1341 but I thought it would be nice to have two of these. This variable is
1342 more meant for setting some ground rules, while the other variable is
1343 used more for user fiddling. By default this variable makes all new
1344 groups that come from mail back ends (@code{nnml}, @code{nnbabyl},
1345 @code{nnfolder}, @code{nnmbox}, @code{nnmh}, and @code{nnmaildir})
1346 subscribed. If you don't like that, just set this variable to
1349 New groups that match this regexp are subscribed using
1350 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method}.
1353 @node Changing Servers
1354 @section Changing Servers
1355 @cindex changing servers
1357 Sometimes it is necessary to move from one @acronym{NNTP} server to another.
1358 This happens very rarely, but perhaps you change jobs, or one server is
1359 very flaky and you want to use another.
1361 Changing the server is pretty easy, right? You just change
1362 @code{gnus-select-method} to point to the new server?
1366 Article numbers are not (in any way) kept synchronized between different
1367 @acronym{NNTP} servers, and the only way Gnus keeps track of what articles
1368 you have read is by keeping track of article numbers. So when you
1369 change @code{gnus-select-method}, your @file{.newsrc} file becomes
1372 Gnus provides a few functions to attempt to translate a @file{.newsrc}
1373 file from one server to another. They all have one thing in
1374 common---they take a looong time to run. You don't want to use these
1375 functions more than absolutely necessary.
1377 @kindex M-x gnus-change-server
1378 @findex gnus-change-server
1379 If you have access to both servers, Gnus can request the headers for all
1380 the articles you have read and compare @code{Message-ID}s and map the
1381 article numbers of the read articles and article marks. The @kbd{M-x
1382 gnus-change-server} command will do this for all your native groups. It
1383 will prompt for the method you want to move to.
1385 @kindex M-x gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1386 @findex gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1387 You can also move individual groups with the @kbd{M-x
1388 gnus-group-move-group-to-server} command. This is useful if you want to
1389 move a (foreign) group from one server to another.
1391 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1392 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1393 If you don't have access to both the old and new server, all your marks
1394 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use the @kbd{M-x
1395 gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} command to clear out all data
1396 that you have on your native groups. Use with caution.
1398 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data
1399 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
1400 Clear the data from the current group only---nix out marks and the
1401 list of read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
1403 After changing servers, you @strong{must} move the cache hierarchy away,
1404 since the cached articles will have wrong article numbers, which will
1405 affect which articles Gnus thinks are read.
1406 @code{gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} will ask you if you want
1407 to have it done automatically; for @code{gnus-group-clear-data}, you
1408 can use @kbd{M-x gnus-cache-move-cache} (but beware, it will move the
1409 cache for all groups).
1413 @section Startup Files
1414 @cindex startup files
1419 Most common Unix news readers use a shared startup file called
1420 @file{.newsrc}. This file contains all the information about what
1421 groups are subscribed, and which articles in these groups have been
1424 Things got a bit more complicated with @sc{gnus}. In addition to
1425 keeping the @file{.newsrc} file updated, it also used a file called
1426 @file{.newsrc.el} for storing all the information that didn't fit into
1427 the @file{.newsrc} file. (Actually, it also duplicated everything in
1428 the @file{.newsrc} file.) @sc{gnus} would read whichever one of these
1429 files was the most recently saved, which enabled people to swap between
1430 @sc{gnus} and other newsreaders.
1432 That was kinda silly, so Gnus went one better: In addition to the
1433 @file{.newsrc} and @file{.newsrc.el} files, Gnus also has a file called
1434 @file{.newsrc.eld}. It will read whichever of these files that are most
1435 recent, but it will never write a @file{.newsrc.el} file. You should
1436 never delete the @file{.newsrc.eld} file---it contains much information
1437 not stored in the @file{.newsrc} file.
1439 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-file
1440 @vindex gnus-read-newsrc-file
1441 You can turn off writing the @file{.newsrc} file by setting
1442 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-file} to @code{nil}, which means you can delete
1443 the file and save some space, as well as exiting from Gnus faster.
1444 However, this will make it impossible to use other newsreaders than
1445 Gnus. But hey, who would want to, right? Similarly, setting
1446 @code{gnus-read-newsrc-file} to @code{nil} makes Gnus ignore the
1447 @file{.newsrc} file and any @file{.newsrc-SERVER} files, which can be
1448 convenient if you use a different news reader occasionally, and you
1449 want to read a different subset of the available groups with that
1452 @vindex gnus-save-killed-list
1453 If @code{gnus-save-killed-list} (default @code{t}) is @code{nil}, Gnus
1454 will not save the list of killed groups to the startup file. This will
1455 save both time (when starting and quitting) and space (on disk). It
1456 will also mean that Gnus has no record of what groups are new or old,
1457 so the automatic new groups subscription methods become meaningless.
1458 You should always set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil} or
1459 @code{ask-server} if you set this variable to @code{nil} (@pxref{New
1460 Groups}). This variable can also be a regular expression. If that's
1461 the case, remove all groups that do not match this regexp before
1462 saving. This can be useful in certain obscure situations that involve
1463 several servers where not all servers support @code{ask-server}.
1465 @vindex gnus-startup-file
1466 @vindex gnus-backup-startup-file
1467 @vindex version-control
1468 The @code{gnus-startup-file} variable says where the startup files are.
1469 The default value is @file{~/.newsrc}, with the Gnus (El Dingo) startup
1470 file being whatever that one is, with a @samp{.eld} appended.
1471 If you want version control for this file, set
1472 @code{gnus-backup-startup-file}. It respects the same values as the
1473 @code{version-control} variable.
1475 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-hook
1476 @vindex gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook
1477 @vindex gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook
1478 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-hook} is called before saving any of the newsrc
1479 files, while @code{gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook} is called just before
1480 saving the @file{.newsrc.eld} file, and
1481 @code{gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook} is called just before saving the
1482 @file{.newsrc} file. The latter two are commonly used to turn version
1483 control on or off. Version control is on by default when saving the
1484 startup files. If you want to turn backup creation off, say something like:
1487 (defun turn-off-backup ()
1488 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
1490 (add-hook 'gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1491 (add-hook 'gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1494 @vindex gnus-init-file
1495 @vindex gnus-site-init-file
1496 When Gnus starts, it will read the @code{gnus-site-init-file}
1497 (@file{.../site-lisp/gnus-init} by default) and @code{gnus-init-file}
1498 (@file{~/.gnus} by default) files. These are normal Emacs Lisp files
1499 and can be used to avoid cluttering your @file{~/.emacs} and
1500 @file{site-init} files with Gnus stuff. Gnus will also check for files
1501 with the same names as these, but with @file{.elc} and @file{.el}
1502 suffixes. In other words, if you have set @code{gnus-init-file} to
1503 @file{~/.gnus}, it will look for @file{~/.gnus.elc}, @file{~/.gnus.el},
1504 and finally @file{~/.gnus} (in this order). If Emacs was invoked with
1505 the @option{-q} or @option{--no-init-file} options (@pxref{Initial
1506 Options, ,Initial Options, emacs, The Emacs Manual}), Gnus doesn't read
1507 @code{gnus-init-file}.
1512 @cindex dribble file
1515 Whenever you do something that changes the Gnus data (reading articles,
1516 catching up, killing/subscribing groups), the change is added to a
1517 special @dfn{dribble buffer}. This buffer is auto-saved the normal
1518 Emacs way. If your Emacs should crash before you have saved the
1519 @file{.newsrc} files, all changes you have made can be recovered from
1522 If Gnus detects this file at startup, it will ask the user whether to
1523 read it. The auto save file is deleted whenever the real startup file is
1526 @vindex gnus-use-dribble-file
1527 If @code{gnus-use-dribble-file} is @code{nil}, Gnus won't create and
1528 maintain a dribble buffer. The default is @code{t}.
1530 @vindex gnus-dribble-directory
1531 Gnus will put the dribble file(s) in @code{gnus-dribble-directory}. If
1532 this variable is @code{nil}, which it is by default, Gnus will dribble
1533 into the directory where the @file{.newsrc} file is located. (This is
1534 normally the user's home directory.) The dribble file will get the same
1535 file permissions as the @file{.newsrc} file.
1537 @vindex gnus-always-read-dribble-file
1538 If @code{gnus-always-read-dribble-file} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will
1539 read the dribble file on startup without querying the user.
1542 @node The Active File
1543 @section The Active File
1545 @cindex ignored groups
1547 When Gnus starts, or indeed whenever it tries to determine whether new
1548 articles have arrived, it reads the active file. This is a very large
1549 file that lists all the active groups and articles on the server.
1551 @vindex gnus-ignored-newsgroups
1552 Before examining the active file, Gnus deletes all lines that match the
1553 regexp @code{gnus-ignored-newsgroups}. This is done primarily to reject
1554 any groups with bogus names, but you can use this variable to make Gnus
1555 ignore hierarchies you aren't ever interested in. However, this is not
1556 recommended. In fact, it's highly discouraged. Instead, @pxref{New
1557 Groups} for an overview of other variables that can be used instead.
1560 @c @code{nil} by default, and will slow down active file handling somewhat
1561 @c if you set it to anything else.
1563 @vindex gnus-read-active-file
1565 The active file can be rather Huge, so if you have a slow network, you
1566 can set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{nil} to prevent Gnus from
1567 reading the active file. This variable is @code{some} by default.
1569 Gnus will try to make do by getting information just on the groups that
1570 you actually subscribe to.
1572 Note that if you subscribe to lots and lots of groups, setting this
1573 variable to @code{nil} will probably make Gnus slower, not faster. At
1574 present, having this variable @code{nil} will slow Gnus down
1575 considerably, unless you read news over a 2400 baud modem.
1577 This variable can also have the value @code{some}. Gnus will then
1578 attempt to read active info only on the subscribed groups. On some
1579 servers this is quite fast (on sparkling, brand new INN servers that
1580 support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command), on others this isn't fast
1581 at all. In any case, @code{some} should be faster than @code{nil}, and
1582 is certainly faster than @code{t} over slow lines.
1584 Some news servers (old versions of Leafnode and old versions of INN, for
1585 instance) do not support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group}. For these
1586 servers, @code{nil} is probably the most efficient value for this
1589 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will ask for group info in total
1590 lock-step, which isn't very fast. If it is @code{some} and you use an
1591 @acronym{NNTP} server, Gnus will pump out commands as fast as it can, and
1592 read all the replies in one swoop. This will normally result in better
1593 performance, but if the server does not support the aforementioned
1594 @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, this isn't very nice to the server.
1596 If you think that starting up Gnus takes too long, try all the three
1597 different values for this variable and see what works best for you.
1599 In any case, if you use @code{some} or @code{nil}, you should definitely
1600 kill all groups that you aren't interested in to speed things up.
1602 Note that this variable also affects active file retrieval from
1603 secondary select methods.
1606 @node Startup Variables
1607 @section Startup Variables
1611 @item gnus-load-hook
1612 @vindex gnus-load-hook
1613 A hook run while Gnus is being loaded. Note that this hook will
1614 normally be run just once in each Emacs session, no matter how many
1615 times you start Gnus.
1617 @item gnus-before-startup-hook
1618 @vindex gnus-before-startup-hook
1619 A hook run after starting up Gnus successfully.
1621 @item gnus-startup-hook
1622 @vindex gnus-startup-hook
1623 A hook run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1625 @item gnus-started-hook
1626 @vindex gnus-started-hook
1627 A hook that is run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1630 @item gnus-setup-news-hook
1631 @vindex gnus-setup-news-hook
1632 A hook that is run after reading the @file{.newsrc} file(s), but before
1633 generating the group buffer.
1635 @item gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1636 @vindex gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1637 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will check for and delete all bogus groups at
1638 startup. A @dfn{bogus group} is a group that you have in your
1639 @file{.newsrc} file, but doesn't exist on the news server. Checking for
1640 bogus groups can take quite a while, so to save time and resources it's
1641 best to leave this option off, and do the checking for bogus groups once
1642 in a while from the group buffer instead (@pxref{Group Maintenance}).
1644 @item gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1645 @vindex gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1646 If non-@code{nil}, the startup message won't be displayed. That way,
1647 your boss might not notice as easily that you are reading news instead
1648 of doing your job. Note that this variable is used before
1649 @file{~/.gnus.el} is loaded, so it should be set in @file{.emacs} instead.
1651 @item gnus-no-groups-message
1652 @vindex gnus-no-groups-message
1653 Message displayed by Gnus when no groups are available.
1655 @item gnus-play-startup-jingle
1656 @vindex gnus-play-startup-jingle
1657 If non-@code{nil}, play the Gnus jingle at startup.
1659 @item gnus-startup-jingle
1660 @vindex gnus-startup-jingle
1661 Jingle to be played if the above variable is non-@code{nil}. The
1662 default is @samp{Tuxedomoon.Jingle4.au}.
1668 @chapter Group Buffer
1669 @cindex group buffer
1671 @c Alex Schroeder suggests to rearrange this as follows:
1673 @c <kensanata> ok, just save it for reference. I'll go to bed in a minute.
1674 @c 1. Selecting a Group, 2. (new) Finding a Group, 3. Group Levels,
1675 @c 4. Subscription Commands, 5. Group Maneuvering, 6. Group Data,
1676 @c 7. Group Score, 8. Group Buffer Format
1677 @c <kensanata> Group Levels should have more information on levels 5 to 9. I
1678 @c suggest to split the 4th paragraph ("Gnus considers groups...") as follows:
1679 @c <kensanata> First, "Gnus considers groups... (default 9)."
1680 @c <kensanata> New, a table summarizing what levels 1 to 9 mean.
1681 @c <kensanata> Third, "Gnus treats subscribed ... reasons of efficiency"
1682 @c <kensanata> Then expand the next paragraph or add some more to it.
1683 @c This short one sentence explains levels 1 and 2, therefore I understand
1684 @c that I should keep important news at 3 and boring news at 4.
1685 @c Say so! Then go on to explain why I should bother with levels 6 to 9.
1686 @c Maybe keep those that you don't want to read temporarily at 6,
1687 @c those that you never want to read at 8, those that offend your
1688 @c human rights at 9...
1691 The @dfn{group buffer} lists all (or parts) of the available groups. It
1692 is the first buffer shown when Gnus starts, and will never be killed as
1693 long as Gnus is active.
1697 \gnusfigure{The Group Buffer}{320}{
1698 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group,height=9cm}}
1699 \put(120,37){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Buffer name}}
1700 \put(120,38){\vector(1,2){10}}
1701 \put(40,60){\makebox(0,0)[r]{Mode line}}
1702 \put(40,58){\vector(1,0){30}}
1703 \put(200,28){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Native select method}}
1704 \put(200,26){\vector(-1,2){15}}
1710 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
1711 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
1712 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
1713 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
1714 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
1715 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
1716 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
1717 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
1718 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
1719 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
1720 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
1721 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
1722 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
1723 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
1724 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
1725 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
1726 * Non-ASCII Group Names:: Accessing groups of non-English names.
1727 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
1731 @node Group Buffer Format
1732 @section Group Buffer Format
1735 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
1736 * Group Mode Line Specification:: The group buffer mode line.
1737 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
1740 You can customize the Group Mode tool bar, see @kbd{M-x
1741 customize-apropos RET gnus-group-tool-bar}. This feature is only
1744 The tool bar icons are now (de)activated correctly depending on the
1745 cursor position. Therefore, moving around in the Group Buffer is
1746 slower. You can disable this via the variable
1747 @code{gnus-group-update-tool-bar}. Its default value depends on your
1750 @node Group Line Specification
1751 @subsection Group Line Specification
1752 @cindex group buffer format
1754 The default format of the group buffer is nice and dull, but you can
1755 make it as exciting and ugly as you feel like.
1757 Here's a couple of example group lines:
1760 25: news.announce.newusers
1761 * 0: alt.fan.andrea-dworkin
1766 You can see that there are 25 unread articles in
1767 @samp{news.announce.newusers}. There are no unread articles, but some
1768 ticked articles, in @samp{alt.fan.andrea-dworkin} (see that little
1769 asterisk at the beginning of the line?).
1771 @vindex gnus-group-line-format
1772 You can change that format to whatever you want by fiddling with the
1773 @code{gnus-group-line-format} variable. This variable works along the
1774 lines of a @code{format} specification, which is pretty much the same as
1775 a @code{printf} specifications, for those of you who use (feh!) C.
1776 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
1778 @samp{%M%S%5y:%B%(%g%)\n} is the value that produced those lines above.
1780 There should always be a colon on the line; the cursor always moves to
1781 the colon after performing an operation. @xref{Positioning
1782 Point}. Nothing else is required---not even the group name. All
1783 displayed text is just window dressing, and is never examined by Gnus.
1784 Gnus stores all real information it needs using text properties.
1786 (Note that if you make a really strange, wonderful, spreadsheet-like
1787 layout, everybody will believe you are hard at work with the accounting
1788 instead of wasting time reading news.)
1790 Here's a list of all available format characters:
1795 An asterisk if the group only has marked articles.
1798 Whether the group is subscribed.
1801 Level of subscribedness.
1804 Number of unread articles.
1807 Number of dormant articles.
1810 Number of ticked articles.
1813 Number of read articles.
1816 Number of unseen articles.
1819 Estimated total number of articles. (This is really @var{max-number}
1820 minus @var{min-number} plus 1.)
1822 Gnus uses this estimation because the @acronym{NNTP} protocol provides
1823 efficient access to @var{max-number} and @var{min-number} but getting
1824 the true unread message count is not possible efficiently. For
1825 hysterical raisins, even the mail back ends, where the true number of
1826 unread messages might be available efficiently, use the same limited
1827 interface. To remove this restriction from Gnus means that the back
1828 end interface has to be changed, which is not an easy job.
1830 The nnml backend (@pxref{Mail Spool}) has a feature called ``group
1831 compaction'' which circumvents this deficiency: the idea is to
1832 renumber all articles from 1, removing all gaps between numbers, hence
1833 getting a correct total count. Other backends may support this in the
1834 future. In order to keep your total article count relatively up to
1835 date, you might want to compact your groups (or even directly your
1836 server) from time to time. @xref{Misc Group Stuff}, @xref{Server Commands}.
1839 Number of unread, unticked, non-dormant articles.
1842 Number of ticked and dormant articles.
1851 Group comment (@pxref{Group Parameters}) or group name if there is no
1852 comment element in the group parameters.
1855 Newsgroup description. You need to read the group descriptions
1856 before these will appear, and to do that, you either have to set
1857 @code{gnus-read-active-file} or use the group buffer @kbd{M-d}
1861 @samp{m} if moderated.
1864 @samp{(m)} if moderated.
1870 If the summary buffer for the group is open or not.
1876 A string that looks like @samp{<%s:%n>} if a foreign select method is
1880 Indentation based on the level of the topic (@pxref{Group Topics}).
1883 @vindex gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels
1884 Short (collapsed) group name. The @code{gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels}
1885 variable says how many levels to leave at the end of the group name.
1886 The default is 1---this will mean that group names like
1887 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} will be shortened to @samp{g.e.gnus}.
1890 @vindex gnus-new-mail-mark
1892 @samp{%} (@code{gnus-new-mail-mark}) if there has arrived new mail to
1896 @samp{#} (@code{gnus-process-mark}) if the group is process marked.
1899 A string that says when you last read the group (@pxref{Group
1903 The disk space used by the articles fetched by both the cache and
1904 agent. The value is automatically scaled to bytes(B), kilobytes(K),
1905 megabytes(M), or gigabytes(G) to minimize the column width. A format
1906 of %7F is sufficient for a fixed-width column.
1909 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
1910 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
1911 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
1912 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed a single dummy
1913 parameter as argument. The function should return a string, which will
1914 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
1919 All the ``number-of'' specs will be filled with an asterisk (@samp{*})
1920 if no info is available---for instance, if it is a non-activated foreign
1921 group, or a bogus native group.
1924 @node Group Mode Line Specification
1925 @subsection Group Mode Line Specification
1926 @cindex group mode line
1928 @vindex gnus-group-mode-line-format
1929 The mode line can be changed by setting
1930 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
1931 doesn't understand that many format specifiers:
1935 The native news server.
1937 The native select method.
1941 @node Group Highlighting
1942 @subsection Group Highlighting
1943 @cindex highlighting
1944 @cindex group highlighting
1946 @vindex gnus-group-highlight
1947 Highlighting in the group buffer is controlled by the
1948 @code{gnus-group-highlight} variable. This is an alist with elements
1949 that look like @code{(@var{form} . @var{face})}. If @var{form} evaluates to
1950 something non-@code{nil}, the @var{face} will be used on the line.
1952 Here's an example value for this variable that might look nice if the
1956 (cond (window-system
1957 (setq custom-background-mode 'light)
1958 (defface my-group-face-1
1959 '((t (:foreground "Red" :bold t))) "First group face")
1960 (defface my-group-face-2
1961 '((t (:foreground "DarkSeaGreen4" :bold t)))
1962 "Second group face")
1963 (defface my-group-face-3
1964 '((t (:foreground "Green4" :bold t))) "Third group face")
1965 (defface my-group-face-4
1966 '((t (:foreground "SteelBlue" :bold t))) "Fourth group face")
1967 (defface my-group-face-5
1968 '((t (:foreground "Blue" :bold t))) "Fifth group face")))
1970 (setq gnus-group-highlight
1971 '(((> unread 200) . my-group-face-1)
1972 ((and (< level 3) (zerop unread)) . my-group-face-2)
1973 ((< level 3) . my-group-face-3)
1974 ((zerop unread) . my-group-face-4)
1975 (t . my-group-face-5)))
1978 Also @pxref{Faces and Fonts}.
1980 Variables that are dynamically bound when the forms are evaluated
1987 The number of unread articles in the group.
1991 Whether the group is a mail group.
1993 The level of the group.
1995 The score of the group.
1997 The number of ticked articles in the group.
1999 The total number of articles in the group. Or rather,
2000 @var{max-number} minus @var{min-number} plus one.
2002 When using the topic minor mode, this variable is bound to the current
2003 topic being inserted.
2006 When the forms are @code{eval}ed, point is at the beginning of the line
2007 of the group in question, so you can use many of the normal Gnus
2008 functions for snarfing info on the group.
2010 @vindex gnus-group-update-hook
2011 @findex gnus-group-highlight-line
2012 @code{gnus-group-update-hook} is called when a group line is changed.
2013 It will not be called when @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}. This hook
2014 calls @code{gnus-group-highlight-line} by default.
2017 @node Group Maneuvering
2018 @section Group Maneuvering
2019 @cindex group movement
2021 All movement commands understand the numeric prefix and will behave as
2022 expected, hopefully.
2028 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group
2029 Go to the next group that has unread articles
2030 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group}).
2036 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group
2037 Go to the previous group that has unread articles
2038 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group}).
2042 @findex gnus-group-next-group
2043 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
2047 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
2048 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
2052 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level
2053 Go to the next unread group on the same (or lower) level
2054 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level}).
2058 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level
2059 Go to the previous unread group on the same (or lower) level
2060 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level}).
2063 Three commands for jumping to groups:
2069 @findex gnus-group-jump-to-group
2070 Jump to a group (and make it visible if it isn't already)
2071 (@code{gnus-group-jump-to-group}). Killed groups can be jumped to, just
2076 @findex gnus-group-best-unread-group
2077 Jump to the unread group with the lowest level
2078 (@code{gnus-group-best-unread-group}).
2082 @findex gnus-group-first-unread-group
2083 Jump to the first group with unread articles
2084 (@code{gnus-group-first-unread-group}).
2087 @vindex gnus-group-goto-unread
2088 If @code{gnus-group-goto-unread} is @code{nil}, all the movement
2089 commands will move to the next group, not the next unread group. Even
2090 the commands that say they move to the next unread group. The default
2093 @vindex gnus-summary-next-group-on-exit
2094 If @code{gnus-summary-next-group-on-exit} is @code{t}, when a summary is
2095 exited, the point in the group buffer is moved to the next unread group.
2096 Otherwise, the point is set to the group just exited. The default is
2099 @node Selecting a Group
2100 @section Selecting a Group
2101 @cindex group selection
2106 @kindex SPACE (Group)
2107 @findex gnus-group-read-group
2108 Select the current group, switch to the summary buffer and display the
2109 first unread article (@code{gnus-group-read-group}). If there are no
2110 unread articles in the group, or if you give a non-numerical prefix to
2111 this command, Gnus will offer to fetch all the old articles in this
2112 group from the server. If you give a numerical prefix @var{n}, @var{n}
2113 determines the number of articles Gnus will fetch. If @var{n} is
2114 positive, Gnus fetches the @var{n} newest articles, if @var{n} is
2115 negative, Gnus fetches the @code{abs(@var{n})} oldest articles.
2117 Thus, @kbd{SPC} enters the group normally, @kbd{C-u SPC} offers old
2118 articles, @kbd{C-u 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 newest articles, and @kbd{C-u
2119 - 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 oldest ones.
2121 When you are in the group (in the Summary buffer), you can type
2122 @kbd{M-g} to fetch new articles, or @kbd{C-u M-g} to also show the old
2127 @findex gnus-group-select-group
2128 Select the current group and switch to the summary buffer
2129 (@code{gnus-group-select-group}). Takes the same arguments as
2130 @code{gnus-group-read-group}---the only difference is that this command
2131 does not display the first unread article automatically upon group
2135 @kindex M-RET (Group)
2136 @findex gnus-group-quick-select-group
2137 This does the same as the command above, but tries to do it with the
2138 minimum amount of fuzz (@code{gnus-group-quick-select-group}). No
2139 scoring/killing will be performed, there will be no highlights and no
2140 expunging. This might be useful if you're in a real hurry and have to
2141 enter some humongous group. If you give a 0 prefix to this command
2142 (i.e., @kbd{0 M-RET}), Gnus won't even generate the summary buffer,
2143 which is useful if you want to toggle threading before generating the
2144 summary buffer (@pxref{Summary Generation Commands}).
2147 @kindex M-SPACE (Group)
2148 @findex gnus-group-visible-select-group
2149 This is yet one more command that does the same as the @kbd{RET}
2150 command, but this one does it without expunging and hiding dormants
2151 (@code{gnus-group-visible-select-group}).
2154 @kindex C-M-RET (Group)
2155 @findex gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally
2156 Finally, this command selects the current group ephemerally without
2157 doing any processing of its contents
2158 (@code{gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally}). Even threading has been
2159 turned off. Everything you do in the group after selecting it in this
2160 manner will have no permanent effects.
2164 @vindex gnus-large-newsgroup
2165 The @code{gnus-large-newsgroup} variable says what Gnus should
2166 consider to be a big group. If it is @code{nil}, no groups are
2167 considered big. The default value is 200. If the group has more
2168 (unread and/or ticked) articles than this, Gnus will query the user
2169 before entering the group. The user can then specify how many
2170 articles should be fetched from the server. If the user specifies a
2171 negative number (@var{-n}), the @var{n} oldest articles will be
2172 fetched. If it is positive, the @var{n} articles that have arrived
2173 most recently will be fetched.
2175 @vindex gnus-large-ephemeral-newsgroup
2176 @code{gnus-large-ephemeral-newsgroup} is the same as
2177 @code{gnus-large-newsgroup}, but is only used for ephemeral
2180 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-maximum-articles
2181 In groups in some news servers, there might be a big gap between a few
2182 very old articles that will never be expired and the recent ones. In
2183 such a case, the server will return the data like @code{(1 . 30000000)}
2184 for the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, for example. Even if there
2185 are actually only the articles 1-10 and 29999900-30000000, Gnus doesn't
2186 know it at first and prepares for getting 30000000 articles. However,
2187 it will consume hundreds megabytes of memories and might make Emacs get
2188 stuck as the case may be. If you use such news servers, set the
2189 variable @code{gnus-newsgroup-maximum-articles} to a positive number.
2190 The value means that Gnus ignores articles other than this number of the
2191 latest ones in every group. For instance, the value 10000 makes Gnus
2192 get only the articles 29990001-30000000 (if the latest article number is
2193 30000000 in a group). Note that setting this variable to a number might
2194 prevent you from reading very old articles. The default value of the
2195 variable @code{gnus-newsgroup-maximum-articles} is @code{nil}, which
2196 means Gnus never ignores old articles.
2198 @vindex gnus-select-group-hook
2199 @vindex gnus-auto-select-first
2200 @vindex gnus-auto-select-subject
2201 If @code{gnus-auto-select-first} is non-@code{nil}, select an article
2202 automatically when entering a group with the @kbd{SPACE} command.
2203 Which article this is is controlled by the
2204 @code{gnus-auto-select-subject} variable. Valid values for this
2210 Place point on the subject line of the first unread article.
2213 Place point on the subject line of the first article.
2216 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article.
2218 @item unseen-or-unread
2219 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article, and if
2220 there is no such article, place point on the subject line of the first
2224 Place point on the subject line of the highest-scored unread article.
2228 This variable can also be a function. In that case, that function
2229 will be called to place point on a subject line.
2231 If you want to prevent automatic selection in some group (say, in a
2232 binary group with Huge articles) you can set the
2233 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} variable to @code{nil} in
2234 @code{gnus-select-group-hook}, which is called when a group is
2238 @node Subscription Commands
2239 @section Subscription Commands
2240 @cindex subscription
2248 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group
2249 @c @icon{gnus-group-unsubscribe}
2250 Toggle subscription to the current group
2251 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group}).
2257 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-group
2258 Prompt for a group to subscribe, and then subscribe it. If it was
2259 subscribed already, unsubscribe it instead
2260 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-group}).
2266 @findex gnus-group-kill-group
2267 @c @icon{gnus-group-kill-group}
2268 Kill the current group (@code{gnus-group-kill-group}).
2274 @findex gnus-group-yank-group
2275 Yank the last killed group (@code{gnus-group-yank-group}).
2278 @kindex C-x C-t (Group)
2279 @findex gnus-group-transpose-groups
2280 Transpose two groups (@code{gnus-group-transpose-groups}). This isn't
2281 really a subscription command, but you can use it instead of a
2282 kill-and-yank sequence sometimes.
2288 @findex gnus-group-kill-region
2289 Kill all groups in the region (@code{gnus-group-kill-region}).
2293 @findex gnus-group-kill-all-zombies
2294 Kill all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-kill-all-zombies}).
2297 @kindex S C-k (Group)
2298 @findex gnus-group-kill-level
2299 Kill all groups on a certain level (@code{gnus-group-kill-level}).
2300 These groups can't be yanked back after killing, so this command should
2301 be used with some caution. The only time where this command comes in
2302 really handy is when you have a @file{.newsrc} with lots of unsubscribed
2303 groups that you want to get rid off. @kbd{S C-k} on level 7 will
2304 kill off all unsubscribed groups that do not have message numbers in the
2305 @file{.newsrc} file.
2309 Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
2319 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current
2320 @vindex gnus-group-catchup-group-hook
2321 @c @icon{gnus-group-catchup-current}
2322 Mark all unticked articles in this group as read
2323 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current}).
2324 @code{gnus-group-catchup-group-hook} is called when catching up a group from
2329 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current-all
2330 Mark all articles in this group, even the ticked ones, as read
2331 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current-all}).
2335 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
2336 Clear the data from the current group---nix out marks and the list of
2337 read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
2339 @item M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2340 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2341 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2342 If you have switched from one @acronym{NNTP} server to another, all your marks
2343 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use this command to
2344 clear out all data that you have on your native groups. Use with
2351 @section Group Levels
2355 All groups have a level of @dfn{subscribedness}. For instance, if a
2356 group is on level 2, it is more subscribed than a group on level 5. You
2357 can ask Gnus to just list groups on a given level or lower
2358 (@pxref{Listing Groups}), or to just check for new articles in groups on
2359 a given level or lower (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
2361 Remember: The higher the level of the group, the less important it is.
2367 @findex gnus-group-set-current-level
2368 Set the level of the current group. If a numeric prefix is given, the
2369 next @var{n} groups will have their levels set. The user will be
2370 prompted for a level.
2373 @vindex gnus-level-killed
2374 @vindex gnus-level-zombie
2375 @vindex gnus-level-unsubscribed
2376 @vindex gnus-level-subscribed
2377 Gnus considers groups from levels 1 to
2378 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (inclusive) (default 5) to be subscribed,
2379 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (exclusive) and
2380 @code{gnus-level-unsubscribed} (inclusive) (default 7) to be
2381 unsubscribed, @code{gnus-level-zombie} to be zombies (walking dead)
2382 (default 8) and @code{gnus-level-killed} to be killed (completely dead)
2383 (default 9). Gnus treats subscribed and unsubscribed groups exactly the
2384 same, but zombie and killed groups have no information on what articles
2385 you have read, etc, stored. This distinction between dead and living
2386 groups isn't done because it is nice or clever, it is done purely for
2387 reasons of efficiency.
2389 It is recommended that you keep all your mail groups (if any) on quite
2390 low levels (e.g. 1 or 2).
2392 Maybe the following description of the default behavior of Gnus helps to
2393 understand what these levels are all about. By default, Gnus shows you
2394 subscribed nonempty groups, but by hitting @kbd{L} you can have it show
2395 empty subscribed groups and unsubscribed groups, too. Type @kbd{l} to
2396 go back to showing nonempty subscribed groups again. Thus, unsubscribed
2397 groups are hidden, in a way.
2399 Zombie and killed groups are similar to unsubscribed groups in that they
2400 are hidden by default. But they are different from subscribed and
2401 unsubscribed groups in that Gnus doesn't ask the news server for
2402 information (number of messages, number of unread messages) on zombie
2403 and killed groups. Normally, you use @kbd{C-k} to kill the groups you
2404 aren't interested in. If most groups are killed, Gnus is faster.
2406 Why does Gnus distinguish between zombie and killed groups? Well, when
2407 a new group arrives on the server, Gnus by default makes it a zombie
2408 group. This means that you are normally not bothered with new groups,
2409 but you can type @kbd{A z} to get a list of all new groups. Subscribe
2410 the ones you like and kill the ones you don't want. (@kbd{A k} shows a
2411 list of killed groups.)
2413 If you want to play with the level variables, you should show some care.
2414 Set them once, and don't touch them ever again. Better yet, don't touch
2415 them at all unless you know exactly what you're doing.
2417 @vindex gnus-level-default-unsubscribed
2418 @vindex gnus-level-default-subscribed
2419 Two closely related variables are @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}
2420 (default 3) and @code{gnus-level-default-unsubscribed} (default 6),
2421 which are the levels that new groups will be put on if they are
2422 (un)subscribed. These two variables should, of course, be inside the
2423 relevant valid ranges.
2425 @vindex gnus-keep-same-level
2426 If @code{gnus-keep-same-level} is non-@code{nil}, some movement commands
2427 will only move to groups of the same level (or lower). In
2428 particular, going from the last article in one group to the next group
2429 will go to the next group of the same level (or lower). This might be
2430 handy if you want to read the most important groups before you read the
2433 If this variable is @code{best}, Gnus will make the next newsgroup the
2434 one with the best level.
2436 @vindex gnus-group-default-list-level
2437 All groups with a level less than or equal to
2438 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level} will be listed in the group buffer
2441 @vindex gnus-group-list-inactive-groups
2442 If @code{gnus-group-list-inactive-groups} is non-@code{nil}, non-active
2443 groups will be listed along with the unread groups. This variable is
2444 @code{t} by default. If it is @code{nil}, inactive groups won't be
2447 @vindex gnus-group-use-permanent-levels
2448 If @code{gnus-group-use-permanent-levels} is non-@code{nil}, once you
2449 give a level prefix to @kbd{g} or @kbd{l}, all subsequent commands will
2450 use this level as the ``work'' level.
2452 @vindex gnus-activate-level
2453 Gnus will normally just activate (i. e., query the server about) groups
2454 on level @code{gnus-activate-level} or less. If you don't want to
2455 activate unsubscribed groups, for instance, you might set this variable
2456 to 5. The default is 6.
2460 @section Group Score
2465 You would normally keep important groups on high levels, but that scheme
2466 is somewhat restrictive. Don't you wish you could have Gnus sort the
2467 group buffer according to how often you read groups, perhaps? Within
2470 This is what @dfn{group score} is for. You can have Gnus assign a score
2471 to each group through the mechanism described below. You can then sort
2472 the group buffer based on this score. Alternatively, you can sort on
2473 score and then level. (Taken together, the level and the score is
2474 called the @dfn{rank} of the group. A group that is on level 4 and has
2475 a score of 1 has a higher rank than a group on level 5 that has a score
2476 of 300. (The level is the most significant part and the score is the
2477 least significant part.))
2479 @findex gnus-summary-bubble-group
2480 If you want groups you read often to get higher scores than groups you
2481 read seldom you can add the @code{gnus-summary-bubble-group} function to
2482 the @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} hook. This will result (after
2483 sorting) in a bubbling sort of action. If you want to see that in
2484 action after each summary exit, you can add
2485 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank} or
2486 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score} to the same hook, but that will
2487 slow things down somewhat.
2490 @node Marking Groups
2491 @section Marking Groups
2492 @cindex marking groups
2494 If you want to perform some command on several groups, and they appear
2495 subsequently in the group buffer, you would normally just give a
2496 numerical prefix to the command. Most group commands will then do your
2497 bidding on those groups.
2499 However, if the groups are not in sequential order, you can still
2500 perform a command on several groups. You simply mark the groups first
2501 with the process mark and then execute the command.
2509 @findex gnus-group-mark-group
2510 Set the mark on the current group (@code{gnus-group-mark-group}).
2516 @findex gnus-group-unmark-group
2517 Remove the mark from the current group
2518 (@code{gnus-group-unmark-group}).
2522 @findex gnus-group-unmark-all-groups
2523 Remove the mark from all groups (@code{gnus-group-unmark-all-groups}).
2527 @findex gnus-group-mark-region
2528 Mark all groups between point and mark (@code{gnus-group-mark-region}).
2532 @findex gnus-group-mark-buffer
2533 Mark all groups in the buffer (@code{gnus-group-mark-buffer}).
2537 @findex gnus-group-mark-regexp
2538 Mark all groups that match some regular expression
2539 (@code{gnus-group-mark-regexp}).
2542 Also @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
2544 @findex gnus-group-universal-argument
2545 If you want to execute some command on all groups that have been marked
2546 with the process mark, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
2547 (@code{gnus-group-universal-argument}) command. It will prompt you for
2548 the command to be executed.
2551 @node Foreign Groups
2552 @section Foreign Groups
2553 @cindex foreign groups
2555 Below are some group mode commands for making and editing general foreign
2556 groups, as well as commands to ease the creation of a few
2557 special-purpose groups. All these commands insert the newly created
2558 groups under point---@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} is not
2561 Changes from the group editing commands are stored in
2562 @file{~/.newsrc.eld} (@code{gnus-startup-file}). An alternative is the
2563 variable @code{gnus-parameters}, @xref{Group Parameters}.
2569 @findex gnus-group-make-group
2570 @cindex making groups
2571 Make a new group (@code{gnus-group-make-group}). Gnus will prompt you
2572 for a name, a method and possibly an @dfn{address}. For an easier way
2573 to subscribe to @acronym{NNTP} groups (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
2577 @findex gnus-group-read-ephemeral-group
2578 Make an ephemeral group (@code{gnus-group-read-ephemeral-group}). Gnus
2579 will prompt you for a name, a method and an @dfn{address}.
2583 @findex gnus-group-rename-group
2584 @cindex renaming groups
2585 Rename the current group to something else
2586 (@code{gnus-group-rename-group}). This is valid only on some
2587 groups---mail groups mostly. This command might very well be quite slow
2593 @findex gnus-group-customize
2594 Customize the group parameters (@code{gnus-group-customize}).
2598 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-method
2599 @cindex renaming groups
2600 Enter a buffer where you can edit the select method of the current
2601 group (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method}).
2605 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-parameters
2606 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group parameters
2607 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-parameters}).
2611 @findex gnus-group-edit-group
2612 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group info
2613 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group}).
2617 @findex gnus-group-make-directory-group
2619 Make a directory group (@pxref{Directory Groups}). You will be prompted
2620 for a directory name (@code{gnus-group-make-directory-group}).
2625 @findex gnus-group-make-help-group
2626 Make the Gnus help group (@code{gnus-group-make-help-group}).
2630 @cindex (ding) archive
2631 @cindex archive group
2632 @findex gnus-group-make-archive-group
2633 @vindex gnus-group-archive-directory
2634 @vindex gnus-group-recent-archive-directory
2635 Make a Gnus archive group (@code{gnus-group-make-archive-group}). By
2636 default a group pointing to the most recent articles will be created
2637 (@code{gnus-group-recent-archive-directory}), but given a prefix, a full
2638 group will be created from @code{gnus-group-archive-directory}.
2642 @findex gnus-group-make-kiboze-group
2644 Make a kiboze group. You will be prompted for a name, for a regexp to
2645 match groups to be ``included'' in the kiboze group, and a series of
2646 strings to match on headers (@code{gnus-group-make-kiboze-group}).
2647 @xref{Kibozed Groups}.
2651 @findex gnus-group-enter-directory
2653 Read an arbitrary directory as if it were a newsgroup with the
2654 @code{nneething} back end (@code{gnus-group-enter-directory}).
2655 @xref{Anything Groups}.
2659 @findex gnus-group-make-doc-group
2660 @cindex ClariNet Briefs
2662 Make a group based on some file or other
2663 (@code{gnus-group-make-doc-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2664 command, you will be prompted for a file name and a file type.
2665 Currently supported types are @code{mbox}, @code{babyl},
2666 @code{digest}, @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward},
2667 @code{rfc934}, @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts},
2668 @code{standard-digest}, @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs},
2669 @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook}, @code{oe-dbx}, and @code{mailman}. If
2670 you run this command without a prefix, Gnus will guess at the file
2671 type. @xref{Document Groups}.
2675 @vindex gnus-useful-groups
2676 @findex gnus-group-make-useful-group
2677 Create one of the groups mentioned in @code{gnus-useful-groups}
2678 (@code{gnus-group-make-useful-group}).
2682 @findex gnus-group-make-web-group
2686 Make an ephemeral group based on a web search
2687 (@code{gnus-group-make-web-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2688 command, make a solid group instead. You will be prompted for the
2689 search engine type and the search string. Valid search engine types
2690 include @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}.
2691 @xref{Web Searches}.
2693 If you use the @code{google} search engine, you can limit the search
2694 to a particular group by using a match string like
2695 @samp{shaving group:alt.sysadmin.recovery}.
2699 @findex gnus-group-make-rss-group
2700 Make a group based on an @acronym{RSS} feed
2701 (@code{gnus-group-make-rss-group}). You will be prompted for an URL.
2705 @kindex G DEL (Group)
2706 @findex gnus-group-delete-group
2707 This function will delete the current group
2708 (@code{gnus-group-delete-group}). If given a prefix, this function will
2709 actually delete all the articles in the group, and forcibly remove the
2710 group itself from the face of the Earth. Use a prefix only if you are
2711 absolutely sure of what you are doing. This command can't be used on
2712 read-only groups (like @code{nntp} groups), though.
2716 @findex gnus-group-make-empty-virtual
2717 Make a new, fresh, empty @code{nnvirtual} group
2718 (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}). @xref{Virtual Groups}.
2722 @findex gnus-group-add-to-virtual
2723 Add the current group to an @code{nnvirtual} group
2724 (@code{gnus-group-add-to-virtual}). Uses the process/prefix convention.
2727 @xref{Select Methods}, for more information on the various select
2730 @vindex gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups
2731 If @code{gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups} is a positive number,
2732 Gnus will check all foreign groups with this level or lower at startup.
2733 This might take quite a while, especially if you subscribe to lots of
2734 groups from different @acronym{NNTP} servers. Also @pxref{Group Levels};
2735 @code{gnus-activate-level} also affects activation of foreign
2739 @node Group Parameters
2740 @section Group Parameters
2741 @cindex group parameters
2743 The group parameters store information local to a particular group.
2744 Here's an example group parameter list:
2747 ((to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")
2751 We see that each element consists of a ``dotted pair''---the thing before
2752 the dot is the key, while the thing after the dot is the value. All the
2753 parameters have this form @emph{except} local variable specs, which are
2754 not dotted pairs, but proper lists.
2756 Some parameters have correspondent customizable variables, each of which
2757 is an alist of regexps and values.
2759 The following group parameters can be used:
2764 Address used by when doing followups and new posts.
2767 (to-address . "some@@where.com")
2770 This is primarily useful in mail groups that represent closed mailing
2771 lists---mailing lists where it's expected that everybody that writes to
2772 the mailing list is subscribed to it. Since using this parameter
2773 ensures that the mail only goes to the mailing list itself, it means
2774 that members won't receive two copies of your followups.
2776 Using @code{to-address} will actually work whether the group is foreign
2777 or not. Let's say there's a group on the server that is called
2778 @samp{fa.4ad-l}. This is a real newsgroup, but the server has gotten
2779 the articles from a mail-to-news gateway. Posting directly to this
2780 group is therefore impossible---you have to send mail to the mailing
2781 list address instead.
2783 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-address-alist}.
2787 Address used when doing @kbd{a} in that group.
2790 (to-list . "some@@where.com")
2793 It is totally ignored
2794 when doing a followup---except that if it is present in a news group,
2795 you'll get mail group semantics when doing @kbd{f}.
2797 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you have neither a
2798 @code{to-list} group parameter nor a @code{to-address} group parameter,
2799 then a @code{to-list} group parameter will be added automatically upon
2800 sending the message if @code{gnus-add-to-list} is set to @code{t}.
2801 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
2803 @findex gnus-mailing-list-mode
2804 @cindex mail list groups
2805 If this variable is set, @code{gnus-mailing-list-mode} is turned on when
2806 entering summary buffer.
2808 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-list-alist}.
2813 @cindex Mail-Followup-To
2814 @findex gnus-find-subscribed-addresses
2815 If this parameter is set to @code{t}, Gnus will consider the
2816 to-address and to-list parameters for this group as addresses of
2817 mailing lists you are subscribed to. Giving Gnus this information is
2818 (only) a first step in getting it to generate correct Mail-Followup-To
2819 headers for your posts to these lists. The second step is to put the
2820 following in your @file{.gnus.el}
2823 (setq message-subscribed-address-functions
2824 '(gnus-find-subscribed-addresses))
2827 @xref{Mailing Lists, ,Mailing Lists, message, The Message Manual}, for
2828 a complete treatment of available MFT support.
2832 If the group parameter list has the element @code{(visible . t)},
2833 that group will always be visible in the Group buffer, regardless
2834 of whether it has any unread articles.
2836 This parameter cannot be set via @code{gnus-parameters}. See
2837 @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} as an alternative.
2839 @item broken-reply-to
2840 @cindex broken-reply-to
2841 Elements like @code{(broken-reply-to . t)} signals that @code{Reply-To}
2842 headers in this group are to be ignored, and for the header to be hidden
2843 if @code{reply-to} is part of @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}. This
2844 can be useful if you're reading a mailing list group where the listserv
2845 has inserted @code{Reply-To} headers that point back to the listserv
2846 itself. That is broken behavior. So there!
2850 Elements like @code{(to-group . "some.group.name")} means that all
2851 posts in that group will be sent to @code{some.group.name}.
2855 If you have @code{(newsgroup . t)} in the group parameter list, Gnus
2856 will treat all responses as if they were responses to news articles.
2857 This can be useful if you have a mail group that's really a mirror of a
2862 If @code{(gcc-self . t)} is present in the group parameter list, newly
2863 composed messages will be @code{Gcc}'d to the current group. If
2864 @code{(gcc-self . none)} is present, no @code{Gcc:} header will be
2865 generated, if @code{(gcc-self . "string")} is present, this string will
2866 be inserted literally as a @code{gcc} header. This parameter takes
2867 precedence over any default @code{Gcc} rules as described later
2868 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
2870 @strong{Caveat}: Adding @code{(gcc-self . t)} to the parameter list of
2871 @code{nntp} groups (or the like) isn't valid. An @code{nntp} server
2872 doesn't accept articles.
2876 @cindex expiring mail
2877 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(auto-expire
2878 . t)}, all articles read will be marked as expirable. For an
2879 alternative approach, @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
2881 See also @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups}.
2884 @cindex total-expire
2885 @cindex expiring mail
2886 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2887 @code{(total-expire . t)}, all read articles will be put through the
2888 expiry process, even if they are not marked as expirable. Use with
2889 caution. Unread, ticked and dormant articles are not eligible for
2892 See also @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups}.
2896 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
2897 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2898 @code{(expiry-wait . 10)}, this value will override any
2899 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} and @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function}
2900 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}) when expiring expirable messages. The value
2901 can either be a number of days (not necessarily an integer) or the
2902 symbols @code{never} or @code{immediate}.
2905 @cindex expiry-target
2906 Where expired messages end up. This parameter overrides
2907 @code{nnmail-expiry-target}.
2910 @cindex score file group parameter
2911 Elements that look like @code{(score-file . "file")} will make
2912 @file{file} into the current score file for the group in question. All
2913 interactive score entries will be put into this file.
2916 @cindex adapt file group parameter
2917 Elements that look like @code{(adapt-file . "file")} will make
2918 @file{file} into the current adaptive file for the group in question.
2919 All adaptive score entries will be put into this file.
2922 @cindex admin-address
2923 When unsubscribing from a mailing list you should never send the
2924 unsubscription notice to the mailing list itself. Instead, you'd send
2925 messages to the administrative address. This parameter allows you to
2926 put the admin address somewhere convenient.
2930 Elements that look like @code{(display . MODE)} say which articles to
2931 display on entering the group. Valid values are:
2935 Display all articles, both read and unread.
2938 Display the last @var{integer} articles in the group. This is the same as
2939 entering the group with @kbd{C-u @var{integer}}.
2942 Display the default visible articles, which normally includes unread and
2946 Display articles that satisfy a predicate.
2948 Here are some examples:
2952 Display only unread articles.
2955 Display everything except expirable articles.
2957 @item [and (not reply) (not expire)]
2958 Display everything except expirable and articles you've already
2962 The available operators are @code{not}, @code{and} and @code{or}.
2963 Predicates include @code{tick}, @code{unsend}, @code{undownload},
2964 @code{unread}, @code{dormant}, @code{expire}, @code{reply},
2965 @code{killed}, @code{bookmark}, @code{score}, @code{save},
2966 @code{cache}, @code{forward}, @code{unseen} and @code{recent}.
2970 The @code{display} parameter works by limiting the summary buffer to
2971 the subset specified. You can pop the limit by using the @kbd{/ w}
2972 command (@pxref{Limiting}).
2976 Elements that look like @code{(comment . "This is a comment")} are
2977 arbitrary comments on the group. You can display comments in the
2978 group line (@pxref{Group Line Specification}).
2982 Elements that look like @code{(charset . iso-8859-1)} will make
2983 @code{iso-8859-1} the default charset; that is, the charset that will be
2984 used for all articles that do not specify a charset.
2986 See also @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}.
2988 @item ignored-charsets
2989 @cindex ignored-charset
2990 Elements that look like @code{(ignored-charsets x-unknown iso-8859-1)}
2991 will make @code{iso-8859-1} and @code{x-unknown} ignored; that is, the
2992 default charset will be used for decoding articles.
2994 See also @code{gnus-group-ignored-charsets-alist}.
2997 @cindex posting-style
2998 You can store additional posting style information for this group
2999 here (@pxref{Posting Styles}). The format is that of an entry in the
3000 @code{gnus-posting-styles} alist, except that there's no regexp matching
3001 the group name (of course). Style elements in this group parameter will
3002 take precedence over the ones found in @code{gnus-posting-styles}.
3004 For instance, if you want a funky name and signature in this group only,
3005 instead of hacking @code{gnus-posting-styles}, you could put something
3006 like this in the group parameters:
3011 ("X-My-Header" "Funky Value")
3012 (signature "Funky Signature"))
3015 If you're using topics to organize your group buffer
3016 (@pxref{Group Topics}), note that posting styles can also be set in
3017 the topics parameters. Posting styles in topic parameters apply to all
3018 groups in this topic. More precisely, the posting-style settings for a
3019 group result from the hierarchical merging of all posting-style
3020 entries in the parameters of this group and all the topics it belongs
3026 If it is set, the value is used as the method for posting message
3027 instead of @code{gnus-post-method}.
3031 An item like @code{(banner . @var{regexp})} causes any part of an article
3032 that matches the regular expression @var{regexp} to be stripped. Instead of
3033 @var{regexp}, you can also use the symbol @code{signature} which strips the
3034 last signature or any of the elements of the alist
3035 @code{gnus-article-banner-alist}.
3039 This parameter contains a Sieve test that should match incoming mail
3040 that should be placed in this group. From this group parameter, a
3041 Sieve @samp{IF} control structure is generated, having the test as the
3042 condition and @samp{fileinto "group.name";} as the body.
3044 For example, if the @samp{INBOX.list.sieve} group has the @code{(sieve
3045 address "sender" "sieve-admin@@extundo.com")} group parameter, when
3046 translating the group parameter into a Sieve script (@pxref{Sieve
3047 Commands}) the following Sieve code is generated:
3050 if address "sender" "sieve-admin@@extundo.com" @{
3051 fileinto "INBOX.list.sieve";
3055 To generate tests for multiple email-addresses use a group parameter
3056 like @code{(sieve address "sender" ("name@@one.org" else@@two.org"))}.
3057 When generating a sieve script (@pxref{Sieve Commands}) Sieve code
3058 like the following is generated:
3061 if address "sender" ["name@@one.org", "else@@two.org"] @{
3062 fileinto "INBOX.list.sieve";
3066 See @pxref{Sieve Commands} for commands and variables that might be of
3067 interest in relation to the sieve parameter.
3069 The Sieve language is described in RFC 3028. @xref{Top, Emacs Sieve,
3070 Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
3072 @item (agent parameters)
3073 If the agent has been enabled, you can set any of the its parameters
3074 to control the behavior of the agent in individual groups. See Agent
3075 Parameters in @ref{Category Syntax}. Most users will choose to set
3076 agent parameters in either an agent category or group topic to
3077 minimize the configuration effort.
3079 @item (@var{variable} @var{form})
3080 You can use the group parameters to set variables local to the group you
3081 are entering. If you want to turn threading off in @samp{news.answers},
3082 you could put @code{(gnus-show-threads nil)} in the group parameters of
3083 that group. @code{gnus-show-threads} will be made into a local variable
3084 in the summary buffer you enter, and the form @code{nil} will be
3085 @code{eval}ed there.
3087 Note that this feature sets the variable locally to the summary buffer.
3088 But some variables are evaluated in the article buffer, or in the
3089 message buffer (of a reply or followup or otherwise newly created
3090 message). As a workaround, it might help to add the variable in
3091 question to @code{gnus-newsgroup-variables}. @xref{Various Summary
3092 Stuff}. So if you want to set @code{message-from-style} via the group
3093 parameters, then you may need the following statement elsewhere in your
3094 @file{~/.gnus} file:
3097 (add-to-list 'gnus-newsgroup-variables 'message-from-style)
3100 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
3101 A use for this feature is to remove a mailing list identifier tag in
3102 the subject fields of articles. E.g. if the news group
3105 nntp+news.gnus.org:gmane.text.docbook.apps
3108 has the tag @samp{DOC-BOOK-APPS:} in the subject of all articles, this
3109 tag can be removed from the article subjects in the summary buffer for
3110 the group by putting @code{(gnus-list-identifiers "DOCBOOK-APPS:")}
3111 into the group parameters for the group.
3113 This can also be used as a group-specific hook function. If you want to
3114 hear a beep when you enter a group, you could put something like
3115 @code{(dummy-variable (ding))} in the parameters of that group.
3116 @code{dummy-variable} will be set to the (meaningless) result of the
3119 Alternatively, since the VARIABLE becomes local to the group, this
3120 pattern can be used to temporarily change a hook. For example, if the
3121 following is added to a group parameter
3124 (gnus-summary-prepared-hook
3125 '(lambda nil (local-set-key "d" (local-key-binding "n"))))
3128 when the group is entered, the 'd' key will not mark the article as
3133 Use the @kbd{G p} or the @kbd{G c} command to edit group parameters of a
3134 group. (@kbd{G p} presents you with a Lisp-based interface, @kbd{G c}
3135 presents you with a Customize-like interface. The latter helps avoid
3136 silly Lisp errors.) You might also be interested in reading about topic
3137 parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}).
3139 @vindex gnus-parameters
3140 Group parameters can be set via the @code{gnus-parameters} variable too.
3141 But some variables, such as @code{visible}, have no effect (For this
3142 case see @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} as an alternative.).
3146 (setq gnus-parameters
3148 (gnus-show-threads nil)
3149 (gnus-use-scoring nil)
3150 (gnus-summary-line-format
3151 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%d:%ub%-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
3155 ("^nnimap:\\(foo.bar\\)$"
3159 (gnus-use-scoring t))
3163 (broken-reply-to . t))))
3166 String value of parameters will be subjected to regexp substitution, as
3167 the @code{to-group} example shows.
3169 @vindex gnus-parameters-case-fold-search
3170 By default, whether comparing the group name and one of those regexps
3171 specified in @code{gnus-parameters} is done in a case-sensitive manner
3172 or a case-insensitive manner depends on the value of
3173 @code{case-fold-search} at the time when the comparison is done. The
3174 value of @code{case-fold-search} is typically @code{t}; it means, for
3175 example, the element @code{("INBOX\\.FOO" (total-expire . t))} might be
3176 applied to both the @samp{INBOX.FOO} group and the @samp{INBOX.foo}
3177 group. If you want to make those regexps always case-sensitive, set the
3178 value of the @code{gnus-parameters-case-fold-search} variable to
3179 @code{nil}. Otherwise, set it to @code{t} if you want to compare them
3180 always in a case-insensitive manner.
3182 You can define different sorting to different groups via
3183 @code{gnus-parameters}. Here is an example to sort an @acronym{NNTP}
3184 group by reverse date to see the latest news at the top and an
3185 @acronym{RSS} group by subject. In this example, the first group is the
3186 Debian daily news group @code{gmane.linux.debian.user.news} from
3187 news.gmane.org. The @acronym{RSS} group corresponds to the Debian
3188 weekly news RSS feed
3189 @url{http://packages.debian.org/unstable/newpkg_main.en.rdf},
3195 '(("nntp.*gmane\\.debian\\.user\\.news"
3196 (gnus-show-threads nil)
3197 (gnus-article-sort-functions '((not gnus-article-sort-by-date)))
3198 (gnus-use-adaptive-scoring nil)
3199 (gnus-use-scoring nil))
3201 (gnus-show-threads nil)
3202 (gnus-article-sort-functions 'gnus-article-sort-by-subject)
3203 (gnus-use-adaptive-scoring nil)
3204 (gnus-use-scoring t)
3205 (gnus-score-find-score-files-function 'gnus-score-find-single)
3206 (gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z%d %I%(%[ %s %]%)\n"))))
3210 @node Listing Groups
3211 @section Listing Groups
3212 @cindex group listing
3214 These commands all list various slices of the groups available.
3222 @findex gnus-group-list-groups
3223 List all groups that have unread articles
3224 (@code{gnus-group-list-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used, this
3225 command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default, it
3226 only lists groups of level five (i.e.,
3227 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level}) or lower (i.e., just subscribed
3234 @findex gnus-group-list-all-groups
3235 List all groups, whether they have unread articles or not
3236 (@code{gnus-group-list-all-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used,
3237 this command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default,
3238 it lists groups of level seven or lower (i.e., just subscribed and
3239 unsubscribed groups).
3243 @findex gnus-group-list-level
3244 List all unread groups on a specific level
3245 (@code{gnus-group-list-level}). If given a prefix, also list the groups
3246 with no unread articles.
3250 @findex gnus-group-list-killed
3251 List all killed groups (@code{gnus-group-list-killed}). If given a
3252 prefix argument, really list all groups that are available, but aren't
3253 currently (un)subscribed. This could entail reading the active file
3258 @findex gnus-group-list-zombies
3259 List all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-list-zombies}).
3263 @findex gnus-group-list-matching
3264 List all unread, subscribed groups with names that match a regexp
3265 (@code{gnus-group-list-matching}).
3269 @findex gnus-group-list-all-matching
3270 List groups that match a regexp (@code{gnus-group-list-all-matching}).
3274 @findex gnus-group-list-active
3275 List absolutely all groups in the active file(s) of the
3276 server(s) you are connected to (@code{gnus-group-list-active}). This
3277 might very well take quite a while. It might actually be a better idea
3278 to do a @kbd{A M} to list all matching, and just give @samp{.} as the
3279 thing to match on. Also note that this command may list groups that
3280 don't exist (yet)---these will be listed as if they were killed groups.
3281 Take the output with some grains of salt.
3285 @findex gnus-group-apropos
3286 List all groups that have names that match a regexp
3287 (@code{gnus-group-apropos}).
3291 @findex gnus-group-description-apropos
3292 List all groups that have names or descriptions that match a regexp
3293 (@code{gnus-group-description-apropos}).
3297 @findex gnus-group-list-cached
3298 List all groups with cached articles (@code{gnus-group-list-cached}).
3302 @findex gnus-group-list-dormant
3303 List all groups with dormant articles (@code{gnus-group-list-dormant}).
3307 @findex gnus-group-list-limit
3308 List groups limited within the current selection
3309 (@code{gnus-group-list-limit}).
3313 @findex gnus-group-list-flush
3314 Flush groups from the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-flush}).
3318 @findex gnus-group-list-plus
3319 List groups plus the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-plus}).
3323 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3324 @cindex visible group parameter
3325 Groups that match the @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} regexp will
3326 always be shown, whether they have unread articles or not. You can also
3327 add the @code{visible} element to the group parameters in question to
3328 get the same effect.
3330 @vindex gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles
3331 Groups that have just ticked articles in it are normally listed in the
3332 group buffer. If @code{gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles} is
3333 @code{nil}, these groups will be treated just like totally empty
3334 groups. It is @code{t} by default.
3337 @node Sorting Groups
3338 @section Sorting Groups
3339 @cindex sorting groups
3341 @kindex C-c C-s (Group)
3342 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups
3343 @vindex gnus-group-sort-function
3344 The @kbd{C-c C-s} (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups}) command sorts the
3345 group buffer according to the function(s) given by the
3346 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable. Available sorting functions
3351 @item gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3352 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3353 Sort the group names alphabetically. This is the default.
3355 @item gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3356 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3357 Sort the group alphabetically on the real (unprefixed) group names.
3359 @item gnus-group-sort-by-level
3360 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-level
3361 Sort by group level.
3363 @item gnus-group-sort-by-score
3364 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-score
3365 Sort by group score. @xref{Group Score}.
3367 @item gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3368 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3369 Sort by group score and then the group level. The level and the score
3370 are, when taken together, the group's @dfn{rank}. @xref{Group Score}.
3372 @item gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3373 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3374 Sort by number of unread articles.
3376 @item gnus-group-sort-by-method
3377 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-method
3378 Sort alphabetically on the select method.
3380 @item gnus-group-sort-by-server
3381 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-server
3382 Sort alphabetically on the Gnus server name.
3387 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} can also be a list of sorting
3388 functions. In that case, the most significant sort key function must be
3392 There are also a number of commands for sorting directly according to
3393 some sorting criteria:
3397 @kindex G S a (Group)
3398 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3399 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by group name
3400 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3403 @kindex G S u (Group)
3404 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread
3405 Sort the group buffer by the number of unread articles
3406 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3409 @kindex G S l (Group)
3410 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level
3411 Sort the group buffer by group level
3412 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level}).
3415 @kindex G S v (Group)
3416 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score
3417 Sort the group buffer by group score
3418 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3421 @kindex G S r (Group)
3422 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank
3423 Sort the group buffer by group rank
3424 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3427 @kindex G S m (Group)
3428 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method
3429 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by back end name@*
3430 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method}).
3433 @kindex G S n (Group)
3434 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-real-name
3435 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by real (unprefixed) group name
3436 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-real-name}).
3440 All the commands below obey the process/prefix convention
3441 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3443 When given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), all these
3444 commands will sort in reverse order.
3446 You can also sort a subset of the groups:
3450 @kindex G P a (Group)
3451 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet
3452 Sort the groups alphabetically by group name
3453 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet}).
3456 @kindex G P u (Group)
3457 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread
3458 Sort the groups by the number of unread articles
3459 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread}).
3462 @kindex G P l (Group)
3463 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level
3464 Sort the groups by group level
3465 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level}).
3468 @kindex G P v (Group)
3469 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score
3470 Sort the groups by group score
3471 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3474 @kindex G P r (Group)
3475 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank
3476 Sort the groups by group rank
3477 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3480 @kindex G P m (Group)
3481 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method
3482 Sort the groups alphabetically by back end name@*
3483 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method}).
3486 @kindex G P n (Group)
3487 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-real-name
3488 Sort the groups alphabetically by real (unprefixed) group name
3489 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-real-name}).
3492 @kindex G P s (Group)
3493 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups
3494 Sort the groups according to @code{gnus-group-sort-function}.
3498 And finally, note that you can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} to manually
3502 @node Group Maintenance
3503 @section Group Maintenance
3504 @cindex bogus groups
3509 @findex gnus-group-check-bogus-groups
3510 Find bogus groups and delete them
3511 (@code{gnus-group-check-bogus-groups}).
3515 @findex gnus-group-find-new-groups
3516 Find new groups and process them (@code{gnus-group-find-new-groups}).
3517 With 1 @kbd{C-u}, use the @code{ask-server} method to query the server
3518 for new groups. With 2 @kbd{C-u}'s, use most complete method possible
3519 to query the server for new groups, and subscribe the new groups as
3523 @kindex C-c C-x (Group)
3524 @findex gnus-group-expire-articles
3525 @cindex expiring mail
3526 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
3527 process (if any) (@code{gnus-group-expire-articles}). That is, delete
3528 all expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
3529 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3532 @kindex C-c C-M-x (Group)
3533 @findex gnus-group-expire-all-groups
3534 @cindex expiring mail
3535 Run all expirable articles in all groups through the expiry process
3536 (@code{gnus-group-expire-all-groups}).
3541 @node Browse Foreign Server
3542 @section Browse Foreign Server
3543 @cindex foreign servers
3544 @cindex browsing servers
3549 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
3550 You will be queried for a select method and a server name. Gnus will
3551 then attempt to contact this server and let you browse the groups there
3552 (@code{gnus-group-browse-foreign-server}).
3555 @findex gnus-browse-mode
3556 A new buffer with a list of available groups will appear. This buffer
3557 will use the @code{gnus-browse-mode}. This buffer looks a bit (well,
3558 a lot) like a normal group buffer.
3560 Here's a list of keystrokes available in the browse mode:
3565 @findex gnus-group-next-group
3566 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
3570 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
3571 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
3574 @kindex SPACE (Browse)
3575 @findex gnus-browse-read-group
3576 Enter the current group and display the first article
3577 (@code{gnus-browse-read-group}).
3580 @kindex RET (Browse)
3581 @findex gnus-browse-select-group
3582 Enter the current group (@code{gnus-browse-select-group}).
3586 @findex gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group
3587 Unsubscribe to the current group, or, as will be the case here,
3588 subscribe to it (@code{gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group}).
3594 @findex gnus-browse-exit
3595 Exit browse mode (@code{gnus-browse-exit}).
3599 @findex gnus-browse-describe-group
3600 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-browse-describe-group}).
3604 @findex gnus-browse-describe-briefly
3605 Describe browse mode briefly (well, there's not much to describe, is
3606 there) (@code{gnus-browse-describe-briefly}).
3611 @section Exiting Gnus
3612 @cindex exiting Gnus
3614 Yes, Gnus is ex(c)iting.
3619 @findex gnus-group-suspend
3620 Suspend Gnus (@code{gnus-group-suspend}). This doesn't really exit Gnus,
3621 but it kills all buffers except the Group buffer. I'm not sure why this
3622 is a gain, but then who am I to judge?
3626 @findex gnus-group-exit
3627 @c @icon{gnus-group-exit}
3628 Quit Gnus (@code{gnus-group-exit}).
3632 @findex gnus-group-quit
3633 Quit Gnus without saving the @file{.newsrc} files (@code{gnus-group-quit}).
3634 The dribble file will be saved, though (@pxref{Auto Save}).
3637 @vindex gnus-exit-gnus-hook
3638 @vindex gnus-suspend-gnus-hook
3639 @vindex gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook
3640 @code{gnus-suspend-gnus-hook} is called when you suspend Gnus and
3641 @code{gnus-exit-gnus-hook} is called when you quit Gnus, while
3642 @code{gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook} is called as the final item when
3648 Miss Lisa Cannifax, while sitting in English class, felt her feet go
3649 numbly heavy and herself fall into a hazy trance as the boy sitting
3650 behind her drew repeated lines with his pencil across the back of her
3656 @section Group Topics
3659 If you read lots and lots of groups, it might be convenient to group
3660 them hierarchically according to topics. You put your Emacs groups over
3661 here, your sex groups over there, and the rest (what, two groups or so?)
3662 you put in some misc section that you never bother with anyway. You can
3663 even group the Emacs sex groups as a sub-topic to either the Emacs
3664 groups or the sex groups---or both! Go wild!
3668 \gnusfigure{Group Topics}{400}{
3669 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group-topic,height=9cm}}
3680 2: alt.religion.emacs
3683 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3685 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3686 13: comp.sources.unix
3689 @findex gnus-topic-mode
3691 To get this @emph{fab} functionality you simply turn on (ooh!) the
3692 @code{gnus-topic} minor mode---type @kbd{t} in the group buffer. (This
3693 is a toggling command.)
3695 Go ahead, just try it. I'll still be here when you get back. La de
3696 dum@dots{} Nice tune, that@dots{} la la la@dots{} What, you're back?
3697 Yes, and now press @kbd{l}. There. All your groups are now listed
3698 under @samp{misc}. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy?
3701 If you want this permanently enabled, you should add that minor mode to
3702 the hook for the group mode. Put the following line in your
3703 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
3706 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
3710 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
3711 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
3712 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
3713 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
3714 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
3718 @node Topic Commands
3719 @subsection Topic Commands
3720 @cindex topic commands
3722 When the topic minor mode is turned on, a new @kbd{T} submap will be
3723 available. In addition, a few of the standard keys change their
3724 definitions slightly.
3726 In general, the following kinds of operations are possible on topics.
3727 First of all, you want to create topics. Secondly, you want to put
3728 groups in topics and to move them around until you have an order you
3729 like. The third kind of operation is to show/hide parts of the whole
3730 shebang. You might want to hide a topic including its subtopics and
3731 groups, to get a better overview of the other groups.
3733 Here is a list of the basic keys that you might need to set up topics
3740 @findex gnus-topic-create-topic
3741 Prompt for a new topic name and create it
3742 (@code{gnus-topic-create-topic}).
3746 @kindex T TAB (Topic)
3748 @findex gnus-topic-indent
3749 ``Indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3750 previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-indent}). If given a prefix,
3751 ``un-indent'' the topic instead.
3754 @kindex M-TAB (Topic)
3755 @findex gnus-topic-unindent
3756 ``Un-indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3757 parent of its current parent (@code{gnus-topic-unindent}).
3761 The following two keys can be used to move groups and topics around.
3762 They work like the well-known cut and paste. @kbd{C-k} is like cut and
3763 @kbd{C-y} is like paste. Of course, this being Emacs, we use the terms
3764 kill and yank rather than cut and paste.
3770 @findex gnus-topic-kill-group
3771 Kill a group or topic (@code{gnus-topic-kill-group}). All groups in the
3772 topic will be removed along with the topic.
3776 @findex gnus-topic-yank-group
3777 Yank the previously killed group or topic
3778 (@code{gnus-topic-yank-group}). Note that all topics will be yanked
3781 So, to move a topic to the beginning of the list of topics, just hit
3782 @kbd{C-k} on it. This is like the ``cut'' part of cut and paste. Then,
3783 move the cursor to the beginning of the buffer (just below the ``Gnus''
3784 topic) and hit @kbd{C-y}. This is like the ``paste'' part of cut and
3785 paste. Like I said -- E-Z.
3787 You can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} on groups as well as on topics. So
3788 you can move topics around as well as groups.
3792 After setting up the topics the way you like them, you might wish to
3793 hide a topic, or to show it again. That's why we have the following
3800 @findex gnus-topic-select-group
3802 Either select a group or fold a topic (@code{gnus-topic-select-group}).
3803 When you perform this command on a group, you'll enter the group, as
3804 usual. When done on a topic line, the topic will be folded (if it was
3805 visible) or unfolded (if it was folded already). So it's basically a
3806 toggling command on topics. In addition, if you give a numerical
3807 prefix, group on that level (and lower) will be displayed.
3811 Now for a list of other commands, in no particular order.
3817 @findex gnus-topic-move-group
3818 Move the current group to some other topic
3819 (@code{gnus-topic-move-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3820 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3824 @findex gnus-topic-jump-to-topic
3825 Go to a topic (@code{gnus-topic-jump-to-topic}).
3829 @findex gnus-topic-copy-group
3830 Copy the current group to some other topic
3831 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3832 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3836 @findex gnus-topic-hide-topic
3837 Hide the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-hide-topic}). If given
3838 a prefix, hide the topic permanently.
3842 @findex gnus-topic-show-topic
3843 Show the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-show-topic}). If given
3844 a prefix, show the topic permanently.
3848 @findex gnus-topic-remove-group
3849 Remove a group from the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-remove-group}).
3850 This command is mainly useful if you have the same group in several
3851 topics and wish to remove it from one of the topics. You may also
3852 remove a group from all topics, but in that case, Gnus will add it to
3853 the root topic the next time you start Gnus. In fact, all new groups
3854 (which, naturally, don't belong to any topic) will show up in the root
3857 This command uses the process/prefix convention
3858 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3862 @findex gnus-topic-move-matching
3863 Move all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3864 (@code{gnus-topic-move-matching}).
3868 @findex gnus-topic-copy-matching
3869 Copy all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3870 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-matching}).
3874 @findex gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics
3875 Toggle hiding empty topics
3876 (@code{gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics}).
3880 @findex gnus-topic-mark-topic
3881 Mark all groups in the current topic with the process mark
3882 (@code{gnus-topic-mark-topic}). This command works recursively on
3883 sub-topics unless given a prefix.
3886 @kindex T M-# (Topic)
3887 @findex gnus-topic-unmark-topic
3888 Remove the process mark from all groups in the current topic
3889 (@code{gnus-topic-unmark-topic}). This command works recursively on
3890 sub-topics unless given a prefix.
3893 @kindex C-c C-x (Topic)
3894 @findex gnus-topic-expire-articles
3895 @cindex expiring mail
3896 Run all expirable articles in the current group or topic through the
3897 expiry process (if any)
3898 (@code{gnus-topic-expire-articles}). (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3902 @findex gnus-topic-rename
3903 Rename a topic (@code{gnus-topic-rename}).
3906 @kindex T DEL (Topic)
3907 @findex gnus-topic-delete
3908 Delete an empty topic (@code{gnus-topic-delete}).
3912 @findex gnus-topic-list-active
3913 List all groups that Gnus knows about in a topics-ified way
3914 (@code{gnus-topic-list-active}).
3917 @kindex T M-n (Topic)
3918 @findex gnus-topic-goto-next-topic
3919 Go to the next topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-next-topic}).
3922 @kindex T M-p (Topic)
3923 @findex gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic
3924 Go to the previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic}).
3928 @findex gnus-topic-edit-parameters
3929 @cindex group parameters
3930 @cindex topic parameters
3932 Edit the topic parameters (@code{gnus-topic-edit-parameters}).
3933 @xref{Topic Parameters}.
3938 @node Topic Variables
3939 @subsection Topic Variables
3940 @cindex topic variables
3942 The previous section told you how to tell Gnus which topics to display.
3943 This section explains how to tell Gnus what to display about each topic.
3945 @vindex gnus-topic-line-format
3946 The topic lines themselves are created according to the
3947 @code{gnus-topic-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
3960 Number of groups in the topic.
3962 Number of unread articles in the topic.
3964 Number of unread articles in the topic and all its subtopics.
3967 @vindex gnus-topic-indent-level
3968 Each sub-topic (and the groups in the sub-topics) will be indented with
3969 @code{gnus-topic-indent-level} times the topic level number of spaces.
3972 @vindex gnus-topic-mode-hook
3973 @code{gnus-topic-mode-hook} is called in topic minor mode buffers.
3975 @vindex gnus-topic-display-empty-topics
3976 The @code{gnus-topic-display-empty-topics} says whether to display even
3977 topics that have no unread articles in them. The default is @code{t}.
3981 @subsection Topic Sorting
3982 @cindex topic sorting
3984 You can sort the groups in each topic individually with the following
3990 @kindex T S a (Topic)
3991 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3992 Sort the current topic alphabetically by group name
3993 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3996 @kindex T S u (Topic)
3997 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread
3998 Sort the current topic by the number of unread articles
3999 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread}).
4002 @kindex T S l (Topic)
4003 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level
4004 Sort the current topic by group level
4005 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level}).
4008 @kindex T S v (Topic)
4009 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score
4010 Sort the current topic by group score
4011 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
4014 @kindex T S r (Topic)
4015 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank
4016 Sort the current topic by group rank
4017 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
4020 @kindex T S m (Topic)
4021 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method
4022 Sort the current topic alphabetically by back end name
4023 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method}).
4026 @kindex T S e (Topic)
4027 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server
4028 Sort the current topic alphabetically by server name
4029 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server}).
4032 @kindex T S s (Topic)
4033 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups
4034 Sort the current topic according to the function(s) given by the
4035 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable
4036 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups}).
4040 When given a prefix argument, all these commands will sort in reverse
4041 order. @xref{Sorting Groups}, for more information about group
4045 @node Topic Topology
4046 @subsection Topic Topology
4047 @cindex topic topology
4050 So, let's have a look at an example group buffer:
4057 2: alt.religion.emacs
4060 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
4062 8: comp.binaries.fractals
4063 13: comp.sources.unix
4067 So, here we have one top-level topic (@samp{Gnus}), two topics under
4068 that, and one sub-topic under one of the sub-topics. (There is always
4069 just one (1) top-level topic). This topology can be expressed as
4074 (("Emacs -- I wuw it!" visible)
4075 (("Naughty Emacs" visible)))
4079 @vindex gnus-topic-topology
4080 This is in fact how the variable @code{gnus-topic-topology} would look
4081 for the display above. That variable is saved in the @file{.newsrc.eld}
4082 file, and shouldn't be messed with manually---unless you really want
4083 to. Since this variable is read from the @file{.newsrc.eld} file,
4084 setting it in any other startup files will have no effect.
4086 This topology shows what topics are sub-topics of what topics (right),
4087 and which topics are visible. Two settings are currently
4088 allowed---@code{visible} and @code{invisible}.
4091 @node Topic Parameters
4092 @subsection Topic Parameters
4093 @cindex topic parameters
4095 All groups in a topic will inherit group parameters from the parent
4096 (and ancestor) topic parameters. All valid group parameters are valid
4097 topic parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}). When the agent is
4098 enabled, all agent parameters (See Agent Parameters in @ref{Category
4099 Syntax}) are also valid topic parameters.
4101 In addition, the following parameters are only valid as topic
4106 When subscribing new groups by topic (@pxref{Subscription Methods}), the
4107 @code{subscribe} topic parameter says what groups go in what topic. Its
4108 value should be a regexp to match the groups that should go in that
4111 @item subscribe-level
4112 When subscribing new groups by topic (see the @code{subscribe} parameter),
4113 the group will be subscribed with the level specified in the
4114 @code{subscribe-level} instead of @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}.
4118 Group parameters (of course) override topic parameters, and topic
4119 parameters in sub-topics override topic parameters in super-topics. You
4120 know. Normal inheritance rules. (@dfn{Rules} is here a noun, not a
4121 verb, although you may feel free to disagree with me here.)
4128 2: alt.religion.emacs
4132 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
4134 8: comp.binaries.fractals
4135 13: comp.sources.unix
4140 The @samp{Emacs} topic has the topic parameter @code{(score-file
4141 . "emacs.SCORE")}; the @samp{Relief} topic has the topic parameter
4142 @code{(score-file . "relief.SCORE")}; and the @samp{Misc} topic has the
4143 topic parameter @code{(score-file . "emacs.SCORE")}. In addition,
4144 @* @samp{alt.religion.emacs} has the group parameter @code{(score-file
4145 . "religion.SCORE")}.
4147 Now, when you enter @samp{alt.sex.emacs} in the @samp{Relief} topic, you
4148 will get the @file{relief.SCORE} home score file. If you enter the same
4149 group in the @samp{Emacs} topic, you'll get the @file{emacs.SCORE} home
4150 score file. If you enter the group @samp{alt.religion.emacs}, you'll
4151 get the @file{religion.SCORE} home score file.
4153 This seems rather simple and self-evident, doesn't it? Well, yes. But
4154 there are some problems, especially with the @code{total-expiry}
4155 parameter. Say you have a mail group in two topics; one with
4156 @code{total-expiry} and one without. What happens when you do @kbd{M-x
4157 gnus-expire-all-expirable-groups}? Gnus has no way of telling which one
4158 of these topics you mean to expire articles from, so anything may
4159 happen. In fact, I hereby declare that it is @dfn{undefined} what
4160 happens. You just have to be careful if you do stuff like that.
4163 @node Non-ASCII Group Names
4164 @section Accessing groups of non-English names
4165 @cindex non-ascii group names
4167 There are some news servers that provide groups of which the names are
4168 expressed with their native languages in the world. For instance, in a
4169 certain news server there are some newsgroups of which the names are
4170 spelled in Chinese, where people are talking in Chinese. You can, of
4171 course, subscribe to such news groups using Gnus. Currently Gnus
4172 supports non-@acronym{ASCII} group names not only with the @code{nntp}
4173 back end but also with the @code{nnml} back end and the @code{nnrss}
4176 Every such group name is encoded by a certain charset in the server
4177 side (in an @acronym{NNTP} server its administrator determines the
4178 charset, but for groups in the other back ends it is determined by you).
4179 Gnus has to display the decoded ones for you in the group buffer and the
4180 article buffer, and needs to use the encoded ones when communicating
4181 with servers. However, Gnus doesn't know what charset is used for each
4182 non-@acronym{ASCII} group name. The following two variables are just
4183 the ones for telling Gnus what charset should be used for each group:
4186 @item gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4187 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4188 An alist of select methods and charsets. The default value is
4189 @code{nil}. The names of groups in the server specified by that select
4190 method are all supposed to use the corresponding charset. For example:
4193 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4194 '(((nntp "news.com.cn") . cn-gb-2312)))
4197 Charsets specified for groups with this variable are preferred to the
4198 ones specified for the same groups with the
4199 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist} variable (see below).
4201 A select method can be very long, like:
4205 (nntp-address "news.gmane.org")
4206 (nntp-end-of-line "\n")
4207 (nntp-open-connection-function
4208 nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet)
4209 (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
4210 (nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
4211 ("-C" "-t" "-e" "none"))
4212 (nntp-via-address @dots{}))
4215 In that case, you can truncate it into @code{(nntp "gmane")} in this
4216 variable. That is, it is enough to contain only the back end name and
4219 @item gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4220 @cindex UTF-8 group names
4221 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4222 An alist of regexp of group name and the charset for group names.
4223 @code{((".*" . utf-8))} is the default value if UTF-8 is supported,
4224 otherwise the default is @code{nil}. For example:
4227 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4228 '(("\\.com\\.cn:" . cn-gb-2312)
4232 Note that this variable is ignored if the match is made with
4233 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist}.
4236 Those two variables are used also to determine the charset for encoding
4237 and decoding non-@acronym{ASCII} group names that are in the back ends
4238 other than @code{nntp}. It means that it is you who determine it. If
4239 you do nothing, the charset used for group names in those back ends will
4240 all be @code{utf-8} because of the last element of
4241 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist}.
4243 There is one more important variable for non-@acronym{ASCII} group
4244 names. @emph{XEmacs users must set this}. Emacs users necessarily need
4248 @item nnmail-pathname-coding-system
4249 The value of this variable should be a coding system or @code{nil}
4250 (which is the default). The @code{nnml} back end, the @code{nnrss} back
4251 end, the @acronym{NNTP} marks feature (@pxref{NNTP marks}), the agent,
4252 and the cache use non-@acronym{ASCII} group names in those files and
4253 directories. This variable overrides the value of
4254 @code{file-name-coding-system} which specifies the coding system used
4255 when encoding and decoding those file names and directory names.
4257 In XEmacs (with the @code{mule} feature), @code{file-name-coding-system}
4258 is the only means to specify the coding system used to encode and decode
4259 file names. Therefore, @emph{you, XEmacs users, have to set it} to the
4260 coding system that is suitable to encode and decode non-@acronym{ASCII}
4261 group names. On the other hand, Emacs uses the value of
4262 @code{default-file-name-coding-system} if @code{file-name-coding-system}
4263 is @code{nil}. Normally the value of
4264 @code{default-file-name-coding-system} is initialized according to the
4265 locale, so you will need to do nothing if the value is suitable to
4266 encode and decode non-@acronym{ASCII} group names.
4268 The value of this variable (or @code{default-file-name-coding-system})
4269 does not necessarily need to be the same value that is determined by
4270 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist} and
4271 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist}.
4273 If you want to subscribe to the groups spelled in Chinese but
4274 @code{default-file-name-coding-system} is initialized by default to
4275 @code{iso-latin-1} for example, that is the most typical case where you
4276 have to set @code{nnmail-pathname-coding-system} even if you are an
4277 Emacs user. The @code{utf-8} coding system is a good candidate for it.
4278 Otherwise, you may change the locale in your system so that
4279 @code{default-file-name-coding-system} may be initialized to an
4280 appropriate value, instead of specifying this variable.
4283 Note that when you copy or move articles from a non-@acronym{ASCII}
4284 group to another group, the charset used to encode and decode group
4285 names should be the same in both groups. Otherwise the Newsgroups
4286 header will be displayed incorrectly in the article buffer.
4289 @node Misc Group Stuff
4290 @section Misc Group Stuff
4293 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
4294 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
4295 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
4296 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
4297 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
4304 @cindex keys, reserved for users (Group)
4305 The key @kbd{v} is reserved for users. You can bind it to some
4306 command or better use it as a prefix key. For example:
4309 (define-key gnus-group-mode-map (kbd "v j d")
4312 (gnus-group-jump-to-group "nndraft:drafts")))
4315 On keys reserved for users in Emacs and on keybindings in general
4316 @xref{Keymaps, Keymaps, , emacs, The Emacs Editor}.
4320 @findex gnus-group-enter-server-mode
4321 Enter the server buffer (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}).
4322 @xref{Server Buffer}.
4326 @findex gnus-group-post-news
4327 Start composing a message (a news by default)
4328 (@code{gnus-group-post-news}). If given a prefix, post to the group
4329 under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
4330 Contrary to what the name of this function suggests, the prepared
4331 article might be a mail instead of a news, if a mail group is specified
4332 with the prefix argument. @xref{Composing Messages}.
4336 @findex gnus-group-mail
4337 Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}). If given a prefix,
4338 use the posting style of the group under the point. If the prefix is 1,
4339 prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
4340 @xref{Composing Messages}.
4344 @findex gnus-group-news
4345 Start composing a news (@code{gnus-group-news}). If given a prefix,
4346 post to the group under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt
4347 for group to post to. @xref{Composing Messages}.
4349 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
4350 This is useful for ``posting'' messages to mail groups without actually
4351 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
4352 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
4353 for this to work though.
4357 @findex gnus-group-compact-group
4359 Compact the group under point (@code{gnus-group-compact-group}).
4360 Currently implemented only in nnml (@pxref{Mail Spool}). This removes
4361 gaps between article numbers, hence getting a correct total article
4366 Variables for the group buffer:
4370 @item gnus-group-mode-hook
4371 @vindex gnus-group-mode-hook
4372 is called after the group buffer has been
4375 @item gnus-group-prepare-hook
4376 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
4377 is called after the group buffer is
4378 generated. It may be used to modify the buffer in some strange,
4381 @item gnus-group-prepared-hook
4382 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
4383 is called as the very last thing after the group buffer has been
4384 generated. It may be used to move point around, for instance.
4386 @item gnus-permanently-visible-groups
4387 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
4388 Groups matching this regexp will always be listed in the group buffer,
4389 whether they are empty or not.
4393 @node Scanning New Messages
4394 @subsection Scanning New Messages
4395 @cindex new messages
4396 @cindex scanning new news
4402 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news
4403 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news}
4404 Check the server(s) for new articles. If the numerical prefix is used,
4405 this command will check only groups of level @var{arg} and lower
4406 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news}). If given a non-numerical prefix, this
4407 command will force a total re-reading of the active file(s) from the
4412 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group
4413 @vindex gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating
4414 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}
4415 Check whether new articles have arrived in the current group
4416 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}).
4417 @code{gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating} says whether this command is
4418 to move point to the next group or not. It is @code{t} by default.
4420 @findex gnus-activate-all-groups
4421 @cindex activating groups
4423 @kindex C-c M-g (Group)
4424 Activate absolutely all groups (@code{gnus-activate-all-groups}).
4429 @findex gnus-group-restart
4430 Restart Gnus (@code{gnus-group-restart}). This saves the @file{.newsrc}
4431 file(s), closes the connection to all servers, clears up all run-time
4432 Gnus variables, and then starts Gnus all over again.
4436 @vindex gnus-get-new-news-hook
4437 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is run just before checking for new news.
4439 @vindex gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook
4440 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook} is run after checking for new
4444 @node Group Information
4445 @subsection Group Information
4446 @cindex group information
4447 @cindex information on groups
4454 @findex gnus-group-fetch-faq
4455 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
4458 Try to fetch the @acronym{FAQ} for the current group
4459 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the @acronym{FAQ}
4460 from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory on
4461 a remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories.
4462 In that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
4463 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} (or @code{efs}) will be
4464 used for fetching the file.
4466 If fetching from the first site is unsuccessful, Gnus will attempt to go
4467 through @code{gnus-group-faq-directory} and try to open them one by one.
4471 @findex gnus-group-fetch-charter
4472 @vindex gnus-group-charter-alist
4474 Try to open the charter for the current group in a web browser
4475 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-charter}). Query for a group if given a
4478 Gnus will use @code{gnus-group-charter-alist} to find the location of
4479 the charter. If no location is known, Gnus will fetch the control
4480 messages for the group, which in some cases includes the charter.
4484 @findex gnus-group-fetch-control
4485 @vindex gnus-group-fetch-control-use-browse-url
4486 @cindex control message
4487 Fetch the control messages for the group from the archive at
4488 @code{ftp.isc.org} (@code{gnus-group-fetch-control}). Query for a
4489 group if given a prefix argument.
4491 If @code{gnus-group-fetch-control-use-browse-url} is non-@code{nil},
4492 Gnus will open the control messages in a browser using
4493 @code{browse-url}. Otherwise they are fetched using @code{ange-ftp}
4494 and displayed in an ephemeral group.
4496 Note that the control messages are compressed. To use this command
4497 you need to turn on @code{auto-compression-mode} (@pxref{Compressed
4498 Files, ,Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Manual}).
4502 @c @icon{gnus-group-describe-group}
4504 @kindex C-c C-d (Group)
4505 @cindex describing groups
4506 @cindex group description
4507 @findex gnus-group-describe-group
4508 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-group-describe-group}). If given
4509 a prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description from the server.
4513 @findex gnus-group-describe-all-groups
4514 Describe all groups (@code{gnus-group-describe-all-groups}). If given a
4515 prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description file from the server.
4522 @findex gnus-version
4523 Display current Gnus version numbers (@code{gnus-version}).
4527 @findex gnus-group-describe-briefly
4528 Give a very short help message (@code{gnus-group-describe-briefly}).
4531 @kindex C-c C-i (Group)
4534 @findex gnus-info-find-node
4535 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
4539 @node Group Timestamp
4540 @subsection Group Timestamp
4542 @cindex group timestamps
4544 It can be convenient to let Gnus keep track of when you last read a
4545 group. To set the ball rolling, you should add
4546 @code{gnus-group-set-timestamp} to @code{gnus-select-group-hook}:
4549 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook 'gnus-group-set-timestamp)
4552 After doing this, each time you enter a group, it'll be recorded.
4554 This information can be displayed in various ways---the easiest is to
4555 use the @samp{%d} spec in the group line format:
4558 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4559 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %d\n")
4562 This will result in lines looking like:
4565 * 0: mail.ding 19961002T012943
4566 0: custom 19961002T012713
4569 As you can see, the date is displayed in compact ISO 8601 format. This
4570 may be a bit too much, so to just display the date, you could say
4574 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4575 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %6,6~(cut 2)d\n")
4578 If you would like greater control of the time format, you can use a
4579 user-defined format spec. Something like the following should do the
4583 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4584 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %ud\n")
4585 (defun gnus-user-format-function-d (headers)
4586 (let ((time (gnus-group-timestamp gnus-tmp-group)))
4588 (format-time-string "%b %d %H:%M" time)
4594 @subsection File Commands
4595 @cindex file commands
4601 @findex gnus-group-read-init-file
4602 @vindex gnus-init-file
4603 @cindex reading init file
4604 Re-read the init file (@code{gnus-init-file}, which defaults to
4605 @file{~/.gnus.el}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
4609 @findex gnus-group-save-newsrc
4610 @cindex saving .newsrc
4611 Save the @file{.newsrc.eld} file (and @file{.newsrc} if wanted)
4612 (@code{gnus-group-save-newsrc}). If given a prefix, force saving the
4613 file(s) whether Gnus thinks it is necessary or not.
4616 @c @kindex Z (Group)
4617 @c @findex gnus-group-clear-dribble
4618 @c Clear the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-group-clear-dribble}).
4623 @node Sieve Commands
4624 @subsection Sieve Commands
4625 @cindex group sieve commands
4627 Sieve is a server-side mail filtering language. In Gnus you can use
4628 the @code{sieve} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to specify
4629 sieve rules that should apply to each group. Gnus provides two
4630 commands to translate all these group parameters into a proper Sieve
4631 script that can be transfered to the server somehow.
4633 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4634 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-start
4635 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-end
4636 The generated Sieve script is placed in @code{gnus-sieve-file} (by
4637 default @file{~/.sieve}). The Sieve code that Gnus generate is placed
4638 between two delimiters, @code{gnus-sieve-region-start} and
4639 @code{gnus-sieve-region-end}, so you may write additional Sieve code
4640 outside these delimiters that will not be removed the next time you
4641 regenerate the Sieve script.
4643 @vindex gnus-sieve-crosspost
4644 The variable @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} controls how the Sieve script
4645 is generated. If it is non-@code{nil} (the default) articles is
4646 placed in all groups that have matching rules, otherwise the article
4647 is only placed in the group with the first matching rule. For
4648 example, the group parameter @samp{(sieve address "sender"
4649 "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu")} will generate the following piece of Sieve
4650 code if @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is @code{nil}. (When
4651 @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is non-@code{nil}, it looks the same
4652 except that the line containing the call to @code{stop} is removed.)
4655 if address "sender" "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu" @{
4656 fileinto "INBOX.ding";
4661 @xref{Top, Emacs Sieve, Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
4667 @findex gnus-sieve-generate
4668 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4669 @cindex generating sieve script
4670 Regenerate a Sieve script from the @code{sieve} group parameters and
4671 put you into the @code{gnus-sieve-file} without saving it.
4675 @findex gnus-sieve-update
4676 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4677 @cindex updating sieve script
4678 Regenerates the Gnus managed part of @code{gnus-sieve-file} using the
4679 @code{sieve} group parameters, save the file and upload it to the
4680 server using the @code{sieveshell} program.
4685 @node Summary Buffer
4686 @chapter Summary Buffer
4687 @cindex summary buffer
4689 A line for each article is displayed in the summary buffer. You can
4690 move around, read articles, post articles and reply to articles.
4692 The most common way to a summary buffer is to select a group from the
4693 group buffer (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
4695 You can have as many summary buffers open as you wish.
4697 You can customize the Summary Mode tool bar, see @kbd{M-x
4698 customize-apropos RET gnus-summary-tool-bar}. This feature is only
4702 @cindex keys, reserved for users (Summary)
4703 The key @kbd{v} is reserved for users. You can bind it to some
4704 command or better use it as a prefix key. For example:
4706 (define-key gnus-summary-mode-map (kbd "v -") "LrS") ;; lower subthread
4710 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
4711 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
4712 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
4713 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
4714 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
4715 * Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
4716 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
4717 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
4718 * Threading:: How threads are made.
4719 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
4720 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
4721 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
4722 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
4723 * Sticky Articles:: Article buffers that are not reused.
4724 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
4725 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
4726 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
4727 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
4728 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
4729 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
4730 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
4731 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
4732 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
4733 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
4734 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
4735 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
4736 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
4737 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
4738 or reselecting the current group.
4739 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
4740 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
4741 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
4742 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
4746 @node Summary Buffer Format
4747 @section Summary Buffer Format
4748 @cindex summary buffer format
4752 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{180}{
4753 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary,width=7.5cm}}
4754 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-article,width=7.5cm}}}
4760 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
4761 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
4762 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
4763 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
4766 @findex mail-extract-address-components
4767 @findex gnus-extract-address-components
4768 @vindex gnus-extract-address-components
4769 Gnus will use the value of the @code{gnus-extract-address-components}
4770 variable as a function for getting the name and address parts of a
4771 @code{From} header. Two pre-defined functions exist:
4772 @code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is the default, quite
4773 fast, and too simplistic solution; and
4774 @code{mail-extract-address-components}, which works very nicely, but is
4775 slower. The default function will return the wrong answer in 5% of the
4776 cases. If this is unacceptable to you, use the other function instead:
4779 (setq gnus-extract-address-components
4780 'mail-extract-address-components)
4783 @vindex gnus-summary-same-subject
4784 @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} is a string indicating that the current
4785 article has the same subject as the previous. This string will be used
4786 with those specs that require it. The default is @code{""}.
4789 @node Summary Buffer Lines
4790 @subsection Summary Buffer Lines
4792 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4793 You can change the format of the lines in the summary buffer by changing
4794 the @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable. It works along the same
4795 lines as a normal @code{format} string, with some extensions
4796 (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
4798 There should always be a colon or a point position marker on the line;
4799 the cursor always moves to the point position marker or the colon after
4800 performing an operation. (Of course, Gnus wouldn't be Gnus if it wasn't
4801 possible to change this. Just write a new function
4802 @code{gnus-goto-colon} which does whatever you like with the cursor.)
4803 @xref{Positioning Point}.
4805 The default string is @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n}.
4807 The following format specification characters and extended format
4808 specification(s) are understood:
4814 Subject string. List identifiers stripped,
4815 @code{gnus-list-identifiers}. @xref{Article Hiding}.
4817 Subject if the article is the root of the thread or the previous article
4818 had a different subject, @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} otherwise.
4819 (@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} defaults to @code{""}.)
4821 Full @code{From} header.
4823 The name (from the @code{From} header).
4825 The name, @code{To} header or the @code{Newsgroups} header (@pxref{To
4828 The name (from the @code{From} header). This differs from the @code{n}
4829 spec in that it uses the function designated by the
4830 @code{gnus-extract-address-components} variable, which is slower, but
4831 may be more thorough.
4833 The address (from the @code{From} header). This works the same way as
4836 Number of lines in the article.
4838 Number of characters in the article. This specifier is not supported
4839 in some methods (like nnfolder).
4841 Pretty-printed version of the number of characters in the article;
4842 for example, @samp{1.2k} or @samp{0.4M}.
4844 Indentation based on thread level (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4846 A complex trn-style thread tree, showing response-connecting trace
4847 lines. A thread could be drawn like this:
4860 You can customize the appearance with the following options. Note
4861 that it is possible to make the thread display look really neat by
4862 replacing the default @acronym{ASCII} characters with graphic
4863 line-drawing glyphs.
4865 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-root
4866 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-root
4867 Used for the root of a thread. If @code{nil}, use subject
4868 instead. The default is @samp{> }.
4870 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-false-root
4871 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-false-root
4872 Used for the false root of a thread (@pxref{Loose Threads}). If
4873 @code{nil}, use subject instead. The default is @samp{> }.
4875 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-indent
4876 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-indent
4877 Used for a thread with just one message. If @code{nil}, use subject
4878 instead. The default is @samp{}.
4880 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-vertical
4881 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-vertical
4882 Used for drawing a vertical line. The default is @samp{| }.
4884 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-indent
4885 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-indent
4886 Used for indenting. The default is @samp{ }.
4888 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-leaf-with-other
4889 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-leaf-with-other
4890 Used for a leaf with brothers. The default is @samp{+-> }.
4892 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-leaf
4893 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-leaf
4894 Used for a leaf without brothers. The default is @samp{\-> }
4899 Nothing if the article is a root and lots of spaces if it isn't (it
4900 pushes everything after it off the screen).
4902 Opening bracket, which is normally @samp{[}, but can also be @samp{<}
4903 for adopted articles (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4905 Closing bracket, which is normally @samp{]}, but can also be @samp{>}
4906 for adopted articles.
4908 One space for each thread level.
4910 Twenty minus thread level spaces.
4912 Unread. @xref{Read Articles}.
4915 This misleadingly named specifier is the @dfn{secondary mark}. This
4916 mark will say whether the article has been replied to, has been cached,
4917 or has been saved. @xref{Other Marks}.
4920 Score as a number (@pxref{Scoring}).
4922 @vindex gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz
4923 Zcore, @samp{+} if above the default level and @samp{-} if below the
4924 default level. If the difference between
4925 @code{gnus-summary-default-score} and the score is less than
4926 @code{gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz}, this spec will not be used.
4934 The @code{Date} in @code{DD-MMM} format.
4936 The @code{Date} in @var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS} format.
4942 Number of articles in the current sub-thread. Using this spec will slow
4943 down summary buffer generation somewhat.
4945 An @samp{=} (@code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark}) will be displayed if the
4946 article has any children.
4952 Desired cursor position (instead of after first colon).
4954 Age sensitive date format. Various date format is defined in
4955 @code{gnus-user-date-format-alist}.
4957 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
4958 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
4959 @code{gnus-user-format-function-@var{x}}, where @var{x} is the letter
4960 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current header as
4961 argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
4962 into the summary just like information from any other summary specifier.
4965 Text between @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} will be highlighted with
4966 @code{gnus-mouse-face} when the mouse point is placed inside the area.
4967 There can only be one such area.
4969 The @samp{%U} (status), @samp{%R} (replied) and @samp{%z} (zcore) specs
4970 have to be handled with care. For reasons of efficiency, Gnus will
4971 compute what column these characters will end up in, and ``hard-code''
4972 that. This means that it is invalid to have these specs after a
4973 variable-length spec. Well, you might not be arrested, but your summary
4974 buffer will look strange, which is bad enough.
4976 The smart choice is to have these specs as far to the left as possible.
4977 (Isn't that the case with everything, though? But I digress.)
4979 This restriction may disappear in later versions of Gnus.
4982 @node To From Newsgroups
4983 @subsection To From Newsgroups
4987 In some groups (particularly in archive groups), the @code{From} header
4988 isn't very interesting, since all the articles there are written by
4989 you. To display the information in the @code{To} or @code{Newsgroups}
4990 headers instead, you need to decide three things: What information to
4991 gather; where to display it; and when to display it.
4995 @vindex gnus-extra-headers
4996 The reading of extra header information is controlled by the
4997 @code{gnus-extra-headers}. This is a list of header symbols. For
5001 (setq gnus-extra-headers
5002 '(To Newsgroups X-Newsreader))
5005 This will result in Gnus trying to obtain these three headers, and
5006 storing it in header structures for later easy retrieval.
5009 @findex gnus-extra-header
5010 The value of these extra headers can be accessed via the
5011 @code{gnus-extra-header} function. Here's a format line spec that will
5012 access the @code{X-Newsreader} header:
5015 "%~(form (gnus-extra-header 'X-Newsreader))@@"
5019 @vindex gnus-ignored-from-addresses
5020 The @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses} variable says when the @samp{%f}
5021 summary line spec returns the @code{To}, @code{Newsreader} or
5022 @code{From} header. If this regexp matches the contents of the
5023 @code{From} header, the value of the @code{To} or @code{Newsreader}
5024 headers are used instead.
5026 To distinguish regular articles from those where the @code{From} field
5027 has been swapped, a string is prefixed to the @code{To} or
5028 @code{Newsgroups} header in the summary line. By default the string is
5029 @samp{-> } for @code{To} and @samp{=> } for @code{Newsgroups}, you can
5030 customize these strings with @code{gnus-summary-to-prefix} and
5031 @code{gnus-summary-newsgroup-prefix}.
5035 @vindex nnmail-extra-headers
5036 A related variable is @code{nnmail-extra-headers}, which controls when
5037 to include extra headers when generating overview (@acronym{NOV}) files.
5038 If you have old overview files, you should regenerate them after
5039 changing this variable, by entering the server buffer using @kbd{^},
5040 and then @kbd{g} on the appropriate mail server (e.g. nnml) to cause
5043 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
5044 You also have to instruct Gnus to display the data by changing the
5045 @code{%n} spec to the @code{%f} spec in the
5046 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable.
5048 In summary, you'd typically put something like the following in
5052 (setq gnus-extra-headers
5054 (setq nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
5055 (setq gnus-summary-line-format
5056 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
5057 (setq gnus-ignored-from-addresses
5061 (The values listed above are the default values in Gnus. Alter them
5064 A note for news server administrators, or for users who wish to try to
5065 convince their news server administrator to provide some additional
5068 The above is mostly useful for mail groups, where you have control over
5069 the @acronym{NOV} files that are created. However, if you can persuade your
5070 nntp admin to add (in the usual implementation, notably INN):
5076 to the end of her @file{overview.fmt} file, then you can use that just
5077 as you would the extra headers from the mail groups.
5080 @node Summary Buffer Mode Line
5081 @subsection Summary Buffer Mode Line
5083 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-line-format
5084 You can also change the format of the summary mode bar (@pxref{Mode Line
5085 Formatting}). Set @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} to whatever you
5086 like. The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}.
5088 Here are the elements you can play with:
5094 Unprefixed group name.
5096 Current article number.
5098 Current article score.
5102 Number of unread articles in this group.
5104 Number of unread articles in this group that aren't displayed in the
5107 A string with the number of unread and unselected articles represented
5108 either as @samp{<%U(+%e) more>} if there are both unread and unselected
5109 articles, and just as @samp{<%U more>} if there are just unread articles
5110 and no unselected ones.
5112 Shortish group name. For instance, @samp{rec.arts.anime} will be
5113 shortened to @samp{r.a.anime}.
5115 Subject of the current article.
5117 User-defined spec (@pxref{User-Defined Specs}).
5119 Name of the current score file (@pxref{Scoring}).
5121 Number of dormant articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
5123 Number of ticked articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
5125 Number of articles that have been marked as read in this session.
5127 Number of articles expunged by the score files.
5131 @node Summary Highlighting
5132 @subsection Summary Highlighting
5136 @item gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
5137 @vindex gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
5138 This hook is run after selecting an article. It is meant to be used for
5139 highlighting the article in some way. It is not run if
5140 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
5142 @item gnus-summary-update-hook
5143 @vindex gnus-summary-update-hook
5144 This hook is called when a summary line is changed. It is not run if
5145 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
5147 @item gnus-summary-selected-face
5148 @vindex gnus-summary-selected-face
5149 This is the face (or @dfn{font} as some people call it) used to
5150 highlight the current article in the summary buffer.
5152 @item gnus-summary-highlight
5153 @vindex gnus-summary-highlight
5154 Summary lines are highlighted according to this variable, which is a
5155 list where the elements are of the format @code{(@var{form}
5156 . @var{face})}. If you would, for instance, like ticked articles to be
5157 italic and high-scored articles to be bold, you could set this variable
5160 (((eq mark gnus-ticked-mark) . italic)
5161 ((> score default) . bold))
5163 As you may have guessed, if @var{form} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
5164 @var{face} will be applied to the line.
5168 @node Summary Maneuvering
5169 @section Summary Maneuvering
5170 @cindex summary movement
5172 All the straight movement commands understand the numeric prefix and
5173 behave pretty much as you'd expect.
5175 None of these commands select articles.
5180 @kindex M-n (Summary)
5181 @kindex G M-n (Summary)
5182 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-subject
5183 Go to the next summary line of an unread article
5184 (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-subject}).
5188 @kindex M-p (Summary)
5189 @kindex G M-p (Summary)
5190 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject
5191 Go to the previous summary line of an unread article
5192 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject}).
5195 @kindex G g (Summary)
5196 @findex gnus-summary-goto-subject
5197 Ask for an article number and then go to the summary line of that article
5198 without displaying the article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-subject}).
5201 If Gnus asks you to press a key to confirm going to the next group, you
5202 can use the @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} keys to move around the group
5203 buffer, searching for the next group to read without actually returning
5204 to the group buffer.
5206 Variables related to summary movement:
5210 @vindex gnus-auto-select-next
5211 @item gnus-auto-select-next
5212 If you issue one of the movement commands (like @kbd{n}) and there are
5213 no more unread articles after the current one, Gnus will offer to go to
5214 the next group. If this variable is @code{t} and the next group is
5215 empty, Gnus will exit summary mode and return to the group buffer. If
5216 this variable is neither @code{t} nor @code{nil}, Gnus will select the
5217 next group with unread articles. As a special case, if this variable
5218 is @code{quietly}, Gnus will select the next group without asking for
5219 confirmation. If this variable is @code{almost-quietly}, the same
5220 will happen only if you are located on the last article in the group.
5221 Finally, if this variable is @code{slightly-quietly}, the @kbd{Z n}
5222 command will go to the next group without confirmation. Also
5223 @pxref{Group Levels}.
5225 @item gnus-auto-select-same
5226 @vindex gnus-auto-select-same
5227 If non-@code{nil}, all the movement commands will try to go to the next
5228 article with the same subject as the current. (@dfn{Same} here might
5229 mean @dfn{roughly equal}. See @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}
5230 for details (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).) If there are no more
5231 articles with the same subject, go to the first unread article.
5233 This variable is not particularly useful if you use a threaded display.
5235 @item gnus-summary-check-current
5236 @vindex gnus-summary-check-current
5237 If non-@code{nil}, all the ``unread'' movement commands will not proceed
5238 to the next (or previous) article if the current article is unread.
5239 Instead, they will choose the current article.
5241 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
5242 @vindex gnus-auto-center-summary
5243 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will keep the point in the summary buffer
5244 centered at all times. This makes things quite tidy, but if you have a
5245 slow network connection, or simply do not like this un-Emacsism, you can
5246 set this variable to @code{nil} to get the normal Emacs scrolling
5247 action. This will also inhibit horizontal re-centering of the summary
5248 buffer, which might make it more inconvenient to read extremely long
5251 This variable can also be a number. In that case, center the window at
5252 the given number of lines from the top.
5257 @node Choosing Articles
5258 @section Choosing Articles
5259 @cindex selecting articles
5262 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
5263 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
5267 @node Choosing Commands
5268 @subsection Choosing Commands
5270 None of the following movement commands understand the numeric prefix,
5271 and they all select and display an article.
5273 If you want to fetch new articles or redisplay the group, see
5274 @ref{Exiting the Summary Buffer}.
5278 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
5279 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
5280 Select the current article, or, if that one's read already, the next
5281 unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
5283 If you have an article window open already and you press @kbd{SPACE}
5284 again, the article will be scrolled. This lets you conveniently
5285 @kbd{SPACE} through an entire newsgroup. @xref{Paging the Article}.
5290 @kindex G n (Summary)
5291 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-article
5292 @c @icon{gnus-summary-next-unread}
5293 Go to next unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-article}).
5298 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-article
5299 @c @icon{gnus-summary-prev-unread}
5300 Go to previous unread article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-article}).
5305 @kindex G N (Summary)
5306 @findex gnus-summary-next-article
5307 Go to the next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-article}).
5312 @kindex G P (Summary)
5313 @findex gnus-summary-prev-article
5314 Go to the previous article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-article}).
5317 @kindex G C-n (Summary)
5318 @findex gnus-summary-next-same-subject
5319 Go to the next article with the same subject
5320 (@code{gnus-summary-next-same-subject}).
5323 @kindex G C-p (Summary)
5324 @findex gnus-summary-prev-same-subject
5325 Go to the previous article with the same subject
5326 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-same-subject}).
5330 @kindex G f (Summary)
5332 @findex gnus-summary-first-unread-article
5333 Go to the first unread article
5334 (@code{gnus-summary-first-unread-article}).
5338 @kindex G b (Summary)
5340 @findex gnus-summary-best-unread-article
5341 Go to the unread article with the highest score
5342 (@code{gnus-summary-best-unread-article}). If given a prefix argument,
5343 go to the first unread article that has a score over the default score.
5348 @kindex G l (Summary)
5349 @findex gnus-summary-goto-last-article
5350 Go to the previous article read (@code{gnus-summary-goto-last-article}).
5353 @kindex G o (Summary)
5354 @findex gnus-summary-pop-article
5356 @cindex article history
5357 Pop an article off the summary history and go to this article
5358 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-article}). This command differs from the
5359 command above in that you can pop as many previous articles off the
5360 history as you like, while @kbd{l} toggles the two last read articles.
5361 For a somewhat related issue (if you use these commands a lot),
5362 @pxref{Article Backlog}.
5367 @kindex G j (Summary)
5368 @findex gnus-summary-goto-article
5369 Ask for an article number or @code{Message-ID}, and then go to that
5370 article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-article}).
5375 @node Choosing Variables
5376 @subsection Choosing Variables
5378 Some variables relevant for moving and selecting articles:
5381 @item gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
5382 @vindex gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
5383 All the movement commands will try to go to the previous (or next)
5384 article, even if that article isn't displayed in the Summary buffer if
5385 this variable is non-@code{nil}. Gnus will then fetch the article from
5386 the server and display it in the article buffer.
5388 @item gnus-select-article-hook
5389 @vindex gnus-select-article-hook
5390 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. The default is
5391 @code{nil}. If you would like each article to be saved in the Agent as
5392 you read it, putting @code{gnus-agent-fetch-selected-article} on this
5395 @item gnus-mark-article-hook
5396 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
5397 @findex gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read
5398 @findex gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read
5399 @findex gnus-unread-mark
5400 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. It is intended to
5401 be used for marking articles as read. The default value is
5402 @code{gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read}, and will change the
5403 mark of almost any article you read to @code{gnus-read-mark}. The only
5404 articles not affected by this function are ticked, dormant, and
5405 expirable articles. If you'd instead like to just have unread articles
5406 marked as read, you can use @code{gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read}
5407 instead. It will leave marks like @code{gnus-low-score-mark},
5408 @code{gnus-del-mark} (and so on) alone.
5413 @node Paging the Article
5414 @section Scrolling the Article
5415 @cindex article scrolling
5420 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
5421 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
5422 Pressing @kbd{SPACE} will scroll the current article forward one page,
5423 or, if you have come to the end of the current article, will choose the
5424 next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
5426 @vindex gnus-article-boring-faces
5427 @vindex gnus-article-skip-boring
5428 If @code{gnus-article-skip-boring} is non-@code{nil} and the rest of
5429 the article consists only of citations and signature, then it will be
5430 skipped; the next article will be shown instead. You can customize
5431 what is considered uninteresting with
5432 @code{gnus-article-boring-faces}. You can manually view the article's
5433 pages, no matter how boring, using @kbd{C-M-v}.
5436 @kindex DEL (Summary)
5437 @findex gnus-summary-prev-page
5438 Scroll the current article back one page (@code{gnus-summary-prev-page}).
5441 @kindex RET (Summary)
5442 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-up
5443 Scroll the current article one line forward
5444 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-up}).
5447 @kindex M-RET (Summary)
5448 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-down
5449 Scroll the current article one line backward
5450 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-down}).
5454 @kindex A g (Summary)
5456 @findex gnus-summary-show-article
5457 @vindex gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
5458 (Re)fetch the current article (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). If
5459 given a prefix, fetch the current article, but don't run any of the
5460 article treatment functions. This will give you a ``raw'' article, just
5461 the way it came from the server.
5463 If given a numerical prefix, you can do semi-manual charset stuff.
5464 @kbd{C-u 0 g cn-gb-2312 RET} will decode the message as if it were
5465 encoded in the @code{cn-gb-2312} charset. If you have
5468 (setq gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
5473 then you can say @kbd{C-u 1 g} to get the same effect.
5478 @kindex A < (Summary)
5479 @findex gnus-summary-beginning-of-article
5480 Scroll to the beginning of the article
5481 (@code{gnus-summary-beginning-of-article}).
5486 @kindex A > (Summary)
5487 @findex gnus-summary-end-of-article
5488 Scroll to the end of the article (@code{gnus-summary-end-of-article}).
5492 @kindex A s (Summary)
5494 @findex gnus-summary-isearch-article
5495 Perform an isearch in the article buffer
5496 (@code{gnus-summary-isearch-article}).
5500 @findex gnus-summary-select-article-buffer
5501 Select the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-select-article-buffer}).
5506 @node Reply Followup and Post
5507 @section Reply, Followup and Post
5510 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
5511 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
5512 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
5513 * Canceling and Superseding::
5517 @node Summary Mail Commands
5518 @subsection Summary Mail Commands
5520 @cindex composing mail
5522 Commands for composing a mail message:
5528 @kindex S r (Summary)
5530 @findex gnus-summary-reply
5531 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-reply}
5532 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply}
5533 Mail a reply to the author of the current article
5534 (@code{gnus-summary-reply}).
5539 @kindex S R (Summary)
5540 @findex gnus-summary-reply-with-original
5541 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}
5542 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
5543 original message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This
5544 command uses the process/prefix convention.
5547 @kindex S w (Summary)
5548 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply
5549 Mail a wide reply to the author of the current article
5550 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{wide reply} is a reply that
5551 goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
5552 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers. If @code{Mail-Followup-To} is
5553 present, that's used instead.
5556 @kindex S W (Summary)
5557 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original
5558 Mail a wide reply to the current article and include the original
5559 message (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original}). This command uses
5560 the process/prefix convention.
5563 @kindex S v (Summary)
5564 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply
5565 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article
5566 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{very wide reply} is a reply
5567 that goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
5568 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers in all the process/prefixed
5569 articles. This command uses the process/prefix convention.
5572 @kindex S V (Summary)
5573 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original
5574 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article and include the
5575 original message (@code{gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original}). This
5576 command uses the process/prefix convention.
5579 @kindex S B r (Summary)
5580 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to
5581 Mail a reply to the author of the current article but ignore the
5582 @code{Reply-To} field (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to}).
5583 If you need this because a mailing list incorrectly sets a
5584 @code{Reply-To} header pointing to the list, you probably want to set
5585 the @code{broken-reply-to} group parameter instead, so things will work
5586 correctly. @xref{Group Parameters}.
5589 @kindex S B R (Summary)
5590 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original
5591 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
5592 original message but ignore the @code{Reply-To} field
5593 (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original}).
5597 @kindex S o m (Summary)
5598 @kindex C-c C-f (Summary)
5599 @findex gnus-summary-mail-forward
5600 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-forward}
5601 Forward the current article to some other person
5602 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-forward}). If no prefix is given, the message
5603 is forwarded according to the value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime})
5604 and (@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
5605 message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
5606 as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
5607 forward as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
5608 directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
5609 but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
5610 default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME}
5616 @kindex S m (Summary)
5617 @findex gnus-summary-mail-other-window
5618 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-originate}
5619 Prepare a mail (@code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}). By default, use
5620 the posting style of the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
5621 If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
5626 @kindex S i (Summary)
5627 @findex gnus-summary-news-other-window
5628 Prepare a news (@code{gnus-summary-news-other-window}). By default,
5629 post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that. If the
5630 prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
5632 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
5633 This is useful for ``posting'' messages to mail groups without actually
5634 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
5635 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
5636 for this to work though.
5639 @kindex S D b (Summary)
5640 @findex gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail
5641 @cindex bouncing mail
5642 If you have sent a mail, but the mail was bounced back to you for some
5643 reason (wrong address, transient failure), you can use this command to
5644 resend that bounced mail (@code{gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail}). You
5645 will be popped into a mail buffer where you can edit the headers before
5646 sending the mail off again. If you give a prefix to this command, and
5647 the bounced mail is a reply to some other mail, Gnus will try to fetch
5648 that mail and display it for easy perusal of its headers. This might
5649 very well fail, though.
5652 @kindex S D r (Summary)
5653 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message
5654 Not to be confused with the previous command,
5655 @code{gnus-summary-resend-message} will prompt you for an address to
5656 send the current message off to, and then send it to that place. The
5657 headers of the message won't be altered---but lots of headers that say
5658 @code{Resent-To}, @code{Resent-From} and so on will be added. This
5659 means that you actually send a mail to someone that has a @code{To}
5660 header that (probably) points to yourself. This will confuse people.
5661 So, natcherly you'll only do that if you're really eVIl.
5663 This command is mainly used if you have several accounts and want to
5664 ship a mail to a different account of yours. (If you're both
5665 @code{root} and @code{postmaster} and get a mail for @code{postmaster}
5666 to the @code{root} account, you may want to resend it to
5667 @code{postmaster}. Ordnung muss sein!
5669 This command understands the process/prefix convention
5670 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5673 @kindex S D e (Summary)
5674 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message-edit
5676 Like the previous command, but will allow you to edit the message as
5677 if it were a new message before resending.
5680 @kindex S O m (Summary)
5681 @findex gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward
5682 Digest the current series (@pxref{Decoding Articles}) and forward the
5683 result using mail (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command
5684 uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5687 @kindex S M-c (Summary)
5688 @findex gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint
5689 @cindex crossposting
5690 @cindex excessive crossposting
5691 Send a complaint about excessive crossposting to the author of the
5692 current article (@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint}).
5694 @findex gnus-crosspost-complaint
5695 This command is provided as a way to fight back against the current
5696 crossposting pandemic that's sweeping Usenet. It will compose a reply
5697 using the @code{gnus-crosspost-complaint} variable as a preamble. This
5698 command understands the process/prefix convention
5699 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) and will prompt you before sending each mail.
5703 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
5704 Manual}, for more information.
5707 @node Summary Post Commands
5708 @subsection Summary Post Commands
5710 @cindex composing news
5712 Commands for posting a news article:
5718 @kindex S p (Summary)
5719 @findex gnus-summary-post-news
5720 @c @icon{gnus-summary-post-news}
5721 Prepare for posting an article (@code{gnus-summary-post-news}). By
5722 default, post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
5723 If the prefix is 1, prompt for another group instead.
5728 @kindex S f (Summary)
5729 @findex gnus-summary-followup
5730 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup}
5731 Post a followup to the current article (@code{gnus-summary-followup}).
5735 @kindex S F (Summary)
5737 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}
5738 @findex gnus-summary-followup-with-original
5739 Post a followup to the current article and include the original message
5740 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}). This command uses the
5741 process/prefix convention.
5744 @kindex S n (Summary)
5745 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail
5746 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
5747 message through mail (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail}).
5750 @kindex S N (Summary)
5751 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original
5752 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
5753 message through mail and include the original message
5754 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original}). This command uses
5755 the process/prefix convention.
5758 @kindex S o p (Summary)
5759 @findex gnus-summary-post-forward
5760 Forward the current article to a newsgroup
5761 (@code{gnus-summary-post-forward}).
5762 If no prefix is given, the message is forwarded according to the value
5763 of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}) and
5764 (@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
5765 message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
5766 as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
5767 forward as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
5768 directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
5769 but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
5770 default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section.
5773 @kindex S O p (Summary)
5774 @findex gnus-uu-digest-post-forward
5776 @cindex making digests
5777 Digest the current series and forward the result to a newsgroup
5778 (@code{gnus-uu-digest-post-forward}). This command uses the
5779 process/prefix convention.
5782 @kindex S u (Summary)
5783 @findex gnus-uu-post-news
5784 @c @icon{gnus-uu-post-news}
5785 Uuencode a file, split it into parts, and post it as a series
5786 (@code{gnus-uu-post-news}). (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
5789 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
5790 Manual}, for more information.
5793 @node Summary Message Commands
5794 @subsection Summary Message Commands
5798 @kindex S y (Summary)
5799 @findex gnus-summary-yank-message
5800 Yank the current article into an already existing Message composition
5801 buffer (@code{gnus-summary-yank-message}). This command prompts for
5802 what message buffer you want to yank into, and understands the
5803 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5808 @node Canceling and Superseding
5809 @subsection Canceling Articles
5810 @cindex canceling articles
5811 @cindex superseding articles
5813 Have you ever written something, and then decided that you really,
5814 really, really wish you hadn't posted that?
5816 Well, you can't cancel mail, but you can cancel posts.
5818 @findex gnus-summary-cancel-article
5820 @c @icon{gnus-summary-cancel-article}
5821 Find the article you wish to cancel (you can only cancel your own
5822 articles, so don't try any funny stuff). Then press @kbd{C} or @kbd{S
5823 c} (@code{gnus-summary-cancel-article}). Your article will be
5824 canceled---machines all over the world will be deleting your article.
5825 This command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5827 Be aware, however, that not all sites honor cancels, so your article may
5828 live on here and there, while most sites will delete the article in
5831 Gnus will use the ``current'' select method when canceling. If you
5832 want to use the standard posting method, use the @samp{a} symbolic
5833 prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}).
5835 Gnus ensures that only you can cancel your own messages using a
5836 @code{Cancel-Lock} header (@pxref{Canceling News, Canceling News, ,
5837 message, Message Manual}).
5839 If you discover that you have made some mistakes and want to do some
5840 corrections, you can post a @dfn{superseding} article that will replace
5841 your original article.
5843 @findex gnus-summary-supersede-article
5845 Go to the original article and press @kbd{S s}
5846 (@code{gnus-summary-supersede-article}). You will be put in a buffer
5847 where you can edit the article all you want before sending it off the
5850 The same goes for superseding as for canceling, only more so: Some
5851 sites do not honor superseding. On those sites, it will appear that you
5852 have posted almost the same article twice.
5854 If you have just posted the article, and change your mind right away,
5855 there is a trick you can use to cancel/supersede the article without
5856 waiting for the article to appear on your site first. You simply return
5857 to the post buffer (which is called @code{*sent ...*}). There you will
5858 find the article you just posted, with all the headers intact. Change
5859 the @code{Message-ID} header to a @code{Cancel} or @code{Supersedes}
5860 header by substituting one of those words for the word
5861 @code{Message-ID}. Then just press @kbd{C-c C-c} to send the article as
5862 you would do normally. The previous article will be
5863 canceled/superseded.
5865 Just remember, kids: There is no 'c' in 'supersede'.
5867 @node Delayed Articles
5868 @section Delayed Articles
5869 @cindex delayed sending
5870 @cindex send delayed
5872 Sometimes, you might wish to delay the sending of a message. For
5873 example, you might wish to arrange for a message to turn up just in time
5874 to remind your about the birthday of your Significant Other. For this,
5875 there is the @code{gnus-delay} package. Setup is simple:
5878 (gnus-delay-initialize)
5881 @findex gnus-delay-article
5882 Normally, to send a message you use the @kbd{C-c C-c} command from
5883 Message mode. To delay a message, use @kbd{C-c C-j}
5884 (@code{gnus-delay-article}) instead. This will ask you for how long the
5885 message should be delayed. Possible answers are:
5889 A time span. Consists of an integer and a letter. For example,
5890 @code{42d} means to delay for 42 days. Available letters are @code{m}
5891 (minutes), @code{h} (hours), @code{d} (days), @code{w} (weeks), @code{M}
5892 (months) and @code{Y} (years).
5895 A specific date. Looks like @code{YYYY-MM-DD}. The message will be
5896 delayed until that day, at a specific time (eight o'clock by default).
5897 See also @code{gnus-delay-default-hour}.
5900 A specific time of day. Given in @code{hh:mm} format, 24h, no am/pm
5901 stuff. The deadline will be at that time today, except if that time has
5902 already passed, then it's at the given time tomorrow. So if it's ten
5903 o'clock in the morning and you specify @code{11:15}, then the deadline
5904 is one hour and fifteen minutes hence. But if you specify @code{9:20},
5905 that means a time tomorrow.
5908 The action of the @code{gnus-delay-article} command is influenced by a
5909 couple of variables:
5912 @item gnus-delay-default-hour
5913 @vindex gnus-delay-default-hour
5914 When you specify a specific date, the message will be due on that hour
5915 on the given date. Possible values are integers 0 through 23.
5917 @item gnus-delay-default-delay
5918 @vindex gnus-delay-default-delay
5919 This is a string and gives the default delay. It can be of any of the
5920 formats described above.
5922 @item gnus-delay-group
5923 @vindex gnus-delay-group
5924 Delayed articles will be kept in this group on the drafts server until
5925 they are due. You probably don't need to change this. The default
5926 value is @code{"delayed"}.
5928 @item gnus-delay-header
5929 @vindex gnus-delay-header
5930 The deadline for each article will be stored in a header. This variable
5931 is a string and gives the header name. You probably don't need to
5932 change this. The default value is @code{"X-Gnus-Delayed"}.
5935 The way delaying works is like this: when you use the
5936 @code{gnus-delay-article} command, you give a certain delay. Gnus
5937 calculates the deadline of the message and stores it in the
5938 @code{X-Gnus-Delayed} header and puts the message in the
5939 @code{nndraft:delayed} group.
5941 @findex gnus-delay-send-queue
5942 And whenever you get new news, Gnus looks through the group for articles
5943 which are due and sends them. It uses the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue}
5944 function for this. By default, this function is added to the hook
5945 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But of course, you can change this.
5946 Maybe you want to use the demon to send drafts? Just tell the demon to
5947 execute the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} function.
5950 @item gnus-delay-initialize
5951 @findex gnus-delay-initialize
5952 By default, this function installs @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} in
5953 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But it accepts the optional second
5954 argument @code{no-check}. If it is non-@code{nil},
5955 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is not changed. The optional first
5956 argument is ignored.
5958 For example, @code{(gnus-delay-initialize nil t)} means to do nothing.
5959 Presumably, you want to use the demon for sending due delayed articles.
5960 Just don't forget to set that up :-)
5964 @node Marking Articles
5965 @section Marking Articles
5966 @cindex article marking
5967 @cindex article ticking
5970 There are several marks you can set on an article.
5972 You have marks that decide the @dfn{readedness} (whoo, neato-keano
5973 neologism ohoy!) of the article. Alphabetic marks generally mean
5974 @dfn{read}, while non-alphabetic characters generally mean @dfn{unread}.
5976 In addition, you also have marks that do not affect readedness.
5979 There's a plethora of commands for manipulating these marks.
5983 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
5984 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
5985 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
5986 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
5987 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
5988 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
5992 @node Unread Articles
5993 @subsection Unread Articles
5995 The following marks mark articles as (kinda) unread, in one form or
6000 @vindex gnus-ticked-mark
6001 Marked as ticked (@code{gnus-ticked-mark}).
6003 @dfn{Ticked articles} are articles that will remain visible always. If
6004 you see an article that you find interesting, or you want to put off
6005 reading it, or replying to it, until sometime later, you'd typically
6006 tick it. However, articles can be expired (from news servers by the
6007 news server software, Gnus itself never expires ticked messages), so if
6008 you want to keep an article forever, you'll have to make it persistent
6009 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
6012 @vindex gnus-dormant-mark
6013 Marked as dormant (@code{gnus-dormant-mark}).
6015 @dfn{Dormant articles} will only appear in the summary buffer if there
6016 are followups to it. If you want to see them even if they don't have
6017 followups, you can use the @kbd{/ D} command (@pxref{Limiting}).
6018 Otherwise (except for the visibility issue), they are just like ticked
6022 @vindex gnus-unread-mark
6023 Marked as unread (@code{gnus-unread-mark}).
6025 @dfn{Unread articles} are articles that haven't been read at all yet.
6030 @subsection Read Articles
6031 @cindex expirable mark
6033 All the following marks mark articles as read.
6038 @vindex gnus-del-mark
6039 These are articles that the user has marked as read with the @kbd{d}
6040 command manually, more or less (@code{gnus-del-mark}).
6043 @vindex gnus-read-mark
6044 Articles that have actually been read (@code{gnus-read-mark}).
6047 @vindex gnus-ancient-mark
6048 Articles that were marked as read in previous sessions and are now
6049 @dfn{old} (@code{gnus-ancient-mark}).
6052 @vindex gnus-killed-mark
6053 Marked as killed (@code{gnus-killed-mark}).
6056 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mark
6057 Marked as killed by kill files (@code{gnus-kill-file-mark}).
6060 @vindex gnus-low-score-mark
6061 Marked as read by having too low a score (@code{gnus-low-score-mark}).
6064 @vindex gnus-catchup-mark
6065 Marked as read by a catchup (@code{gnus-catchup-mark}).
6068 @vindex gnus-canceled-mark
6069 Canceled article (@code{gnus-canceled-mark})
6072 @vindex gnus-souped-mark
6073 @sc{soup}ed article (@code{gnus-souped-mark}). @xref{SOUP}.
6076 @vindex gnus-sparse-mark
6077 Sparsely reffed article (@code{gnus-sparse-mark}). @xref{Customizing
6081 @vindex gnus-duplicate-mark
6082 Article marked as read by duplicate suppression
6083 (@code{gnus-duplicate-mark}). @xref{Duplicate Suppression}.
6087 All these marks just mean that the article is marked as read, really.
6088 They are interpreted differently when doing adaptive scoring, though.
6090 One more special mark, though:
6094 @vindex gnus-expirable-mark
6095 Marked as expirable (@code{gnus-expirable-mark}).
6097 Marking articles as @dfn{expirable} (or have them marked as such
6098 automatically) doesn't make much sense in normal groups---a user doesn't
6099 control expiring of news articles, but in mail groups, for instance,
6100 articles marked as @dfn{expirable} can be deleted by Gnus at
6106 @subsection Other Marks
6107 @cindex process mark
6110 There are some marks that have nothing to do with whether the article is
6116 You can set a bookmark in the current article. Say you are reading a
6117 long thesis on cats' urinary tracts, and have to go home for dinner
6118 before you've finished reading the thesis. You can then set a bookmark
6119 in the article, and Gnus will jump to this bookmark the next time it
6120 encounters the article. @xref{Setting Marks}.
6123 @vindex gnus-replied-mark
6124 All articles that you have replied to or made a followup to (i.e., have
6125 answered) will be marked with an @samp{A} in the second column
6126 (@code{gnus-replied-mark}).
6129 @vindex gnus-forwarded-mark
6130 All articles that you have forwarded will be marked with an @samp{F} in
6131 the second column (@code{gnus-forwarded-mark}).
6134 @vindex gnus-cached-mark
6135 Articles stored in the article cache will be marked with an @samp{*} in
6136 the second column (@code{gnus-cached-mark}). @xref{Article Caching}.
6139 @vindex gnus-saved-mark
6140 Articles ``saved'' (in some manner or other; not necessarily
6141 religiously) are marked with an @samp{S} in the second column
6142 (@code{gnus-saved-mark}).
6145 @vindex gnus-recent-mark
6146 Articles that according to the server haven't been shown to the user
6147 before are marked with a @samp{N} in the second column
6148 (@code{gnus-recent-mark}). Note that not all servers support this
6149 mark, in which case it simply never appears. Compare with
6150 @code{gnus-unseen-mark}.
6153 @vindex gnus-unseen-mark
6154 Articles that haven't been seen before in Gnus by the user are marked
6155 with a @samp{.} in the second column (@code{gnus-unseen-mark}).
6156 Compare with @code{gnus-recent-mark}.
6159 @vindex gnus-downloaded-mark
6160 When using the Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}), articles may be
6161 downloaded for unplugged (offline) viewing. If you are using the
6162 @samp{%O} spec, these articles get the @samp{+} mark in that spec.
6163 (The variable @code{gnus-downloaded-mark} controls which character to
6167 @vindex gnus-undownloaded-mark
6168 When using the Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}), some articles might
6169 not have been downloaded. Such articles cannot be viewed while you
6170 are unplugged (offline). If you are using the @samp{%O} spec, these
6171 articles get the @samp{-} mark in that spec. (The variable
6172 @code{gnus-undownloaded-mark} controls which character to use.)
6175 @vindex gnus-downloadable-mark
6176 The Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}) downloads some articles
6177 automatically, but it is also possible to explicitly mark articles for
6178 download, even if they would not be downloaded automatically. Such
6179 explicitly-marked articles get the @samp{%} mark in the first column.
6180 (The variable @code{gnus-downloadable-mark} controls which character to
6184 @vindex gnus-not-empty-thread-mark
6185 @vindex gnus-empty-thread-mark
6186 If the @samp{%e} spec is used, the presence of threads or not will be
6187 marked with @code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark} and
6188 @code{gnus-empty-thread-mark} in the third column, respectively.
6191 @vindex gnus-process-mark
6192 Finally we have the @dfn{process mark} (@code{gnus-process-mark}). A
6193 variety of commands react to the presence of the process mark. For
6194 instance, @kbd{X u} (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}) will uudecode and view
6195 all articles that have been marked with the process mark. Articles
6196 marked with the process mark have a @samp{#} in the second column.
6200 You might have noticed that most of these ``non-readedness'' marks
6201 appear in the second column by default. So if you have a cached, saved,
6202 replied article that you have process-marked, what will that look like?
6204 Nothing much. The precedence rules go as follows: process -> cache ->
6205 replied -> saved. So if the article is in the cache and is replied,
6206 you'll only see the cache mark and not the replied mark.
6210 @subsection Setting Marks
6211 @cindex setting marks
6213 All the marking commands understand the numeric prefix.
6218 @kindex M c (Summary)
6219 @kindex M-u (Summary)
6220 @findex gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward
6221 @cindex mark as unread
6222 Clear all readedness-marks from the current article
6223 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward}). In other words, mark the
6229 @kindex M t (Summary)
6230 @findex gnus-summary-tick-article-forward
6231 Tick the current article (@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}).
6232 @xref{Article Caching}.
6237 @kindex M ? (Summary)
6238 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant
6239 Mark the current article as dormant
6240 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant}). @xref{Article Caching}.
6244 @kindex M d (Summary)
6246 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward
6247 Mark the current article as read
6248 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward}).
6252 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward
6253 Mark the current article as read and move point to the previous line
6254 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward}).
6259 @kindex M k (Summary)
6260 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select
6261 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read,
6262 and then select the next unread article
6263 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select}).
6267 @kindex M K (Summary)
6268 @kindex C-k (Summary)
6269 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject
6270 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read
6271 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject}).
6274 @kindex M C (Summary)
6275 @findex gnus-summary-catchup
6276 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup}
6277 Mark all unread articles as read (@code{gnus-summary-catchup}).
6280 @kindex M C-c (Summary)
6281 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all
6282 Mark all articles in the group as read---even the ticked and dormant
6283 articles (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all}).
6286 @kindex M H (Summary)
6287 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-to-here
6288 Catchup the current group to point (before the point)
6289 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-to-here}).
6292 @kindex M h (Summary)
6293 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-from-here
6294 Catchup the current group from point (after the point)
6295 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-from-here}).
6298 @kindex C-w (Summary)
6299 @findex gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read
6300 Mark all articles between point and mark as read
6301 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read}).
6304 @kindex M V k (Summary)
6305 @findex gnus-summary-kill-below
6306 Kill all articles with scores below the default score (or below the
6307 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-kill-below}).
6311 @kindex M e (Summary)
6313 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable
6314 Mark the current article as expirable
6315 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable}).
6318 @kindex M b (Summary)
6319 @findex gnus-summary-set-bookmark
6320 Set a bookmark in the current article
6321 (@code{gnus-summary-set-bookmark}).
6324 @kindex M B (Summary)
6325 @findex gnus-summary-remove-bookmark
6326 Remove the bookmark from the current article
6327 (@code{gnus-summary-remove-bookmark}).
6330 @kindex M V c (Summary)
6331 @findex gnus-summary-clear-above
6332 Clear all marks from articles with scores over the default score (or
6333 over the numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
6336 @kindex M V u (Summary)
6337 @findex gnus-summary-tick-above
6338 Tick all articles with scores over the default score (or over the
6339 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-tick-above}).
6342 @kindex M V m (Summary)
6343 @findex gnus-summary-mark-above
6344 Prompt for a mark, and mark all articles with scores over the default
6345 score (or over the numeric prefix) with this mark
6346 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
6349 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
6350 The @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} variable controls what action should
6351 be taken after setting a mark. If non-@code{nil}, point will move to
6352 the next/previous unread article. If @code{nil}, point will just move
6353 one line up or down. As a special case, if this variable is
6354 @code{never}, all the marking commands as well as other commands (like
6355 @kbd{SPACE}) will move to the next article, whether it is unread or not.
6356 The default is @code{t}.
6359 @node Generic Marking Commands
6360 @subsection Generic Marking Commands
6362 Some people would like the command that ticks an article (@kbd{!}) go to
6363 the next article. Others would like it to go to the next unread
6364 article. Yet others would like it to stay on the current article. And
6365 even though I haven't heard of anybody wanting it to go to the
6366 previous (unread) article, I'm sure there are people that want that as
6369 Multiply these five behaviors with five different marking commands, and
6370 you get a potentially complex set of variable to control what each
6373 To sidestep that mess, Gnus provides commands that do all these
6374 different things. They can be found on the @kbd{M M} map in the summary
6375 buffer. Type @kbd{M M C-h} to see them all---there are too many of them
6376 to list in this manual.
6378 While you can use these commands directly, most users would prefer
6379 altering the summary mode keymap. For instance, if you would like the
6380 @kbd{!} command to go to the next article instead of the next unread
6381 article, you could say something like:
6385 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'my-alter-summary-map)
6386 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
6387 (local-set-key "!" 'gnus-summary-put-mark-as-ticked-next))
6395 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
6396 (local-set-key "!" "MM!n"))
6400 @node Setting Process Marks
6401 @subsection Setting Process Marks
6402 @cindex setting process marks
6404 Process marks are displayed as @code{#} in the summary buffer, and are
6405 used for marking articles in such a way that other commands will
6406 process these articles. For instance, if you process mark four
6407 articles and then use the @kbd{*} command, Gnus will enter these four
6408 articles into the cache. For more information,
6409 @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
6416 @kindex M P p (Summary)
6417 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
6418 Mark the current article with the process mark
6419 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}).
6420 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
6424 @kindex M P u (Summary)
6425 @kindex M-# (Summary)
6426 Remove the process mark, if any, from the current article
6427 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
6430 @kindex M P U (Summary)
6431 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
6432 Remove the process mark from all articles
6433 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
6436 @kindex M P i (Summary)
6437 @findex gnus-uu-invert-processable
6438 Invert the list of process marked articles
6439 (@code{gnus-uu-invert-processable}).
6442 @kindex M P R (Summary)
6443 @findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
6444 Mark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
6445 expression (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
6448 @kindex M P G (Summary)
6449 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp
6450 Unmark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
6451 expression (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp}).
6454 @kindex M P r (Summary)
6455 @findex gnus-uu-mark-region
6456 Mark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
6459 @kindex M P g (Summary)
6460 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-region
6461 Unmark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-region}).
6464 @kindex M P t (Summary)
6465 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
6466 Mark all articles in the current (sub)thread
6467 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
6470 @kindex M P T (Summary)
6471 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
6472 Unmark all articles in the current (sub)thread
6473 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
6476 @kindex M P v (Summary)
6477 @findex gnus-uu-mark-over
6478 Mark all articles that have a score above the prefix argument
6479 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-over}).
6482 @kindex M P s (Summary)
6483 @findex gnus-uu-mark-series
6484 Mark all articles in the current series (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
6487 @kindex M P S (Summary)
6488 @findex gnus-uu-mark-sparse
6489 Mark all series that have already had some articles marked
6490 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-sparse}).
6493 @kindex M P a (Summary)
6494 @findex gnus-uu-mark-all
6495 Mark all articles in series order (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}).
6498 @kindex M P b (Summary)
6499 @findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
6500 Mark all articles in the buffer in the order they appear
6501 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
6504 @kindex M P k (Summary)
6505 @findex gnus-summary-kill-process-mark
6506 Push the current process mark set onto the stack and unmark all articles
6507 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-process-mark}).
6510 @kindex M P y (Summary)
6511 @findex gnus-summary-yank-process-mark
6512 Pop the previous process mark set from the stack and restore it
6513 (@code{gnus-summary-yank-process-mark}).
6516 @kindex M P w (Summary)
6517 @findex gnus-summary-save-process-mark
6518 Push the current process mark set onto the stack
6519 (@code{gnus-summary-save-process-mark}).
6523 Also see the @kbd{&} command in @ref{Searching for Articles}, for how to
6524 set process marks based on article body contents.
6531 It can be convenient to limit the summary buffer to just show some
6532 subset of the articles currently in the group. The effect most limit
6533 commands have is to remove a few (or many) articles from the summary
6536 All limiting commands work on subsets of the articles already fetched
6537 from the servers. None of these commands query the server for
6538 additional articles.
6544 @kindex / / (Summary)
6545 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-subject
6546 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some subject
6547 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-subject}). If given a prefix, exclude
6551 @kindex / a (Summary)
6552 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-author
6553 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some author
6554 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-author}). If given a prefix, exclude
6558 @kindex / R (Summary)
6559 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-recipient
6560 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some recipient
6561 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-recipient}). If given a prefix, exclude
6565 @kindex / A (Summary)
6566 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-address
6567 Limit the summary buffer to articles in which contents of From, To or Cc
6568 header match a given address (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-address}). If
6569 given a prefix, exclude matching articles.
6572 @kindex / S (Summary)
6573 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-singletons
6574 Limit the summary buffer to articles that aren't part of any displayed
6575 threads (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-singletons}). If given a prefix,
6576 limit to articles that are part of displayed threads.
6579 @kindex / x (Summary)
6580 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-extra
6581 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match one of the ``extra''
6582 headers (@pxref{To From Newsgroups})
6583 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-extra}). If given a prefix, exclude
6588 @kindex / u (Summary)
6590 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unread
6591 Limit the summary buffer to articles not marked as read
6592 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unread}). If given a prefix, limit the
6593 buffer to articles strictly unread. This means that ticked and
6594 dormant articles will also be excluded.
6597 @kindex / m (Summary)
6598 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-marks
6599 Ask for a mark and then limit to all articles that have been marked
6600 with that mark (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}).
6603 @kindex / t (Summary)
6604 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-age
6605 Ask for a number and then limit the summary buffer to articles older than (or equal to) that number of days
6606 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-age}). If given a prefix, limit to
6607 articles younger than that number of days.
6610 @kindex / n (Summary)
6611 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-articles
6612 With prefix @samp{n}, limit the summary buffer to the next @samp{n}
6613 articles. If not given a prefix, use the process marked articles
6614 instead. (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-articles}).
6617 @kindex / w (Summary)
6618 @findex gnus-summary-pop-limit
6619 Pop the previous limit off the stack and restore it
6620 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-limit}). If given a prefix, pop all limits off
6624 @kindex / . (Summary)
6625 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen
6626 Limit the summary buffer to the unseen articles
6627 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen}).
6630 @kindex / v (Summary)
6631 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-score
6632 Limit the summary buffer to articles that have a score at or above some
6633 score (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-score}).
6636 @kindex / p (Summary)
6637 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate
6638 Limit the summary buffer to articles that satisfy the @code{display}
6639 group parameter predicate
6640 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate}). @xref{Group
6641 Parameters}, for more on this predicate.
6644 @kindex / r (Summary)
6645 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-replied
6646 Limit the summary buffer to replied articles
6647 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-replied}). If given a prefix, exclude
6652 @kindex M S (Summary)
6653 @kindex / E (Summary)
6654 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged
6655 Include all expunged articles in the limit
6656 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged}).
6659 @kindex / D (Summary)
6660 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant
6661 Include all dormant articles in the limit
6662 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant}).
6665 @kindex / * (Summary)
6666 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-cached
6667 Include all cached articles in the limit
6668 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}).
6671 @kindex / d (Summary)
6672 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant
6673 Exclude all dormant articles from the limit
6674 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant}).
6677 @kindex / M (Summary)
6678 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks
6679 Exclude all marked articles (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks}).
6682 @kindex / T (Summary)
6683 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-thread
6684 Include all the articles in the current thread in the limit.
6687 @kindex / c (Summary)
6688 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant
6689 Exclude all dormant articles that have no children from the limit@*
6690 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant}).
6693 @kindex / C (Summary)
6694 @findex gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read
6695 Mark all excluded unread articles as read
6696 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read}). If given a prefix,
6697 also mark excluded ticked and dormant articles as read.
6700 @kindex / N (Summary)
6701 @findex gnus-summary-insert-new-articles
6702 Insert all new articles in the summary buffer. It scans for new emails
6703 if @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} is non-@code{nil}.
6706 @kindex / o (Summary)
6707 @findex gnus-summary-insert-old-articles
6708 Insert all old articles in the summary buffer. If given a numbered
6709 prefix, fetch this number of articles.
6712 @kindex / b (Summary)
6713 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-bodies
6714 Limit the summary buffer to articles that have bodies that match a
6715 certain regexp (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-bodies}). If given a
6716 prefix, reverse the limit. This command is quite slow since it
6717 requires selecting each article to find the matches.
6720 @kindex / h (Summary)
6721 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-headers
6722 Like the previous command, only limit to headers instead
6723 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-headers}).
6731 @cindex article threading
6733 Gnus threads articles by default. @dfn{To thread} is to put responses
6734 to articles directly after the articles they respond to---in a
6735 hierarchical fashion.
6737 Threading is done by looking at the @code{References} headers of the
6738 articles. In a perfect world, this would be enough to build pretty
6739 trees, but unfortunately, the @code{References} header is often broken
6740 or simply missing. Weird news propagation exacerbates the problem,
6741 so one has to employ other heuristics to get pleasing results. A
6742 plethora of approaches exists, as detailed in horrible detail in
6743 @ref{Customizing Threading}.
6745 First, a quick overview of the concepts:
6749 The top-most article in a thread; the first article in the thread.
6752 A tree-like article structure.
6755 A small(er) section of this tree-like structure.
6758 Threads often lose their roots due to article expiry, or due to the root
6759 already having been read in a previous session, and not displayed in the
6760 summary buffer. We then typically have many sub-threads that really
6761 belong to one thread, but are without connecting roots. These are
6762 called loose threads.
6764 @item thread gathering
6765 An attempt to gather loose threads into bigger threads.
6767 @item sparse threads
6768 A thread where the missing articles have been ``guessed'' at, and are
6769 displayed as empty lines in the summary buffer.
6775 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
6776 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
6780 @node Customizing Threading
6781 @subsection Customizing Threading
6782 @cindex customizing threading
6785 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
6786 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
6787 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
6788 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over@dots{} but you were wrong!
6793 @subsubsection Loose Threads
6796 @cindex loose threads
6799 @item gnus-summary-make-false-root
6800 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root
6801 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will gather all loose subtrees into one big tree
6802 and create a dummy root at the top. (Wait a minute. Root at the top?
6803 Yup.) Loose subtrees occur when the real root has expired, or you've
6804 read or killed the root in a previous session.
6806 When there is no real root of a thread, Gnus will have to fudge
6807 something. This variable says what fudging method Gnus should use.
6808 There are four possible values:
6812 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{390}{
6813 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-adopt,width=7.5cm}}
6814 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-empty,width=7.5cm}}}
6815 \put(0,400){\makebox(0,0)[tl]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-none,width=7.5cm}}}
6816 \put(445,400){\makebox(0,0)[tr]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-dummy,width=7.5cm}}}
6821 @cindex adopting articles
6826 Gnus will make the first of the orphaned articles the parent. This
6827 parent will adopt all the other articles. The adopted articles will be
6828 marked as such by pointy brackets (@samp{<>}) instead of the standard
6829 square brackets (@samp{[]}). This is the default method.
6832 @vindex gnus-summary-dummy-line-format
6833 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root-always
6834 Gnus will create a dummy summary line that will pretend to be the
6835 parent. This dummy line does not correspond to any real article, so
6836 selecting it will just select the first real article after the dummy
6837 article. @code{gnus-summary-dummy-line-format} is used to specify the
6838 format of the dummy roots. It accepts only one format spec: @samp{S},
6839 which is the subject of the article. @xref{Formatting Variables}.
6840 If you want all threads to have a dummy root, even the non-gathered
6841 ones, set @code{gnus-summary-make-false-root-always} to @code{t}.
6844 Gnus won't actually make any article the parent, but simply leave the
6845 subject field of all orphans except the first empty. (Actually, it will
6846 use @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} as the subject (@pxref{Summary
6850 Don't make any article parent at all. Just gather the threads and
6851 display them after one another.
6854 Don't gather loose threads.
6857 @item gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
6858 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
6859 Loose threads are gathered by comparing subjects of articles. If this
6860 variable is @code{nil}, Gnus requires an exact match between the
6861 subjects of the loose threads before gathering them into one big
6862 super-thread. This might be too strict a requirement, what with the
6863 presence of stupid newsreaders that chop off long subject lines. If
6864 you think so, set this variable to, say, 20 to require that only the
6865 first 20 characters of the subjects have to match. If you set this
6866 variable to a really low number, you'll find that Gnus will gather
6867 everything in sight into one thread, which isn't very helpful.
6869 @cindex fuzzy article gathering
6870 If you set this variable to the special value @code{fuzzy}, Gnus will
6871 use a fuzzy string comparison algorithm on the subjects (@pxref{Fuzzy
6874 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
6875 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
6876 This can either be a regular expression or list of regular expressions
6877 that match strings that will be removed from subjects if fuzzy subject
6878 simplification is used.
6880 @item gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6881 @vindex gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6882 If you set @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit} to something as low
6883 as 10, you might consider setting this variable to something sensible:
6885 @c Written by Michael Ernst <mernst@cs.rice.edu>
6887 (setq gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6893 "wanted" "followup" "summary\\( of\\)?"
6894 "help" "query" "problem" "question"
6895 "answer" "reference" "announce"
6896 "How can I" "How to" "Comparison of"
6901 (mapconcat 'identity
6902 '("for" "for reference" "with" "about")
6904 "\\)?\\]?:?[ \t]*"))
6907 All words that match this regexp will be removed before comparing two
6910 @item gnus-simplify-subject-functions
6911 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-functions
6912 If non-@code{nil}, this variable overrides
6913 @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}. This variable should be a
6914 list of functions to apply to the @code{Subject} string iteratively to
6915 arrive at the simplified version of the string.
6917 Useful functions to put in this list include:
6920 @item gnus-simplify-subject-re
6921 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-re
6922 Strip the leading @samp{Re:}.
6924 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
6925 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
6928 @item gnus-simplify-whitespace
6929 @findex gnus-simplify-whitespace
6930 Remove excessive whitespace.
6932 @item gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
6933 @findex gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
6934 Remove all whitespace.
6937 You may also write your own functions, of course.
6940 @item gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
6941 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
6942 Since loose thread gathering is done on subjects only, that might lead
6943 to many false hits, especially with certain common subjects like
6944 @samp{} and @samp{(none)}. To make the situation slightly better,
6945 you can use the regexp @code{gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject} to say
6946 what subjects should be excluded from the gathering process.@*
6947 The default is @samp{^ *$\\|^(none)$}.
6949 @item gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6950 @vindex gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6951 Gnus gathers threads by looking at @code{Subject} headers. This means
6952 that totally unrelated articles may end up in the same ``thread'', which
6953 is confusing. An alternate approach is to look at all the
6954 @code{Message-ID}s in all the @code{References} headers to find matches.
6955 This will ensure that no gathered threads ever include unrelated
6956 articles, but it also means that people who have posted with broken
6957 newsreaders won't be gathered properly. The choice is yours---plague or
6961 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
6962 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
6963 This function is the default gathering function and looks at
6964 @code{Subject}s exclusively.
6966 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-references
6967 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-references
6968 This function looks at @code{References} headers exclusively.
6971 If you want to test gathering by @code{References}, you could say
6975 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6976 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
6982 @node Filling In Threads
6983 @subsubsection Filling In Threads
6986 @item gnus-fetch-old-headers
6987 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-headers
6988 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will attempt to build old threads by fetching
6989 more old headers---headers to articles marked as read. If you would
6990 like to display as few summary lines as possible, but still connect as
6991 many loose threads as possible, you should set this variable to
6992 @code{some} or a number. If you set it to a number, no more than that
6993 number of extra old headers will be fetched. In either case, fetching
6994 old headers only works if the back end you are using carries overview
6995 files---this would normally be @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool},
6996 @code{nnml}, and @code{nnmaildir}. Also remember that if the root of
6997 the thread has been expired by the server, there's not much Gnus can
7000 This variable can also be set to @code{invisible}. This won't have any
7001 visible effects, but is useful if you use the @kbd{A T} command a lot
7002 (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
7004 @item gnus-fetch-old-ephemeral-headers
7005 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-ephemeral-headers
7006 Same as @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}, but only used for ephemeral
7009 @item gnus-build-sparse-threads
7010 @vindex gnus-build-sparse-threads
7011 Fetching old headers can be slow. A low-rent similar effect can be
7012 gotten by setting this variable to @code{some}. Gnus will then look at
7013 the complete @code{References} headers of all articles and try to string
7014 together articles that belong in the same thread. This will leave
7015 @dfn{gaps} in the threading display where Gnus guesses that an article
7016 is missing from the thread. (These gaps appear like normal summary
7017 lines. If you select a gap, Gnus will try to fetch the article in
7018 question.) If this variable is @code{t}, Gnus will display all these
7019 ``gaps'' without regard for whether they are useful for completing the
7020 thread or not. Finally, if this variable is @code{more}, Gnus won't cut
7021 off sparse leaf nodes that don't lead anywhere. This variable is
7022 @code{nil} by default.
7024 @item gnus-read-all-available-headers
7025 @vindex gnus-read-all-available-headers
7026 This is a rather obscure variable that few will find useful. It's
7027 intended for those non-news newsgroups where the back end has to fetch
7028 quite a lot to present the summary buffer, and where it's impossible to
7029 go back to parents of articles. This is mostly the case in the
7030 web-based groups, like the @code{nnultimate} groups.
7032 If you don't use those, then it's safe to leave this as the default
7033 @code{nil}. If you want to use this variable, it should be a regexp
7034 that matches the group name, or @code{t} for all groups.
7039 @node More Threading
7040 @subsubsection More Threading
7043 @item gnus-show-threads
7044 @vindex gnus-show-threads
7045 If this variable is @code{nil}, no threading will be done, and all of
7046 the rest of the variables here will have no effect. Turning threading
7047 off will speed group selection up a bit, but it is sure to make reading
7048 slower and more awkward.
7050 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
7051 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-subtree
7052 If non-@code{nil}, all threads will be hidden when the summary buffer is
7055 This can also be a predicate specifier (@pxref{Predicate Specifiers}).
7056 Available predicates are @code{gnus-article-unread-p} and
7057 @code{gnus-article-unseen-p}.
7062 (setq gnus-thread-hide-subtree
7063 '(or gnus-article-unread-p
7064 gnus-article-unseen-p))
7067 (It's a pretty nonsensical example, since all unseen articles are also
7068 unread, but you get my drift.)
7071 @item gnus-thread-expunge-below
7072 @vindex gnus-thread-expunge-below
7073 All threads that have a total score (as defined by
7074 @code{gnus-thread-score-function}) less than this number will be
7075 expunged. This variable is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
7076 threads are expunged.
7078 @item gnus-thread-hide-killed
7079 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-killed
7080 if you kill a thread and this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subtree
7083 @item gnus-thread-ignore-subject
7084 @vindex gnus-thread-ignore-subject
7085 Sometimes somebody changes the subject in the middle of a thread. If
7086 this variable is non-@code{nil}, which is the default, the subject
7087 change is ignored. If it is @code{nil}, a change in the subject will
7088 result in a new thread.
7090 @item gnus-thread-indent-level
7091 @vindex gnus-thread-indent-level
7092 This is a number that says how much each sub-thread should be indented.
7095 @item gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
7096 @vindex gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
7097 Sometimes, particularly with mailing lists, the order in which mails
7098 arrive locally is not necessarily the same as the order in which they
7099 arrived on the mailing list. Consequently, when sorting sub-threads
7100 using the default @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number}, responses can end
7101 up appearing before the article to which they are responding to.
7102 Setting this variable to an alternate value
7103 (e.g. @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}), in a group's parameters or in an
7104 appropriate hook (e.g. @code{gnus-summary-generate-hook}) can produce a
7105 more logical sub-thread ordering in such instances.
7110 @node Low-Level Threading
7111 @subsubsection Low-Level Threading
7115 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
7116 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
7117 Hook run before parsing any headers.
7119 @item gnus-alter-header-function
7120 @vindex gnus-alter-header-function
7121 If non-@code{nil}, this function will be called to allow alteration of
7122 article header structures. The function is called with one parameter,
7123 the article header vector, which it may alter in any way. For instance,
7124 if you have a mail-to-news gateway which alters the @code{Message-ID}s
7125 in systematic ways (by adding prefixes and such), you can use this
7126 variable to un-scramble the @code{Message-ID}s so that they are more
7127 meaningful. Here's one example:
7130 (setq gnus-alter-header-function 'my-alter-message-id)
7132 (defun my-alter-message-id (header)
7133 (let ((id (mail-header-id header)))
7135 "\\(<[^<>@@]*\\)\\.?cygnus\\..*@@\\([^<>@@]*>\\)" id)
7137 (concat (match-string 1 id) "@@" (match-string 2 id))
7144 @node Thread Commands
7145 @subsection Thread Commands
7146 @cindex thread commands
7152 @kindex T k (Summary)
7153 @kindex C-M-k (Summary)
7154 @findex gnus-summary-kill-thread
7155 Mark all articles in the current (sub-)thread as read
7156 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}). If the prefix argument is positive,
7157 remove all marks instead. If the prefix argument is negative, tick
7162 @kindex T l (Summary)
7163 @kindex C-M-l (Summary)
7164 @findex gnus-summary-lower-thread
7165 Lower the score of the current (sub-)thread
7166 (@code{gnus-summary-lower-thread}).
7169 @kindex T i (Summary)
7170 @findex gnus-summary-raise-thread
7171 Increase the score of the current (sub-)thread
7172 (@code{gnus-summary-raise-thread}).
7175 @kindex T # (Summary)
7176 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
7177 Set the process mark on the current (sub-)thread
7178 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
7181 @kindex T M-# (Summary)
7182 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
7183 Remove the process mark from the current (sub-)thread
7184 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
7187 @kindex T T (Summary)
7188 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-threads
7189 Toggle threading (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-threads}).
7192 @kindex T s (Summary)
7193 @findex gnus-summary-show-thread
7194 Expose the (sub-)thread hidden under the current article, if any@*
7195 (@code{gnus-summary-show-thread}).
7198 @kindex T h (Summary)
7199 @findex gnus-summary-hide-thread
7200 Hide the current (sub-)thread (@code{gnus-summary-hide-thread}).
7203 @kindex T S (Summary)
7204 @findex gnus-summary-show-all-threads
7205 Expose all hidden threads (@code{gnus-summary-show-all-threads}).
7208 @kindex T H (Summary)
7209 @findex gnus-summary-hide-all-threads
7210 Hide all threads (@code{gnus-summary-hide-all-threads}).
7213 @kindex T t (Summary)
7214 @findex gnus-summary-rethread-current
7215 Re-thread the current article's thread
7216 (@code{gnus-summary-rethread-current}). This works even when the
7217 summary buffer is otherwise unthreaded.
7220 @kindex T ^ (Summary)
7221 @findex gnus-summary-reparent-thread
7222 Make the current article the child of the marked (or previous) article
7223 (@code{gnus-summary-reparent-thread}).
7226 @kindex T M-^ (Summary)
7227 @findex gnus-summary-reparent-children
7228 Make the current article the parent of the marked articles
7229 (@code{gnus-summary-reparent-children}).
7233 The following commands are thread movement commands. They all
7234 understand the numeric prefix.
7239 @kindex T n (Summary)
7241 @kindex C-M-n (Summary)
7243 @kindex M-down (Summary)
7244 @findex gnus-summary-next-thread
7245 Go to the next thread (@code{gnus-summary-next-thread}).
7248 @kindex T p (Summary)
7250 @kindex C-M-p (Summary)
7252 @kindex M-up (Summary)
7253 @findex gnus-summary-prev-thread
7254 Go to the previous thread (@code{gnus-summary-prev-thread}).
7257 @kindex T d (Summary)
7258 @findex gnus-summary-down-thread
7259 Descend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-down-thread}).
7262 @kindex T u (Summary)
7263 @findex gnus-summary-up-thread
7264 Ascend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-up-thread}).
7267 @kindex T o (Summary)
7268 @findex gnus-summary-top-thread
7269 Go to the top of the thread (@code{gnus-summary-top-thread}).
7272 @vindex gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject
7273 If you ignore subject while threading, you'll naturally end up with
7274 threads that have several different subjects in them. If you then issue
7275 a command like @kbd{T k} (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}) you might not
7276 wish to kill the entire thread, but just those parts of the thread that
7277 have the same subject as the current article. If you like this idea,
7278 you can fiddle with @code{gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject}. If it
7279 is non-@code{nil} (which it is by default), subjects will be ignored
7280 when doing thread commands. If this variable is @code{nil}, articles in
7281 the same thread with different subjects will not be included in the
7282 operation in question. If this variable is @code{fuzzy}, only articles
7283 that have subjects fuzzily equal will be included (@pxref{Fuzzy
7287 @node Sorting the Summary Buffer
7288 @section Sorting the Summary Buffer
7290 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score
7291 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date
7292 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date-reverse
7293 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-score
7294 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
7295 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-author
7296 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-recipient
7297 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-number
7298 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-random
7299 @vindex gnus-thread-sort-functions
7300 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-number
7301 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-date
7302 If you are using a threaded summary display, you can sort the threads by
7303 setting @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, which can be either a single
7304 function, a list of functions, or a list containing functions and
7305 @code{(not some-function)} elements.
7307 By default, sorting is done on article numbers. Ready-made sorting
7308 predicate functions include @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number},
7309 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-recipient},
7310 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-subject},
7311 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date-reverse},
7312 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-score},
7313 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-number},
7314 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-date},
7315 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-random} and
7316 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score}.
7318 Each function takes two threads and returns non-@code{nil} if the first
7319 thread should be sorted before the other. Note that sorting really is
7320 normally done by looking only at the roots of each thread.
7322 If you use more than one function, the primary sort key should be the
7323 last function in the list. You should probably always include
7324 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number} in the list of sorting
7325 functions---preferably first. This will ensure that threads that are
7326 equal with respect to the other sort criteria will be displayed in
7327 ascending article order.
7329 If you would like to sort by reverse score, then by subject, and finally
7330 by number, you could do something like:
7333 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
7334 '(gnus-thread-sort-by-number
7335 gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
7336 (not gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score)))
7339 The threads that have highest score will be displayed first in the
7340 summary buffer. When threads have the same score, they will be sorted
7341 alphabetically. The threads that have the same score and the same
7342 subject will be sorted by number, which is (normally) the sequence in
7343 which the articles arrived.
7345 If you want to sort by score and then reverse arrival order, you could
7349 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
7350 '((not gnus-thread-sort-by-number)
7351 gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
7354 @vindex gnus-thread-score-function
7355 The function in the @code{gnus-thread-score-function} variable (default
7356 @code{+}) is used for calculating the total score of a thread. Useful
7357 functions might be @code{max}, @code{min}, or squared means, or whatever
7360 @findex gnus-article-sort-functions
7361 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-date
7362 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-score
7363 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-subject
7364 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-author
7365 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-random
7366 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-number
7367 If you are using an unthreaded display for some strange reason or
7368 other, you have to fiddle with the @code{gnus-article-sort-functions}
7369 variable. It is very similar to the
7370 @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, except that it uses slightly
7371 different functions for article comparison. Available sorting
7372 predicate functions are @code{gnus-article-sort-by-number},
7373 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-author},
7374 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-subject}, @code{gnus-article-sort-by-date},
7375 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-random}, and
7376 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-score}.
7378 If you want to sort an unthreaded summary display by subject, you could
7382 (setq gnus-article-sort-functions
7383 '(gnus-article-sort-by-number
7384 gnus-article-sort-by-subject))
7387 You can define group specific sorting via @code{gnus-parameters},
7388 @xref{Group Parameters}.
7391 @node Asynchronous Fetching
7392 @section Asynchronous Article Fetching
7393 @cindex asynchronous article fetching
7394 @cindex article pre-fetch
7397 If you read your news from an @acronym{NNTP} server that's far away, the
7398 network latencies may make reading articles a chore. You have to wait
7399 for a while after pressing @kbd{n} to go to the next article before the
7400 article appears. Why can't Gnus just go ahead and fetch the article
7401 while you are reading the previous one? Why not, indeed.
7403 First, some caveats. There are some pitfalls to using asynchronous
7404 article fetching, especially the way Gnus does it.
7406 Let's say you are reading article 1, which is short, and article 2 is
7407 quite long, and you are not interested in reading that. Gnus does not
7408 know this, so it goes ahead and fetches article 2. You decide to read
7409 article 3, but since Gnus is in the process of fetching article 2, the
7410 connection is blocked.
7412 To avoid these situations, Gnus will open two (count 'em two)
7413 connections to the server. Some people may think this isn't a very nice
7414 thing to do, but I don't see any real alternatives. Setting up that
7415 extra connection takes some time, so Gnus startup will be slower.
7417 Gnus will fetch more articles than you will read. This will mean that
7418 the link between your machine and the @acronym{NNTP} server will become more
7419 loaded than if you didn't use article pre-fetch. The server itself will
7420 also become more loaded---both with the extra article requests, and the
7423 Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing@dots{} unless
7426 @vindex gnus-asynchronous
7427 Here's how: Set @code{gnus-asynchronous} to @code{t}. The rest should
7428 happen automatically.
7430 @vindex gnus-use-article-prefetch
7431 You can control how many articles are to be pre-fetched by setting
7432 @code{gnus-use-article-prefetch}. This is 30 by default, which means
7433 that when you read an article in the group, the back end will pre-fetch
7434 the next 30 articles. If this variable is @code{t}, the back end will
7435 pre-fetch all the articles it can without bound. If it is
7436 @code{nil}, no pre-fetching will be done.
7438 @vindex gnus-async-prefetch-article-p
7439 @findex gnus-async-unread-p
7440 There are probably some articles that you don't want to pre-fetch---read
7441 articles, for instance. The @code{gnus-async-prefetch-article-p}
7442 variable controls whether an article is to be pre-fetched. This
7443 function should return non-@code{nil} when the article in question is
7444 to be pre-fetched. The default is @code{gnus-async-unread-p}, which
7445 returns @code{nil} on read articles. The function is called with an
7446 article data structure as the only parameter.
7448 If, for instance, you wish to pre-fetch only unread articles shorter
7449 than 100 lines, you could say something like:
7452 (defun my-async-short-unread-p (data)
7453 "Return non-nil for short, unread articles."
7454 (and (gnus-data-unread-p data)
7455 (< (mail-header-lines (gnus-data-header data))
7458 (setq gnus-async-prefetch-article-p 'my-async-short-unread-p)
7461 These functions will be called many, many times, so they should
7462 preferably be short and sweet to avoid slowing down Gnus too much.
7463 It's probably a good idea to byte-compile things like this.
7465 @vindex gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy
7466 Articles have to be removed from the asynch buffer sooner or later. The
7467 @code{gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy} says when to remove
7468 articles. This is a list that may contain the following elements:
7472 Remove articles when they are read.
7475 Remove articles when exiting the group.
7478 The default value is @code{(read exit)}.
7480 @c @vindex gnus-use-header-prefetch
7481 @c If @code{gnus-use-header-prefetch} is non-@code{nil}, prefetch articles
7482 @c from the next group.
7485 @node Article Caching
7486 @section Article Caching
7487 @cindex article caching
7490 If you have an @emph{extremely} slow @acronym{NNTP} connection, you may
7491 consider turning article caching on. Each article will then be stored
7492 locally under your home directory. As you may surmise, this could
7493 potentially use @emph{huge} amounts of disk space, as well as eat up all
7494 your inodes so fast it will make your head swim. In vodka.
7496 Used carefully, though, it could be just an easier way to save articles.
7498 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
7499 @vindex gnus-cache-directory
7500 @vindex gnus-use-cache
7501 To turn caching on, set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{t}. By default,
7502 all articles ticked or marked as dormant will then be copied
7503 over to your local cache (@code{gnus-cache-directory}). Whether this
7504 cache is flat or hierarchical is controlled by the
7505 @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable, as usual.
7507 When re-selecting a ticked or dormant article, it will be fetched from the
7508 cache instead of from the server. As articles in your cache will never
7509 expire, this might serve as a method of saving articles while still
7510 keeping them where they belong. Just mark all articles you want to save
7511 as dormant, and don't worry.
7513 When an article is marked as read, is it removed from the cache.
7515 @vindex gnus-cache-remove-articles
7516 @vindex gnus-cache-enter-articles
7517 The entering/removal of articles from the cache is controlled by the
7518 @code{gnus-cache-enter-articles} and @code{gnus-cache-remove-articles}
7519 variables. Both are lists of symbols. The first is @code{(ticked
7520 dormant)} by default, meaning that ticked and dormant articles will be
7521 put in the cache. The latter is @code{(read)} by default, meaning that
7522 articles marked as read are removed from the cache. Possibly
7523 symbols in these two lists are @code{ticked}, @code{dormant},
7524 @code{unread} and @code{read}.
7526 @findex gnus-jog-cache
7527 So where does the massive article-fetching and storing come into the
7528 picture? The @code{gnus-jog-cache} command will go through all
7529 subscribed newsgroups, request all unread articles, score them, and
7530 store them in the cache. You should only ever, ever ever ever, use this
7531 command if 1) your connection to the @acronym{NNTP} server is really, really,
7532 really slow and 2) you have a really, really, really huge disk.
7533 Seriously. One way to cut down on the number of articles downloaded is
7534 to score unwanted articles down and have them marked as read. They will
7535 not then be downloaded by this command.
7537 @vindex gnus-uncacheable-groups
7538 @vindex gnus-cacheable-groups
7539 It is likely that you do not want caching on all groups. For instance,
7540 if your @code{nnml} mail is located under your home directory, it makes no
7541 sense to cache it somewhere else under your home directory. Unless you
7542 feel that it's neat to use twice as much space.
7544 To limit the caching, you could set @code{gnus-cacheable-groups} to a
7545 regexp of groups to cache, @samp{^nntp} for instance, or set the
7546 @code{gnus-uncacheable-groups} regexp to @samp{^nnml}, for instance.
7547 Both variables are @code{nil} by default. If a group matches both
7548 variables, the group is not cached.
7550 @findex gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases
7551 @findex gnus-cache-generate-active
7552 @vindex gnus-cache-active-file
7553 The cache stores information on what articles it contains in its active
7554 file (@code{gnus-cache-active-file}). If this file (or any other parts
7555 of the cache) becomes all messed up for some reason or other, Gnus
7556 offers two functions that will try to set things right. @kbd{M-x
7557 gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases} will (re)build all the @acronym{NOV}
7558 files, and @kbd{gnus-cache-generate-active} will (re)generate the active
7561 @findex gnus-cache-move-cache
7562 @code{gnus-cache-move-cache} will move your whole
7563 @code{gnus-cache-directory} to some other location. You get asked to
7564 where, isn't that cool?
7566 @node Persistent Articles
7567 @section Persistent Articles
7568 @cindex persistent articles
7570 Closely related to article caching, we have @dfn{persistent articles}.
7571 In fact, it's just a different way of looking at caching, and much more
7572 useful in my opinion.
7574 Say you're reading a newsgroup, and you happen on to some valuable gem
7575 that you want to keep and treasure forever. You'd normally just save it
7576 (using one of the many saving commands) in some file. The problem with
7577 that is that it's just, well, yucky. Ideally you'd prefer just having
7578 the article remain in the group where you found it forever; untouched by
7579 the expiry going on at the news server.
7581 This is what a @dfn{persistent article} is---an article that just won't
7582 be deleted. It's implemented using the normal cache functions, but
7583 you use two explicit commands for managing persistent articles:
7589 @findex gnus-cache-enter-article
7590 Make the current article persistent (@code{gnus-cache-enter-article}).
7593 @kindex M-* (Summary)
7594 @findex gnus-cache-remove-article
7595 Remove the current article from the persistent articles
7596 (@code{gnus-cache-remove-article}). This will normally delete the
7600 Both these commands understand the process/prefix convention.
7602 To avoid having all ticked articles (and stuff) entered into the cache,
7603 you should set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{passive} if you're just
7604 interested in persistent articles:
7607 (setq gnus-use-cache 'passive)
7610 @node Sticky Articles
7611 @section Sticky Articles
7612 @cindex sticky articles
7614 When you select an article the current article buffer will be reused
7615 according to the value of the variable
7616 @code{gnus-single-article-buffer}. If its value is non-@code{nil} (the
7617 default) all articles reuse the same article buffer. Else each group
7618 has its own article buffer.
7620 This implies that it's not possible to have more than one article buffer
7621 in a group at a time. But sometimes you might want to display all the
7622 latest emails from your mother, your father, your aunt, your uncle and
7623 your 17 cousins to coordinate the next christmas party.
7625 That's where sticky articles come in handy. A sticky article buffer
7626 basically is a normal article buffer, but it won't be reused when you
7627 select another article. You can make an article sticky with:
7631 @kindex A S (Summary)
7632 @findex gnus-sticky-article
7633 Make the current article sticky. If a prefix arg is given, ask for a
7634 name for this sticky article buffer.
7637 To close a sticky article buffer you can use these commands:
7643 Puts this sticky article buffer at the end of the list of all buffers.
7647 @findex gnus-kill-sticky-article-buffer
7648 Kills this sticky article buffer.
7651 To kill all sticky article buffers you can use:
7653 @defun gnus-kill-sticky-article-buffers ARG
7654 Kill all sticky article buffers.
7655 If a prefix ARG is given, ask for confirmation.
7658 @node Article Backlog
7659 @section Article Backlog
7661 @cindex article backlog
7663 If you have a slow connection, but the idea of using caching seems
7664 unappealing to you (and it is, really), you can help the situation some
7665 by switching on the @dfn{backlog}. This is where Gnus will buffer
7666 already read articles so that it doesn't have to re-fetch articles
7667 you've already read. This only helps if you are in the habit of
7668 re-selecting articles you've recently read, of course. If you never do
7669 that, turning the backlog on will slow Gnus down a little bit, and
7670 increase memory usage some.
7672 @vindex gnus-keep-backlog
7673 If you set @code{gnus-keep-backlog} to a number @var{n}, Gnus will store
7674 at most @var{n} old articles in a buffer for later re-fetching. If this
7675 variable is non-@code{nil} and is not a number, Gnus will store
7676 @emph{all} read articles, which means that your Emacs will grow without
7677 bound before exploding and taking your machine down with you. I put
7678 that in there just to keep y'all on your toes.
7680 The default value is 20.
7683 @node Saving Articles
7684 @section Saving Articles
7685 @cindex saving articles
7687 Gnus can save articles in a number of ways. Below is the documentation
7688 for saving articles in a fairly straight-forward fashion (i.e., little
7689 processing of the article is done before it is saved). For a different
7690 approach (uudecoding, unsharing) you should use @code{gnus-uu}
7691 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
7693 For the commands listed here, the target is a file. If you want to
7694 save to a group, see the @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article})
7695 command (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
7697 @vindex gnus-save-all-headers
7698 If @code{gnus-save-all-headers} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will not delete
7699 unwanted headers before saving the article.
7701 @vindex gnus-saved-headers
7702 If the preceding variable is @code{nil}, all headers that match the
7703 @code{gnus-saved-headers} regexp will be kept, while the rest will be
7704 deleted before saving.
7710 @kindex O o (Summary)
7712 @findex gnus-summary-save-article
7713 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article}
7714 Save the current article using the default article saver
7715 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article}).
7718 @kindex O m (Summary)
7719 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-mail
7720 Save the current article in a Unix mail box (mbox) file
7721 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-mail}).
7724 @kindex O r (Summary)
7725 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-rmail
7726 Save the current article in Rmail format
7727 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-rmail}).
7730 @kindex O f (Summary)
7731 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-file
7732 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article-file}
7733 Save the current article in plain file format
7734 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-file}).
7737 @kindex O F (Summary)
7738 @findex gnus-summary-write-article-file
7739 Write the current article in plain file format, overwriting any previous
7740 file contents (@code{gnus-summary-write-article-file}).
7743 @kindex O b (Summary)
7744 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-body-file
7745 Save the current article body in plain file format
7746 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-body-file}).
7749 @kindex O h (Summary)
7750 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-folder
7751 Save the current article in mh folder format
7752 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-folder}).
7755 @kindex O v (Summary)
7756 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-vm
7757 Save the current article in a VM folder
7758 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-vm}).
7762 @kindex O p (Summary)
7764 @findex gnus-summary-pipe-output
7765 Save the current article in a pipe. Uhm, like, what I mean is---Pipe
7766 the current article to a process (@code{gnus-summary-pipe-output}).
7767 If given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), include the
7768 complete headers in the piped output.
7771 @kindex O P (Summary)
7772 @findex gnus-summary-muttprint
7773 @vindex gnus-summary-muttprint-program
7774 Save the current article into muttprint. That is, print it using the
7775 external program @uref{http://muttprint.sourceforge.net/,
7776 Muttprint}. The program name and options to use is controlled by the
7777 variable @code{gnus-summary-muttprint-program}.
7778 (@code{gnus-summary-muttprint}).
7782 @vindex gnus-prompt-before-saving
7783 All these commands use the process/prefix convention
7784 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). If you save bunches of articles using these
7785 functions, you might get tired of being prompted for files to save each
7786 and every article in. The prompting action is controlled by
7787 the @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} variable, which is @code{always} by
7788 default, giving you that excessive prompting action you know and
7789 loathe. If you set this variable to @code{t} instead, you'll be prompted
7790 just once for each series of articles you save. If you like to really
7791 have Gnus do all your thinking for you, you can even set this variable
7792 to @code{nil}, which means that you will never be prompted for files to
7793 save articles in. Gnus will simply save all the articles in the default
7797 @vindex gnus-default-article-saver
7798 You can customize the @code{gnus-default-article-saver} variable to make
7799 Gnus do what you want it to. You can use any of the eight ready-made
7800 functions below, or you can create your own.
7804 @item gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
7805 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
7806 @vindex gnus-rmail-save-name
7807 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
7808 This is the default format, @dfn{Babyl}. Uses the function in the
7809 @code{gnus-rmail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7810 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
7812 @item gnus-summary-save-in-mail
7813 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-mail
7814 @vindex gnus-mail-save-name
7815 Save in a Unix mail (mbox) file. Uses the function in the
7816 @code{gnus-mail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7817 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
7819 @item gnus-summary-save-in-file
7820 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-file
7821 @vindex gnus-file-save-name
7822 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
7823 Append the article straight to an ordinary file. Uses the function in
7824 the @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7825 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7827 @item gnus-summary-write-to-file
7828 @findex gnus-summary-write-to-file
7829 Write the article straight to an ordinary file. The file is
7830 overwritten if it exists. Uses the function in the
7831 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7832 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7834 @item gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
7835 @findex gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
7836 Append the article body to an ordinary file. Uses the function in the
7837 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7838 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7840 @item gnus-summary-write-body-to-file
7841 @findex gnus-summary-write-body-to-file
7842 Write the article body straight to an ordinary file. The file is
7843 overwritten if it exists. Uses the function in the
7844 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7845 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7847 @item gnus-summary-save-in-folder
7848 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-folder
7849 @findex gnus-folder-save-name
7850 @findex gnus-Folder-save-name
7851 @vindex gnus-folder-save-name
7854 Save the article to an MH folder using @code{rcvstore} from the MH
7855 library. Uses the function in the @code{gnus-folder-save-name} variable
7856 to get a file name to save the article in. The default is
7857 @code{gnus-folder-save-name}, but you can also use
7858 @code{gnus-Folder-save-name}, which creates capitalized names.
7860 @item gnus-summary-save-in-vm
7861 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-vm
7862 Save the article in a VM folder. You have to have the VM mail
7863 reader to use this setting.
7866 The symbol of each function may have the following properties:
7870 The value non-@code{nil} means save decoded articles. This is
7871 meaningful only with @code{gnus-summary-save-in-file},
7872 @code{gnus-summary-save-body-in-file},
7873 @code{gnus-summary-write-to-file}, and
7874 @code{gnus-summary-write-body-to-file}.
7877 The value specifies an alternative function which appends, not
7878 overwrites, articles to a file. This implies that when saving many
7879 articles at a time, @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} is bound to
7880 @code{t} and all articles are saved in a single file. This is
7881 meaningful only with @code{gnus-summary-write-to-file} and
7882 @code{gnus-summary-write-body-to-file}.
7885 The value specifies the symbol of a variable of which the value
7886 specifies headers to be saved. If it is omitted,
7887 @code{gnus-save-all-headers} and @code{gnus-saved-headers} control what
7888 headers should be saved.
7891 @vindex gnus-article-save-directory
7892 All of these functions, except for the last one, will save the article
7893 in the @code{gnus-article-save-directory}, which is initialized from the
7894 @env{SAVEDIR} environment variable. This is @file{~/News/} by
7897 As you can see above, the functions use different functions to find a
7898 suitable name of a file to save the article in. Below is a list of
7899 available functions that generate names:
7903 @item gnus-Numeric-save-name
7904 @findex gnus-Numeric-save-name
7905 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
7907 @item gnus-numeric-save-name
7908 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
7909 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
7911 @item gnus-Plain-save-name
7912 @findex gnus-Plain-save-name
7913 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin}.
7915 @item gnus-plain-save-name
7916 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
7917 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.
7919 @item gnus-sender-save-name
7920 @findex gnus-sender-save-name
7921 File names like @file{~/News/larsi}.
7924 @vindex gnus-split-methods
7925 You can have Gnus suggest where to save articles by plonking a regexp into
7926 the @code{gnus-split-methods} alist. For instance, if you would like to
7927 save articles related to Gnus in the file @file{gnus-stuff}, and articles
7928 related to VM in @file{vm-stuff}, you could set this variable to something
7932 (("^Subject:.*gnus\\|^Newsgroups:.*gnus" "gnus-stuff")
7933 ("^Subject:.*vm\\|^Xref:.*vm" "vm-stuff")
7934 (my-choosing-function "../other-dir/my-stuff")
7935 ((equal gnus-newsgroup-name "mail.misc") "mail-stuff"))
7938 We see that this is a list where each element is a list that has two
7939 elements---the @dfn{match} and the @dfn{file}. The match can either be
7940 a string (in which case it is used as a regexp to match on the article
7941 head); it can be a symbol (which will be called as a function with the
7942 group name as a parameter); or it can be a list (which will be
7943 @code{eval}ed). If any of these actions have a non-@code{nil} result,
7944 the @dfn{file} will be used as a default prompt. In addition, the
7945 result of the operation itself will be used if the function or form
7946 called returns a string or a list of strings.
7948 You basically end up with a list of file names that might be used when
7949 saving the current article. (All ``matches'' will be used.) You will
7950 then be prompted for what you really want to use as a name, with file
7951 name completion over the results from applying this variable.
7953 This variable is @code{((gnus-article-archive-name))} by default, which
7954 means that Gnus will look at the articles it saves for an
7955 @code{Archive-name} line and use that as a suggestion for the file
7958 Here's an example function to clean up file names somewhat. If you have
7959 lots of mail groups called things like
7960 @samp{nnml:mail.whatever}, you may want to chop off the beginning of
7961 these group names before creating the file name to save to. The
7962 following will do just that:
7965 (defun my-save-name (group)
7966 (when (string-match "^nnml:mail." group)
7967 (substring group (match-end 0))))
7969 (setq gnus-split-methods
7970 '((gnus-article-archive-name)
7975 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
7976 Finally, you have the @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable. If it is
7977 @code{nil}, all the preceding functions will replace all periods
7978 (@samp{.}) in the group names with slashes (@samp{/})---which means that
7979 the functions will generate hierarchies of directories instead of having
7980 all the files in the top level directory
7981 (@file{~/News/alt/andrea-dworkin} instead of
7982 @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.) This variable is @code{t} by default
7983 on most systems. However, for historical reasons, this is @code{nil} on
7984 Xenix and usg-unix-v machines by default.
7986 This function also affects kill and score file names. If this variable
7987 is a list, and the list contains the element @code{not-score}, long file
7988 names will not be used for score files, if it contains the element
7989 @code{not-save}, long file names will not be used for saving, and if it
7990 contains the element @code{not-kill}, long file names will not be used
7993 If you'd like to save articles in a hierarchy that looks something like
7997 (setq gnus-use-long-file-name '(not-save)) ; @r{to get a hierarchy}
7998 (setq gnus-default-article-saver
7999 'gnus-summary-save-in-file) ; @r{no encoding}
8002 Then just save with @kbd{o}. You'd then read this hierarchy with
8003 ephemeral @code{nneething} groups---@kbd{G D} in the group buffer, and
8004 the top level directory as the argument (@file{~/News/}). Then just walk
8005 around to the groups/directories with @code{nneething}.
8008 @node Decoding Articles
8009 @section Decoding Articles
8010 @cindex decoding articles
8012 Sometime users post articles (or series of articles) that have been
8013 encoded in some way or other. Gnus can decode them for you.
8016 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
8017 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
8018 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
8019 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
8020 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
8021 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
8025 @cindex article series
8026 All these functions use the process/prefix convention
8027 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) for finding out what articles to work on, with
8028 the extension that a ``single article'' means ``a single series''. Gnus
8029 can find out by itself what articles belong to a series, decode all the
8030 articles and unpack/view/save the resulting file(s).
8032 Gnus guesses what articles are in the series according to the following
8033 simplish rule: The subjects must be (nearly) identical, except for the
8034 last two numbers of the line. (Spaces are largely ignored, however.)
8036 For example: If you choose a subject called @samp{cat.gif (2/3)}, Gnus
8037 will find all the articles that match the regexp @samp{^cat.gif
8038 ([0-9]+/[0-9]+).*$}.
8040 Subjects that are non-standard, like @samp{cat.gif (2/3) Part 6 of a
8041 series}, will not be properly recognized by any of the automatic viewing
8042 commands, and you have to mark the articles manually with @kbd{#}.
8045 @node Uuencoded Articles
8046 @subsection Uuencoded Articles
8048 @cindex uuencoded articles
8053 @kindex X u (Summary)
8054 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu
8055 @c @icon{gnus-uu-decode-uu}
8056 Uudecodes the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}).
8059 @kindex X U (Summary)
8060 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save
8061 Uudecodes and saves the current series
8062 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
8065 @kindex X v u (Summary)
8066 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-view
8067 Uudecodes and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-view}).
8070 @kindex X v U (Summary)
8071 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view
8072 Uudecodes, views and saves the current series
8073 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view}).
8077 Remember that these all react to the presence of articles marked with
8078 the process mark. If, for instance, you'd like to decode and save an
8079 entire newsgroup, you'd typically do @kbd{M P a}
8080 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}) and then @kbd{X U}
8081 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
8083 All this is very much different from how @code{gnus-uu} worked with
8084 @sc{gnus 4.1}, where you had explicit keystrokes for everything under
8085 the sun. This version of @code{gnus-uu} generally assumes that you mark
8086 articles in some way (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}) and then press
8089 @vindex gnus-uu-notify-files
8090 Note: When trying to decode articles that have names matching
8091 @code{gnus-uu-notify-files}, which is hard-coded to
8092 @samp{[Cc][Ii][Nn][Dd][Yy][0-9]+.\\(gif\\|jpg\\)}, @code{gnus-uu} will
8093 automatically post an article on @samp{comp.unix.wizards} saying that
8094 you have just viewed the file in question. This feature can't be turned
8098 @node Shell Archives
8099 @subsection Shell Archives
8101 @cindex shell archives
8102 @cindex shared articles
8104 Shell archives (``shar files'') used to be a popular way to distribute
8105 sources, but it isn't used all that much today. In any case, we have
8106 some commands to deal with these:
8111 @kindex X s (Summary)
8112 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar
8113 Unshars the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar}).
8116 @kindex X S (Summary)
8117 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save
8118 Unshars and saves the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save}).
8121 @kindex X v s (Summary)
8122 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view
8123 Unshars and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view}).
8126 @kindex X v S (Summary)
8127 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view
8128 Unshars, views and saves the current series
8129 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view}).
8133 @node PostScript Files
8134 @subsection PostScript Files
8140 @kindex X p (Summary)
8141 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript
8142 Unpack the current PostScript series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript}).
8145 @kindex X P (Summary)
8146 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save
8147 Unpack and save the current PostScript series
8148 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save}).
8151 @kindex X v p (Summary)
8152 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view
8153 View the current PostScript series
8154 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view}).
8157 @kindex X v P (Summary)
8158 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view
8159 View and save the current PostScript series
8160 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view}).
8165 @subsection Other Files
8169 @kindex X o (Summary)
8170 @findex gnus-uu-decode-save
8171 Save the current series
8172 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-save}).
8175 @kindex X b (Summary)
8176 @findex gnus-uu-decode-binhex
8177 Unbinhex the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-binhex}). This
8178 doesn't really work yet.
8182 @node Decoding Variables
8183 @subsection Decoding Variables
8185 Adjective, not verb.
8188 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
8189 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
8190 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
8194 @node Rule Variables
8195 @subsubsection Rule Variables
8196 @cindex rule variables
8198 Gnus uses @dfn{rule variables} to decide how to view a file. All these
8199 variables are of the form
8202 (list '(regexp1 command2)
8209 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules
8210 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules
8212 This variable is consulted first when viewing files. If you wish to use,
8213 for instance, @code{sox} to convert an @file{.au} sound file, you could
8216 (setq gnus-uu-user-view-rules
8217 (list '("\\\\.au$" "sox %s -t .aiff > /dev/audio")))
8220 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
8221 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
8222 This variable is consulted if Gnus couldn't make any matches from the
8223 user and default view rules.
8225 @item gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
8226 @vindex gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
8227 This variable can be used to say what commands should be used to unpack
8232 @node Other Decode Variables
8233 @subsubsection Other Decode Variables
8236 @vindex gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
8238 @item gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
8239 All functions in this list will be called right after each file has been
8240 successfully decoded---so that you can move or view files right away,
8241 and don't have to wait for all files to be decoded before you can do
8242 anything. Ready-made functions you can put in this list are:
8246 @item gnus-uu-grab-view
8247 @findex gnus-uu-grab-view
8250 @item gnus-uu-grab-move
8251 @findex gnus-uu-grab-move
8252 Move the file (if you're using a saving function.)
8255 @item gnus-uu-be-dangerous
8256 @vindex gnus-uu-be-dangerous
8257 Specifies what to do if unusual situations arise during decoding. If
8258 @code{nil}, be as conservative as possible. If @code{t}, ignore things
8259 that didn't work, and overwrite existing files. Otherwise, ask each
8262 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
8263 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
8264 Files with name matching this regular expression won't be viewed.
8266 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
8267 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
8268 Files with a @acronym{MIME} type matching this variable won't be viewed.
8269 Note that Gnus tries to guess what type the file is based on the name.
8270 @code{gnus-uu} is not a @acronym{MIME} package (yet), so this is slightly
8273 @item gnus-uu-tmp-dir
8274 @vindex gnus-uu-tmp-dir
8275 Where @code{gnus-uu} does its work.
8277 @item gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
8278 @vindex gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
8279 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} won't peek inside archives
8280 looking for files to display.
8282 @item gnus-uu-view-and-save
8283 @vindex gnus-uu-view-and-save
8284 Non-@code{nil} means that the user will always be asked to save a file
8287 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
8288 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
8289 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default viewing
8292 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
8293 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
8294 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default archive
8297 @item gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
8298 @vindex gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
8299 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will strip all carriage returns
8302 @item gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
8303 @vindex gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
8304 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will mark unsuccessfully
8305 decoded articles as unread.
8307 @item gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
8308 @vindex gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
8309 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will @emph{try} to fix
8310 uuencoded files that have had trailing spaces deleted.
8312 @item gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
8313 @vindex gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
8314 Hook run before sending a message to @code{uudecode}.
8316 @item gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
8317 @vindex gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
8319 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the viewing
8320 commands defined by the rule variables and just fudge a @acronym{MIME}
8321 content type based on the file name. The result will be fed to
8322 @code{metamail} for viewing.
8324 @item gnus-uu-save-in-digest
8325 @vindex gnus-uu-save-in-digest
8326 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu}, when asked to save without
8327 decoding, will save in digests. If this variable is @code{nil},
8328 @code{gnus-uu} will just save everything in a file without any
8329 embellishments. The digesting almost conforms to RFC 1153---no easy way
8330 to specify any meaningful volume and issue numbers were found, so I
8331 simply dropped them.
8336 @node Uuencoding and Posting
8337 @subsubsection Uuencoding and Posting
8341 @item gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
8342 @vindex gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
8343 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ask for a file to encode
8344 before you compose the article. If this variable is @code{t}, you can
8345 either include an encoded file with @kbd{C-c C-i} or have one included
8346 for you when you post the article.
8348 @item gnus-uu-post-length
8349 @vindex gnus-uu-post-length
8350 Maximum length of an article. The encoded file will be split into how
8351 many articles it takes to post the entire file.
8353 @item gnus-uu-post-threaded
8354 @vindex gnus-uu-post-threaded
8355 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will post the encoded file in a
8356 thread. This may not be smart, as no other decoder I have seen is able
8357 to follow threads when collecting uuencoded articles. (Well, I have
8358 seen one package that does that---@code{gnus-uu}, but somehow, I don't
8359 think that counts@dots{}) Default is @code{nil}.
8361 @item gnus-uu-post-separate-description
8362 @vindex gnus-uu-post-separate-description
8363 Non-@code{nil} means that the description will be posted in a separate
8364 article. The first article will typically be numbered (0/x). If this
8365 variable is @code{nil}, the description the user enters will be included
8366 at the beginning of the first article, which will be numbered (1/x).
8367 Default is @code{t}.
8373 @subsection Viewing Files
8374 @cindex viewing files
8375 @cindex pseudo-articles
8377 After decoding, if the file is some sort of archive, Gnus will attempt
8378 to unpack the archive and see if any of the files in the archive can be
8379 viewed. For instance, if you have a gzipped tar file @file{pics.tar.gz}
8380 containing the files @file{pic1.jpg} and @file{pic2.gif}, Gnus will
8381 uncompress and de-tar the main file, and then view the two pictures.
8382 This unpacking process is recursive, so if the archive contains archives
8383 of archives, it'll all be unpacked.
8385 Finally, Gnus will normally insert a @dfn{pseudo-article} for each
8386 extracted file into the summary buffer. If you go to these
8387 ``articles'', you will be prompted for a command to run (usually Gnus
8388 will make a suggestion), and then the command will be run.
8390 @vindex gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously
8391 If @code{gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously} is @code{nil}, Emacs will wait
8392 until the viewing is done before proceeding.
8394 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos
8395 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos} is @code{automatic}, Gnus will not insert
8396 the pseudo-articles into the summary buffer, but view them
8397 immediately. If this variable is @code{not-confirm}, the user won't even
8398 be asked for a confirmation before viewing is done.
8400 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos-separately
8401 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos-separately} is non-@code{nil}, one
8402 pseudo-article will be created for each file to be viewed. If
8403 @code{nil}, all files that use the same viewing command will be given as
8404 a list of parameters to that command.
8406 @vindex gnus-insert-pseudo-articles
8407 If @code{gnus-insert-pseudo-articles} is non-@code{nil}, insert
8408 pseudo-articles when decoding. It is @code{t} by default.
8410 So; there you are, reading your @emph{pseudo-articles} in your
8411 @emph{virtual newsgroup} from the @emph{virtual server}; and you think:
8412 Why isn't anything real anymore? How did we get here?
8415 @node Article Treatment
8416 @section Article Treatment
8418 Reading through this huge manual, you may have quite forgotten that the
8419 object of newsreaders is to actually, like, read what people have
8420 written. Reading articles. Unfortunately, people are quite bad at
8421 writing, so there are tons of functions and variables to make reading
8422 these articles easier.
8425 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
8426 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
8427 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
8428 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
8429 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
8430 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
8431 * Article Button Levels:: Controlling appearance of buttons.
8432 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
8433 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
8434 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
8435 * Article Miscellanea:: Various other stuff.
8439 @node Article Highlighting
8440 @subsection Article Highlighting
8441 @cindex highlighting
8443 Not only do you want your article buffer to look like fruit salad, but
8444 you want it to look like technicolor fruit salad.
8449 @kindex W H a (Summary)
8450 @findex gnus-article-highlight
8451 @findex gnus-article-maybe-highlight
8452 Do much highlighting of the current article
8453 (@code{gnus-article-highlight}). This function highlights header, cited
8454 text, the signature, and adds buttons to the body and the head.
8457 @kindex W H h (Summary)
8458 @findex gnus-article-highlight-headers
8459 @vindex gnus-header-face-alist
8460 Highlight the headers (@code{gnus-article-highlight-headers}). The
8461 highlighting will be done according to the @code{gnus-header-face-alist}
8462 variable, which is a list where each element has the form
8463 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{name} @var{content})}.
8464 @var{regexp} is a regular expression for matching the
8465 header, @var{name} is the face used for highlighting the header name
8466 (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}) and @var{content} is the face for highlighting
8467 the header value. The first match made will be used. Note that
8468 @var{regexp} shouldn't have @samp{^} prepended---Gnus will add one.
8471 @kindex W H c (Summary)
8472 @findex gnus-article-highlight-citation
8473 Highlight cited text (@code{gnus-article-highlight-citation}).
8475 Some variables to customize the citation highlights:
8478 @vindex gnus-cite-parse-max-size
8480 @item gnus-cite-parse-max-size
8481 If the article size in bytes is bigger than this variable (which is
8482 25000 by default), no citation highlighting will be performed.
8484 @item gnus-cite-max-prefix
8485 @vindex gnus-cite-max-prefix
8486 Maximum possible length for a citation prefix (default 20).
8488 @item gnus-cite-face-list
8489 @vindex gnus-cite-face-list
8490 List of faces used for highlighting citations (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}).
8491 When there are citations from multiple articles in the same message,
8492 Gnus will try to give each citation from each article its own face.
8493 This should make it easier to see who wrote what.
8495 @item gnus-supercite-regexp
8496 @vindex gnus-supercite-regexp
8497 Regexp matching normal Supercite attribution lines.
8499 @item gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
8500 @vindex gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
8501 Regexp matching mangled Supercite attribution lines.
8503 @item gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
8504 @vindex gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
8505 Minimum number of identical prefixes we have to see before we believe
8506 that it's a citation.
8508 @item gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
8509 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
8510 Regexp matching the beginning of an attribution line.
8512 @item gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
8513 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
8514 Regexp matching the end of an attribution line.
8516 @item gnus-cite-attribution-face
8517 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-face
8518 Face used for attribution lines. It is merged with the face for the
8519 cited text belonging to the attribution.
8521 @item gnus-cite-ignore-quoted-from
8522 @vindex gnus-cite-ignore-quoted-from
8523 If non-@code{nil}, no citation highlighting will be performed on lines
8524 beginning with @samp{>From }. Those lines may have been quoted by MTAs
8525 in order not to mix up with the envelope From line. The default value
8532 @kindex W H s (Summary)
8533 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
8534 @vindex gnus-signature-face
8535 @findex gnus-article-highlight-signature
8536 Highlight the signature (@code{gnus-article-highlight-signature}).
8537 Everything after @code{gnus-signature-separator} (@pxref{Article
8538 Signature}) in an article will be considered a signature and will be
8539 highlighted with @code{gnus-signature-face}, which is @code{italic} by
8544 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to highlight articles automatically.
8547 @node Article Fontisizing
8548 @subsection Article Fontisizing
8550 @cindex article emphasis
8552 @findex gnus-article-emphasize
8553 @kindex W e (Summary)
8554 People commonly add emphasis to words in news articles by writing things
8555 like @samp{_this_} or @samp{*this*} or @samp{/this/}. Gnus can make
8556 this look nicer by running the article through the @kbd{W e}
8557 (@code{gnus-article-emphasize}) command.
8559 @vindex gnus-emphasis-alist
8560 How the emphasis is computed is controlled by the
8561 @code{gnus-emphasis-alist} variable. This is an alist where the first
8562 element is a regular expression to be matched. The second is a number
8563 that says what regular expression grouping is used to find the entire
8564 emphasized word. The third is a number that says what regexp grouping
8565 should be displayed and highlighted. (The text between these two
8566 groupings will be hidden.) The fourth is the face used for
8570 (setq gnus-emphasis-alist
8571 '(("_\\(\\w+\\)_" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-underline)
8572 ("\\*\\(\\w+\\)\\*" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-bold)))
8581 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline
8582 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold
8583 @vindex gnus-emphasis-italic
8584 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold
8585 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-italic
8586 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold-italic
8587 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic
8588 By default, there are seven rules, and they use the following faces:
8589 @code{gnus-emphasis-bold}, @code{gnus-emphasis-italic},
8590 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline}, @code{gnus-emphasis-bold-italic},
8591 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-italic},
8592 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold}, and
8593 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic}.
8595 If you want to change these faces, you can either use @kbd{M-x
8596 customize}, or you can use @code{copy-face}. For instance, if you want
8597 to make @code{gnus-emphasis-italic} use a red face instead, you could
8601 (copy-face 'red 'gnus-emphasis-italic)
8604 @vindex gnus-group-highlight-words-alist
8606 If you want to highlight arbitrary words, you can use the
8607 @code{gnus-group-highlight-words-alist} variable, which uses the same
8608 syntax as @code{gnus-emphasis-alist}. The @code{highlight-words} group
8609 parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) can also be used.
8611 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to fontize articles automatically.
8614 @node Article Hiding
8615 @subsection Article Hiding
8616 @cindex article hiding
8618 Or rather, hiding certain things in each article. There usually is much
8619 too much cruft in most articles.
8624 @kindex W W a (Summary)
8625 @findex gnus-article-hide
8626 Do quite a lot of hiding on the article buffer
8627 (@kbd{gnus-article-hide}). In particular, this function will hide
8628 headers, @acronym{PGP}, cited text and the signature.
8631 @kindex W W h (Summary)
8632 @findex gnus-article-hide-headers
8633 Hide headers (@code{gnus-article-hide-headers}). @xref{Hiding
8637 @kindex W W b (Summary)
8638 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
8639 Hide headers that aren't particularly interesting
8640 (@code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers}). @xref{Hiding Headers}.
8643 @kindex W W s (Summary)
8644 @findex gnus-article-hide-signature
8645 Hide signature (@code{gnus-article-hide-signature}). @xref{Article
8649 @kindex W W l (Summary)
8650 @findex gnus-article-hide-list-identifiers
8651 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
8652 Strip list identifiers specified in @code{gnus-list-identifiers}. These
8653 are strings some mailing list servers add to the beginning of all
8654 @code{Subject} headers---for example, @samp{[zebra 4711]}. Any leading
8655 @samp{Re: } is skipped before stripping. @code{gnus-list-identifiers}
8656 may not contain @code{\\(..\\)}.
8660 @item gnus-list-identifiers
8661 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
8662 A regular expression that matches list identifiers to be removed from
8663 subject. This can also be a list of regular expressions.
8668 @kindex W W P (Summary)
8669 @findex gnus-article-hide-pem
8670 Hide @acronym{PEM} (privacy enhanced messages) cruft
8671 (@code{gnus-article-hide-pem}).
8674 @kindex W W B (Summary)
8675 @findex gnus-article-strip-banner
8676 @vindex gnus-article-banner-alist
8677 @vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8680 @cindex stripping advertisements
8681 @cindex advertisements
8682 Strip the banner specified by the @code{banner} group parameter
8683 (@code{gnus-article-strip-banner}). This is mainly used to hide those
8684 annoying banners and/or signatures that some mailing lists and moderated
8685 groups adds to all the messages. The way to use this function is to add
8686 the @code{banner} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to the
8687 group you want banners stripped from. The parameter either be a string,
8688 which will be interpreted as a regular expression matching text to be
8689 removed, or the symbol @code{signature}, meaning that the (last)
8690 signature should be removed, or other symbol, meaning that the
8691 corresponding regular expression in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist} is
8694 Regardless of a group, you can hide things like advertisements only when
8695 the sender of an article has a certain mail address specified in
8696 @code{gnus-article-address-banner-alist}.
8700 @item gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8701 @vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8702 Alist of mail addresses and banners. Each element has the form
8703 @code{(@var{address} . @var{banner})}, where @var{address} is a regexp
8704 matching a mail address in the From header, @var{banner} is one of a
8705 symbol @code{signature}, an item in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist},
8706 a regexp and @code{nil}. If @var{address} matches author's mail
8707 address, it will remove things like advertisements. For example, if a
8708 sender has the mail address @samp{hail@@yoo-hoo.co.jp} and there is a
8709 banner something like @samp{Do You Yoo-hoo!?} in all articles he
8710 sends, you can use the following element to remove them:
8713 ("@@yoo-hoo\\.co\\.jp\\'" .
8714 "\n_+\nDo You Yoo-hoo!\\?\n.*\n.*\n")
8720 @kindex W W c (Summary)
8721 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation
8722 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation}). Some variables for
8723 customizing the hiding:
8727 @item gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
8728 @itemx gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
8729 @vindex gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
8730 @vindex gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
8731 Gnus adds buttons to show where the cited text has been hidden, and to
8732 allow toggle hiding the text. The format of the variable is specified
8733 by these format-like variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). These
8738 Starting point of the hidden text.
8740 Ending point of the hidden text.
8742 Number of characters in the hidden region.
8744 Number of lines of hidden text.
8747 @item gnus-cited-lines-visible
8748 @vindex gnus-cited-lines-visible
8749 The number of lines at the beginning of the cited text to leave
8750 shown. This can also be a cons cell with the number of lines at the top
8751 and bottom of the text, respectively, to remain visible.
8756 @kindex W W C-c (Summary)
8757 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe
8759 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe}) depending on the
8760 following two variables:
8763 @item gnus-cite-hide-percentage
8764 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-percentage
8765 If the cited text is of a bigger percentage than this variable (default
8766 50), hide the cited text.
8768 @item gnus-cite-hide-absolute
8769 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-absolute
8770 The cited text must have at least this length (default 10) before it
8775 @kindex W W C (Summary)
8776 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups
8777 Hide cited text in articles that aren't roots
8778 (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups}). This isn't very
8779 useful as an interactive command, but might be a handy function to stick
8780 have happen automatically (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
8784 All these ``hiding'' commands are toggles, but if you give a negative
8785 prefix to these commands, they will show what they have previously
8786 hidden. If you give a positive prefix, they will always hide.
8788 Also @pxref{Article Highlighting} for further variables for
8789 citation customization.
8791 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to hide article elements
8795 @node Article Washing
8796 @subsection Article Washing
8798 @cindex article washing
8800 We call this ``article washing'' for a really good reason. Namely, the
8801 @kbd{A} key was taken, so we had to use the @kbd{W} key instead.
8803 @dfn{Washing} is defined by us as ``changing something from something to
8804 something else'', but normally results in something looking better.
8807 @xref{Customizing Articles}, if you want to change how Gnus displays
8808 articles by default.
8813 This is not really washing, it's sort of the opposite of washing. If
8814 you type this, you see the article exactly as it exists on disk or on
8818 Force redisplaying of the current article
8819 (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). This is also not really washing.
8820 If you type this, you see the article without any previously applied
8821 interactive Washing functions but with all default treatments
8822 (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
8825 @kindex W l (Summary)
8826 @findex gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking
8827 Remove page breaks from the current article
8828 (@code{gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking}). @xref{Misc Article}, for page
8832 @kindex W r (Summary)
8833 @findex gnus-summary-caesar-message
8834 @c @icon{gnus-summary-caesar-message}
8835 Do a Caesar rotate (rot13) on the article buffer
8836 (@code{gnus-summary-caesar-message}).
8837 Unreadable articles that tell you to read them with Caesar rotate or rot13.
8838 (Typically offensive jokes and such.)
8840 It's commonly called ``rot13'' because each letter is rotated 13
8841 positions in the alphabet, e. g. @samp{B} (letter #2) -> @samp{O} (letter
8842 #15). It is sometimes referred to as ``Caesar rotate'' because Caesar
8843 is rumored to have employed this form of, uh, somewhat weak encryption.
8846 @kindex W m (Summary)
8847 @findex gnus-summary-morse-message
8848 Morse decode the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-morse-message}).
8851 @kindex W i (Summary)
8852 @findex gnus-summary-idna-message
8853 Decode IDNA encoded domain names in the current articles. IDNA
8854 encoded domain names looks like @samp{xn--bar}. If a string remain
8855 unencoded after running invoking this, it is likely an invalid IDNA
8856 string (@samp{xn--bar} is invalid). You must have GNU Libidn
8857 (@url{http://www.gnu.org/software/libidn/}) installed for this command
8862 @kindex W t (Summary)
8864 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-header
8865 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer
8866 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-header}).
8869 @kindex W v (Summary)
8870 @findex gnus-summary-verbose-headers
8871 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer permanently
8872 (@code{gnus-summary-verbose-headers}).
8875 @kindex W o (Summary)
8876 @findex gnus-article-treat-overstrike
8877 Treat overstrike (@code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}).
8880 @kindex W d (Summary)
8881 @findex gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes
8882 @vindex gnus-article-dumbquotes-map
8884 @cindex M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s
8886 Treat M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s according to
8887 @code{gnus-article-dumbquotes-map}
8888 (@code{gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes}). Note that this function guesses
8889 whether a character is a sm*rtq**t* or not, so it should only be used
8892 Sm*rtq**t*s are M****s***'s unilateral extension to the character map in
8893 an attempt to provide more quoting characters. If you see something
8894 like @code{\222} or @code{\264} where you're expecting some kind of
8895 apostrophe or quotation mark, then try this wash.
8898 @kindex W Y f (Summary)
8899 @findex gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article
8900 @cindex Outlook Express
8901 Full deuglify of broken Outlook (Express) articles: Treat dumbquotes,
8902 unwrap lines, repair attribution and rearrange citation.
8903 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article}).
8906 @kindex W Y u (Summary)
8907 @findex gnus-article-outlook-unwrap-lines
8908 @vindex gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-min
8909 @vindex gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-max
8910 Unwrap lines that appear to be wrapped citation lines. You can control
8911 what lines will be unwrapped by frobbing
8912 @code{gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-min} and
8913 @code{gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-max}, indicating the minimum and
8914 maximum length of an unwrapped citation line.
8915 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-unwrap-lines}).
8918 @kindex W Y a (Summary)
8919 @findex gnus-article-outlook-repair-attribution
8920 Repair a broken attribution line.@*
8921 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-repair-attribution}).
8924 @kindex W Y c (Summary)
8925 @findex gnus-article-outlook-rearrange-citation
8926 Repair broken citations by rearranging the text.
8927 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-rearrange-citation}).
8930 @kindex W w (Summary)
8931 @findex gnus-article-fill-cited-article
8932 Do word wrap (@code{gnus-article-fill-cited-article}).
8934 You can give the command a numerical prefix to specify the width to use
8938 @kindex W Q (Summary)
8939 @findex gnus-article-fill-long-lines
8940 Fill long lines (@code{gnus-article-fill-long-lines}).
8943 @kindex W C (Summary)
8944 @findex gnus-article-capitalize-sentences
8945 Capitalize the first word in each sentence
8946 (@code{gnus-article-capitalize-sentences}).
8949 @kindex W c (Summary)
8950 @findex gnus-article-remove-cr
8951 Translate CRLF pairs (i. e., @samp{^M}s on the end of the lines) into LF
8952 (this takes care of DOS line endings), and then translate any remaining
8953 CRs into LF (this takes care of Mac line endings)
8954 (@code{gnus-article-remove-cr}).
8957 @kindex W q (Summary)
8958 @findex gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable
8959 Treat quoted-printable (@code{gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable}).
8960 Quoted-Printable is one common @acronym{MIME} encoding employed when
8961 sending non-@acronym{ASCII} (i.e., 8-bit) articles. It typically
8962 makes strings like @samp{d@'ej@`a vu} look like @samp{d=E9j=E0 vu},
8963 which doesn't look very readable to me. Note that this is usually
8964 done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8965 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding
8966 has been done. If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8969 @kindex W 6 (Summary)
8970 @findex gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable
8971 Treat base64 (@code{gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable}). Base64 is
8972 one common @acronym{MIME} encoding employed when sending
8973 non-@acronym{ASCII} (i.e., 8-bit) articles. Note that this is
8974 usually done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8975 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding
8976 has been done. If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8979 @kindex W Z (Summary)
8980 @findex gnus-article-decode-HZ
8981 Treat HZ or HZP (@code{gnus-article-decode-HZ}). HZ (or HZP) is one
8982 common encoding employed when sending Chinese articles. It typically
8983 makes strings look like @samp{~@{<:Ky2;S@{#,NpJ)l6HK!#~@}}.
8986 @kindex W A (Summary)
8987 @findex gnus-article-treat-ansi-sequences
8988 @cindex @acronym{ANSI} control sequences
8989 Translate @acronym{ANSI} SGR control sequences into overlays or
8990 extents (@code{gnus-article-treat-ansi-sequences}). @acronym{ANSI}
8991 sequences are used in some Chinese hierarchies for highlighting.
8994 @kindex W u (Summary)
8995 @findex gnus-article-unsplit-urls
8996 Remove newlines from within URLs. Some mailers insert newlines into
8997 outgoing email messages to keep lines short. This reformatting can
8998 split long URLs onto multiple lines. Repair those URLs by removing
8999 the newlines (@code{gnus-article-unsplit-urls}).
9002 @kindex W h (Summary)
9003 @findex gnus-article-wash-html
9004 Treat @acronym{HTML} (@code{gnus-article-wash-html}). Note that this is
9005 usually done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
9006 @code{Content-Type} header that says that the message is @acronym{HTML}.
9008 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for. If it is a number,
9009 the charset defined in @code{gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist}
9010 (@pxref{Paging the Article}) will be used.
9012 @vindex gnus-article-wash-function
9013 The default is to use the function specified by
9014 @code{mm-text-html-renderer} (@pxref{Display Customization, ,Display
9015 Customization, emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME Manual}) to convert the
9016 @acronym{HTML}, but this is controlled by the
9017 @code{gnus-article-wash-function} variable. Pre-defined functions you
9025 Use @uref{http://emacs-w3m.namazu.org/, emacs-w3m}.
9027 @item w3m-standalone
9028 Use @uref{http://w3m.sourceforge.net/, w3m}.
9031 Use @uref{http://links.sf.net/, Links}.
9034 Use @uref{http://lynx.isc.org/, Lynx}.
9037 Use html2text---a simple @acronym{HTML} converter included with Gnus.
9042 @kindex W b (Summary)
9043 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons
9044 Add clickable buttons to the article (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons}).
9045 @xref{Article Buttons}.
9048 @kindex W B (Summary)
9049 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head
9050 Add clickable buttons to the article headers
9051 (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head}).
9054 @kindex W p (Summary)
9055 @findex gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig
9056 Verify a signed control message
9057 (@code{gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig}). Control messages such as
9058 @code{newgroup} and @code{checkgroups} are usually signed by the
9059 hierarchy maintainer. You need to add the @acronym{PGP} public key of
9060 the maintainer to your keyring to verify the
9061 message.@footnote{@acronym{PGP} keys for many hierarchies are
9062 available at @uref{ftp://ftp.isc.org/pub/pgpcontrol/README.html}}
9065 @kindex W s (Summary)
9066 @findex gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt
9067 Verify a signed (@acronym{PGP}, @acronym{PGP/MIME} or
9068 @acronym{S/MIME}) message
9069 (@code{gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt}). @xref{Security}.
9072 @kindex W a (Summary)
9073 @findex gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body
9074 Strip headers like the @code{X-No-Archive} header from the beginning of
9075 article bodies (@code{gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body}).
9078 @kindex W E l (Summary)
9079 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines
9080 Remove all blank lines from the beginning of the article
9081 (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines}).
9084 @kindex W E m (Summary)
9085 @findex gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines
9086 Replace all blank lines with empty lines and then all multiple empty
9087 lines with a single empty line.
9088 (@code{gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines}).
9091 @kindex W E t (Summary)
9092 @findex gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines
9093 Remove all blank lines at the end of the article
9094 (@code{gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines}).
9097 @kindex W E a (Summary)
9098 @findex gnus-article-strip-blank-lines
9099 Do all the three commands above
9100 (@code{gnus-article-strip-blank-lines}).
9103 @kindex W E A (Summary)
9104 @findex gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines
9105 Remove all blank lines
9106 (@code{gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines}).
9109 @kindex W E s (Summary)
9110 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-space
9111 Remove all white space from the beginning of all lines of the article
9112 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-space}).
9115 @kindex W E e (Summary)
9116 @findex gnus-article-strip-trailing-space
9117 Remove all white space from the end of all lines of the article
9118 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-trailing-space}).
9122 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to wash articles automatically.
9125 @node Article Header
9126 @subsection Article Header
9128 These commands perform various transformations of article header.
9133 @kindex W G u (Summary)
9134 @findex gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers
9135 Unfold folded header lines (@code{gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers}).
9138 @kindex W G n (Summary)
9139 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups
9140 Fold the @code{Newsgroups} and @code{Followup-To} headers
9141 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups}).
9144 @kindex W G f (Summary)
9145 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-headers
9146 Fold all the message headers
9147 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-headers}).
9150 @kindex W E w (Summary)
9151 @findex gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace
9152 Remove excessive whitespace from all headers
9153 (@code{gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace}).
9158 @node Article Buttons
9159 @subsection Article Buttons
9162 People often include references to other stuff in articles, and it would
9163 be nice if Gnus could just fetch whatever it is that people talk about
9164 with the minimum of fuzz when you hit @kbd{RET} or use the middle mouse
9165 button on these references.
9167 @vindex gnus-button-man-handler
9168 Gnus adds @dfn{buttons} to certain standard references by default:
9169 Well-formed URLs, mail addresses, Message-IDs, Info links, man pages and
9170 Emacs or Gnus related references. This is controlled by two variables,
9171 one that handles article bodies and one that handles article heads:
9175 @item gnus-button-alist
9176 @vindex gnus-button-alist
9177 This is an alist where each entry has this form:
9180 (@var{regexp} @var{button-par} @var{use-p} @var{function} @var{data-par})
9186 All text that match this regular expression (case insensitive) will be
9187 considered an external reference. Here's a typical regexp that matches
9188 embedded URLs: @samp{<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>}. This can also be a
9189 variable containing a regexp, useful variables to use include
9190 @code{gnus-button-url-regexp} and @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp}.
9193 Gnus has to know which parts of the matches is to be highlighted. This
9194 is a number that says what sub-expression of the regexp is to be
9195 highlighted. If you want it all highlighted, you use 0 here.
9198 This form will be @code{eval}ed, and if the result is non-@code{nil},
9199 this is considered a match. This is useful if you want extra sifting to
9200 avoid false matches. Often variables named
9201 @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} are used here, @xref{Article Button
9202 Levels}, but any other form may be used too.
9204 @c @code{use-p} is @code{eval}ed only if @code{regexp} matches.
9207 This function will be called when you click on this button.
9210 As with @var{button-par}, this is a sub-expression number, but this one
9211 says which part of the match is to be sent as data to @var{function}.
9215 So the full entry for buttonizing URLs is then
9218 ("<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>" 0 t gnus-button-url 1)
9221 @item gnus-header-button-alist
9222 @vindex gnus-header-button-alist
9223 This is just like the other alist, except that it is applied to the
9224 article head only, and that each entry has an additional element that is
9225 used to say what headers to apply the buttonize coding to:
9228 (@var{header} @var{regexp} @var{button-par} @var{use-p} @var{function} @var{data-par})
9231 @var{header} is a regular expression.
9234 @subsubsection Related variables and functions
9237 @item gnus-button-@var{*}-level
9238 @xref{Article Button Levels}.
9240 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-browse-level
9242 @item gnus-button-url-regexp
9243 @vindex gnus-button-url-regexp
9244 A regular expression that matches embedded URLs. It is used in the
9245 default values of the variables above.
9247 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-man-level
9249 @item gnus-button-man-handler
9250 @vindex gnus-button-man-handler
9251 The function to use for displaying man pages. It must take at least one
9252 argument with a string naming the man page.
9254 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-message-level
9256 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp
9257 @vindex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp
9258 Regular expression that matches a message ID or a mail address.
9260 @item gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail
9261 @vindex gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail
9262 This variable determines what to do when the button on a string as
9263 @samp{foo123@@bar.invalid} is pushed. Strings like this can be either a
9264 message ID or a mail address. If it is one of the symbols @code{mid} or
9265 @code{mail}, Gnus will always assume that the string is a message ID or
9266 a mail address, respectively. If this variable is set to the symbol
9267 @code{ask}, always query the user what to do. If it is a function, this
9268 function will be called with the string as its only argument. The
9269 function must return @code{mid}, @code{mail}, @code{invalid} or
9270 @code{ask}. The default value is the function
9271 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}.
9273 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic
9274 @findex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic
9275 Function that guesses whether its argument is a message ID or a mail
9276 address. Returns @code{mid} if it's a message IDs, @code{mail} if
9277 it's a mail address, @code{ask} if unsure and @code{invalid} if the
9280 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist
9281 @vindex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist
9282 An alist of @code{(RATE . REGEXP)} pairs used by the function
9283 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}.
9285 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-tex-level
9287 @item gnus-button-ctan-handler
9288 @findex gnus-button-ctan-handler
9289 The function to use for displaying CTAN links. It must take one
9290 argument, the string naming the URL.
9293 @vindex gnus-ctan-url
9294 Top directory of a CTAN (Comprehensive TeX Archive Network) archive used
9295 by @code{gnus-button-ctan-handler}.
9299 @item gnus-article-button-face
9300 @vindex gnus-article-button-face
9301 Face used on buttons.
9303 @item gnus-article-mouse-face
9304 @vindex gnus-article-mouse-face
9305 Face used when the mouse cursor is over a button.
9309 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to buttonize articles automatically.
9312 @node Article Button Levels
9313 @subsection Article button levels
9314 @cindex button levels
9315 The higher the value of the variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level},
9316 the more buttons will appear. If the level is zero, no corresponding
9317 buttons are displayed. With the default value (which is 5) you should
9318 already see quite a lot of buttons. With higher levels, you will see
9319 more buttons, but you may also get more false positives. To avoid them,
9320 you can set the variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} local to
9321 specific groups (@pxref{Group Parameters}). Here's an example for the
9322 variable @code{gnus-parameters}:
9325 ;; @r{increase @code{gnus-button-*-level} in some groups:}
9326 (setq gnus-parameters
9327 '(("\\<\\(emacs\\|gnus\\)\\>" (gnus-button-emacs-level 10))
9328 ("\\<unix\\>" (gnus-button-man-level 10))
9329 ("\\<tex\\>" (gnus-button-tex-level 10))))
9334 @item gnus-button-browse-level
9335 @vindex gnus-button-browse-level
9336 Controls the display of references to message IDs, mail addresses and
9337 news URLs. Related variables and functions include
9338 @code{gnus-button-url-regexp}, @code{browse-url}, and
9339 @code{browse-url-browser-function}.
9341 @item gnus-button-emacs-level
9342 @vindex gnus-button-emacs-level
9343 Controls the display of Emacs or Gnus references. Related functions are
9344 @code{gnus-button-handle-custom},
9345 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-function},
9346 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-variable},
9347 @code{gnus-button-handle-symbol},
9348 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-key},
9349 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos},
9350 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-command},
9351 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-variable},
9352 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-documentation}, and
9353 @code{gnus-button-handle-library}.
9355 @item gnus-button-man-level
9356 @vindex gnus-button-man-level
9357 Controls the display of references to (Unix) man pages.
9358 See @code{gnus-button-man-handler}.
9360 @item gnus-button-message-level
9361 @vindex gnus-button-message-level
9362 Controls the display of message IDs, mail addresses and news URLs.
9363 Related variables and functions include
9364 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp},
9365 @code{gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail},
9366 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}, and
9367 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist}.
9369 @item gnus-button-tex-level
9370 @vindex gnus-button-tex-level
9371 Controls the display of references to @TeX{} or LaTeX stuff, e.g. for CTAN
9372 URLs. See the variables @code{gnus-ctan-url},
9373 @code{gnus-button-ctan-handler},
9374 @code{gnus-button-ctan-directory-regexp}, and
9375 @code{gnus-button-handle-ctan-bogus-regexp}.
9381 @subsection Article Date
9383 The date is most likely generated in some obscure timezone you've never
9384 heard of, so it's quite nice to be able to find out what the time was
9385 when the article was sent.
9390 @kindex W T u (Summary)
9391 @findex gnus-article-date-ut
9392 Display the date in UT (aka. GMT, aka ZULU)
9393 (@code{gnus-article-date-ut}).
9396 @kindex W T i (Summary)
9397 @findex gnus-article-date-iso8601
9399 Display the date in international format, aka. ISO 8601
9400 (@code{gnus-article-date-iso8601}).
9403 @kindex W T l (Summary)
9404 @findex gnus-article-date-local
9405 Display the date in the local timezone (@code{gnus-article-date-local}).
9408 @kindex W T p (Summary)
9409 @findex gnus-article-date-english
9410 Display the date in a format that's easily pronounceable in English
9411 (@code{gnus-article-date-english}).
9414 @kindex W T s (Summary)
9415 @vindex gnus-article-time-format
9416 @findex gnus-article-date-user
9417 @findex format-time-string
9418 Display the date using a user-defined format
9419 (@code{gnus-article-date-user}). The format is specified by the
9420 @code{gnus-article-time-format} variable, and is a string that's passed
9421 to @code{format-time-string}. See the documentation of that variable
9422 for a list of possible format specs.
9425 @kindex W T e (Summary)
9426 @findex gnus-article-date-lapsed
9427 @findex gnus-start-date-timer
9428 @findex gnus-stop-date-timer
9429 Say how much time has elapsed between the article was posted and now
9430 (@code{gnus-article-date-lapsed}). It looks something like:
9433 X-Sent: 6 weeks, 4 days, 1 hour, 3 minutes, 8 seconds ago
9436 @vindex gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header
9437 The value of @code{gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header} determines
9438 whether this header will just be added below the old Date one, or will
9441 An advantage of using Gnus to read mail is that it converts simple bugs
9442 into wonderful absurdities.
9444 If you want to have this line updated continually, you can put
9447 (gnus-start-date-timer)
9450 in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file, or you can run it off of some hook. If
9451 you want to stop the timer, you can use the @code{gnus-stop-date-timer}
9455 @kindex W T o (Summary)
9456 @findex gnus-article-date-original
9457 Display the original date (@code{gnus-article-date-original}). This can
9458 be useful if you normally use some other conversion function and are
9459 worried that it might be doing something totally wrong. Say, claiming
9460 that the article was posted in 1854. Although something like that is
9461 @emph{totally} impossible. Don't you trust me? *titter*
9465 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to display the date in your
9466 preferred format automatically.
9469 @node Article Display
9470 @subsection Article Display
9475 These commands add various frivolous display gimmicks to the article
9476 buffer in Emacs versions that support them.
9478 @code{X-Face} headers are small black-and-white images supplied by the
9479 message headers (@pxref{X-Face}).
9481 @code{Face} headers are small colored images supplied by the message
9482 headers (@pxref{Face}).
9484 Smileys are those little @samp{:-)} symbols that people like to litter
9485 their messages with (@pxref{Smileys}).
9487 Picons, on the other hand, reside on your own system, and Gnus will
9488 try to match the headers to what you have (@pxref{Picons}).
9490 All these functions are toggles---if the elements already exist,
9495 @kindex W D x (Summary)
9496 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
9497 Display an @code{X-Face} in the @code{From} header.
9498 (@code{gnus-article-display-x-face}).
9501 @kindex W D d (Summary)
9502 @findex gnus-article-display-face
9503 Display a @code{Face} in the @code{From} header.
9504 (@code{gnus-article-display-face}).
9507 @kindex W D s (Summary)
9508 @findex gnus-treat-smiley
9509 Display smileys (@code{gnus-treat-smiley}).
9512 @kindex W D f (Summary)
9513 @findex gnus-treat-from-picon
9514 Piconify the @code{From} header (@code{gnus-treat-from-picon}).
9517 @kindex W D m (Summary)
9518 @findex gnus-treat-mail-picon
9519 Piconify all mail headers (i. e., @code{Cc}, @code{To})
9520 (@code{gnus-treat-mail-picon}).
9523 @kindex W D n (Summary)
9524 @findex gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon
9525 Piconify all news headers (i. e., @code{Newsgroups} and
9526 @code{Followup-To}) (@code{gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon}).
9529 @kindex W D D (Summary)
9530 @findex gnus-article-remove-images
9531 Remove all images from the article buffer
9532 (@code{gnus-article-remove-images}).
9538 @node Article Signature
9539 @subsection Article Signature
9541 @cindex article signature
9543 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
9544 Each article is divided into two parts---the head and the body. The
9545 body can be divided into a signature part and a text part. The variable
9546 that says what is to be considered a signature is
9547 @code{gnus-signature-separator}. This is normally the standard
9548 @samp{^-- $} as mandated by son-of-RFC 1036. However, many people use
9549 non-standard signature separators, so this variable can also be a list
9550 of regular expressions to be tested, one by one. (Searches are done
9551 from the end of the body towards the beginning.) One likely value is:
9554 (setq gnus-signature-separator
9555 '("^-- $" ; @r{The standard}
9556 "^-- *$" ; @r{A common mangling}
9557 "^-------*$" ; @r{Many people just use a looong}
9558 ; @r{line of dashes. Shame!}
9559 "^ *--------*$" ; @r{Double-shame!}
9560 "^________*$" ; @r{Underscores are also popular}
9561 "^========*$")) ; @r{Pervert!}
9564 The more permissive you are, the more likely it is that you'll get false
9567 @vindex gnus-signature-limit
9568 @code{gnus-signature-limit} provides a limit to what is considered a
9569 signature when displaying articles.
9573 If it is an integer, no signature may be longer (in characters) than
9576 If it is a floating point number, no signature may be longer (in lines)
9579 If it is a function, the function will be called without any parameters,
9580 and if it returns @code{nil}, there is no signature in the buffer.
9582 If it is a string, it will be used as a regexp. If it matches, the text
9583 in question is not a signature.
9586 This variable can also be a list where the elements may be of the types
9587 listed above. Here's an example:
9590 (setq gnus-signature-limit
9591 '(200.0 "^---*Forwarded article"))
9594 This means that if there are more than 200 lines after the signature
9595 separator, or the text after the signature separator is matched by
9596 the regular expression @samp{^---*Forwarded article}, then it isn't a
9597 signature after all.
9600 @node Article Miscellanea
9601 @subsection Article Miscellanea
9605 @kindex A t (Summary)
9606 @findex gnus-article-babel
9607 Translate the article from one language to another
9608 (@code{gnus-article-babel}).
9614 @section MIME Commands
9615 @cindex MIME decoding
9617 @cindex viewing attachments
9619 The following commands all understand the numerical prefix. For
9620 instance, @kbd{3 K v} means ``view the third @acronym{MIME} part''.
9626 @kindex K v (Summary)
9627 View the @acronym{MIME} part.
9630 @kindex K o (Summary)
9631 Save the @acronym{MIME} part.
9634 @kindex K O (Summary)
9635 Prompt for a file name, then save the @acronym{MIME} part and strip it
9636 from the article. The stripped @acronym{MIME} object will be referred
9637 via the message/external-body @acronym{MIME} type.
9640 @kindex K r (Summary)
9641 Replace the @acronym{MIME} part with an external body.
9644 @kindex K d (Summary)
9645 Delete the @acronym{MIME} part and add some information about the
9649 @kindex K c (Summary)
9650 Copy the @acronym{MIME} part.
9653 @kindex K e (Summary)
9654 View the @acronym{MIME} part externally.
9657 @kindex K i (Summary)
9658 View the @acronym{MIME} part internally.
9661 @kindex K | (Summary)
9662 Pipe the @acronym{MIME} part to an external command.
9665 The rest of these @acronym{MIME} commands do not use the numerical prefix in
9670 @kindex K b (Summary)
9671 Make all the @acronym{MIME} parts have buttons in front of them. This is
9672 mostly useful if you wish to save (or perform other actions) on inlined
9676 @kindex K m (Summary)
9677 @findex gnus-summary-repair-multipart
9678 Some multipart messages are transmitted with missing or faulty headers.
9679 This command will attempt to ``repair'' these messages so that they can
9680 be viewed in a more pleasant manner
9681 (@code{gnus-summary-repair-multipart}).
9684 @kindex X m (Summary)
9685 @findex gnus-summary-save-parts
9686 Save all parts matching a @acronym{MIME} type to a directory
9687 (@code{gnus-summary-save-parts}). Understands the process/prefix
9688 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
9691 @kindex M-t (Summary)
9692 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized
9693 Toggle the buttonized display of the article buffer
9694 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized}).
9697 @kindex W M w (Summary)
9698 @findex gnus-article-decode-mime-words
9699 Decode RFC 2047-encoded words in the article headers
9700 (@code{gnus-article-decode-mime-words}).
9703 @kindex W M c (Summary)
9704 @findex gnus-article-decode-charset
9705 Decode encoded article bodies as well as charsets
9706 (@code{gnus-article-decode-charset}).
9708 This command looks in the @code{Content-Type} header to determine the
9709 charset. If there is no such header in the article, you can give it a
9710 prefix, which will prompt for the charset to decode as. In regional
9711 groups where people post using some common encoding (but do not
9712 include @acronym{MIME} headers), you can set the @code{charset} group/topic
9713 parameter to the required charset (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
9716 @kindex W M v (Summary)
9717 @findex gnus-mime-view-all-parts
9718 View all the @acronym{MIME} parts in the current article
9719 (@code{gnus-mime-view-all-parts}).
9726 @item gnus-ignored-mime-types
9727 @vindex gnus-ignored-mime-types
9728 This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
9729 this list will be completely ignored by Gnus. The default value is
9732 To have all Vcards be ignored, you'd say something like this:
9735 (setq gnus-ignored-mime-types
9739 @item gnus-article-loose-mime
9740 @vindex gnus-article-loose-mime
9741 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus won't require the @samp{MIME-Version} header
9742 before interpreting the message as a @acronym{MIME} message. This helps
9743 when reading messages from certain broken mail user agents. The
9744 default is @code{nil}.
9746 @item gnus-article-emulate-mime
9747 @vindex gnus-article-emulate-mime
9750 There are other, non-@acronym{MIME} encoding methods used. The most common
9751 is @samp{uuencode}, but yEncode is also getting to be popular. If
9752 this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will look in message bodies to
9753 see if it finds these encodings, and if so, it'll run them through the
9754 Gnus @acronym{MIME} machinery. The default is @code{t}. Only
9755 single-part yEnc encoded attachments can be decoded. There's no support
9756 for encoding in Gnus.
9758 @item gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
9759 @vindex gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
9760 This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
9761 this list won't have @acronym{MIME} buttons inserted unless they aren't
9762 displayed or this variable is overridden by
9763 @code{gnus-buttonized-mime-types}. The default value is
9764 @code{(".*/.*")}. This variable is only used when
9765 @code{gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing} is @code{nil}.
9767 @item gnus-buttonized-mime-types
9768 @vindex gnus-buttonized-mime-types
9769 This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
9770 this list will have @acronym{MIME} buttons inserted unless they aren't
9771 displayed. This variable overrides
9772 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types}. The default value is @code{nil}.
9773 This variable is only used when @code{gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing}
9776 To see e.g. security buttons but no other buttons, you could set this
9777 variable to @code{("multipart/signed")} and leave
9778 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types} at the default value.
9780 You could also add @code{"multipart/alternative"} to this list to
9781 display radio buttons that allow you to choose one of two media types
9782 those mails include. See also @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives}
9783 (@pxref{Display Customization, ,Display Customization, emacs-mime, The
9784 Emacs MIME Manual}).
9786 @item gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
9787 @vindex gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
9788 If this is non-@code{nil}, then all @acronym{MIME} parts get buttons. The
9789 default value is @code{nil}.
9791 @item gnus-article-mime-part-function
9792 @vindex gnus-article-mime-part-function
9793 For each @acronym{MIME} part, this function will be called with the @acronym{MIME}
9794 handle as the parameter. The function is meant to be used to allow
9795 users to gather information from the article (e. g., add Vcard info to
9796 the bbdb database) or to do actions based on parts (e. g., automatically
9797 save all jpegs into some directory).
9799 Here's an example function the does the latter:
9802 (defun my-save-all-jpeg-parts (handle)
9803 (when (equal (car (mm-handle-type handle)) "image/jpeg")
9805 (insert (mm-get-part handle))
9806 (write-region (point-min) (point-max)
9807 (read-file-name "Save jpeg to: ")))))
9808 (setq gnus-article-mime-part-function
9809 'my-save-all-jpeg-parts)
9812 @vindex gnus-mime-multipart-functions
9813 @item gnus-mime-multipart-functions
9814 Alist of @acronym{MIME} multipart types and functions to handle them.
9816 @vindex gnus-mime-display-multipart-alternative-as-mixed
9817 @item gnus-mime-display-multipart-alternative-as-mixed
9818 Display "multipart/alternative" parts as "multipart/mixed".
9820 @vindex gnus-mime-display-multipart-related-as-mixed
9821 @item gnus-mime-display-multipart-related-as-mixed
9822 Display "multipart/related" parts as "multipart/mixed".
9824 If displaying "text/html" is discouraged, see
9825 @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives}, images or other material inside a
9826 "multipart/related" part might be overlooked when this variable is
9827 @code{nil}. @ref{Display Customization, Display Customization, ,
9828 emacs-mime, Emacs-Mime Manual}.
9830 @vindex gnus-mime-display-multipart-as-mixed
9831 @item gnus-mime-display-multipart-as-mixed
9832 Display "multipart" parts as "multipart/mixed". If @code{t}, it
9833 overrides @code{nil} values of
9834 @code{gnus-mime-display-multipart-alternative-as-mixed} and
9835 @code{gnus-mime-display-multipart-related-as-mixed}.
9837 @vindex mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9838 @item mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9839 List of functions used for rewriting file names of @acronym{MIME} parts.
9840 Each function takes a file name as input and returns a file name.
9842 Ready-made functions include@*
9843 @code{mm-file-name-delete-whitespace},
9844 @code{mm-file-name-trim-whitespace},
9845 @code{mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace}, and
9846 @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace}. The later uses the value of
9847 the variable @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace} to replace each
9848 whitespace character in a file name with that string; default value
9849 is @code{"_"} (a single underscore).
9850 @findex mm-file-name-delete-whitespace
9851 @findex mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
9852 @findex mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
9853 @findex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
9854 @vindex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
9856 The standard functions @code{capitalize}, @code{downcase},
9857 @code{upcase}, and @code{upcase-initials} may be useful, too.
9859 Everybody knows that whitespace characters in file names are evil,
9860 except those who don't know. If you receive lots of attachments from
9861 such unenlightened users, you can make live easier by adding
9864 (setq mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9865 '(mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
9866 mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
9867 mm-file-name-replace-whitespace))
9871 to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
9880 People use different charsets, and we have @acronym{MIME} to let us know what
9881 charsets they use. Or rather, we wish we had. Many people use
9882 newsreaders and mailers that do not understand or use @acronym{MIME}, and
9883 just send out messages without saying what character sets they use. To
9884 help a bit with this, some local news hierarchies have policies that say
9885 what character set is the default. For instance, the @samp{fj}
9886 hierarchy uses @code{iso-2022-jp}.
9888 @vindex gnus-group-charset-alist
9889 This knowledge is encoded in the @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}
9890 variable, which is an alist of regexps (use the first item to match full
9891 group names) and default charsets to be used when reading these groups.
9893 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets
9894 In addition, some people do use soi-disant @acronym{MIME}-aware agents that
9895 aren't. These blithely mark messages as being in @code{iso-8859-1}
9896 even if they really are in @code{koi-8}. To help here, the
9897 @code{gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets} variable can be used. The
9898 charsets that are listed here will be ignored. The variable can be
9899 set on a group-by-group basis using the group parameters (@pxref{Group
9900 Parameters}). The default value is @code{(unknown-8bit x-unknown)},
9901 which includes values some agents insist on having in there.
9903 @vindex gnus-group-posting-charset-alist
9904 When posting, @code{gnus-group-posting-charset-alist} is used to
9905 determine which charsets should not be encoded using the @acronym{MIME}
9906 encodings. For instance, some hierarchies discourage using
9907 quoted-printable header encoding.
9909 This variable is an alist of regexps and permitted unencoded charsets
9910 for posting. Each element of the alist has the form @code{(}@var{test
9911 header body-list}@code{)}, where:
9915 is either a regular expression matching the newsgroup header or a
9918 is the charset which may be left unencoded in the header (@code{nil}
9919 means encode all charsets),
9921 is a list of charsets which may be encoded using 8bit content-transfer
9922 encoding in the body, or one of the special values @code{nil} (always
9923 encode using quoted-printable) or @code{t} (always use 8bit).
9930 @cindex coding system aliases
9931 @cindex preferred charset
9933 @xref{Encoding Customization, , Encoding Customization, emacs-mime,
9934 The Emacs MIME Manual}, for additional variables that control which
9935 MIME charsets are used when sending messages.
9937 Other charset tricks that may be useful, although not Gnus-specific:
9939 If there are several @acronym{MIME} charsets that encode the same Emacs
9940 charset, you can choose what charset to use by saying the following:
9943 (put-charset-property 'cyrillic-iso8859-5
9944 'preferred-coding-system 'koi8-r)
9947 This means that Russian will be encoded using @code{koi8-r} instead of
9948 the default @code{iso-8859-5} @acronym{MIME} charset.
9950 If you want to read messages in @code{koi8-u}, you can cheat and say
9953 (define-coding-system-alias 'koi8-u 'koi8-r)
9956 This will almost do the right thing.
9958 And finally, to read charsets like @code{windows-1251}, you can say
9962 (codepage-setup 1251)
9963 (define-coding-system-alias 'windows-1251 'cp1251)
9967 @node Article Commands
9968 @section Article Commands
9975 @kindex A P (Summary)
9976 @vindex gnus-ps-print-hook
9977 @findex gnus-summary-print-article
9978 Generate and print a PostScript image of the article buffer
9979 (@code{gnus-summary-print-article}). @code{gnus-ps-print-hook} will
9980 be run just before printing the buffer. An alternative way to print
9981 article is to use Muttprint (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
9986 @node Summary Sorting
9987 @section Summary Sorting
9988 @cindex summary sorting
9990 You can have the summary buffer sorted in various ways, even though I
9991 can't really see why you'd want that.
9996 @kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
9997 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-number
9998 Sort by article number (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-number}).
10001 @kindex C-c C-s C-a (Summary)
10002 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-author
10003 Sort by author (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-author}).
10006 @kindex C-c C-s C-t (Summary)
10007 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-recipient
10008 Sort by recipient (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-recipient}).
10011 @kindex C-c C-s C-s (Summary)
10012 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-subject
10013 Sort by subject (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-subject}).
10016 @kindex C-c C-s C-d (Summary)
10017 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-date
10018 Sort by date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-date}).
10021 @kindex C-c C-s C-l (Summary)
10022 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-lines
10023 Sort by lines (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-lines}).
10026 @kindex C-c C-s C-c (Summary)
10027 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-chars
10028 Sort by article length (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-chars}).
10031 @kindex C-c C-s C-i (Summary)
10032 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-score
10033 Sort by score (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-score}).
10036 @kindex C-c C-s C-r (Summary)
10037 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-random
10038 Randomize (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-random}).
10041 @kindex C-c C-s C-o (Summary)
10042 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-original
10043 Sort using the default sorting method
10044 (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-original}).
10047 These functions will work both when you use threading and when you don't
10048 use threading. In the latter case, all summary lines will be sorted,
10049 line by line. In the former case, sorting will be done on a
10050 root-by-root basis, which might not be what you were looking for. To
10051 toggle whether to use threading, type @kbd{T T} (@pxref{Thread
10055 @node Finding the Parent
10056 @section Finding the Parent
10057 @cindex parent articles
10058 @cindex referring articles
10062 @kindex ^ (Summary)
10063 @findex gnus-summary-refer-parent-article
10064 If you'd like to read the parent of the current article, and it is not
10065 displayed in the summary buffer, you might still be able to. That is,
10066 if the current group is fetched by @acronym{NNTP}, the parent hasn't expired
10067 and the @code{References} in the current article are not mangled, you
10068 can just press @kbd{^} or @kbd{A r}
10069 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article}). If everything goes well,
10070 you'll get the parent. If the parent is already displayed in the
10071 summary buffer, point will just move to this article.
10073 If given a positive numerical prefix, fetch that many articles back into
10074 the ancestry. If given a negative numerical prefix, fetch just that
10075 ancestor. So if you say @kbd{3 ^}, Gnus will fetch the parent, the
10076 grandparent and the grandgrandparent of the current article. If you say
10077 @kbd{-3 ^}, Gnus will only fetch the grandgrandparent of the current
10080 @item A R (Summary)
10081 @findex gnus-summary-refer-references
10082 @kindex A R (Summary)
10083 Fetch all articles mentioned in the @code{References} header of the
10084 article (@code{gnus-summary-refer-references}).
10086 @item A T (Summary)
10087 @findex gnus-summary-refer-thread
10088 @kindex A T (Summary)
10089 Display the full thread where the current article appears
10090 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-thread}). This command has to fetch all the
10091 headers in the current group to work, so it usually takes a while. If
10092 you do it often, you may consider setting @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}
10093 to @code{invisible} (@pxref{Filling In Threads}). This won't have any
10094 visible effects normally, but it'll make this command work a whole lot
10095 faster. Of course, it'll make group entry somewhat slow.
10097 @vindex gnus-refer-thread-limit
10098 The @code{gnus-refer-thread-limit} variable says how many old (i. e.,
10099 articles before the first displayed in the current group) headers to
10100 fetch when doing this command. The default is 200. If @code{t}, all
10101 the available headers will be fetched. This variable can be overridden
10102 by giving the @kbd{A T} command a numerical prefix.
10104 @item M-^ (Summary)
10105 @findex gnus-summary-refer-article
10106 @kindex M-^ (Summary)
10108 @cindex fetching by Message-ID
10109 You can also ask Gnus for an arbitrary article, no matter what group it
10110 belongs to. @kbd{M-^} (@code{gnus-summary-refer-article}) will ask you
10111 for a @code{Message-ID}, which is one of those long, hard-to-read
10112 thingies that look something like @samp{<38o6up$6f2@@hymir.ifi.uio.no>}.
10113 You have to get it all exactly right. No fuzzy searches, I'm afraid.
10115 Gnus looks for the @code{Message-ID} in the headers that have already
10116 been fetched, but also tries all the select methods specified by
10117 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} if it is not found.
10120 @vindex gnus-refer-article-method
10121 If the group you are reading is located on a back end that does not
10122 support fetching by @code{Message-ID} very well (like @code{nnspool}),
10123 you can set @code{gnus-refer-article-method} to an @acronym{NNTP} method. It
10124 would, perhaps, be best if the @acronym{NNTP} server you consult is the one
10125 updating the spool you are reading from, but that's not really
10128 It can also be a list of select methods, as well as the special symbol
10129 @code{current}, which means to use the current select method. If it
10130 is a list, Gnus will try all the methods in the list until it finds a
10133 Here's an example setting that will first try the current method, and
10134 then ask Google if that fails:
10137 (setq gnus-refer-article-method
10139 (nnweb "google" (nnweb-type google))))
10142 Most of the mail back ends support fetching by @code{Message-ID}, but
10143 do not do a particularly excellent job at it. That is, @code{nnmbox},
10144 @code{nnbabyl}, @code{nnmaildir}, @code{nnml}, are able to locate
10145 articles from any groups, while @code{nnfolder}, and @code{nnimap} are
10146 only able to locate articles that have been posted to the current
10147 group. (Anything else would be too time consuming.) @code{nnmh} does
10148 not support this at all.
10151 @node Alternative Approaches
10152 @section Alternative Approaches
10154 Different people like to read news using different methods. This being
10155 Gnus, we offer a small selection of minor modes for the summary buffers.
10158 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
10159 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
10163 @node Pick and Read
10164 @subsection Pick and Read
10165 @cindex pick and read
10167 Some newsreaders (like @code{nn} and, uhm, @code{Netnews} on VM/CMS) use
10168 a two-phased reading interface. The user first marks in a summary
10169 buffer the articles she wants to read. Then she starts reading the
10170 articles with just an article buffer displayed.
10172 @findex gnus-pick-mode
10173 @kindex M-x gnus-pick-mode
10174 Gnus provides a summary buffer minor mode that allows
10175 this---@code{gnus-pick-mode}. This basically means that a few process
10176 mark commands become one-keystroke commands to allow easy marking, and
10177 it provides one additional command for switching to the summary buffer.
10179 Here are the available keystrokes when using pick mode:
10184 @findex gnus-pick-article-or-thread
10185 Pick the article or thread on the current line
10186 (@code{gnus-pick-article-or-thread}). If the variable
10187 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key selects the
10188 entire thread when used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise,
10189 it selects just the article. If given a numerical prefix, go to that
10190 thread or article and pick it. (The line number is normally displayed
10191 at the beginning of the summary pick lines.)
10194 @kindex SPACE (Pick)
10195 @findex gnus-pick-next-page
10196 Scroll the summary buffer up one page (@code{gnus-pick-next-page}). If
10197 at the end of the buffer, start reading the picked articles.
10201 @findex gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread.
10202 Unpick the thread or article
10203 (@code{gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread}). If the variable
10204 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key unpicks the
10205 thread if used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise it unpicks
10206 just the article. You can give this key a numerical prefix to unpick
10207 the thread or article at that line.
10211 @findex gnus-pick-start-reading
10212 @vindex gnus-pick-display-summary
10213 Start reading the picked articles (@code{gnus-pick-start-reading}). If
10214 given a prefix, mark all unpicked articles as read first. If
10215 @code{gnus-pick-display-summary} is non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer
10216 will still be visible when you are reading.
10220 All the normal summary mode commands are still available in the
10221 pick-mode, with the exception of @kbd{u}. However @kbd{!} is available
10222 which is mapped to the same function
10223 @code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}.
10225 If this sounds like a good idea to you, you could say:
10228 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
10231 @vindex gnus-pick-mode-hook
10232 @code{gnus-pick-mode-hook} is run in pick minor mode buffers.
10234 @vindex gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read
10235 If @code{gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read} is non-@code{nil}, mark
10236 all unpicked articles as read. The default is @code{nil}.
10238 @vindex gnus-summary-pick-line-format
10239 The summary line format in pick mode is slightly different from the
10240 standard format. At the beginning of each line the line number is
10241 displayed. The pick mode line format is controlled by the
10242 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting
10243 Variables}). It accepts the same format specs that
10244 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} does (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}).
10247 @node Binary Groups
10248 @subsection Binary Groups
10249 @cindex binary groups
10251 @findex gnus-binary-mode
10252 @kindex M-x gnus-binary-mode
10253 If you spend much time in binary groups, you may grow tired of hitting
10254 @kbd{X u}, @kbd{n}, @kbd{RET} all the time. @kbd{M-x gnus-binary-mode}
10255 is a minor mode for summary buffers that makes all ordinary Gnus article
10256 selection functions uudecode series of articles and display the result
10257 instead of just displaying the articles the normal way.
10260 @findex gnus-binary-show-article
10261 The only way, in fact, to see the actual articles is the @kbd{g}
10262 command, when you have turned on this mode
10263 (@code{gnus-binary-show-article}).
10265 @vindex gnus-binary-mode-hook
10266 @code{gnus-binary-mode-hook} is called in binary minor mode buffers.
10270 @section Tree Display
10273 @vindex gnus-use-trees
10274 If you don't like the normal Gnus summary display, you might try setting
10275 @code{gnus-use-trees} to @code{t}. This will create (by default) an
10276 additional @dfn{tree buffer}. You can execute all summary mode commands
10277 in the tree buffer.
10279 There are a few variables to customize the tree display, of course:
10282 @item gnus-tree-mode-hook
10283 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-hook
10284 A hook called in all tree mode buffers.
10286 @item gnus-tree-mode-line-format
10287 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-line-format
10288 A format string for the mode bar in the tree mode buffers (@pxref{Mode
10289 Line Formatting}). The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b %S %Z}. For a list
10290 of valid specs, @pxref{Summary Buffer Mode Line}.
10292 @item gnus-selected-tree-face
10293 @vindex gnus-selected-tree-face
10294 Face used for highlighting the selected article in the tree buffer. The
10295 default is @code{modeline}.
10297 @item gnus-tree-line-format
10298 @vindex gnus-tree-line-format
10299 A format string for the tree nodes. The name is a bit of a misnomer,
10300 though---it doesn't define a line, but just the node. The default value
10301 is @samp{%(%[%3,3n%]%)}, which displays the first three characters of
10302 the name of the poster. It is vital that all nodes are of the same
10303 length, so you @emph{must} use @samp{%4,4n}-like specifiers.
10309 The name of the poster.
10311 The @code{From} header.
10313 The number of the article.
10315 The opening bracket.
10317 The closing bracket.
10322 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
10324 Variables related to the display are:
10327 @item gnus-tree-brackets
10328 @vindex gnus-tree-brackets
10329 This is used for differentiating between ``real'' articles and
10330 ``sparse'' articles. The format is
10332 ((@var{real-open} . @var{real-close})
10333 (@var{sparse-open} . @var{sparse-close})
10334 (@var{dummy-open} . @var{dummy-close}))
10336 and the default is @code{((?[ . ?]) (?( . ?)) (?@{ . ?@}) (?< . ?>))}.
10338 @item gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
10339 @vindex gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
10340 This is a list that contains the characters used for connecting parent
10341 nodes to their children. The default is @code{(?- ?\\ ?|)}.
10345 @item gnus-tree-minimize-window
10346 @vindex gnus-tree-minimize-window
10347 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will try to keep the tree
10348 buffer as small as possible to allow more room for the other Gnus
10349 windows. If this variable is a number, the tree buffer will never be
10350 higher than that number. The default is @code{t}. Note that if you
10351 have several windows displayed side-by-side in a frame and the tree
10352 buffer is one of these, minimizing the tree window will also resize all
10353 other windows displayed next to it.
10355 You may also wish to add the following hook to keep the window minimized
10359 (add-hook 'gnus-configure-windows-hook
10360 'gnus-tree-perhaps-minimize)
10363 @item gnus-generate-tree-function
10364 @vindex gnus-generate-tree-function
10365 @findex gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
10366 @findex gnus-generate-vertical-tree
10367 The function that actually generates the thread tree. Two predefined
10368 functions are available: @code{gnus-generate-horizontal-tree} and
10369 @code{gnus-generate-vertical-tree} (which is the default).
10373 Here's an example from a horizontal tree buffer:
10376 @{***@}-(***)-[odd]-[Gun]
10386 Here's the same thread displayed in a vertical tree buffer:
10391 |--------------------------\-----\-----\
10392 (***) [Bjo] [Gun] [Gun]
10394 [odd] [Jan] [odd] (***) [Jor]
10396 [Gun] [Eri] [Eri] [odd]
10402 If you're using horizontal trees, it might be nice to display the trees
10403 side-by-side with the summary buffer. You could add something like the
10404 following to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
10407 (setq gnus-use-trees t
10408 gnus-generate-tree-function 'gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
10409 gnus-tree-minimize-window nil)
10410 (gnus-add-configuration
10414 (summary 0.75 point)
10419 @xref{Window Layout}.
10422 @node Mail Group Commands
10423 @section Mail Group Commands
10424 @cindex mail group commands
10426 Some commands only make sense in mail groups. If these commands are
10427 invalid in the current group, they will raise a hell and let you know.
10429 All these commands (except the expiry and edit commands) use the
10430 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
10435 @kindex B e (Summary)
10436 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles
10437 @cindex expiring mail
10438 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
10439 process (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles}). That is, delete all
10440 expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
10441 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
10444 @kindex B C-M-e (Summary)
10445 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles-now
10446 @cindex expiring mail
10447 Delete all the expirable articles in the group
10448 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles-now}). This means that @strong{all}
10449 articles eligible for expiry in the current group will
10450 disappear forever into that big @file{/dev/null} in the sky.
10453 @kindex B DEL (Summary)
10454 @findex gnus-summary-delete-article
10455 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-delete}
10456 Delete the mail article. This is ``delete'' as in ``delete it from your
10457 disk forever and ever, never to return again.'' Use with caution.
10458 (@code{gnus-summary-delete-article}).
10461 @kindex B m (Summary)
10463 @findex gnus-summary-move-article
10464 @vindex gnus-preserve-marks
10465 Move the article from one mail group to another
10466 (@code{gnus-summary-move-article}). Marks will be preserved if
10467 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
10470 @kindex B c (Summary)
10472 @findex gnus-summary-copy-article
10473 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-copy}
10474 Copy the article from one group (mail group or not) to a mail group
10475 (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}). Marks will be preserved if
10476 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
10479 @kindex B B (Summary)
10480 @cindex crosspost mail
10481 @findex gnus-summary-crosspost-article
10482 Crosspost the current article to some other group
10483 (@code{gnus-summary-crosspost-article}). This will create a new copy of
10484 the article in the other group, and the Xref headers of the article will
10485 be properly updated.
10488 @kindex B i (Summary)
10489 @findex gnus-summary-import-article
10490 Import an arbitrary file into the current mail newsgroup
10491 (@code{gnus-summary-import-article}). You will be prompted for a file
10492 name, a @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
10495 @kindex B I (Summary)
10496 @findex gnus-summary-create-article
10497 Create an empty article in the current mail newsgroups
10498 (@code{gnus-summary-create-article}). You will be prompted for a
10499 @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
10502 @kindex B r (Summary)
10503 @findex gnus-summary-respool-article
10504 @vindex gnus-summary-respool-default-method
10505 Respool the mail article (@code{gnus-summary-respool-article}).
10506 @code{gnus-summary-respool-default-method} will be used as the default
10507 select method when respooling. This variable is @code{nil} by default,
10508 which means that the current group select method will be used instead.
10509 Marks will be preserved if @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil}
10510 (which is the default).
10514 @kindex B w (Summary)
10515 @kindex e (Summary)
10516 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article
10517 @kindex C-c C-c (Article)
10518 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article-done
10519 Edit the current article (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article}). To finish
10520 editing and make the changes permanent, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
10521 (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article-done}). If you give a prefix to the
10522 @kbd{C-c C-c} command, Gnus won't re-highlight the article.
10525 @kindex B q (Summary)
10526 @findex gnus-summary-respool-query
10527 If you want to re-spool an article, you might be curious as to what group
10528 the article will end up in before you do the re-spooling. This command
10529 will tell you (@code{gnus-summary-respool-query}).
10532 @kindex B t (Summary)
10533 @findex gnus-summary-respool-trace
10534 Similarly, this command will display all fancy splitting patterns used
10535 when respooling, if any (@code{gnus-summary-respool-trace}).
10538 @kindex B p (Summary)
10539 @findex gnus-summary-article-posted-p
10540 Some people have a tendency to send you ``courtesy'' copies when they
10541 follow up to articles you have posted. These usually have a
10542 @code{Newsgroups} header in them, but not always. This command
10543 (@code{gnus-summary-article-posted-p}) will try to fetch the current
10544 article from your news server (or rather, from
10545 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} or @code{gnus-select-method}) and will
10546 report back whether it found the article or not. Even if it says that
10547 it didn't find the article, it may have been posted anyway---mail
10548 propagation is much faster than news propagation, and the news copy may
10549 just not have arrived yet.
10552 @kindex K E (Summary)
10553 @findex gnus-article-encrypt-body
10554 @vindex gnus-article-encrypt-protocol
10555 Encrypt the body of an article (@code{gnus-article-encrypt-body}).
10556 The body is encrypted with the encryption protocol specified by the
10557 variable @code{gnus-article-encrypt-protocol}.
10561 @vindex gnus-move-split-methods
10562 @cindex moving articles
10563 If you move (or copy) articles regularly, you might wish to have Gnus
10564 suggest where to put the articles. @code{gnus-move-split-methods} is a
10565 variable that uses the same syntax as @code{gnus-split-methods}
10566 (@pxref{Saving Articles}). You may customize that variable to create
10567 suggestions you find reasonable. (Note that
10568 @code{gnus-move-split-methods} uses group names where
10569 @code{gnus-split-methods} uses file names.)
10572 (setq gnus-move-split-methods
10573 '(("^From:.*Lars Magne" "nnml:junk")
10574 ("^Subject:.*gnus" "nnfolder:important")
10575 (".*" "nnml:misc")))
10579 @node Various Summary Stuff
10580 @section Various Summary Stuff
10583 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
10584 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
10585 * Summary Generation Commands::
10586 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
10590 @vindex gnus-summary-display-while-building
10591 @item gnus-summary-display-while-building
10592 If non-@code{nil}, show and update the summary buffer as it's being
10593 built. If @code{t}, update the buffer after every line is inserted.
10594 If the value is an integer, @var{n}, update the display every @var{n}
10595 lines. The default is @code{nil}.
10597 @vindex gnus-summary-display-arrow
10598 @item gnus-summary-display-arrow
10599 If non-@code{nil}, display an arrow in the fringe to indicate the
10602 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-hook
10603 @item gnus-summary-mode-hook
10604 This hook is called when creating a summary mode buffer.
10606 @vindex gnus-summary-generate-hook
10607 @item gnus-summary-generate-hook
10608 This is called as the last thing before doing the threading and the
10609 generation of the summary buffer. It's quite convenient for customizing
10610 the threading variables based on what data the newsgroup has. This hook
10611 is called from the summary buffer after most summary buffer variables
10614 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-hook
10615 @item gnus-summary-prepare-hook
10616 It is called after the summary buffer has been generated. You might use
10617 it to, for instance, highlight lines or modify the look of the buffer in
10618 some other ungodly manner. I don't care.
10620 @vindex gnus-summary-prepared-hook
10621 @item gnus-summary-prepared-hook
10622 A hook called as the very last thing after the summary buffer has been
10625 @vindex gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
10626 @item gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
10627 When Gnus discovers two articles that have the same @code{Message-ID},
10628 it has to do something drastic. No articles are allowed to have the
10629 same @code{Message-ID}, but this may happen when reading mail from some
10630 sources. Gnus allows you to customize what happens with this variable.
10631 If it is @code{nil} (which is the default), Gnus will rename the
10632 @code{Message-ID} (for display purposes only) and display the article as
10633 any other article. If this variable is @code{t}, it won't display the
10634 article---it'll be as if it never existed.
10636 @vindex gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
10637 @item gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
10638 This function, which takes two parameters (the group name and the list
10639 of articles to be selected), is called to allow the user to alter the
10640 list of articles to be selected.
10642 For instance, the following function adds the list of cached articles to
10643 the list in one particular group:
10646 (defun my-add-cached-articles (group articles)
10647 (if (string= group "some.group")
10648 (append gnus-newsgroup-cached articles)
10652 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-variables
10653 @item gnus-newsgroup-variables
10654 A list of newsgroup (summary buffer) local variables, or cons of
10655 variables and their default expressions to be evalled (when the default
10656 values are not @code{nil}), that should be made global while the summary
10659 Note: The default expressions will be evaluated (using function
10660 @code{eval}) before assignment to the local variable rather than just
10661 assigned to it. If the default expression is the symbol @code{global},
10662 that symbol will not be evaluated but the global value of the local
10663 variable will be used instead.
10665 These variables can be used to set variables in the group parameters
10666 while still allowing them to affect operations done in other
10667 buffers. For example:
10670 (setq gnus-newsgroup-variables
10671 '(message-use-followup-to
10672 (gnus-visible-headers .
10673 "^From:\\|^Newsgroups:\\|^Subject:\\|^Date:\\|^To:")))
10676 Also @pxref{Group Parameters}.
10680 @node Summary Group Information
10681 @subsection Summary Group Information
10686 @kindex H f (Summary)
10687 @findex gnus-summary-fetch-faq
10688 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
10689 Try to fetch the @acronym{FAQ} (list of frequently asked questions)
10690 for the current group (@code{gnus-summary-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try
10691 to get the @acronym{FAQ} from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which
10692 is usually a directory on a remote machine. This variable can also be
10693 a list of directories. In that case, giving a prefix to this command
10694 will allow you to choose between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp}
10695 or @code{efs} will probably be used for fetching the file.
10698 @kindex H d (Summary)
10699 @findex gnus-summary-describe-group
10700 Give a brief description of the current group
10701 (@code{gnus-summary-describe-group}). If given a prefix, force
10702 rereading the description from the server.
10705 @kindex H h (Summary)
10706 @findex gnus-summary-describe-briefly
10707 Give an extremely brief description of the most important summary
10708 keystrokes (@code{gnus-summary-describe-briefly}).
10711 @kindex H i (Summary)
10712 @findex gnus-info-find-node
10713 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
10717 @node Searching for Articles
10718 @subsection Searching for Articles
10723 @kindex M-s (Summary)
10724 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
10725 Search through all subsequent (raw) articles for a regexp
10726 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-forward}).
10729 @kindex M-r (Summary)
10730 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-backward
10731 Search through all previous (raw) articles for a regexp
10732 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-backward}).
10735 @kindex M-S (Summary)
10736 @findex gnus-summary-repeat-search-article-forward
10737 Repeat the previous search forwards
10738 (@code{gnus-summary-repeat-search-article-forward}).
10741 @kindex M-R (Summary)
10742 @findex gnus-summary-repeat-search-article-backward
10743 Repeat the previous search backwards
10744 (@code{gnus-summary-repeat-search-article-backward}).
10747 @kindex & (Summary)
10748 @findex gnus-summary-execute-command
10749 This command will prompt you for a header, a regular expression to match
10750 on this field, and a command to be executed if the match is made
10751 (@code{gnus-summary-execute-command}). If the header is an empty
10752 string, the match is done on the entire article. If given a prefix,
10753 search backward instead.
10755 For instance, @kbd{& RET some.*string RET #} will put the process mark on
10756 all articles that have heads or bodies that match @samp{some.*string}.
10759 @kindex M-& (Summary)
10760 @findex gnus-summary-universal-argument
10761 Perform any operation on all articles that have been marked with
10762 the process mark (@code{gnus-summary-universal-argument}).
10765 @node Summary Generation Commands
10766 @subsection Summary Generation Commands
10771 @kindex Y g (Summary)
10772 @findex gnus-summary-prepare
10773 Regenerate the current summary buffer (@code{gnus-summary-prepare}).
10776 @kindex Y c (Summary)
10777 @findex gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles
10778 Pull all cached articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
10779 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}).
10782 @kindex Y d (Summary)
10783 @findex gnus-summary-insert-dormant-articles
10784 Pull all dormant articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
10785 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-dormant-articles}).
10788 @kindex Y t (Summary)
10789 @findex gnus-summary-insert-ticked-articles
10790 Pull all ticked articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
10791 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-ticked-articles}).
10796 @node Really Various Summary Commands
10797 @subsection Really Various Summary Commands
10803 @kindex C-d (Summary)
10804 @kindex A D (Summary)
10805 @findex gnus-summary-enter-digest-group
10806 If the current article is a collection of other articles (for instance,
10807 a digest), you might use this command to enter a group based on the that
10808 article (@code{gnus-summary-enter-digest-group}). Gnus will try to
10809 guess what article type is currently displayed unless you give a prefix
10810 to this command, which forces a ``digest'' interpretation. Basically,
10811 whenever you see a message that is a collection of other messages of
10812 some format, you @kbd{C-d} and read these messages in a more convenient
10815 @vindex gnus-auto-select-on-ephemeral-exit
10816 The variable @code{gnus-auto-select-on-ephemeral-exit} controls what
10817 article should be selected after exiting a digest group. Valid values
10822 Select the next article.
10825 Select the next unread article.
10827 @item next-noselect
10828 Move the cursor to the next article. This is the default.
10830 @item next-unread-noselect
10831 Move the cursor to the next unread article.
10834 If it has any other value or there is no next (unread) article, the
10835 article selected before entering to the digest group will appear.
10838 @kindex C-M-d (Summary)
10839 @findex gnus-summary-read-document
10840 This command is very similar to the one above, but lets you gather
10841 several documents into one biiig group
10842 (@code{gnus-summary-read-document}). It does this by opening several
10843 @code{nndoc} groups for each document, and then opening an
10844 @code{nnvirtual} group on top of these @code{nndoc} groups. This
10845 command understands the process/prefix convention
10846 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
10849 @kindex C-t (Summary)
10850 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-truncation
10851 Toggle truncation of summary lines
10852 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-truncation}). This will probably confuse the
10853 line centering function in the summary buffer, so it's not a good idea
10854 to have truncation switched off while reading articles.
10857 @kindex = (Summary)
10858 @findex gnus-summary-expand-window
10859 Expand the summary buffer window (@code{gnus-summary-expand-window}).
10860 If given a prefix, force an @code{article} window configuration.
10863 @kindex C-M-e (Summary)
10864 @findex gnus-summary-edit-parameters
10865 Edit the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
10866 group (@code{gnus-summary-edit-parameters}).
10869 @kindex C-M-a (Summary)
10870 @findex gnus-summary-customize-parameters
10871 Customize the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
10872 group (@code{gnus-summary-customize-parameters}).
10877 @node Exiting the Summary Buffer
10878 @section Exiting the Summary Buffer
10879 @cindex summary exit
10880 @cindex exiting groups
10882 Exiting from the summary buffer will normally update all info on the
10883 group and return you to the group buffer.
10890 @kindex Z Z (Summary)
10891 @kindex Z Q (Summary)
10892 @kindex q (Summary)
10893 @findex gnus-summary-exit
10894 @vindex gnus-summary-exit-hook
10895 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook
10896 @vindex gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook
10897 @c @icon{gnus-summary-exit}
10898 Exit the current group and update all information on the group
10899 (@code{gnus-summary-exit}). @code{gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook} is
10900 called before doing much of the exiting, which calls
10901 @code{gnus-summary-expire-articles} by default.
10902 @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} is called after finishing the exit
10903 process. @code{gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook} is run when returning to
10904 group mode having no more (unread) groups.
10908 @kindex Z E (Summary)
10909 @kindex Q (Summary)
10910 @findex gnus-summary-exit-no-update
10911 Exit the current group without updating any information on the group
10912 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}).
10916 @kindex Z c (Summary)
10917 @kindex c (Summary)
10918 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit
10919 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}
10920 Mark all unticked articles in the group as read and then exit
10921 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}).
10924 @kindex Z C (Summary)
10925 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit
10926 Mark all articles, even the ticked ones, as read and then exit
10927 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit}).
10930 @kindex Z n (Summary)
10931 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group
10932 Mark all articles as read and go to the next group
10933 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group}).
10936 @kindex Z p (Summary)
10937 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-prev-group
10938 Mark all articles as read and go to the previous group
10939 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-prev-group}).
10943 @kindex Z R (Summary)
10944 @kindex C-x C-s (Summary)
10945 @findex gnus-summary-reselect-current-group
10946 Exit this group, and then enter it again
10947 (@code{gnus-summary-reselect-current-group}). If given a prefix, select
10948 all articles, both read and unread.
10952 @kindex Z G (Summary)
10953 @kindex M-g (Summary)
10954 @findex gnus-summary-rescan-group
10955 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-get}
10956 Exit the group, check for new articles in the group, and select the
10957 group (@code{gnus-summary-rescan-group}). If given a prefix, select all
10958 articles, both read and unread.
10961 @kindex Z N (Summary)
10962 @findex gnus-summary-next-group
10963 Exit the group and go to the next group
10964 (@code{gnus-summary-next-group}).
10967 @kindex Z P (Summary)
10968 @findex gnus-summary-prev-group
10969 Exit the group and go to the previous group
10970 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-group}).
10973 @kindex Z s (Summary)
10974 @findex gnus-summary-save-newsrc
10975 Save the current number of read/marked articles in the dribble buffer
10976 and then save the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-summary-save-newsrc}). If
10977 given a prefix, also save the @file{.newsrc} file(s). Using this
10978 command will make exit without updating (the @kbd{Q} command) worthless.
10981 @vindex gnus-exit-group-hook
10982 @code{gnus-exit-group-hook} is called when you exit the current group
10983 with an ``updating'' exit. For instance @kbd{Q}
10984 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}) does not call this hook.
10986 @findex gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead
10987 @findex gnus-dead-summary-mode
10988 @vindex gnus-kill-summary-on-exit
10989 If you're in the habit of exiting groups, and then changing your mind
10990 about it, you might set @code{gnus-kill-summary-on-exit} to @code{nil}.
10991 If you do that, Gnus won't kill the summary buffer when you exit it.
10992 (Quelle surprise!) Instead it will change the name of the buffer to
10993 something like @samp{*Dead Summary ... *} and install a minor mode
10994 called @code{gnus-dead-summary-mode}. Now, if you switch back to this
10995 buffer, you'll find that all keys are mapped to a function called
10996 @code{gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead}. So tapping any keys in a dead
10997 summary buffer will result in a live, normal summary buffer.
10999 There will never be more than one dead summary buffer at any one time.
11001 @vindex gnus-use-cross-reference
11002 The data on the current group will be updated (which articles you have
11003 read, which articles you have replied to, etc.) when you exit the
11004 summary buffer. If the @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} variable is
11005 @code{t} (which is the default), articles that are cross-referenced to
11006 this group and are marked as read, will also be marked as read in the
11007 other subscribed groups they were cross-posted to. If this variable is
11008 neither @code{nil} nor @code{t}, the article will be marked as read in
11009 both subscribed and unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}).
11012 @node Crosspost Handling
11013 @section Crosspost Handling
11017 Marking cross-posted articles as read ensures that you'll never have to
11018 read the same article more than once. Unless, of course, somebody has
11019 posted it to several groups separately. Posting the same article to
11020 several groups (not cross-posting) is called @dfn{spamming}, and you are
11021 by law required to send nasty-grams to anyone who perpetrates such a
11022 heinous crime. You may want to try NoCeM handling to filter out spam
11025 Remember: Cross-posting is kinda ok, but posting the same article
11026 separately to several groups is not. Massive cross-posting (aka.
11027 @dfn{velveeta}) is to be avoided at all costs, and you can even use the
11028 @code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint} command to complain about
11029 excessive crossposting (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
11031 @cindex cross-posting
11033 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
11034 One thing that may cause Gnus to not do the cross-posting thing
11035 correctly is if you use an @acronym{NNTP} server that supports @sc{xover}
11036 (which is very nice, because it speeds things up considerably) which
11037 does not include the @code{Xref} header in its @acronym{NOV} lines. This is
11038 Evil, but all too common, alas, alack. Gnus tries to Do The Right Thing
11039 even with @sc{xover} by registering the @code{Xref} lines of all
11040 articles you actually read, but if you kill the articles, or just mark
11041 them as read without reading them, Gnus will not get a chance to snoop
11042 the @code{Xref} lines out of these articles, and will be unable to use
11043 the cross reference mechanism.
11045 @cindex LIST overview.fmt
11046 @cindex overview.fmt
11047 To check whether your @acronym{NNTP} server includes the @code{Xref} header
11048 in its overview files, try @samp{telnet your.nntp.server nntp},
11049 @samp{MODE READER} on @code{inn} servers, and then say @samp{LIST
11050 overview.fmt}. This may not work, but if it does, and the last line you
11051 get does not read @samp{Xref:full}, then you should shout and whine at
11052 your news admin until she includes the @code{Xref} header in the
11055 @vindex gnus-nov-is-evil
11056 If you want Gnus to get the @code{Xref}s right all the time, you have to
11057 set @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{t}, which slows things down
11062 For an alternative approach, @pxref{Duplicate Suppression}.
11065 @node Duplicate Suppression
11066 @section Duplicate Suppression
11068 By default, Gnus tries to make sure that you don't have to read the same
11069 article more than once by utilizing the crossposting mechanism
11070 (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}). However, that simple and efficient
11071 approach may not work satisfactory for some users for various
11076 The @acronym{NNTP} server may fail to generate the @code{Xref} header. This
11077 is evil and not very common.
11080 The @acronym{NNTP} server may fail to include the @code{Xref} header in the
11081 @file{.overview} data bases. This is evil and all too common, alas.
11084 You may be reading the same group (or several related groups) from
11085 different @acronym{NNTP} servers.
11088 You may be getting mail that duplicates articles posted to groups.
11091 I'm sure there are other situations where @code{Xref} handling fails as
11092 well, but these four are the most common situations.
11094 If, and only if, @code{Xref} handling fails for you, then you may
11095 consider switching on @dfn{duplicate suppression}. If you do so, Gnus
11096 will remember the @code{Message-ID}s of all articles you have read or
11097 otherwise marked as read, and then, as if by magic, mark them as read
11098 all subsequent times you see them---in @emph{all} groups. Using this
11099 mechanism is quite likely to be somewhat inefficient, but not overly
11100 so. It's certainly preferable to reading the same articles more than
11103 Duplicate suppression is not a very subtle instrument. It's more like a
11104 sledge hammer than anything else. It works in a very simple
11105 fashion---if you have marked an article as read, it adds this Message-ID
11106 to a cache. The next time it sees this Message-ID, it will mark the
11107 article as read with the @samp{M} mark. It doesn't care what group it
11108 saw the article in.
11111 @item gnus-suppress-duplicates
11112 @vindex gnus-suppress-duplicates
11113 If non-@code{nil}, suppress duplicates.
11115 @item gnus-save-duplicate-list
11116 @vindex gnus-save-duplicate-list
11117 If non-@code{nil}, save the list of duplicates to a file. This will
11118 make startup and shutdown take longer, so the default is @code{nil}.
11119 However, this means that only duplicate articles read in a single Gnus
11120 session are suppressed.
11122 @item gnus-duplicate-list-length
11123 @vindex gnus-duplicate-list-length
11124 This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the duplicate
11125 suppression list. The default is 10000.
11127 @item gnus-duplicate-file
11128 @vindex gnus-duplicate-file
11129 The name of the file to store the duplicate suppression list in. The
11130 default is @file{~/News/suppression}.
11133 If you have a tendency to stop and start Gnus often, setting
11134 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{t} is probably a good idea. If
11135 you leave Gnus running for weeks on end, you may have it @code{nil}. On
11136 the other hand, saving the list makes startup and shutdown much slower,
11137 so that means that if you stop and start Gnus often, you should set
11138 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{nil}. Uhm. I'll leave this up
11139 to you to figure out, I think.
11144 Gnus is able to verify signed messages or decrypt encrypted messages.
11145 The formats that are supported are @acronym{PGP}, @acronym{PGP/MIME}
11146 and @acronym{S/MIME}, however you need some external programs to get
11151 To handle @acronym{PGP} and @acronym{PGP/MIME} messages, you have to
11152 install an OpenPGP implementation such as GnuPG. The Lisp interface
11153 to GnuPG included with Gnus is called PGG (@pxref{Top, ,PGG, pgg, PGG
11154 Manual}), but Mailcrypt and gpg.el are also supported.
11157 To handle @acronym{S/MIME} message, you need to install OpenSSL. OpenSSL 0.9.6
11158 or newer is recommended.
11162 The variables that control security functionality on reading messages
11166 @item mm-verify-option
11167 @vindex mm-verify-option
11168 Option of verifying signed parts. @code{never}, not verify;
11169 @code{always}, always verify; @code{known}, only verify known
11170 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
11172 @item mm-decrypt-option
11173 @vindex mm-decrypt-option
11174 Option of decrypting encrypted parts. @code{never}, no decryption;
11175 @code{always}, always decrypt; @code{known}, only decrypt known
11176 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
11179 @vindex mml1991-use
11180 Symbol indicating elisp interface to OpenPGP implementation for
11181 @acronym{PGP} messages. The default is @code{pgg}, but
11182 @code{mailcrypt} and @code{gpg} are also supported although
11186 @vindex mml2015-use
11187 Symbol indicating elisp interface to OpenPGP implementation for
11188 @acronym{PGP/MIME} messages. The default is @code{pgg}, but
11189 @code{mailcrypt} and @code{gpg} are also supported although
11194 By default the buttons that display security information are not
11195 shown, because they clutter reading the actual e-mail. You can type
11196 @kbd{K b} manually to display the information. Use the
11197 @code{gnus-buttonized-mime-types} and
11198 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types} variables to control this
11199 permanently. @ref{MIME Commands} for further details, and hints on
11200 how to customize these variables to always display security
11203 @cindex snarfing keys
11204 @cindex importing PGP keys
11205 @cindex PGP key ring import
11206 Snarfing OpenPGP keys (i.e., importing keys from articles into your
11207 key ring) is not supported explicitly through a menu item or command,
11208 rather Gnus do detect and label keys as @samp{application/pgp-keys},
11209 allowing you to specify whatever action you think is appropriate
11210 through the usual @acronym{MIME} infrastructure. You can use a
11211 @file{~/.mailcap} entry (@pxref{mailcap, , mailcap, emacs-mime, The
11212 Emacs MIME Manual}) such as the following to import keys using GNU
11213 Privacy Guard when you click on the @acronym{MIME} button
11214 (@pxref{Using MIME}).
11217 application/pgp-keys; gpg --import --interactive --verbose; needsterminal
11220 This happens to also be the default action defined in
11221 @code{mailcap-mime-data}.
11223 More information on how to set things for sending outgoing signed and
11224 encrypted messages up can be found in the message manual
11225 (@pxref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}).
11228 @section Mailing List
11229 @cindex mailing list
11232 @kindex A M (summary)
11233 @findex gnus-mailing-list-insinuate
11234 Gnus understands some mailing list fields of RFC 2369. To enable it,
11235 add a @code{to-list} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}),
11236 possibly using @kbd{A M} (@code{gnus-mailing-list-insinuate}) in the
11239 That enables the following commands to the summary buffer:
11244 @kindex C-c C-n h (Summary)
11245 @findex gnus-mailing-list-help
11246 Send a message to fetch mailing list help, if List-Help field exists.
11249 @kindex C-c C-n s (Summary)
11250 @findex gnus-mailing-list-subscribe
11251 Send a message to subscribe the mailing list, if List-Subscribe field exists.
11254 @kindex C-c C-n u (Summary)
11255 @findex gnus-mailing-list-unsubscribe
11256 Send a message to unsubscribe the mailing list, if List-Unsubscribe
11260 @kindex C-c C-n p (Summary)
11261 @findex gnus-mailing-list-post
11262 Post to the mailing list, if List-Post field exists.
11265 @kindex C-c C-n o (Summary)
11266 @findex gnus-mailing-list-owner
11267 Send a message to the mailing list owner, if List-Owner field exists.
11270 @kindex C-c C-n a (Summary)
11271 @findex gnus-mailing-list-archive
11272 Browse the mailing list archive, if List-Archive field exists.
11277 @node Article Buffer
11278 @chapter Article Buffer
11279 @cindex article buffer
11281 The articles are displayed in the article buffer, of which there is only
11282 one. All the summary buffers share the same article buffer unless you
11283 tell Gnus otherwise.
11286 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
11287 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @acronym{MIME} before reading them.
11288 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
11289 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
11290 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
11294 @node Hiding Headers
11295 @section Hiding Headers
11296 @cindex hiding headers
11297 @cindex deleting headers
11299 The top section of each article is the @dfn{head}. (The rest is the
11300 @dfn{body}, but you may have guessed that already.)
11302 @vindex gnus-show-all-headers
11303 There is a lot of useful information in the head: the name of the person
11304 who wrote the article, the date it was written and the subject of the
11305 article. That's well and nice, but there's also lots of information
11306 most people do not want to see---what systems the article has passed
11307 through before reaching you, the @code{Message-ID}, the
11308 @code{References}, etc. ad nauseam---and you'll probably want to get rid
11309 of some of those lines. If you want to keep all those lines in the
11310 article buffer, you can set @code{gnus-show-all-headers} to @code{t}.
11312 Gnus provides you with two variables for sifting headers:
11316 @item gnus-visible-headers
11317 @vindex gnus-visible-headers
11318 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a regular expression
11319 that says what headers you wish to keep in the article buffer. All
11320 headers that do not match this variable will be hidden.
11322 For instance, if you only want to see the name of the person who wrote
11323 the article and the subject, you'd say:
11326 (setq gnus-visible-headers "^From:\\|^Subject:")
11329 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
11332 @item gnus-ignored-headers
11333 @vindex gnus-ignored-headers
11334 This variable is the reverse of @code{gnus-visible-headers}. If this
11335 variable is set (and @code{gnus-visible-headers} is @code{nil}), it
11336 should be a regular expression that matches all lines that you want to
11337 hide. All lines that do not match this variable will remain visible.
11339 For instance, if you just want to get rid of the @code{References} line
11340 and the @code{Xref} line, you might say:
11343 (setq gnus-ignored-headers "^References:\\|^Xref:")
11346 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
11349 Note that if @code{gnus-visible-headers} is non-@code{nil}, this
11350 variable will have no effect.
11354 @vindex gnus-sorted-header-list
11355 Gnus can also sort the headers for you. (It does this by default.) You
11356 can control the sorting by setting the @code{gnus-sorted-header-list}
11357 variable. It is a list of regular expressions that says in what order
11358 the headers are to be displayed.
11360 For instance, if you want the name of the author of the article first,
11361 and then the subject, you might say something like:
11364 (setq gnus-sorted-header-list '("^From:" "^Subject:"))
11367 Any headers that are to remain visible, but are not listed in this
11368 variable, will be displayed in random order after all the headers listed in this variable.
11370 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
11371 @vindex gnus-boring-article-headers
11372 You can hide further boring headers by setting
11373 @code{gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers} to @code{head}. What this function
11374 does depends on the @code{gnus-boring-article-headers} variable. It's a
11375 list, but this list doesn't actually contain header names. Instead it
11376 lists various @dfn{boring conditions} that Gnus can check and remove
11379 These conditions are:
11382 Remove all empty headers.
11384 Remove the @code{Followup-To} header if it is identical to the
11385 @code{Newsgroups} header.
11387 Remove the @code{Reply-To} header if it lists the same addresses as
11388 the @code{From} header, or if the @code{broken-reply-to} group
11391 Remove the @code{Newsgroups} header if it only contains the current group
11394 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
11395 the current group's @code{to-address} parameter.
11397 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
11398 the current group's @code{to-list} parameter.
11400 Remove the @code{Cc} header if it only contains the address identical to
11401 the current group's @code{to-list} parameter.
11403 Remove the @code{Date} header if the article is less than three days
11406 Remove the @code{To} and/or @code{Cc} header if it is very long.
11408 Remove all @code{To} and/or @code{Cc} headers if there are more than one.
11411 To include these three elements, you could say something like:
11414 (setq gnus-boring-article-headers
11415 '(empty followup-to reply-to))
11418 This is also the default value for this variable.
11422 @section Using MIME
11423 @cindex @acronym{MIME}
11425 Mime is a standard for waving your hands through the air, aimlessly,
11426 while people stand around yawning.
11428 @acronym{MIME}, however, is a standard for encoding your articles, aimlessly,
11429 while all newsreaders die of fear.
11431 @acronym{MIME} may specify what character set the article uses, the encoding
11432 of the characters, and it also makes it possible to embed pictures and
11433 other naughty stuff in innocent-looking articles.
11435 @vindex gnus-display-mime-function
11436 @findex gnus-display-mime
11437 Gnus pushes @acronym{MIME} articles through @code{gnus-display-mime-function}
11438 to display the @acronym{MIME} parts. This is @code{gnus-display-mime} by
11439 default, which creates a bundle of clickable buttons that can be used to
11440 display, save and manipulate the @acronym{MIME} objects.
11442 The following commands are available when you have placed point over a
11443 @acronym{MIME} button:
11446 @findex gnus-article-press-button
11447 @item RET (Article)
11448 @kindex RET (Article)
11449 @itemx BUTTON-2 (Article)
11450 Toggle displaying of the @acronym{MIME} object
11451 (@code{gnus-article-press-button}). If built-in viewers can not display
11452 the object, Gnus resorts to external viewers in the @file{mailcap}
11453 files. If a viewer has the @samp{copiousoutput} specification, the
11454 object is displayed inline.
11456 @findex gnus-mime-view-part
11457 @item M-RET (Article)
11458 @kindex M-RET (Article)
11460 Prompt for a method, and then view the @acronym{MIME} object using this
11461 method (@code{gnus-mime-view-part}).
11463 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-type
11465 @kindex t (Article)
11466 View the @acronym{MIME} object as if it were a different @acronym{MIME} media type
11467 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-type}).
11469 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-charset
11471 @kindex C (Article)
11472 Prompt for a charset, and then view the @acronym{MIME} object using this
11473 charset (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-charset}).
11475 @findex gnus-mime-save-part
11477 @kindex o (Article)
11478 Prompt for a file name, and then save the @acronym{MIME} object
11479 (@code{gnus-mime-save-part}).
11481 @findex gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip
11482 @item C-o (Article)
11483 @kindex C-o (Article)
11484 Prompt for a file name, then save the @acronym{MIME} object and strip it from
11485 the article. Then proceed to article editing, where a reasonable
11486 suggestion is being made on how the altered article should look
11487 like. The stripped @acronym{MIME} object will be referred via the
11488 message/external-body @acronym{MIME} type.
11489 (@code{gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip}).
11491 @findex gnus-mime-replace-part
11493 @kindex r (Article)
11494 Prompt for a file name, replace the @acronym{MIME} object with an
11495 external body refering to the file via the message/external-body
11496 @acronym{MIME} type. (@code{gnus-mime-replace-part}).
11498 @findex gnus-mime-delete-part
11500 @kindex d (Article)
11501 Delete the @acronym{MIME} object from the article and replace it with some
11502 information about the removed @acronym{MIME} object
11503 (@code{gnus-mime-delete-part}).
11505 @c FIXME: gnus-auto-select-part should be documented here
11507 @findex gnus-mime-copy-part
11509 @kindex c (Article)
11510 Copy the @acronym{MIME} object to a fresh buffer and display this buffer
11511 (@code{gnus-mime-copy-part}). If given a prefix, copy the raw contents
11512 without decoding. If given a numerical prefix, you can do semi-manual
11513 charset stuff (see @code{gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist} in
11514 @ref{Paging the Article}). Compressed files like @file{.gz} and
11515 @file{.bz2} are automatically decompressed if
11516 @code{auto-compression-mode} is enabled (@pxref{Compressed Files,,
11517 Accessing Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Editor}).
11519 @findex gnus-mime-print-part
11521 @kindex p (Article)
11522 Print the @acronym{MIME} object (@code{gnus-mime-print-part}). This
11523 command respects the @samp{print=} specifications in the
11524 @file{.mailcap} file.
11526 @findex gnus-mime-inline-part
11528 @kindex i (Article)
11529 Insert the contents of the @acronym{MIME} object into the buffer
11530 (@code{gnus-mime-inline-part}) as text/plain. If given a prefix, insert
11531 the raw contents without decoding. If given a numerical prefix, you can
11532 do semi-manual charset stuff (see
11533 @code{gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist} in @ref{Paging the
11534 Article}). Compressed files like @file{.gz} and @file{.bz2} are
11535 automatically decompressed depending on @code{jka-compr} regardless of
11536 @code{auto-compression-mode} (@pxref{Compressed Files,, Accessing
11537 Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Editor}).
11539 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-internally
11541 @kindex E (Article)
11542 View the @acronym{MIME} object with an internal viewer. If no internal
11543 viewer is available, use an external viewer
11544 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-internally}).
11546 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-externally
11548 @kindex e (Article)
11549 View the @acronym{MIME} object with an external viewer.
11550 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-externally}).
11552 @findex gnus-mime-pipe-part
11554 @kindex | (Article)
11555 Output the @acronym{MIME} object to a process (@code{gnus-mime-pipe-part}).
11557 @findex gnus-mime-action-on-part
11559 @kindex . (Article)
11560 Interactively run an action on the @acronym{MIME} object
11561 (@code{gnus-mime-action-on-part}).
11565 Gnus will display some @acronym{MIME} objects automatically. The way Gnus
11566 determines which parts to do this with is described in the Emacs
11567 @acronym{MIME} manual.
11569 It might be best to just use the toggling functions from the article
11570 buffer to avoid getting nasty surprises. (For instance, you enter the
11571 group @samp{alt.sing-a-long} and, before you know it, @acronym{MIME} has
11572 decoded the sound file in the article and some horrible sing-a-long song
11573 comes screaming out your speakers, and you can't find the volume button,
11574 because there isn't one, and people are starting to look at you, and you
11575 try to stop the program, but you can't, and you can't find the program
11576 to control the volume, and everybody else in the room suddenly decides
11577 to look at you disdainfully, and you'll feel rather stupid.)
11579 Any similarity to real events and people is purely coincidental. Ahem.
11581 Also @pxref{MIME Commands}.
11584 @node Customizing Articles
11585 @section Customizing Articles
11586 @cindex article customization
11588 A slew of functions for customizing how the articles are to look like
11589 exist. You can call these functions interactively
11590 (@pxref{Article Washing}), or you can have them
11591 called automatically when you select the articles.
11593 To have them called automatically, you should set the corresponding
11594 ``treatment'' variable. For instance, to have headers hidden, you'd set
11595 @code{gnus-treat-hide-headers}. Below is a list of variables that can
11596 be set, but first we discuss the values these variables can have.
11598 Note: Some values, while valid, make little sense. Check the list below
11599 for sensible values.
11603 @code{nil}: Don't do this treatment.
11606 @code{t}: Do this treatment on all body parts.
11609 @code{head}: Do the treatment on the headers.
11612 @code{first}: Do this treatment on the first body part.
11615 @code{last}: Do this treatment on the last body part.
11618 An integer: Do this treatment on all body parts that have a length less
11622 A list of strings: Do this treatment on all body parts that are in
11623 articles that are read in groups that have names that match one of the
11624 regexps in the list.
11627 A list where the first element is not a string:
11629 The list is evaluated recursively. The first element of the list is a
11630 predicate. The following predicates are recognized: @code{or},
11631 @code{and}, @code{not} and @code{typep}. Here's an example:
11635 (typep "text/x-vcard"))
11640 You may have noticed that the word @dfn{part} is used here. This refers
11641 to the fact that some messages are @acronym{MIME} multipart articles that may
11642 be divided into several parts. Articles that are not multiparts are
11643 considered to contain just a single part.
11645 @vindex gnus-article-treat-types
11646 Are the treatments applied to all sorts of multipart parts? Yes, if you
11647 want to, but by default, only @samp{text/plain} parts are given the
11648 treatment. This is controlled by the @code{gnus-article-treat-types}
11649 variable, which is a list of regular expressions that are matched to the
11650 type of the part. This variable is ignored if the value of the
11651 controlling variable is a predicate list, as described above.
11654 @c Avoid sort of redundant entries in the same section for the printed
11655 @c manual, but add them in info to allow `i gnus-treat-foo-bar RET' or
11657 @vindex gnus-treat-buttonize
11658 @vindex gnus-treat-buttonize-head
11659 @vindex gnus-treat-capitalize-sentences
11660 @vindex gnus-treat-overstrike
11661 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-cr
11662 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-headers-in-body
11663 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-leading-blank-lines
11664 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-multiple-blank-lines
11665 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-pem
11666 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-trailing-blank-lines
11667 @vindex gnus-treat-unsplit-urls
11668 @vindex gnus-treat-wash-html
11669 @vindex gnus-treat-date-english
11670 @vindex gnus-treat-date-iso8601
11671 @vindex gnus-treat-date-lapsed
11672 @vindex gnus-treat-date-local
11673 @vindex gnus-treat-date-original
11674 @vindex gnus-treat-date-user-defined
11675 @vindex gnus-treat-date-ut
11676 @vindex gnus-treat-from-picon
11677 @vindex gnus-treat-mail-picon
11678 @vindex gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon
11679 @vindex gnus-treat-display-smileys
11680 @vindex gnus-treat-body-boundary
11681 @vindex gnus-treat-display-x-face
11682 @vindex gnus-treat-display-face
11683 @vindex gnus-treat-emphasize
11684 @vindex gnus-treat-fill-article
11685 @vindex gnus-treat-fill-long-lines
11686 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers
11687 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-citation
11688 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe
11689 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-headers
11690 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-signature
11691 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-banner
11692 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-list-identifiers
11693 @vindex gnus-treat-highlight-citation
11694 @vindex gnus-treat-highlight-headers
11695 @vindex gnus-treat-highlight-signature
11696 @vindex gnus-treat-play-sounds
11697 @vindex gnus-treat-translate
11698 @vindex gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig
11699 @vindex gnus-treat-unfold-headers
11700 @vindex gnus-treat-fold-headers
11701 @vindex gnus-treat-fold-newsgroups
11702 @vindex gnus-treat-leading-whitespace
11705 The following treatment options are available. The easiest way to
11706 customize this is to examine the @code{gnus-article-treat} customization
11707 group. Values in parenthesis are suggested sensible values. Others are
11708 possible but those listed are probably sufficient for most people.
11711 @item gnus-treat-buttonize (t, integer)
11712 @item gnus-treat-buttonize-head (head)
11714 @xref{Article Buttons}.
11716 @item gnus-treat-capitalize-sentences (t, integer)
11717 @item gnus-treat-overstrike (t, integer)
11718 @item gnus-treat-strip-cr (t, integer)
11719 @item gnus-treat-strip-headers-in-body (t, integer)
11720 @item gnus-treat-strip-leading-blank-lines (t, first, integer)
11721 @item gnus-treat-strip-multiple-blank-lines (t, integer)
11722 @item gnus-treat-strip-pem (t, last, integer)
11723 @item gnus-treat-strip-trailing-blank-lines (t, last, integer)
11724 @item gnus-treat-unsplit-urls (t, integer)
11725 @item gnus-treat-wash-html (t, integer)
11727 @xref{Article Washing}.
11729 @item gnus-treat-date-english (head)
11730 @item gnus-treat-date-iso8601 (head)
11731 @item gnus-treat-date-lapsed (head)
11732 @item gnus-treat-date-local (head)
11733 @item gnus-treat-date-original (head)
11734 @item gnus-treat-date-user-defined (head)
11735 @item gnus-treat-date-ut (head)
11737 @xref{Article Date}.
11739 @item gnus-treat-from-picon (head)
11740 @item gnus-treat-mail-picon (head)
11741 @item gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon (head)
11745 @item gnus-treat-display-smileys (t, integer)
11747 @item gnus-treat-body-boundary (head)
11749 @vindex gnus-body-boundary-delimiter
11750 Adds a delimiter between header and body, the string used as delimiter
11751 is controlled by @code{gnus-body-boundary-delimiter}.
11755 @vindex gnus-treat-display-x-face
11756 @item gnus-treat-display-x-face (head)
11760 @vindex gnus-treat-display-face
11761 @item gnus-treat-display-face (head)
11765 @vindex gnus-treat-emphasize
11766 @item gnus-treat-emphasize (t, head, integer)
11767 @vindex gnus-treat-fill-article
11768 @item gnus-treat-fill-article (t, integer)
11769 @vindex gnus-treat-fill-long-lines
11770 @item gnus-treat-fill-long-lines (t, integer)
11771 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers
11772 @item gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers (head)
11773 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-citation
11774 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation (t, integer)
11775 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe
11776 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe (t, integer)
11777 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-headers
11778 @item gnus-treat-hide-headers (head)
11779 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-signature
11780 @item gnus-treat-hide-signature (t, last)
11781 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-banner
11782 @item gnus-treat-strip-banner (t, last)
11783 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-list-identifiers
11784 @item gnus-treat-strip-list-identifiers (head)
11786 @xref{Article Hiding}.
11788 @vindex gnus-treat-highlight-citation
11789 @item gnus-treat-highlight-citation (t, integer)
11790 @vindex gnus-treat-highlight-headers
11791 @item gnus-treat-highlight-headers (head)
11792 @vindex gnus-treat-highlight-signature
11793 @item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last, integer)
11795 @xref{Article Highlighting}.
11797 @vindex gnus-treat-play-sounds
11798 @item gnus-treat-play-sounds
11799 @vindex gnus-treat-translate
11800 @item gnus-treat-translate
11801 @item gnus-treat-ansi-sequences (t)
11802 @vindex gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig
11803 @item gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig (head)
11805 @vindex gnus-treat-unfold-headers
11806 @item gnus-treat-unfold-headers (head)
11807 @vindex gnus-treat-fold-headers
11808 @item gnus-treat-fold-headers (head)
11809 @vindex gnus-treat-fold-newsgroups
11810 @item gnus-treat-fold-newsgroups (head)
11811 @vindex gnus-treat-leading-whitespace
11812 @item gnus-treat-leading-whitespace (head)
11814 @xref{Article Header}.
11819 @vindex gnus-part-display-hook
11820 You can, of course, write your own functions to be called from
11821 @code{gnus-part-display-hook}. The functions are called narrowed to the
11822 part, and you can do anything you like, pretty much. There is no
11823 information that you have to keep in the buffer---you can change
11827 @node Article Keymap
11828 @section Article Keymap
11830 Most of the keystrokes in the summary buffer can also be used in the
11831 article buffer. They should behave as if you typed them in the summary
11832 buffer, which means that you don't actually have to have a summary
11833 buffer displayed while reading. You can do it all from the article
11836 @kindex v (Article)
11837 @cindex keys, reserved for users (Article)
11838 The key @kbd{v} is reserved for users. You can bind it to some
11839 command or better use it as a prefix key.
11841 A few additional keystrokes are available:
11846 @kindex SPACE (Article)
11847 @findex gnus-article-next-page
11848 Scroll forwards one page (@code{gnus-article-next-page}).
11849 This is exactly the same as @kbd{h SPACE h}.
11852 @kindex DEL (Article)
11853 @findex gnus-article-prev-page
11854 Scroll backwards one page (@code{gnus-article-prev-page}).
11855 This is exactly the same as @kbd{h DEL h}.
11858 @kindex C-c ^ (Article)
11859 @findex gnus-article-refer-article
11860 If point is in the neighborhood of a @code{Message-ID} and you press
11861 @kbd{C-c ^}, Gnus will try to get that article from the server
11862 (@code{gnus-article-refer-article}).
11865 @kindex C-c C-m (Article)
11866 @findex gnus-article-mail
11867 Send a reply to the address near point (@code{gnus-article-mail}). If
11868 given a prefix, include the mail.
11871 @kindex s (Article)
11872 @findex gnus-article-show-summary
11873 Reconfigure the buffers so that the summary buffer becomes visible
11874 (@code{gnus-article-show-summary}).
11877 @kindex ? (Article)
11878 @findex gnus-article-describe-briefly
11879 Give a very brief description of the available keystrokes
11880 (@code{gnus-article-describe-briefly}).
11883 @kindex TAB (Article)
11884 @findex gnus-article-next-button
11885 Go to the next button, if any (@code{gnus-article-next-button}). This
11886 only makes sense if you have buttonizing turned on.
11889 @kindex M-TAB (Article)
11890 @findex gnus-article-prev-button
11891 Go to the previous button, if any (@code{gnus-article-prev-button}).
11894 @kindex R (Article)
11895 @findex gnus-article-reply-with-original
11896 Send a reply to the current article and yank the current article
11897 (@code{gnus-article-reply-with-original}). If given a prefix, make a
11898 wide reply. If the region is active, only yank the text in the
11902 @kindex F (Article)
11903 @findex gnus-article-followup-with-original
11904 Send a followup to the current article and yank the current article
11905 (@code{gnus-article-followup-with-original}). If given a prefix, make
11906 a wide reply. If the region is active, only yank the text in the
11914 @section Misc Article
11918 @item gnus-single-article-buffer
11919 @vindex gnus-single-article-buffer
11920 @cindex article buffers, several
11921 If non-@code{nil}, use the same article buffer for all the groups.
11922 (This is the default.) If @code{nil}, each group will have its own
11925 @vindex gnus-article-decode-hook
11926 @item gnus-article-decode-hook
11927 @cindex @acronym{MIME}
11928 Hook used to decode @acronym{MIME} articles. The default value is
11929 @code{(article-decode-charset article-decode-encoded-words)}
11931 @vindex gnus-article-prepare-hook
11932 @item gnus-article-prepare-hook
11933 This hook is called right after the article has been inserted into the
11934 article buffer. It is mainly intended for functions that do something
11935 depending on the contents; it should probably not be used for changing
11936 the contents of the article buffer.
11938 @item gnus-article-mode-hook
11939 @vindex gnus-article-mode-hook
11940 Hook called in article mode buffers.
11942 @item gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
11943 @vindex gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
11944 Syntax table used in article buffers. It is initialized from
11945 @code{text-mode-syntax-table}.
11947 @vindex gnus-article-over-scroll
11948 @item gnus-article-over-scroll
11949 If non-@code{nil}, allow scrolling the article buffer even when there
11950 no more new text to scroll in. The default is @code{nil}.
11952 @vindex gnus-article-mode-line-format
11953 @item gnus-article-mode-line-format
11954 This variable is a format string along the same lines as
11955 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Summary Buffer Mode
11956 Line}). It accepts the same format specifications as that variable,
11957 with two extensions:
11962 The @dfn{wash status} of the article. This is a short string with one
11963 character for each possible article wash operation that may have been
11964 performed. The characters and their meaning:
11969 Displayed when cited text may be hidden in the article buffer.
11972 Displayed when headers are hidden in the article buffer.
11975 Displayed when article is digitally signed or encrypted, and Gnus has
11976 hidden the security headers. (N.B. does not tell anything about
11977 security status, i.e. good or bad signature.)
11980 Displayed when the signature has been hidden in the Article buffer.
11983 Displayed when Gnus has treated overstrike characters in the article buffer.
11986 Displayed when Gnus has treated emphasised strings in the article buffer.
11991 The number of @acronym{MIME} parts in the article.
11995 @vindex gnus-break-pages
11997 @item gnus-break-pages
11998 Controls whether @dfn{page breaking} is to take place. If this variable
11999 is non-@code{nil}, the articles will be divided into pages whenever a
12000 page delimiter appears in the article. If this variable is @code{nil},
12001 paging will not be done.
12003 @item gnus-page-delimiter
12004 @vindex gnus-page-delimiter
12005 This is the delimiter mentioned above. By default, it is @samp{^L}
12009 @cindex internationalized domain names
12010 @vindex gnus-use-idna
12011 @item gnus-use-idna
12012 This variable controls whether Gnus performs IDNA decoding of
12013 internationalized domain names inside @samp{From}, @samp{To} and
12014 @samp{Cc} headers. @xref{IDNA, ,IDNA,message, The Message Manual},
12015 for how to compose such messages. This requires
12016 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/libidn/, GNU Libidn}, and this
12017 variable is only enabled if you have installed it.
12022 @node Composing Messages
12023 @chapter Composing Messages
12024 @cindex composing messages
12027 @cindex sending mail
12032 @cindex using s/mime
12033 @cindex using smime
12035 @kindex C-c C-c (Post)
12036 All commands for posting and mailing will put you in a message buffer
12037 where you can edit the article all you like, before you send the
12038 article by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}. @xref{Top, , Overview, message,
12039 Message Manual}. Where the message will be posted/mailed to depends
12040 on your setup (@pxref{Posting Server}).
12043 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
12044 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
12045 * POP before SMTP:: You cannot send a mail unless you read a mail.
12046 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
12047 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
12048 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
12049 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
12050 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
12051 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
12054 Also @pxref{Canceling and Superseding} for information on how to
12055 remove articles you shouldn't have posted.
12061 Variables for customizing outgoing mail:
12064 @item gnus-uu-digest-headers
12065 @vindex gnus-uu-digest-headers
12066 List of regexps to match headers included in digested messages. The
12067 headers will be included in the sequence they are matched. If
12068 @code{nil} include all headers.
12070 @item gnus-add-to-list
12071 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
12072 If non-@code{nil}, add a @code{to-list} group parameter to mail groups
12073 that have none when you do a @kbd{a}.
12075 @item gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
12076 @vindex gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
12077 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will ask you for a confirmation when you are
12078 about to reply to news articles by mail. If it is @code{nil}, nothing
12079 interferes in what you want to do. This can also be a function
12080 receiving the group name as the only parameter which should return
12081 non-@code{nil} if a confirmation is needed, or a regular expression
12082 matching group names, where confirmation should be asked for.
12084 If you find yourself never wanting to reply to mail, but occasionally
12085 press @kbd{R} anyway, this variable might be for you.
12087 @item gnus-confirm-treat-mail-like-news
12088 @vindex gnus-confirm-treat-mail-like-news
12089 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus also requests confirmation according to
12090 @code{gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news} when replying to mail. This is
12091 useful for treating mailing lists like newsgroups.
12096 @node Posting Server
12097 @section Posting Server
12099 When you press those magical @kbd{C-c C-c} keys to ship off your latest
12100 (extremely intelligent, of course) article, where does it go?
12102 Thank you for asking. I hate you.
12104 It can be quite complicated.
12106 @vindex gnus-post-method
12107 When posting news, Message usually invokes @code{message-send-news}
12108 (@pxref{News Variables, , News Variables, message, Message Manual}).
12109 Normally, Gnus will post using the same select method as you're
12110 reading from (which might be convenient if you're reading lots of
12111 groups from different private servers). However. If the server
12112 you're reading from doesn't allow posting, just reading, you probably
12113 want to use some other server to post your (extremely intelligent and
12114 fabulously interesting) articles. You can then set the
12115 @code{gnus-post-method} to some other method:
12118 (setq gnus-post-method '(nnspool ""))
12121 Now, if you've done this, and then this server rejects your article, or
12122 this server is down, what do you do then? To override this variable you
12123 can use a non-zero prefix to the @kbd{C-c C-c} command to force using
12124 the ``current'' server, to get back the default behavior, for posting.
12126 If you give a zero prefix (i.e., @kbd{C-u 0 C-c C-c}) to that command,
12127 Gnus will prompt you for what method to use for posting.
12129 You can also set @code{gnus-post-method} to a list of select methods.
12130 If that's the case, Gnus will always prompt you for what method to use
12133 Finally, if you want to always post using the native select method,
12134 you can set this variable to @code{native}.
12136 When sending mail, Message invokes @code{message-send-mail-function}.
12137 The default function, @code{message-send-mail-with-sendmail}, pipes
12138 your article to the @code{sendmail} binary for further queuing and
12139 sending. When your local system is not configured for sending mail
12140 using @code{sendmail}, and you have access to a remote @acronym{SMTP}
12141 server, you can set @code{message-send-mail-function} to
12142 @code{smtpmail-send-it} and make sure to setup the @code{smtpmail}
12143 package correctly. An example:
12146 (setq message-send-mail-function 'smtpmail-send-it
12147 smtpmail-default-smtp-server "YOUR SMTP HOST")
12150 To the thing similar to this, there is
12151 @code{message-smtpmail-send-it}. It is useful if your @acronym{ISP}
12152 requires the @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP} authentication.
12153 @xref{POP before SMTP}.
12155 Other possible choices for @code{message-send-mail-function} includes
12156 @code{message-send-mail-with-mh}, @code{message-send-mail-with-qmail},
12157 and @code{feedmail-send-it}.
12159 @node POP before SMTP
12160 @section POP before SMTP
12161 @cindex pop before smtp
12162 @findex message-smtpmail-send-it
12163 @findex mail-source-touch-pop
12165 Does your @acronym{ISP} require the @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP}
12166 authentication? It is whether you need to connect to the @acronym{POP}
12167 mail server within a certain time before sending mails. If so, there is
12168 a convenient way. To do that, put the following lines in your
12169 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
12172 (setq message-send-mail-function 'message-smtpmail-send-it)
12173 (add-hook 'message-send-mail-hook 'mail-source-touch-pop)
12177 It means to let Gnus connect to the @acronym{POP} mail server in advance
12178 whenever you send a mail. The @code{mail-source-touch-pop} function
12179 does only a @acronym{POP} authentication according to the value of
12180 @code{mail-sources} without fetching mails, just before sending a mail.
12181 Note that you have to use @code{message-smtpmail-send-it} which runs
12182 @code{message-send-mail-hook} rather than @code{smtpmail-send-it} and
12183 set the value of @code{mail-sources} for a @acronym{POP} connection
12184 correctly. @xref{Mail Sources}.
12186 If you have two or more @acronym{POP} mail servers set in
12187 @code{mail-sources}, you may want to specify one of them to
12188 @code{mail-source-primary-source} as the @acronym{POP} mail server to be
12189 used for the @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP} authentication. If it
12190 is your primary @acronym{POP} mail server (i.e., you are fetching mails
12191 mainly from that server), you can set it permanently as follows:
12194 (setq mail-source-primary-source
12195 '(pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
12196 :password "secret"))
12200 Otherwise, bind it dynamically only when performing the
12201 @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP} authentication as follows:
12204 (add-hook 'message-send-mail-hook
12206 (let ((mail-source-primary-source
12207 '(pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
12208 :password "secret")))
12209 (mail-source-touch-pop))))
12212 @node Mail and Post
12213 @section Mail and Post
12215 Here's a list of variables relevant to both mailing and
12219 @item gnus-mailing-list-groups
12220 @findex gnus-mailing-list-groups
12221 @cindex mailing lists
12223 If your news server offers groups that are really mailing lists
12224 gatewayed to the @acronym{NNTP} server, you can read those groups without
12225 problems, but you can't post/followup to them without some difficulty.
12226 One solution is to add a @code{to-address} to the group parameters
12227 (@pxref{Group Parameters}). An easier thing to do is set the
12228 @code{gnus-mailing-list-groups} to a regexp that matches the groups that
12229 really are mailing lists. Then, at least, followups to the mailing
12230 lists will work most of the time. Posting to these groups (@kbd{a}) is
12231 still a pain, though.
12233 @item gnus-user-agent
12234 @vindex gnus-user-agent
12237 This variable controls which information should be exposed in the
12238 User-Agent header. It can be a list of symbols or a string. Valid
12239 symbols are @code{gnus} (show Gnus version) and @code{emacs} (show Emacs
12240 version). In addition to the Emacs version, you can add @code{codename}
12241 (show (S)XEmacs codename) or either @code{config} (show system
12242 configuration) or @code{type} (show system type). If you set it to a
12243 string, be sure to use a valid format, see RFC 2616.
12247 You may want to do spell-checking on messages that you send out. Or, if
12248 you don't want to spell-check by hand, you could add automatic
12249 spell-checking via the @code{ispell} package:
12252 @findex ispell-message
12254 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'ispell-message)
12257 If you want to change the @code{ispell} dictionary based on what group
12258 you're in, you could say something like the following:
12261 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook
12265 "^de\\." (gnus-group-real-name gnus-newsgroup-name))
12266 (ispell-change-dictionary "deutsch"))
12268 (ispell-change-dictionary "english")))))
12271 Modify to suit your needs.
12273 @vindex gnus-message-highlight-citation
12274 If @code{gnus-message-highlight-citation} is t, different levels of
12275 citations are highlighted like in Gnus article buffers also in message
12278 @node Archived Messages
12279 @section Archived Messages
12280 @cindex archived messages
12281 @cindex sent messages
12283 Gnus provides a few different methods for storing the mail and news you
12284 send. The default method is to use the @dfn{archive virtual server} to
12285 store the messages. If you want to disable this completely, the
12286 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable should be @code{nil}, which
12289 For archiving interesting messages in a group you read, see the
12290 @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}) command (@pxref{Mail
12293 @vindex gnus-message-archive-method
12294 @code{gnus-message-archive-method} says what virtual server Gnus is to
12295 use to store sent messages. The default is @code{"archive"}, and when
12296 actually being used it is expanded into:
12299 (nnfolder "archive"
12300 (nnfolder-directory "~/Mail/archive")
12301 (nnfolder-active-file "~/Mail/archive/active")
12302 (nnfolder-get-new-mail nil)
12303 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t))
12307 @vindex gnus-update-message-archive-method
12308 Note: a server like this is saved in the @file{~/.newsrc.eld} file first
12309 so that it may be used as a real method of the server which is named
12310 @code{"archive"} (that is, for the case where
12311 @code{gnus-message-archive-method} is set to @code{"archive"}) ever
12312 since. If it once has been saved, it will never be updated by default
12313 even if you change the value of @code{gnus-message-archive-method}
12314 afterward. Therefore, the server @code{"archive"} doesn't necessarily
12315 mean the @code{nnfolder} server like this at all times. If you want the
12316 saved method to reflect always the value of
12317 @code{gnus-message-archive-method}, set the
12318 @code{gnus-update-message-archive-method} variable to a non-@code{nil}
12319 value. The default value of this variable is @code{nil}.
12322 You can, however, use any mail select method (@code{nnml},
12323 @code{nnmbox}, etc.). @code{nnfolder} is a quite likable select method
12324 for doing this sort of thing, though. If you don't like the default
12325 directory chosen, you could say something like:
12328 (setq gnus-message-archive-method
12329 '(nnfolder "archive"
12330 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t)
12331 (nnfolder-active-file "~/News/sent-mail/active")
12332 (nnfolder-directory "~/News/sent-mail/")))
12335 @vindex gnus-message-archive-group
12337 Gnus will insert @code{Gcc} headers in all outgoing messages that point
12338 to one or more group(s) on that server. Which group to use is
12339 determined by the @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable.
12341 This variable can be used to do the following:
12345 Messages will be saved in that group.
12347 Note that you can include a select method in the group name, then the
12348 message will not be stored in the select method given by
12349 @code{gnus-message-archive-method}, but in the select method specified
12350 by the group name, instead. Suppose @code{gnus-message-archive-method}
12351 has the default value shown above. Then setting
12352 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{"foo"} means that outgoing
12353 messages are stored in @samp{nnfolder+archive:foo}, but if you use the
12354 value @code{"nnml:foo"}, then outgoing messages will be stored in
12357 @item a list of strings
12358 Messages will be saved in all those groups.
12360 @item an alist of regexps, functions and forms
12361 When a key ``matches'', the result is used.
12364 No message archiving will take place. This is the default.
12369 Just saving to a single group called @samp{MisK}:
12371 (setq gnus-message-archive-group "MisK")
12374 Saving to two groups, @samp{MisK} and @samp{safe}:
12376 (setq gnus-message-archive-group '("MisK" "safe"))
12379 Save to different groups based on what group you are in:
12381 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
12382 '(("^alt" "sent-to-alt")
12383 ("mail" "sent-to-mail")
12384 (".*" "sent-to-misc")))
12387 More complex stuff:
12389 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
12390 '((if (message-news-p)
12395 How about storing all news messages in one file, but storing all mail
12396 messages in one file per month:
12399 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
12400 '((if (message-news-p)
12402 (concat "mail." (format-time-string "%Y-%m")))))
12405 @c (XEmacs 19.13 doesn't have @code{format-time-string}, so you'll have to
12406 @c use a different value for @code{gnus-message-archive-group} there.)
12408 Now, when you send a message off, it will be stored in the appropriate
12409 group. (If you want to disable storing for just one particular message,
12410 you can just remove the @code{Gcc} header that has been inserted.) The
12411 archive group will appear in the group buffer the next time you start
12412 Gnus, or the next time you press @kbd{F} in the group buffer. You can
12413 enter it and read the articles in it just like you'd read any other
12414 group. If the group gets really big and annoying, you can simply rename
12415 if (using @kbd{G r} in the group buffer) to something
12416 nice---@samp{misc-mail-september-1995}, or whatever. New messages will
12417 continue to be stored in the old (now empty) group.
12419 That's the default method of archiving sent messages. Gnus offers a
12420 different way for the people who don't like the default method. In that
12421 case you should set @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{nil};
12422 this will disable archiving.
12425 @item gnus-outgoing-message-group
12426 @vindex gnus-outgoing-message-group
12427 All outgoing messages will be put in this group. If you want to store
12428 all your outgoing mail and articles in the group @samp{nnml:archive},
12429 you set this variable to that value. This variable can also be a list of
12432 If you want to have greater control over what group to put each
12433 message in, you can set this variable to a function that checks the
12434 current newsgroup name and then returns a suitable group name (or list
12437 This variable can be used instead of @code{gnus-message-archive-group},
12438 but the latter is the preferred method.
12440 @item gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
12441 @vindex gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
12442 If non-@code{nil}, automatically mark @code{Gcc} articles as read.
12444 @item gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
12445 @vindex gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
12446 If @code{nil}, attach files as normal parts in Gcc copies; if a regexp
12447 and matches the Gcc group name, attach files as external parts; if it is
12448 @code{all}, attach local files as external parts; if it is other
12449 non-@code{nil}, the behavior is the same as @code{all}, but it may be
12450 changed in the future.
12455 @node Posting Styles
12456 @section Posting Styles
12457 @cindex posting styles
12460 All them variables, they make my head swim.
12462 So what if you want a different @code{Organization} and signature based
12463 on what groups you post to? And you post both from your home machine
12464 and your work machine, and you want different @code{From} lines, and so
12467 @vindex gnus-posting-styles
12468 One way to do stuff like that is to write clever hooks that change the
12469 variables you need to have changed. That's a bit boring, so somebody
12470 came up with the bright idea of letting the user specify these things in
12471 a handy alist. Here's an example of a @code{gnus-posting-styles}
12476 (signature "Peace and happiness")
12477 (organization "What me?"))
12479 (signature "Death to everybody"))
12480 ("comp.emacs.i-love-it"
12481 (organization "Emacs is it")))
12484 As you might surmise from this example, this alist consists of several
12485 @dfn{styles}. Each style will be applicable if the first element
12486 ``matches'', in some form or other. The entire alist will be iterated
12487 over, from the beginning towards the end, and each match will be
12488 applied, which means that attributes in later styles that match override
12489 the same attributes in earlier matching styles. So
12490 @samp{comp.programming.literate} will have the @samp{Death to everybody}
12491 signature and the @samp{What me?} @code{Organization} header.
12493 The first element in each style is called the @code{match}. If it's a
12494 string, then Gnus will try to regexp match it against the group name.
12495 If it is the form @code{(header @var{match} @var{regexp})}, then Gnus
12496 will look in the original article for a header whose name is
12497 @var{match} and compare that @var{regexp}. @var{match} and
12498 @var{regexp} are strings. (The original article is the one you are
12499 replying or following up to. If you are not composing a reply or a
12500 followup, then there is nothing to match against.) If the
12501 @code{match} is a function symbol, that function will be called with
12502 no arguments. If it's a variable symbol, then the variable will be
12503 referenced. If it's a list, then that list will be @code{eval}ed. In
12504 any case, if this returns a non-@code{nil} value, then the style is
12505 said to @dfn{match}.
12507 Each style may contain an arbitrary amount of @dfn{attributes}. Each
12508 attribute consists of a @code{(@var{name} @var{value})} pair. In
12509 addition, you can also use the @code{(@var{name} :file @var{value})}
12510 form or the @code{(@var{name} :value @var{value})} form. Where
12511 @code{:file} signifies @var{value} represents a file name and its
12512 contents should be used as the attribute value, @code{:value} signifies
12513 @var{value} does not represent a file name explicitly. The attribute
12514 name can be one of:
12517 @item @code{signature}
12518 @item @code{signature-file}
12519 @item @code{x-face-file}
12520 @item @code{address}, overriding @code{user-mail-address}
12521 @item @code{name}, overriding @code{(user-full-name)}
12525 Note that the @code{signature-file} attribute honors the variable
12526 @code{message-signature-directory}.
12528 The attribute name can also be a string or a symbol. In that case,
12529 this will be used as a header name, and the value will be inserted in
12530 the headers of the article; if the value is @code{nil}, the header
12531 name will be removed. If the attribute name is @code{eval}, the form
12532 is evaluated, and the result is thrown away.
12534 The attribute value can be a string (used verbatim), a function with
12535 zero arguments (the return value will be used), a variable (its value
12536 will be used) or a list (it will be @code{eval}ed and the return value
12537 will be used). The functions and sexps are called/@code{eval}ed in the
12538 message buffer that is being set up. The headers of the current article
12539 are available through the @code{message-reply-headers} variable, which
12540 is a vector of the following headers: number subject from date id
12541 references chars lines xref extra.
12543 @vindex message-reply-headers
12545 If you wish to check whether the message you are about to compose is
12546 meant to be a news article or a mail message, you can check the values
12547 of the @code{message-news-p} and @code{message-mail-p} functions.
12549 @findex message-mail-p
12550 @findex message-news-p
12552 So here's a new example:
12555 (setq gnus-posting-styles
12557 (signature-file "~/.signature")
12559 (x-face-file "~/.xface")
12560 (x-url (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
12561 (organization "People's Front Against MWM"))
12563 (signature my-funny-signature-randomizer))
12564 ((equal (system-name) "gnarly") ;; @r{A form}
12565 (signature my-quote-randomizer))
12566 (message-news-p ;; @r{A function symbol}
12567 (signature my-news-signature))
12568 (window-system ;; @r{A value symbol}
12569 ("X-Window-System" (format "%s" window-system)))
12570 ;; @r{If I'm replying to Larsi, set the Organization header.}
12571 ((header "from" "larsi.*org")
12572 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
12573 ((posting-from-work-p) ;; @r{A user defined function}
12574 (signature-file "~/.work-signature")
12575 (address "user@@bar.foo")
12576 (body "You are fired.\n\nSincerely, your boss.")
12577 (organization "Important Work, Inc"))
12579 (From (save-excursion
12580 (set-buffer gnus-article-buffer)
12581 (message-fetch-field "to"))))
12583 (signature-file "~/.mail-signature"))))
12586 The @samp{nnml:.*} rule means that you use the @code{To} address as the
12587 @code{From} address in all your outgoing replies, which might be handy
12588 if you fill many roles.
12589 You may also use @code{message-alternative-emails} instead.
12590 @xref{Message Headers, ,Message Headers, message, Message Manual}.
12596 If you are writing a message (mail or news) and suddenly remember that
12597 you have a steak in the oven (or some pesto in the food processor, you
12598 craaazy vegetarians), you'll probably wish there was a method to save
12599 the message you are writing so that you can continue editing it some
12600 other day, and send it when you feel its finished.
12602 Well, don't worry about it. Whenever you start composing a message of
12603 some sort using the Gnus mail and post commands, the buffer you get will
12604 automatically associate to an article in a special @dfn{draft} group.
12605 If you save the buffer the normal way (@kbd{C-x C-s}, for instance), the
12606 article will be saved there. (Auto-save files also go to the draft
12610 @vindex nndraft-directory
12611 The draft group is a special group (which is implemented as an
12612 @code{nndraft} group, if you absolutely have to know) called
12613 @samp{nndraft:drafts}. The variable @code{nndraft-directory} says where
12614 @code{nndraft} is to store its files. What makes this group special is
12615 that you can't tick any articles in it or mark any articles as
12616 read---all articles in the group are permanently unread.
12618 If the group doesn't exist, it will be created and you'll be subscribed
12619 to it. The only way to make it disappear from the Group buffer is to
12620 unsubscribe it. The special properties of the draft group comes from
12621 a group property (@pxref{Group Parameters}), and if lost the group
12622 behaves like any other group. This means the commands below will not
12623 be available. To restore the special properties of the group, the
12624 simplest way is to kill the group, using @kbd{C-k}, and restart
12625 Gnus. The group is automatically created again with the
12626 correct parameters. The content of the group is not lost.
12628 @c @findex gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft
12629 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Mail)
12630 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Post)
12631 @c @findex gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft
12632 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Mail)
12633 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Post)
12634 @c If you're writing some super-secret message that you later want to
12635 @c encode with PGP before sending, you may wish to turn the auto-saving
12636 @c (and association with the draft group) off. You never know who might be
12637 @c interested in reading all your extremely valuable and terribly horrible
12638 @c and interesting secrets. The @kbd{C-c M-d}
12639 @c (@code{gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft}) command does that for you.
12640 @c If you change your mind and want to turn the auto-saving back on again,
12641 @c @kbd{C-c C-d} (@code{gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft} does that.
12643 @c @vindex gnus-use-draft
12644 @c To leave association with the draft group off by default, set
12645 @c @code{gnus-use-draft} to @code{nil}. It is @code{t} by default.
12647 @findex gnus-draft-edit-message
12648 @kindex D e (Draft)
12649 When you want to continue editing the article, you simply enter the
12650 draft group and push @kbd{D e} (@code{gnus-draft-edit-message}) to do
12651 that. You will be placed in a buffer where you left off.
12653 Rejected articles will also be put in this draft group (@pxref{Rejected
12656 @findex gnus-draft-send-all-messages
12657 @kindex D s (Draft)
12658 @findex gnus-draft-send-message
12659 @kindex D S (Draft)
12660 If you have lots of rejected messages you want to post (or mail) without
12661 doing further editing, you can use the @kbd{D s} command
12662 (@code{gnus-draft-send-message}). This command understands the
12663 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). The @kbd{D S}
12664 command (@code{gnus-draft-send-all-messages}) will ship off all messages
12667 @findex gnus-draft-toggle-sending
12668 @kindex D t (Draft)
12669 If you have some messages that you wish not to send, you can use the
12670 @kbd{D t} (@code{gnus-draft-toggle-sending}) command to mark the message
12671 as unsendable. This is a toggling command.
12674 @node Rejected Articles
12675 @section Rejected Articles
12676 @cindex rejected articles
12678 Sometimes a news server will reject an article. Perhaps the server
12679 doesn't like your face. Perhaps it just feels miserable. Perhaps
12680 @emph{there be demons}. Perhaps you have included too much cited text.
12681 Perhaps the disk is full. Perhaps the server is down.
12683 These situations are, of course, totally beyond the control of Gnus.
12684 (Gnus, of course, loves the way you look, always feels great, has angels
12685 fluttering around inside of it, doesn't care about how much cited text
12686 you include, never runs full and never goes down.) So Gnus saves these
12687 articles until some later time when the server feels better.
12689 The rejected articles will automatically be put in a special draft group
12690 (@pxref{Drafts}). When the server comes back up again, you'd then
12691 typically enter that group and send all the articles off.
12693 @node Signing and encrypting
12694 @section Signing and encrypting
12696 @cindex using s/mime
12697 @cindex using smime
12699 Gnus can digitally sign and encrypt your messages, using vanilla
12700 @acronym{PGP} format or @acronym{PGP/MIME} or @acronym{S/MIME}. For
12701 decoding such messages, see the @code{mm-verify-option} and
12702 @code{mm-decrypt-option} options (@pxref{Security}).
12704 @vindex gnus-message-replysign
12705 @vindex gnus-message-replyencrypt
12706 @vindex gnus-message-replysignencrypted
12707 Often, you would like to sign replies to people who send you signed
12708 messages. Even more often, you might want to encrypt messages which
12709 are in reply to encrypted messages. Gnus offers
12710 @code{gnus-message-replysign} to enable the former, and
12711 @code{gnus-message-replyencrypt} for the latter. In addition, setting
12712 @code{gnus-message-replysignencrypted} (on by default) will sign
12713 automatically encrypted messages.
12715 Instructing @acronym{MML} to perform security operations on a
12716 @acronym{MIME} part is done using the @kbd{C-c C-m s} key map for
12717 signing and the @kbd{C-c C-m c} key map for encryption, as follows.
12722 @kindex C-c C-m s s (Message)
12723 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-smime
12725 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{S/MIME}.
12728 @kindex C-c C-m s o (Message)
12729 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
12731 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{PGP}.
12734 @kindex C-c C-m s p (Message)
12735 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
12737 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{PGP/MIME}.
12740 @kindex C-c C-m c s (Message)
12741 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-smime
12743 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{S/MIME}.
12746 @kindex C-c C-m c o (Message)
12747 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgp
12749 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{PGP}.
12752 @kindex C-c C-m c p (Message)
12753 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgpmime
12755 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{PGP/MIME}.
12758 @kindex C-c C-m C-n (Message)
12759 @findex mml-unsecure-message
12760 Remove security related @acronym{MML} tags from message.
12764 @xref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}, for more information.
12766 @node Select Methods
12767 @chapter Select Methods
12768 @cindex foreign groups
12769 @cindex select methods
12771 A @dfn{foreign group} is a group not read by the usual (or
12772 default) means. It could be, for instance, a group from a different
12773 @acronym{NNTP} server, it could be a virtual group, or it could be your own
12774 personal mail group.
12776 A foreign group (or any group, really) is specified by a @dfn{name} and
12777 a @dfn{select method}. To take the latter first, a select method is a
12778 list where the first element says what back end to use (e.g. @code{nntp},
12779 @code{nnspool}, @code{nnml}) and the second element is the @dfn{server
12780 name}. There may be additional elements in the select method, where the
12781 value may have special meaning for the back end in question.
12783 One could say that a select method defines a @dfn{virtual server}---so
12784 we do just that (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
12786 The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the back end will recognize the
12789 For instance, the group @samp{soc.motss} on the @acronym{NNTP} server
12790 @samp{some.where.edu} will have the name @samp{soc.motss} and select
12791 method @code{(nntp "some.where.edu")}. Gnus will call this group
12792 @samp{nntp+some.where.edu:soc.motss}, even though the @code{nntp}
12793 back end just knows this group as @samp{soc.motss}.
12795 The different methods all have their peculiarities, of course.
12798 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
12799 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
12800 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
12801 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
12802 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @acronym{IMAP} client.
12803 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
12804 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
12805 * Email Based Diary:: Using mails to manage diary events in Gnus.
12806 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
12810 @node Server Buffer
12811 @section Server Buffer
12813 Traditionally, a @dfn{server} is a machine or a piece of software that
12814 one connects to, and then requests information from. Gnus does not
12815 connect directly to any real servers, but does all transactions through
12816 one back end or other. But that's just putting one layer more between
12817 the actual media and Gnus, so we might just as well say that each
12818 back end represents a virtual server.
12820 For instance, the @code{nntp} back end may be used to connect to several
12821 different actual @acronym{NNTP} servers, or, perhaps, to many different ports
12822 on the same actual @acronym{NNTP} server. You tell Gnus which back end to
12823 use, and what parameters to set by specifying a @dfn{select method}.
12825 These select method specifications can sometimes become quite
12826 complicated---say, for instance, that you want to read from the
12827 @acronym{NNTP} server @samp{news.funet.fi} on port number 13, which
12828 hangs if queried for @acronym{NOV} headers and has a buggy select. Ahem.
12829 Anyway, if you had to specify that for each group that used this
12830 server, that would be too much work, so Gnus offers a way of naming
12831 select methods, which is what you do in the server buffer.
12833 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
12834 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
12837 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
12838 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
12839 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
12840 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
12841 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
12842 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
12843 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
12846 @vindex gnus-server-mode-hook
12847 @code{gnus-server-mode-hook} is run when creating the server buffer.
12850 @node Server Buffer Format
12851 @subsection Server Buffer Format
12852 @cindex server buffer format
12854 @vindex gnus-server-line-format
12855 You can change the look of the server buffer lines by changing the
12856 @code{gnus-server-line-format} variable. This is a @code{format}-like
12857 variable, with some simple extensions:
12862 How the news is fetched---the back end name.
12865 The name of this server.
12868 Where the news is to be fetched from---the address.
12871 The opened/closed/denied status of the server.
12874 Whether this server is agentized.
12877 @vindex gnus-server-mode-line-format
12878 The mode line can also be customized by using the
12879 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format} variable (@pxref{Mode Line
12880 Formatting}). The following specs are understood:
12890 Also @pxref{Formatting Variables}.
12893 @node Server Commands
12894 @subsection Server Commands
12895 @cindex server commands
12901 @cindex keys, reserved for users (Server)
12902 The key @kbd{v} is reserved for users. You can bind it to some
12903 command or better use it as a prefix key.
12907 @findex gnus-server-add-server
12908 Add a new server (@code{gnus-server-add-server}).
12912 @findex gnus-server-edit-server
12913 Edit a server (@code{gnus-server-edit-server}).
12916 @kindex SPACE (Server)
12917 @findex gnus-server-read-server
12918 Browse the current server (@code{gnus-server-read-server}).
12922 @findex gnus-server-exit
12923 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-server-exit}).
12927 @findex gnus-server-kill-server
12928 Kill the current server (@code{gnus-server-kill-server}).
12932 @findex gnus-server-yank-server
12933 Yank the previously killed server (@code{gnus-server-yank-server}).
12937 @findex gnus-server-copy-server
12938 Copy the current server (@code{gnus-server-copy-server}).
12942 @findex gnus-server-list-servers
12943 List all servers (@code{gnus-server-list-servers}).
12947 @findex gnus-server-scan-server
12948 Request that the server scan its sources for new articles
12949 (@code{gnus-server-scan-server}). This is mainly sensible with mail
12954 @findex gnus-server-regenerate-server
12955 Request that the server regenerate all its data structures
12956 (@code{gnus-server-regenerate-server}). This can be useful if you have
12957 a mail back end that has gotten out of sync.
12961 @findex gnus-server-compact-server
12963 Compact all groups in the server under point
12964 (@code{gnus-server-compact-server}). Currently implemented only in
12965 nnml (@pxref{Mail Spool}). This removes gaps between article numbers,
12966 hence getting a correct total article count.
12971 @node Example Methods
12972 @subsection Example Methods
12974 Most select methods are pretty simple and self-explanatory:
12977 (nntp "news.funet.fi")
12980 Reading directly from the spool is even simpler:
12986 As you can see, the first element in a select method is the name of the
12987 back end, and the second is the @dfn{address}, or @dfn{name}, if you
12990 After these two elements, there may be an arbitrary number of
12991 @code{(@var{variable} @var{form})} pairs.
12993 To go back to the first example---imagine that you want to read from
12994 port 15 on that machine. This is what the select method should
12998 (nntp "news.funet.fi" (nntp-port-number 15))
13001 You should read the documentation to each back end to find out what
13002 variables are relevant, but here's an @code{nnmh} example:
13004 @code{nnmh} is a mail back end that reads a spool-like structure. Say
13005 you have two structures that you wish to access: One is your private
13006 mail spool, and the other is a public one. Here's the possible spec for
13010 (nnmh "private" (nnmh-directory "~/private/mail/"))
13013 (This server is then called @samp{private}, but you may have guessed
13016 Here's the method for a public spool:
13020 (nnmh-directory "/usr/information/spool/")
13021 (nnmh-get-new-mail nil))
13027 If you are behind a firewall and only have access to the @acronym{NNTP}
13028 server from the firewall machine, you can instruct Gnus to @code{rlogin}
13029 on the firewall machine and telnet from there to the @acronym{NNTP} server.
13030 Doing this can be rather fiddly, but your virtual server definition
13031 should probably look something like this:
13035 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet)
13036 (nntp-via-address "the.firewall.machine")
13037 (nntp-address "the.real.nntp.host")
13038 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
13041 If you want to use the wonderful @code{ssh} program to provide a
13042 compressed connection over the modem line, you could add the following
13043 configuration to the example above:
13046 (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
13049 See also @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches}. Here's an example for
13050 an indirect connection:
13052 (setq gnus-select-method
13054 (nntp-address "news.server.example")
13055 (nntp-via-user-name "intermediate_user_name")
13056 (nntp-via-address "intermediate.host.example")
13057 (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
13058 (nntp-end-of-line "\n")
13059 (nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches ("-C" "-t" "-e" "none"))
13060 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet)))
13063 If you're behind a firewall, but have direct access to the outside world
13064 through a wrapper command like "runsocks", you could open a socksified
13065 telnet connection to the news server as follows:
13069 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
13070 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-telnet)
13071 (nntp-address "the.news.server")
13072 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
13075 This means that you have to have set up @code{ssh-agent} correctly to
13076 provide automatic authorization, of course. And to get a compressed
13077 connection, you have to have the @samp{Compression} option in the
13078 @code{ssh} @file{config} file.
13081 @node Creating a Virtual Server
13082 @subsection Creating a Virtual Server
13084 If you're saving lots of articles in the cache by using persistent
13085 articles, you may want to create a virtual server to read the cache.
13087 First you need to add a new server. The @kbd{a} command does that. It
13088 would probably be best to use @code{nnml} to read the cache. You
13089 could also use @code{nnspool} or @code{nnmh}, though.
13091 Type @kbd{a nnml RET cache RET}.
13093 You should now have a brand new @code{nnml} virtual server called
13094 @samp{cache}. You now need to edit it to have the right definitions.
13095 Type @kbd{e} to edit the server. You'll be entered into a buffer that
13096 will contain the following:
13106 (nnml-directory "~/News/cache/")
13107 (nnml-active-file "~/News/cache/active"))
13110 Type @kbd{C-c C-c} to return to the server buffer. If you now press
13111 @kbd{RET} over this virtual server, you should be entered into a browse
13112 buffer, and you should be able to enter any of the groups displayed.
13115 @node Server Variables
13116 @subsection Server Variables
13117 @cindex server variables
13118 @cindex server parameters
13120 One sticky point when defining variables (both on back ends and in Emacs
13121 in general) is that some variables are typically initialized from other
13122 variables when the definition of the variables is being loaded. If you
13123 change the ``base'' variable after the variables have been loaded, you
13124 won't change the ``derived'' variables.
13126 This typically affects directory and file variables. For instance,
13127 @code{nnml-directory} is @file{~/Mail/} by default, and all @code{nnml}
13128 directory variables are initialized from that variable, so
13129 @code{nnml-active-file} will be @file{~/Mail/active}. If you define a
13130 new virtual @code{nnml} server, it will @emph{not} suffice to set just
13131 @code{nnml-directory}---you have to explicitly set all the file
13132 variables to be what you want them to be. For a complete list of
13133 variables for each back end, see each back end's section later in this
13134 manual, but here's an example @code{nnml} definition:
13138 (nnml-directory "~/my-mail/")
13139 (nnml-active-file "~/my-mail/active")
13140 (nnml-newsgroups-file "~/my-mail/newsgroups"))
13143 Server variables are often called @dfn{server parameters}.
13145 @node Servers and Methods
13146 @subsection Servers and Methods
13148 Wherever you would normally use a select method
13149 (e.g. @code{gnus-secondary-select-method}, in the group select method,
13150 when browsing a foreign server) you can use a virtual server name
13151 instead. This could potentially save lots of typing. And it's nice all
13155 @node Unavailable Servers
13156 @subsection Unavailable Servers
13158 If a server seems to be unreachable, Gnus will mark that server as
13159 @code{denied}. That means that any subsequent attempt to make contact
13160 with that server will just be ignored. ``It can't be opened,'' Gnus
13161 will tell you, without making the least effort to see whether that is
13162 actually the case or not.
13164 That might seem quite naughty, but it does make sense most of the time.
13165 Let's say you have 10 groups subscribed to on server
13166 @samp{nephelococcygia.com}. This server is located somewhere quite far
13167 away from you and the machine is quite slow, so it takes 1 minute just
13168 to find out that it refuses connection to you today. If Gnus were to
13169 attempt to do that 10 times, you'd be quite annoyed, so Gnus won't
13170 attempt to do that. Once it has gotten a single ``connection refused'',
13171 it will regard that server as ``down''.
13173 So, what happens if the machine was only feeling unwell temporarily?
13174 How do you test to see whether the machine has come up again?
13176 You jump to the server buffer (@pxref{Server Buffer}) and poke it
13177 with the following commands:
13183 @findex gnus-server-open-server
13184 Try to establish connection to the server on the current line
13185 (@code{gnus-server-open-server}).
13189 @findex gnus-server-close-server
13190 Close the connection (if any) to the server
13191 (@code{gnus-server-close-server}).
13195 @findex gnus-server-deny-server
13196 Mark the current server as unreachable
13197 (@code{gnus-server-deny-server}).
13200 @kindex M-o (Server)
13201 @findex gnus-server-open-all-servers
13202 Open the connections to all servers in the buffer
13203 (@code{gnus-server-open-all-servers}).
13206 @kindex M-c (Server)
13207 @findex gnus-server-close-all-servers
13208 Close the connections to all servers in the buffer
13209 (@code{gnus-server-close-all-servers}).
13213 @findex gnus-server-remove-denials
13214 Remove all marks to whether Gnus was denied connection from any servers
13215 (@code{gnus-server-remove-denials}).
13219 @findex gnus-server-offline-server
13220 Set server status to offline (@code{gnus-server-offline-server}).
13226 @section Getting News
13227 @cindex reading news
13228 @cindex news back ends
13230 A newsreader is normally used for reading news. Gnus currently provides
13231 only two methods of getting news---it can read from an @acronym{NNTP} server,
13232 or it can read from a local spool.
13235 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @acronym{NNTP} server.
13236 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
13244 Subscribing to a foreign group from an @acronym{NNTP} server is rather easy.
13245 You just specify @code{nntp} as method and the address of the @acronym{NNTP}
13246 server as the, uhm, address.
13248 If the @acronym{NNTP} server is located at a non-standard port, setting the
13249 third element of the select method to this port number should allow you
13250 to connect to the right port. You'll have to edit the group info for
13251 that (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
13253 The name of the foreign group can be the same as a native group. In
13254 fact, you can subscribe to the same group from as many different servers
13255 you feel like. There will be no name collisions.
13257 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nntp}
13262 @item nntp-server-opened-hook
13263 @vindex nntp-server-opened-hook
13264 @cindex @sc{mode reader}
13266 @cindex authentication
13267 @cindex nntp authentication
13268 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
13269 @findex nntp-send-mode-reader
13270 is run after a connection has been made. It can be used to send
13271 commands to the @acronym{NNTP} server after it has been contacted. By
13272 default it sends the command @code{MODE READER} to the server with the
13273 @code{nntp-send-mode-reader} function. This function should always be
13274 present in this hook.
13276 @item nntp-authinfo-function
13277 @vindex nntp-authinfo-function
13278 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
13279 @vindex nntp-authinfo-file
13280 This function will be used to send @samp{AUTHINFO} to the @acronym{NNTP}
13281 server. The default function is @code{nntp-send-authinfo}, which looks
13282 through your @file{~/.authinfo} (or whatever you've set the
13283 @code{nntp-authinfo-file} variable to) for applicable entries. If none
13284 are found, it will prompt you for a login name and a password. The
13285 format of the @file{~/.authinfo} file is (almost) the same as the
13286 @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file, which is defined in the @code{ftp}
13287 manual page, but here are the salient facts:
13291 The file contains one or more line, each of which define one server.
13294 Each line may contain an arbitrary number of token/value pairs.
13296 The valid tokens include @samp{machine}, @samp{login}, @samp{password},
13297 @samp{default}. In addition Gnus introduces two new tokens, not present
13298 in the original @file{.netrc}/@code{ftp} syntax, namely @samp{port} and
13299 @samp{force}. (This is the only way the @file{.authinfo} file format
13300 deviates from the @file{.netrc} file format.) @samp{port} is used to
13301 indicate what port on the server the credentials apply to and
13302 @samp{force} is explained below.
13306 Here's an example file:
13309 machine news.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis
13310 machine nntp.ifi.uio.no login larsi force yes
13313 The token/value pairs may appear in any order; @samp{machine} doesn't
13314 have to be first, for instance.
13316 In this example, both login name and password have been supplied for the
13317 former server, while the latter has only the login name listed, and the
13318 user will be prompted for the password. The latter also has the
13319 @samp{force} tag, which means that the authinfo will be sent to the
13320 @var{nntp} server upon connection; the default (i.e., when there is not
13321 @samp{force} tag) is to not send authinfo to the @var{nntp} server
13322 until the @var{nntp} server asks for it.
13324 You can also add @samp{default} lines that will apply to all servers
13325 that don't have matching @samp{machine} lines.
13331 This will force sending @samp{AUTHINFO} commands to all servers not
13332 previously mentioned.
13334 Remember to not leave the @file{~/.authinfo} file world-readable.
13336 @item nntp-server-action-alist
13337 @vindex nntp-server-action-alist
13338 This is a list of regexps to match on server types and actions to be
13339 taken when matches are made. For instance, if you want Gnus to beep
13340 every time you connect to innd, you could say something like:
13343 (setq nntp-server-action-alist
13344 '(("innd" (ding))))
13347 You probably don't want to do that, though.
13349 The default value is
13352 '(("nntpd 1\\.5\\.11t"
13353 (remove-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook
13354 'nntp-send-mode-reader)))
13357 This ensures that Gnus doesn't send the @code{MODE READER} command to
13358 nntpd 1.5.11t, since that command chokes that server, I've been told.
13360 @item nntp-maximum-request
13361 @vindex nntp-maximum-request
13362 If the @acronym{NNTP} server doesn't support @acronym{NOV} headers, this back end
13363 will collect headers by sending a series of @code{head} commands. To
13364 speed things up, the back end sends lots of these commands without
13365 waiting for reply, and then reads all the replies. This is controlled
13366 by the @code{nntp-maximum-request} variable, and is 400 by default. If
13367 your network is buggy, you should set this to 1.
13369 @item nntp-connection-timeout
13370 @vindex nntp-connection-timeout
13371 If you have lots of foreign @code{nntp} groups that you connect to
13372 regularly, you're sure to have problems with @acronym{NNTP} servers not
13373 responding properly, or being too loaded to reply within reasonable
13374 time. This is can lead to awkward problems, which can be helped
13375 somewhat by setting @code{nntp-connection-timeout}. This is an integer
13376 that says how many seconds the @code{nntp} back end should wait for a
13377 connection before giving up. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default,
13378 no timeouts are done.
13380 @item nntp-nov-is-evil
13381 @vindex nntp-nov-is-evil
13382 If the @acronym{NNTP} server does not support @acronym{NOV}, you could set this
13383 variable to @code{t}, but @code{nntp} usually checks automatically whether @acronym{NOV}
13386 @item nntp-xover-commands
13387 @vindex nntp-xover-commands
13388 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
13390 List of strings used as commands to fetch @acronym{NOV} lines from a
13391 server. The default value of this variable is @code{("XOVER"
13395 @vindex nntp-nov-gap
13396 @code{nntp} normally sends just one big request for @acronym{NOV} lines to
13397 the server. The server responds with one huge list of lines. However,
13398 if you have read articles 2-5000 in the group, and only want to read
13399 article 1 and 5001, that means that @code{nntp} will fetch 4999 @acronym{NOV}
13400 lines that you will not need. This variable says how
13401 big a gap between two consecutive articles is allowed to be before the
13402 @code{XOVER} request is split into several request. Note that if your
13403 network is fast, setting this variable to a really small number means
13404 that fetching will probably be slower. If this variable is @code{nil},
13405 @code{nntp} will never split requests. The default is 5.
13407 @item nntp-xref-number-is-evil
13408 @vindex nntp-xref-number-is-evil
13409 When Gnus refers to an article having the @code{Message-ID} that a user
13410 specifies or having the @code{Message-ID} of the parent article of the
13411 current one (@pxref{Finding the Parent}), Gnus sends a @code{HEAD}
13412 command to the @acronym{NNTP} server to know where it is, and the server
13413 returns the data containing the pairs of a group and an article number
13414 in the @code{Xref} header. Gnus normally uses the article number to
13415 refer to the article if the data shows that that article is in the
13416 current group, while it uses the @code{Message-ID} otherwise. However,
13417 some news servers, e.g., ones running Diablo, run multiple engines
13418 having the same articles but article numbers are not kept synchronized
13419 between them. In that case, the article number that appears in the
13420 @code{Xref} header varies by which engine is chosen, so you cannot refer
13421 to the parent article that is in the current group, for instance. If
13422 you connect to such a server, set this variable to a non-@code{nil}
13423 value, and Gnus never uses article numbers. For example:
13426 (setq gnus-select-method
13428 (nntp-address "newszilla.example.com")
13429 (nntp-xref-number-is-evil t)
13433 The default value of this server variable is @code{nil}.
13435 @item nntp-prepare-server-hook
13436 @vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
13437 A hook run before attempting to connect to an @acronym{NNTP} server.
13439 @item nntp-record-commands
13440 @vindex nntp-record-commands
13441 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nntp} will log all commands it sends to the
13442 @acronym{NNTP} server (along with a timestamp) in the @samp{*nntp-log*}
13443 buffer. This is useful if you are debugging a Gnus/@acronym{NNTP} connection
13444 that doesn't seem to work.
13446 @item nntp-open-connection-function
13447 @vindex nntp-open-connection-function
13448 It is possible to customize how the connection to the nntp server will
13449 be opened. If you specify an @code{nntp-open-connection-function}
13450 parameter, Gnus will use that function to establish the connection.
13451 Seven pre-made functions are supplied. These functions can be grouped
13452 in two categories: direct connection functions (four pre-made), and
13453 indirect ones (three pre-made).
13455 @item nntp-never-echoes-commands
13456 @vindex nntp-never-echoes-commands
13457 Non-@code{nil} means the nntp server never echoes commands. It is
13458 reported that some nntps server doesn't echo commands. So, you may want
13459 to set this to non-@code{nil} in the method for such a server setting
13460 @code{nntp-open-connection-function} to @code{nntp-open-ssl-stream} for
13461 example. The default value is @code{nil}. Note that the
13462 @code{nntp-open-connection-functions-never-echo-commands} variable
13463 overrides the @code{nil} value of this variable.
13465 @item nntp-open-connection-functions-never-echo-commands
13466 @vindex nntp-open-connection-functions-never-echo-commands
13467 List of functions that never echo commands. Add or set a function which
13468 you set to @code{nntp-open-connection-function} to this list if it does
13469 not echo commands. Note that a non-@code{nil} value of the
13470 @code{nntp-never-echoes-commands} variable overrides this variable. The
13471 default value is @code{(nntp-open-network-stream)}.
13473 @item nntp-prepare-post-hook
13474 @vindex nntp-prepare-post-hook
13475 A hook run just before posting an article. If there is no
13476 @code{Message-ID} header in the article and the news server provides the
13477 recommended ID, it will be added to the article before running this
13478 hook. It is useful to make @code{Cancel-Lock} headers even if you
13479 inhibit Gnus to add a @code{Message-ID} header, you could say:
13482 (add-hook 'nntp-prepare-post-hook 'canlock-insert-header)
13485 Note that not all servers support the recommended ID. This works for
13486 INN versions 2.3.0 and later, for instance.
13491 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
13492 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
13493 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
13494 * NNTP marks:: Storing marks for @acronym{NNTP} servers.
13498 @node Direct Functions
13499 @subsubsection Direct Functions
13500 @cindex direct connection functions
13502 These functions are called direct because they open a direct connection
13503 between your machine and the @acronym{NNTP} server. The behavior of these
13504 functions is also affected by commonly understood variables
13505 (@pxref{Common Variables}).
13508 @findex nntp-open-network-stream
13509 @item nntp-open-network-stream
13510 This is the default, and simply connects to some port or other on the
13513 @findex nntp-open-tls-stream
13514 @item nntp-open-tls-stream
13515 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use
13516 this you must have @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gnutls/, GNUTLS}
13517 installed. You then define a server as follows:
13520 ;; @r{"nntps" is port 563 and is predefined in our @file{/etc/services}}
13521 ;; @r{however, @samp{gnutls-cli -p} doesn't like named ports.}
13523 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
13524 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-tls-stream)
13525 (nntp-port-number )
13526 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
13529 @findex nntp-open-ssl-stream
13530 @item nntp-open-ssl-stream
13531 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use
13532 this you must have @uref{http://www.openssl.org, OpenSSL} or
13533 @uref{ftp://ftp.psy.uq.oz.au/pub/Crypto/SSL, SSLeay} installed. You
13534 then define a server as follows:
13537 ;; @r{"snews" is port 563 and is predefined in our @file{/etc/services}}
13538 ;; @r{however, @samp{openssl s_client -port} doesn't like named ports.}
13540 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
13541 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-ssl-stream)
13542 (nntp-port-number 563)
13543 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
13546 @findex nntp-open-telnet-stream
13547 @item nntp-open-telnet-stream
13548 Opens a connection to an @acronym{NNTP} server by simply @samp{telnet}'ing
13549 it. You might wonder why this function exists, since we have the
13550 default @code{nntp-open-network-stream} which would do the job. (One
13551 of) the reason(s) is that if you are behind a firewall but have direct
13552 connections to the outside world thanks to a command wrapper like
13553 @code{runsocks}, you can use it like this:
13557 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
13558 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-telnet-stream)
13559 (nntp-address "the.news.server"))
13562 With the default method, you would need to wrap your whole Emacs
13563 session, which is not a good idea.
13567 @node Indirect Functions
13568 @subsubsection Indirect Functions
13569 @cindex indirect connection functions
13571 These functions are called indirect because they connect to an
13572 intermediate host before actually connecting to the @acronym{NNTP} server.
13573 All of these functions and related variables are also said to belong to
13574 the ``via'' family of connection: they're all prefixed with ``via'' to make
13575 things cleaner. The behavior of these functions is also affected by
13576 commonly understood variables (@pxref{Common Variables}).
13579 @item nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
13580 @findex nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
13581 Does an @samp{rlogin} on a remote system, and then does a @samp{telnet}
13582 to the real @acronym{NNTP} server from there. This is useful for instance if
13583 you need to connect to a firewall machine first.
13585 @code{nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet}-specific variables:
13588 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command
13589 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command
13590 Command used to log in on the intermediate host. The default is
13591 @samp{rsh}, but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
13593 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
13594 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
13595 List of strings to be used as the switches to
13596 @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}. The default is @code{nil}. If you use
13597 @samp{ssh} for @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}, you may set this to
13598 @samp{("-C")} in order to compress all data connections, otherwise set
13599 this to @samp{("-t" "-e" "none")} or @samp{("-C" "-t" "-e" "none")} if
13600 the telnet command requires a pseudo-tty allocation on an intermediate
13604 Note that you may want to change the value for @code{nntp-end-of-line}
13605 to @samp{\n} (@pxref{Common Variables}).
13607 @item nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat
13608 @findex nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat
13609 Does essentially the same, but uses
13610 @uref{http://netcat.sourceforge.net/, netcat} instead of @samp{telnet}
13611 to connect to the real @acronym{NNTP} server from the intermediate host.
13613 @code{nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat}-specific variables:
13616 @item nntp-via-netcat-command
13617 @vindex nntp-via-netcat-command
13618 Command used to connect to the real @acronym{NNTP} server from the
13619 intermediate host. The default is @samp{nc}. You can also use other
13620 programs like @uref{http://www.imasy.or.jp/~gotoh/ssh/connect.html,
13623 @item nntp-via-netcat-switches
13624 @vindex nntp-via-netcat-switches
13625 List of strings to be used as the switches to the
13626 @code{nntp-via-telnet-command} command. The default is @code{nil}.
13628 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command
13629 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command
13630 Command used to log in on the intermediate host. The default is
13631 @samp{rsh}, but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
13633 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
13634 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
13635 List of strings to be used as the switches to
13636 @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}. The default is @code{nil}.
13639 @item nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
13640 @findex nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
13641 Does essentially the same, but uses @samp{telnet} instead of
13642 @samp{rlogin} to connect to the intermediate host.
13644 @code{nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet}-specific variables:
13647 @item nntp-via-telnet-command
13648 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-command
13649 Command used to @code{telnet} the intermediate host. The default is
13652 @item nntp-via-telnet-switches
13653 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-switches
13654 List of strings to be used as the switches to the
13655 @code{nntp-via-telnet-command} command. The default is @samp{("-8")}.
13657 @item nntp-via-user-password
13658 @vindex nntp-via-user-password
13659 Password to use when logging in on the intermediate host.
13661 @item nntp-via-envuser
13662 @vindex nntp-via-envuser
13663 If non-@code{nil}, the intermediate @code{telnet} session (client and
13664 server both) will support the @code{ENVIRON} option and not prompt for
13665 login name. This works for Solaris @code{telnet}, for instance.
13667 @item nntp-via-shell-prompt
13668 @vindex nntp-via-shell-prompt
13669 Regexp matching the shell prompt on the intermediate host. The default
13670 is @samp{bash\\|\$ *\r?$\\|> *\r?}.
13674 Note that you may want to change the value for @code{nntp-end-of-line}
13675 to @samp{\n} (@pxref{Common Variables}).
13679 Here are some additional variables that are understood by all the above
13684 @item nntp-via-user-name
13685 @vindex nntp-via-user-name
13686 User name to use when connecting to the intermediate host.
13688 @item nntp-via-address
13689 @vindex nntp-via-address
13690 Address of the intermediate host to connect to.
13695 @node Common Variables
13696 @subsubsection Common Variables
13698 The following variables affect the behavior of all, or several of the
13699 pre-made connection functions. When not specified, all functions are
13700 affected (the values of the following variables will be used as the
13701 default if each virtual @code{nntp} server doesn't specify those server
13702 variables individually).
13706 @item nntp-pre-command
13707 @vindex nntp-pre-command
13708 A command wrapper to use when connecting through a non native
13709 connection function (all except @code{nntp-open-network-stream},
13710 @code{nntp-open-tls-stream}, and @code{nntp-open-ssl-stream}). This is
13711 where you would put a @samp{SOCKS} wrapper for instance.
13714 @vindex nntp-address
13715 The address of the @acronym{NNTP} server.
13717 @item nntp-port-number
13718 @vindex nntp-port-number
13719 Port number to connect to the @acronym{NNTP} server. The default is
13720 @samp{nntp}. If you use @acronym{NNTP} over
13721 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}, you may want to use integer ports rather
13722 than named ports (i.e, use @samp{563} instead of @samp{snews} or
13723 @samp{nntps}), because external @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} tools may
13724 not work with named ports.
13726 @item nntp-end-of-line
13727 @vindex nntp-end-of-line
13728 String to use as end-of-line marker when talking to the @acronym{NNTP}
13729 server. This is @samp{\r\n} by default, but should be @samp{\n} when
13730 using a non native telnet connection function.
13732 @item nntp-telnet-command
13733 @vindex nntp-telnet-command
13734 Command to use when connecting to the @acronym{NNTP} server through
13735 @samp{telnet}. This is @emph{not} for an intermediate host. This is
13736 just for the real @acronym{NNTP} server. The default is
13739 @item nntp-telnet-switches
13740 @vindex nntp-telnet-switches
13741 A list of switches to pass to @code{nntp-telnet-command}. The default
13747 @subsubsection NNTP marks
13748 @cindex storing NNTP marks
13750 Gnus stores marks (@pxref{Marking Articles}) for @acronym{NNTP}
13751 servers in marks files. A marks file records what marks you have set
13752 in a group and each file is specific to the corresponding server.
13753 Marks files are stored in @file{~/News/marks}
13754 (@code{nntp-marks-directory}) under a classic hierarchy resembling
13755 that of a news server, for example marks for the group
13756 @samp{gmane.discuss} on the news.gmane.org server will be stored in
13757 the file @file{~/News/marks/news.gmane.org/gmane/discuss/.marks}.
13759 Marks files are useful because you can copy the @file{~/News/marks}
13760 directory (using rsync, scp or whatever) to another Gnus installation,
13761 and it will realize what articles you have read and marked. The data
13762 in @file{~/News/marks} has priority over the same data in
13763 @file{~/.newsrc.eld}.
13765 Note that marks files are very much server-specific: Gnus remembers
13766 the article numbers so if you don't use the same servers on both
13767 installations things are most likely to break (most @acronym{NNTP}
13768 servers do not use the same article numbers as any other server).
13769 However, if you use servers A, B, C on one installation and servers A,
13770 D, E on the other, you can sync the marks files for A and then you'll
13771 get synchronization for that server between the two installations.
13773 Using @acronym{NNTP} marks can possibly incur a performance penalty so
13774 if Gnus feels sluggish, try setting the @code{nntp-marks-is-evil}
13775 variable to @code{t}. Marks will then be stored in @file{~/.newsrc.eld}.
13781 @item nntp-marks-is-evil
13782 @vindex nntp-marks-is-evil
13783 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any marks files. The
13784 default is @code{nil}.
13786 @item nntp-marks-directory
13787 @vindex nntp-marks-directory
13788 The directory where marks for nntp groups will be stored.
13794 @subsection News Spool
13798 Subscribing to a foreign group from the local spool is extremely easy,
13799 and might be useful, for instance, to speed up reading groups that
13800 contain very big articles---@samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}, for
13803 Anyway, you just specify @code{nnspool} as the method and @code{""} (or
13804 anything else) as the address.
13806 If you have access to a local spool, you should probably use that as the
13807 native select method (@pxref{Finding the News}). It is normally faster
13808 than using an @code{nntp} select method, but might not be. It depends.
13809 You just have to try to find out what's best at your site.
13813 @item nnspool-inews-program
13814 @vindex nnspool-inews-program
13815 Program used to post an article.
13817 @item nnspool-inews-switches
13818 @vindex nnspool-inews-switches
13819 Parameters given to the inews program when posting an article.
13821 @item nnspool-spool-directory
13822 @vindex nnspool-spool-directory
13823 Where @code{nnspool} looks for the articles. This is normally
13824 @file{/usr/spool/news/}.
13826 @item nnspool-nov-directory
13827 @vindex nnspool-nov-directory
13828 Where @code{nnspool} will look for @acronym{NOV} files. This is normally@*
13829 @file{/usr/spool/news/over.view/}.
13831 @item nnspool-lib-dir
13832 @vindex nnspool-lib-dir
13833 Where the news lib dir is (@file{/usr/lib/news/} by default).
13835 @item nnspool-active-file
13836 @vindex nnspool-active-file
13837 The name of the active file.
13839 @item nnspool-newsgroups-file
13840 @vindex nnspool-newsgroups-file
13841 The name of the group descriptions file.
13843 @item nnspool-history-file
13844 @vindex nnspool-history-file
13845 The name of the news history file.
13847 @item nnspool-active-times-file
13848 @vindex nnspool-active-times-file
13849 The name of the active date file.
13851 @item nnspool-nov-is-evil
13852 @vindex nnspool-nov-is-evil
13853 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnspool} won't try to use any @acronym{NOV} files
13856 @item nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
13857 @vindex nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
13859 If non-@code{nil}, which is the default, use @code{sed} to get the
13860 relevant portion from the overview file. If @code{nil},
13861 @code{nnspool} will load the entire file into a buffer and process it
13868 @section Getting Mail
13869 @cindex reading mail
13872 Reading mail with a newsreader---isn't that just plain WeIrD? But of
13876 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
13877 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
13878 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
13879 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
13880 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
13881 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
13882 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
13883 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
13884 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
13885 * Washing Mail:: Removing cruft from the mail you get.
13886 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
13887 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
13888 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
13892 @node Mail in a Newsreader
13893 @subsection Mail in a Newsreader
13895 If you are used to traditional mail readers, but have decided to switch
13896 to reading mail with Gnus, you may find yourself experiencing something
13897 of a culture shock.
13899 Gnus does not behave like traditional mail readers. If you want to make
13900 it behave that way, you can, but it's an uphill battle.
13902 Gnus, by default, handles all its groups using the same approach. This
13903 approach is very newsreaderly---you enter a group, see the new/unread
13904 messages, and when you read the messages, they get marked as read, and
13905 you don't see them any more. (Unless you explicitly ask for them.)
13907 In particular, you do not do anything explicitly to delete messages.
13909 Does this mean that all the messages that have been marked as read are
13910 deleted? How awful!
13912 But, no, it means that old messages are @dfn{expired} according to some
13913 scheme or other. For news messages, the expire process is controlled by
13914 the news administrator; for mail, the expire process is controlled by
13915 you. The expire process for mail is covered in depth in @ref{Expiring
13918 What many Gnus users find, after using it a while for both news and
13919 mail, is that the transport mechanism has very little to do with how
13920 they want to treat a message.
13922 Many people subscribe to several mailing lists. These are transported
13923 via @acronym{SMTP}, and are therefore mail. But we might go for weeks without
13924 answering, or even reading these messages very carefully. We may not
13925 need to save them because if we should need to read one again, they are
13926 archived somewhere else.
13928 Some people have local news groups which have only a handful of readers.
13929 These are transported via @acronym{NNTP}, and are therefore news. But we may need
13930 to read and answer a large fraction of the messages very carefully in
13931 order to do our work. And there may not be an archive, so we may need
13932 to save the interesting messages the same way we would personal mail.
13934 The important distinction turns out to be not the transport mechanism,
13935 but other factors such as how interested we are in the subject matter,
13936 or how easy it is to retrieve the message if we need to read it again.
13938 Gnus provides many options for sorting mail into ``groups'' which behave
13939 like newsgroups, and for treating each group (whether mail or news)
13942 Some users never get comfortable using the Gnus (ahem) paradigm and wish
13943 that Gnus should grow up and be a male, er, mail reader. It is possible
13944 to whip Gnus into a more mailreaderly being, but, as said before, it's
13945 not easy. People who prefer proper mail readers should try @sc{vm}
13946 instead, which is an excellent, and proper, mail reader.
13948 I don't mean to scare anybody off, but I want to make it clear that you
13949 may be required to learn a new way of thinking about messages. After
13950 you've been subjected to The Gnus Way, you will come to love it. I can
13951 guarantee it. (At least the guy who sold me the Emacs Subliminal
13952 Brain-Washing Functions that I've put into Gnus did guarantee it. You
13953 Will Be Assimilated. You Love Gnus. You Love The Gnus Mail Way.
13957 @node Getting Started Reading Mail
13958 @subsection Getting Started Reading Mail
13960 It's quite easy to use Gnus to read your new mail. You just plonk the
13961 mail back end of your choice into @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods},
13962 and things will happen automatically.
13964 For instance, if you want to use @code{nnml} (which is a ``one file per
13965 mail'' back end), you could put the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
13968 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
13971 Now, the next time you start Gnus, this back end will be queried for new
13972 articles, and it will move all the messages in your spool file to its
13973 directory, which is @file{~/Mail/} by default. The new group that will
13974 be created (@samp{mail.misc}) will be subscribed, and you can read it
13975 like any other group.
13977 You will probably want to split the mail into several groups, though:
13980 (setq nnmail-split-methods
13981 '(("junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
13982 ("crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
13986 This will result in three new @code{nnml} mail groups being created:
13987 @samp{nnml:junk}, @samp{nnml:crazy}, and @samp{nnml:other}. All the
13988 mail that doesn't fit into the first two groups will be placed in the
13991 This should be sufficient for reading mail with Gnus. You might want to
13992 give the other sections in this part of the manual a perusal, though.
13993 Especially @pxref{Choosing a Mail Back End} and @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
13996 @node Splitting Mail
13997 @subsection Splitting Mail
13998 @cindex splitting mail
13999 @cindex mail splitting
14000 @cindex mail filtering (splitting)
14002 @vindex nnmail-split-methods
14003 The @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable says how the incoming mail is
14004 to be split into groups.
14007 (setq nnmail-split-methods
14008 '(("mail.junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
14009 ("mail.crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
14010 ("mail.other" "")))
14013 This variable is a list of lists, where the first element of each of
14014 these lists is the name of the mail group (they do not have to be called
14015 something beginning with @samp{mail}, by the way), and the second
14016 element is a regular expression used on the header of each mail to
14017 determine if it belongs in this mail group. The first string may
14018 contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by @code{replace-match} to
14019 insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For instance:
14022 ("list.\\1" "From:.* \\(.*\\)-list@@majordomo.com")
14026 In that case, @code{nnmail-split-lowercase-expanded} controls whether
14027 the inserted text should be made lowercase. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
14029 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
14030 called narrowed to the headers with the first element of the rule as the
14031 argument. It should return a non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the
14032 mail belongs in that group.
14034 @cindex @samp{bogus} group
14035 The last of these groups should always be a general one, and the regular
14036 expression should @emph{always} be @samp{""} so that it matches any mails
14037 that haven't been matched by any of the other regexps. (These rules are
14038 processed from the beginning of the alist toward the end. The first rule
14039 to make a match will ``win'', unless you have crossposting enabled. In
14040 that case, all matching rules will ``win''.) If no rule matched, the mail
14041 will end up in the @samp{bogus} group. When new groups are created by
14042 splitting mail, you may want to run @code{gnus-group-find-new-groups} to
14043 see the new groups. This also applies to the @samp{bogus} group.
14045 If you like to tinker with this yourself, you can set this variable to a
14046 function of your choice. This function will be called without any
14047 arguments in a buffer narrowed to the headers of an incoming mail
14048 message. The function should return a list of group names that it
14049 thinks should carry this mail message.
14051 Note that the mail back ends are free to maul the poor, innocent,
14052 incoming headers all they want to. They all add @code{Lines} headers;
14053 some add @code{X-Gnus-Group} headers; most rename the Unix mbox
14054 @code{From<SPACE>} line to something else.
14056 @vindex nnmail-crosspost
14057 The mail back ends all support cross-posting. If several regexps match,
14058 the mail will be ``cross-posted'' to all those groups.
14059 @code{nnmail-crosspost} says whether to use this mechanism or not. Note
14060 that no articles are crossposted to the general (@samp{""}) group.
14062 @vindex nnmail-crosspost-link-function
14065 @code{nnmh} and @code{nnml} makes crossposts by creating hard links to
14066 the crossposted articles. However, not all file systems support hard
14067 links. If that's the case for you, set
14068 @code{nnmail-crosspost-link-function} to @code{copy-file}. (This
14069 variable is @code{add-name-to-file} by default.)
14071 @kindex M-x nnmail-split-history
14072 @findex nnmail-split-history
14073 If you wish to see where the previous mail split put the messages, you
14074 can use the @kbd{M-x nnmail-split-history} command. If you wish to see
14075 where re-spooling messages would put the messages, you can use
14076 @code{gnus-summary-respool-trace} and related commands (@pxref{Mail
14079 @vindex nnmail-split-header-length-limit
14080 Header lines longer than the value of
14081 @code{nnmail-split-header-length-limit} are excluded from the split
14084 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes
14085 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-charset
14086 By default, splitting does not decode headers, so you can not match on
14087 non-@acronym{ASCII} strings. But it is useful if you want to match
14088 articles based on the raw header data. To enable it, set the
14089 @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes} variable to a non-@code{nil} value.
14090 In addition, the value of the @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-charset}
14091 variable is used for decoding non-@acronym{MIME} encoded string when
14092 @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes} is non-@code{nil}. The default
14093 value is @code{nil} which means not to decode non-@acronym{MIME} encoded
14094 string. A suitable value for you will be @code{undecided} or be the
14095 charset used normally in mails you are interested in.
14097 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
14098 By default, splitting is performed on all incoming messages. If you
14099 specify a @code{directory} entry for the variable @code{mail-sources}
14100 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}), however, then splitting does
14101 @emph{not} happen by default. You can set the variable
14102 @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming} to a non-@code{nil} value to make
14103 splitting happen even in this case. (This variable has no effect on
14104 other kinds of entries.)
14106 Gnus gives you all the opportunity you could possibly want for shooting
14107 yourself in the foot. Let's say you create a group that will contain
14108 all the mail you get from your boss. And then you accidentally
14109 unsubscribe from the group. Gnus will still put all the mail from your
14110 boss in the unsubscribed group, and so, when your boss mails you ``Have
14111 that report ready by Monday or you're fired!'', you'll never see it and,
14112 come Tuesday, you'll still believe that you're gainfully employed while
14113 you really should be out collecting empty bottles to save up for next
14114 month's rent money.
14118 @subsection Mail Sources
14120 Mail can be gotten from many different sources---the mail spool, from
14121 a @acronym{POP} mail server, from a procmail directory, or from a
14122 maildir, for instance.
14125 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
14126 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
14127 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
14131 @node Mail Source Specifiers
14132 @subsubsection Mail Source Specifiers
14134 @cindex mail server
14137 @cindex mail source
14139 You tell Gnus how to fetch mail by setting @code{mail-sources}
14140 (@pxref{Fetching Mail}) to a @dfn{mail source specifier}.
14145 (pop :server "pop3.mailserver.com" :user "myname")
14148 As can be observed, a mail source specifier is a list where the first
14149 element is a @dfn{mail source type}, followed by an arbitrary number of
14150 @dfn{keywords}. Keywords that are not explicitly specified are given
14153 The following mail source types are available:
14157 Get mail from a single file; typically from the mail spool.
14163 The file name. Defaults to the value of the @env{MAIL}
14164 environment variable or the value of @code{rmail-spool-directory}
14165 (usually something like @file{/usr/mail/spool/user-name}).
14169 Script run before/after fetching mail.
14172 An example file mail source:
14175 (file :path "/usr/spool/mail/user-name")
14178 Or using the default file name:
14184 If the mail spool file is not located on the local machine, it's best
14185 to use @acronym{POP} or @acronym{IMAP} or the like to fetch the mail.
14186 You can not use ange-ftp file names here---it has no way to lock the
14187 mail spool while moving the mail.
14189 If it's impossible to set up a proper server, you can use ssh instead.
14193 '((file :prescript "ssh host bin/getmail >%t")))
14196 The @samp{getmail} script would look something like the following:
14200 # getmail - move mail from spool to stdout
14203 MOVEMAIL=/usr/lib/emacs/20.3/i386-redhat-linux/movemail
14205 rm -f $TMP; $MOVEMAIL $MAIL $TMP >/dev/null && cat $TMP
14208 Alter this script to fit the @samp{movemail} and temporary
14209 file you want to use.
14213 @vindex nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once
14214 Get mail from several files in a directory. This is typically used
14215 when you have procmail split the incoming mail into several files.
14216 That is, there is a one-to-one correspondence between files in that
14217 directory and groups, so that mail from the file @file{foo.bar.spool}
14218 will be put in the group @code{foo.bar}. (You can change the suffix
14219 to be used instead of @code{.spool}.) Setting
14220 @code{nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once} to non-@code{nil} forces
14221 Gnus to scan the mail source only once. This is particularly useful
14222 if you want to scan mail groups at a specified level.
14224 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
14225 There is also the variable @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming}, if you set
14226 that to a non-@code{nil} value, then the normal splitting process is
14227 applied to all the files from the directory, @ref{Splitting Mail}.
14233 The name of the directory where the files are. There is no default
14237 Only files ending with this suffix are used. The default is
14241 Only files that have this predicate return non-@code{nil} are returned.
14242 The default is @code{identity}. This is used as an additional
14243 filter---only files that have the right suffix @emph{and} satisfy this
14244 predicate are considered.
14248 Script run before/after fetching mail.
14252 An example directory mail source:
14255 (directory :path "/home/user-name/procmail-dir/"
14260 Get mail from a @acronym{POP} server.
14266 The name of the @acronym{POP} server. The default is taken from the
14267 @env{MAILHOST} environment variable.
14270 The port number of the @acronym{POP} server. This can be a number (eg,
14271 @samp{:port 1234}) or a string (eg, @samp{:port "pop3"}). If it is a
14272 string, it should be a service name as listed in @file{/etc/services} on
14273 Unix systems. The default is @samp{"pop3"}. On some systems you might
14274 need to specify it as @samp{"pop-3"} instead.
14277 The user name to give to the @acronym{POP} server. The default is the login
14281 The password to give to the @acronym{POP} server. If not specified,
14282 the user is prompted.
14285 The program to use to fetch mail from the @acronym{POP} server. This
14286 should be a @code{format}-like string. Here's an example:
14289 fetchmail %u@@%s -P %p %t
14292 The valid format specifier characters are:
14296 The name of the file the mail is to be moved to. This must always be
14297 included in this string.
14300 The name of the server.
14303 The port number of the server.
14306 The user name to use.
14309 The password to use.
14312 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
14313 corresponding keywords.
14316 A script to be run before fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
14317 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
14320 A script to be run after fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
14321 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
14324 The function to use to fetch mail from the @acronym{POP} server. The
14325 function is called with one parameter---the name of the file where the
14326 mail should be moved to.
14328 @item :authentication
14329 This can be either the symbol @code{password} or the symbol @code{apop}
14330 and says what authentication scheme to use. The default is
14335 @vindex pop3-movemail
14336 @vindex pop3-leave-mail-on-server
14337 If the @code{:program} and @code{:function} keywords aren't specified,
14338 @code{pop3-movemail} will be used. If @code{pop3-leave-mail-on-server}
14339 is non-@code{nil} the mail is to be left on the @acronym{POP} server
14340 after fetching when using @code{pop3-movemail}. Note that POP servers
14341 maintain no state information between sessions, so what the client
14342 believes is there and what is actually there may not match up. If they
14343 do not, then you may get duplicate mails or the whole thing can fall
14344 apart and leave you with a corrupt mailbox.
14346 Here are some examples for getting mail from a @acronym{POP} server.
14347 Fetch from the default @acronym{POP} server, using the default user
14348 name, and default fetcher:
14354 Fetch from a named server with a named user and password:
14357 (pop :server "my.pop.server"
14358 :user "user-name" :password "secret")
14361 Use @samp{movemail} to move the mail:
14364 (pop :program "movemail po:%u %t %p")
14368 Get mail from a maildir. This is a type of mailbox that is supported by
14369 at least qmail and postfix, where each file in a special directory
14370 contains exactly one mail.
14376 The name of the directory where the mails are stored. The default is
14377 taken from the @env{MAILDIR} environment variable or
14380 The subdirectories of the Maildir. The default is
14381 @samp{("new" "cur")}.
14383 @c If you sometimes look at your mail through a pop3 daemon before fetching
14384 @c them with Gnus, you may also have to fetch your mails from the
14385 @c @code{cur} directory inside the maildir, like in the first example
14388 You can also get mails from remote hosts (because maildirs don't suffer
14389 from locking problems).
14393 Two example maildir mail sources:
14396 (maildir :path "/home/user-name/Maildir/"
14397 :subdirs ("cur" "new"))
14401 (maildir :path "/user@@remotehost.org:~/Maildir/"
14406 Get mail from a @acronym{IMAP} server. If you don't want to use
14407 @acronym{IMAP} as intended, as a network mail reading protocol (ie
14408 with nnimap), for some reason or other, Gnus let you treat it similar
14409 to a @acronym{POP} server and fetches articles from a given
14410 @acronym{IMAP} mailbox. @xref{IMAP}, for more information.
14412 Note that for the Kerberos, GSSAPI, @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} and STARTTLS support you
14413 may need external programs and libraries, @xref{IMAP}.
14419 The name of the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is taken from the
14420 @env{MAILHOST} environment variable.
14423 The port number of the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is @samp{143}, or
14424 @samp{993} for @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} connections.
14427 The user name to give to the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is the login
14431 The password to give to the @acronym{IMAP} server. If not specified, the user is
14435 What stream to use for connecting to the server, this is one of the
14436 symbols in @code{imap-stream-alist}. Right now, this means
14437 @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{starttls}, @samp{tls},
14438 @samp{ssl}, @samp{shell} or the default @samp{network}.
14440 @item :authentication
14441 Which authenticator to use for authenticating to the server, this is
14442 one of the symbols in @code{imap-authenticator-alist}. Right now,
14443 this means @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{digest-md5},
14444 @samp{cram-md5}, @samp{anonymous} or the default @samp{login}.
14447 When using the `shell' :stream, the contents of this variable is
14448 mapped into the @code{imap-shell-program} variable. This should be a
14449 @code{format}-like string (or list of strings). Here's an example:
14455 Make sure nothing is interfering with the output of the program, e.g.,
14456 don't forget to redirect the error output to the void. The valid format
14457 specifier characters are:
14461 The name of the server.
14464 User name from @code{imap-default-user}.
14467 The port number of the server.
14470 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
14471 corresponding keywords.
14474 The name of the mailbox to get mail from. The default is @samp{INBOX}
14475 which normally is the mailbox which receive incoming mail.
14478 The predicate used to find articles to fetch. The default, @samp{UNSEEN
14479 UNDELETED}, is probably the best choice for most people, but if you
14480 sometimes peek in your mailbox with a @acronym{IMAP} client and mark some
14481 articles as read (or; SEEN) you might want to set this to @samp{1:*}.
14482 Then all articles in the mailbox is fetched, no matter what. For a
14483 complete list of predicates, see RFC 2060 section 6.4.4.
14486 How to flag fetched articles on the server, the default @samp{\Deleted}
14487 will mark them as deleted, an alternative would be @samp{\Seen} which
14488 would simply mark them as read. These are the two most likely choices,
14489 but more flags are defined in RFC 2060 section 2.3.2.
14492 If non-@code{nil}, don't remove all articles marked as deleted in the
14493 mailbox after finishing the fetch.
14497 An example @acronym{IMAP} mail source:
14500 (imap :server "mail.mycorp.com"
14502 :fetchflag "\\Seen")
14506 Get mail from a webmail server, such as @uref{http://www.hotmail.com/},
14507 @uref{http://webmail.netscape.com/}, @uref{http://www.netaddress.com/},
14508 @uref{http://mail.yahoo.com/}.
14510 NOTE: Webmail largely depends on cookies. A "one-line-cookie" patch is
14511 required for url "4.0pre.46".
14513 WARNING: Mails may be lost. NO WARRANTY.
14519 The type of the webmail server. The default is @code{hotmail}. The
14520 alternatives are @code{netscape}, @code{netaddress}, @code{my-deja}.
14523 The user name to give to the webmail server. The default is the login
14527 The password to give to the webmail server. If not specified, the user is
14531 If non-@code{nil}, only fetch unread articles and don't move them to
14532 trash folder after finishing the fetch.
14536 An example webmail source:
14539 (webmail :subtype 'hotmail
14541 :password "secret")
14546 @item Common Keywords
14547 Common keywords can be used in any type of mail source.
14553 If non-@code{nil}, fetch the mail even when Gnus is unplugged. If you
14554 use directory source to get mail, you can specify it as in this
14559 '((directory :path "/home/pavel/.Spool/"
14564 Gnus will then fetch your mail even when you are unplugged. This is
14565 useful when you use local mail and news.
14570 @subsubsection Function Interface
14572 Some of the above keywords specify a Lisp function to be executed.
14573 For each keyword @code{:foo}, the Lisp variable @code{foo} is bound to
14574 the value of the keyword while the function is executing. For example,
14575 consider the following mail-source setting:
14578 (setq mail-sources '((pop :user "jrl"
14579 :server "pophost" :function fetchfunc)))
14582 While the function @code{fetchfunc} is executing, the symbol @code{user}
14583 is bound to @code{"jrl"}, and the symbol @code{server} is bound to
14584 @code{"pophost"}. The symbols @code{port}, @code{password},
14585 @code{program}, @code{prescript}, @code{postscript}, @code{function},
14586 and @code{authentication} are also bound (to their default values).
14588 See above for a list of keywords for each type of mail source.
14591 @node Mail Source Customization
14592 @subsubsection Mail Source Customization
14594 The following is a list of variables that influence how the mail is
14595 fetched. You would normally not need to set or change any of these
14599 @item mail-source-crash-box
14600 @vindex mail-source-crash-box
14601 File where mail will be stored while processing it. The default is@*
14602 @file{~/.emacs-mail-crash-box}.
14604 @item mail-source-delete-incoming
14605 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
14606 If non-@code{nil}, delete incoming files after handling them. If
14607 @code{t}, delete the files immediately, if @code{nil}, never delete any
14608 files. If a positive number, delete files older than number of days
14609 (This will only happen, when receiving new mail). You may also set
14610 @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} to @code{nil} and call
14611 @code{mail-source-delete-old-incoming} from a hook or interactively.
14613 @item mail-source-delete-old-incoming-confirm
14614 @vindex mail-source-delete-old-incoming-confirm
14615 If non-@code{nil}, ask for confirmation before deleting old incoming
14616 files. This variable only applies when
14617 @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is a positive number.
14619 @item mail-source-ignore-errors
14620 @vindex mail-source-ignore-errors
14621 If non-@code{nil}, ignore errors when reading mail from a mail source.
14623 @item mail-source-directory
14624 @vindex mail-source-directory
14625 Directory where incoming mail source files (if any) will be stored. The
14626 default is @file{~/Mail/}. At present, the only thing this is used for
14627 is to say where the incoming files will be stored if the variable
14628 @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is @code{nil} or a number.
14630 @item mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
14631 @vindex mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
14632 Prefix for file name for storing incoming mail. The default is
14633 @file{Incoming}, in which case files will end up with names like
14634 @file{Incoming30630D_} or @file{Incoming298602ZD}. This is really only
14635 relevant if @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is @code{nil} or a
14638 @item mail-source-default-file-modes
14639 @vindex mail-source-default-file-modes
14640 All new mail files will get this file mode. The default is 384.
14642 @item mail-source-movemail-program
14643 @vindex mail-source-movemail-program
14644 If non-@code{nil}, name of program for fetching new mail. If
14645 @code{nil}, @code{movemail} in @var{exec-directory}.
14650 @node Fetching Mail
14651 @subsubsection Fetching Mail
14653 @vindex mail-sources
14654 @vindex nnmail-spool-file
14655 The way to actually tell Gnus where to get new mail from is to set
14656 @code{mail-sources} to a list of mail source specifiers
14657 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}).
14659 If this variable (and the obsolescent @code{nnmail-spool-file}) is
14660 @code{nil}, the mail back ends will never attempt to fetch mail by
14663 If you want to fetch mail both from your local spool as well as a
14664 @acronym{POP} mail server, you'd say something like:
14669 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
14670 :password "secret")))
14673 Or, if you don't want to use any of the keyword defaults:
14677 '((file :path "/var/spool/mail/user-name")
14678 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
14681 :password "secret")))
14685 When you use a mail back end, Gnus will slurp all your mail from your
14686 inbox and plonk it down in your home directory. Gnus doesn't move any
14687 mail if you're not using a mail back end---you have to do a lot of magic
14688 invocations first. At the time when you have finished drawing the
14689 pentagram, lightened the candles, and sacrificed the goat, you really
14690 shouldn't be too surprised when Gnus moves your mail.
14694 @node Mail Back End Variables
14695 @subsection Mail Back End Variables
14697 These variables are (for the most part) pertinent to all the various
14701 @vindex nnmail-read-incoming-hook
14702 @item nnmail-read-incoming-hook
14703 The mail back ends all call this hook after reading new mail. You can
14704 use this hook to notify any mail watch programs, if you want to.
14706 @vindex nnmail-split-hook
14707 @item nnmail-split-hook
14708 @findex gnus-article-decode-encoded-words
14709 @cindex RFC 1522 decoding
14710 @cindex RFC 2047 decoding
14711 Hook run in the buffer where the mail headers of each message is kept
14712 just before the splitting based on these headers is done. The hook is
14713 free to modify the buffer contents in any way it sees fit---the buffer
14714 is discarded after the splitting has been done, and no changes performed
14715 in the buffer will show up in any files.
14716 @code{gnus-article-decode-encoded-words} is one likely function to add
14719 @vindex nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
14720 @vindex nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
14721 @item nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
14722 @itemx nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
14723 These are two useful hooks executed when treating new incoming
14724 mail---@code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook} (is called just before
14725 starting to handle the new mail) and
14726 @code{nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook} (is called when the mail handling
14727 is done). Here's and example of using these two hooks to change the
14728 default file modes the new mail files get:
14731 (add-hook 'nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
14732 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 511)))
14734 (add-hook 'nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
14735 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 551)))
14738 @item nnmail-use-long-file-names
14739 @vindex nnmail-use-long-file-names
14740 If non-@code{nil}, the mail back ends will use long file and directory
14741 names. Groups like @samp{mail.misc} will end up in directories
14742 (assuming use of @code{nnml} back end) or files (assuming use of
14743 @code{nnfolder} back end) like @file{mail.misc}. If it is @code{nil},
14744 the same group will end up in @file{mail/misc}.
14746 @item nnmail-delete-file-function
14747 @vindex nnmail-delete-file-function
14748 @findex delete-file
14749 Function called to delete files. It is @code{delete-file} by default.
14751 @item nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
14752 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
14753 If non-@code{nil}, put the @code{Message-ID}s of articles imported into
14754 the back end (via @code{Gcc}, for instance) into the mail duplication
14755 discovery cache. The default is @code{nil}.
14757 @item nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
14758 @vindex nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
14759 This can be a regular expression or a list of regular expressions.
14760 Group names that match any of the regular expressions will never be
14761 recorded in the @code{Message-ID} cache.
14763 This can be useful, for example, when using Fancy Splitting
14764 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}) together with the function
14765 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent}.
14770 @node Fancy Mail Splitting
14771 @subsection Fancy Mail Splitting
14772 @cindex mail splitting
14773 @cindex fancy mail splitting
14775 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy
14776 @findex nnmail-split-fancy
14777 If the rather simple, standard method for specifying how to split mail
14778 doesn't allow you to do what you want, you can set
14779 @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. Then you can
14780 play with the @code{nnmail-split-fancy} variable.
14782 Let's look at an example value of this variable first:
14785 ;; @r{Messages from the mailer daemon are not crossposted to any of}
14786 ;; @r{the ordinary groups. Warnings are put in a separate group}
14787 ;; @r{from real errors.}
14788 (| ("from" mail (| ("subject" "warn.*" "mail.warning")
14790 ;; @r{Non-error messages are crossposted to all relevant}
14791 ;; @r{groups, but we don't crosspost between the group for the}
14792 ;; @r{(ding) list and the group for other (ding) related mail.}
14793 (& (| (any "ding@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "ding.list")
14794 ("subject" "ding" "ding.misc"))
14795 ;; @r{Other mailing lists@dots{}}
14796 (any "procmail@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "procmail.list")
14797 (any "SmartList@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "SmartList.list")
14798 ;; @r{Both lists below have the same suffix, so prevent}
14799 ;; @r{cross-posting to mkpkg.list of messages posted only to}
14800 ;; @r{the bugs- list, but allow cross-posting when the}
14801 ;; @r{message was really cross-posted.}
14802 (any "bugs-mypackage@@somewhere" "mypkg.bugs")
14803 (any "mypackage@@somewhere" - "bugs-mypackage" "mypkg.list")
14804 ;; @r{People@dots{}}
14805 (any "larsi@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "people.Lars_Magne_Ingebrigtsen"))
14806 ;; @r{Unmatched mail goes to the catch all group.}
14810 This variable has the format of a @dfn{split}. A split is a
14811 (possibly) recursive structure where each split may contain other
14812 splits. Here are the possible split syntaxes:
14817 If the split is a string, that will be taken as a group name. Normal
14818 regexp match expansion will be done. See below for examples.
14820 @c Don't fold this line.
14821 @item (@var{field} @var{value} [- @var{restrict} [@dots{}] ] @var{split} [@var{invert-partial}])
14822 The split can be a list containing at least three elements. If the
14823 first element @var{field} (a regexp matching a header) contains
14824 @var{value} (also a regexp) then store the message as specified by
14827 If @var{restrict} (yet another regexp) matches some string after
14828 @var{field} and before the end of the matched @var{value}, the
14829 @var{split} is ignored. If none of the @var{restrict} clauses match,
14830 @var{split} is processed.
14832 The last element @var{invert-partial} is optional. If it is
14833 non-@code{nil}, the match-partial-words behavior controlled by the
14834 variable @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} (see below) is
14835 be inverted. (New in Gnus 5.10.7)
14837 @item (| @var{split} @dots{})
14838 If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{|} (vertical
14839 bar), then process each @var{split} until one of them matches. A
14840 @var{split} is said to match if it will cause the mail message to be
14841 stored in one or more groups.
14843 @item (& @var{split} @dots{})
14844 If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{&}, then
14845 process all @var{split}s in the list.
14848 If the split is the symbol @code{junk}, then don't save (i.e., delete)
14849 this message. Use with extreme caution.
14851 @item (: @var{function} @var{arg1} @var{arg2} @dots{})
14852 If the split is a list, and the first element is @samp{:}, then the
14853 second element will be called as a function with @var{args} given as
14854 arguments. The function should return a @var{split}.
14857 For instance, the following function could be used to split based on the
14858 body of the messages:
14861 (defun split-on-body ()
14865 (goto-char (point-min))
14866 (when (re-search-forward "Some.*string" nil t)
14870 The buffer is narrowed to the message in question when @var{function}
14871 is run. That's why @code{(widen)} needs to be called after
14872 @code{save-excursion} and @code{save-restriction} in the example
14873 above. Also note that with the nnimap back end, message bodies will
14874 not be downloaded by default. You need to set
14875 @code{nnimap-split-download-body} to @code{t} to do that
14876 (@pxref{Splitting in IMAP}).
14878 @item (! @var{func} @var{split})
14879 If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{!}, then
14880 @var{split} will be processed, and @var{func} will be called as a
14881 function with the result of @var{split} as argument. @var{func}
14882 should return a split.
14885 If the split is @code{nil}, it is ignored.
14889 In these splits, @var{field} must match a complete field name.
14891 Normally, @var{value} in these splits must match a complete @emph{word}
14892 according to the fundamental mode syntax table. In other words, all
14893 @var{value}'s will be implicitly surrounded by @code{\<...\>} markers,
14894 which are word delimiters. Therefore, if you use the following split,
14898 (any "joe" "joemail")
14902 messages sent from @samp{joedavis@@foo.org} will normally not be filed
14903 in @samp{joemail}. If you want to alter this behavior, you can use any
14904 of the following three ways:
14908 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words
14909 You can set the @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} variable
14910 to non-@code{nil} in order to ignore word boundaries and instead the
14911 match becomes more like a grep. This variable controls whether partial
14912 words are matched during fancy splitting. The default value is
14915 Note that it influences all @var{value}'s in your split rules.
14918 @var{value} beginning with @code{.*} ignores word boundaries in front of
14919 a word. Similarly, if @var{value} ends with @code{.*}, word boundaries
14920 in the rear of a word will be ignored. For example, the @var{value}
14921 @code{"@@example\\.com"} does not match @samp{foo@@example.com} but
14922 @code{".*@@example\\.com"} does.
14925 You can set the @var{invert-partial} flag in your split rules of the
14926 @samp{(@var{field} @var{value} @dots{})} types, aforementioned in this
14927 section. If the flag is set, word boundaries on both sides of a word
14928 are ignored even if @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} is
14929 @code{nil}. Contrarily, if the flag is set, word boundaries are not
14930 ignored even if @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} is
14931 non-@code{nil}. (New in Gnus 5.10.7)
14934 @vindex nnmail-split-abbrev-alist
14935 @var{field} and @var{value} can also be Lisp symbols, in that case
14936 they are expanded as specified by the variable
14937 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist}. This is an alist of cons cells,
14938 where the @sc{car} of a cell contains the key, and the @sc{cdr}
14939 contains the associated value. Predefined entries in
14940 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist} include:
14944 Matches the @samp{From}, @samp{Sender} and @samp{Resent-From} fields.
14946 Matches the @samp{To}, @samp{Cc}, @samp{Apparently-To},
14947 @samp{Resent-To} and @samp{Resent-Cc} fields.
14949 Is the union of the @code{from} and @code{to} entries.
14952 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table
14953 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table} is the syntax table in effect
14954 when all this splitting is performed.
14956 If you want to have Gnus create groups dynamically based on some
14957 information in the headers (i.e., do @code{replace-match}-like
14958 substitutions in the group names), you can say things like:
14961 (any "debian-\\b\\(\\w+\\)@@lists.debian.org" "mail.debian.\\1")
14964 In this example, messages sent to @samp{debian-foo@@lists.debian.org}
14965 will be filed in @samp{mail.debian.foo}.
14967 If the string contains the element @samp{\&}, then the previously
14968 matched string will be substituted. Similarly, the elements @samp{\\1}
14969 up to @samp{\\9} will be substituted with the text matched by the
14970 groupings 1 through 9.
14972 @vindex nnmail-split-lowercase-expanded
14973 Where @code{nnmail-split-lowercase-expanded} controls whether the
14974 lowercase of the matched string should be used for the substitution.
14975 Setting it as non-@code{nil} is useful to avoid the creation of multiple
14976 groups when users send to an address using different case
14977 (i.e. mailing-list@@domain vs Mailing-List@@Domain). The default value
14980 @findex nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent
14981 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} is a function which allows you to
14982 split followups into the same groups their parents are in. Sometimes
14983 you can't make splitting rules for all your mail. For example, your
14984 boss might send you personal mail regarding different projects you are
14985 working on, and as you can't tell your boss to put a distinguishing
14986 string into the subject line, you have to resort to manually moving the
14987 messages into the right group. With this function, you only have to do
14988 it once per thread.
14990 To use this feature, you have to set @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates}
14991 and @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} to a non-@code{nil}
14992 value. And then you can include @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent}
14993 using the colon feature, like so:
14995 (setq nnmail-treat-duplicates 'warn ; @r{or @code{delete}}
14996 nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids t
14998 '(| (: nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent)
14999 ;; @r{other splits go here}
15003 This feature works as follows: when @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} is
15004 non-@code{nil}, Gnus records the message id of every message it sees
15005 in the file specified by the variable
15006 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, together with the group it is in
15007 (the group is omitted for non-mail messages). When mail splitting is
15008 invoked, the function @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} then looks
15009 at the References (and In-Reply-To) header of each message to split
15010 and searches the file specified by @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}
15011 for the message ids. When it has found a parent, it returns the
15012 corresponding group name unless the group name matches the regexp
15013 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent-ignore-groups}. It is
15014 recommended that you set @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length} to a
15015 somewhat higher number than the default so that the message ids are
15016 still in the cache. (A value of 5000 appears to create a file some
15017 300 kBytes in size.)
15018 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
15019 When @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus
15020 also records the message ids of moved articles, so that the followup
15021 messages goes into the new group.
15023 Also see the variable @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} if you don't
15024 want certain groups to be recorded in the cache. For example, if all
15025 outgoing messages are written to an ``outgoing'' group, you could set
15026 @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} to match that group name.
15027 Otherwise, answers to all your messages would end up in the
15028 ``outgoing'' group.
15031 @node Group Mail Splitting
15032 @subsection Group Mail Splitting
15033 @cindex mail splitting
15034 @cindex group mail splitting
15036 @findex gnus-group-split
15037 If you subscribe to dozens of mailing lists but you don't want to
15038 maintain mail splitting rules manually, group mail splitting is for you.
15039 You just have to set @code{to-list} and/or @code{to-address} in group
15040 parameters or group customization and set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to
15041 @code{gnus-group-split}. This splitting function will scan all groups
15042 for those parameters and split mail accordingly, i.e., messages posted
15043 from or to the addresses specified in the parameters @code{to-list} or
15044 @code{to-address} of a mail group will be stored in that group.
15046 Sometimes, mailing lists have multiple addresses, and you may want mail
15047 splitting to recognize them all: just set the @code{extra-aliases} group
15048 parameter to the list of additional addresses and it's done. If you'd
15049 rather use a regular expression, set @code{split-regexp}.
15051 All these parameters in a group will be used to create an
15052 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split, in which the @var{field} is @samp{any},
15053 the @var{value} is a single regular expression that matches
15054 @code{to-list}, @code{to-address}, all of @code{extra-aliases} and all
15055 matches of @code{split-regexp}, and the @var{split} is the name of the
15056 group. @var{restrict}s are also supported: just set the
15057 @code{split-exclude} parameter to a list of regular expressions.
15059 If you can't get the right split to be generated using all these
15060 parameters, or you just need something fancier, you can set the
15061 parameter @code{split-spec} to an @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split. In
15062 this case, all other aforementioned parameters will be ignored by
15063 @code{gnus-group-split}. In particular, @code{split-spec} may be set to
15064 @code{nil}, in which case the group will be ignored by
15065 @code{gnus-group-split}.
15067 @vindex gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group
15068 @code{gnus-group-split} will do cross-posting on all groups that match,
15069 by defining a single @code{&} fancy split containing one split for each
15070 group. If a message doesn't match any split, it will be stored in the
15071 group named in @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}, unless
15072 some group has @code{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all}, in which case
15073 that group is used as the catch-all group. Even though this variable is
15074 often used just to name a group, it may also be set to an arbitrarily
15075 complex fancy split (after all, a group name is a fancy split), and this
15076 may be useful to split mail that doesn't go to any mailing list to
15077 personal mail folders. Note that this fancy split is added as the last
15078 element of a @code{|} split list that also contains a @code{&} split
15079 with the rules extracted from group parameters.
15081 It's time for an example. Assume the following group parameters have
15086 ((to-address . "bar@@femail.com")
15087 (split-regexp . ".*@@femail\\.com"))
15089 ((to-list . "foo@@nowhere.gov")
15090 (extra-aliases "foo@@localhost" "foo-redist@@home")
15091 (split-exclude "bugs-foo" "rambling-foo")
15092 (admin-address . "foo-request@@nowhere.gov"))
15094 ((split-spec . catch-all))
15097 Setting @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{gnus-group-split} will
15098 behave as if @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been selected and variable
15099 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been set as follows:
15102 (| (& (any "\\(bar@@femail\\.com\\|.*@@femail\\.com\\)" "mail.bar")
15103 (any "\\(foo@@nowhere\\.gov\\|foo@@localhost\\|foo-redist@@home\\)"
15104 - "bugs-foo" - "rambling-foo" "mail.foo"))
15108 @findex gnus-group-split-fancy
15109 If you'd rather not use group splitting for all your mail groups, you
15110 may use it for only some of them, by using @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
15114 (: gnus-group-split-fancy @var{groups} @var{no-crosspost} @var{catch-all})
15117 @var{groups} may be a regular expression or a list of group names whose
15118 parameters will be scanned to generate the output split.
15119 @var{no-crosspost} can be used to disable cross-posting; in this case, a
15120 single @code{|} split will be output. @var{catch-all} is the fall back
15121 fancy split, used like @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}.
15122 If @var{catch-all} is @code{nil}, or if @code{split-regexp} matches the
15123 empty string in any selected group, no catch-all split will be issued.
15124 Otherwise, if some group has @code{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all},
15125 this group will override the value of the @var{catch-all} argument.
15127 @findex gnus-group-split-setup
15128 Unfortunately, scanning all groups and their parameters can be quite
15129 slow, especially considering that it has to be done for every message.
15130 But don't despair! The function @code{gnus-group-split-setup} can be
15131 used to enable @code{gnus-group-split} in a much more efficient way. It
15132 sets @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy} and sets
15133 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} to the split produced by
15134 @code{gnus-group-split-fancy}. Thus, the group parameters are only
15135 scanned once, no matter how many messages are split.
15137 @findex gnus-group-split-update
15138 However, if you change group parameters, you'd have to update
15139 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} manually. You can do it by running
15140 @code{gnus-group-split-update}. If you'd rather have it updated
15141 automatically, just tell @code{gnus-group-split-setup} to do it for
15142 you. For example, add to your @file{~/.gnus.el}:
15145 (gnus-group-split-setup @var{auto-update} @var{catch-all})
15148 If @var{auto-update} is non-@code{nil}, @code{gnus-group-split-update}
15149 will be added to @code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook}, so you won't ever
15150 have to worry about updating @code{nnmail-split-fancy} again. If you
15151 don't omit @var{catch-all} (it's optional, equivalent to @code{nil}),
15152 @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group} will be set to its
15155 @vindex gnus-group-split-updated-hook
15156 Because you may want to change @code{nnmail-split-fancy} after it is set
15157 by @code{gnus-group-split-update}, this function will run
15158 @code{gnus-group-split-updated-hook} just before finishing.
15160 @node Incorporating Old Mail
15161 @subsection Incorporating Old Mail
15162 @cindex incorporating old mail
15163 @cindex import old mail
15165 Most people have lots of old mail stored in various file formats. If
15166 you have set up Gnus to read mail using one of the spiffy Gnus mail
15167 back ends, you'll probably wish to have that old mail incorporated into
15170 Doing so can be quite easy.
15172 To take an example: You're reading mail using @code{nnml}
15173 (@pxref{Mail Spool}), and have set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to a
15174 satisfactory value (@pxref{Splitting Mail}). You have an old Unix mbox
15175 file filled with important, but old, mail. You want to move it into
15176 your @code{nnml} groups.
15182 Go to the group buffer.
15185 Type @kbd{G f} and give the file name to the mbox file when prompted to create an
15186 @code{nndoc} group from the mbox file (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
15189 Type @kbd{SPACE} to enter the newly created group.
15192 Type @kbd{M P b} to process-mark all articles in this group's buffer
15193 (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
15196 Type @kbd{B r} to respool all the process-marked articles, and answer
15197 @samp{nnml} when prompted (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
15200 All the mail messages in the mbox file will now also be spread out over
15201 all your @code{nnml} groups. Try entering them and check whether things
15202 have gone without a glitch. If things look ok, you may consider
15203 deleting the mbox file, but I wouldn't do that unless I was absolutely
15204 sure that all the mail has ended up where it should be.
15206 Respooling is also a handy thing to do if you're switching from one mail
15207 back end to another. Just respool all the mail in the old mail groups
15208 using the new mail back end.
15211 @node Expiring Mail
15212 @subsection Expiring Mail
15213 @cindex article expiry
15214 @cindex expiring mail
15216 Traditional mail readers have a tendency to remove mail articles when
15217 you mark them as read, in some way. Gnus takes a fundamentally
15218 different approach to mail reading.
15220 Gnus basically considers mail just to be news that has been received in
15221 a rather peculiar manner. It does not think that it has the power to
15222 actually change the mail, or delete any mail messages. If you enter a
15223 mail group, and mark articles as ``read'', or kill them in some other
15224 fashion, the mail articles will still exist on the system. I repeat:
15225 Gnus will not delete your old, read mail. Unless you ask it to, of
15228 To make Gnus get rid of your unwanted mail, you have to mark the
15229 articles as @dfn{expirable}. (With the default key bindings, this means
15230 that you have to type @kbd{E}.) This does not mean that the articles
15231 will disappear right away, however. In general, a mail article will be
15232 deleted from your system if, 1) it is marked as expirable, AND 2) it is
15233 more than one week old. If you do not mark an article as expirable, it
15234 will remain on your system until hell freezes over. This bears
15235 repeating one more time, with some spurious capitalizations: IF you do
15236 NOT mark articles as EXPIRABLE, Gnus will NEVER delete those ARTICLES.
15238 You do not have to mark articles as expirable by hand. Gnus provides
15239 two features, called ``auto-expire'' and ``total-expire'', that can help you
15240 with this. In a nutshell, ``auto-expire'' means that Gnus hits @kbd{E}
15241 for you when you select an article. And ``total-expire'' means that Gnus
15242 considers all articles as expirable that are read. So, in addition to
15243 the articles marked @samp{E}, also the articles marked @samp{r},
15244 @samp{R}, @samp{O}, @samp{K}, @samp{Y} and so on are considered
15247 When should either auto-expire or total-expire be used? Most people
15248 who are subscribed to mailing lists split each list into its own group
15249 and then turn on auto-expire or total-expire for those groups.
15250 (@xref{Splitting Mail}, for more information on splitting each list
15251 into its own group.)
15253 Which one is better, auto-expire or total-expire? It's not easy to
15254 answer. Generally speaking, auto-expire is probably faster. Another
15255 advantage of auto-expire is that you get more marks to work with: for
15256 the articles that are supposed to stick around, you can still choose
15257 between tick and dormant and read marks. But with total-expire, you
15258 only have dormant and ticked to choose from. The advantage of
15259 total-expire is that it works well with adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive
15260 Scoring}). Auto-expire works with normal scoring but not with adaptive
15263 @vindex gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
15264 Groups that match the regular expression
15265 @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups} will have all articles that you
15266 read marked as expirable automatically. All articles marked as
15267 expirable have an @samp{E} in the first column in the summary buffer.
15269 By default, if you have auto expiry switched on, Gnus will mark all the
15270 articles you read as expirable, no matter if they were read or unread
15271 before. To avoid having articles marked as read marked as expirable
15272 automatically, you can put something like the following in your
15273 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
15275 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
15277 (remove-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook
15278 'gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read)
15279 (add-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook 'gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read)
15282 Note that making a group auto-expirable doesn't mean that all read
15283 articles are expired---only the articles marked as expirable
15284 will be expired. Also note that using the @kbd{d} command won't make
15285 articles expirable---only semi-automatic marking of articles as read will
15286 mark the articles as expirable in auto-expirable groups.
15288 Let's say you subscribe to a couple of mailing lists, and you want the
15289 articles you have read to disappear after a while:
15292 (setq gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
15293 "mail.nonsense-list\\|mail.nice-list")
15296 Another way to have auto-expiry happen is to have the element
15297 @code{auto-expire} in the group parameters of the group.
15299 If you use adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}) and
15300 auto-expiring, you'll have problems. Auto-expiring and adaptive scoring
15301 don't really mix very well.
15303 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait
15304 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable supplies the default time an
15305 expirable article has to live. Gnus starts counting days from when the
15306 message @emph{arrived}, not from when it was sent. The default is seven
15309 Gnus also supplies a function that lets you fine-tune how long articles
15310 are to live, based on what group they are in. Let's say you want to
15311 have one month expiry period in the @samp{mail.private} group, a one day
15312 expiry period in the @samp{mail.junk} group, and a six day expiry period
15315 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
15317 (setq nnmail-expiry-wait-function
15319 (cond ((string= group "mail.private")
15321 ((string= group "mail.junk")
15323 ((string= group "important")
15329 The group names this function is fed are ``unadorned'' group
15330 names---no @samp{nnml:} prefixes and the like.
15332 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable and
15333 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} function can either be a number (not
15334 necessarily an integer) or one of the symbols @code{immediate} or
15337 You can also use the @code{expiry-wait} group parameter to selectively
15338 change the expiry period (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
15340 @vindex nnmail-expiry-target
15341 The normal action taken when expiring articles is to delete them.
15342 However, in some circumstances it might make more sense to move them
15343 to other groups instead of deleting them. The variable
15344 @code{nnmail-expiry-target} (and the @code{expiry-target} group
15345 parameter) controls this. The variable supplies a default value for
15346 all groups, which can be overridden for specific groups by the group
15347 parameter. default value is @code{delete}, but this can also be a
15348 string (which should be the name of the group the message should be
15349 moved to), or a function (which will be called in a buffer narrowed to
15350 the message in question, and with the name of the group being moved
15351 from as its parameter) which should return a target---either a group
15352 name or @code{delete}.
15354 Here's an example for specifying a group name:
15356 (setq nnmail-expiry-target "nnml:expired")
15359 @findex nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
15360 @vindex nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
15361 Gnus provides a function @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-target} which will
15362 expire mail to groups according to the variable
15363 @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets}. Here's an example:
15366 (setq nnmail-expiry-target 'nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
15367 nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
15368 '((to-from "boss" "nnfolder:Work")
15369 ("subject" "IMPORTANT" "nnfolder:IMPORTANT.%Y.%b")
15370 ("from" ".*" "nnfolder:Archive-%Y")))
15373 With this setup, any mail that has @code{IMPORTANT} in its Subject
15374 header and was sent in the year @code{YYYY} and month @code{MMM}, will
15375 get expired to the group @code{nnfolder:IMPORTANT.YYYY.MMM}. If its
15376 From or To header contains the string @code{boss}, it will get expired
15377 to @code{nnfolder:Work}. All other mail will get expired to
15378 @code{nnfolder:Archive-YYYY}.
15380 @vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
15381 If @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will never
15382 expire the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is to make life
15383 easier for procmail users.
15385 @vindex gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups
15386 By the way: That line up there, about Gnus never expiring non-expirable
15387 articles, is a lie. If you put @code{total-expire} in the group
15388 parameters, articles will not be marked as expirable, but all read
15389 articles will be put through the expiry process. Use with extreme
15390 caution. Even more dangerous is the
15391 @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups} variable. All groups that match
15392 this regexp will have all read articles put through the expiry process,
15393 which means that @emph{all} old mail articles in the groups in question
15394 will be deleted after a while. Use with extreme caution, and don't come
15395 crying to me when you discover that the regexp you used matched the
15396 wrong group and all your important mail has disappeared. Be a
15397 @emph{man}! Or a @emph{woman}! Whatever you feel more comfortable
15400 Most people make most of their mail groups total-expirable, though.
15402 @vindex gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire
15403 If @code{gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire} is non-@code{nil}, user marking
15404 commands will not mark an article as expirable, even if the group has
15405 auto-expire turned on.
15409 @subsection Washing Mail
15410 @cindex mail washing
15411 @cindex list server brain damage
15412 @cindex incoming mail treatment
15414 Mailers and list servers are notorious for doing all sorts of really,
15415 really stupid things with mail. ``Hey, RFC 822 doesn't explicitly
15416 prohibit us from adding the string @code{wE aRe ElItE!!!!!1!!} to the
15417 end of all lines passing through our server, so let's do that!!!!1!''
15418 Yes, but RFC 822 wasn't designed to be read by morons. Things that were
15419 considered to be self-evident were not discussed. So. Here we are.
15421 Case in point: The German version of Microsoft Exchange adds @samp{AW:
15422 } to the subjects of replies instead of @samp{Re: }. I could pretend to
15423 be shocked and dismayed by this, but I haven't got the energy. It is to
15426 Gnus provides a plethora of functions for washing articles while
15427 displaying them, but it might be nicer to do the filtering before
15428 storing the mail to disk. For that purpose, we have three hooks and
15429 various functions that can be put in these hooks.
15432 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
15433 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
15434 This hook is called before doing anything with the mail and is meant for
15435 grand, sweeping gestures. It is called in a buffer that contains all
15436 the new, incoming mail. Functions to be used include:
15439 @item nnheader-ms-strip-cr
15440 @findex nnheader-ms-strip-cr
15441 Remove trailing carriage returns from each line. This is default on
15442 Emacs running on MS machines.
15446 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
15447 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
15448 This hook is called narrowed to each header. It can be used when
15449 cleaning up the headers. Functions that can be used include:
15452 @item nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
15453 @findex nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
15454 Clear leading white space that ``helpful'' listservs have added to the
15455 headers to make them look nice. Aaah.
15457 (Note that this function works on both the header on the body of all
15458 messages, so it is a potentially dangerous function to use (if a body
15459 of a message contains something that looks like a header line). So
15460 rather than fix the bug, it is of course the right solution to make it
15461 into a feature by documenting it.)
15463 @item nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
15464 @findex nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
15465 Some list servers add an identifier---for example, @samp{(idm)}---to the
15466 beginning of all @code{Subject} headers. I'm sure that's nice for
15467 people who use stone age mail readers. This function will remove
15468 strings that match the @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} regexp, which can
15469 also be a list of regexp. @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} may not contain
15472 For instance, if you want to remove the @samp{(idm)} and the
15473 @samp{nagnagnag} identifiers:
15476 (setq nnmail-list-identifiers
15477 '("(idm)" "nagnagnag"))
15480 This can also be done non-destructively with
15481 @code{gnus-list-identifiers}, @xref{Article Hiding}.
15483 @item nnmail-remove-tabs
15484 @findex nnmail-remove-tabs
15485 Translate all @samp{TAB} characters into @samp{SPACE} characters.
15487 @item nnmail-ignore-broken-references
15488 @findex nnmail-ignore-broken-references
15489 @c @findex nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
15492 Some mail user agents (e.g. Eudora and Pegasus) produce broken
15493 @code{References} headers, but correct @code{In-Reply-To} headers. This
15494 function will get rid of the @code{References} header if the headers
15495 contain a line matching the regular expression
15496 @code{nnmail-broken-references-mailers}.
15500 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
15501 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
15502 This hook is called narrowed to each message. Functions to be used
15506 @item article-de-quoted-unreadable
15507 @findex article-de-quoted-unreadable
15508 Decode Quoted Readable encoding.
15515 @subsection Duplicates
15517 @vindex nnmail-treat-duplicates
15518 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-length
15519 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-file
15520 @cindex duplicate mails
15521 If you are a member of a couple of mailing lists, you will sometimes
15522 receive two copies of the same mail. This can be quite annoying, so
15523 @code{nnmail} checks for and treats any duplicates it might find. To do
15524 this, it keeps a cache of old @code{Message-ID}s---
15525 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, which is @file{~/.nnmail-cache} by
15526 default. The approximate maximum number of @code{Message-ID}s stored
15527 there is controlled by the @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length}
15528 variable, which is 1000 by default. (So 1000 @code{Message-ID}s will be
15529 stored.) If all this sounds scary to you, you can set
15530 @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to @code{warn} (which is what it is by
15531 default), and @code{nnmail} won't delete duplicate mails. Instead it
15532 will insert a warning into the head of the mail saying that it thinks
15533 that this is a duplicate of a different message.
15535 This variable can also be a function. If that's the case, the function
15536 will be called from a buffer narrowed to the message in question with
15537 the @code{Message-ID} as a parameter. The function must return either
15538 @code{nil}, @code{warn}, or @code{delete}.
15540 You can turn this feature off completely by setting the variable to
15543 If you want all the duplicate mails to be put into a special
15544 @dfn{duplicates} group, you could do that using the normal mail split
15548 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
15549 '(| ;; @r{Messages duplicates go to a separate group.}
15550 ("gnus-warning" "duplicat\\(e\\|ion\\) of message" "duplicate")
15551 ;; @r{Message from daemons, postmaster, and the like to another.}
15552 (any mail "mail.misc")
15553 ;; @r{Other rules.}
15559 (setq nnmail-split-methods
15560 '(("duplicates" "^Gnus-Warning:.*duplicate")
15561 ;; @r{Other rules.}
15565 Here's a neat feature: If you know that the recipient reads her mail
15566 with Gnus, and that she has @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} set to
15567 @code{delete}, you can send her as many insults as you like, just by
15568 using a @code{Message-ID} of a mail that you know that she's already
15569 received. Think of all the fun! She'll never see any of it! Whee!
15572 @node Not Reading Mail
15573 @subsection Not Reading Mail
15575 If you start using any of the mail back ends, they have the annoying
15576 habit of assuming that you want to read mail with them. This might not
15577 be unreasonable, but it might not be what you want.
15579 If you set @code{mail-sources} and @code{nnmail-spool-file} to
15580 @code{nil}, none of the back ends will ever attempt to read incoming
15581 mail, which should help.
15583 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
15584 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
15585 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
15586 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
15587 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
15588 This might be too much, if, for instance, you are reading mail quite
15589 happily with @code{nnml} and just want to peek at some old Rmail
15590 file you have stashed away with @code{nnbabyl}. All back ends have
15591 variables called back-end-@code{get-new-mail}. If you want to disable
15592 the @code{nnbabyl} mail reading, you edit the virtual server for the
15593 group to have a setting where @code{nnbabyl-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}.
15595 All the mail back ends will call @code{nn}*@code{-prepare-save-mail-hook}
15596 narrowed to the article to be saved before saving it when reading
15600 @node Choosing a Mail Back End
15601 @subsection Choosing a Mail Back End
15603 Gnus will read the mail spool when you activate a mail group. The mail
15604 file is first copied to your home directory. What happens after that
15605 depends on what format you want to store your mail in.
15607 There are six different mail back ends in the standard Gnus, and more
15608 back ends are available separately. The mail back end most people use
15609 (because it is possibly the fastest) is @code{nnml} (@pxref{Mail
15613 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
15614 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the Rmail Babyl format.
15615 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
15616 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
15617 * Maildir:: Another one-file-per-message format.
15618 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
15619 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
15623 @node Unix Mail Box
15624 @subsubsection Unix Mail Box
15626 @cindex unix mail box
15628 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
15629 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
15630 The @dfn{nnmbox} back end will use the standard Un*x mbox file to store
15631 mail. @code{nnmbox} will add extra headers to each mail article to say
15632 which group it belongs in.
15634 Virtual server settings:
15637 @item nnmbox-mbox-file
15638 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
15639 The name of the mail box in the user's home directory. Default is
15642 @item nnmbox-active-file
15643 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
15644 The name of the active file for the mail box. Default is
15645 @file{~/.mbox-active}.
15647 @item nnmbox-get-new-mail
15648 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
15649 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmbox} will read incoming mail and split it
15650 into groups. Default is @code{t}.
15655 @subsubsection Rmail Babyl
15659 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
15660 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
15661 The @dfn{nnbabyl} back end will use a Babyl mail box (aka. @dfn{Rmail
15662 mbox}) to store mail. @code{nnbabyl} will add extra headers to each
15663 mail article to say which group it belongs in.
15665 Virtual server settings:
15668 @item nnbabyl-mbox-file
15669 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
15670 The name of the Rmail mbox file. The default is @file{~/RMAIL}
15672 @item nnbabyl-active-file
15673 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
15674 The name of the active file for the rmail box. The default is
15675 @file{~/.rmail-active}
15677 @item nnbabyl-get-new-mail
15678 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
15679 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnbabyl} will read incoming mail. Default is
15685 @subsubsection Mail Spool
15687 @cindex mail @acronym{NOV} spool
15689 The @dfn{nnml} spool mail format isn't compatible with any other known
15690 format. It should be used with some caution.
15692 @vindex nnml-directory
15693 If you use this back end, Gnus will split all incoming mail into files,
15694 one file for each mail, and put the articles into the corresponding
15695 directories under the directory specified by the @code{nnml-directory}
15696 variable. The default value is @file{~/Mail/}.
15698 You do not have to create any directories beforehand; Gnus will take
15701 If you have a strict limit as to how many files you are allowed to store
15702 in your account, you should not use this back end. As each mail gets its
15703 own file, you might very well occupy thousands of inodes within a few
15704 weeks. If this is no problem for you, and it isn't a problem for you
15705 having your friendly systems administrator walking around, madly,
15706 shouting ``Who is eating all my inodes?! Who? Who!?!'', then you should
15707 know that this is probably the fastest format to use. You do not have
15708 to trudge through a big mbox file just to read your new mail.
15710 @code{nnml} is probably the slowest back end when it comes to article
15711 splitting. It has to create lots of files, and it also generates
15712 @acronym{NOV} databases for the incoming mails. This makes it possibly the
15713 fastest back end when it comes to reading mail.
15715 @cindex self contained nnml servers
15717 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnml}
15718 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
15719 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
15720 proper @code{nnml} server) and have all your marks be preserved. Marks
15721 for a group are usually stored in the @code{.marks} file (but see
15722 @code{nnml-marks-file-name}) within each @code{nnml} group's directory.
15723 Individual @code{nnml} groups are also possible to backup, use @kbd{G m}
15724 to restore the group (after restoring the backup into the nnml
15727 If for some reason you believe your @file{.marks} files are screwed
15728 up, you can just delete them all. Gnus will then correctly regenerate
15729 them next time it starts.
15731 Virtual server settings:
15734 @item nnml-directory
15735 @vindex nnml-directory
15736 All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory. The
15737 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default value
15740 @item nnml-active-file
15741 @vindex nnml-active-file
15742 The active file for the @code{nnml} server. The default is
15743 @file{~/Mail/active}.
15745 @item nnml-newsgroups-file
15746 @vindex nnml-newsgroups-file
15747 The @code{nnml} group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
15748 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups}.
15750 @item nnml-get-new-mail
15751 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
15752 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail. The default is
15755 @item nnml-nov-is-evil
15756 @vindex nnml-nov-is-evil
15757 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @acronym{NOV} files. The
15758 default is @code{nil}.
15760 @item nnml-nov-file-name
15761 @vindex nnml-nov-file-name
15762 The name of the @acronym{NOV} files. The default is @file{.overview}.
15764 @item nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
15765 @vindex nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
15766 Hook run narrowed to an article before saving.
15768 @item nnml-marks-is-evil
15769 @vindex nnml-marks-is-evil
15770 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
15771 default is @code{nil}.
15773 @item nnml-marks-file-name
15774 @vindex nnml-marks-file-name
15775 The name of the @dfn{marks} files. The default is @file{.marks}.
15777 @item nnml-use-compressed-files
15778 @vindex nnml-use-compressed-files
15779 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will allow using compressed message
15780 files. This requires @code{auto-compression-mode} to be enabled
15781 (@pxref{Compressed Files, ,Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Manual}).
15782 If the value of @code{nnml-use-compressed-files} is a string, it is used
15783 as the file extension specifying the compression program. You can set it
15784 to @samp{.bz2} if your Emacs supports it. A value of @code{t} is
15785 equivalent to @samp{.gz}.
15787 @item nnml-compressed-files-size-threshold
15788 @vindex nnml-compressed-files-size-threshold
15789 Default size threshold for compressed message files. Message files with
15790 bodies larger than that many characters will be automatically compressed
15791 if @code{nnml-use-compressed-files} is non-@code{nil}.
15795 @findex nnml-generate-nov-databases
15796 If your @code{nnml} groups and @acronym{NOV} files get totally out of
15797 whack, you can do a complete update by typing @kbd{M-x
15798 nnml-generate-nov-databases}. This command will trawl through the
15799 entire @code{nnml} hierarchy, looking at each and every article, so it
15800 might take a while to complete. A better interface to this
15801 functionality can be found in the server buffer (@pxref{Server
15806 @subsubsection MH Spool
15808 @cindex mh-e mail spool
15810 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, except that is doesn't generate
15811 @acronym{NOV} databases and it doesn't keep an active file or marks
15812 file. This makes @code{nnmh} a @emph{much} slower back end than
15813 @code{nnml}, but it also makes it easier to write procmail scripts
15816 Virtual server settings:
15819 @item nnmh-directory
15820 @vindex nnmh-directory
15821 All @code{nnmh} directories will be located under this directory. The
15822 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
15825 @item nnmh-get-new-mail
15826 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
15827 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail. The default is
15831 @vindex nnmh-be-safe
15832 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will go to ridiculous lengths to make
15833 sure that the articles in the folder are actually what Gnus thinks
15834 they are. It will check date stamps and stat everything in sight, so
15835 setting this to @code{t} will mean a serious slow-down. If you never
15836 use anything but Gnus to read the @code{nnmh} articles, you do not
15837 have to set this variable to @code{t}. The default is @code{nil}.
15842 @subsubsection Maildir
15846 @code{nnmaildir} stores mail in the maildir format, with each maildir
15847 corresponding to a group in Gnus. This format is documented here:
15848 @uref{http://cr.yp.to/proto/maildir.html} and here:
15849 @uref{http://www.qmail.org/man/man5/maildir.html}. @code{nnmaildir}
15850 also stores extra information in the @file{.nnmaildir/} directory
15853 Maildir format was designed to allow concurrent deliveries and
15854 reading, without needing locks. With other back ends, you would have
15855 your mail delivered to a spool of some kind, and then you would
15856 configure Gnus to split mail from that spool into your groups. You
15857 can still do that with @code{nnmaildir}, but the more common
15858 configuration is to have your mail delivered directly to the maildirs
15859 that appear as group in Gnus.
15861 @code{nnmaildir} is designed to be perfectly reliable: @kbd{C-g} will
15862 never corrupt its data in memory, and @code{SIGKILL} will never
15863 corrupt its data in the filesystem.
15865 @code{nnmaildir} stores article marks and @acronym{NOV} data in each
15866 maildir. So you can copy a whole maildir from one Gnus setup to
15867 another, and you will keep your marks.
15869 Virtual server settings:
15873 For each of your @code{nnmaildir} servers (it's very unlikely that
15874 you'd need more than one), you need to create a directory and populate
15875 it with maildirs or symlinks to maildirs (and nothing else; do not
15876 choose a directory already used for other purposes). Each maildir
15877 will be represented in Gnus as a newsgroup on that server; the
15878 filename of the symlink will be the name of the group. Any filenames
15879 in the directory starting with @samp{.} are ignored. The directory is
15880 scanned when you first start Gnus, and each time you type @kbd{g} in
15881 the group buffer; if any maildirs have been removed or added,
15882 @code{nnmaildir} notices at these times.
15884 The value of the @code{directory} parameter should be a Lisp form
15885 which is processed by @code{eval} and @code{expand-file-name} to get
15886 the path of the directory for this server. The form is @code{eval}ed
15887 only when the server is opened; the resulting string is used until the
15888 server is closed. (If you don't know about forms and @code{eval},
15889 don't worry---a simple string will work.) This parameter is not
15890 optional; you must specify it. I don't recommend using
15891 @code{"~/Mail"} or a subdirectory of it; several other parts of Gnus
15892 use that directory by default for various things, and may get confused
15893 if @code{nnmaildir} uses it too. @code{"~/.nnmaildir"} is a typical
15896 @item target-prefix
15897 This should be a Lisp form which is processed by @code{eval} and
15898 @code{expand-file-name}. The form is @code{eval}ed only when the
15899 server is opened; the resulting string is used until the server is
15902 When you create a group on an @code{nnmaildir} server, the maildir is
15903 created with @code{target-prefix} prepended to its name, and a symlink
15904 pointing to that maildir is created, named with the plain group name.
15905 So if @code{directory} is @code{"~/.nnmaildir"} and
15906 @code{target-prefix} is @code{"../maildirs/"}, then when you create
15907 the group @code{foo}, @code{nnmaildir} will create
15908 @file{~/.nnmaildir/../maildirs/foo} as a maildir, and will create
15909 @file{~/.nnmaildir/foo} as a symlink pointing to
15910 @file{../maildirs/foo}.
15912 You can set @code{target-prefix} to a string without any slashes to
15913 create both maildirs and symlinks in the same @code{directory}; in
15914 this case, any maildirs found in @code{directory} whose names start
15915 with @code{target-prefix} will not be listed as groups (but the
15916 symlinks pointing to them will be).
15918 As a special case, if @code{target-prefix} is @code{""} (the default),
15919 then when you create a group, the maildir will be created in
15920 @code{directory} without a corresponding symlink. Beware that you
15921 cannot use @code{gnus-group-delete-group} on such groups without the
15922 @code{force} argument.
15924 @item directory-files
15925 This should be a function with the same interface as
15926 @code{directory-files} (such as @code{directory-files} itself). It is
15927 used to scan the server's @code{directory} for maildirs. This
15928 parameter is optional; the default is
15929 @code{nnheader-directory-files-safe} if
15930 @code{nnheader-directory-files-is-safe} is @code{nil}, and
15931 @code{directory-files} otherwise.
15932 (@code{nnheader-directory-files-is-safe} is checked only once when the
15933 server is opened; if you want to check it each time the directory is
15934 scanned, you'll have to provide your own function that does that.)
15937 If non-@code{nil}, then after scanning for new mail in the group
15938 maildirs themselves as usual, this server will also incorporate mail
15939 the conventional Gnus way, from @code{mail-sources} according to
15940 @code{nnmail-split-methods} or @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. The default
15941 value is @code{nil}.
15943 Do @emph{not} use the same maildir both in @code{mail-sources} and as
15944 an @code{nnmaildir} group. The results might happen to be useful, but
15945 that would be by chance, not by design, and the results might be
15946 different in the future. If your split rules create new groups,
15947 remember to supply a @code{create-directory} server parameter.
15950 @subsubsection Group parameters
15952 @code{nnmaildir} uses several group parameters. It's safe to ignore
15953 all this; the default behavior for @code{nnmaildir} is the same as the
15954 default behavior for other mail back ends: articles are deleted after
15955 one week, etc. Except for the expiry parameters, all this
15956 functionality is unique to @code{nnmaildir}, so you can ignore it if
15957 you're just trying to duplicate the behavior you already have with
15960 If the value of any of these parameters is a vector, the first element
15961 is evaluated as a Lisp form and the result is used, rather than the
15962 original value. If the value is not a vector, the value itself is
15963 evaluated as a Lisp form. (This is why these parameters use names
15964 different from those of other, similar parameters supported by other
15965 back ends: they have different, though similar, meanings.) (For
15966 numbers, strings, @code{nil}, and @code{t}, you can ignore the
15967 @code{eval} business again; for other values, remember to use an extra
15968 quote and wrap the value in a vector when appropriate.)
15972 An integer specifying the minimum age, in seconds, of an article
15973 before it will be expired, or the symbol @code{never} to specify that
15974 articles should never be expired. If this parameter is not set,
15975 @code{nnmaildir} falls back to the usual
15976 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait}(@code{-function}) variables (the
15977 @code{expiry-wait} group parameter overrides @code{nnmail-expiry-wait}
15978 and makes @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} ineffective). If you
15979 wanted a value of 3 days, you could use something like @code{[(* 3 24
15980 60 60)]}; @code{nnmaildir} will evaluate the form and use the result.
15981 An article's age is measured starting from the article file's
15982 modification time. Normally, this is the same as the article's
15983 delivery time, but editing an article makes it younger. Moving an
15984 article (other than via expiry) may also make an article younger.
15987 If this is set to a string such as a full Gnus group name, like
15989 "backend+server.address.string:group.name"
15991 and if it is not the name of the same group that the parameter belongs
15992 to, then articles will be moved to the specified group during expiry
15993 before being deleted. @emph{If this is set to an @code{nnmaildir}
15994 group, the article will be just as old in the destination group as it
15995 was in the source group.} So be careful with @code{expire-age} in the
15996 destination group. If this is set to the name of the same group that
15997 the parameter belongs to, then the article is not expired at all. If
15998 you use the vector form, the first element is evaluated once for each
15999 article. So that form can refer to
16000 @code{nnmaildir-article-file-name}, etc., to decide where to put the
16001 article. @emph{Even if this parameter is not set, @code{nnmaildir}
16002 does not fall back to the @code{expiry-target} group parameter or the
16003 @code{nnmail-expiry-target} variable.}
16006 If this is set to @code{t}, @code{nnmaildir} will treat the articles
16007 in this maildir as read-only. This means: articles are not renamed
16008 from @file{new/} into @file{cur/}; articles are only found in
16009 @file{new/}, not @file{cur/}; articles are never deleted; articles
16010 cannot be edited. @file{new/} is expected to be a symlink to the
16011 @file{new/} directory of another maildir---e.g., a system-wide mailbox
16012 containing a mailing list of common interest. Everything in the
16013 maildir outside @file{new/} is @emph{not} treated as read-only, so for
16014 a shared mailbox, you do still need to set up your own maildir (or
16015 have write permission to the shared mailbox); your maildir just won't
16016 contain extra copies of the articles.
16018 @item directory-files
16019 A function with the same interface as @code{directory-files}. It is
16020 used to scan the directories in the maildir corresponding to this
16021 group to find articles. The default is the function specified by the
16022 server's @code{directory-files} parameter.
16024 @item distrust-Lines:
16025 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmaildir} will always count the lines of an
16026 article, rather than use the @code{Lines:} header field. If
16027 @code{nil}, the header field will be used if present.
16030 A list of mark symbols, such as @code{['(read expire)]}. Whenever
16031 Gnus asks @code{nnmaildir} for article marks, @code{nnmaildir} will
16032 say that all articles have these marks, regardless of whether the
16033 marks stored in the filesystem say so. This is a proof-of-concept
16034 feature that will probably be removed eventually; it ought to be done
16035 in Gnus proper, or abandoned if it's not worthwhile.
16038 A list of mark symbols, such as @code{['(tick expire)]}. Whenever
16039 Gnus asks @code{nnmaildir} for article marks, @code{nnmaildir} will
16040 say that no articles have these marks, regardless of whether the marks
16041 stored in the filesystem say so. @code{never-marks} overrides
16042 @code{always-marks}. This is a proof-of-concept feature that will
16043 probably be removed eventually; it ought to be done in Gnus proper, or
16044 abandoned if it's not worthwhile.
16046 @item nov-cache-size
16047 An integer specifying the size of the @acronym{NOV} memory cache. To
16048 speed things up, @code{nnmaildir} keeps @acronym{NOV} data in memory
16049 for a limited number of articles in each group. (This is probably not
16050 worthwhile, and will probably be removed in the future.) This
16051 parameter's value is noticed only the first time a group is seen after
16052 the server is opened---i.e., when you first start Gnus, typically.
16053 The @acronym{NOV} cache is never resized until the server is closed
16054 and reopened. The default is an estimate of the number of articles
16055 that would be displayed in the summary buffer: a count of articles
16056 that are either marked with @code{tick} or not marked with
16057 @code{read}, plus a little extra.
16060 @subsubsection Article identification
16061 Articles are stored in the @file{cur/} subdirectory of each maildir.
16062 Each article file is named like @code{uniq:info}, where @code{uniq}
16063 contains no colons. @code{nnmaildir} ignores, but preserves, the
16064 @code{:info} part. (Other maildir readers typically use this part of
16065 the filename to store marks.) The @code{uniq} part uniquely
16066 identifies the article, and is used in various places in the
16067 @file{.nnmaildir/} subdirectory of the maildir to store information
16068 about the corresponding article. The full pathname of an article is
16069 available in the variable @code{nnmaildir-article-file-name} after you
16070 request the article in the summary buffer.
16072 @subsubsection NOV data
16073 An article identified by @code{uniq} has its @acronym{NOV} data (used
16074 to generate lines in the summary buffer) stored in
16075 @code{.nnmaildir/nov/uniq}. There is no
16076 @code{nnmaildir-generate-nov-databases} function. (There isn't much
16077 need for it---an article's @acronym{NOV} data is updated automatically
16078 when the article or @code{nnmail-extra-headers} has changed.) You can
16079 force @code{nnmaildir} to regenerate the @acronym{NOV} data for a
16080 single article simply by deleting the corresponding @acronym{NOV}
16081 file, but @emph{beware}: this will also cause @code{nnmaildir} to
16082 assign a new article number for this article, which may cause trouble
16083 with @code{seen} marks, the Agent, and the cache.
16085 @subsubsection Article marks
16086 An article identified by @code{uniq} is considered to have the mark
16087 @code{flag} when the file @file{.nnmaildir/marks/flag/uniq} exists.
16088 When Gnus asks @code{nnmaildir} for a group's marks, @code{nnmaildir}
16089 looks for such files and reports the set of marks it finds. When Gnus
16090 asks @code{nnmaildir} to store a new set of marks, @code{nnmaildir}
16091 creates and deletes the corresponding files as needed. (Actually,
16092 rather than create a new file for each mark, it just creates hard
16093 links to @file{.nnmaildir/markfile}, to save inodes.)
16095 You can invent new marks by creating a new directory in
16096 @file{.nnmaildir/marks/}. You can tar up a maildir and remove it from
16097 your server, untar it later, and keep your marks. You can add and
16098 remove marks yourself by creating and deleting mark files. If you do
16099 this while Gnus is running and your @code{nnmaildir} server is open,
16100 it's best to exit all summary buffers for @code{nnmaildir} groups and
16101 type @kbd{s} in the group buffer first, and to type @kbd{g} or
16102 @kbd{M-g} in the group buffer afterwards. Otherwise, Gnus might not
16103 pick up the changes, and might undo them.
16107 @subsubsection Mail Folders
16109 @cindex mbox folders
16110 @cindex mail folders
16112 @code{nnfolder} is a back end for storing each mail group in a
16113 separate file. Each file is in the standard Un*x mbox format.
16114 @code{nnfolder} will add extra headers to keep track of article
16115 numbers and arrival dates.
16117 @cindex self contained nnfolder servers
16119 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnfolder}
16120 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
16121 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
16122 proper @code{nnfolder} server) and have all your marks be preserved.
16123 Marks for a group are usually stored in a file named as the mbox file
16124 with @code{.mrk} concatenated to it (but see
16125 @code{nnfolder-marks-file-suffix}) within the @code{nnfolder}
16126 directory. Individual @code{nnfolder} groups are also possible to
16127 backup, use @kbd{G m} to restore the group (after restoring the backup
16128 into the @code{nnfolder} directory).
16130 Virtual server settings:
16133 @item nnfolder-directory
16134 @vindex nnfolder-directory
16135 All the @code{nnfolder} mail boxes will be stored under this
16136 directory. The default is the value of @code{message-directory}
16137 (whose default is @file{~/Mail})
16139 @item nnfolder-active-file
16140 @vindex nnfolder-active-file
16141 The name of the active file. The default is @file{~/Mail/active}.
16143 @item nnfolder-newsgroups-file
16144 @vindex nnfolder-newsgroups-file
16145 The name of the group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
16146 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups}
16148 @item nnfolder-get-new-mail
16149 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
16150 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail. The
16151 default is @code{t}
16153 @item nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
16154 @vindex nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
16155 @cindex backup files
16156 Hook run before saving the folders. Note that Emacs does the normal
16157 backup renaming of files even with the @code{nnfolder} buffers. If
16158 you wish to switch this off, you could say something like the
16159 following in your @file{.emacs} file:
16162 (defun turn-off-backup ()
16163 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
16165 (add-hook 'nnfolder-save-buffer-hook 'turn-off-backup)
16168 @item nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
16169 @vindex nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
16170 Hook run in a buffer narrowed to the message that is to be deleted.
16171 This function can be used to copy the message to somewhere else, or to
16172 extract some information from it before removing it.
16174 @item nnfolder-nov-is-evil
16175 @vindex nnfolder-nov-is-evil
16176 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @acronym{NOV} files. The
16177 default is @code{nil}.
16179 @item nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
16180 @vindex nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
16181 The extension for @acronym{NOV} files. The default is @file{.nov}.
16183 @item nnfolder-nov-directory
16184 @vindex nnfolder-nov-directory
16185 The directory where the @acronym{NOV} files should be stored. If
16186 @code{nil}, @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
16188 @item nnfolder-marks-is-evil
16189 @vindex nnfolder-marks-is-evil
16190 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
16191 default is @code{nil}.
16193 @item nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
16194 @vindex nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
16195 The extension for @sc{marks} files. The default is @file{.mrk}.
16197 @item nnfolder-marks-directory
16198 @vindex nnfolder-marks-directory
16199 The directory where the @sc{marks} files should be stored. If
16200 @code{nil}, @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
16205 @findex nnfolder-generate-active-file
16206 @kindex M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file
16207 If you have lots of @code{nnfolder}-like files you'd like to read with
16208 @code{nnfolder}, you can use the @kbd{M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file}
16209 command to make @code{nnfolder} aware of all likely files in
16210 @code{nnfolder-directory}. This only works if you use long file names,
16213 @node Comparing Mail Back Ends
16214 @subsubsection Comparing Mail Back Ends
16216 First, just for terminology, the @dfn{back end} is the common word for a
16217 low-level access method---a transport, if you will, by which something
16218 is acquired. The sense is that one's mail has to come from somewhere,
16219 and so selection of a suitable back end is required in order to get that
16220 mail within spitting distance of Gnus.
16222 The same concept exists for Usenet itself: Though access to articles is
16223 typically done by @acronym{NNTP} these days, once upon a midnight dreary, everyone
16224 in the world got at Usenet by running a reader on the machine where the
16225 articles lay (the machine which today we call an @acronym{NNTP} server), and
16226 access was by the reader stepping into the articles' directory spool
16227 area directly. One can still select between either the @code{nntp} or
16228 @code{nnspool} back ends, to select between these methods, if one happens
16229 actually to live on the server (or can see its spool directly, anyway,
16232 The goal in selecting a mail back end is to pick one which
16233 simultaneously represents a suitable way of dealing with the original
16234 format plus leaving mail in a form that is convenient to use in the
16235 future. Here are some high and low points on each:
16240 UNIX systems have historically had a single, very common, and well-
16241 defined format. All messages arrive in a single @dfn{spool file}, and
16242 they are delineated by a line whose regular expression matches
16243 @samp{^From_}. (My notational use of @samp{_} is to indicate a space,
16244 to make it clear in this instance that this is not the RFC-specified
16245 @samp{From:} header.) Because Emacs and therefore Gnus emanate
16246 historically from the Unix environment, it is simplest if one does not
16247 mess a great deal with the original mailbox format, so if one chooses
16248 this back end, Gnus' primary activity in getting mail from the real spool
16249 area to Gnus' preferred directory is simply to copy it, with no
16250 (appreciable) format change in the process. It is the ``dumbest'' way
16251 to move mail into availability in the Gnus environment. This makes it
16252 fast to move into place, but slow to parse, when Gnus has to look at
16257 Once upon a time, there was the DEC-10 and DEC-20, running operating
16258 systems called TOPS and related things, and the usual (only?) mail
16259 reading environment was a thing called Babyl. I don't know what format
16260 was used for mail landing on the system, but Babyl had its own internal
16261 format to which mail was converted, primarily involving creating a
16262 spool-file-like entity with a scheme for inserting Babyl-specific
16263 headers and status bits above the top of each message in the file.
16264 Rmail was Emacs' first mail reader, it was written by Richard Stallman,
16265 and Stallman came out of that TOPS/Babyl environment, so he wrote Rmail
16266 to understand the mail files folks already had in existence. Gnus (and
16267 VM, for that matter) continue to support this format because it's
16268 perceived as having some good qualities in those mailer-specific
16269 headers/status bits stuff. Rmail itself still exists as well, of
16270 course, and is still maintained by Stallman.
16272 Both of the above forms leave your mail in a single file on your
16273 file system, and they must parse that entire file each time you take a
16278 @code{nnml} is the back end which smells the most as though you were
16279 actually operating with an @code{nnspool}-accessed Usenet system. (In
16280 fact, I believe @code{nnml} actually derived from @code{nnspool} code,
16281 lo these years ago.) One's mail is taken from the original spool file,
16282 and is then cut up into individual message files, 1:1. It maintains a
16283 Usenet-style active file (analogous to what one finds in an INN- or
16284 CNews-based news system in (for instance) @file{/var/lib/news/active},
16285 or what is returned via the @samp{NNTP LIST} verb) and also creates
16286 @dfn{overview} files for efficient group entry, as has been defined for
16287 @acronym{NNTP} servers for some years now. It is slower in mail-splitting,
16288 due to the creation of lots of files, updates to the @code{nnml} active
16289 file, and additions to overview files on a per-message basis, but it is
16290 extremely fast on access because of what amounts to the indexing support
16291 provided by the active file and overviews.
16293 @code{nnml} costs @dfn{inodes} in a big way; that is, it soaks up the
16294 resource which defines available places in the file system to put new
16295 files. Sysadmins take a dim view of heavy inode occupation within
16296 tight, shared file systems. But if you live on a personal machine where
16297 the file system is your own and space is not at a premium, @code{nnml}
16300 It is also problematic using this back end if you are living in a
16301 FAT16-based Windows world, since much space will be wasted on all these
16306 The Rand MH mail-reading system has been around UNIX systems for a very
16307 long time; it operates by splitting one's spool file of messages into
16308 individual files, but with little or no indexing support---@code{nnmh}
16309 is considered to be semantically equivalent to ``@code{nnml} without
16310 active file or overviews''. This is arguably the worst choice, because
16311 one gets the slowness of individual file creation married to the
16312 slowness of access parsing when learning what's new in one's groups.
16316 Basically the effect of @code{nnfolder} is @code{nnmbox} (the first
16317 method described above) on a per-group basis. That is, @code{nnmbox}
16318 itself puts @emph{all} one's mail in one file; @code{nnfolder} provides a
16319 little bit of optimization to this so that each of one's mail groups has
16320 a Unix mail box file. It's faster than @code{nnmbox} because each group
16321 can be parsed separately, and still provides the simple Unix mail box
16322 format requiring minimal effort in moving the mail around. In addition,
16323 it maintains an ``active'' file making it much faster for Gnus to figure
16324 out how many messages there are in each separate group.
16326 If you have groups that are expected to have a massive amount of
16327 messages, @code{nnfolder} is not the best choice, but if you receive
16328 only a moderate amount of mail, @code{nnfolder} is probably the most
16329 friendly mail back end all over.
16333 For configuring expiry and other things, @code{nnmaildir} uses
16334 incompatible group parameters, slightly different from those of other
16337 @code{nnmaildir} is largely similar to @code{nnml}, with some notable
16338 differences. Each message is stored in a separate file, but the
16339 filename is unrelated to the article number in Gnus. @code{nnmaildir}
16340 also stores the equivalent of @code{nnml}'s overview files in one file
16341 per article, so it uses about twice as many inodes as @code{nnml}. (Use
16342 @code{df -i} to see how plentiful your inode supply is.) If this slows
16343 you down or takes up very much space, consider switching to
16344 @uref{http://www.namesys.com/, ReiserFS} or another non-block-structured
16347 Since maildirs don't require locking for delivery, the maildirs you use
16348 as groups can also be the maildirs your mail is directly delivered to.
16349 This means you can skip Gnus' mail splitting if your mail is already
16350 organized into different mailboxes during delivery. A @code{directory}
16351 entry in @code{mail-sources} would have a similar effect, but would
16352 require one set of mailboxes for spooling deliveries (in mbox format,
16353 thus damaging message bodies), and another set to be used as groups (in
16354 whatever format you like). A maildir has a built-in spool, in the
16355 @code{new/} subdirectory. Beware that currently, mail moved from
16356 @code{new/} to @code{cur/} instead of via mail splitting will not
16357 undergo treatment such as duplicate checking.
16359 @code{nnmaildir} stores article marks for a given group in the
16360 corresponding maildir, in a way designed so that it's easy to manipulate
16361 them from outside Gnus. You can tar up a maildir, unpack it somewhere
16362 else, and still have your marks. @code{nnml} also stores marks, but
16363 it's not as easy to work with them from outside Gnus as with
16366 @code{nnmaildir} uses a significant amount of memory to speed things up.
16367 (It keeps in memory some of the things that @code{nnml} stores in files
16368 and that @code{nnmh} repeatedly parses out of message files.) If this
16369 is a problem for you, you can set the @code{nov-cache-size} group
16370 parameter to something small (0 would probably not work, but 1 probably
16371 would) to make it use less memory. This caching will probably be
16372 removed in the future.
16374 Startup is likely to be slower with @code{nnmaildir} than with other
16375 back ends. Everything else is likely to be faster, depending in part
16376 on your file system.
16378 @code{nnmaildir} does not use @code{nnoo}, so you cannot use @code{nnoo}
16379 to write an @code{nnmaildir}-derived back end.
16384 @node Browsing the Web
16385 @section Browsing the Web
16387 @cindex browsing the web
16391 Web-based discussion forums are getting more and more popular. On many
16392 subjects, the web-based forums have become the most important forums,
16393 eclipsing the importance of mailing lists and news groups. The reason
16394 is easy to understand---they are friendly to new users; you just point
16395 and click, and there's the discussion. With mailing lists, you have to
16396 go through a cumbersome subscription procedure, and most people don't
16397 even know what a news group is.
16399 The problem with this scenario is that web browsers are not very good at
16400 being newsreaders. They do not keep track of what articles you've read;
16401 they do not allow you to score on subjects you're interested in; they do
16402 not allow off-line browsing; they require you to click around and drive
16403 you mad in the end.
16405 So---if web browsers suck at reading discussion forums, why not use Gnus
16408 Gnus has been getting a bit of a collection of back ends for providing
16409 interfaces to these sources.
16413 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
16414 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
16415 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
16416 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
16417 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
16418 * Customizing W3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/W3 from Gnus.
16421 All the web sources require Emacs/W3 and the url library or those
16422 alternatives to work.
16424 The main caveat with all these web sources is that they probably won't
16425 work for a very long time. Gleaning information from the @acronym{HTML} data
16426 is guesswork at best, and when the layout is altered, the Gnus back end
16427 will fail. If you have reasonably new versions of these back ends,
16428 though, you should be ok.
16430 One thing all these Web methods have in common is that the Web sources
16431 are often down, unavailable or just plain too slow to be fun. In those
16432 cases, it makes a lot of sense to let the Gnus Agent (@pxref{Gnus
16433 Unplugged}) handle downloading articles, and then you can read them at
16434 leisure from your local disk. No more World Wide Wait for you.
16436 @node Archiving Mail
16437 @subsection Archiving Mail
16438 @cindex archiving mail
16439 @cindex backup of mail
16441 Some of the back ends, notably @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, and
16442 @code{nnmaildir}, now actually store the article marks with each group.
16443 For these servers, archiving and restoring a group while preserving
16444 marks is fairly simple.
16446 (Preserving the group level and group parameters as well still
16447 requires ritual dancing and sacrifices to the @file{.newsrc.eld} deity
16450 To archive an entire @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir}
16451 server, take a recursive copy of the server directory. There is no need
16452 to shut down Gnus, so archiving may be invoked by @code{cron} or
16453 similar. You restore the data by restoring the directory tree, and
16454 adding a server definition pointing to that directory in Gnus. The
16455 @ref{Article Backlog}, @ref{Asynchronous Fetching} and other things
16456 might interfere with overwriting data, so you may want to shut down Gnus
16457 before you restore the data.
16459 It is also possible to archive individual @code{nnml},
16460 @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir} groups, while preserving marks.
16461 For @code{nnml} or @code{nnmaildir}, you copy all files in the group's
16462 directory. For @code{nnfolder} you need to copy both the base folder
16463 file itself (@file{FOO}, say), and the marks file (@file{FOO.mrk} in
16464 this example). Restoring the group is done with @kbd{G m} from the Group
16465 buffer. The last step makes Gnus notice the new directory.
16466 @code{nnmaildir} notices the new directory automatically, so @kbd{G m}
16467 is unnecessary in that case.
16470 @subsection Web Searches
16475 @cindex Usenet searches
16476 @cindex searching the Usenet
16478 It's, like, too neat to search the Usenet for articles that match a
16479 string, but it, like, totally @emph{sucks}, like, totally, to use one of
16480 those, like, Web browsers, and you, like, have to, rilly, like, look at
16481 the commercials, so, like, with Gnus you can do @emph{rad}, rilly,
16482 searches without having to use a browser.
16484 The @code{nnweb} back end allows an easy interface to the mighty search
16485 engine. You create an @code{nnweb} group, enter a search pattern, and
16486 then enter the group and read the articles like you would any normal
16487 group. The @kbd{G w} command in the group buffer (@pxref{Foreign
16488 Groups}) will do this in an easy-to-use fashion.
16490 @code{nnweb} groups don't really lend themselves to being solid
16491 groups---they have a very fleeting idea of article numbers. In fact,
16492 each time you enter an @code{nnweb} group (not even changing the search
16493 pattern), you are likely to get the articles ordered in a different
16494 manner. Not even using duplicate suppression (@pxref{Duplicate
16495 Suppression}) will help, since @code{nnweb} doesn't even know the
16496 @code{Message-ID} of the articles before reading them using some search
16497 engines (Google, for instance). The only possible way to keep track
16498 of which articles you've read is by scoring on the @code{Date}
16499 header---mark all articles posted before the last date you read the
16502 If the search engine changes its output substantially, @code{nnweb}
16503 won't be able to parse it and will fail. One could hardly fault the Web
16504 providers if they were to do this---their @emph{raison d'@^etre} is to
16505 make money off of advertisements, not to provide services to the
16506 community. Since @code{nnweb} washes the ads off all the articles, one
16507 might think that the providers might be somewhat miffed. We'll see.
16509 You must have the @code{url} and @code{W3} package or those alternatives
16510 (try @code{customize-group} on the @samp{mm-url} variable group)
16511 installed to be able to use @code{nnweb}.
16513 Virtual server variables:
16518 What search engine type is being used. The currently supported types
16519 are @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}. Note that
16520 @code{dejanews} is an alias to @code{google}.
16523 @vindex nnweb-search
16524 The search string to feed to the search engine.
16526 @item nnweb-max-hits
16527 @vindex nnweb-max-hits
16528 Advisory maximum number of hits per search to display. The default is
16531 @item nnweb-type-definition
16532 @vindex nnweb-type-definition
16533 Type-to-definition alist. This alist says what @code{nnweb} should do
16534 with the various search engine types. The following elements must be
16539 Function to decode the article and provide something that Gnus
16543 Function to create an article number to message header and URL alist.
16546 Function to send the search string to the search engine.
16549 The address the aforementioned function should send the search string
16553 Format string URL to fetch an article by @code{Message-ID}.
16560 @subsection Slashdot
16564 @uref{http://slashdot.org/, Slashdot} is a popular news site, with
16565 lively discussion following the news articles. @code{nnslashdot} will
16566 let you read this forum in a convenient manner.
16568 The easiest way to read this source is to put something like the
16569 following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
16572 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
16573 '((nnslashdot "")))
16576 This will make Gnus query the @code{nnslashdot} back end for new comments
16577 and groups. The @kbd{F} command will subscribe each new news article as
16578 a new Gnus group, and you can read the comments by entering these
16579 groups. (Note that the default subscription method is to subscribe new
16580 groups as zombies. Other methods are available (@pxref{Subscription
16583 If you want to remove an old @code{nnslashdot} group, the @kbd{G DEL}
16584 command is the most handy tool (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
16586 When following up to @code{nnslashdot} comments (or posting new
16587 comments), some light @acronym{HTML}izations will be performed. In
16588 particular, text quoted with @samp{> } will be quoted with
16589 @samp{blockquote} instead, and signatures will have @samp{br} added to
16590 the end of each line. Other than that, you can just write @acronym{HTML}
16591 directly into the message buffer. Note that Slashdot filters out some
16592 @acronym{HTML} forms.
16594 The following variables can be altered to change its behavior:
16597 @item nnslashdot-threaded
16598 Whether @code{nnslashdot} should display threaded groups or not. The
16599 default is @code{t}. To be able to display threads, @code{nnslashdot}
16600 has to retrieve absolutely all comments in a group upon entry. If a
16601 threaded display is not required, @code{nnslashdot} will only retrieve
16602 the comments that are actually wanted by the user. Threading is nicer,
16603 but much, much slower than unthreaded.
16605 @item nnslashdot-login-name
16606 @vindex nnslashdot-login-name
16607 The login name to use when posting.
16609 @item nnslashdot-password
16610 @vindex nnslashdot-password
16611 The password to use when posting.
16613 @item nnslashdot-directory
16614 @vindex nnslashdot-directory
16615 Where @code{nnslashdot} will store its files. The default is
16616 @file{~/News/slashdot/}.
16618 @item nnslashdot-active-url
16619 @vindex nnslashdot-active-url
16620 The @acronym{URL} format string that will be used to fetch the
16621 information on news articles and comments. The default is@*
16622 @samp{http://slashdot.org/search.pl?section=&min=%d}.
16624 @item nnslashdot-comments-url
16625 @vindex nnslashdot-comments-url
16626 The @acronym{URL} format string that will be used to fetch comments.
16628 @item nnslashdot-article-url
16629 @vindex nnslashdot-article-url
16630 The @acronym{URL} format string that will be used to fetch the news
16631 article. The default is
16632 @samp{http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=%s&mode=nocomment}.
16634 @item nnslashdot-threshold
16635 @vindex nnslashdot-threshold
16636 The score threshold. The default is -1.
16638 @item nnslashdot-group-number
16639 @vindex nnslashdot-group-number
16640 The number of old groups, in addition to the ten latest, to keep
16641 updated. The default is 0.
16648 @subsection Ultimate
16650 @cindex Ultimate Bulletin Board
16652 @uref{http://www.ultimatebb.com/, The Ultimate Bulletin Board} is
16653 probably the most popular Web bulletin board system used. It has a
16654 quite regular and nice interface, and it's possible to get the
16655 information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
16657 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnultimate} is to say
16658 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnultimate RET
16659 http://www.tcj.com/messboard/ubbcgi/ RET}. (Substitute the @acronym{URL}
16660 (not including @samp{Ultimate.cgi} or the like at the end) for a forum
16661 you're interested in; there's quite a list of them on the Ultimate web
16662 site.) Then subscribe to the groups you're interested in from the
16663 server buffer, and read them from the group buffer.
16665 The following @code{nnultimate} variables can be altered:
16668 @item nnultimate-directory
16669 @vindex nnultimate-directory
16670 The directory where @code{nnultimate} stores its files. The default is@*
16671 @file{~/News/ultimate/}.
16676 @subsection Web Archive
16678 @cindex Web Archive
16680 Some mailing lists only have archives on Web servers, such as
16681 @uref{http://www.egroups.com/} and
16682 @uref{http://www.mail-archive.com/}. It has a quite regular and nice
16683 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
16686 @findex gnus-group-make-warchive-group
16687 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnwarchive} is to say
16688 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{M-x
16689 gnus-group-make-warchive-group RET @var{an_egroup} RET egroups RET
16690 www.egroups.com RET @var{your@@email.address} RET}. (Substitute the
16691 @var{an_egroup} with the mailing list you subscribed, the
16692 @var{your@@email.address} with your email address.), or to browse the
16693 back end by @kbd{B nnwarchive RET mail-archive RET}.
16695 The following @code{nnwarchive} variables can be altered:
16698 @item nnwarchive-directory
16699 @vindex nnwarchive-directory
16700 The directory where @code{nnwarchive} stores its files. The default is@*
16701 @file{~/News/warchive/}.
16703 @item nnwarchive-login
16704 @vindex nnwarchive-login
16705 The account name on the web server.
16707 @item nnwarchive-passwd
16708 @vindex nnwarchive-passwd
16709 The password for your account on the web server.
16717 Some web sites have an RDF Site Summary (@acronym{RSS}).
16718 @acronym{RSS} is a format for summarizing headlines from news related
16719 sites (such as BBC or CNN). But basically anything list-like can be
16720 presented as an @acronym{RSS} feed: weblogs, changelogs or recent
16721 changes to a wiki (e.g. @url{http://cliki.net/recent-changes.rdf}).
16723 @acronym{RSS} has a quite regular and nice interface, and it's
16724 possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
16726 Note: you had better use Emacs which supports the @code{utf-8} coding
16727 system because @acronym{RSS} uses UTF-8 for encoding non-@acronym{ASCII}
16728 text by default. It is also used by default for non-@acronym{ASCII}
16731 @kindex G R (Group)
16732 Use @kbd{G R} from the group buffer to subscribe to a feed---you will be
16733 prompted for the location, the title and the description of the feed.
16734 The title, which allows any characters, will be used for the group name
16735 and the name of the group data file. The description can be omitted.
16737 An easy way to get started with @code{nnrss} is to say something like
16738 the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnrss RET RET y}, then
16739 subscribe to groups.
16741 The @code{nnrss} back end saves the group data file in
16742 @code{nnrss-directory} (see below) for each @code{nnrss} group. File
16743 names containing non-@acronym{ASCII} characters will be encoded by the
16744 coding system specified with the @code{nnmail-pathname-coding-system}
16745 variable. If it is @code{nil}, in Emacs the coding system defaults to
16746 the value of @code{default-file-name-coding-system}. If you are using
16747 XEmacs and want to use non-@acronym{ASCII} group names, you should set
16748 the value for the @code{nnmail-pathname-coding-system} variable properly.
16750 The @code{nnrss} back end generates @samp{multipart/alternative}
16751 @acronym{MIME} articles in which each contains a @samp{text/plain} part
16752 and a @samp{text/html} part.
16755 You can also use the following commands to import and export your
16756 subscriptions from a file in @acronym{OPML} format (Outline Processor
16759 @defun nnrss-opml-import file
16760 Prompt for an @acronym{OPML} file, and subscribe to each feed in the
16764 @defun nnrss-opml-export
16765 Write your current @acronym{RSS} subscriptions to a buffer in
16766 @acronym{OPML} format.
16769 The following @code{nnrss} variables can be altered:
16772 @item nnrss-directory
16773 @vindex nnrss-directory
16774 The directory where @code{nnrss} stores its files. The default is
16775 @file{~/News/rss/}.
16777 @item nnrss-file-coding-system
16778 @vindex nnrss-file-coding-system
16779 The coding system used when reading and writing the @code{nnrss} groups
16780 data files. The default is the value of
16781 @code{mm-universal-coding-system} (which defaults to @code{emacs-mule}
16782 in Emacs or @code{escape-quoted} in XEmacs).
16784 @item nnrss-ignore-article-fields
16785 @vindex nnrss-ignore-article-fields
16786 Some feeds update constantly article fields during their publications,
16787 e.g. to indicate the number of comments. However, if there is
16788 a difference between the local article and the distant one, the latter
16789 is considered to be new. To avoid this and discard some fields, set this
16790 variable to the list of fields to be ignored. The default is
16791 @code{'(slash:comments)}.
16793 @item nnrss-use-local
16794 @vindex nnrss-use-local
16795 @findex nnrss-generate-download-script
16796 If you set @code{nnrss-use-local} to @code{t}, @code{nnrss} will read
16797 the feeds from local files in @code{nnrss-directory}. You can use
16798 the command @code{nnrss-generate-download-script} to generate a
16799 download script using @command{wget}.
16801 @item nnrss-wash-html-in-text-plain-parts
16802 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{nnrss} renders text in @samp{text/plain}
16803 parts as @acronym{HTML}. The function specified by the
16804 @code{mm-text-html-renderer} variable (@pxref{Display Customization,
16805 ,Display Customization, emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME Manual}) will be used
16806 to render text. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default, text will
16807 simply be folded. Leave it @code{nil} if you prefer to see
16808 @samp{text/html} parts.
16811 The following code may be helpful, if you want to show the description in
16812 the summary buffer.
16815 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-description-field)
16816 (setq gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-15,15f%]%) %s%uX\n")
16818 (defun gnus-user-format-function-X (header)
16820 (assq nnrss-description-field (mail-header-extra header))))
16821 (if descr (concat "\n\t" (cdr descr)) "")))
16824 The following code may be useful to open an nnrss url directly from the
16828 (require 'browse-url)
16830 (defun browse-nnrss-url (arg)
16832 (let ((url (assq nnrss-url-field
16835 (assq (gnus-summary-article-number)
16836 gnus-newsgroup-data))))))
16839 (browse-url (cdr url))
16840 (gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward 1))
16841 (gnus-summary-scroll-up arg))))
16843 (eval-after-load "gnus"
16844 #'(define-key gnus-summary-mode-map
16845 (kbd "<RET>") 'browse-nnrss-url))
16846 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-url-field)
16849 Even if you have added @code{"text/html"} to the
16850 @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives} variable (@pxref{Display
16851 Customization, ,Display Customization, emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME
16852 Manual}) since you don't want to see @acronym{HTML} parts, it might be
16853 more useful especially in @code{nnrss} groups to display
16854 @samp{text/html} parts. Here's an example of setting
16855 @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives} as a group parameter (@pxref{Group
16856 Parameters}) in order to display @samp{text/html} parts only in
16857 @code{nnrss} groups:
16860 ;; @r{Set the default value of @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives}.}
16861 (eval-after-load "gnus-sum"
16863 'gnus-newsgroup-variables
16864 '(mm-discouraged-alternatives
16865 . '("text/html" "image/.*"))))
16867 ;; @r{Display @samp{text/html} parts in @code{nnrss} groups.}
16870 '("\\`nnrss:" (mm-discouraged-alternatives nil)))
16874 @node Customizing W3
16875 @subsection Customizing W3
16881 Gnus uses the url library to fetch web pages and Emacs/W3 (or those
16882 alternatives) to display web pages. Emacs/W3 is documented in its own
16883 manual, but there are some things that may be more relevant for Gnus
16886 For instance, a common question is how to make Emacs/W3 follow links
16887 using the @code{browse-url} functions (which will call some external web
16888 browser like Netscape). Here's one way:
16891 (eval-after-load "w3"
16893 (fset 'w3-fetch-orig (symbol-function 'w3-fetch))
16894 (defun w3-fetch (&optional url target)
16895 (interactive (list (w3-read-url-with-default)))
16896 (if (eq major-mode 'gnus-article-mode)
16898 (w3-fetch-orig url target)))))
16901 Put that in your @file{.emacs} file, and hitting links in W3-rendered
16902 @acronym{HTML} in the Gnus article buffers will use @code{browse-url} to
16909 @cindex @acronym{IMAP}
16911 @acronym{IMAP} is a network protocol for reading mail (or news, or @dots{}),
16912 think of it as a modernized @acronym{NNTP}. Connecting to a @acronym{IMAP}
16913 server is much similar to connecting to a news server, you just
16914 specify the network address of the server.
16916 @acronym{IMAP} has two properties. First, @acronym{IMAP} can do
16917 everything that @acronym{POP} can, it can hence be viewed as a
16918 @acronym{POP++}. Secondly, @acronym{IMAP} is a mail storage protocol,
16919 similar to @acronym{NNTP} being a news storage protocol---however,
16920 @acronym{IMAP} offers more features than @acronym{NNTP} because news
16921 is more or less read-only whereas mail is read-write.
16923 If you want to use @acronym{IMAP} as a @acronym{POP++}, use an imap
16924 entry in @code{mail-sources}. With this, Gnus will fetch mails from
16925 the @acronym{IMAP} server and store them on the local disk. This is
16926 not the usage described in this section---@xref{Mail Sources}.
16928 If you want to use @acronym{IMAP} as a mail storage protocol, use an nnimap
16929 entry in @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods}. With this, Gnus will
16930 manipulate mails stored on the @acronym{IMAP} server. This is the kind of
16931 usage explained in this section.
16933 A server configuration in @file{~/.gnus.el} with a few @acronym{IMAP}
16934 servers might look something like the following. (Note that for
16935 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}, you need external programs and libraries,
16939 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
16940 '((nnimap "simpleserver") ; @r{no special configuration}
16941 ; @r{perhaps a ssh port forwarded server:}
16943 (nnimap-address "localhost")
16944 (nnimap-server-port 1430))
16945 ; @r{a UW server running on localhost}
16947 (nnimap-server-port 143)
16948 (nnimap-address "localhost")
16949 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "mail/*")))
16950 ; @r{anonymous public cyrus server:}
16951 (nnimap "cyrus.andrew.cmu.edu"
16952 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous)
16953 (nnimap-list-pattern "archive.*")
16954 (nnimap-stream network))
16955 ; @r{a ssl server on a non-standard port:}
16957 (nnimap-address "vic20.somewhere.com")
16958 (nnimap-server-port 9930)
16959 (nnimap-stream ssl))))
16962 After defining the new server, you can subscribe to groups on the
16963 server using normal Gnus commands such as @kbd{U} in the Group Buffer
16964 (@pxref{Subscription Commands}) or via the Server Buffer
16965 (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
16967 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nnimap}
16972 @item nnimap-address
16973 @vindex nnimap-address
16975 The address of the remote @acronym{IMAP} server. Defaults to the virtual
16976 server name if not specified.
16978 @item nnimap-server-port
16979 @vindex nnimap-server-port
16980 Port on server to contact. Defaults to port 143, or 993 for @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}.
16982 Note that this should be an integer, example server specification:
16985 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
16986 (nnimap-server-port 4711))
16989 @item nnimap-list-pattern
16990 @vindex nnimap-list-pattern
16991 String or list of strings of mailboxes to limit available groups to.
16992 This is used when the server has very many mailboxes and you're only
16993 interested in a few---some servers export your home directory via
16994 @acronym{IMAP}, you'll probably want to limit the mailboxes to those in
16995 @file{~/Mail/*} then.
16997 The string can also be a cons of REFERENCE and the string as above, what
16998 REFERENCE is used for is server specific, but on the University of
16999 Washington server it's a directory that will be concatenated with the
17002 Example server specification:
17005 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
17006 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "Mail/*" "alt.sex.*"
17007 ("~friend/Mail/" . "list/*"))))
17010 @item nnimap-stream
17011 @vindex nnimap-stream
17012 The type of stream used to connect to your server. By default, nnimap
17013 will detect and automatically use all of the below, with the exception
17014 of @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}. (@acronym{IMAP} over
17015 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} is being replaced by STARTTLS, which can
17016 be automatically detected, but it's not widely deployed yet.)
17018 Example server specification:
17021 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
17022 (nnimap-stream ssl))
17025 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-stream} is a symbol!
17029 @dfn{gssapi:} Connect with GSSAPI (usually Kerberos 5). Requires the
17030 @samp{gsasl} or @samp{imtest} program.
17032 @dfn{kerberos4:} Connect with Kerberos 4. Requires the @samp{imtest} program.
17034 @dfn{starttls:} Connect via the STARTTLS extension (similar to
17035 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}). Requires the external library @samp{starttls.el} and program
17038 @dfn{tls:} Connect through @acronym{TLS}. Requires GNUTLS (the program
17039 @samp{gnutls-cli}).
17041 @dfn{ssl:} Connect through @acronym{SSL}. Requires OpenSSL (the program
17042 @samp{openssl}) or SSLeay (@samp{s_client}).
17044 @dfn{shell:} Use a shell command to start @acronym{IMAP} connection.
17046 @dfn{network:} Plain, TCP/IP network connection.
17049 @vindex imap-kerberos4-program
17050 The @samp{imtest} program is shipped with Cyrus IMAPD. If you're
17051 using @samp{imtest} from Cyrus IMAPD < 2.0.14 (which includes version
17052 1.5.x and 1.6.x) you need to frob @code{imap-process-connection-type}
17053 to make @code{imap.el} use a pty instead of a pipe when communicating
17054 with @samp{imtest}. You will then suffer from a line length
17055 restrictions on @acronym{IMAP} commands, which might make Gnus seem to hang
17056 indefinitely if you have many articles in a mailbox. The variable
17057 @code{imap-kerberos4-program} contain parameters to pass to the imtest
17060 For @acronym{TLS} connection, the @code{gnutls-cli} program from GNUTLS is
17061 needed. It is available from
17062 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gnutls/}.
17064 @vindex imap-gssapi-program
17065 This parameter specifies a list of command lines that invoke a GSSAPI
17066 authenticated @acronym{IMAP} stream in a subshell. They are tried
17067 sequentially until a connection is made, or the list has been
17068 exhausted. By default, @samp{gsasl} from GNU SASL, available from
17069 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gsasl/}, and the @samp{imtest}
17070 program from Cyrus IMAPD (see @code{imap-kerberos4-program}), are
17073 @vindex imap-ssl-program
17074 For @acronym{SSL} connections, the OpenSSL program is available from
17075 @uref{http://www.openssl.org/}. OpenSSL was formerly known as SSLeay,
17076 and nnimap support it too---although the most recent versions of
17077 SSLeay, 0.9.x, are known to have serious bugs making it
17078 useless. Earlier versions, especially 0.8.x, of SSLeay are known to
17079 work. The variable @code{imap-ssl-program} contain parameters to pass
17082 @vindex imap-shell-program
17083 @vindex imap-shell-host
17084 For @acronym{IMAP} connections using the @code{shell} stream, the
17085 variable @code{imap-shell-program} specify what program to call. Make
17086 sure nothing is interfering with the output of the program, e.g., don't
17087 forget to redirect the error output to the void.
17089 @item nnimap-authenticator
17090 @vindex nnimap-authenticator
17092 The authenticator used to connect to the server. By default, nnimap
17093 will use the most secure authenticator your server is capable of.
17095 Example server specification:
17098 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
17099 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous))
17102 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-authenticator} is a symbol!
17106 @dfn{gssapi:} GSSAPI (usually kerberos 5) authentication. Requires
17107 external program @code{gsasl} or @code{imtest}.
17109 @dfn{kerberos4:} Kerberos 4 authentication. Requires external program
17112 @dfn{digest-md5:} Encrypted username/password via DIGEST-MD5. Requires
17113 external library @code{digest-md5.el}.
17115 @dfn{cram-md5:} Encrypted username/password via CRAM-MD5.
17117 @dfn{login:} Plain-text username/password via LOGIN.
17119 @dfn{anonymous:} Login as ``anonymous'', supplying your email address as password.
17122 @item nnimap-expunge-on-close
17124 @vindex nnimap-expunge-on-close
17125 Unlike Parmenides the @acronym{IMAP} designers have decided things that
17126 don't exist actually do exist. More specifically, @acronym{IMAP} has
17127 this concept of marking articles @code{Deleted} which doesn't actually
17128 delete them, and this (marking them @code{Deleted}, that is) is what
17129 nnimap does when you delete an article in Gnus (with @kbd{B DEL} or
17132 Since the articles aren't really removed when we mark them with the
17133 @code{Deleted} flag we'll need a way to actually delete them. Feel like
17134 running in circles yet?
17136 Traditionally, nnimap has removed all articles marked as @code{Deleted}
17137 when closing a mailbox but this is now configurable by this server
17140 The possible options are:
17145 The default behavior, delete all articles marked as ``Deleted'' when
17148 Never actually delete articles. Currently there is no way of showing
17149 the articles marked for deletion in nnimap, but other @acronym{IMAP} clients
17150 may allow you to do this. If you ever want to run the EXPUNGE command
17151 manually, @xref{Expunging mailboxes}.
17153 When closing mailboxes, nnimap will ask if you wish to expunge deleted
17158 @item nnimap-importantize-dormant
17159 @vindex nnimap-importantize-dormant
17161 If non-@code{nil} (the default), marks dormant articles as ticked (as
17162 well), for other @acronym{IMAP} clients. Within Gnus, dormant articles will
17163 naturally still (only) be marked as dormant. This is to make dormant
17164 articles stand out, just like ticked articles, in other @acronym{IMAP}
17165 clients. (In other words, Gnus has two ``Tick'' marks and @acronym{IMAP}
17168 Probably the only reason for frobbing this would be if you're trying
17169 enable per-user persistent dormant flags, using something like:
17172 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-flag-alist)
17173 (format "gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
17174 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-predicate-alist)
17175 (format "KEYWORD gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
17178 In this case, you would not want the per-user dormant flag showing up
17179 as ticked for other users.
17181 @item nnimap-expunge-search-string
17183 @vindex nnimap-expunge-search-string
17184 @cindex expiring @acronym{IMAP} mail
17186 This variable contain the @acronym{IMAP} search command sent to server when
17187 searching for articles eligible for expiring. The default is
17188 @code{"UID %s NOT SINCE %s"}, where the first @code{%s} is replaced by
17189 UID set and the second @code{%s} is replaced by a date.
17191 Probably the only useful value to change this to is
17192 @code{"UID %s NOT SENTSINCE %s"}, which makes nnimap use the Date: in
17193 messages instead of the internal article date. See section 6.4.4 of
17194 RFC 2060 for more information on valid strings.
17196 However, if @code{nnimap-search-uids-not-since-is-evil}
17197 is true, this variable has no effect since the search logic
17198 is reversed, as described below.
17200 @item nnimap-authinfo-file
17201 @vindex nnimap-authinfo-file
17203 A file containing credentials used to log in on servers. The format is
17204 (almost) the same as the @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file. See the
17205 variable @code{nntp-authinfo-file} for exact syntax; also see
17206 @ref{NNTP}. An example of an .authinfo line for an IMAP server, is:
17209 machine students.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis port imap
17212 Note that it should be @code{port imap}, or @code{port 143}, if you
17213 use a @code{nnimap-stream} of @code{tls} or @code{ssl}, even if the
17214 actual port number used is port 993 for secured IMAP. For
17215 convenience, Gnus will accept @code{port imaps} as a synonym of
17218 @item nnimap-need-unselect-to-notice-new-mail
17219 @vindex nnimap-need-unselect-to-notice-new-mail
17221 Unselect mailboxes before looking for new mail in them. Some servers
17222 seem to need this under some circumstances; it was reported that
17225 @item nnimap-nov-is-evil
17226 @vindex nnimap-nov-is-evil
17227 @cindex Courier @acronym{IMAP} server
17228 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
17230 Never generate or use a local @acronym{NOV} database. Defaults to the
17231 value of @code{gnus-agent}.
17233 Using a @acronym{NOV} database usually makes header fetching much
17234 faster, but it uses the @code{UID SEARCH UID} command, which is very
17235 slow on some servers (notably some versions of Courier). Since the Gnus
17236 Agent caches the information in the @acronym{NOV} database without using
17237 the slow command, this variable defaults to true if the Agent is in use,
17238 and false otherwise.
17240 @item nnimap-search-uids-not-since-is-evil
17241 @vindex nnimap-search-uids-not-since-is-evil
17242 @cindex Courier @acronym{IMAP} server
17243 @cindex expiring @acronym{IMAP} mail
17245 Avoid the @code{UID SEARCH UID @var{message numbers} NOT SINCE
17246 @var{date}} command, which is slow on some @acronym{IMAP} servers
17247 (notably, some versions of Courier). Instead, use @code{UID SEARCH SINCE
17248 @var{date}} and prune the list of expirable articles within Gnus.
17250 When Gnus expires your mail (@pxref{Expiring Mail}), it starts with a
17251 list of expirable articles and asks the IMAP server questions like ``Of
17252 these articles, which ones are older than a week?'' While this seems
17253 like a perfectly reasonable question, some IMAP servers take a long time
17254 to answer it, since they seemingly go looking into every old article to
17255 see if it is one of the expirable ones. Curiously, the question ``Of
17256 @emph{all} articles, which ones are newer than a week?'' seems to be
17257 much faster to answer, so setting this variable causes Gnus to ask this
17258 question and figure out the answer to the real question itself.
17260 This problem can really sneak up on you: when you first configure Gnus,
17261 everything works fine, but once you accumulate a couple thousand
17262 messages, you start cursing Gnus for being so slow. On the other hand,
17263 if you get a lot of email within a week, setting this variable will
17264 cause a lot of network traffic between Gnus and the IMAP server.
17266 @item nnimap-logout-timeout
17267 @vindex nnimap-logout-timeout
17269 There is a case where a connection to a @acronym{IMAP} server is unable
17270 to close, when connecting to the server via a certain kind of network,
17271 e.g. @acronym{VPN}. In that case, it will be observed that a connection
17272 between Emacs and the local network looks alive even if the server has
17273 closed a connection for some reason (typically, a timeout).
17274 Consequently, Emacs continues waiting for a response from the server for
17275 the @code{LOGOUT} command that Emacs sent, or hangs in other words. If
17276 you are in such a network, setting this variable to a number of seconds
17277 will be helpful. If it is set, a hung connection will be closed
17278 forcibly, after this number of seconds from the time Emacs sends the
17279 @code{LOGOUT} command. It should not be too small value but too large
17280 value will be inconvenient too. Perhaps the value 1.0 will be a good
17281 candidate but it might be worth trying some other values.
17283 Example server specification:
17286 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
17287 (nnimap-logout-timeout 1.0))
17293 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
17294 * Expiring in IMAP:: Expiring mail with nnimap.
17295 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
17296 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a ``compress mailbox'' button.
17297 * A note on namespaces:: How to (not) use @acronym{IMAP} namespace in Gnus.
17298 * Debugging IMAP:: What to do when things don't work.
17303 @node Splitting in IMAP
17304 @subsection Splitting in IMAP
17305 @cindex splitting imap mail
17307 Splitting is something Gnus users have loved and used for years, and now
17308 the rest of the world is catching up. Yeah, dream on, not many
17309 @acronym{IMAP} servers have server side splitting and those that have
17310 splitting seem to use some non-standard protocol. This means that
17311 @acronym{IMAP} support for Gnus has to do its own splitting.
17315 (Incidentally, people seem to have been dreaming on, and Sieve has
17316 gaining a market share and is supported by several IMAP servers.
17317 Fortunately, Gnus support it too, @xref{Sieve Commands}.)
17319 Here are the variables of interest:
17323 @item nnimap-split-crosspost
17324 @cindex splitting, crosspost
17326 @vindex nnimap-split-crosspost
17328 If non-@code{nil}, do crossposting if several split methods match the
17329 mail. If @code{nil}, the first match in @code{nnimap-split-rule}
17330 found will be used.
17332 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-crosspost}.
17334 @item nnimap-split-inbox
17335 @cindex splitting, inbox
17337 @vindex nnimap-split-inbox
17339 A string or a list of strings that gives the name(s) of @acronym{IMAP}
17340 mailboxes to split from. Defaults to @code{nil}, which means that
17341 splitting is disabled!
17344 (setq nnimap-split-inbox
17345 '("INBOX" ("~/friend/Mail" . "lists/*") "lists.imap"))
17348 No nnmail equivalent.
17350 @item nnimap-split-rule
17351 @cindex splitting, rules
17352 @vindex nnimap-split-rule
17354 New mail found in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be split according to
17357 This variable contains a list of lists, where the first element in the
17358 sublist gives the name of the @acronym{IMAP} mailbox to move articles
17359 matching the regexp in the second element in the sublist. Got that?
17360 Neither did I, we need examples.
17363 (setq nnimap-split-rule
17365 "^Sender: owner-nnimap@@vic20.globalcom.se")
17366 ("INBOX.junk" "^Subject:.*MAKE MONEY")
17367 ("INBOX.private" "")))
17370 This will put all articles from the nnimap mailing list into mailbox
17371 INBOX.nnimap, all articles containing MAKE MONEY in the Subject: line
17372 into INBOX.junk and everything else in INBOX.private.
17374 The first string may contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by
17375 replace-match to insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For
17379 ("INBOX.lists.\\1" "^Sender: owner-\\([a-z-]+\\)@@")
17382 The first element can also be the symbol @code{junk} to indicate that
17383 matching messages should simply be deleted. Use with care.
17385 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
17386 called with the first element of the rule as the argument, in a buffer
17387 containing the headers of the article. It should return a
17388 non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the mail belongs in that group.
17390 Nnmail users might recollect that the last regexp had to be empty to
17391 match all articles (like in the example above). This is not required in
17392 nnimap. Articles not matching any of the regexps will not be moved out
17393 of your inbox. (This might affect performance if you keep lots of
17394 unread articles in your inbox, since the splitting code would go over
17395 them every time you fetch new mail.)
17397 These rules are processed from the beginning of the alist toward the
17398 end. The first rule to make a match will ``win'', unless you have
17399 crossposting enabled. In that case, all matching rules will ``win''.
17401 This variable can also have a function as its value, the function will
17402 be called with the headers narrowed and should return a group where it
17403 thinks the article should be split to. See @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
17405 The splitting code tries to create mailboxes if it needs to.
17407 To allow for different split rules on different virtual servers, and
17408 even different split rules in different inboxes on the same server,
17409 the syntax of this variable have been extended along the lines of:
17412 (setq nnimap-split-rule
17413 '(("my1server" (".*" (("ding" "ding@@gnus.org")
17414 ("junk" "From:.*Simon"))))
17415 ("my2server" ("INBOX" nnimap-split-fancy))
17416 ("my[34]server" (".*" (("private" "To:.*Simon")
17417 ("junk" my-junk-func))))))
17420 The virtual server name is in fact a regexp, so that the same rules
17421 may apply to several servers. In the example, the servers
17422 @code{my3server} and @code{my4server} both use the same rules.
17423 Similarly, the inbox string is also a regexp. The actual splitting
17424 rules are as before, either a function, or a list with group/regexp or
17425 group/function elements.
17427 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
17429 @item nnimap-split-predicate
17431 @vindex nnimap-split-predicate
17433 Mail matching this predicate in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be
17434 split, it is a string and the default is @samp{UNSEEN UNDELETED}.
17436 This might be useful if you use another @acronym{IMAP} client to read mail in
17437 your inbox but would like Gnus to split all articles in the inbox
17438 regardless of readedness. Then you might change this to
17441 @item nnimap-split-fancy
17442 @cindex splitting, fancy
17443 @findex nnimap-split-fancy
17444 @vindex nnimap-split-fancy
17446 It's possible to set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
17447 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} if you want to use fancy
17448 splitting. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
17450 However, to be able to have different fancy split rules for nnmail and
17451 nnimap back ends you can set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
17452 @code{nnimap-split-fancy} and define the nnimap specific fancy split
17453 rule in @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
17458 (setq nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
17459 nnimap-split-fancy ...)
17462 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
17464 @item nnimap-split-download-body
17465 @findex nnimap-split-download-body
17466 @vindex nnimap-split-download-body
17468 Set to non-@code{nil} to download entire articles during splitting.
17469 This is generally not required, and will slow things down
17470 considerably. You may need it if you want to use an advanced
17471 splitting function that analyzes the body to split the article.
17475 @node Expiring in IMAP
17476 @subsection Expiring in IMAP
17477 @cindex expiring @acronym{IMAP} mail
17479 Even though @code{nnimap} is not a proper @code{nnmail} derived back
17480 end, it supports most features in regular expiring (@pxref{Expiring
17481 Mail}). Unlike splitting in @acronym{IMAP} (@pxref{Splitting in
17482 IMAP}) it does not clone the @code{nnmail} variables (i.e., creating
17483 @var{nnimap-expiry-wait}) but reuse the @code{nnmail} variables. What
17484 follows below are the variables used by the @code{nnimap} expiry
17487 A note on how the expire mark is stored on the @acronym{IMAP} server is
17488 appropriate here as well. The expire mark is translated into a
17489 @code{imap} client specific mark, @code{gnus-expire}, and stored on the
17490 message. This means that likely only Gnus will understand and treat
17491 the @code{gnus-expire} mark properly, although other clients may allow
17492 you to view client specific flags on the message. It also means that
17493 your server must support permanent storage of client specific flags on
17494 messages. Most do, fortunately.
17496 If expiring @acronym{IMAP} mail seems very slow, try setting the server
17497 variable @code{nnimap-search-uids-not-since-is-evil}.
17501 @item nnmail-expiry-wait
17502 @item nnmail-expiry-wait-function
17504 These variables are fully supported. The expire value can be a
17505 number, the symbol @code{immediate} or @code{never}.
17507 @item nnmail-expiry-target
17509 This variable is supported, and internally implemented by calling the
17510 @code{nnmail} functions that handle this. It contains an optimization
17511 that if the destination is a @acronym{IMAP} group on the same server, the
17512 article is copied instead of appended (that is, uploaded again).
17516 @node Editing IMAP ACLs
17517 @subsection Editing IMAP ACLs
17518 @cindex editing imap acls
17519 @cindex Access Control Lists
17520 @cindex Editing @acronym{IMAP} ACLs
17521 @kindex G l (Group)
17522 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-edit-acl
17524 ACL stands for Access Control List. ACLs are used in @acronym{IMAP} for
17525 limiting (or enabling) other users access to your mail boxes. Not all
17526 @acronym{IMAP} servers support this, this function will give an error if it
17529 To edit an ACL for a mailbox, type @kbd{G l}
17530 (@code{gnus-group-edit-nnimap-acl}) and you'll be presented with an ACL
17531 editing window with detailed instructions.
17533 Some possible uses:
17537 Giving ``anyone'' the ``lrs'' rights (lookup, read, keep seen/unseen flags)
17538 on your mailing list mailboxes enables other users on the same server to
17539 follow the list without subscribing to it.
17541 At least with the Cyrus server, you are required to give the user
17542 ``anyone'' posting ("p") capabilities to have ``plussing'' work (that is,
17543 mail sent to user+mailbox@@domain ending up in the @acronym{IMAP} mailbox
17547 @node Expunging mailboxes
17548 @subsection Expunging mailboxes
17552 @cindex manual expunging
17553 @kindex G x (Group)
17554 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-expunge
17556 If you're using the @code{never} setting of @code{nnimap-expunge-on-close},
17557 you may want the option of expunging all deleted articles in a mailbox
17558 manually. This is exactly what @kbd{G x} does.
17560 Currently there is no way of showing deleted articles, you can just
17563 @node A note on namespaces
17564 @subsection A note on namespaces
17565 @cindex IMAP namespace
17568 The @acronym{IMAP} protocol has a concept called namespaces, described
17569 by the following text in the RFC2060:
17572 5.1.2. Mailbox Namespace Naming Convention
17574 By convention, the first hierarchical element of any mailbox name
17575 which begins with "#" identifies the "namespace" of the remainder of
17576 the name. This makes it possible to disambiguate between different
17577 types of mailbox stores, each of which have their own namespaces.
17579 For example, implementations which offer access to USENET
17580 newsgroups MAY use the "#news" namespace to partition the USENET
17581 newsgroup namespace from that of other mailboxes. Thus, the
17582 comp.mail.misc newsgroup would have an mailbox name of
17583 "#news.comp.mail.misc", and the name "comp.mail.misc" could refer
17584 to a different object (e.g. a user's private mailbox).
17587 While there is nothing in this text that warrants concern for the
17588 @acronym{IMAP} implementation in Gnus, some servers use namespace
17589 prefixes in a way that does not work with how Gnus uses mailbox names.
17591 Specifically, University of Washington's @acronym{IMAP} server uses
17592 mailbox names like @code{#driver.mbx/read-mail} which are valid only
17593 in the @sc{create} and @sc{append} commands. After the mailbox is
17594 created (or a messages is appended to a mailbox), it must be accessed
17595 without the namespace prefix, i.e. @code{read-mail}. Since Gnus do
17596 not make it possible for the user to guarantee that user entered
17597 mailbox names will only be used with the CREATE and APPEND commands,
17598 you should simply not use the namespace prefixed mailbox names in
17601 See the UoW IMAPD documentation for the @code{#driver.*/} prefix
17602 for more information on how to use the prefixes. They are a power
17603 tool and should be used only if you are sure what the effects are.
17605 @node Debugging IMAP
17606 @subsection Debugging IMAP
17607 @cindex IMAP debugging
17608 @cindex protocol dump (IMAP)
17610 @acronym{IMAP} is a complex protocol, more so than @acronym{NNTP} or
17611 @acronym{POP3}. Implementation bugs are not unlikely, and we do our
17612 best to fix them right away. If you encounter odd behavior, chances
17613 are that either the server or Gnus is buggy.
17615 If you are familiar with network protocols in general, you will
17616 probably be able to extract some clues from the protocol dump of the
17617 exchanges between Gnus and the server. Even if you are not familiar
17618 with network protocols, when you include the protocol dump in
17619 @acronym{IMAP}-related bug reports you are helping us with data
17620 critical to solving the problem. Therefore, we strongly encourage you
17621 to include the protocol dump when reporting IMAP bugs in Gnus.
17625 Because the protocol dump, when enabled, generates lots of data, it is
17626 disabled by default. You can enable it by setting @code{imap-log} as
17633 This instructs the @code{imap.el} package to log any exchanges with
17634 the server. The log is stored in the buffer @samp{*imap-log*}. Look
17635 for error messages, which sometimes are tagged with the keyword
17636 @code{BAD}---but when submitting a bug, make sure to include all the
17639 @node Other Sources
17640 @section Other Sources
17642 Gnus can do more than just read news or mail. The methods described
17643 below allow Gnus to view directories and files as if they were
17647 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
17648 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
17649 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
17650 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
17651 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
17655 @node Directory Groups
17656 @subsection Directory Groups
17658 @cindex directory groups
17660 If you have a directory that has lots of articles in separate files in
17661 it, you might treat it as a newsgroup. The files have to have numerical
17664 This might be an opportune moment to mention @code{ange-ftp} (and its
17665 successor @code{efs}), that most wonderful of all wonderful Emacs
17666 packages. When I wrote @code{nndir}, I didn't think much about it---a
17667 back end to read directories. Big deal.
17669 @code{ange-ftp} changes that picture dramatically. For instance, if you
17670 enter the @code{ange-ftp} file name
17671 @file{/ftp.hpc.uh.edu:/pub/emacs/ding-list/} as the directory name,
17672 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will actually allow you to read this
17673 directory over at @samp{sina} as a newsgroup. Distributed news ahoy!
17675 @code{nndir} will use @acronym{NOV} files if they are present.
17677 @code{nndir} is a ``read-only'' back end---you can't delete or expire
17678 articles with this method. You can use @code{nnmh} or @code{nnml} for
17679 whatever you use @code{nndir} for, so you could switch to any of those
17680 methods if you feel the need to have a non-read-only @code{nndir}.
17683 @node Anything Groups
17684 @subsection Anything Groups
17687 From the @code{nndir} back end (which reads a single spool-like
17688 directory), it's just a hop and a skip to @code{nneething}, which
17689 pretends that any arbitrary directory is a newsgroup. Strange, but
17692 When @code{nneething} is presented with a directory, it will scan this
17693 directory and assign article numbers to each file. When you enter such
17694 a group, @code{nneething} must create ``headers'' that Gnus can use.
17695 After all, Gnus is a newsreader, in case you're forgetting.
17696 @code{nneething} does this in a two-step process. First, it snoops each
17697 file in question. If the file looks like an article (i.e., the first
17698 few lines look like headers), it will use this as the head. If this is
17699 just some arbitrary file without a head (e.g. a C source file),
17700 @code{nneething} will cobble up a header out of thin air. It will use
17701 file ownership, name and date and do whatever it can with these
17704 All this should happen automatically for you, and you will be presented
17705 with something that looks very much like a newsgroup. Totally like a
17706 newsgroup, to be precise. If you select an article, it will be displayed
17707 in the article buffer, just as usual.
17709 If you select a line that represents a directory, Gnus will pop you into
17710 a new summary buffer for this @code{nneething} group. And so on. You can
17711 traverse the entire disk this way, if you feel like, but remember that
17712 Gnus is not dired, really, and does not intend to be, either.
17714 There are two overall modes to this action---ephemeral or solid. When
17715 doing the ephemeral thing (i.e., @kbd{G D} from the group buffer), Gnus
17716 will not store information on what files you have read, and what files
17717 are new, and so on. If you create a solid @code{nneething} group the
17718 normal way with @kbd{G m}, Gnus will store a mapping table between
17719 article numbers and file names, and you can treat this group like any
17720 other groups. When you activate a solid @code{nneething} group, you will
17721 be told how many unread articles it contains, etc., etc.
17726 @item nneething-map-file-directory
17727 @vindex nneething-map-file-directory
17728 All the mapping files for solid @code{nneething} groups will be stored
17729 in this directory, which defaults to @file{~/.nneething/}.
17731 @item nneething-exclude-files
17732 @vindex nneething-exclude-files
17733 All files that match this regexp will be ignored. Nice to use to exclude
17734 auto-save files and the like, which is what it does by default.
17736 @item nneething-include-files
17737 @vindex nneething-include-files
17738 Regexp saying what files to include in the group. If this variable is
17739 non-@code{nil}, only files matching this regexp will be included.
17741 @item nneething-map-file
17742 @vindex nneething-map-file
17743 Name of the map files.
17747 @node Document Groups
17748 @subsection Document Groups
17750 @cindex documentation group
17753 @code{nndoc} is a cute little thing that will let you read a single file
17754 as a newsgroup. Several files types are supported:
17760 The Babyl (Rmail) mail box.
17765 The standard Unix mbox file.
17767 @cindex MMDF mail box
17769 The MMDF mail box format.
17772 Several news articles appended into a file.
17774 @cindex rnews batch files
17776 The rnews batch transport format.
17779 Netscape mail boxes.
17782 @acronym{MIME} multipart messages.
17784 @item standard-digest
17785 The standard (RFC 1153) digest format.
17788 A @acronym{MIME} digest of messages.
17790 @item lanl-gov-announce
17791 Announcement messages from LANL Gov Announce.
17793 @cindex forwarded messages
17794 @item rfc822-forward
17795 A message forwarded according to RFC822.
17798 The Outlook mail box.
17801 The Outlook Express dbx mail box.
17804 A bounce message from the Exim MTA.
17807 A message forwarded according to informal rules.
17810 An RFC934-forwarded message.
17816 A digest of Clarinet brief news items.
17819 Non-standard digest format---matches most things, but does it badly.
17825 You can also use the special ``file type'' @code{guess}, which means
17826 that @code{nndoc} will try to guess what file type it is looking at.
17827 @code{digest} means that @code{nndoc} should guess what digest type the
17830 @code{nndoc} will not try to change the file or insert any extra headers into
17831 it---it will simply, like, let you use the file as the basis for a
17832 group. And that's it.
17834 If you have some old archived articles that you want to insert into your
17835 new & spiffy Gnus mail back end, @code{nndoc} can probably help you with
17836 that. Say you have an old @file{RMAIL} file with mail that you now want
17837 to split into your new @code{nnml} groups. You look at that file using
17838 @code{nndoc} (using the @kbd{G f} command in the group buffer
17839 (@pxref{Foreign Groups})), set the process mark on all the articles in
17840 the buffer (@kbd{M P b}, for instance), and then re-spool (@kbd{B r})
17841 using @code{nnml}. If all goes well, all the mail in the @file{RMAIL}
17842 file is now also stored in lots of @code{nnml} directories, and you can
17843 delete that pesky @file{RMAIL} file. If you have the guts!
17845 Virtual server variables:
17848 @item nndoc-article-type
17849 @vindex nndoc-article-type
17850 This should be one of @code{mbox}, @code{babyl}, @code{digest},
17851 @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward}, @code{rfc934},
17852 @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts}, @code{standard-digest},
17853 @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs}, @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook},
17854 @code{oe-dbx}, @code{mailman}, and @code{mail-in-mail} or @code{guess}.
17856 @item nndoc-post-type
17857 @vindex nndoc-post-type
17858 This variable says whether Gnus is to consider the group a news group or
17859 a mail group. There are two valid values: @code{mail} (the default)
17864 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
17868 @node Document Server Internals
17869 @subsubsection Document Server Internals
17871 Adding new document types to be recognized by @code{nndoc} isn't
17872 difficult. You just have to whip up a definition of what the document
17873 looks like, write a predicate function to recognize that document type,
17874 and then hook into @code{nndoc}.
17876 First, here's an example document type definition:
17880 (article-begin . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n")
17881 (body-end . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n"))
17884 The definition is simply a unique @dfn{name} followed by a series of
17885 regexp pseudo-variable settings. Below are the possible
17886 variables---don't be daunted by the number of variables; most document
17887 types can be defined with very few settings:
17890 @item first-article
17891 If present, @code{nndoc} will skip past all text until it finds
17892 something that match this regexp. All text before this will be
17895 @item article-begin
17896 This setting has to be present in all document type definitions. It
17897 says what the beginning of each article looks like. To do more
17898 complicated things that cannot be dealt with a simple regexp, you can
17899 use @code{article-begin-function} instead of this.
17901 @item article-begin-function
17902 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the beginning
17903 of each article. This setting overrides @code{article-begin}.
17906 If present, this should be a regexp that matches the head of the
17907 article. To do more complicated things that cannot be dealt with a
17908 simple regexp, you can use @code{head-begin-function} instead of this.
17910 @item head-begin-function
17911 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the head of
17912 the article. This setting overrides @code{head-begin}.
17915 This should match the end of the head of the article. It defaults to
17916 @samp{^$}---the empty line.
17919 This should match the beginning of the body of the article. It defaults
17920 to @samp{^\n}. To do more complicated things that cannot be dealt with
17921 a simple regexp, you can use @code{body-begin-function} instead of this.
17923 @item body-begin-function
17924 If present, this function should move point to the beginning of the body
17925 of the article. This setting overrides @code{body-begin}.
17928 If present, this should match the end of the body of the article. To do
17929 more complicated things that cannot be dealt with a simple regexp, you
17930 can use @code{body-end-function} instead of this.
17932 @item body-end-function
17933 If present, this function should move point to the end of the body of
17934 the article. This setting overrides @code{body-end}.
17937 If present, this should match the beginning of the file. All text
17938 before this regexp will be totally ignored.
17941 If present, this should match the end of the file. All text after this
17942 regexp will be totally ignored.
17946 So, using these variables @code{nndoc} is able to dissect a document
17947 file into a series of articles, each with a head and a body. However, a
17948 few more variables are needed since not all document types are all that
17949 news-like---variables needed to transform the head or the body into
17950 something that's palatable for Gnus:
17953 @item prepare-body-function
17954 If present, this function will be called when requesting an article. It
17955 will be called with point at the start of the body, and is useful if the
17956 document has encoded some parts of its contents.
17958 @item article-transform-function
17959 If present, this function is called when requesting an article. It's
17960 meant to be used for more wide-ranging transformation of both head and
17961 body of the article.
17963 @item generate-head-function
17964 If present, this function is called to generate a head that Gnus can
17965 understand. It is called with the article number as a parameter, and is
17966 expected to generate a nice head for the article in question. It is
17967 called when requesting the headers of all articles.
17969 @item generate-article-function
17970 If present, this function is called to generate an entire article that
17971 Gnus can understand. It is called with the article number as a
17972 parameter when requesting all articles.
17974 @item dissection-function
17975 If present, this function is called to dissect a document by itself,
17976 overriding @code{first-article}, @code{article-begin},
17977 @code{article-begin-function}, @code{head-begin},
17978 @code{head-begin-function}, @code{head-end}, @code{body-begin},
17979 @code{body-begin-function}, @code{body-end}, @code{body-end-function},
17980 @code{file-begin}, and @code{file-end}.
17984 Let's look at the most complicated example I can come up with---standard
17989 (first-article . ,(concat "^" (make-string 70 ?-) "\n\n+"))
17990 (article-begin . ,(concat "\n\n" (make-string 30 ?-) "\n\n+"))
17991 (prepare-body-function . nndoc-unquote-dashes)
17992 (body-end-function . nndoc-digest-body-end)
17993 (head-end . "^ ?$")
17994 (body-begin . "^ ?\n")
17995 (file-end . "^End of .*digest.*[0-9].*\n\\*\\*\\|^End of.*Digest *$")
17996 (subtype digest guess))
17999 We see that all text before a 70-width line of dashes is ignored; all
18000 text after a line that starts with that @samp{^End of} is also ignored;
18001 each article begins with a 30-width line of dashes; the line separating
18002 the head from the body may contain a single space; and that the body is
18003 run through @code{nndoc-unquote-dashes} before being delivered.
18005 To hook your own document definition into @code{nndoc}, use the
18006 @code{nndoc-add-type} function. It takes two parameters---the first
18007 is the definition itself and the second (optional) parameter says
18008 where in the document type definition alist to put this definition.
18009 The alist is traversed sequentially, and
18010 @code{nndoc-@var{type}-type-p} is called for a given type @var{type}.
18011 So @code{nndoc-mmdf-type-p} is called to see whether a document is of
18012 @code{mmdf} type, and so on. These type predicates should return
18013 @code{nil} if the document is not of the correct type; @code{t} if it
18014 is of the correct type; and a number if the document might be of the
18015 correct type. A high number means high probability; a low number
18016 means low probability with @samp{0} being the lowest valid number.
18024 In the PC world people often talk about ``offline'' newsreaders. These
18025 are thingies that are combined reader/news transport monstrosities.
18026 With built-in modem programs. Yecchh!
18028 Of course, us Unix Weenie types of human beans use things like
18029 @code{uucp} and, like, @code{nntpd} and set up proper news and mail
18030 transport things like Ghod intended. And then we just use normal
18033 However, it can sometimes be convenient to do something that's a bit
18034 easier on the brain if you have a very slow modem, and you're not really
18035 that interested in doing things properly.
18037 A file format called @sc{soup} has been developed for transporting news
18038 and mail from servers to home machines and back again. It can be a bit
18041 First some terminology:
18046 This is the machine that is connected to the outside world and where you
18047 get news and/or mail from.
18050 This is the machine that you want to do the actual reading and responding
18051 on. It is typically not connected to the rest of the world in any way.
18054 Something that contains messages and/or commands. There are two kinds
18058 @item message packets
18059 These are packets made at the server, and typically contain lots of
18060 messages for you to read. These are called @file{SoupoutX.tgz} by
18061 default, where @var{x} is a number.
18063 @item response packets
18064 These are packets made at the home machine, and typically contains
18065 replies that you've written. These are called @file{SoupinX.tgz} by
18066 default, where @var{x} is a number.
18076 You log in on the server and create a @sc{soup} packet. You can either
18077 use a dedicated @sc{soup} thingie (like the @code{awk} program), or you
18078 can use Gnus to create the packet with its @sc{soup} commands (@kbd{O
18079 s} and/or @kbd{G s b}; and then @kbd{G s p}) (@pxref{SOUP Commands}).
18082 You transfer the packet home. Rail, boat, car or modem will do fine.
18085 You put the packet in your home directory.
18088 You fire up Gnus on your home machine using the @code{nnsoup} back end as
18089 the native or secondary server.
18092 You read articles and mail and answer and followup to the things you
18093 want (@pxref{SOUP Replies}).
18096 You do the @kbd{G s r} command to pack these replies into a @sc{soup}
18100 You transfer this packet to the server.
18103 You use Gnus to mail this packet out with the @kbd{G s s} command.
18106 You then repeat until you die.
18110 So you basically have a bipartite system---you use @code{nnsoup} for
18111 reading and Gnus for packing/sending these @sc{soup} packets.
18114 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
18115 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
18116 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
18120 @node SOUP Commands
18121 @subsubsection SOUP Commands
18123 These are commands for creating and manipulating @sc{soup} packets.
18127 @kindex G s b (Group)
18128 @findex gnus-group-brew-soup
18129 Pack all unread articles in the current group
18130 (@code{gnus-group-brew-soup}). This command understands the
18131 process/prefix convention.
18134 @kindex G s w (Group)
18135 @findex gnus-soup-save-areas
18136 Save all @sc{soup} data files (@code{gnus-soup-save-areas}).
18139 @kindex G s s (Group)
18140 @findex gnus-soup-send-replies
18141 Send all replies from the replies packet
18142 (@code{gnus-soup-send-replies}).
18145 @kindex G s p (Group)
18146 @findex gnus-soup-pack-packet
18147 Pack all files into a @sc{soup} packet (@code{gnus-soup-pack-packet}).
18150 @kindex G s r (Group)
18151 @findex nnsoup-pack-replies
18152 Pack all replies into a replies packet (@code{nnsoup-pack-replies}).
18155 @kindex O s (Summary)
18156 @findex gnus-soup-add-article
18157 This summary-mode command adds the current article to a @sc{soup} packet
18158 (@code{gnus-soup-add-article}). It understands the process/prefix
18159 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
18164 There are a few variables to customize where Gnus will put all these
18169 @item gnus-soup-directory
18170 @vindex gnus-soup-directory
18171 Directory where Gnus will save intermediate files while composing
18172 @sc{soup} packets. The default is @file{~/SoupBrew/}.
18174 @item gnus-soup-replies-directory
18175 @vindex gnus-soup-replies-directory
18176 This is what Gnus will use as a temporary directory while sending our
18177 reply packets. @file{~/SoupBrew/SoupReplies/} is the default.
18179 @item gnus-soup-prefix-file
18180 @vindex gnus-soup-prefix-file
18181 Name of the file where Gnus stores the last used prefix. The default is
18182 @samp{gnus-prefix}.
18184 @item gnus-soup-packer
18185 @vindex gnus-soup-packer
18186 A format string command for packing a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
18187 @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupout%d.tgz}.
18189 @item gnus-soup-unpacker
18190 @vindex gnus-soup-unpacker
18191 Format string command for unpacking a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
18192 @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
18194 @item gnus-soup-packet-directory
18195 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-directory
18196 Where Gnus will look for reply packets. The default is @file{~/}.
18198 @item gnus-soup-packet-regexp
18199 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-regexp
18200 Regular expression matching @sc{soup} reply packets in
18201 @code{gnus-soup-packet-directory}.
18207 @subsubsection SOUP Groups
18210 @code{nnsoup} is the back end for reading @sc{soup} packets. It will
18211 read incoming packets, unpack them, and put them in a directory where
18212 you can read them at leisure.
18214 These are the variables you can use to customize its behavior:
18218 @item nnsoup-tmp-directory
18219 @vindex nnsoup-tmp-directory
18220 When @code{nnsoup} unpacks a @sc{soup} packet, it does it in this
18221 directory. (@file{/tmp/} by default.)
18223 @item nnsoup-directory
18224 @vindex nnsoup-directory
18225 @code{nnsoup} then moves each message and index file to this directory.
18226 The default is @file{~/SOUP/}.
18228 @item nnsoup-replies-directory
18229 @vindex nnsoup-replies-directory
18230 All replies will be stored in this directory before being packed into a
18231 reply packet. The default is @file{~/SOUP/replies/}.
18233 @item nnsoup-replies-format-type
18234 @vindex nnsoup-replies-format-type
18235 The @sc{soup} format of the replies packets. The default is @samp{?n}
18236 (rnews), and I don't think you should touch that variable. I probably
18237 shouldn't even have documented it. Drats! Too late!
18239 @item nnsoup-replies-index-type
18240 @vindex nnsoup-replies-index-type
18241 The index type of the replies packet. The default is @samp{?n}, which
18242 means ``none''. Don't fiddle with this one either!
18244 @item nnsoup-active-file
18245 @vindex nnsoup-active-file
18246 Where @code{nnsoup} stores lots of information. This is not an ``active
18247 file'' in the @code{nntp} sense; it's an Emacs Lisp file. If you lose
18248 this file or mess it up in any way, you're dead. The default is
18249 @file{~/SOUP/active}.
18251 @item nnsoup-packer
18252 @vindex nnsoup-packer
18253 Format string command for packing a reply @sc{soup} packet. The default
18254 is @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupin%d.tgz}.
18256 @item nnsoup-unpacker
18257 @vindex nnsoup-unpacker
18258 Format string command for unpacking incoming @sc{soup} packets. The
18259 default is @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
18261 @item nnsoup-packet-directory
18262 @vindex nnsoup-packet-directory
18263 Where @code{nnsoup} will look for incoming packets. The default is
18266 @item nnsoup-packet-regexp
18267 @vindex nnsoup-packet-regexp
18268 Regular expression matching incoming @sc{soup} packets. The default is
18271 @item nnsoup-always-save
18272 @vindex nnsoup-always-save
18273 If non-@code{nil}, save the replies buffer after each posted message.
18279 @subsubsection SOUP Replies
18281 Just using @code{nnsoup} won't mean that your postings and mailings end
18282 up in @sc{soup} reply packets automagically. You have to work a bit
18283 more for that to happen.
18285 @findex nnsoup-set-variables
18286 The @code{nnsoup-set-variables} command will set the appropriate
18287 variables to ensure that all your followups and replies end up in the
18290 In specific, this is what it does:
18293 (setq message-send-news-function 'nnsoup-request-post)
18294 (setq message-send-mail-function 'nnsoup-request-mail)
18297 And that's it, really. If you only want news to go into the @sc{soup}
18298 system you just use the first line. If you only want mail to be
18299 @sc{soup}ed you use the second.
18302 @node Mail-To-News Gateways
18303 @subsection Mail-To-News Gateways
18304 @cindex mail-to-news gateways
18307 If your local @code{nntp} server doesn't allow posting, for some reason
18308 or other, you can post using one of the numerous mail-to-news gateways.
18309 The @code{nngateway} back end provides the interface.
18311 Note that you can't read anything from this back end---it can only be
18317 @item nngateway-address
18318 @vindex nngateway-address
18319 This is the address of the mail-to-news gateway.
18321 @item nngateway-header-transformation
18322 @vindex nngateway-header-transformation
18323 News headers often have to be transformed in some odd way or other
18324 for the mail-to-news gateway to accept it. This variable says what
18325 transformation should be called, and defaults to
18326 @code{nngateway-simple-header-transformation}. The function is called
18327 narrowed to the headers to be transformed and with one parameter---the
18330 This default function just inserts a new @code{To} header based on the
18331 @code{Newsgroups} header and the gateway address.
18332 For instance, an article with this @code{Newsgroups} header:
18335 Newsgroups: alt.religion.emacs
18338 will get this @code{To} header inserted:
18341 To: alt-religion-emacs@@GATEWAY
18344 The following pre-defined functions exist:
18346 @findex nngateway-simple-header-transformation
18349 @item nngateway-simple-header-transformation
18350 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
18351 @var{newsgroup}@@@code{nngateway-address}.
18353 @findex nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
18355 @item nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
18356 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
18357 @code{nngateway-address}.
18365 (setq gnus-post-method
18367 "mail2news@@replay.com"
18368 (nngateway-header-transformation
18369 nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation)))
18372 So, to use this, simply say something like:
18375 (setq gnus-post-method '(nngateway "GATEWAY.ADDRESS"))
18380 @node Combined Groups
18381 @section Combined Groups
18383 Gnus allows combining a mixture of all the other group types into bigger
18387 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
18388 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
18392 @node Virtual Groups
18393 @subsection Virtual Groups
18395 @cindex virtual groups
18396 @cindex merging groups
18398 An @dfn{nnvirtual group} is really nothing more than a collection of
18401 For instance, if you are tired of reading many small groups, you can
18402 put them all in one big group, and then grow tired of reading one
18403 big, unwieldy group. The joys of computing!
18405 You specify @code{nnvirtual} as the method. The address should be a
18406 regexp to match component groups.
18408 All marks in the virtual group will stick to the articles in the
18409 component groups. So if you tick an article in a virtual group, the
18410 article will also be ticked in the component group from whence it
18411 came. (And vice versa---marks from the component groups will also be
18412 shown in the virtual group.). To create an empty virtual group, run
18413 @kbd{G V} (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}) in the group buffer
18414 and edit the method regexp with @kbd{M-e}
18415 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method})
18417 Here's an example @code{nnvirtual} method that collects all Andrea Dworkin
18418 newsgroups into one, big, happy newsgroup:
18421 (nnvirtual "^alt\\.fan\\.andrea-dworkin$\\|^rec\\.dworkin.*")
18424 The component groups can be native or foreign; everything should work
18425 smoothly, but if your computer explodes, it was probably my fault.
18427 Collecting the same group from several servers might actually be a good
18428 idea if users have set the Distribution header to limit distribution.
18429 If you would like to read @samp{soc.motss} both from a server in Japan
18430 and a server in Norway, you could use the following as the group regexp:
18433 "^nntp\\+server\\.jp:soc\\.motss$\\|^nntp\\+server\\.no:soc\\.motss$"
18436 (Remember, though, that if you're creating the group with @kbd{G m}, you
18437 shouldn't double the backslashes, and you should leave off the quote
18438 characters at the beginning and the end of the string.)
18440 This should work kinda smoothly---all articles from both groups should
18441 end up in this one, and there should be no duplicates. Threading (and
18442 the rest) will still work as usual, but there might be problems with the
18443 sequence of articles. Sorting on date might be an option here
18444 (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
18446 One limitation, however---all groups included in a virtual
18447 group have to be alive (i.e., subscribed or unsubscribed). Killed or
18448 zombie groups can't be component groups for @code{nnvirtual} groups.
18450 @vindex nnvirtual-always-rescan
18451 If the @code{nnvirtual-always-rescan} variable is non-@code{nil} (which
18452 is the default), @code{nnvirtual} will always scan groups for unread
18453 articles when entering a virtual group. If this variable is @code{nil}
18454 and you read articles in a component group after the virtual group has
18455 been activated, the read articles from the component group will show up
18456 when you enter the virtual group. You'll also see this effect if you
18457 have two virtual groups that have a component group in common. If
18458 that's the case, you should set this variable to @code{t}. Or you can
18459 just tap @code{M-g} on the virtual group every time before you enter
18460 it---it'll have much the same effect.
18462 @code{nnvirtual} can have both mail and news groups as component groups.
18463 When responding to articles in @code{nnvirtual} groups, @code{nnvirtual}
18464 has to ask the back end of the component group the article comes from
18465 whether it is a news or mail back end. However, when you do a @kbd{^},
18466 there is typically no sure way for the component back end to know this,
18467 and in that case @code{nnvirtual} tells Gnus that the article came from a
18468 not-news back end. (Just to be on the safe side.)
18470 @kbd{C-c C-n} in the message buffer will insert the @code{Newsgroups}
18471 line from the article you respond to in these cases.
18473 @code{nnvirtual} groups do not inherit anything but articles and marks
18474 from component groups---group parameters, for instance, are not
18478 @node Kibozed Groups
18479 @subsection Kibozed Groups
18483 @dfn{Kibozing} is defined by the @acronym{OED} as ``grepping through
18484 (parts of) the news feed''. @code{nnkiboze} is a back end that will
18485 do this for you. Oh joy! Now you can grind any @acronym{NNTP} server
18486 down to a halt with useless requests! Oh happiness!
18488 @kindex G k (Group)
18489 To create a kibozed group, use the @kbd{G k} command in the group
18492 The address field of the @code{nnkiboze} method is, as with
18493 @code{nnvirtual}, a regexp to match groups to be ``included'' in the
18494 @code{nnkiboze} group. That's where most similarities between
18495 @code{nnkiboze} and @code{nnvirtual} end.
18497 In addition to this regexp detailing component groups, an
18498 @code{nnkiboze} group must have a score file to say what articles are
18499 to be included in the group (@pxref{Scoring}).
18501 @kindex M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups
18502 @findex nnkiboze-generate-groups
18503 You must run @kbd{M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups} after creating the
18504 @code{nnkiboze} groups you want to have. This command will take time.
18505 Lots of time. Oodles and oodles of time. Gnus has to fetch the
18506 headers from all the articles in all the component groups and run them
18507 through the scoring process to determine if there are any articles in
18508 the groups that are to be part of the @code{nnkiboze} groups.
18510 Please limit the number of component groups by using restrictive
18511 regexps. Otherwise your sysadmin may become annoyed with you, and the
18512 @acronym{NNTP} site may throw you off and never let you back in again.
18513 Stranger things have happened.
18515 @code{nnkiboze} component groups do not have to be alive---they can be dead,
18516 and they can be foreign. No restrictions.
18518 @vindex nnkiboze-directory
18519 The generation of an @code{nnkiboze} group means writing two files in
18520 @code{nnkiboze-directory}, which is @file{~/News/kiboze/} by default.
18521 One contains the @acronym{NOV} header lines for all the articles in
18522 the group, and the other is an additional @file{.newsrc} file to store
18523 information on what groups have been searched through to find
18524 component articles.
18526 Articles marked as read in the @code{nnkiboze} group will have
18527 their @acronym{NOV} lines removed from the @acronym{NOV} file.
18530 @node Email Based Diary
18531 @section Email Based Diary
18533 @cindex email based diary
18536 This section describes a special mail back end called @code{nndiary},
18537 and its companion library @code{gnus-diary}. It is ``special'' in the
18538 sense that it is not meant to be one of the standard alternatives for
18539 reading mail with Gnus. See @ref{Choosing a Mail Back End} for that.
18540 Instead, it is used to treat @emph{some} of your mails in a special way,
18541 namely, as event reminders.
18543 Here is a typical scenario:
18547 You've got a date with Andy Mc Dowell or Bruce Willis (select according
18548 to your sexual preference) in one month. You don't want to forget it.
18550 So you send a ``reminder'' message (actually, a diary one) to yourself.
18552 You forget all about it and keep on getting and reading new mail, as usual.
18554 From time to time, as you type `g' in the group buffer and as the date
18555 is getting closer, the message will pop up again to remind you of your
18556 appointment, just as if it were new and unread.
18558 Read your ``new'' messages, this one included, and start dreaming again
18559 of the night you're gonna have.
18561 Once the date is over (you actually fell asleep just after dinner), the
18562 message will be automatically deleted if it is marked as expirable.
18565 The Gnus Diary back end has the ability to handle regular appointments
18566 (that wouldn't ever be deleted) as well as punctual ones, operates as a
18567 real mail back end and is configurable in many ways. All of this is
18568 explained in the sections below.
18571 * The NNDiary Back End:: Basic setup and usage.
18572 * The Gnus Diary Library:: Utility toolkit on top of nndiary.
18573 * Sending or Not Sending:: A final note on sending diary messages.
18577 @node The NNDiary Back End
18578 @subsection The NNDiary Back End
18580 @cindex the nndiary back end
18582 @code{nndiary} is a back end very similar to @code{nnml} (@pxref{Mail
18583 Spool}). Actually, it could appear as a mix of @code{nnml} and
18584 @code{nndraft}. If you know @code{nnml}, you're already familiar with
18585 the message storing scheme of @code{nndiary}: one file per message, one
18586 directory per group.
18588 Before anything, there is one requirement to be able to run
18589 @code{nndiary} properly: you @emph{must} use the group timestamp feature
18590 of Gnus. This adds a timestamp to each group's parameters. @ref{Group
18591 Timestamp} to see how it's done.
18594 * Diary Messages:: What makes a message valid for nndiary.
18595 * Running NNDiary:: NNDiary has two modes of operation.
18596 * Customizing NNDiary:: Bells and whistles.
18599 @node Diary Messages
18600 @subsubsection Diary Messages
18601 @cindex nndiary messages
18602 @cindex nndiary mails
18604 @code{nndiary} messages are just normal ones, except for the mandatory
18605 presence of 7 special headers. These headers are of the form
18606 @code{X-Diary-<something>}, @code{<something>} being one of
18607 @code{Minute}, @code{Hour}, @code{Dom}, @code{Month}, @code{Year},
18608 @code{Time-Zone} and @code{Dow}. @code{Dom} means ``Day of Month'', and
18609 @code{dow} means ``Day of Week''. These headers actually behave like
18610 crontab specifications and define the event date(s):
18614 For all headers except the @code{Time-Zone} one, a header value is
18615 either a star (meaning all possible values), or a list of fields
18616 (separated by a comma).
18618 A field is either an integer, or a range.
18620 A range is two integers separated by a dash.
18622 Possible integer values are 0--59 for @code{Minute}, 0--23 for
18623 @code{Hour}, 1--31 for @code{Dom}, 1--12 for @code{Month}, above 1971
18624 for @code{Year} and 0--6 for @code{Dow} (0 meaning Sunday).
18626 As a special case, a star in either @code{Dom} or @code{Dow} doesn't
18627 mean ``all possible values'', but ``use only the other field''. Note
18628 that if both are star'ed, the use of either one gives the same result.
18630 The @code{Time-Zone} header is special in that it can only have one
18631 value (@code{GMT}, for instance). A star doesn't mean ``all possible
18632 values'' (because it makes no sense), but ``the current local time
18633 zone''. Most of the time, you'll be using a star here. However, for a
18634 list of available time zone values, see the variable
18635 @code{nndiary-headers}.
18638 As a concrete example, here are the diary headers to add to your message
18639 for specifying ``Each Monday and each 1st of month, at 12:00, 20:00,
18640 21:00, 22:00, 23:00 and 24:00, from 1999 to 2010'' (I'll let you find
18645 X-Diary-Hour: 12, 20-24
18648 X-Diary-Year: 1999-2010
18650 X-Diary-Time-Zone: *
18653 @node Running NNDiary
18654 @subsubsection Running NNDiary
18655 @cindex running nndiary
18656 @cindex nndiary operation modes
18658 @code{nndiary} has two modes of operation: ``traditional'' (the default)
18659 and ``autonomous''. In traditional mode, @code{nndiary} does not get new
18660 mail by itself. You have to move (@kbd{B m}) or copy (@kbd{B c}) mails
18661 from your primary mail back end to nndiary groups in order to handle them
18662 as diary messages. In autonomous mode, @code{nndiary} retrieves its own
18663 mail and handles it independently from your primary mail back end.
18665 One should note that Gnus is not inherently designed to allow several
18666 ``master'' mail back ends at the same time. However, this does make
18667 sense with @code{nndiary}: you really want to send and receive diary
18668 messages to your diary groups directly. So, @code{nndiary} supports
18669 being sort of a ``second primary mail back end'' (to my knowledge, it is
18670 the only back end offering this feature). However, there is a limitation
18671 (which I hope to fix some day): respooling doesn't work in autonomous
18674 In order to use @code{nndiary} in autonomous mode, you have several
18679 Allow @code{nndiary} to retrieve new mail by itself. Put the following
18680 line in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
18683 (setq nndiary-get-new-mail t)
18686 You must arrange for diary messages (those containing @code{X-Diary-*}
18687 headers) to be split in a private folder @emph{before} Gnus treat them.
18688 Again, this is needed because Gnus cannot (yet ?) properly handle
18689 multiple primary mail back ends. Getting those messages from a separate
18690 source will compensate this misfeature to some extent.
18692 As an example, here's my procmailrc entry to store diary files in
18693 @file{~/.nndiary} (the default @code{nndiary} mail source file):
18702 Once this is done, you might want to customize the following two options
18703 that affect the diary mail retrieval and splitting processes:
18705 @defvar nndiary-mail-sources
18706 This is the diary-specific replacement for the standard
18707 @code{mail-sources} variable. It obeys the same syntax, and defaults to
18708 @code{(file :path "~/.nndiary")}.
18711 @defvar nndiary-split-methods
18712 This is the diary-specific replacement for the standard
18713 @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable. It obeys the same syntax.
18716 Finally, you may add a permanent @code{nndiary} virtual server
18717 (something like @code{(nndiary "diary")} should do) to your
18718 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods}.
18720 Hopefully, almost everything (see the TODO section in
18721 @file{nndiary.el}) will work as expected when you restart Gnus: in
18722 autonomous mode, typing @kbd{g} and @kbd{M-g} in the group buffer, will
18723 also get your new diary mails and split them according to your
18724 diary-specific rules, @kbd{F} will find your new diary groups etc.
18726 @node Customizing NNDiary
18727 @subsubsection Customizing NNDiary
18728 @cindex customizing nndiary
18729 @cindex nndiary customization
18731 Now that @code{nndiary} is up and running, it's time to customize it.
18732 The custom group is called @code{nndiary} (no, really ?!). You should
18733 browse it to figure out which options you'd like to tweak. The following
18734 two variables are probably the only ones you will want to change:
18736 @defvar nndiary-reminders
18737 This is the list of times when you want to be reminded of your
18738 appointments (e.g. 3 weeks before, then 2 days before, then 1 hour
18739 before and that's it). Remember that ``being reminded'' means that the
18740 diary message will pop up as brand new and unread again when you get new
18744 @defvar nndiary-week-starts-on-monday
18745 Rather self-explanatory. Otherwise, Sunday is assumed (this is the
18750 @node The Gnus Diary Library
18751 @subsection The Gnus Diary Library
18753 @cindex the gnus diary library
18755 Using @code{nndiary} manually (I mean, writing the headers by hand and
18756 so on) would be rather boring. Fortunately, there is a library called
18757 @code{gnus-diary} written on top of @code{nndiary}, that does many
18758 useful things for you.
18760 In order to use it, add the following line to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
18763 (require 'gnus-diary)
18766 Also, you shouldn't use any @code{gnus-user-format-function-[d|D]}
18767 (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}). @code{gnus-diary} provides both of these
18768 (sorry if you used them before).
18772 * Diary Summary Line Format:: A nicer summary buffer line format.
18773 * Diary Articles Sorting:: A nicer way to sort messages.
18774 * Diary Headers Generation:: Not doing it manually.
18775 * Diary Group Parameters:: Not handling them manually.
18778 @node Diary Summary Line Format
18779 @subsubsection Diary Summary Line Format
18780 @cindex diary summary buffer line
18781 @cindex diary summary line format
18783 Displaying diary messages in standard summary line format (usually
18784 something like @samp{From Joe: Subject}) is pretty useless. Most of
18785 the time, you're the one who wrote the message, and you mostly want to
18786 see the event's date.
18788 @code{gnus-diary} provides two supplemental user formats to be used in
18789 summary line formats. @code{D} corresponds to a formatted time string
18790 for the next occurrence of the event (e.g. ``Sat, Sep 22 01, 12:00''),
18791 while @code{d} corresponds to an approximative remaining time until the
18792 next occurrence of the event (e.g. ``in 6 months, 1 week'').
18794 For example, here's how Joe's birthday is displayed in my
18795 @code{nndiary+diary:birthdays} summary buffer (note that the message is
18796 expirable, but will never be deleted, as it specifies a periodic event):
18799 E Sat, Sep 22 01, 12:00: Joe's birthday (in 6 months, 1 week)
18802 In order to get something like the above, you would normally add the
18803 following line to your diary groups'parameters:
18806 (gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z %uD: %(%s%) (%ud)\n")
18809 However, @code{gnus-diary} does it automatically (@pxref{Diary Group
18810 Parameters}). You can however customize the provided summary line format
18811 with the following user options:
18813 @defvar gnus-diary-summary-line-format
18814 Defines the summary line format used for diary groups (@pxref{Summary
18815 Buffer Lines}). @code{gnus-diary} uses it to automatically update the
18816 diary groups'parameters.
18819 @defvar gnus-diary-time-format
18820 Defines the format to display dates in diary summary buffers. This is
18821 used by the @code{D} user format. See the docstring for details.
18824 @defvar gnus-diary-delay-format-function
18825 Defines the format function to use for displaying delays (remaining
18826 times) in diary summary buffers. This is used by the @code{d} user
18827 format. There are currently built-in functions for English and French;
18828 you can also define your own. See the docstring for details.
18831 @node Diary Articles Sorting
18832 @subsubsection Diary Articles Sorting
18833 @cindex diary articles sorting
18834 @cindex diary summary lines sorting
18835 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-schedule
18836 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-schedule
18837 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-schedule
18839 @code{gnus-diary} provides new sorting functions (@pxref{Sorting the
18840 Summary Buffer} ) called @code{gnus-summary-sort-by-schedule},
18841 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-schedule} and
18842 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-schedule}. These functions let you organize
18843 your diary summary buffers from the closest event to the farthest one.
18845 @code{gnus-diary} automatically installs
18846 @code{gnus-summary-sort-by-schedule} as a menu item in the summary
18847 buffer's ``sort'' menu, and the two others as the primary (hence
18848 default) sorting functions in the group parameters (@pxref{Diary Group
18851 @node Diary Headers Generation
18852 @subsubsection Diary Headers Generation
18853 @cindex diary headers generation
18854 @findex gnus-diary-check-message
18856 @code{gnus-diary} provides a function called
18857 @code{gnus-diary-check-message} to help you handle the @code{X-Diary-*}
18858 headers. This function ensures that the current message contains all the
18859 required diary headers, and prompts you for values or corrections if
18862 This function is hooked into the @code{nndiary} back end, so that
18863 moving or copying an article to a diary group will trigger it
18864 automatically. It is also bound to @kbd{C-c D c} in @code{message-mode}
18865 and @code{article-edit-mode} in order to ease the process of converting
18866 a usual mail to a diary one.
18868 This function takes a prefix argument which will force prompting of
18869 all diary headers, regardless of their presence or validity. That way,
18870 you can very easily reschedule an already valid diary message, for
18873 @node Diary Group Parameters
18874 @subsubsection Diary Group Parameters
18875 @cindex diary group parameters
18877 When you create a new diary group, or visit one, @code{gnus-diary}
18878 automatically checks your group parameters and if needed, sets the
18879 summary line format to the diary-specific value, installs the
18880 diary-specific sorting functions, and also adds the different
18881 @code{X-Diary-*} headers to the group's posting-style. It is then easier
18882 to send a diary message, because if you use @kbd{C-u a} or @kbd{C-u m}
18883 on a diary group to prepare a message, these headers will be inserted
18884 automatically (although not filled with proper values yet).
18886 @node Sending or Not Sending
18887 @subsection Sending or Not Sending
18889 Well, assuming you've read all of the above, here are two final notes on
18890 mail sending with @code{nndiary}:
18894 @code{nndiary} is a @emph{real} mail back end. You really send real diary
18895 messsages for real. This means for instance that you can give
18896 appointments to anybody (provided they use Gnus and @code{nndiary}) by
18897 sending the diary message to them as well.
18899 However, since @code{nndiary} also has a @code{request-post} method, you
18900 can also use @kbd{C-u a} instead of @kbd{C-u m} on a diary group and the
18901 message won't actually be sent; just stored locally in the group. This
18902 comes in very handy for private appointments.
18905 @node Gnus Unplugged
18906 @section Gnus Unplugged
18911 @cindex Gnus unplugged
18913 In olden times (ca. February '88), people used to run their newsreaders
18914 on big machines with permanent connections to the net. News transport
18915 was dealt with by news servers, and all the newsreaders had to do was to
18916 read news. Believe it or not.
18918 Nowadays most people read news and mail at home, and use some sort of
18919 modem to connect to the net. To avoid running up huge phone bills, it
18920 would be nice to have a way to slurp down all the news and mail, hang up
18921 the phone, read for several hours, and then upload any responses you
18922 have to make. And then you repeat the procedure.
18924 Of course, you can use news servers for doing this as well. I've used
18925 @code{inn} together with @code{slurp}, @code{pop} and @code{sendmail}
18926 for some years, but doing that's a bore. Moving the news server
18927 functionality up to the newsreader makes sense if you're the only person
18928 reading news on a machine.
18930 Setting up Gnus as an ``offline'' newsreader is quite simple. In
18931 fact, you don't have to configure anything as the agent is now enabled
18932 by default (@pxref{Agent Variables, gnus-agent}).
18934 Of course, to use it as such, you have to learn a few new commands.
18937 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
18938 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
18939 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
18940 * Agent Visuals:: Ways that the agent may effect your summary buffer.
18941 * Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
18942 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
18943 * Agent Regeneration:: How to recover from lost connections and other accidents.
18944 * Agent and flags:: How the Agent maintains flags.
18945 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with @acronym{IMAP}.
18946 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
18947 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
18948 * Example Setup:: An example @file{~/.gnus.el} file for offline people.
18949 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
18950 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
18955 @subsection Agent Basics
18957 First, let's get some terminology out of the way.
18959 The Gnus Agent is said to be @dfn{unplugged} when you have severed the
18960 connection to the net (and notified the Agent that this is the case).
18961 When the connection to the net is up again (and Gnus knows this), the
18962 Agent is @dfn{plugged}.
18964 The @dfn{local} machine is the one you're running on, and which isn't
18965 connected to the net continuously.
18967 @dfn{Downloading} means fetching things from the net to your local
18968 machine. @dfn{Uploading} is doing the opposite.
18970 You know that Gnus gives you all the opportunity you'd ever want for
18971 shooting yourself in the foot. Some people call it flexibility. Gnus
18972 is also customizable to a great extent, which means that the user has a
18973 say on how Gnus behaves. Other newsreaders might unconditionally shoot
18974 you in your foot, but with Gnus, you have a choice!
18976 Gnus is never really in plugged or unplugged state. Rather, it applies
18977 that state to each server individually. This means that some servers
18978 can be plugged while others can be unplugged. Additionally, some
18979 servers can be ignored by the Agent altogether (which means that
18980 they're kinda like plugged always).
18982 So when you unplug the Agent and then wonder why is Gnus opening a
18983 connection to the Net, the next step to do is to look whether all
18984 servers are agentized. If there is an unagentized server, you found
18987 Another thing is the @dfn{offline} state. Sometimes, servers aren't
18988 reachable. When Gnus notices this, it asks you whether you want the
18989 server to be switched to offline state. If you say yes, then the
18990 server will behave somewhat as if it was unplugged, except that Gnus
18991 will ask you whether you want to switch it back online again.
18993 Let's take a typical Gnus session using the Agent.
18998 @findex gnus-unplugged
18999 You start Gnus with @code{gnus-unplugged}. This brings up the Gnus
19000 Agent in a disconnected state. You can read all the news that you have
19001 already fetched while in this mode.
19004 You then decide to see whether any new news has arrived. You connect
19005 your machine to the net (using PPP or whatever), and then hit @kbd{J j}
19006 to make Gnus become @dfn{plugged} and use @kbd{g} to check for new mail
19007 as usual. To check for new mail in unplugged mode (@pxref{Mail
19008 Source Specifiers}).
19011 You can then read the new news immediately, or you can download the
19012 news onto your local machine. If you want to do the latter, you press
19013 @kbd{g} to check if there are any new news and then @kbd{J s} to fetch
19014 all the eligible articles in all the groups. (To let Gnus know which
19015 articles you want to download, @pxref{Agent Categories}).
19018 After fetching the articles, you press @kbd{J j} to make Gnus become
19019 unplugged again, and you shut down the PPP thing (or whatever). And
19020 then you read the news offline.
19023 And then you go to step 2.
19026 Here are some things you should do the first time (or so) that you use
19032 Decide which servers should be covered by the Agent. If you have a mail
19033 back end, it would probably be nonsensical to have it covered by the
19034 Agent. Go to the server buffer (@kbd{^} in the group buffer) and press
19035 @kbd{J a} on the server (or servers) that you wish to have covered by the
19036 Agent (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}), or @kbd{J r} on automatically
19037 added servers you do not wish to have covered by the Agent. By default,
19038 all @code{nntp} and @code{nnimap} servers in @code{gnus-select-method} and
19039 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} are agentized.
19042 Decide on download policy. It's fairly simple once you decide whether
19043 you are going to use agent categories, topic parameters, and/or group
19044 parameters to implement your policy. If you're new to gnus, it
19045 is probably best to start with a category, @xref{Agent Categories}.
19047 Both topic parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}) and agent categories
19048 (@pxref{Agent Categories}) provide for setting a policy that applies
19049 to multiple groups. Which you use is entirely up to you. Topic
19050 parameters do override categories so, if you mix the two, you'll have
19051 to take that into account. If you have a few groups that deviate from
19052 your policy, you can use group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to
19056 Uhm@dots{} that's it.
19060 @node Agent Categories
19061 @subsection Agent Categories
19063 One of the main reasons to integrate the news transport layer into the
19064 newsreader is to allow greater control over what articles to download.
19065 There's not much point in downloading huge amounts of articles, just to
19066 find out that you're not interested in reading any of them. It's better
19067 to be somewhat more conservative in choosing what to download, and then
19068 mark the articles for downloading manually if it should turn out that
19069 you're interested in the articles anyway.
19071 One of the more effective methods for controlling what is to be
19072 downloaded is to create a @dfn{category} and then assign some (or all)
19073 groups to this category. Groups that do not belong in any other
19074 category belong to the @code{default} category. Gnus has its own
19075 buffer for creating and managing categories.
19077 If you prefer, you can also use group parameters (@pxref{Group
19078 Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}) for an
19079 alternative approach to controlling the agent. The only real
19080 difference is that categories are specific to the agent (so there is
19081 less to learn) while group and topic parameters include the kitchen
19084 Since you can set agent parameters in several different places we have
19085 a rule to decide which source to believe. This rule specifies that
19086 the parameter sources are checked in the following order: group
19087 parameters, topic parameters, agent category, and finally customizable
19088 variables. So you can mix all of these sources to produce a wide range
19089 of behavior, just don't blame me if you don't remember where you put
19093 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
19094 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
19095 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
19099 @node Category Syntax
19100 @subsubsection Category Syntax
19102 A category consists of a name, the list of groups belonging to the
19103 category, and a number of optional parameters that override the
19104 customizable variables. The complete list of agent parameters are
19107 @cindex Agent Parameters
19110 The list of groups that are in this category.
19112 @item agent-predicate
19113 A predicate which (generally) gives a rough outline of which articles
19114 are eligible for downloading; and
19117 a score rule which (generally) gives you a finer granularity when
19118 deciding what articles to download. (Note that this @dfn{download
19119 score} is not necessarily related to normal scores.)
19121 @item agent-enable-expiration
19122 a boolean indicating whether the agent should expire old articles in
19123 this group. Most groups should be expired to conserve disk space. In
19124 fact, its probably safe to say that the gnus.* hierarchy contains the
19125 only groups that should not be expired.
19127 @item agent-days-until-old
19128 an integer indicating the number of days that the agent should wait
19129 before deciding that a read article is safe to expire.
19131 @item agent-low-score
19132 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-low-score}.
19134 @item agent-high-score
19135 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-high-score}.
19137 @item agent-short-article
19138 an integer that overrides the value of
19139 @code{gnus-agent-short-article}.
19141 @item agent-long-article
19142 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-long-article}.
19144 @item agent-enable-undownloaded-faces
19145 a symbol indicating whether the summary buffer should display
19146 undownloaded articles using the @code{gnus-summary-*-undownloaded-face}
19147 faces. Any symbol other than @code{nil} will enable the use of
19148 undownloaded faces.
19151 The name of a category can not be changed once the category has been
19154 Each category maintains a list of groups that are exclusive members of
19155 that category. The exclusivity rule is automatically enforced, add a
19156 group to a new category and it is automatically removed from its old
19159 A predicate in its simplest form can be a single predicate such as
19160 @code{true} or @code{false}. These two will download every available
19161 article or nothing respectively. In the case of these two special
19162 predicates an additional score rule is superfluous.
19164 Predicates of @code{high} or @code{low} download articles in respect of
19165 their scores in relationship to @code{gnus-agent-high-score} and
19166 @code{gnus-agent-low-score} as described below.
19168 To gain even finer control of what is to be regarded eligible for
19169 download a predicate can consist of a number of predicates with logical
19170 operators sprinkled in between.
19172 Perhaps some examples are in order.
19174 Here's a simple predicate. (It's the default predicate, in fact, used
19175 for all groups that don't belong to any other category.)
19181 Quite simple, eh? This predicate is true if and only if the article is
19182 short (for some value of ``short'').
19184 Here's a more complex predicate:
19193 This means that an article should be downloaded if it has a high score,
19194 or if the score is not low and the article is not long. You get the
19197 The available logical operators are @code{or}, @code{and} and
19198 @code{not}. (If you prefer, you can use the more ``C''-ish operators
19199 @samp{|}, @code{&} and @code{!} instead.)
19201 The following predicates are pre-defined, but if none of these fit what
19202 you want to do, you can write your own.
19204 When evaluating each of these predicates, the named constant will be
19205 bound to the value determined by calling
19206 @code{gnus-agent-find-parameter} on the appropriate parameter. For
19207 example, gnus-agent-short-article will be bound to
19208 @code{(gnus-agent-find-parameter group 'agent-short-article)}. This
19209 means that you can specify a predicate in your category then tune that
19210 predicate to individual groups.
19214 True iff the article is shorter than @code{gnus-agent-short-article}
19215 lines; default 100.
19218 True iff the article is longer than @code{gnus-agent-long-article}
19219 lines; default 200.
19222 True iff the article has a download score less than
19223 @code{gnus-agent-low-score}; default 0.
19226 True iff the article has a download score greater than
19227 @code{gnus-agent-high-score}; default 0.
19230 True iff the Gnus Agent guesses that the article is spam. The
19231 heuristics may change over time, but at present it just computes a
19232 checksum and sees whether articles match.
19241 If you want to create your own predicate function, here's what you have
19242 to know: The functions are called with no parameters, but the
19243 @code{gnus-headers} and @code{gnus-score} dynamic variables are bound to
19246 For example, you could decide that you don't want to download articles
19247 that were posted more than a certain number of days ago (e.g. posted
19248 more than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} ago) you might write a function
19249 something along the lines of the following:
19252 (defun my-article-old-p ()
19253 "Say whether an article is old."
19254 (< (time-to-days (date-to-time (mail-header-date gnus-headers)))
19255 (- (time-to-days (current-time)) gnus-agent-expire-days)))
19258 with the predicate then defined as:
19261 (not my-article-old-p)
19264 or you could append your predicate to the predefined
19265 @code{gnus-category-predicate-alist} in your @file{~/.gnus.el} or
19269 (require 'gnus-agent)
19270 (setq gnus-category-predicate-alist
19271 (append gnus-category-predicate-alist
19272 '((old . my-article-old-p))))
19275 and simply specify your predicate as:
19281 If/when using something like the above, be aware that there are many
19282 misconfigured systems/mailers out there and so an article's date is not
19283 always a reliable indication of when it was posted. Hell, some people
19284 just don't give a damn.
19286 The above predicates apply to @emph{all} the groups which belong to the
19287 category. However, if you wish to have a specific predicate for an
19288 individual group within a category, or you're just too lazy to set up a
19289 new category, you can enter a group's individual predicate in its group
19290 parameters like so:
19293 (agent-predicate . short)
19296 This is the group/topic parameter equivalent of the agent category default.
19297 Note that when specifying a single word predicate like this, the
19298 @code{agent-predicate} specification must be in dotted pair notation.
19300 The equivalent of the longer example from above would be:
19303 (agent-predicate or high (and (not low) (not long)))
19306 The outer parenthesis required in the category specification are not
19307 entered here as, not being in dotted pair notation, the value of the
19308 predicate is assumed to be a list.
19311 Now, the syntax of the download score is the same as the syntax of
19312 normal score files, except that all elements that require actually
19313 seeing the article itself are verboten. This means that only the
19314 following headers can be scored on: @code{Subject}, @code{From},
19315 @code{Date}, @code{Message-ID}, @code{References}, @code{Chars},
19316 @code{Lines}, and @code{Xref}.
19318 As with predicates, the specification of the @code{download score rule}
19319 to use in respect of a group can be in either the category definition if
19320 it's to be applicable to all groups in therein, or a group's parameters
19321 if it's to be specific to that group.
19323 In both of these places the @code{download score rule} can take one of
19330 This has the same syntax as a normal Gnus score file except only a
19331 subset of scoring keywords are available as mentioned above.
19337 Category specification
19341 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
19347 Group/Topic Parameter specification
19350 (agent-score ("from"
19351 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
19356 Again, note the omission of the outermost parenthesis here.
19362 These score files must @emph{only} contain the permitted scoring
19363 keywords stated above.
19369 Category specification
19372 ("~/News/agent.SCORE")
19378 ("~/News/agent.SCORE" "~/News/agent.group.SCORE")
19382 Group Parameter specification
19385 (agent-score "~/News/agent.SCORE")
19388 Additional score files can be specified as above. Need I say anything
19393 Use @code{normal} score files
19395 If you don't want to maintain two sets of scoring rules for a group, and
19396 your desired @code{downloading} criteria for a group are the same as your
19397 @code{reading} criteria then you can tell the agent to refer to your
19398 @code{normal} score files when deciding what to download.
19400 These directives in either the category definition or a group's
19401 parameters will cause the agent to read in all the applicable score
19402 files for a group, @emph{filtering out} those sections that do not
19403 relate to one of the permitted subset of scoring keywords.
19407 Category Specification
19414 Group Parameter specification
19417 (agent-score . file)
19422 @node Category Buffer
19423 @subsubsection Category Buffer
19425 You'd normally do all category maintenance from the category buffer.
19426 When you enter it for the first time (with the @kbd{J c} command from
19427 the group buffer), you'll only see the @code{default} category.
19429 The following commands are available in this buffer:
19433 @kindex q (Category)
19434 @findex gnus-category-exit
19435 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-category-exit}).
19438 @kindex e (Category)
19439 @findex gnus-category-customize-category
19440 Use a customization buffer to set all of the selected category's
19441 parameters at one time (@code{gnus-category-customize-category}).
19444 @kindex k (Category)
19445 @findex gnus-category-kill
19446 Kill the current category (@code{gnus-category-kill}).
19449 @kindex c (Category)
19450 @findex gnus-category-copy
19451 Copy the current category (@code{gnus-category-copy}).
19454 @kindex a (Category)
19455 @findex gnus-category-add
19456 Add a new category (@code{gnus-category-add}).
19459 @kindex p (Category)
19460 @findex gnus-category-edit-predicate
19461 Edit the predicate of the current category
19462 (@code{gnus-category-edit-predicate}).
19465 @kindex g (Category)
19466 @findex gnus-category-edit-groups
19467 Edit the list of groups belonging to the current category
19468 (@code{gnus-category-edit-groups}).
19471 @kindex s (Category)
19472 @findex gnus-category-edit-score
19473 Edit the download score rule of the current category
19474 (@code{gnus-category-edit-score}).
19477 @kindex l (Category)
19478 @findex gnus-category-list
19479 List all the categories (@code{gnus-category-list}).
19483 @node Category Variables
19484 @subsubsection Category Variables
19487 @item gnus-category-mode-hook
19488 @vindex gnus-category-mode-hook
19489 Hook run in category buffers.
19491 @item gnus-category-line-format
19492 @vindex gnus-category-line-format
19493 Format of the lines in the category buffer (@pxref{Formatting
19494 Variables}). Valid elements are:
19498 The name of the category.
19501 The number of groups in the category.
19504 @item gnus-category-mode-line-format
19505 @vindex gnus-category-mode-line-format
19506 Format of the category mode line (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}).
19508 @item gnus-agent-short-article
19509 @vindex gnus-agent-short-article
19510 Articles that have fewer lines than this are short. Default 100.
19512 @item gnus-agent-long-article
19513 @vindex gnus-agent-long-article
19514 Articles that have more lines than this are long. Default 200.
19516 @item gnus-agent-low-score
19517 @vindex gnus-agent-low-score
19518 Articles that have a score lower than this have a low score. Default
19521 @item gnus-agent-high-score
19522 @vindex gnus-agent-high-score
19523 Articles that have a score higher than this have a high score. Default
19526 @item gnus-agent-expire-days
19527 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
19528 The number of days that a @samp{read} article must stay in the agent's
19529 local disk before becoming eligible for expiration (While the name is
19530 the same, this doesn't mean expiring the article on the server. It
19531 just means deleting the local copy of the article). What is also
19532 important to understand is that the counter starts with the time the
19533 article was written to the local disk and not the time the article was
19537 @item gnus-agent-enable-expiration
19538 @vindex gnus-agent-enable-expiration
19539 Determines whether articles in a group are, by default, expired or
19540 retained indefinitely. The default is @code{ENABLE} which means that
19541 you'll have to disable expiration when desired. On the other hand,
19542 you could set this to @code{DISABLE}. In that case, you would then
19543 have to enable expiration in selected groups.
19548 @node Agent Commands
19549 @subsection Agent Commands
19550 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-plugged
19551 @kindex J j (Agent)
19553 All the Gnus Agent commands are on the @kbd{J} submap. The @kbd{J j}
19554 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-plugged}) command works in all modes, and
19555 toggles the plugged/unplugged state of the Gnus Agent.
19559 * Group Agent Commands:: Configure groups and fetch their contents.
19560 * Summary Agent Commands:: Manually select then fetch specific articles.
19561 * Server Agent Commands:: Select the servers that are supported by the agent.
19567 @node Group Agent Commands
19568 @subsubsection Group Agent Commands
19572 @kindex J u (Agent Group)
19573 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-groups
19574 Fetch all eligible articles in the current group
19575 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-groups}).
19578 @kindex J c (Agent Group)
19579 @findex gnus-enter-category-buffer
19580 Enter the Agent category buffer (@code{gnus-enter-category-buffer}).
19583 @kindex J s (Agent Group)
19584 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-session
19585 Fetch all eligible articles in all groups
19586 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-session}).
19589 @kindex J S (Agent Group)
19590 @findex gnus-group-send-queue
19591 Send all sendable messages in the queue group
19592 (@code{gnus-group-send-queue}). @xref{Drafts}.
19595 @kindex J a (Agent Group)
19596 @findex gnus-agent-add-group
19597 Add the current group to an Agent category
19598 (@code{gnus-agent-add-group}). This command understands the
19599 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
19602 @kindex J r (Agent Group)
19603 @findex gnus-agent-remove-group
19604 Remove the current group from its category, if any
19605 (@code{gnus-agent-remove-group}). This command understands the
19606 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
19609 @kindex J Y (Agent Group)
19610 @findex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
19611 Synchronize flags changed while unplugged with remote server, if any.
19617 @node Summary Agent Commands
19618 @subsubsection Summary Agent Commands
19622 @kindex J # (Agent Summary)
19623 @findex gnus-agent-mark-article
19624 Mark the article for downloading (@code{gnus-agent-mark-article}).
19627 @kindex J M-# (Agent Summary)
19628 @findex gnus-agent-unmark-article
19629 Remove the downloading mark from the article
19630 (@code{gnus-agent-unmark-article}).
19634 @kindex @@ (Agent Summary)
19635 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-mark
19636 Toggle whether to download the article
19637 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-mark}). The download mark is @samp{%} by
19641 @kindex J c (Agent Summary)
19642 @findex gnus-agent-catchup
19643 Mark all articles as read (@code{gnus-agent-catchup}) that are neither cached, downloaded, nor downloadable.
19646 @kindex J S (Agent Summary)
19647 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-group
19648 Download all eligible (@pxref{Agent Categories}) articles in this group.
19649 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-group}).
19652 @kindex J s (Agent Summary)
19653 @findex gnus-agent-summary-fetch-series
19654 Download all processable articles in this group.
19655 (@code{gnus-agent-summary-fetch-series}).
19658 @kindex J u (Agent Summary)
19659 @findex gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group
19660 Download all downloadable articles in the current group
19661 (@code{gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group}).
19666 @node Server Agent Commands
19667 @subsubsection Server Agent Commands
19671 @kindex J a (Agent Server)
19672 @findex gnus-agent-add-server
19673 Add the current server to the list of servers covered by the Gnus Agent
19674 (@code{gnus-agent-add-server}).
19677 @kindex J r (Agent Server)
19678 @findex gnus-agent-remove-server
19679 Remove the current server from the list of servers covered by the Gnus
19680 Agent (@code{gnus-agent-remove-server}).
19685 @node Agent Visuals
19686 @subsection Agent Visuals
19688 If you open a summary while unplugged and, Gnus knows from the group's
19689 active range that there are more articles than the headers currently
19690 stored in the Agent, you may see some articles whose subject looks
19691 something like @samp{[Undownloaded article #####]}. These are
19692 placeholders for the missing headers. Aside from setting a mark,
19693 there is not much that can be done with one of these placeholders.
19694 When Gnus finally gets a chance to fetch the group's headers, the
19695 placeholders will automatically be replaced by the actual headers.
19696 You can configure the summary buffer's maneuvering to skip over the
19697 placeholders if you care (See @code{gnus-auto-goto-ignores}).
19699 While it may be obvious to all, the only headers and articles
19700 available while unplugged are those headers and articles that were
19701 fetched into the Agent while previously plugged. To put it another
19702 way, ``If you forget to fetch something while plugged, you might have a
19703 less than satisfying unplugged session''. For this reason, the Agent
19704 adds two visual effects to your summary buffer. These effects display
19705 the download status of each article so that you always know which
19706 articles will be available when unplugged.
19708 The first visual effect is the @samp{%O} spec. If you customize
19709 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} to include this specifier, you will add
19710 a single character field that indicates an article's download status.
19711 Articles that have been fetched into either the Agent or the Cache,
19712 will display @code{gnus-downloaded-mark} (defaults to @samp{+}). All
19713 other articles will display @code{gnus-undownloaded-mark} (defaults to
19714 @samp{-}). If you open a group that has not been agentized, a space
19715 (@samp{ }) will be displayed.
19717 The second visual effect are the undownloaded faces. The faces, there
19718 are three indicating the article's score (low, normal, high), seem to
19719 result in a love/hate response from many Gnus users. The problem is
19720 that the face selection is controlled by a list of condition tests and
19721 face names (See @code{gnus-summary-highlight}). Each condition is
19722 tested in the order in which it appears in the list so early
19723 conditions have precedence over later conditions. All of this means
19724 that, if you tick an undownloaded article, the article will continue
19725 to be displayed in the undownloaded face rather than the ticked face.
19727 If you use the Agent as a cache (to avoid downloading the same article
19728 each time you visit it or to minimize your connection time), the
19729 undownloaded face will probably seem like a good idea. The reason
19730 being that you do all of our work (marking, reading, deleting) with
19731 downloaded articles so the normal faces always appear. For those
19732 users using the agent to improve online performance by caching the NOV
19733 database (most users since 5.10.2), the undownloaded faces may appear
19734 to be an absolutely horrible idea. The issue being that, since none
19735 of their articles have been fetched into the Agent, all of the
19736 normal faces will be obscured by the undownloaded faces.
19738 If you would like to use the undownloaded faces, you must enable the
19739 undownloaded faces by setting the @code{agent-enable-undownloaded-faces}
19740 group parameter to @code{t}. This parameter, like all other agent
19741 parameters, may be set on an Agent Category (@pxref{Agent Categories}),
19742 a Group Topic (@pxref{Topic Parameters}), or an individual group
19743 (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
19745 The one problem common to all users using the agent is how quickly it
19746 can consume disk space. If you using the agent on many groups, it is
19747 even more difficult to effectively recover disk space. One solution
19748 is the @samp{%F} format available in @code{gnus-group-line-format}.
19749 This format will display the actual disk space used by articles
19750 fetched into both the agent and cache. By knowing which groups use
19751 the most space, users know where to focus their efforts when ``agent
19752 expiring'' articles.
19754 @node Agent as Cache
19755 @subsection Agent as Cache
19757 When Gnus is plugged, it is not efficient to download headers or
19758 articles from the server again, if they are already stored in the
19759 Agent. So, Gnus normally only downloads headers once, and stores them
19760 in the Agent. These headers are later used when generating the summary
19761 buffer, regardless of whether you are plugged or unplugged. Articles
19762 are not cached in the Agent by default though (that would potentially
19763 consume lots of disk space), but if you have already downloaded an
19764 article into the Agent, Gnus will not download the article from the
19765 server again but use the locally stored copy instead.
19767 If you so desire, you can configure the agent (see @code{gnus-agent-cache}
19768 @pxref{Agent Variables}) to always download headers and articles while
19769 plugged. Gnus will almost certainly be slower, but it will be kept
19770 synchronized with the server. That last point probably won't make any
19771 sense if you are using a nntp or nnimap back end.
19774 @subsection Agent Expiry
19776 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
19777 @findex gnus-agent-expire
19778 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire
19779 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire-group
19780 @findex gnus-agent-expire-group
19781 @cindex agent expiry
19782 @cindex Gnus agent expiry
19783 @cindex expiry, in Gnus agent
19785 The Agent back end, @code{nnagent}, doesn't handle expiry. Well, at
19786 least it doesn't handle it like other back ends. Instead, there are
19787 special @code{gnus-agent-expire} and @code{gnus-agent-expire-group}
19788 commands that will expire all read articles that are older than
19789 @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} days. They can be run whenever you feel
19790 that you're running out of space. Neither are particularly fast or
19791 efficient, and it's not a particularly good idea to interrupt them (with
19792 @kbd{C-g} or anything else) once you've started one of them.
19794 Note that other functions, e.g. @code{gnus-request-expire-articles},
19795 might run @code{gnus-agent-expire} for you to keep the agent
19796 synchronized with the group.
19798 The agent parameter @code{agent-enable-expiration} may be used to
19799 prevent expiration in selected groups.
19801 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-all
19802 If @code{gnus-agent-expire-all} is non-@code{nil}, the agent
19803 expiration commands will expire all articles---unread, read, ticked
19804 and dormant. If @code{nil} (which is the default), only read articles
19805 are eligible for expiry, and unread, ticked and dormant articles will
19806 be kept indefinitely.
19808 If you find that some articles eligible for expiry are never expired,
19809 perhaps some Gnus Agent files are corrupted. There's are special
19810 commands, @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} and
19811 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group}, to fix possible problems.
19813 @node Agent Regeneration
19814 @subsection Agent Regeneration
19816 @cindex agent regeneration
19817 @cindex Gnus agent regeneration
19818 @cindex regeneration
19820 The local data structures used by @code{nnagent} may become corrupted
19821 due to certain exceptional conditions. When this happens,
19822 @code{nnagent} functionality may degrade or even fail. The solution
19823 to this problem is to repair the local data structures by removing all
19824 internal inconsistencies.
19826 For example, if your connection to your server is lost while
19827 downloaded articles into the agent, the local data structures will not
19828 know about articles successfully downloaded prior to the connection
19829 failure. Running @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} or
19830 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} will update the data structures
19831 such that you don't need to download these articles a second time.
19833 @findex gnus-agent-regenerate
19834 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-regenerate
19835 The command @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} will perform
19836 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} on every agentized group. While
19837 you can run @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} in any buffer, it is strongly
19838 recommended that you first close all summary buffers.
19840 @findex gnus-agent-regenerate-group
19841 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-regenerate-group
19842 The command @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} uses the local copies
19843 of individual articles to repair the local @acronym{NOV}(header) database. It
19844 then updates the internal data structures that document which articles
19845 are stored locally. An optional argument will mark articles in the
19848 @node Agent and flags
19849 @subsection Agent and flags
19851 The Agent works with any Gnus back end including those, such as
19852 nnimap, that store flags (read, ticked, etc) on the server. Sadly,
19853 the Agent does not actually know which backends keep their flags in
19854 the backend server rather than in @file{.newsrc}. This means that the
19855 Agent, while unplugged or disconnected, will always record all changes
19856 to the flags in its own files.
19858 When you plug back in, Gnus will then check to see if you have any
19859 changed any flags and ask if you wish to synchronize these with the
19860 server. This behavior is customizable by @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags}.
19862 @vindex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
19863 If @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} is @code{nil}, the Agent will
19864 never automatically synchronize flags. If it is @code{ask}, which is
19865 the default, the Agent will check if you made any changes and if so
19866 ask if you wish to synchronize these when you re-connect. If it has
19867 any other value, all flags will be synchronized automatically.
19869 If you do not wish to synchronize flags automatically when you
19870 re-connect, you can do it manually with the
19871 @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} command that is bound to @kbd{J Y}
19872 in the group buffer.
19874 Technical note: the synchronization algorithm does not work by ``pushing''
19875 all local flags to the server, but rather by incrementally updated the
19876 server view of flags by changing only those flags that were changed by
19877 the user. Thus, if you set one flag on an article, quit the group then
19878 re-select the group and remove the flag; the flag will be set and
19879 removed from the server when you ``synchronize''. The queued flag
19880 operations can be found in the per-server @code{flags} file in the Agent
19881 directory. It's emptied when you synchronize flags.
19883 @node Agent and IMAP
19884 @subsection Agent and IMAP
19886 The Agent works with any Gnus back end, including nnimap. However,
19887 since there are some conceptual differences between @acronym{NNTP} and
19888 @acronym{IMAP}, this section (should) provide you with some information to
19889 make Gnus Agent work smoother as a @acronym{IMAP} Disconnected Mode client.
19891 Some things are currently not implemented in the Agent that you'd might
19892 expect from a disconnected @acronym{IMAP} client, including:
19897 Copying/moving articles into nnimap groups when unplugged.
19900 Creating/deleting nnimap groups when unplugged.
19904 @node Outgoing Messages
19905 @subsection Outgoing Messages
19907 By default, when Gnus is unplugged, all outgoing messages (both mail
19908 and news) are stored in the draft group ``queue'' (@pxref{Drafts}).
19909 You can view them there after posting, and edit them at will.
19911 You can control the circumstances under which outgoing mail is queued
19912 (see @code{gnus-agent-queue-mail}, @pxref{Agent Variables}). Outgoing
19913 news is always queued when Gnus is unplugged, and never otherwise.
19915 You can send the messages either from the draft group with the special
19916 commands available there, or you can use the @kbd{J S} command in the
19917 group buffer to send all the sendable messages in the draft group.
19918 Posting news will only work when Gnus is plugged, but you can send
19921 If sending mail while unplugged does not work for you and you worry
19922 about hitting @kbd{J S} by accident when unplugged, you can have Gnus
19923 ask you to confirm your action (see
19924 @code{gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue}, @pxref{Agent Variables}).
19926 @node Agent Variables
19927 @subsection Agent Variables
19932 Is the agent enabled? The default is @code{t}. When first enabled,
19933 the agent will use @code{gnus-agent-auto-agentize-methods} to
19934 automatically mark some back ends as agentized. You may change which
19935 back ends are agentized using the agent commands in the server buffer.
19937 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
19938 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
19941 @item gnus-agent-directory
19942 @vindex gnus-agent-directory
19943 Where the Gnus Agent will store its files. The default is
19944 @file{~/News/agent/}.
19946 @item gnus-agent-handle-level
19947 @vindex gnus-agent-handle-level
19948 Groups on levels (@pxref{Group Levels}) higher than this variable will
19949 be ignored by the Agent. The default is @code{gnus-level-subscribed},
19950 which means that only subscribed group will be considered by the Agent
19953 @item gnus-agent-plugged-hook
19954 @vindex gnus-agent-plugged-hook
19955 Hook run when connecting to the network.
19957 @item gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
19958 @vindex gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
19959 Hook run when disconnecting from the network.
19961 @item gnus-agent-fetched-hook
19962 @vindex gnus-agent-fetched-hook
19963 Hook run when finished fetching articles.
19965 @item gnus-agent-cache
19966 @vindex gnus-agent-cache
19967 Variable to control whether use the locally stored @acronym{NOV} and
19968 articles when plugged, e.g. essentially using the Agent as a cache.
19969 The default is non-@code{nil}, which means to use the Agent as a cache.
19971 @item gnus-agent-go-online
19972 @vindex gnus-agent-go-online
19973 If @code{gnus-agent-go-online} is @code{nil}, the Agent will never
19974 automatically switch offline servers into online status. If it is
19975 @code{ask}, the default, the Agent will ask if you wish to switch
19976 offline servers into online status when you re-connect. If it has any
19977 other value, all offline servers will be automatically switched into
19980 @item gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded
19981 @vindex gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded
19982 If @code{gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded} is non-@code{nil},
19983 mark articles as unread after downloading. This is usually a safe
19984 thing to do as the newly downloaded article has obviously not been
19985 read. The default is @code{t}.
19987 @item gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
19988 @vindex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
19989 If @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} is @code{nil}, the Agent will
19990 never automatically synchronize flags. If it is @code{ask}, which is
19991 the default, the Agent will check if you made any changes and if so
19992 ask if you wish to synchronize these when you re-connect. If it has
19993 any other value, all flags will be synchronized automatically.
19995 @item gnus-agent-consider-all-articles
19996 @vindex gnus-agent-consider-all-articles
19997 If @code{gnus-agent-consider-all-articles} is non-@code{nil}, the
19998 agent will let the agent predicate decide whether articles need to be
19999 downloaded or not, for all articles. When @code{nil}, the default,
20000 the agent will only let the predicate decide whether unread articles
20001 are downloaded or not. If you enable this, you may also want to look
20002 into the agent expiry settings (@pxref{Category Variables}), so that
20003 the agent doesn't download articles which the agent will later expire,
20004 over and over again.
20006 @item gnus-agent-max-fetch-size
20007 @vindex gnus-agent-max-fetch-size
20008 The agent fetches articles into a temporary buffer prior to parsing
20009 them into individual files. To avoid exceeding the max. buffer size,
20010 the agent alternates between fetching and parsing until all articles
20011 have been fetched. @code{gnus-agent-max-fetch-size} provides a size
20012 limit to control how often the cycling occurs. A large value improves
20013 performance. A small value minimizes the time lost should the
20014 connection be lost while fetching (You may need to run
20015 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} to update the group's state.
20016 However, all articles parsed prior to loosing the connection will be
20017 available while unplugged). The default is 10M so it is unusual to
20020 @item gnus-server-unopen-status
20021 @vindex gnus-server-unopen-status
20022 Perhaps not an Agent variable, but closely related to the Agent, this
20023 variable says what will happen if Gnus cannot open a server. If the
20024 Agent is enabled, the default, @code{nil}, makes Gnus ask the user
20025 whether to deny the server or whether to unplug the agent. If the
20026 Agent is disabled, Gnus always simply deny the server. Other choices
20027 for this variable include @code{denied} and @code{offline} the latter
20028 is only valid if the Agent is used.
20030 @item gnus-auto-goto-ignores
20031 @vindex gnus-auto-goto-ignores
20032 Another variable that isn't an Agent variable, yet so closely related
20033 that most will look for it here, this variable tells the summary
20034 buffer how to maneuver around undownloaded (only headers stored in the
20035 agent) and unfetched (neither article nor headers stored) articles.
20037 The valid values are @code{nil} (maneuver to any article),
20038 @code{undownloaded} (maneuvering while unplugged ignores articles that
20039 have not been fetched), @code{always-undownloaded} (maneuvering always
20040 ignores articles that have not been fetched), @code{unfetched}
20041 (maneuvering ignores articles whose headers have not been fetched).
20043 @item gnus-agent-queue-mail
20044 @vindex gnus-agent-queue-mail
20045 When @code{gnus-agent-queue-mail} is @code{always}, Gnus will always
20046 queue mail rather than sending it straight away. When @code{t}, Gnus
20047 will queue mail when unplugged only. When @code{nil}, never queue
20048 mail. The default is @code{t}.
20050 @item gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue
20051 @vindex gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue
20052 When @code{gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue} is non-@code{nil} Gnus will
20053 prompt you to confirm that you really wish to proceed if you hit
20054 @kbd{J S} while unplugged. The default is @code{nil}.
20056 @item gnus-agent-auto-agentize-methods
20057 @vindex gnus-agent-auto-agentize-methods
20058 If you have never used the Agent before (or more technically, if
20059 @file{~/News/agent/lib/servers} does not exist), Gnus will
20060 automatically agentize a few servers for you. This variable control
20061 which back ends should be auto-agentized. It is typically only useful
20062 to agentize remote back ends. The auto-agentizing has the same effect
20063 as running @kbd{J a} on the servers (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}).
20064 If the file exist, you must manage the servers manually by adding or
20065 removing them, this variable is only applicable the first time you
20066 start Gnus. The default is @samp{(nntp nnimap)}.
20071 @node Example Setup
20072 @subsection Example Setup
20074 If you don't want to read this manual, and you have a fairly standard
20075 setup, you may be able to use something like the following as your
20076 @file{~/.gnus.el} file to get started.
20079 ;; @r{Define how Gnus is to fetch news. We do this over @acronym{NNTP}}
20080 ;; @r{from your ISP's server.}
20081 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.your-isp.com"))
20083 ;; @r{Define how Gnus is to read your mail. We read mail from}
20084 ;; @r{your ISP's @acronym{POP} server.}
20085 (setq mail-sources '((pop :server "pop.your-isp.com")))
20087 ;; @r{Say how Gnus is to store the mail. We use nnml groups.}
20088 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
20090 ;; @r{Make Gnus into an offline newsreader.}
20091 ;; (gnus-agentize) ; @r{The obsolete setting.}
20092 ;; (setq gnus-agent t) ; @r{Now the default.}
20095 That should be it, basically. Put that in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file,
20096 edit to suit your needs, start up PPP (or whatever), and type @kbd{M-x
20099 If this is the first time you've run Gnus, you will be subscribed
20100 automatically to a few default newsgroups. You'll probably want to
20101 subscribe to more groups, and to do that, you have to query the
20102 @acronym{NNTP} server for a complete list of groups with the @kbd{A A}
20103 command. This usually takes quite a while, but you only have to do it
20106 After reading and parsing a while, you'll be presented with a list of
20107 groups. Subscribe to the ones you want to read with the @kbd{u}
20108 command. @kbd{l} to make all the killed groups disappear after you've
20109 subscribe to all the groups you want to read. (@kbd{A k} will bring
20110 back all the killed groups.)
20112 You can now read the groups at once, or you can download the articles
20113 with the @kbd{J s} command. And then read the rest of this manual to
20114 find out which of the other gazillion things you want to customize.
20117 @node Batching Agents
20118 @subsection Batching Agents
20119 @findex gnus-agent-batch
20121 Having the Gnus Agent fetch articles (and post whatever messages you've
20122 written) is quite easy once you've gotten things set up properly. The
20123 following shell script will do everything that is necessary:
20125 You can run a complete batch command from the command line with the
20126 following incantation:
20130 emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-agent-batch >/dev/null 2>&1
20134 @node Agent Caveats
20135 @subsection Agent Caveats
20137 The Gnus Agent doesn't seem to work like most other offline
20138 newsreaders. Here are some common questions that some imaginary people
20142 @item If I read an article while plugged, do they get entered into the Agent?
20144 @strong{No}. If you want this behavior, add
20145 @code{gnus-agent-fetch-selected-article} to
20146 @code{gnus-select-article-hook}.
20148 @item If I read an article while plugged, and the article already exists in
20149 the Agent, will it get downloaded once more?
20151 @strong{No}, unless @code{gnus-agent-cache} is @code{nil}.
20155 In short, when Gnus is unplugged, it only looks into the locally stored
20156 articles; when it's plugged, it talks to your ISP and may also use the
20157 locally stored articles.
20164 Other people use @dfn{kill files}, but we here at Gnus Towers like
20165 scoring better than killing, so we'd rather switch than fight. They do
20166 something completely different as well, so sit up straight and pay
20169 @vindex gnus-summary-mark-below
20170 All articles have a default score (@code{gnus-summary-default-score}),
20171 which is 0 by default. This score may be raised or lowered either
20172 interactively or by score files. Articles that have a score lower than
20173 @code{gnus-summary-mark-below} are marked as read.
20175 Gnus will read any @dfn{score files} that apply to the current group
20176 before generating the summary buffer.
20178 There are several commands in the summary buffer that insert score
20179 entries based on the current article. You can, for instance, ask Gnus to
20180 lower or increase the score of all articles with a certain subject.
20182 There are two sorts of scoring entries: Permanent and temporary.
20183 Temporary score entries are self-expiring entries. Any entries that are
20184 temporary and have not been used for, say, a week, will be removed
20185 silently to help keep the sizes of the score files down.
20188 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
20189 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
20190 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
20191 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
20192 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
20193 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
20194 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
20195 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
20196 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
20197 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
20198 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
20199 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
20200 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
20201 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
20202 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
20203 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
20207 @node Summary Score Commands
20208 @section Summary Score Commands
20209 @cindex score commands
20211 The score commands that alter score entries do not actually modify real
20212 score files. That would be too inefficient. Gnus maintains a cache of
20213 previously loaded score files, one of which is considered the
20214 @dfn{current score file alist}. The score commands simply insert
20215 entries into this list, and upon group exit, this list is saved.
20217 The current score file is by default the group's local score file, even
20218 if no such score file actually exists. To insert score commands into
20219 some other score file (e.g. @file{all.SCORE}), you must first make this
20220 score file the current one.
20222 General score commands that don't actually change the score file:
20227 @kindex V s (Summary)
20228 @findex gnus-summary-set-score
20229 Set the score of the current article (@code{gnus-summary-set-score}).
20232 @kindex V S (Summary)
20233 @findex gnus-summary-current-score
20234 Display the score of the current article
20235 (@code{gnus-summary-current-score}).
20238 @kindex V t (Summary)
20239 @findex gnus-score-find-trace
20240 Display all score rules that have been used on the current article
20241 (@code{gnus-score-find-trace}). In the @code{*Score Trace*} buffer, you
20242 may type @kbd{e} to edit score file corresponding to the score rule on
20243 current line and @kbd{f} to format (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) the
20244 score file and edit it.
20247 @kindex V w (Summary)
20248 @findex gnus-score-find-favourite-words
20249 List words used in scoring (@code{gnus-score-find-favourite-words}).
20252 @kindex V R (Summary)
20253 @findex gnus-summary-rescore
20254 Run the current summary through the scoring process
20255 (@code{gnus-summary-rescore}). This might be useful if you're playing
20256 around with your score files behind Gnus' back and want to see the
20257 effect you're having.
20260 @kindex V c (Summary)
20261 @findex gnus-score-change-score-file
20262 Make a different score file the current
20263 (@code{gnus-score-change-score-file}).
20266 @kindex V e (Summary)
20267 @findex gnus-score-edit-current-scores
20268 Edit the current score file (@code{gnus-score-edit-current-scores}).
20269 You will be popped into a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score
20273 @kindex V f (Summary)
20274 @findex gnus-score-edit-file
20275 Edit a score file and make this score file the current one
20276 (@code{gnus-score-edit-file}).
20279 @kindex V F (Summary)
20280 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
20281 Flush the score cache (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}). This is useful
20282 after editing score files.
20285 @kindex V C (Summary)
20286 @findex gnus-score-customize
20287 Customize a score file in a visually pleasing manner
20288 (@code{gnus-score-customize}).
20292 The rest of these commands modify the local score file.
20297 @kindex V m (Summary)
20298 @findex gnus-score-set-mark-below
20299 Prompt for a score, and mark all articles with a score below this as
20300 read (@code{gnus-score-set-mark-below}).
20303 @kindex V x (Summary)
20304 @findex gnus-score-set-expunge-below
20305 Prompt for a score, and add a score rule to the current score file to
20306 expunge all articles below this score
20307 (@code{gnus-score-set-expunge-below}).
20310 The keystrokes for actually making score entries follow a very regular
20311 pattern, so there's no need to list all the commands. (Hundreds of
20314 @findex gnus-summary-increase-score
20315 @findex gnus-summary-lower-score
20319 The first key is either @kbd{I} (upper case i) for increasing the score
20320 or @kbd{L} for lowering the score.
20322 The second key says what header you want to score on. The following
20323 keys are available:
20327 Score on the author name.
20330 Score on the subject line.
20333 Score on the @code{Xref} line---i.e., the cross-posting line.
20336 Score on the @code{References} line.
20342 Score on the number of lines.
20345 Score on the @code{Message-ID} header.
20348 Score on an ``extra'' header, that is, one of those in gnus-extra-headers,
20349 if your @acronym{NNTP} server tracks additional header data in overviews.
20352 Score on followups---this matches the author name, and adds scores to
20353 the followups to this author. (Using this key leads to the creation of
20354 @file{ADAPT} files.)
20363 Score on thread. (Using this key leads to the creation of @file{ADAPT}
20369 The third key is the match type. Which match types are valid depends on
20370 what headers you are scoring on.
20382 Substring matching.
20385 Fuzzy matching (@pxref{Fuzzy Matching}).
20414 Greater than number.
20419 The fourth and usually final key says whether this is a temporary (i.e.,
20420 expiring) score entry, or a permanent (i.e., non-expiring) score entry,
20421 or whether it is to be done immediately, without adding to the score
20426 Temporary score entry.
20429 Permanent score entry.
20432 Immediately scoring.
20436 If you are scoring on `e' (extra) headers, you will then be prompted for
20437 the header name on which you wish to score. This must be a header named
20438 in gnus-extra-headers, and @samp{TAB} completion is available.
20442 So, let's say you want to increase the score on the current author with
20443 exact matching permanently: @kbd{I a e p}. If you want to lower the
20444 score based on the subject line, using substring matching, and make a
20445 temporary score entry: @kbd{L s s t}. Pretty easy.
20447 To make things a bit more complicated, there are shortcuts. If you use
20448 a capital letter on either the second or third keys, Gnus will use
20449 defaults for the remaining one or two keystrokes. The defaults are
20450 ``substring'' and ``temporary''. So @kbd{I A} is the same as @kbd{I a s
20451 t}, and @kbd{I a R} is the same as @kbd{I a r t}.
20453 These functions take both the numerical prefix and the symbolic prefix
20454 (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}). A numerical prefix says how much to lower
20455 (or increase) the score of the article. A symbolic prefix of @code{a}
20456 says to use the @file{all.SCORE} file for the command instead of the
20457 current score file.
20459 @vindex gnus-score-mimic-keymap
20460 The @code{gnus-score-mimic-keymap} says whether these commands will
20461 pretend they are keymaps or not.
20464 @node Group Score Commands
20465 @section Group Score Commands
20466 @cindex group score commands
20468 There aren't many of these as yet, I'm afraid.
20473 @kindex W e (Group)
20474 @findex gnus-score-edit-all-score
20475 Edit the apply-to-all-groups all.SCORE file. You will be popped into
20476 a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score File Editing}).
20479 @kindex W f (Group)
20480 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
20481 Gnus maintains a cache of score alists to avoid having to reload them
20482 all the time. This command will flush the cache
20483 (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}).
20487 You can do scoring from the command line by saying something like:
20489 @findex gnus-batch-score
20490 @cindex batch scoring
20492 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-batch-score
20496 @node Score Variables
20497 @section Score Variables
20498 @cindex score variables
20502 @item gnus-use-scoring
20503 @vindex gnus-use-scoring
20504 If @code{nil}, Gnus will not check for score files, and will not, in
20505 general, do any score-related work. This is @code{t} by default.
20507 @item gnus-kill-killed
20508 @vindex gnus-kill-killed
20509 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will never apply score files to
20510 articles that have already been through the kill process. While this
20511 may save you lots of time, it also means that if you apply a kill file
20512 to a group, and then change the kill file and want to run it over you
20513 group again to kill more articles, it won't work. You have to set this
20514 variable to @code{t} to do that. (It is @code{t} by default.)
20516 @item gnus-kill-files-directory
20517 @vindex gnus-kill-files-directory
20518 All kill and score files will be stored in this directory, which is
20519 initialized from the @env{SAVEDIR} environment variable by default.
20520 This is @file{~/News/} by default.
20522 @item gnus-score-file-suffix
20523 @vindex gnus-score-file-suffix
20524 Suffix to add to the group name to arrive at the score file name
20525 (@file{SCORE} by default.)
20527 @item gnus-score-uncacheable-files
20528 @vindex gnus-score-uncacheable-files
20529 @cindex score cache
20530 All score files are normally cached to avoid excessive re-loading of
20531 score files. However, if this might make your Emacs grow big and
20532 bloated, so this regexp can be used to weed out score files unlikely
20533 to be needed again. It would be a bad idea to deny caching of
20534 @file{all.SCORE}, while it might be a good idea to not cache
20535 @file{comp.infosystems.www.authoring.misc.ADAPT}. In fact, this
20536 variable is @samp{ADAPT$} by default, so no adaptive score files will
20539 @item gnus-save-score
20540 @vindex gnus-save-score
20541 If you have really complicated score files, and do lots of batch
20542 scoring, then you might set this variable to @code{t}. This will make
20543 Gnus save the scores into the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
20545 If you do not set this to @code{t}, then manual scores (like those set
20546 with @kbd{V s} (@code{gnus-summary-set-score})) will not be preserved
20547 across group visits.
20549 @item gnus-score-interactive-default-score
20550 @vindex gnus-score-interactive-default-score
20551 Score used by all the interactive raise/lower commands to raise/lower
20552 score with. Default is 1000, which may seem excessive, but this is to
20553 ensure that the adaptive scoring scheme gets enough room to play with.
20554 We don't want the small changes from the adaptive scoring to overwrite
20555 manually entered data.
20557 @item gnus-summary-default-score
20558 @vindex gnus-summary-default-score
20559 Default score of an article, which is 0 by default.
20561 @item gnus-summary-expunge-below
20562 @vindex gnus-summary-expunge-below
20563 Don't display the summary lines of articles that have scores lower than
20564 this variable. This is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
20565 articles will be hidden. This variable is local to the summary buffers,
20566 and has to be set from @code{gnus-summary-mode-hook}.
20568 @item gnus-score-over-mark
20569 @vindex gnus-score-over-mark
20570 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score over the
20571 default. Default is @samp{+}.
20573 @item gnus-score-below-mark
20574 @vindex gnus-score-below-mark
20575 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score below the
20576 default. Default is @samp{-}.
20578 @item gnus-score-find-score-files-function
20579 @vindex gnus-score-find-score-files-function
20580 Function used to find score files for the current group. This function
20581 is called with the name of the group as the argument.
20583 Predefined functions available are:
20586 @item gnus-score-find-single
20587 @findex gnus-score-find-single
20588 Only apply the group's own score file.
20590 @item gnus-score-find-bnews
20591 @findex gnus-score-find-bnews
20592 Apply all score files that match, using bnews syntax. This is the
20593 default. If the current group is @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}, for instance,
20594 @file{all.emacs.all.SCORE}, @file{not.alt.all.SCORE} and
20595 @file{gnu.all.SCORE} would all apply. In short, the instances of
20596 @samp{all} in the score file names are translated into @samp{.*}, and
20597 then a regexp match is done.
20599 This means that if you have some score entries that you want to apply to
20600 all groups, then you put those entries in the @file{all.SCORE} file.
20602 The score files are applied in a semi-random order, although Gnus will
20603 try to apply the more general score files before the more specific score
20604 files. It does this by looking at the number of elements in the score
20605 file names---discarding the @samp{all} elements.
20607 @item gnus-score-find-hierarchical
20608 @findex gnus-score-find-hierarchical
20609 Apply all score files from all the parent groups. This means that you
20610 can't have score files like @file{all.SCORE}, but you can have
20611 @file{SCORE}, @file{comp.SCORE} and @file{comp.emacs.SCORE} for each
20615 This variable can also be a list of functions. In that case, all
20616 these functions will be called with the group name as argument, and
20617 all the returned lists of score files will be applied. These
20618 functions can also return lists of lists of score alists directly. In
20619 that case, the functions that return these non-file score alists
20620 should probably be placed before the ``real'' score file functions, to
20621 ensure that the last score file returned is the local score file.
20624 For example, to do hierarchical scoring but use a non-server-specific
20625 overall score file, you could use the value
20627 (list (lambda (group) ("all.SCORE"))
20628 'gnus-score-find-hierarchical)
20631 @item gnus-score-expiry-days
20632 @vindex gnus-score-expiry-days
20633 This variable says how many days should pass before an unused score file
20634 entry is expired. If this variable is @code{nil}, no score file entries
20635 are expired. It's 7 by default.
20637 @item gnus-update-score-entry-dates
20638 @vindex gnus-update-score-entry-dates
20639 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, temporary score entries that have
20640 been triggered (matched) will have their dates updated. (This is how Gnus
20641 controls expiry---all non-matched-entries will become too old while
20642 matched entries will stay fresh and young.) However, if you set this
20643 variable to @code{nil}, even matched entries will grow old and will
20644 have to face that oh-so grim reaper.
20646 @item gnus-score-after-write-file-function
20647 @vindex gnus-score-after-write-file-function
20648 Function called with the name of the score file just written.
20650 @item gnus-score-thread-simplify
20651 @vindex gnus-score-thread-simplify
20652 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, article subjects will be
20653 simplified for subject scoring purposes in the same manner as with
20654 threading---according to the current value of
20655 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions}. If the scoring entry uses
20656 @code{substring} or @code{exact} matching, the match will also be
20657 simplified in this manner.
20662 @node Score File Format
20663 @section Score File Format
20664 @cindex score file format
20666 A score file is an @code{emacs-lisp} file that normally contains just a
20667 single form. Casual users are not expected to edit these files;
20668 everything can be changed from the summary buffer.
20670 Anyway, if you'd like to dig into it yourself, here's an example:
20674 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" -10000)
20676 ("larsi\\|lmi" -50000 nil R))
20678 ("Ding is Badd" nil 728373))
20680 ("alt.politics" -1000 728372 s))
20685 (mark-and-expunge -10)
20689 (files "/hom/larsi/News/gnu.SCORE")
20690 (exclude-files "all.SCORE")
20691 (local (gnus-newsgroup-auto-expire t)
20692 (gnus-summary-make-false-root empty))
20696 This example demonstrates most score file elements. @xref{Advanced
20697 Scoring}, for a different approach.
20699 Even though this looks much like Lisp code, nothing here is actually
20700 @code{eval}ed. The Lisp reader is used to read this form, though, so it
20701 has to be valid syntactically, if not semantically.
20703 Six keys are supported by this alist:
20708 If the key is a string, it is the name of the header to perform the
20709 match on. Scoring can only be performed on these eight headers:
20710 @code{From}, @code{Subject}, @code{References}, @code{Message-ID},
20711 @code{Xref}, @code{Lines}, @code{Chars} and @code{Date}. In addition to
20712 these headers, there are three strings to tell Gnus to fetch the entire
20713 article and do the match on larger parts of the article: @code{Body}
20714 will perform the match on the body of the article, @code{Head} will
20715 perform the match on the head of the article, and @code{All} will
20716 perform the match on the entire article. Note that using any of these
20717 last three keys will slow down group entry @emph{considerably}. The
20718 final ``header'' you can score on is @code{Followup}. These score
20719 entries will result in new score entries being added for all follow-ups
20720 to articles that matches these score entries.
20722 Following this key is an arbitrary number of score entries, where each
20723 score entry has one to four elements.
20727 The first element is the @dfn{match element}. On most headers this will
20728 be a string, but on the Lines and Chars headers, this must be an
20732 If the second element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{score
20733 element}. This number should be an integer in the neginf to posinf
20734 interval. This number is added to the score of the article if the match
20735 is successful. If this element is not present, the
20736 @code{gnus-score-interactive-default-score} number will be used
20737 instead. This is 1000 by default.
20740 If the third element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{date
20741 element}. This date says when the last time this score entry matched,
20742 which provides a mechanism for expiring the score entries. It this
20743 element is not present, the score entry is permanent. The date is
20744 represented by the number of days since December 31, 1 BCE.
20747 If the fourth element is present, it should be a symbol---the @dfn{type
20748 element}. This element specifies what function should be used to see
20749 whether this score entry matches the article. What match types that can
20750 be used depends on what header you wish to perform the match on.
20753 @item From, Subject, References, Xref, Message-ID
20754 For most header types, there are the @code{r} and @code{R} (regexp), as
20755 well as @code{s} and @code{S} (substring) types, and @code{e} and
20756 @code{E} (exact match), and @code{w} (word match) types. If this
20757 element is not present, Gnus will assume that substring matching should
20758 be used. @code{R}, @code{S}, and @code{E} differ from the others in
20759 that the matches will be done in a case-sensitive manner. All these
20760 one-letter types are really just abbreviations for the @code{regexp},
20761 @code{string}, @code{exact}, and @code{word} types, which you can use
20762 instead, if you feel like.
20765 Just as for the standard string overview headers, if you are using
20766 gnus-extra-headers, you can score on these headers' values. In this
20767 case, there is a 5th element in the score entry, being the name of the
20768 header to be scored. The following entry is useful in your
20769 @file{all.SCORE} file in case of spam attacks from a single origin
20770 host, if your @acronym{NNTP} server tracks @samp{NNTP-Posting-Host} in
20774 ("111.222.333.444" -1000 nil s
20775 "NNTP-Posting-Host")
20779 These two headers use different match types: @code{<}, @code{>},
20780 @code{=}, @code{>=} and @code{<=}.
20782 These predicates are true if
20785 (PREDICATE HEADER MATCH)
20788 evaluates to non-@code{nil}. For instance, the advanced match
20789 @code{("lines" 4 <)} (@pxref{Advanced Scoring}) will result in the
20796 Or to put it another way: When using @code{<} on @code{Lines} with 4 as
20797 the match, we get the score added if the article has less than 4 lines.
20798 (It's easy to get confused and think it's the other way around. But
20799 it's not. I think.)
20801 When matching on @code{Lines}, be careful because some back ends (like
20802 @code{nndir}) do not generate @code{Lines} header, so every article ends
20803 up being marked as having 0 lines. This can lead to strange results if
20804 you happen to lower score of the articles with few lines.
20807 For the Date header we have three kinda silly match types:
20808 @code{before}, @code{at} and @code{after}. I can't really imagine this
20809 ever being useful, but, like, it would feel kinda silly not to provide
20810 this function. Just in case. You never know. Better safe than sorry.
20811 Once burnt, twice shy. Don't judge a book by its cover. Never not have
20812 sex on a first date. (I have been told that at least one person, and I
20813 quote, ``found this function indispensable'', however.)
20817 A more useful match type is @code{regexp}. With it, you can match the
20818 date string using a regular expression. The date is normalized to
20819 ISO8601 compact format first---@var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS}. If
20820 you want to match all articles that have been posted on April 1st in
20821 every year, you could use @samp{....0401.........} as a match string,
20822 for instance. (Note that the date is kept in its original time zone, so
20823 this will match articles that were posted when it was April 1st where
20824 the article was posted from. Time zones are such wholesome fun for the
20827 @item Head, Body, All
20828 These three match keys use the same match types as the @code{From} (etc)
20832 This match key is somewhat special, in that it will match the
20833 @code{From} header, and affect the score of not only the matching
20834 articles, but also all followups to the matching articles. This allows
20835 you e.g. increase the score of followups to your own articles, or
20836 decrease the score of followups to the articles of some known
20837 trouble-maker. Uses the same match types as the @code{From} header
20838 uses. (Using this match key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT}
20842 This match key works along the same lines as the @code{Followup} match
20843 key. If you say that you want to score on a (sub-)thread started by an
20844 article with a @code{Message-ID} @var{x}, then you add a @samp{thread}
20845 match. This will add a new @samp{thread} match for each article that
20846 has @var{x} in its @code{References} header. (These new @samp{thread}
20847 matches will use the @code{Message-ID}s of these matching articles.)
20848 This will ensure that you can raise/lower the score of an entire thread,
20849 even though some articles in the thread may not have complete
20850 @code{References} headers. Note that using this may lead to
20851 undeterministic scores of the articles in the thread. (Using this match
20852 key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT} files.)
20856 @cindex score file atoms
20858 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
20859 lower than this number will be marked as read.
20862 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
20863 lower than this number will be removed from the summary buffer.
20865 @item mark-and-expunge
20866 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
20867 lower than this number will be marked as read and removed from the
20870 @item thread-mark-and-expunge
20871 The value of this entry should be a number. All articles that belong to
20872 a thread that has a total score below this number will be marked as read
20873 and removed from the summary buffer. @code{gnus-thread-score-function}
20874 says how to compute the total score for a thread.
20877 The value of this entry should be any number of file names. These files
20878 are assumed to be score files as well, and will be loaded the same way
20881 @item exclude-files
20882 The clue of this entry should be any number of files. These files will
20883 not be loaded, even though they would normally be so, for some reason or
20887 The value of this entry will be @code{eval}el. This element will be
20888 ignored when handling global score files.
20891 Read-only score files will not be updated or saved. Global score files
20892 should feature this atom (@pxref{Global Score Files}). (Note:
20893 @dfn{Global} here really means @dfn{global}; not your personal
20894 apply-to-all-groups score files.)
20897 The value of this entry should be a number. Articles that do not have
20898 parents will get this number added to their scores. Imagine you follow
20899 some high-volume newsgroup, like @samp{comp.lang.c}. Most likely you
20900 will only follow a few of the threads, also want to see any new threads.
20902 You can do this with the following two score file entries:
20906 (mark-and-expunge -100)
20909 When you enter the group the first time, you will only see the new
20910 threads. You then raise the score of the threads that you find
20911 interesting (with @kbd{I T} or @kbd{I S}), and ignore (@kbd{C y}) the
20912 rest. Next time you enter the group, you will see new articles in the
20913 interesting threads, plus any new threads.
20915 I.e.---the orphan score atom is for high-volume groups where a few
20916 interesting threads which can't be found automatically by ordinary
20917 scoring rules exist.
20920 This entry controls the adaptive scoring. If it is @code{t}, the
20921 default adaptive scoring rules will be used. If it is @code{ignore}, no
20922 adaptive scoring will be performed on this group. If it is a list, this
20923 list will be used as the adaptive scoring rules. If it isn't present,
20924 or is something other than @code{t} or @code{ignore}, the default
20925 adaptive scoring rules will be used. If you want to use adaptive
20926 scoring on most groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
20927 @code{t}, and insert an @code{(adapt ignore)} in the groups where you do
20928 not want adaptive scoring. If you only want adaptive scoring in a few
20929 groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to @code{nil}, and
20930 insert @code{(adapt t)} in the score files of the groups where you want
20934 All adaptive score entries will go to the file named by this entry. It
20935 will also be applied when entering the group. This atom might be handy
20936 if you want to adapt on several groups at once, using the same adaptive
20937 file for a number of groups.
20940 @cindex local variables
20941 The value of this entry should be a list of @code{(@var{var}
20942 @var{value})} pairs. Each @var{var} will be made buffer-local to the
20943 current summary buffer, and set to the value specified. This is a
20944 convenient, if somewhat strange, way of setting variables in some
20945 groups if you don't like hooks much. Note that the @var{value} won't
20950 @node Score File Editing
20951 @section Score File Editing
20953 You normally enter all scoring commands from the summary buffer, but you
20954 might feel the urge to edit them by hand as well, so we've supplied you
20955 with a mode for that.
20957 It's simply a slightly customized @code{emacs-lisp} mode, with these
20958 additional commands:
20963 @kindex C-c C-c (Score)
20964 @findex gnus-score-edit-done
20965 Save the changes you have made and return to the summary buffer
20966 (@code{gnus-score-edit-done}).
20969 @kindex C-c C-d (Score)
20970 @findex gnus-score-edit-insert-date
20971 Insert the current date in numerical format
20972 (@code{gnus-score-edit-insert-date}). This is really the day number, if
20973 you were wondering.
20976 @kindex C-c C-p (Score)
20977 @findex gnus-score-pretty-print
20978 The adaptive score files are saved in an unformatted fashion. If you
20979 intend to read one of these files, you want to @dfn{pretty print} it
20980 first. This command (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) does that for
20985 Type @kbd{M-x gnus-score-mode} to use this mode.
20987 @vindex gnus-score-mode-hook
20988 @code{gnus-score-menu-hook} is run in score mode buffers.
20990 In the summary buffer you can use commands like @kbd{V f}, @kbd{V e} and
20991 @kbd{V t} to begin editing score files.
20994 @node Adaptive Scoring
20995 @section Adaptive Scoring
20996 @cindex adaptive scoring
20998 If all this scoring is getting you down, Gnus has a way of making it all
20999 happen automatically---as if by magic. Or rather, as if by artificial
21000 stupidity, to be precise.
21002 @vindex gnus-use-adaptive-scoring
21003 When you read an article, or mark an article as read, or kill an
21004 article, you leave marks behind. On exit from the group, Gnus can sniff
21005 these marks and add score elements depending on what marks it finds.
21006 You turn on this ability by setting @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
21007 @code{t} or @code{(line)}. If you want score adaptively on separate
21008 words appearing in the subjects, you should set this variable to
21009 @code{(word)}. If you want to use both adaptive methods, set this
21010 variable to @code{(word line)}.
21012 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
21013 To give you complete control over the scoring process, you can customize
21014 the @code{gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist} variable. For instance, it
21015 might look something like this:
21018 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
21019 '((gnus-unread-mark)
21020 (gnus-ticked-mark (from 4))
21021 (gnus-dormant-mark (from 5))
21022 (gnus-del-mark (from -4) (subject -1))
21023 (gnus-read-mark (from 4) (subject 2))
21024 (gnus-expirable-mark (from -1) (subject -1))
21025 (gnus-killed-mark (from -1) (subject -3))
21026 (gnus-kill-file-mark)
21027 (gnus-ancient-mark)
21028 (gnus-low-score-mark)
21029 (gnus-catchup-mark (from -1) (subject -1))))
21032 As you see, each element in this alist has a mark as a key (either a
21033 variable name or a ``real'' mark---a character). Following this key is
21034 a arbitrary number of header/score pairs. If there are no header/score
21035 pairs following the key, no adaptive scoring will be done on articles
21036 that have that key as the article mark. For instance, articles with
21037 @code{gnus-unread-mark} in the example above will not get adaptive score
21040 Each article can have only one mark, so just a single of these rules
21041 will be applied to each article.
21043 To take @code{gnus-del-mark} as an example---this alist says that all
21044 articles that have that mark (i.e., are marked with @samp{e}) will have a
21045 score entry added to lower based on the @code{From} header by -4, and
21046 lowered by @code{Subject} by -1. Change this to fit your prejudices.
21048 If you have marked 10 articles with the same subject with
21049 @code{gnus-del-mark}, the rule for that mark will be applied ten times.
21050 That means that that subject will get a score of ten times -1, which
21051 should be, unless I'm much mistaken, -10.
21053 If you have auto-expirable (mail) groups (@pxref{Expiring Mail}), all
21054 the read articles will be marked with the @samp{E} mark. This'll
21055 probably make adaptive scoring slightly impossible, so auto-expiring and
21056 adaptive scoring doesn't really mix very well.
21058 The headers you can score on are @code{from}, @code{subject},
21059 @code{message-id}, @code{references}, @code{xref}, @code{lines},
21060 @code{chars} and @code{date}. In addition, you can score on
21061 @code{followup}, which will create an adaptive score entry that matches
21062 on the @code{References} header using the @code{Message-ID} of the
21063 current article, thereby matching the following thread.
21065 If you use this scheme, you should set the score file atom @code{mark}
21066 to something small---like -300, perhaps, to avoid having small random
21067 changes result in articles getting marked as read.
21069 After using adaptive scoring for a week or so, Gnus should start to
21070 become properly trained and enhance the authors you like best, and kill
21071 the authors you like least, without you having to say so explicitly.
21073 You can control what groups the adaptive scoring is to be performed on
21074 by using the score files (@pxref{Score File Format}). This will also
21075 let you use different rules in different groups.
21077 @vindex gnus-adaptive-file-suffix
21078 The adaptive score entries will be put into a file where the name is the
21079 group name with @code{gnus-adaptive-file-suffix} appended. The default
21082 @vindex gnus-adaptive-pretty-print
21083 Adaptive score files can get huge and are not meant to be edited by
21084 human hands. If @code{gnus-adaptive-pretty-print} is @code{nil} (the
21085 deafult) those files will not be written in a human readable way.
21087 @vindex gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit
21088 When doing adaptive scoring, substring or fuzzy matching would probably
21089 give you the best results in most cases. However, if the header one
21090 matches is short, the possibility for false positives is great, so if
21091 the length of the match is less than
21092 @code{gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit}, exact matching will be used. If
21093 this variable is @code{nil}, exact matching will always be used to avoid
21096 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
21097 As mentioned above, you can adapt either on individual words or entire
21098 headers. If you adapt on words, the
21099 @code{gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist} variable says what score
21100 each instance of a word should add given a mark.
21103 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
21104 `((,gnus-read-mark . 30)
21105 (,gnus-catchup-mark . -10)
21106 (,gnus-killed-mark . -20)
21107 (,gnus-del-mark . -15)))
21110 This is the default value. If you have adaption on words enabled, every
21111 word that appears in subjects of articles marked with
21112 @code{gnus-read-mark} will result in a score rule that increase the
21113 score with 30 points.
21115 @vindex gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words
21116 @vindex gnus-ignored-adaptive-words
21117 Words that appear in the @code{gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words} list
21118 will be ignored. If you wish to add more words to be ignored, use the
21119 @code{gnus-ignored-adaptive-words} list instead.
21121 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit
21122 Some may feel that short words shouldn't count when doing adaptive
21123 scoring. If so, you may set @code{gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit} to
21124 an integer. Words shorter than this number will be ignored. This
21125 variable defaults to @code{nil}.
21127 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table
21128 When the scoring is done, @code{gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table} is the
21129 syntax table in effect. It is similar to the standard syntax table, but
21130 it considers numbers to be non-word-constituent characters.
21132 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-minimum
21133 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} is set to a number, the adaptive
21134 word scoring process will never bring down the score of an article to
21135 below this number. The default is @code{nil}.
21137 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words
21138 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words} is set to @code{t}, gnus
21139 won't adaptively word score any of the words in the group name. Useful
21140 for groups like @samp{comp.editors.emacs}, where most of the subject
21141 lines contain the word @samp{emacs}.
21143 After using this scheme for a while, it might be nice to write a
21144 @code{gnus-psychoanalyze-user} command to go through the rules and see
21145 what words you like and what words you don't like. Or perhaps not.
21147 Note that the adaptive word scoring thing is highly experimental and is
21148 likely to change in the future. Initial impressions seem to indicate
21149 that it's totally useless as it stands. Some more work (involving more
21150 rigorous statistical methods) will have to be done to make this useful.
21153 @node Home Score File
21154 @section Home Score File
21156 The score file where new score file entries will go is called the
21157 @dfn{home score file}. This is normally (and by default) the score file
21158 for the group itself. For instance, the home score file for
21159 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} is @file{gnu.emacs.gnus.SCORE}.
21161 However, this may not be what you want. It is often convenient to share
21162 a common home score file among many groups---all @samp{emacs} groups
21163 could perhaps use the same home score file.
21165 @vindex gnus-home-score-file
21166 The variable that controls this is @code{gnus-home-score-file}. It can
21171 A string. Then this file will be used as the home score file for all
21175 A function. The result of this function will be used as the home score
21176 file. The function will be called with the name of the group as the
21180 A list. The elements in this list can be:
21184 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{file-name})}. If the @var{regexp} matches the
21185 group name, the @var{file-name} will be used as the home score file.
21188 A function. If the function returns non-@code{nil}, the result will
21189 be used as the home score file. The function will be called with the
21190 name of the group as the parameter.
21193 A string. Use the string as the home score file.
21196 The list will be traversed from the beginning towards the end looking
21201 So, if you want to use just a single score file, you could say:
21204 (setq gnus-home-score-file
21205 "my-total-score-file.SCORE")
21208 If you want to use @file{gnu.SCORE} for all @samp{gnu} groups and
21209 @file{rec.SCORE} for all @samp{rec} groups (and so on), you can say:
21211 @findex gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file
21213 (setq gnus-home-score-file
21214 'gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file)
21217 This is a ready-made function provided for your convenience.
21218 Other functions include
21221 @item gnus-current-home-score-file
21222 @findex gnus-current-home-score-file
21223 Return the ``current'' regular score file. This will make scoring
21224 commands add entry to the ``innermost'' matching score file.
21228 If you want to have one score file for the @samp{emacs} groups and
21229 another for the @samp{comp} groups, while letting all other groups use
21230 their own home score files:
21233 (setq gnus-home-score-file
21234 ;; @r{All groups that match the regexp @code{"\\.emacs"}}
21235 '(("\\.emacs" "emacs.SCORE")
21236 ;; @r{All the comp groups in one score file}
21237 ("^comp" "comp.SCORE")))
21240 @vindex gnus-home-adapt-file
21241 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file} works exactly the same way as
21242 @code{gnus-home-score-file}, but says what the home adaptive score file
21243 is instead. All new adaptive file entries will go into the file
21244 specified by this variable, and the same syntax is allowed.
21246 In addition to using @code{gnus-home-score-file} and
21247 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file}, you can also use group parameters
21248 (@pxref{Group Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
21249 Parameters}) to achieve much the same. Group and topic parameters take
21250 precedence over this variable.
21253 @node Followups To Yourself
21254 @section Followups To Yourself
21256 Gnus offers two commands for picking out the @code{Message-ID} header in
21257 the current buffer. Gnus will then add a score rule that scores using
21258 this @code{Message-ID} on the @code{References} header of other
21259 articles. This will, in effect, increase the score of all articles that
21260 respond to the article in the current buffer. Quite useful if you want
21261 to easily note when people answer what you've said.
21265 @item gnus-score-followup-article
21266 @findex gnus-score-followup-article
21267 This will add a score to articles that directly follow up your own
21270 @item gnus-score-followup-thread
21271 @findex gnus-score-followup-thread
21272 This will add a score to all articles that appear in a thread ``below''
21276 @vindex message-sent-hook
21277 These two functions are both primarily meant to be used in hooks like
21278 @code{message-sent-hook}, like this:
21280 (add-hook 'message-sent-hook 'gnus-score-followup-thread)
21284 If you look closely at your own @code{Message-ID}, you'll notice that
21285 the first two or three characters are always the same. Here's two of
21289 <x6u3u47icf.fsf@@eyesore.no>
21290 <x6sp9o7ibw.fsf@@eyesore.no>
21293 So ``my'' ident on this machine is @samp{x6}. This can be
21294 exploited---the following rule will raise the score on all followups to
21299 ("<x6[0-9a-z]+\\.fsf\\(_-_\\)?@@.*eyesore\\.no>"
21303 Whether it's the first two or first three characters that are ``yours''
21304 is system-dependent.
21307 @node Scoring On Other Headers
21308 @section Scoring On Other Headers
21309 @cindex scoring on other headers
21311 Gnus is quite fast when scoring the ``traditional''
21312 headers---@samp{From}, @samp{Subject} and so on. However, scoring
21313 other headers requires writing a @code{head} scoring rule, which means
21314 that Gnus has to request every single article from the back end to find
21315 matches. This takes a long time in big groups.
21317 Now, there's not much you can do about this for news groups, but for
21318 mail groups, you have greater control. In @ref{To From Newsgroups},
21319 it's explained in greater detail what this mechanism does, but here's
21320 a cookbook example for @code{nnml} on how to allow scoring on the
21321 @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} headers.
21323 Put the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
21326 (setq gnus-extra-headers '(To Cc Newsgroups Keywords)
21327 nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
21330 Restart Gnus and rebuild your @code{nnml} overview files with the
21331 @kbd{M-x nnml-generate-nov-databases} command. This will take a long
21332 time if you have much mail.
21334 Now you can score on @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} as ``extra headers'' like
21335 so: @kbd{I e s p To RET <your name> RET}.
21339 @vindex gnus-inhibit-slow-scoring
21340 You can inhibit scoring the slow scoring on headers or body by setting
21341 the variable @code{gnus-inhibit-slow-scoring}. If
21342 @code{gnus-inhibit-slow-scoring} is regexp, slow scoring is inhibited if
21343 the group matches the regexp. If it is t, slow scoring on it is
21344 inhibited for all groups.
21348 @section Scoring Tips
21349 @cindex scoring tips
21355 @cindex scoring crossposts
21356 If you want to lower the score of crossposts, the line to match on is
21357 the @code{Xref} header.
21359 ("xref" (" talk.politics.misc:" -1000))
21362 @item Multiple crossposts
21363 If you want to lower the score of articles that have been crossposted to
21364 more than, say, 3 groups:
21367 ("[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+"
21371 @item Matching on the body
21372 This is generally not a very good idea---it takes a very long time.
21373 Gnus actually has to fetch each individual article from the server. But
21374 you might want to anyway, I guess. Even though there are three match
21375 keys (@code{Head}, @code{Body} and @code{All}), you should choose one
21376 and stick with it in each score file. If you use any two, each article
21377 will be fetched @emph{twice}. If you want to match a bit on the
21378 @code{Head} and a bit on the @code{Body}, just use @code{All} for all
21381 @item Marking as read
21382 You will probably want to mark articles that have scores below a certain
21383 number as read. This is most easily achieved by putting the following
21384 in your @file{all.SCORE} file:
21388 You may also consider doing something similar with @code{expunge}.
21390 @item Negated character classes
21391 If you say stuff like @code{[^abcd]*}, you may get unexpected results.
21392 That will match newlines, which might lead to, well, The Unknown. Say
21393 @code{[^abcd\n]*} instead.
21397 @node Reverse Scoring
21398 @section Reverse Scoring
21399 @cindex reverse scoring
21401 If you want to keep just articles that have @samp{Sex with Emacs} in the
21402 subject header, and expunge all other articles, you could put something
21403 like this in your score file:
21407 ("Sex with Emacs" 2))
21412 So, you raise all articles that match @samp{Sex with Emacs} and mark the
21413 rest as read, and expunge them to boot.
21416 @node Global Score Files
21417 @section Global Score Files
21418 @cindex global score files
21420 Sure, other newsreaders have ``global kill files''. These are usually
21421 nothing more than a single kill file that applies to all groups, stored
21422 in the user's home directory. Bah! Puny, weak newsreaders!
21424 What I'm talking about here are Global Score Files. Score files from
21425 all over the world, from users everywhere, uniting all nations in one
21426 big, happy score file union! Ange-score! New and untested!
21428 @vindex gnus-global-score-files
21429 All you have to do to use other people's score files is to set the
21430 @code{gnus-global-score-files} variable. One entry for each score file,
21431 or each score file directory. Gnus will decide by itself what score
21432 files are applicable to which group.
21434 To use the score file
21435 @file{/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE} and
21436 all score files in the @file{/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score} directory,
21440 (setq gnus-global-score-files
21441 '("/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE"
21442 "/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score/"))
21445 @findex gnus-score-search-global-directories
21447 Simple, eh? Directory names must end with a @samp{/}. These
21448 directories are typically scanned only once during each Gnus session.
21449 If you feel the need to manually re-scan the remote directories, you can
21450 use the @code{gnus-score-search-global-directories} command.
21452 Note that, at present, using this option will slow down group entry
21453 somewhat. (That is---a lot.)
21455 If you want to start maintaining score files for other people to use,
21456 just put your score file up for anonymous ftp and announce it to the
21457 world. Become a retro-moderator! Participate in the retro-moderator
21458 wars sure to ensue, where retro-moderators battle it out for the
21459 sympathy of the people, luring them to use their score files on false
21460 premises! Yay! The net is saved!
21462 Here are some tips for the would-be retro-moderator, off the top of my
21468 Articles heavily crossposted are probably junk.
21470 To lower a single inappropriate article, lower by @code{Message-ID}.
21472 Particularly brilliant authors can be raised on a permanent basis.
21474 Authors that repeatedly post off-charter for the group can safely be
21475 lowered out of existence.
21477 Set the @code{mark} and @code{expunge} atoms to obliterate the nastiest
21478 articles completely.
21481 Use expiring score entries to keep the size of the file down. You
21482 should probably have a long expiry period, though, as some sites keep
21483 old articles for a long time.
21486 @dots{} I wonder whether other newsreaders will support global score files
21487 in the future. @emph{Snicker}. Yup, any day now, newsreaders like Blue
21488 Wave, xrn and 1stReader are bound to implement scoring. Should we start
21489 holding our breath yet?
21493 @section Kill Files
21496 Gnus still supports those pesky old kill files. In fact, the kill file
21497 entries can now be expiring, which is something I wrote before Daniel
21498 Quinlan thought of doing score files, so I've left the code in there.
21500 In short, kill processing is a lot slower (and I do mean @emph{a lot})
21501 than score processing, so it might be a good idea to rewrite your kill
21502 files into score files.
21504 Anyway, a kill file is a normal @code{emacs-lisp} file. You can put any
21505 forms into this file, which means that you can use kill files as some
21506 sort of primitive hook function to be run on group entry, even though
21507 that isn't a very good idea.
21509 Normal kill files look like this:
21512 (gnus-kill "From" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
21513 (gnus-kill "Subject" "ding")
21517 This will mark every article written by me as read, and remove the
21518 marked articles from the summary buffer. Very useful, you'll agree.
21520 Other programs use a totally different kill file syntax. If Gnus
21521 encounters what looks like a @code{rn} kill file, it will take a stab at
21524 Two summary functions for editing a @sc{gnus} kill file:
21529 @kindex M-k (Summary)
21530 @findex gnus-summary-edit-local-kill
21531 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-local-kill}).
21534 @kindex M-K (Summary)
21535 @findex gnus-summary-edit-global-kill
21536 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-global-kill}).
21539 Two group mode functions for editing the kill files:
21544 @kindex M-k (Group)
21545 @findex gnus-group-edit-local-kill
21546 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-local-kill}).
21549 @kindex M-K (Group)
21550 @findex gnus-group-edit-global-kill
21551 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-global-kill}).
21554 Kill file variables:
21557 @item gnus-kill-file-name
21558 @vindex gnus-kill-file-name
21559 A kill file for the group @samp{soc.motss} is normally called
21560 @file{soc.motss.KILL}. The suffix appended to the group name to get
21561 this file name is detailed by the @code{gnus-kill-file-name} variable.
21562 The ``global'' kill file (not in the score file sense of ``global'', of
21563 course) is just called @file{KILL}.
21565 @vindex gnus-kill-save-kill-file
21566 @item gnus-kill-save-kill-file
21567 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will save the
21568 kill file after processing, which is necessary if you use expiring
21571 @item gnus-apply-kill-hook
21572 @vindex gnus-apply-kill-hook
21573 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored
21574 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file
21575 A hook called to apply kill files to a group. It is
21576 @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file)} by default. If you want to ignore the
21577 kill file if you have a score file for the same group, you can set this
21578 hook to @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored)}. If you don't want
21579 kill files to be processed, you should set this variable to @code{nil}.
21581 @item gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
21582 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
21583 A hook called in kill-file mode buffers.
21588 @node Converting Kill Files
21589 @section Converting Kill Files
21591 @cindex converting kill files
21593 If you have loads of old kill files, you may want to convert them into
21594 score files. If they are ``regular'', you can use
21595 the @file{gnus-kill-to-score.el} package; if not, you'll have to do it
21598 The kill to score conversion package isn't included in Gnus by default.
21599 You can fetch it from
21600 @uref{http://www.stud.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/ding-various/gnus-kill-to-score.el}.
21602 If your old kill files are very complex---if they contain more
21603 non-@code{gnus-kill} forms than not, you'll have to convert them by
21604 hand. Or just let them be as they are. Gnus will still use them as
21608 @node Advanced Scoring
21609 @section Advanced Scoring
21611 Scoring on Subjects and From headers is nice enough, but what if you're
21612 really interested in what a person has to say only when she's talking
21613 about a particular subject? Or what if you really don't want to
21614 read what person A has to say when she's following up to person B, but
21615 want to read what she says when she's following up to person C?
21617 By using advanced scoring rules you may create arbitrarily complex
21621 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
21622 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
21623 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
21627 @node Advanced Scoring Syntax
21628 @subsection Advanced Scoring Syntax
21630 Ordinary scoring rules have a string as the first element in the rule.
21631 Advanced scoring rules have a list as the first element. The second
21632 element is the score to be applied if the first element evaluated to a
21633 non-@code{nil} value.
21635 These lists may consist of three logical operators, one redirection
21636 operator, and various match operators.
21643 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
21644 one that evaluates to @code{false}, and then it'll stop. If all arguments
21645 evaluate to @code{true} values, then this operator will return
21650 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
21651 one that evaluates to @code{true}. If no arguments are @code{true},
21652 then this operator will return @code{false}.
21657 This logical operator only takes a single argument. It returns the
21658 logical negation of the value of its argument.
21662 There is an @dfn{indirection operator} that will make its arguments
21663 apply to the ancestors of the current article being scored. For
21664 instance, @code{1-} will make score rules apply to the parent of the
21665 current article. @code{2-} will make score rules apply to the
21666 grandparent of the current article. Alternatively, you can write
21667 @code{^^}, where the number of @code{^}s (carets) says how far back into
21668 the ancestry you want to go.
21670 Finally, we have the match operators. These are the ones that do the
21671 real work. Match operators are header name strings followed by a match
21672 and a match type. A typical match operator looks like @samp{("from"
21673 "Lars Ingebrigtsen" s)}. The header names are the same as when using
21674 simple scoring, and the match types are also the same.
21677 @node Advanced Scoring Examples
21678 @subsection Advanced Scoring Examples
21680 Please note that the following examples are score file rules. To
21681 make a complete score file from them, surround them with another pair
21684 Let's say you want to increase the score of articles written by Lars
21685 when he's talking about Gnus:
21690 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
21691 ("subject" "Gnus"))
21698 When he writes long articles, he sometimes has something nice to say:
21702 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
21709 However, when he responds to things written by Reig Eigil Logge, you
21710 really don't want to read what he's written:
21714 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
21715 (1- ("from" "Reig Eigil Logge")))
21719 Everybody that follows up Redmondo when he writes about disappearing
21720 socks should have their scores raised, but only when they talk about
21721 white socks. However, when Lars talks about socks, it's usually not
21728 ("from" "redmondo@@.*no" r)
21729 ("body" "disappearing.*socks" t)))
21730 (! ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen"))
21731 ("body" "white.*socks"))
21735 Suppose you're reading a high volume group and you're only interested
21736 in replies. The plan is to score down all articles that don't have
21737 subject that begin with "Re:", "Fw:" or "Fwd:" and then score up all
21738 parents of articles that have subjects that begin with reply marks.
21741 ((! ("subject" "re:\\|fwd?:" r))
21743 ((1- ("subject" "re:\\|fwd?:" r))
21747 The possibilities are endless.
21749 @node Advanced Scoring Tips
21750 @subsection Advanced Scoring Tips
21752 The @code{&} and @code{|} logical operators do short-circuit logic.
21753 That is, they stop processing their arguments when it's clear what the
21754 result of the operation will be. For instance, if one of the arguments
21755 of an @code{&} evaluates to @code{false}, there's no point in evaluating
21756 the rest of the arguments. This means that you should put slow matches
21757 (@samp{body}, @samp{header}) last and quick matches (@samp{from},
21758 @samp{subject}) first.
21760 The indirection arguments (@code{1-} and so on) will make their
21761 arguments work on previous generations of the thread. If you say
21772 Then that means ``score on the from header of the grandparent of the
21773 current article''. An indirection is quite fast, but it's better to say:
21779 ("subject" "Gnus")))
21786 (1- ("from" "Lars"))
21787 (1- ("subject" "Gnus")))
21792 @section Score Decays
21793 @cindex score decays
21796 You may find that your scores have a tendency to grow without
21797 bounds, especially if you're using adaptive scoring. If scores get too
21798 big, they lose all meaning---they simply max out and it's difficult to
21799 use them in any sensible way.
21801 @vindex gnus-decay-scores
21802 @findex gnus-decay-score
21803 @vindex gnus-decay-score-function
21804 Gnus provides a mechanism for decaying scores to help with this problem.
21805 When score files are loaded and @code{gnus-decay-scores} is
21806 non-@code{nil}, Gnus will run the score files through the decaying
21807 mechanism thereby lowering the scores of all non-permanent score rules.
21808 If @code{gnus-decay-scores} is a regexp, only score files matching this
21809 regexp are treated. E.g. you may set it to @samp{\\.ADAPT\\'} if only
21810 @emph{adaptive} score files should be decayed. The decay itself if
21811 performed by the @code{gnus-decay-score-function} function, which is
21812 @code{gnus-decay-score} by default. Here's the definition of that
21816 (defun gnus-decay-score (score)
21817 "Decay SCORE according to `gnus-score-decay-constant'
21818 and `gnus-score-decay-scale'."
21820 (* (if (< score 0) -1 1)
21822 (max gnus-score-decay-constant
21824 gnus-score-decay-scale)))))))
21825 (if (and (featurep 'xemacs)
21826 ;; XEmacs' floor can handle only the floating point
21827 ;; number below the half of the maximum integer.
21828 (> (abs n) (lsh -1 -2)))
21830 (car (split-string (number-to-string n) "\\.")))
21834 @vindex gnus-score-decay-scale
21835 @vindex gnus-score-decay-constant
21836 @code{gnus-score-decay-constant} is 3 by default and
21837 @code{gnus-score-decay-scale} is 0.05. This should cause the following:
21841 Scores between -3 and 3 will be set to 0 when this function is called.
21844 Scores with magnitudes between 3 and 60 will be shrunk by 3.
21847 Scores with magnitudes greater than 60 will be shrunk by 5% of the
21851 If you don't like this decay function, write your own. It is called
21852 with the score to be decayed as its only parameter, and it should return
21853 the new score, which should be an integer.
21855 Gnus will try to decay scores once a day. If you haven't run Gnus for
21856 four days, Gnus will decay the scores four times, for instance.
21861 @include message.texi
21862 @chapter Emacs MIME
21863 @include emacs-mime.texi
21865 @include sieve.texi
21877 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
21878 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
21879 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
21880 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
21881 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
21882 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
21883 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
21884 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
21885 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
21886 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
21887 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
21888 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
21889 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
21890 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
21891 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
21892 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
21893 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
21894 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
21895 * Thwarting Email Spam:: Simple ways to avoid unsolicited commercial email.
21896 * Spam Package:: A package for filtering and processing spam.
21897 * Other modes:: Interaction with other modes.
21898 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
21902 @node Process/Prefix
21903 @section Process/Prefix
21904 @cindex process/prefix convention
21906 Many functions, among them functions for moving, decoding and saving
21907 articles, use what is known as the @dfn{Process/Prefix convention}.
21909 This is a method for figuring out what articles the user wants the
21910 command to be performed on.
21914 If the numeric prefix is N, perform the operation on the next N
21915 articles, starting with the current one. If the numeric prefix is
21916 negative, perform the operation on the previous N articles, starting
21917 with the current one.
21919 @vindex transient-mark-mode
21920 If @code{transient-mark-mode} in non-@code{nil} and the region is
21921 active, all articles in the region will be worked upon.
21923 If there is no numeric prefix, but some articles are marked with the
21924 process mark, perform the operation on the articles marked with
21927 If there is neither a numeric prefix nor any articles marked with the
21928 process mark, just perform the operation on the current article.
21930 Quite simple, really, but it needs to be made clear so that surprises
21933 Commands that react to the process mark will push the current list of
21934 process marked articles onto a stack and will then clear all process
21935 marked articles. You can restore the previous configuration with the
21936 @kbd{M P y} command (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
21938 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
21939 One thing that seems to shock & horrify lots of people is that, for
21940 instance, @kbd{3 d} does exactly the same as @kbd{d} @kbd{d} @kbd{d}.
21941 Since each @kbd{d} (which marks the current article as read) by default
21942 goes to the next unread article after marking, this means that @kbd{3 d}
21943 will mark the next three unread articles as read, no matter what the
21944 summary buffer looks like. Set @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} to
21945 @code{nil} for a more straightforward action.
21947 Many commands do not use the process/prefix convention. All commands
21948 that do explicitly say so in this manual. To apply the process/prefix
21949 convention to commands that do not use it, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
21950 command. For instance, to mark all the articles in the group as
21951 expirable, you could say @kbd{M P b M-& E}.
21955 @section Interactive
21956 @cindex interaction
21960 @item gnus-novice-user
21961 @vindex gnus-novice-user
21962 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you are either a newcomer to the
21963 World of Usenet, or you are very cautious, which is a nice thing to be,
21964 really. You will be given questions of the type ``Are you sure you want
21965 to do this?'' before doing anything dangerous. This is @code{t} by
21968 @item gnus-expert-user
21969 @vindex gnus-expert-user
21970 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you will seldom be asked any
21971 questions by Gnus. It will simply assume you know what you're doing, no
21972 matter how strange.
21974 @item gnus-interactive-catchup
21975 @vindex gnus-interactive-catchup
21976 Require confirmation before catching up a group if non-@code{nil}. It
21977 is @code{t} by default.
21979 @item gnus-interactive-exit
21980 @vindex gnus-interactive-exit
21981 Require confirmation before exiting Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
21986 @node Symbolic Prefixes
21987 @section Symbolic Prefixes
21988 @cindex symbolic prefixes
21990 Quite a lot of Emacs commands react to the (numeric) prefix. For
21991 instance, @kbd{C-u 4 C-f} moves point four characters forward, and
21992 @kbd{C-u 9 0 0 I s s p} adds a permanent @code{Subject} substring score
21993 rule of 900 to the current article.
21995 This is all nice and well, but what if you want to give a command some
21996 additional information? Well, what most commands do is interpret the
21997 ``raw'' prefix in some special way. @kbd{C-u 0 C-x C-s} means that one
21998 doesn't want a backup file to be created when saving the current buffer,
21999 for instance. But what if you want to save without making a backup
22000 file, and you want Emacs to flash lights and play a nice tune at the
22001 same time? You can't, and you're probably perfectly happy that way.
22003 @kindex M-i (Summary)
22004 @findex gnus-symbolic-argument
22005 I'm not, so I've added a second prefix---the @dfn{symbolic prefix}. The
22006 prefix key is @kbd{M-i} (@code{gnus-symbolic-argument}), and the next
22007 character typed in is the value. You can stack as many @kbd{M-i}
22008 prefixes as you want. @kbd{M-i a C-M-u} means ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u}
22009 command the symbolic prefix @code{a}''. @kbd{M-i a M-i b C-M-u} means
22010 ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u} command the symbolic prefixes @code{a} and
22011 @code{b}''. You get the drift.
22013 Typing in symbolic prefixes to commands that don't accept them doesn't
22014 hurt, but it doesn't do any good either. Currently not many Gnus
22015 functions make use of the symbolic prefix.
22017 If you're interested in how Gnus implements this, @pxref{Extended
22021 @node Formatting Variables
22022 @section Formatting Variables
22023 @cindex formatting variables
22025 Throughout this manual you've probably noticed lots of variables called
22026 things like @code{gnus-group-line-format} and
22027 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. These control how Gnus is to
22028 output lines in the various buffers. There's quite a lot of them.
22029 Fortunately, they all use the same syntax, so there's not that much to
22032 Here's an example format spec (from the group buffer): @samp{%M%S%5y:
22033 %(%g%)\n}. We see that it is indeed extremely ugly, and that there are
22034 lots of percentages everywhere.
22037 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
22038 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
22039 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
22040 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
22041 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
22042 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
22043 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
22044 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
22047 Currently Gnus uses the following formatting variables:
22048 @code{gnus-group-line-format}, @code{gnus-summary-line-format},
22049 @code{gnus-server-line-format}, @code{gnus-topic-line-format},
22050 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format},
22051 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format},
22052 @code{gnus-article-mode-line-format},
22053 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format}, and
22054 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format}.
22056 All these format variables can also be arbitrary elisp forms. In that
22057 case, they will be @code{eval}ed to insert the required lines.
22059 @kindex M-x gnus-update-format
22060 @findex gnus-update-format
22061 Gnus includes a command to help you while creating your own format
22062 specs. @kbd{M-x gnus-update-format} will @code{eval} the current form,
22063 update the spec in question and pop you to a buffer where you can
22064 examine the resulting Lisp code to be run to generate the line.
22068 @node Formatting Basics
22069 @subsection Formatting Basics
22071 Each @samp{%} element will be replaced by some string or other when the
22072 buffer in question is generated. @samp{%5y} means ``insert the @samp{y}
22073 spec, and pad with spaces to get a 5-character field''.
22075 As with normal C and Emacs Lisp formatting strings, the numerical
22076 modifier between the @samp{%} and the formatting type character will
22077 @dfn{pad} the output so that it is always at least that long.
22078 @samp{%5y} will make the field always (at least) five characters wide by
22079 padding with spaces to the left. If you say @samp{%-5y}, it will pad to
22082 You may also wish to limit the length of the field to protect against
22083 particularly wide values. For that you can say @samp{%4,6y}, which
22084 means that the field will never be more than 6 characters wide and never
22085 less than 4 characters wide.
22087 Also Gnus supports some extended format specifications, such as
22088 @samp{%&user-date;}.
22091 @node Mode Line Formatting
22092 @subsection Mode Line Formatting
22094 Mode line formatting variables (e.g.,
22095 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}) follow the same rules as other,
22096 buffer line oriented formatting variables (@pxref{Formatting Basics})
22097 with the following two differences:
22102 There must be no newline (@samp{\n}) at the end.
22105 The special @samp{%%b} spec can be used to display the buffer name.
22106 Well, it's no spec at all, really---@samp{%%} is just a way to quote
22107 @samp{%} to allow it to pass through the formatting machinery unmangled,
22108 so that Emacs receives @samp{%b}, which is something the Emacs mode line
22109 display interprets to mean ``show the buffer name''. For a full list of
22110 mode line specs Emacs understands, see the documentation of the
22111 @code{mode-line-format} variable.
22116 @node Advanced Formatting
22117 @subsection Advanced Formatting
22119 It is frequently useful to post-process the fields in some way.
22120 Padding, limiting, cutting off parts and suppressing certain values can
22121 be achieved by using @dfn{tilde modifiers}. A typical tilde spec might
22122 look like @samp{%~(cut 3)~(ignore "0")y}.
22124 These are the valid modifiers:
22129 Pad the field to the left with spaces until it reaches the required
22133 Pad the field to the right with spaces until it reaches the required
22138 Cut off characters from the left until it reaches the specified length.
22141 Cut off characters from the right until it reaches the specified
22146 Cut off the specified number of characters from the left.
22149 Cut off the specified number of characters from the right.
22152 Return an empty string if the field is equal to the specified value.
22155 Use the specified form as the field value when the @samp{@@} spec is
22161 "~(form (current-time-string))@@"
22166 Let's take an example. The @samp{%o} spec in the summary mode lines
22167 will return a date in compact ISO8601 format---@samp{19960809T230410}.
22168 This is quite a mouthful, so we want to shave off the century number and
22169 the time, leaving us with a six-character date. That would be
22170 @samp{%~(cut-left 2)~(max-right 6)~(pad 6)o}. (Cutting is done before
22171 maxing, and we need the padding to ensure that the date is never less
22172 than 6 characters to make it look nice in columns.)
22174 Ignoring is done first; then cutting; then maxing; and then as the very
22175 last operation, padding.
22177 If you use lots of these advanced thingies, you'll find that Gnus gets
22178 quite slow. This can be helped enormously by running @kbd{M-x
22179 gnus-compile} when you are satisfied with the look of your lines.
22180 @xref{Compilation}.
22183 @node User-Defined Specs
22184 @subsection User-Defined Specs
22186 All the specs allow for inserting user defined specifiers---@samp{u}.
22187 The next character in the format string should be a letter. Gnus
22188 will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where
22189 @samp{X} is the letter following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed
22190 a single parameter---what the parameter means depends on what buffer
22191 it's being called from. The function should return a string, which will
22192 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
22193 specifier. This function may also be called with dummy values, so it
22194 should protect against that.
22196 Also Gnus supports extended user-defined specs, such as @samp{%u&foo;}.
22197 Gnus will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{foo}.
22199 You can also use tilde modifiers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting} to achieve
22200 much the same without defining new functions. Here's an example:
22201 @samp{%~(form (count-lines (point-min) (point)))@@}. The form
22202 given here will be evaluated to yield the current line number, and then
22206 @node Formatting Fonts
22207 @subsection Formatting Fonts
22209 There are specs for highlighting, and these are shared by all the format
22210 variables. Text inside the @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} specifiers will get
22211 the special @code{mouse-face} property set, which means that it will be
22212 highlighted (with @code{gnus-mouse-face}) when you put the mouse pointer
22215 Text inside the @samp{%@{} and @samp{%@}} specifiers will have their
22216 normal faces set using @code{gnus-face-0}, which is @code{bold} by
22217 default. If you say @samp{%1@{}, you'll get @code{gnus-face-1} instead,
22218 and so on. Create as many faces as you wish. The same goes for the
22219 @code{mouse-face} specs---you can say @samp{%3(hello%)} to have
22220 @samp{hello} mouse-highlighted with @code{gnus-mouse-face-3}.
22222 Text inside the @samp{%<<} and @samp{%>>} specifiers will get the
22223 special @code{balloon-help} property set to
22224 @code{gnus-balloon-face-0}. If you say @samp{%1<<}, you'll get
22225 @code{gnus-balloon-face-1} and so on. The @code{gnus-balloon-face-*}
22226 variables should be either strings or symbols naming functions that
22227 return a string. When the mouse passes over text with this property
22228 set, a balloon window will appear and display the string. Please
22229 refer to @ref{Tooltips, ,Tooltips, emacs, The Emacs Manual},
22230 (in GNU Emacs) or the doc string of @code{balloon-help-mode} (in
22231 XEmacs) for more information on this. (For technical reasons, the
22232 guillemets have been approximated as @samp{<<} and @samp{>>} in this
22235 Here's an alternative recipe for the group buffer:
22238 ;; @r{Create three face types.}
22239 (setq gnus-face-1 'bold)
22240 (setq gnus-face-3 'italic)
22242 ;; @r{We want the article count to be in}
22243 ;; @r{a bold and green face. So we create}
22244 ;; @r{a new face called @code{my-green-bold}.}
22245 (copy-face 'bold 'my-green-bold)
22246 ;; @r{Set the color.}
22247 (set-face-foreground 'my-green-bold "ForestGreen")
22248 (setq gnus-face-2 'my-green-bold)
22250 ;; @r{Set the new & fancy format.}
22251 (setq gnus-group-line-format
22252 "%M%S%3@{%5y%@}%2[:%] %(%1@{%g%@}%)\n")
22255 I'm sure you'll be able to use this scheme to create totally unreadable
22256 and extremely vulgar displays. Have fun!
22258 Note that the @samp{%(} specs (and friends) do not make any sense on the
22259 mode-line variables.
22261 @node Positioning Point
22262 @subsection Positioning Point
22264 Gnus usually moves point to a pre-defined place on each line in most
22265 buffers. By default, point move to the first colon character on the
22266 line. You can customize this behavior in three different ways.
22268 You can move the colon character to somewhere else on the line.
22270 @findex gnus-goto-colon
22271 You can redefine the function that moves the point to the colon. The
22272 function is called @code{gnus-goto-colon}.
22274 But perhaps the most convenient way to deal with this, if you don't want
22275 to have a colon in your line, is to use the @samp{%*} specifier. If you
22276 put a @samp{%*} somewhere in your format line definition, Gnus will
22281 @subsection Tabulation
22283 You can usually line up your displays by padding and cutting your
22284 strings. However, when combining various strings of different size, it
22285 can often be more convenient to just output the strings, and then worry
22286 about lining up the following text afterwards.
22288 To do that, Gnus supplies tabulator specs---@samp{%=}. There are two
22289 different types---@dfn{hard tabulators} and @dfn{soft tabulators}.
22291 @samp{%50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
22292 50. If the text is already past column 50, nothing will be inserted.
22293 This is the soft tabulator.
22295 @samp{%-50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
22296 50. If the text is already past column 50, the excess text past column
22297 50 will be removed. This is the hard tabulator.
22300 @node Wide Characters
22301 @subsection Wide Characters
22303 Fixed width fonts in most countries have characters of the same width.
22304 Some countries, however, use Latin characters mixed with wider
22305 characters---most notable East Asian countries.
22307 The problem is that when formatting, Gnus assumes that if a string is 10
22308 characters wide, it'll be 10 Latin characters wide on the screen. In
22309 these countries, that's not true.
22311 @vindex gnus-use-correct-string-widths
22312 To help fix this, you can set @code{gnus-use-correct-string-widths} to
22313 @code{t}. This makes buffer generation slower, but the results will be
22314 prettier. The default value under XEmacs is @code{t} but @code{nil}
22318 @node Window Layout
22319 @section Window Layout
22320 @cindex window layout
22322 No, there's nothing here about X, so be quiet.
22324 @vindex gnus-use-full-window
22325 If @code{gnus-use-full-window} non-@code{nil}, Gnus will delete all
22326 other windows and occupy the entire Emacs screen by itself. It is
22327 @code{t} by default.
22329 Setting this variable to @code{nil} kinda works, but there are
22330 glitches. Use at your own peril.
22332 @vindex gnus-buffer-configuration
22333 @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} describes how much space each Gnus
22334 buffer should be given. Here's an excerpt of this variable:
22337 ((group (vertical 1.0 (group 1.0 point)
22338 (if gnus-carpal (group-carpal 4))))
22339 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
22343 This is an alist. The @dfn{key} is a symbol that names some action or
22344 other. For instance, when displaying the group buffer, the window
22345 configuration function will use @code{group} as the key. A full list of
22346 possible names is listed below.
22348 The @dfn{value} (i.e., the @dfn{split}) says how much space each buffer
22349 should occupy. To take the @code{article} split as an example -
22352 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
22356 This @dfn{split} says that the summary buffer should occupy 25% of upper
22357 half of the screen, and that it is placed over the article buffer. As
22358 you may have noticed, 100% + 25% is actually 125% (yup, I saw y'all
22359 reaching for that calculator there). However, the special number
22360 @code{1.0} is used to signal that this buffer should soak up all the
22361 rest of the space available after the rest of the buffers have taken
22362 whatever they need. There should be only one buffer with the @code{1.0}
22363 size spec per split.
22365 Point will be put in the buffer that has the optional third element
22366 @code{point}. In a @code{frame} split, the last subsplit having a leaf
22367 split where the tag @code{frame-focus} is a member (i.e. is the third or
22368 fourth element in the list, depending on whether the @code{point} tag is
22369 present) gets focus.
22371 Here's a more complicated example:
22374 (article (vertical 1.0 (group 4)
22375 (summary 0.25 point)
22376 (if gnus-carpal (summary-carpal 4))
22380 If the size spec is an integer instead of a floating point number,
22381 then that number will be used to say how many lines a buffer should
22382 occupy, not a percentage.
22384 If the @dfn{split} looks like something that can be @code{eval}ed (to be
22385 precise---if the @code{car} of the split is a function or a subr), this
22386 split will be @code{eval}ed. If the result is non-@code{nil}, it will
22387 be used as a split. This means that there will be three buffers if
22388 @code{gnus-carpal} is @code{nil}, and four buffers if @code{gnus-carpal}
22391 Not complicated enough for you? Well, try this on for size:
22394 (article (horizontal 1.0
22399 (summary 0.25 point)
22404 Whoops. Two buffers with the mystery 100% tag. And what's that
22405 @code{horizontal} thingie?
22407 If the first element in one of the split is @code{horizontal}, Gnus will
22408 split the window horizontally, giving you two windows side-by-side.
22409 Inside each of these strips you may carry on all you like in the normal
22410 fashion. The number following @code{horizontal} says what percentage of
22411 the screen is to be given to this strip.
22413 For each split, there @emph{must} be one element that has the 100% tag.
22414 The splitting is never accurate, and this buffer will eat any leftover
22415 lines from the splits.
22417 To be slightly more formal, here's a definition of what a valid split
22422 split = frame | horizontal | vertical | buffer | form
22423 frame = "(frame " size *split ")"
22424 horizontal = "(horizontal " size *split ")"
22425 vertical = "(vertical " size *split ")"
22426 buffer = "(" buf-name " " size *[ "point" ] *[ "frame-focus"] ")"
22427 size = number | frame-params
22428 buf-name = group | article | summary ...
22432 The limitations are that the @code{frame} split can only appear as the
22433 top-level split. @var{form} should be an Emacs Lisp form that should
22434 return a valid split. We see that each split is fully recursive, and
22435 may contain any number of @code{vertical} and @code{horizontal} splits.
22437 @vindex gnus-window-min-width
22438 @vindex gnus-window-min-height
22439 @cindex window height
22440 @cindex window width
22441 Finding the right sizes can be a bit complicated. No window may be less
22442 than @code{gnus-window-min-height} (default 1) characters high, and all
22443 windows must be at least @code{gnus-window-min-width} (default 1)
22444 characters wide. Gnus will try to enforce this before applying the
22445 splits. If you want to use the normal Emacs window width/height limit,
22446 you can just set these two variables to @code{nil}.
22448 If you're not familiar with Emacs terminology, @code{horizontal} and
22449 @code{vertical} splits may work the opposite way of what you'd expect.
22450 Windows inside a @code{horizontal} split are shown side-by-side, and
22451 windows within a @code{vertical} split are shown above each other.
22453 @findex gnus-configure-frame
22454 If you want to experiment with window placement, a good tip is to call
22455 @code{gnus-configure-frame} directly with a split. This is the function
22456 that does all the real work when splitting buffers. Below is a pretty
22457 nonsensical configuration with 5 windows; two for the group buffer and
22458 three for the article buffer. (I said it was nonsensical.) If you
22459 @code{eval} the statement below, you can get an idea of how that would
22460 look straight away, without going through the normal Gnus channels.
22461 Play with it until you're satisfied, and then use
22462 @code{gnus-add-configuration} to add your new creation to the buffer
22463 configuration list.
22466 (gnus-configure-frame
22470 (article 0.3 point))
22478 You might want to have several frames as well. No prob---just use the
22479 @code{frame} split:
22482 (gnus-configure-frame
22485 (summary 0.25 point frame-focus)
22487 (vertical ((height . 5) (width . 15)
22488 (user-position . t)
22489 (left . -1) (top . 1))
22494 This split will result in the familiar summary/article window
22495 configuration in the first (or ``main'') frame, while a small additional
22496 frame will be created where picons will be shown. As you can see,
22497 instead of the normal @code{1.0} top-level spec, each additional split
22498 should have a frame parameter alist as the size spec.
22499 @xref{Frame Parameters, , Frame Parameters, elisp, The GNU Emacs Lisp
22500 Reference Manual}. Under XEmacs, a frame property list will be
22501 accepted, too---for instance, @code{(height 5 width 15 left -1 top 1)}
22503 The list of all possible keys for @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} can
22504 be found in its default value.
22506 Note that the @code{message} key is used for both
22507 @code{gnus-group-mail} and @code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}. If
22508 it is desirable to distinguish between the two, something like this
22512 (message (horizontal 1.0
22513 (vertical 1.0 (message 1.0 point))
22515 (if (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer)
22520 One common desire for a multiple frame split is to have a separate frame
22521 for composing mail and news while leaving the original frame intact. To
22522 accomplish that, something like the following can be done:
22527 (if (not (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer))
22528 (car (cdr (assoc 'group gnus-buffer-configuration)))
22529 (car (cdr (assoc 'summary gnus-buffer-configuration))))
22530 (vertical ((user-position . t) (top . 1) (left . 1)
22531 (name . "Message"))
22532 (message 1.0 point))))
22535 @findex gnus-add-configuration
22536 Since the @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} variable is so long and
22537 complicated, there's a function you can use to ease changing the config
22538 of a single setting: @code{gnus-add-configuration}. If, for instance,
22539 you want to change the @code{article} setting, you could say:
22542 (gnus-add-configuration
22543 '(article (vertical 1.0
22545 (summary .25 point)
22549 You'd typically stick these @code{gnus-add-configuration} calls in your
22550 @file{~/.gnus.el} file or in some startup hook---they should be run after
22551 Gnus has been loaded.
22553 @vindex gnus-always-force-window-configuration
22554 If all windows mentioned in the configuration are already visible, Gnus
22555 won't change the window configuration. If you always want to force the
22556 ``right'' window configuration, you can set
22557 @code{gnus-always-force-window-configuration} to non-@code{nil}.
22559 If you're using tree displays (@pxref{Tree Display}), and the tree
22560 window is displayed vertically next to another window, you may also want
22561 to fiddle with @code{gnus-tree-minimize-window} to avoid having the
22564 @subsection Example Window Configurations
22568 Narrow left hand side occupied by group buffer. Right hand side split
22569 between summary buffer (top one-sixth) and article buffer (bottom).
22584 (gnus-add-configuration
22587 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
22589 (summary 0.16 point)
22592 (gnus-add-configuration
22595 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
22596 (vertical 1.0 (summary 1.0 point)))))
22602 @node Faces and Fonts
22603 @section Faces and Fonts
22608 Fiddling with fonts and faces used to be very difficult, but these days
22609 it is very simple. You simply say @kbd{M-x customize-face}, pick out
22610 the face you want to alter, and alter it via the standard Customize
22615 @section Compilation
22616 @cindex compilation
22617 @cindex byte-compilation
22619 @findex gnus-compile
22621 Remember all those line format specification variables?
22622 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}, @code{gnus-group-line-format}, and so
22623 on. Now, Gnus will of course heed whatever these variables are, but,
22624 unfortunately, changing them will mean a quite significant slow-down.
22625 (The default values of these variables have byte-compiled functions
22626 associated with them, while the user-generated versions do not, of
22629 To help with this, you can run @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} after you've
22630 fiddled around with the variables and feel that you're (kind of)
22631 satisfied. This will result in the new specs being byte-compiled, and
22632 you'll get top speed again. Gnus will save these compiled specs in the
22633 @file{.newsrc.eld} file. (User-defined functions aren't compiled by
22634 this function, though---you should compile them yourself by sticking
22635 them into the @file{~/.gnus.el} file and byte-compiling that file.)
22639 @section Mode Lines
22642 @vindex gnus-updated-mode-lines
22643 @code{gnus-updated-mode-lines} says what buffers should keep their mode
22644 lines updated. It is a list of symbols. Supported symbols include
22645 @code{group}, @code{article}, @code{summary}, @code{server},
22646 @code{browse}, and @code{tree}. If the corresponding symbol is present,
22647 Gnus will keep that mode line updated with information that may be
22648 pertinent. If this variable is @code{nil}, screen refresh may be
22651 @cindex display-time
22653 @vindex gnus-mode-non-string-length
22654 By default, Gnus displays information on the current article in the mode
22655 lines of the summary and article buffers. The information Gnus wishes
22656 to display (e.g. the subject of the article) is often longer than the
22657 mode lines, and therefore have to be cut off at some point. The
22658 @code{gnus-mode-non-string-length} variable says how long the other
22659 elements on the line is (i.e., the non-info part). If you put
22660 additional elements on the mode line (e.g. a clock), you should modify
22663 @c Hook written by Francesco Potorti` <pot@cnuce.cnr.it>
22665 (add-hook 'display-time-hook
22666 (lambda () (setq gnus-mode-non-string-length
22668 (if line-number-mode 5 0)
22669 (if column-number-mode 4 0)
22670 (length display-time-string)))))
22673 If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the default), the mode line
22674 strings won't be chopped off, and they won't be padded either. Note
22675 that the default is unlikely to be desirable, as even the percentage
22676 complete in the buffer may be crowded off the mode line; the user should
22677 configure this variable appropriately for her configuration.
22680 @node Highlighting and Menus
22681 @section Highlighting and Menus
22683 @cindex highlighting
22686 @vindex gnus-visual
22687 The @code{gnus-visual} variable controls most of the Gnus-prettifying
22688 aspects. If @code{nil}, Gnus won't attempt to create menus or use fancy
22689 colors or fonts. This will also inhibit loading the @file{gnus-vis.el}
22692 This variable can be a list of visual properties that are enabled. The
22693 following elements are valid, and are all included by default:
22696 @item group-highlight
22697 Do highlights in the group buffer.
22698 @item summary-highlight
22699 Do highlights in the summary buffer.
22700 @item article-highlight
22701 Do highlights in the article buffer.
22703 Turn on highlighting in all buffers.
22705 Create menus in the group buffer.
22707 Create menus in the summary buffers.
22709 Create menus in the article buffer.
22711 Create menus in the browse buffer.
22713 Create menus in the server buffer.
22715 Create menus in the score buffers.
22717 Create menus in all buffers.
22720 So if you only want highlighting in the article buffer and menus in all
22721 buffers, you could say something like:
22724 (setq gnus-visual '(article-highlight menu))
22727 If you want highlighting only and no menus whatsoever, you'd say:
22730 (setq gnus-visual '(highlight))
22733 If @code{gnus-visual} is @code{t}, highlighting and menus will be used
22734 in all Gnus buffers.
22736 Other general variables that influence the look of all buffers include:
22739 @item gnus-mouse-face
22740 @vindex gnus-mouse-face
22741 This is the face (i.e., font) used for mouse highlighting in Gnus. No
22742 mouse highlights will be done if @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
22746 There are hooks associated with the creation of all the different menus:
22750 @item gnus-article-menu-hook
22751 @vindex gnus-article-menu-hook
22752 Hook called after creating the article mode menu.
22754 @item gnus-group-menu-hook
22755 @vindex gnus-group-menu-hook
22756 Hook called after creating the group mode menu.
22758 @item gnus-summary-menu-hook
22759 @vindex gnus-summary-menu-hook
22760 Hook called after creating the summary mode menu.
22762 @item gnus-server-menu-hook
22763 @vindex gnus-server-menu-hook
22764 Hook called after creating the server mode menu.
22766 @item gnus-browse-menu-hook
22767 @vindex gnus-browse-menu-hook
22768 Hook called after creating the browse mode menu.
22770 @item gnus-score-menu-hook
22771 @vindex gnus-score-menu-hook
22772 Hook called after creating the score mode menu.
22783 Those new-fangled @dfn{mouse} contraptions is very popular with the
22784 young, hep kids who don't want to learn the proper way to do things
22785 these days. Why, I remember way back in the summer of '89, when I was
22786 using Emacs on a Tops 20 system. Three hundred users on one single
22787 machine, and every user was running Simula compilers. Bah!
22791 @vindex gnus-carpal
22792 Well, you can make Gnus display bufferfuls of buttons you can click to
22793 do anything by setting @code{gnus-carpal} to @code{t}. Pretty simple,
22794 really. Tell the chiropractor I sent you.
22799 @item gnus-carpal-mode-hook
22800 @vindex gnus-carpal-mode-hook
22801 Hook run in all carpal mode buffers.
22803 @item gnus-carpal-button-face
22804 @vindex gnus-carpal-button-face
22805 Face used on buttons.
22807 @item gnus-carpal-header-face
22808 @vindex gnus-carpal-header-face
22809 Face used on carpal buffer headers.
22811 @item gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
22812 @vindex gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
22813 Buttons in the group buffer.
22815 @item gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
22816 @vindex gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
22817 Buttons in the summary buffer.
22819 @item gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
22820 @vindex gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
22821 Buttons in the server buffer.
22823 @item gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
22824 @vindex gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
22825 Buttons in the browse buffer.
22828 All the @code{buttons} variables are lists. The elements in these list
22829 are either cons cells where the @code{car} contains a text to be displayed and
22830 the @code{cdr} contains a function symbol, or a simple string.
22838 Gnus, being larger than any program ever written (allegedly), does lots
22839 of strange stuff that you may wish to have done while you're not
22840 present. For instance, you may want it to check for new mail once in a
22841 while. Or you may want it to close down all connections to all servers
22842 when you leave Emacs idle. And stuff like that.
22844 Gnus will let you do stuff like that by defining various
22845 @dfn{handlers}. Each handler consists of three elements: A
22846 @var{function}, a @var{time}, and an @var{idle} parameter.
22848 Here's an example of a handler that closes connections when Emacs has
22849 been idle for thirty minutes:
22852 (gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
22855 Here's a handler that scans for @acronym{PGP} headers every hour when
22859 (gnus-demon-scan-pgp 60 t)
22862 This @var{time} parameter and that @var{idle} parameter work together
22863 in a strange, but wonderful fashion. Basically, if @var{idle} is
22864 @code{nil}, then the function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
22866 If @var{idle} is @code{t}, then the function will be called after
22867 @var{time} minutes only if Emacs is idle. So if Emacs is never idle,
22868 the function will never be called. But once Emacs goes idle, the
22869 function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
22871 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is a number, the function will
22872 be called every @var{time} minutes only when Emacs has been idle for
22873 @var{idle} minutes.
22875 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is @code{nil}, the function
22876 will be called once every time Emacs has been idle for @var{idle}
22879 And if @var{time} is a string, it should look like @samp{07:31}, and
22880 the function will then be called once every day somewhere near that
22881 time. Modified by the @var{idle} parameter, of course.
22883 @vindex gnus-demon-timestep
22884 (When I say ``minute'' here, I really mean @code{gnus-demon-timestep}
22885 seconds. This is 60 by default. If you change that variable,
22886 all the timings in the handlers will be affected.)
22888 So, if you want to add a handler, you could put something like this in
22889 your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
22891 @findex gnus-demon-add-handler
22893 (gnus-demon-add-handler 'gnus-demon-close-connections 30 t)
22896 @findex gnus-demon-add-nocem
22897 @findex gnus-demon-add-scanmail
22898 @findex gnus-demon-add-rescan
22899 @findex gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps
22900 @findex gnus-demon-add-disconnection
22901 Some ready-made functions to do this have been created:
22902 @code{gnus-demon-add-nocem}, @code{gnus-demon-add-disconnection},
22903 @code{gnus-demon-add-nntp-close-connection},
22904 @code{gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps}, @code{gnus-demon-add-rescan}, and
22905 @code{gnus-demon-add-scanmail}. Just put those functions in your
22906 @file{~/.gnus.el} if you want those abilities.
22908 @findex gnus-demon-init
22909 @findex gnus-demon-cancel
22910 @vindex gnus-demon-handlers
22911 If you add handlers to @code{gnus-demon-handlers} directly, you should
22912 run @code{gnus-demon-init} to make the changes take hold. To cancel all
22913 daemons, you can use the @code{gnus-demon-cancel} function.
22915 Note that adding daemons can be pretty naughty if you over do it. Adding
22916 functions that scan all news and mail from all servers every two seconds
22917 is a sure-fire way of getting booted off any respectable system. So
22926 @dfn{Spamming} is posting the same article lots and lots of times.
22927 Spamming is bad. Spamming is evil.
22929 Spamming is usually canceled within a day or so by various anti-spamming
22930 agencies. These agencies usually also send out @dfn{NoCeM} messages.
22931 NoCeM is pronounced ``no see-'em'', and means what the name
22932 implies---these are messages that make the offending articles, like, go
22935 What use are these NoCeM messages if the articles are canceled anyway?
22936 Some sites do not honor cancel messages and some sites just honor cancels
22937 from a select few people. Then you may wish to make use of the NoCeM
22938 messages, which are distributed in the @samp{alt.nocem.misc} newsgroup.
22940 Gnus can read and parse the messages in this group automatically, and
22941 this will make spam disappear.
22943 There are some variables to customize, of course:
22946 @item gnus-use-nocem
22947 @vindex gnus-use-nocem
22948 Set this variable to @code{t} to set the ball rolling. It is @code{nil}
22951 You can also set this variable to a positive number as a group level.
22952 In that case, Gnus scans NoCeM messages when checking new news if this
22953 value is not exceeding a group level that you specify as the prefix
22954 argument to some commands, e.g. @code{gnus},
22955 @code{gnus-group-get-new-news}, etc. Otherwise, Gnus does not scan
22956 NoCeM messages if you specify a group level to those commands. For
22957 example, if you use 1 or 2 on the mail groups and the levels on the news
22958 groups remain the default, 3 is the best choice.
22960 @item gnus-nocem-groups
22961 @vindex gnus-nocem-groups
22962 Gnus will look for NoCeM messages in the groups in this list. The
22965 ("news.lists.filters" "news.admin.net-abuse.bulletins"
22966 "alt.nocem.misc" "news.admin.net-abuse.announce")
22969 @item gnus-nocem-issuers
22970 @vindex gnus-nocem-issuers
22971 There are many people issuing NoCeM messages. This list says what
22972 people you want to listen to. The default is
22974 ("Automoose-1" "clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca"
22975 "cosmo.roadkill" "SpamHippo" "hweede@@snafu.de")
22977 fine, upstanding citizens all of them.
22979 Known despammers that you can put in this list are listed at@*
22980 @uref{http://www.xs4all.nl/~rosalind/nocemreg/nocemreg.html}.
22982 You do not have to heed NoCeM messages from all these people---just the
22983 ones you want to listen to. You also don't have to accept all NoCeM
22984 messages from the people you like. Each NoCeM message has a @dfn{type}
22985 header that gives the message a (more or less, usually less) rigorous
22986 definition. Common types are @samp{spam}, @samp{spew}, @samp{mmf},
22987 @samp{binary}, and @samp{troll}. To specify this, you have to use
22988 @code{(@var{issuer} @var{conditions} @dots{})} elements in the list.
22989 Each condition is either a string (which is a regexp that matches types
22990 you want to use) or a list on the form @code{(not @var{string})}, where
22991 @var{string} is a regexp that matches types you don't want to use.
22993 For instance, if you want all NoCeM messages from Chris Lewis except his
22994 @samp{troll} messages, you'd say:
22997 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" ".*" (not "troll"))
23000 On the other hand, if you just want nothing but his @samp{spam} and
23001 @samp{spew} messages, you'd say:
23004 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" (not ".*") "spew" "spam")
23007 The specs are applied left-to-right.
23010 @item gnus-nocem-verifyer
23011 @vindex gnus-nocem-verifyer
23013 This should be a function for verifying that the NoCeM issuer is who she
23014 says she is. The default is @code{pgg-verify}, which returns
23015 non-@code{nil} if the verification is successful, otherwise (including
23016 the case the NoCeM message was not signed) returns @code{nil}. If this
23017 is too slow and you don't care for verification (which may be dangerous),
23018 you can set this variable to @code{nil}.
23020 Formerly the default was @code{mc-verify}, which is a Mailcrypt
23021 function. While you can still use it, you can change it into
23022 @code{pgg-verify} running with GnuPG if you are willing to add the
23023 @acronym{PGP} public keys to GnuPG's keyring.
23025 @item gnus-nocem-directory
23026 @vindex gnus-nocem-directory
23027 This is where Gnus will store its NoCeM cache files. The default is@*
23028 @file{~/News/NoCeM/}.
23030 @item gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
23031 @vindex gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
23032 The number of days before removing old NoCeM entries from the cache.
23033 The default is 15. If you make it shorter Gnus will be faster, but you
23034 might then see old spam.
23036 @item gnus-nocem-check-from
23037 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-from
23038 Non-@code{nil} means check for valid issuers in message bodies.
23039 Otherwise don't bother fetching articles unless their author matches a
23040 valid issuer; that is much faster if you are selective about the
23043 @item gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
23044 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
23045 If non-@code{nil}, the maximum number of articles to check in any NoCeM
23046 group. NoCeM groups can be huge and very slow to process.
23050 Using NoCeM could potentially be a memory hog. If you have many living
23051 (i. e., subscribed or unsubscribed groups), your Emacs process will grow
23052 big. If this is a problem, you should kill off all (or most) of your
23053 unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Subscription Commands}).
23060 It is very useful to be able to undo actions one has done. In normal
23061 Emacs buffers, it's easy enough---you just push the @code{undo} button.
23062 In Gnus buffers, however, it isn't that simple.
23064 The things Gnus displays in its buffer is of no value whatsoever to
23065 Gnus---it's all just data designed to look nice to the user.
23066 Killing a group in the group buffer with @kbd{C-k} makes the line
23067 disappear, but that's just a side-effect of the real action---the
23068 removal of the group in question from the internal Gnus structures.
23069 Undoing something like that can't be done by the normal Emacs
23070 @code{undo} function.
23072 Gnus tries to remedy this somewhat by keeping track of what the user
23073 does and coming up with actions that would reverse the actions the user
23074 takes. When the user then presses the @code{undo} key, Gnus will run
23075 the code to reverse the previous action, or the previous actions.
23076 However, not all actions are easily reversible, so Gnus currently offers
23077 a few key functions to be undoable. These include killing groups,
23078 yanking groups, and changing the list of read articles of groups.
23079 That's it, really. More functions may be added in the future, but each
23080 added function means an increase in data to be stored, so Gnus will
23081 never be totally undoable.
23083 @findex gnus-undo-mode
23084 @vindex gnus-use-undo
23086 The undoability is provided by the @code{gnus-undo-mode} minor mode. It
23087 is used if @code{gnus-use-undo} is non-@code{nil}, which is the
23088 default. The @kbd{C-M-_} key performs the @code{gnus-undo}
23089 command, which should feel kinda like the normal Emacs @code{undo}
23093 @node Predicate Specifiers
23094 @section Predicate Specifiers
23095 @cindex predicate specifiers
23097 Some Gnus variables are @dfn{predicate specifiers}. This is a special
23098 form that allows flexible specification of predicates without having
23099 to type all that much.
23101 These specifiers are lists consisting of functions, symbols and lists.
23106 (or gnus-article-unseen-p
23107 gnus-article-unread-p)
23110 The available symbols are @code{or}, @code{and} and @code{not}. The
23111 functions all take one parameter.
23113 @findex gnus-make-predicate
23114 Internally, Gnus calls @code{gnus-make-predicate} on these specifiers
23115 to create a function that can be called. This input parameter to this
23116 function will be passed along to all the functions in the predicate
23121 @section Moderation
23124 If you are a moderator, you can use the @file{gnus-mdrtn.el} package.
23125 It is not included in the standard Gnus package. Write a mail to
23126 @samp{larsi@@gnus.org} and state what group you moderate, and you'll
23129 The moderation package is implemented as a minor mode for summary
23133 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-moderate)
23136 in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
23138 If you are the moderator of @samp{rec.zoofle}, this is how it's
23143 You split your incoming mail by matching on
23144 @samp{Newsgroups:.*rec.zoofle}, which will put all the to-be-posted
23145 articles in some mail group---for instance, @samp{nnml:rec.zoofle}.
23148 You enter that group once in a while and post articles using the @kbd{e}
23149 (edit-and-post) or @kbd{s} (just send unedited) commands.
23152 If, while reading the @samp{rec.zoofle} newsgroup, you happen upon some
23153 articles that weren't approved by you, you can cancel them with the
23157 To use moderation mode in these two groups, say:
23160 (setq gnus-moderated-list
23161 "^nnml:rec.zoofle$\\|^rec.zoofle$")
23165 @node Fetching a Group
23166 @section Fetching a Group
23167 @cindex fetching a group
23169 @findex gnus-fetch-group
23170 It is sometimes convenient to be able to just say ``I want to read this
23171 group and I don't care whether Gnus has been started or not''. This is
23172 perhaps more useful for people who write code than for users, but the
23173 command @code{gnus-fetch-group} provides this functionality in any case.
23174 It takes the group name as a parameter.
23177 @node Image Enhancements
23178 @section Image Enhancements
23180 XEmacs, as well as Emacs 21@footnote{Emacs 21 on MS Windows doesn't
23181 support images, Emacs 22 does.} and up, are able to display pictures and
23182 stuff, so Gnus has taken advantage of that.
23185 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
23186 * Face:: Display a funkier, teensier colored image.
23187 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
23188 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
23189 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
23197 @code{X-Face} headers describe a 48x48 pixel black-and-white (1 bit
23198 depth) image that's supposed to represent the author of the message.
23199 It seems to be supported by an ever-growing number of mail and news
23203 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
23204 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-command
23205 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly
23213 Viewing an @code{X-Face} header either requires an Emacs that has
23214 @samp{compface} support (which most XEmacs versions has), or that you
23215 have suitable conversion or display programs installed. If your Emacs
23216 has image support the default action is to display the face before the
23217 @code{From} header. If there's no native @code{X-Face} support, Gnus
23218 will try to convert the @code{X-Face} header using external programs
23219 from the @code{pbmplus} package and friends, see below. For XEmacs it's
23220 faster if XEmacs has been compiled with @code{X-Face} support. The
23221 default action under Emacs without image support is to fork off the
23222 @code{display} program.
23224 On a GNU/Linux system, the @code{display} program is included in the
23225 ImageMagick package. For external conversion programs look for packages
23226 with names like @code{netpbm}, @code{libgr-progs} and @code{compface}.
23227 On Windows, you may use the packages @code{netpbm} and @code{compface}
23228 from @url{http://gnuwin32.sourceforge.net}. You need to add the
23229 @code{bin} directory to your @code{PATH} environment variable.
23230 @c In fact only the following DLLs and binaries seem to be required:
23231 @c compface1.dll uncompface.exe libnetpbm10.dll icontopbm.exe
23233 The variable @code{gnus-article-x-face-command} controls which programs
23234 are used to display the @code{X-Face} header. If this variable is a
23235 string, this string will be executed in a sub-shell. If it is a
23236 function, this function will be called with the face as the argument.
23237 If @code{gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly} (which is a regexp) matches the
23238 @code{From} header, the face will not be shown.
23240 (Note: @code{x-face} is used in the variable/function names, not
23248 @vindex gnus-x-face
23249 Face to show X-Face. The colors from this face are used as the
23250 foreground and background colors of the displayed X-Faces. The
23251 default colors are black and white.
23253 @item gnus-face-properties-alist
23254 @vindex gnus-face-properties-alist
23255 Alist of image types and properties applied to Face (@pxref{Face}) and
23256 X-Face images. The default value is @code{((pbm . (:face gnus-x-face))
23257 (png . nil))} for Emacs or @code{((xface . (:face gnus-x-face)))} for
23258 XEmacs. Here are examples:
23261 ;; Specify the altitude of Face and X-Face images in the From header.
23262 (setq gnus-face-properties-alist
23263 '((pbm . (:face gnus-x-face :ascent 80))
23264 (png . (:ascent 80))))
23266 ;; Show Face and X-Face images as pressed buttons.
23267 (setq gnus-face-properties-alist
23268 '((pbm . (:face gnus-x-face :relief -2))
23269 (png . (:relief -2))))
23272 @pxref{Image Descriptors, ,Image Descriptors, elisp, The Emacs Lisp
23273 Reference Manual} for the valid properties for various image types.
23274 Currently, @code{pbm} is used for X-Face images and @code{png} is used
23275 for Face images in Emacs. Only the @code{:face} property is effective
23276 on the @code{xface} image type in XEmacs if it is built with the
23277 @samp{libcompface} library.
23280 If you use posting styles, you can use an @code{x-face-file} entry in
23281 @code{gnus-posting-styles}, @xref{Posting Styles}. If you don't, Gnus
23282 provides a few convenience functions and variables to allow easier
23283 insertion of X-Face headers in outgoing messages. You also need the
23284 above mentioned ImageMagick, netpbm or other image conversion packages
23285 (depending the values of the variables below) for these functions.
23287 @findex gnus-random-x-face
23288 @vindex gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command
23289 @vindex gnus-x-face-directory
23290 @code{gnus-random-x-face} goes through all the @samp{pbm} files in
23291 @code{gnus-x-face-directory} and picks one at random, and then
23292 converts it to the X-Face format by using the
23293 @code{gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command} shell command. The
23294 @samp{pbm} files should be 48x48 pixels big. It returns the X-Face
23295 header data as a string.
23297 @findex gnus-insert-random-x-face-header
23298 @code{gnus-insert-random-x-face-header} calls
23299 @code{gnus-random-x-face} and inserts a @samp{X-Face} header with the
23300 randomly generated data.
23302 @findex gnus-x-face-from-file
23303 @vindex gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command
23304 @code{gnus-x-face-from-file} takes a GIF file as the parameter, and then
23305 converts the file to X-Face format by using the
23306 @code{gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command} shell command.
23308 Here's how you would typically use the first function. Put something
23309 like the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
23312 (setq message-required-news-headers
23313 (nconc message-required-news-headers
23314 (list '(X-Face . gnus-random-x-face))))
23317 Using the last function would be something like this:
23320 (setq message-required-news-headers
23321 (nconc message-required-news-headers
23322 (list '(X-Face . (lambda ()
23323 (gnus-x-face-from-file
23324 "~/My-face.gif"))))))
23332 @c #### FIXME: faces and x-faces' implementations should really be harmonized.
23334 @code{Face} headers are essentially a funkier version of @code{X-Face}
23335 ones. They describe a 48x48 pixel colored image that's supposed to
23336 represent the author of the message.
23339 @findex gnus-article-display-face
23340 The contents of a @code{Face} header must be a base64 encoded PNG image.
23341 See @uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/circus/face/} for the precise
23344 The @code{gnus-face-properties-alist} variable affects the appearance of
23345 displayed Face images. @xref{X-Face}.
23347 Viewing an @code{Face} header requires an Emacs that is able to display
23350 @c (if (featurep 'xemacs)
23352 @c (image-type-available-p 'png))
23354 Gnus provides a few convenience functions and variables to allow
23355 easier insertion of Face headers in outgoing messages.
23357 @findex gnus-convert-png-to-face
23358 @code{gnus-convert-png-to-face} takes a 48x48 PNG image, no longer than
23359 726 bytes long, and converts it to a face.
23361 @findex gnus-face-from-file
23362 @vindex gnus-convert-image-to-face-command
23363 @code{gnus-face-from-file} takes a JPEG file as the parameter, and then
23364 converts the file to Face format by using the
23365 @code{gnus-convert-image-to-face-command} shell command.
23367 Here's how you would typically use this function. Put something like the
23368 following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
23371 (setq message-required-news-headers
23372 (nconc message-required-news-headers
23373 (list '(Face . (lambda ()
23374 (gnus-face-from-file "~/face.jpg"))))))
23379 @subsection Smileys
23384 \gnusfig{-3cm}{0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/BigFace,height=20cm}}
23389 @dfn{Smiley} is a package separate from Gnus, but since Gnus is
23390 currently the only package that uses Smiley, it is documented here.
23392 In short---to use Smiley in Gnus, put the following in your
23393 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
23396 (setq gnus-treat-display-smileys t)
23399 Smiley maps text smiley faces---@samp{:-)}, @samp{8-)}, @samp{:-(} and
23400 the like---to pictures and displays those instead of the text smiley
23401 faces. The conversion is controlled by a list of regexps that matches
23402 text and maps that to file names.
23404 @vindex smiley-regexp-alist
23405 The alist used is specified by the @code{smiley-regexp-alist}
23406 variable. The first item in each element is the regexp to be matched;
23407 the second element is the regexp match group that is to be replaced by
23408 the picture; and the third element is the name of the file to be
23411 The following variables customize where Smiley will look for these
23416 @item smiley-data-directory
23417 @vindex smiley-data-directory
23418 Where Smiley will look for smiley faces files.
23420 @item gnus-smiley-file-types
23421 @vindex gnus-smiley-file-types
23422 List of suffixes on smiley file names to try.
23436 So@dots{} You want to slow down your news reader even more! This is a
23437 good way to do so. It's also a great way to impress people staring
23438 over your shoulder as you read news.
23440 What are Picons? To quote directly from the Picons Web site:
23449 @dfn{Picons} is short for ``personal icons''. They're small,
23450 constrained images used to represent users and domains on the net,
23451 organized into databases so that the appropriate image for a given
23452 e-mail address can be found. Besides users and domains, there are picon
23453 databases for Usenet newsgroups and weather forecasts. The picons are
23454 in either monochrome @code{XBM} format or color @code{XPM} and
23455 @code{GIF} formats.
23458 @vindex gnus-picon-databases
23459 For instructions on obtaining and installing the picons databases,
23460 point your Web browser at
23461 @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/ftp/index.html}.
23463 If you are using Debian GNU/Linux, saying @samp{apt-get install
23464 picons.*} will install the picons where Gnus can find them.
23466 To enable displaying picons, simply make sure that
23467 @code{gnus-picon-databases} points to the directory containing the
23470 @vindex gnus-picon-style
23471 The variable @code{gnus-picon-style} controls how picons are displayed.
23472 If @code{inline}, the textual representation is replaced. If
23473 @code{right}, picons are added right to the textual representation.
23475 The following variables offer control over where things are located.
23479 @item gnus-picon-databases
23480 @vindex gnus-picon-databases
23481 The location of the picons database. This is a list of directories
23482 containing the @file{news}, @file{domains}, @file{users} (and so on)
23483 subdirectories. Defaults to @code{("/usr/lib/picon"
23484 "/usr/local/faces")}.
23486 @item gnus-picon-news-directories
23487 @vindex gnus-picon-news-directories
23488 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for
23489 newsgroups faces. @code{("news")} is the default.
23491 @item gnus-picon-user-directories
23492 @vindex gnus-picon-user-directories
23493 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for user
23494 faces. @code{("users" "usenix" "local" "misc")} is the default.
23496 @item gnus-picon-domain-directories
23497 @vindex gnus-picon-domain-directories
23498 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for
23499 domain name faces. Defaults to @code{("domains")}. Some people may
23500 want to add @samp{"unknown"} to this list.
23502 @item gnus-picon-file-types
23503 @vindex gnus-picon-file-types
23504 Ordered list of suffixes on picon file names to try. Defaults to
23505 @code{("xpm" "gif" "xbm")} minus those not built-in your Emacs.
23511 @subsection Various XEmacs Variables
23514 @item gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
23515 @vindex gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
23516 This is where Gnus will look for pictures. Gnus will normally
23517 auto-detect this directory, but you may set it manually if you have an
23518 unusual directory structure.
23520 @item gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
23521 @vindex gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
23522 A glyph displayed in all Gnus mode lines. It is a tiny gnu head by
23527 @subsubsection Toolbar
23531 @item gnus-use-toolbar
23532 @vindex gnus-use-toolbar
23533 This variable specifies the position to display the toolbar. If
23534 @code{nil}, don't display toolbars. If it is non-@code{nil}, it should
23535 be one of the symbols @code{default}, @code{top}, @code{bottom},
23536 @code{right}, and @code{left}. @code{default} means to use the default
23537 toolbar, the rest mean to display the toolbar on the place which those
23538 names show. The default is @code{default}.
23540 @item gnus-toolbar-thickness
23541 @vindex gnus-toolbar-thickness
23542 Cons of the height and the width specifying the thickness of a toolbar.
23543 The height is used for the toolbar displayed on the top or the bottom,
23544 the width is used for the toolbar displayed on the right or the left.
23545 The default is that of the default toolbar.
23547 @item gnus-group-toolbar
23548 @vindex gnus-group-toolbar
23549 The toolbar in the group buffer.
23551 @item gnus-summary-toolbar
23552 @vindex gnus-summary-toolbar
23553 The toolbar in the summary buffer.
23555 @item gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
23556 @vindex gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
23557 The toolbar in the summary buffer of mail groups.
23568 @node Fuzzy Matching
23569 @section Fuzzy Matching
23570 @cindex fuzzy matching
23572 Gnus provides @dfn{fuzzy matching} of @code{Subject} lines when doing
23573 things like scoring, thread gathering and thread comparison.
23575 As opposed to regular expression matching, fuzzy matching is very fuzzy.
23576 It's so fuzzy that there's not even a definition of what @dfn{fuzziness}
23577 means, and the implementation has changed over time.
23579 Basically, it tries to remove all noise from lines before comparing.
23580 @samp{Re: }, parenthetical remarks, white space, and so on, are filtered
23581 out of the strings before comparing the results. This often leads to
23582 adequate results---even when faced with strings generated by text
23583 manglers masquerading as newsreaders.
23586 @node Thwarting Email Spam
23587 @section Thwarting Email Spam
23591 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
23593 In these last days of the Usenet, commercial vultures are hanging about
23594 and grepping through news like crazy to find email addresses they can
23595 foist off their scams and products to. As a reaction to this, many
23596 people have started putting nonsense addresses into their @code{From}
23597 lines. I think this is counterproductive---it makes it difficult for
23598 people to send you legitimate mail in response to things you write, as
23599 well as making it difficult to see who wrote what. This rewriting may
23600 perhaps be a bigger menace than the unsolicited commercial email itself
23603 The biggest problem I have with email spam is that it comes in under
23604 false pretenses. I press @kbd{g} and Gnus merrily informs me that I
23605 have 10 new emails. I say ``Golly gee! Happy is me!'' and select the
23606 mail group, only to find two pyramid schemes, seven advertisements
23607 (``New! Miracle tonic for growing full, lustrous hair on your toes!'')
23608 and one mail asking me to repent and find some god.
23610 This is annoying. Here's what you can do about it.
23613 * The problem of spam:: Some background, and some solutions
23614 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
23615 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
23616 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
23619 @node The problem of spam
23620 @subsection The problem of spam
23622 @cindex spam filtering approaches
23623 @cindex filtering approaches, spam
23625 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
23627 First, some background on spam.
23629 If you have access to e-mail, you are familiar with spam (technically
23630 termed @acronym{UCE}, Unsolicited Commercial E-mail). Simply put, it
23631 exists because e-mail delivery is very cheap compared to paper mail,
23632 so only a very small percentage of people need to respond to an UCE to
23633 make it worthwhile to the advertiser. Ironically, one of the most
23634 common spams is the one offering a database of e-mail addresses for
23635 further spamming. Senders of spam are usually called @emph{spammers},
23636 but terms like @emph{vermin}, @emph{scum}, @emph{sociopaths}, and
23637 @emph{morons} are in common use as well.
23639 Spam comes from a wide variety of sources. It is simply impossible to
23640 dispose of all spam without discarding useful messages. A good
23641 example is the TMDA system, which requires senders
23642 unknown to you to confirm themselves as legitimate senders before
23643 their e-mail can reach you. Without getting into the technical side
23644 of TMDA, a downside is clearly that e-mail from legitimate sources may
23645 be discarded if those sources can't or won't confirm themselves
23646 through the TMDA system. Another problem with TMDA is that it
23647 requires its users to have a basic understanding of e-mail delivery
23650 The simplest approach to filtering spam is filtering, at the mail
23651 server or when you sort through incoming mail. If you get 200 spam
23652 messages per day from @samp{random-address@@vmadmin.com}, you block
23653 @samp{vmadmin.com}. If you get 200 messages about @samp{VIAGRA}, you
23654 discard all messages with @samp{VIAGRA} in the message. If you get
23655 lots of spam from Bulgaria, for example, you try to filter all mail
23656 from Bulgarian IPs.
23658 This, unfortunately, is a great way to discard legitimate e-mail. The
23659 risks of blocking a whole country (Bulgaria, Norway, Nigeria, China,
23660 etc.) or even a continent (Asia, Africa, Europe, etc.) from contacting
23661 you should be obvious, so don't do it if you have the choice.
23663 In another instance, the very informative and useful RISKS digest has
23664 been blocked by overzealous mail filters because it @strong{contained}
23665 words that were common in spam messages. Nevertheless, in isolated
23666 cases, with great care, direct filtering of mail can be useful.
23668 Another approach to filtering e-mail is the distributed spam
23669 processing, for instance DCC implements such a system. In essence,
23670 @var{N} systems around the world agree that a machine @var{X} in
23671 Ghana, Estonia, or California is sending out spam e-mail, and these
23672 @var{N} systems enter @var{X} or the spam e-mail from @var{X} into a
23673 database. The criteria for spam detection vary---it may be the number
23674 of messages sent, the content of the messages, and so on. When a user
23675 of the distributed processing system wants to find out if a message is
23676 spam, he consults one of those @var{N} systems.
23678 Distributed spam processing works very well against spammers that send
23679 a large number of messages at once, but it requires the user to set up
23680 fairly complicated checks. There are commercial and free distributed
23681 spam processing systems. Distributed spam processing has its risks as
23682 well. For instance legitimate e-mail senders have been accused of
23683 sending spam, and their web sites and mailing lists have been shut
23684 down for some time because of the incident.
23686 The statistical approach to spam filtering is also popular. It is
23687 based on a statistical analysis of previous spam messages. Usually
23688 the analysis is a simple word frequency count, with perhaps pairs of
23689 words or 3-word combinations thrown into the mix. Statistical
23690 analysis of spam works very well in most of the cases, but it can
23691 classify legitimate e-mail as spam in some cases. It takes time to
23692 run the analysis, the full message must be analyzed, and the user has
23693 to store the database of spam analysis. Statistical analysis on the
23694 server is gaining popularity. This has the advantage of letting the
23695 user Just Read Mail, but has the disadvantage that it's harder to tell
23696 the server that it has misclassified mail.
23698 Fighting spam is not easy, no matter what anyone says. There is no
23699 magic switch that will distinguish Viagra ads from Mom's e-mails.
23700 Even people are having a hard time telling spam apart from non-spam,
23701 because spammers are actively looking to fool us into thinking they
23702 are Mom, essentially. Spamming is irritating, irresponsible, and
23703 idiotic behavior from a bunch of people who think the world owes them
23704 a favor. We hope the following sections will help you in fighting the
23707 @node Anti-Spam Basics
23708 @subsection Anti-Spam Basics
23712 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
23714 One way of dealing with spam is having Gnus split out all spam into a
23715 @samp{spam} mail group (@pxref{Splitting Mail}).
23717 First, pick one (1) valid mail address that you can be reached at, and
23718 put it in your @code{From} header of all your news articles. (I've
23719 chosen @samp{larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no}, but for many addresses on the form
23720 @samp{larsi+usenet@@ifi.uio.no} will be a better choice. Ask your
23721 sysadmin whether your sendmail installation accepts keywords in the local
23722 part of the mail address.)
23725 (setq message-default-news-headers
23726 "From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no>\n")
23729 Then put the following split rule in @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
23730 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
23734 (to "larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no"
23735 (| ("subject" "re:.*" "misc")
23736 ("references" ".*@@.*" "misc")
23741 This says that all mail to this address is suspect, but if it has a
23742 @code{Subject} that starts with a @samp{Re:} or has a @code{References}
23743 header, it's probably ok. All the rest goes to the @samp{spam} group.
23744 (This idea probably comes from Tim Pierce.)
23746 In addition, many mail spammers talk directly to your @acronym{SMTP} server
23747 and do not include your email address explicitly in the @code{To}
23748 header. Why they do this is unknown---perhaps it's to thwart this
23749 thwarting scheme? In any case, this is trivial to deal with---you just
23750 put anything not addressed to you in the @samp{spam} group by ending
23751 your fancy split rule in this way:
23756 (to "larsi" "misc")
23760 In my experience, this will sort virtually everything into the right
23761 group. You still have to check the @samp{spam} group from time to time to
23762 check for legitimate mail, though. If you feel like being a good net
23763 citizen, you can even send off complaints to the proper authorities on
23764 each unsolicited commercial email---at your leisure.
23766 This works for me. It allows people an easy way to contact me (they can
23767 just press @kbd{r} in the usual way), and I'm not bothered at all with
23768 spam. It's a win-win situation. Forging @code{From} headers to point
23769 to non-existent domains is yucky, in my opinion.
23771 Be careful with this approach. Spammers are wise to it.
23775 @subsection SpamAssassin, Vipul's Razor, DCC, etc
23776 @cindex SpamAssassin
23777 @cindex Vipul's Razor
23780 The days where the hints in the previous section were sufficient in
23781 avoiding spam are coming to an end. There are many tools out there
23782 that claim to reduce the amount of spam you get. This section could
23783 easily become outdated fast, as new products replace old, but
23784 fortunately most of these tools seem to have similar interfaces. Even
23785 though this section will use SpamAssassin as an example, it should be
23786 easy to adapt it to most other tools.
23788 Note that this section does not involve the @code{spam.el} package,
23789 which is discussed in the next section. If you don't care for all
23790 the features of @code{spam.el}, you can make do with these simple
23793 If the tool you are using is not installed on the mail server, you
23794 need to invoke it yourself. Ideas on how to use the
23795 @code{:postscript} mail source parameter (@pxref{Mail Source
23796 Specifiers}) follow.
23800 '((file :prescript "formail -bs spamassassin < /var/mail/%u")
23804 "mv %t /tmp/foo; formail -bs spamc < /tmp/foo > %t")))
23807 Once you manage to process your incoming spool somehow, thus making
23808 the mail contain e.g.@: a header indicating it is spam, you are ready to
23809 filter it out. Using normal split methods (@pxref{Splitting Mail}):
23812 (setq nnmail-split-methods '(("spam" "^X-Spam-Flag: YES")
23816 Or using fancy split methods (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
23819 (setq nnmail-split-methods 'nnmail-split-fancy
23820 nnmail-split-fancy '(| ("X-Spam-Flag" "YES" "spam")
23824 Some people might not like the idea of piping the mail through various
23825 programs using a @code{:prescript} (if some program is buggy, you
23826 might lose all mail). If you are one of them, another solution is to
23827 call the external tools during splitting. Example fancy split method:
23830 (setq nnmail-split-fancy '(| (: kevin-spamassassin)
23832 (defun kevin-spamassassin ()
23836 (if (eq 1 (call-process-region (point-min) (point-max)
23837 "spamc" nil nil nil "-c"))
23841 Note that with the nnimap back end, message bodies will not be
23842 downloaded by default. You need to set
23843 @code{nnimap-split-download-body} to @code{t} to do that
23844 (@pxref{Splitting in IMAP}).
23846 That is about it. As some spam is likely to get through anyway, you
23847 might want to have a nifty function to call when you happen to read
23848 spam. And here is the nifty function:
23851 (defun my-gnus-raze-spam ()
23852 "Submit SPAM to Vipul's Razor, then mark it as expirable."
23854 (gnus-summary-show-raw-article)
23855 (gnus-summary-save-in-pipe "razor-report -f -d")
23856 (gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable 1))
23860 @subsection Hashcash
23863 A novel technique to fight spam is to require senders to do something
23864 costly and demonstrably unique for each message they send. This has
23865 the obvious drawback that you cannot rely on everyone in the world
23866 using this technique, since it is not part of the Internet standards,
23867 but it may be useful in smaller communities.
23869 While the tools in the previous section work well in practice, they
23870 work only because the tools are constantly maintained and updated as
23871 new form of spam appears. This means that a small percentage of spam
23872 will always get through. It also means that somewhere, someone needs
23873 to read lots of spam to update these tools. Hashcash avoids that, but
23874 instead prefers that everyone you contact through e-mail supports the
23875 scheme. You can view the two approaches as pragmatic vs dogmatic.
23876 The approaches have their own advantages and disadvantages, but as
23877 often in the real world, a combination of them is stronger than either
23878 one of them separately.
23881 The ``something costly'' is to burn CPU time, more specifically to
23882 compute a hash collision up to a certain number of bits. The
23883 resulting hashcash cookie is inserted in a @samp{X-Hashcash:} header.
23884 For more details, and for the external application @code{hashcash} you
23885 need to install to use this feature, see
23886 @uref{http://www.hashcash.org/}. Even more information can be found
23887 at @uref{http://www.camram.org/}.
23889 If you wish to generate hashcash for each message you send, you can
23890 customize @code{message-generate-hashcash} (@pxref{Mail Headers, ,Mail
23891 Headers,message, The Message Manual}), as in:
23894 (setq message-generate-hashcash t)
23897 You will need to set up some additional variables as well:
23901 @item hashcash-default-payment
23902 @vindex hashcash-default-payment
23903 This variable indicates the default number of bits the hash collision
23904 should consist of. By default this is 20. Suggested useful values
23907 @item hashcash-payment-alist
23908 @vindex hashcash-payment-alist
23909 Some receivers may require you to spend burn more CPU time than the
23910 default. This variable contains a list of @samp{(@var{addr}
23911 @var{amount})} cells, where @var{addr} is the receiver (email address
23912 or newsgroup) and @var{amount} is the number of bits in the collision
23913 that is needed. It can also contain @samp{(@var{addr} @var{string}
23914 @var{amount})} cells, where the @var{string} is the string to use
23915 (normally the email address or newsgroup name is used).
23917 @item hashcash-path
23918 @vindex hashcash-path
23919 Where the @code{hashcash} binary is installed. This variable should
23920 be automatically set by @code{executable-find}, but if it's @code{nil}
23921 (usually because the @code{hashcash} binary is not in your path)
23922 you'll get a warning when you check hashcash payments and an error
23923 when you generate hashcash payments.
23927 Gnus can verify hashcash cookies, although this can also be done by
23928 hand customized mail filtering scripts. To verify a hashcash cookie
23929 in a message, use the @code{mail-check-payment} function in the
23930 @code{hashcash.el} library. You can also use the @code{spam.el}
23931 package with the @code{spam-use-hashcash} back end to validate hashcash
23932 cookies in incoming mail and filter mail accordingly (@pxref{Anti-spam
23933 Hashcash Payments}).
23936 @section Spam Package
23937 @cindex spam filtering
23940 The Spam package provides Gnus with a centralized mechanism for
23941 detecting and filtering spam. It filters new mail, and processes
23942 messages according to whether they are spam or ham. (@dfn{Ham} is the
23943 name used throughout this manual to indicate non-spam messages.)
23946 * Spam Package Introduction::
23947 * Filtering Incoming Mail::
23948 * Detecting Spam in Groups::
23949 * Spam and Ham Processors::
23950 * Spam Package Configuration Examples::
23952 * Extending the Spam package::
23953 * Spam Statistics Package::
23956 @node Spam Package Introduction
23957 @subsection Spam Package Introduction
23958 @cindex spam filtering
23959 @cindex spam filtering sequence of events
23962 You must read this section to understand how the Spam package works.
23963 Do not skip, speed-read, or glance through this section.
23965 Make sure you read the section on the @code{spam.el} sequence of
23966 events. See @xref{Extending the Spam package}.
23968 @cindex spam-initialize
23969 @vindex spam-use-stat
23970 To use the Spam package, you @strong{must} first run the function
23971 @code{spam-initialize}:
23977 This autoloads @code{spam.el} and installs the various hooks necessary
23978 to let the Spam package do its job. In order to make use of the Spam
23979 package, you have to set up certain group parameters and variables,
23980 which we will describe below. All of the variables controlling the
23981 Spam package can be found in the @samp{spam} customization group.
23983 There are two ``contact points'' between the Spam package and the rest
23984 of Gnus: checking new mail for spam, and leaving a group.
23986 Checking new mail for spam is done in one of two ways: while splitting
23987 incoming mail, or when you enter a group.
23989 The first way, checking for spam while splitting incoming mail, is
23990 suited to mail back ends such as @code{nnml} or @code{nnimap}, where
23991 new mail appears in a single spool file. The Spam package processes
23992 incoming mail, and sends mail considered to be spam to a designated
23993 ``spam'' group. @xref{Filtering Incoming Mail}.
23995 The second way is suited to back ends such as @code{nntp}, which have
23996 no incoming mail spool, or back ends where the server is in charge of
23997 splitting incoming mail. In this case, when you enter a Gnus group,
23998 the unseen or unread messages in that group are checked for spam.
23999 Detected spam messages are marked as spam. @xref{Detecting Spam in
24002 @cindex spam back ends
24003 In either case, you have to tell the Spam package what method to use
24004 to detect spam messages. There are several methods, or @dfn{spam back
24005 ends} (not to be confused with Gnus back ends!) to choose from: spam
24006 ``blacklists'' and ``whitelists'', dictionary-based filters, and so
24007 forth. @xref{Spam Back Ends}.
24009 In the Gnus summary buffer, messages that have been identified as spam
24010 always appear with a @samp{$} symbol.
24012 The Spam package divides Gnus groups into three categories: ham
24013 groups, spam groups, and unclassified groups. You should mark each of
24014 the groups you subscribe to as either a ham group or a spam group,
24015 using the @code{spam-contents} group parameter (@pxref{Group
24016 Parameters}). Spam groups have a special property: when you enter a
24017 spam group, all unseen articles are marked as spam. Thus, mail split
24018 into a spam group is automatically marked as spam.
24020 Identifying spam messages is only half of the Spam package's job. The
24021 second half comes into play whenever you exit a group buffer. At this
24022 point, the Spam package does several things:
24024 First, it calls @dfn{spam and ham processors} to process the articles
24025 according to whether they are spam or ham. There is a pair of spam
24026 and ham processors associated with each spam back end, and what the
24027 processors do depends on the back end. At present, the main role of
24028 spam and ham processors is for dictionary-based spam filters: they add
24029 the contents of the messages in the group to the filter's dictionary,
24030 to improve its ability to detect future spam. The @code{spam-process}
24031 group parameter specifies what spam processors to use. @xref{Spam and
24034 If the spam filter failed to mark a spam message, you can mark it
24035 yourself, so that the message is processed as spam when you exit the
24045 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-spam
24046 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-spam
24047 Mark current article as spam, showing it with the @samp{$} mark
24048 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}).
24052 Similarly, you can unmark an article if it has been erroneously marked
24053 as spam. @xref{Setting Marks}.
24055 Normally, a ham message found in a non-ham group is not processed as
24056 ham---the rationale is that it should be moved into a ham group for
24057 further processing (see below). However, you can force these articles
24058 to be processed as ham by setting
24059 @code{spam-process-ham-in-spam-groups} and
24060 @code{spam-process-ham-in-nonham-groups}.
24062 @vindex gnus-ham-process-destinations
24063 @vindex gnus-spam-process-destinations
24064 The second thing that the Spam package does when you exit a group is
24065 to move ham articles out of spam groups, and spam articles out of ham
24066 groups. Ham in a spam group is moved to the group specified by the
24067 variable @code{gnus-ham-process-destinations}, or the group parameter
24068 @code{ham-process-destination}. Spam in a ham group is moved to the
24069 group specified by the variable @code{gnus-spam-process-destinations},
24070 or the group parameter @code{spam-process-destination}. If these
24071 variables are not set, the articles are left in their current group.
24072 If an article cannot be moved (e.g., with a read-only backend such
24073 as @acronym{NNTP}), it is copied.
24075 If an article is moved to another group, it is processed again when
24076 you visit the new group. Normally, this is not a problem, but if you
24077 want each article to be processed only once, load the
24078 @code{gnus-registry.el} package and set the variable
24079 @code{spam-log-to-registry} to @code{t}. @xref{Spam Package
24080 Configuration Examples}.
24082 Normally, spam groups ignore @code{gnus-spam-process-destinations}.
24083 However, if you set @code{spam-move-spam-nonspam-groups-only} to
24084 @code{nil}, spam will also be moved out of spam groups, depending on
24085 the @code{spam-process-destination} parameter.
24087 The final thing the Spam package does is to mark spam articles as
24088 expired, which is usually the right thing to do.
24090 If all this seems confusing, don't worry. Soon it will be as natural
24091 as typing Lisp one-liners on a neural interface@dots{} err, sorry, that's
24092 50 years in the future yet. Just trust us, it's not so bad.
24094 @node Filtering Incoming Mail
24095 @subsection Filtering Incoming Mail
24096 @cindex spam filtering
24097 @cindex spam filtering incoming mail
24100 To use the Spam package to filter incoming mail, you must first set up
24101 fancy mail splitting. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}. The Spam package
24102 defines a special splitting function that you can add to your fancy
24103 split variable (either @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or
24104 @code{nnimap-split-fancy}, depending on your mail back end):
24110 @vindex spam-split-group
24112 The @code{spam-split} function scans incoming mail according to your
24113 chosen spam back end(s), and sends messages identified as spam to a
24114 spam group. By default, the spam group is a group named @samp{spam},
24115 but you can change this by customizing @code{spam-split-group}. Make
24116 sure the contents of @code{spam-split-group} are an unqualified group
24117 name. For instance, in an @code{nnimap} server @samp{your-server},
24118 the value @samp{spam} means @samp{nnimap+your-server:spam}. The value
24119 @samp{nnimap+server:spam} is therefore wrong---it gives the group
24120 @samp{nnimap+your-server:nnimap+server:spam}.
24122 @code{spam-split} does not modify the contents of messages in any way.
24124 @vindex nnimap-split-download-body
24125 Note for IMAP users: if you use the @code{spam-check-bogofilter},
24126 @code{spam-check-ifile}, and @code{spam-check-stat} spam back ends,
24127 you should also set set the variable @code{nnimap-split-download-body}
24128 to @code{t}. These spam back ends are most useful when they can
24129 ``scan'' the full message body. By default, the nnimap back end only
24130 retrieves the message headers; @code{nnimap-split-download-body} tells
24131 it to retrieve the message bodies as well. We don't set this by
24132 default because it will slow @acronym{IMAP} down, and that is not an
24133 appropriate decision to make on behalf of the user. @xref{Splitting
24136 You have to specify one or more spam back ends for @code{spam-split}
24137 to use, by setting the @code{spam-use-*} variables. @xref{Spam Back
24138 Ends}. Normally, @code{spam-split} simply uses all the spam back ends
24139 you enabled in this way. However, you can tell @code{spam-split} to
24140 use only some of them. Why this is useful? Suppose you are using the
24141 @code{spam-use-regex-headers} and @code{spam-use-blackholes} spam back
24142 ends, and the following split rule:
24145 nnimap-split-fancy '(|
24146 (any "ding" "ding")
24148 ;; @r{default mailbox}
24153 The problem is that you want all ding messages to make it to the ding
24154 folder. But that will let obvious spam (for example, spam detected by
24155 SpamAssassin, and @code{spam-use-regex-headers}) through, when it's
24156 sent to the ding list. On the other hand, some messages to the ding
24157 list are from a mail server in the blackhole list, so the invocation
24158 of @code{spam-split} can't be before the ding rule.
24160 The solution is to let SpamAssassin headers supersede ding rules, and
24161 perform the other @code{spam-split} rules (including a second
24162 invocation of the regex-headers check) after the ding rule. This is
24163 done by passing a parameter to @code{spam-split}:
24168 ;; @r{spam detected by @code{spam-use-regex-headers} goes to @samp{regex-spam}}
24169 (: spam-split "regex-spam" 'spam-use-regex-headers)
24170 (any "ding" "ding")
24171 ;; @r{all other spam detected by spam-split goes to @code{spam-split-group}}
24173 ;; @r{default mailbox}
24178 This lets you invoke specific @code{spam-split} checks depending on
24179 your particular needs, and target the results of those checks to a
24180 particular spam group. You don't have to throw all mail into all the
24181 spam tests. Another reason why this is nice is that messages to
24182 mailing lists you have rules for don't have to have resource-intensive
24183 blackhole checks performed on them. You could also specify different
24184 spam checks for your nnmail split vs. your nnimap split. Go crazy.
24186 You should set the @code{spam-use-*} variables for whatever spam back
24187 ends you intend to use. The reason is that when loading
24188 @file{spam.el}, some conditional loading is done depending on what
24189 @code{spam-use-xyz} variables you have set. @xref{Spam Back Ends}.
24191 @c @emph{TODO: spam.el needs to provide a uniform way of training all the
24192 @c statistical databases. Some have that functionality built-in, others
24195 @node Detecting Spam in Groups
24196 @subsection Detecting Spam in Groups
24198 To detect spam when visiting a group, set the group's
24199 @code{spam-autodetect} and @code{spam-autodetect-methods} group
24200 parameters. These are accessible with @kbd{G c} or @kbd{G p}, as
24201 usual (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
24203 You should set the @code{spam-use-*} variables for whatever spam back
24204 ends you intend to use. The reason is that when loading
24205 @file{spam.el}, some conditional loading is done depending on what
24206 @code{spam-use-xyz} variables you have set.
24208 By default, only unseen articles are processed for spam. You can
24209 force Gnus to recheck all messages in the group by setting the
24210 variable @code{spam-autodetect-recheck-messages} to @code{t}.
24212 If you use the @code{spam-autodetect} method of checking for spam, you
24213 can specify different spam detection methods for different groups.
24214 For instance, the @samp{ding} group may have @code{spam-use-BBDB} as
24215 the autodetection method, while the @samp{suspect} group may have the
24216 @code{spam-use-blacklist} and @code{spam-use-bogofilter} methods
24217 enabled. Unlike with @code{spam-split}, you don't have any control
24218 over the @emph{sequence} of checks, but this is probably unimportant.
24220 @node Spam and Ham Processors
24221 @subsection Spam and Ham Processors
24222 @cindex spam filtering
24223 @cindex spam filtering variables
24224 @cindex spam variables
24227 @vindex gnus-spam-process-newsgroups
24228 Spam and ham processors specify special actions to take when you exit
24229 a group buffer. Spam processors act on spam messages, and ham
24230 processors on ham messages. At present, the main role of these
24231 processors is to update the dictionaries of dictionary-based spam back
24232 ends such as Bogofilter (@pxref{Bogofilter}) and the Spam Statistics
24233 package (@pxref{Spam Statistics Filtering}).
24235 The spam and ham processors that apply to each group are determined by
24236 the group's@code{spam-process} group parameter. If this group
24237 parameter is not defined, they are determined by the variable
24238 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups}.
24240 @vindex gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents
24241 Gnus learns from the spam you get. You have to collect your spam in
24242 one or more spam groups, and set or customize the variable
24243 @code{spam-junk-mailgroups} as appropriate. You can also declare
24244 groups to contain spam by setting their group parameter
24245 @code{spam-contents} to @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-spam}, or
24246 by customizing the corresponding variable
24247 @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents}. The @code{spam-contents} group
24248 parameter and the @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents} variable can
24249 also be used to declare groups as @emph{ham} groups if you set their
24250 classification to @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-ham}. If
24251 groups are not classified by means of @code{spam-junk-mailgroups},
24252 @code{spam-contents}, or @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents}, they are
24253 considered @emph{unclassified}. All groups are unclassified by
24256 @vindex gnus-spam-mark
24258 In spam groups, all messages are considered to be spam by default:
24259 they get the @samp{$} mark (@code{gnus-spam-mark}) when you enter the
24260 group. If you have seen a message, had it marked as spam, then
24261 unmarked it, it won't be marked as spam when you enter the group
24262 thereafter. You can disable that behavior, so all unread messages
24263 will get the @samp{$} mark, if you set the
24264 @code{spam-mark-only-unseen-as-spam} parameter to @code{nil}. You
24265 should remove the @samp{$} mark when you are in the group summary
24266 buffer for every message that is not spam after all. To remove the
24267 @samp{$} mark, you can use @kbd{M-u} to ``unread'' the article, or
24268 @kbd{d} for declaring it read the non-spam way. When you leave a
24269 group, all spam-marked (@samp{$}) articles are sent to a spam
24270 processor which will study them as spam samples.
24272 Messages may also be deleted in various other ways, and unless
24273 @code{ham-marks} group parameter gets overridden below, marks @samp{R}
24274 and @samp{r} for default read or explicit delete, marks @samp{X} and
24275 @samp{K} for automatic or explicit kills, as well as mark @samp{Y} for
24276 low scores, are all considered to be associated with articles which
24277 are not spam. This assumption might be false, in particular if you
24278 use kill files or score files as means for detecting genuine spam, you
24279 should then adjust the @code{ham-marks} group parameter.
24282 You can customize this group or topic parameter to be the list of
24283 marks you want to consider ham. By default, the list contains the
24284 deleted, read, killed, kill-filed, and low-score marks (the idea is
24285 that these articles have been read, but are not spam). It can be
24286 useful to also include the tick mark in the ham marks. It is not
24287 recommended to make the unread mark a ham mark, because it normally
24288 indicates a lack of classification. But you can do it, and we'll be
24293 You can customize this group or topic parameter to be the list of
24294 marks you want to consider spam. By default, the list contains only
24295 the spam mark. It is not recommended to change that, but you can if
24296 you really want to.
24299 When you leave @emph{any} group, regardless of its
24300 @code{spam-contents} classification, all spam-marked articles are sent
24301 to a spam processor, which will study these as spam samples. If you
24302 explicit kill a lot, you might sometimes end up with articles marked
24303 @samp{K} which you never saw, and which might accidentally contain
24304 spam. Best is to make sure that real spam is marked with @samp{$},
24307 @vindex gnus-ham-process-destinations
24308 When you leave a @emph{spam} group, all spam-marked articles are
24309 marked as expired after processing with the spam processor. This is
24310 not done for @emph{unclassified} or @emph{ham} groups. Also, any
24311 @strong{ham} articles in a spam group will be moved to a location
24312 determined by either the @code{ham-process-destination} group
24313 parameter or a match in the @code{gnus-ham-process-destinations}
24314 variable, which is a list of regular expressions matched with group
24315 names (it's easiest to customize this variable with @kbd{M-x
24316 customize-variable @key{RET} gnus-ham-process-destinations}). Each
24317 group name list is a standard Lisp list, if you prefer to customize
24318 the variable manually. If the @code{ham-process-destination}
24319 parameter is not set, ham articles are left in place. If the
24320 @code{spam-mark-ham-unread-before-move-from-spam-group} parameter is
24321 set, the ham articles are marked as unread before being moved.
24323 If ham can not be moved---because of a read-only back end such as
24324 @acronym{NNTP}, for example, it will be copied.
24326 Note that you can use multiples destinations per group or regular
24327 expression! This enables you to send your ham to a regular mail
24328 group and to a @emph{ham training} group.
24330 When you leave a @emph{ham} group, all ham-marked articles are sent to
24331 a ham processor, which will study these as non-spam samples.
24333 @vindex spam-process-ham-in-spam-groups
24334 By default the variable @code{spam-process-ham-in-spam-groups} is
24335 @code{nil}. Set it to @code{t} if you want ham found in spam groups
24336 to be processed. Normally this is not done, you are expected instead
24337 to send your ham to a ham group and process it there.
24339 @vindex spam-process-ham-in-nonham-groups
24340 By default the variable @code{spam-process-ham-in-nonham-groups} is
24341 @code{nil}. Set it to @code{t} if you want ham found in non-ham (spam
24342 or unclassified) groups to be processed. Normally this is not done,
24343 you are expected instead to send your ham to a ham group and process
24346 @vindex gnus-spam-process-destinations
24347 When you leave a @emph{ham} or @emph{unclassified} group, all
24348 @strong{spam} articles are moved to a location determined by either
24349 the @code{spam-process-destination} group parameter or a match in the
24350 @code{gnus-spam-process-destinations} variable, which is a list of
24351 regular expressions matched with group names (it's easiest to
24352 customize this variable with @kbd{M-x customize-variable @key{RET}
24353 gnus-spam-process-destinations}). Each group name list is a standard
24354 Lisp list, if you prefer to customize the variable manually. If the
24355 @code{spam-process-destination} parameter is not set, the spam
24356 articles are only expired. The group name is fully qualified, meaning
24357 that if you see @samp{nntp:servername} before the group name in the
24358 group buffer then you need it here as well.
24360 If spam can not be moved---because of a read-only back end such as
24361 @acronym{NNTP}, for example, it will be copied.
24363 Note that you can use multiples destinations per group or regular
24364 expression! This enables you to send your spam to multiple @emph{spam
24367 @vindex spam-log-to-registry
24368 The problem with processing ham and spam is that Gnus doesn't track
24369 this processing by default. Enable the @code{spam-log-to-registry}
24370 variable so @code{spam.el} will use @code{gnus-registry.el} to track
24371 what articles have been processed, and avoid processing articles
24372 multiple times. Keep in mind that if you limit the number of registry
24373 entries, this won't work as well as it does without a limit.
24375 @vindex spam-mark-only-unseen-as-spam
24376 Set this variable if you want only unseen articles in spam groups to
24377 be marked as spam. By default, it is set. If you set it to
24378 @code{nil}, unread articles will also be marked as spam.
24380 @vindex spam-mark-ham-unread-before-move-from-spam-group
24381 Set this variable if you want ham to be unmarked before it is moved
24382 out of the spam group. This is very useful when you use something
24383 like the tick mark @samp{!} to mark ham---the article will be placed
24384 in your @code{ham-process-destination}, unmarked as if it came fresh
24385 from the mail server.
24387 @vindex spam-autodetect-recheck-messages
24388 When autodetecting spam, this variable tells @code{spam.el} whether
24389 only unseen articles or all unread articles should be checked for
24390 spam. It is recommended that you leave it off.
24392 @node Spam Package Configuration Examples
24393 @subsection Spam Package Configuration Examples
24394 @cindex spam filtering
24395 @cindex spam filtering configuration examples
24396 @cindex spam configuration examples
24399 @subsubheading Ted's setup
24401 From Ted Zlatanov <tzz@@lifelogs.com>.
24403 ;; @r{for @code{gnus-registry-split-fancy-with-parent} and spam autodetection}
24404 ;; @r{see @file{gnus-registry.el} for more information}
24405 (gnus-registry-initialize)
24409 spam-log-to-registry t ; @r{for spam autodetection}
24411 spam-use-regex-headers t ; @r{catch X-Spam-Flag (SpamAssassin)}
24412 ;; @r{all groups with @samp{spam} in the name contain spam}
24413 gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents
24414 '(("spam" gnus-group-spam-classification-spam))
24415 ;; @r{see documentation for these}
24416 spam-move-spam-nonspam-groups-only nil
24417 spam-mark-only-unseen-as-spam t
24418 spam-mark-ham-unread-before-move-from-spam-group t
24419 nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
24420 ;; @r{understand what this does before you copy it to your own setup!}
24421 nnimap-split-fancy '(|
24422 ;; @r{trace references to parents and put in their group}
24423 (: gnus-registry-split-fancy-with-parent)
24424 ;; @r{this will catch server-side SpamAssassin tags}
24425 (: spam-split 'spam-use-regex-headers)
24426 (any "ding" "ding")
24427 ;; @r{note that spam by default will go to @samp{spam}}
24429 ;; @r{default mailbox}
24432 ;; @r{my parameters, set with @kbd{G p}}
24434 ;; @r{all nnml groups, and all nnimap groups except}
24435 ;; @r{@samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train} and}
24436 ;; @r{@samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:spam}: any spam goes to nnimap training,}
24437 ;; @r{because it must have been detected manually}
24439 ((spam-process-destination . "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train"))
24441 ;; @r{all @acronym{NNTP} groups}
24442 ;; @r{autodetect spam with the blacklist and ham with the BBDB}
24443 ((spam-autodetect-methods spam-use-blacklist spam-use-BBDB)
24444 ;; @r{send all spam to the training group}
24445 (spam-process-destination . "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train"))
24447 ;; @r{only some @acronym{NNTP} groups, where I want to autodetect spam}
24448 ((spam-autodetect . t))
24450 ;; @r{my nnimap @samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:spam} group}
24452 ;; @r{this is a spam group}
24453 ((spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-spam)
24455 ;; @r{any spam (which happens when I enter for all unseen messages,}
24456 ;; @r{because of the @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents} setting above), goes to}
24457 ;; @r{@samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train} unless I mark it as ham}
24459 (spam-process-destination "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train")
24461 ;; @r{any ham goes to my @samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:mail} folder, but}
24462 ;; @r{also to my @samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:trainham} folder for training}
24464 (ham-process-destination "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:mail"
24465 "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:trainham")
24466 ;; @r{in this group, only @samp{!} marks are ham}
24468 (gnus-ticked-mark))
24469 ;; @r{remembers senders in the blacklist on the way out---this is}
24470 ;; @r{definitely not needed, it just makes me feel better}
24471 (spam-process (gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist)))
24473 ;; @r{Later, on the @acronym{IMAP} server I use the @samp{train} group for training}
24474 ;; @r{SpamAssassin to recognize spam, and the @samp{trainham} group fora}
24475 ;; @r{recognizing ham---but Gnus has nothing to do with it.}
24479 @subsubheading Using @code{spam.el} on an IMAP server with a statistical filter on the server
24480 From Reiner Steib <reiner.steib@@gmx.de>.
24482 My provider has set up bogofilter (in combination with @acronym{DCC}) on
24483 the mail server (@acronym{IMAP}). Recognized spam goes to
24484 @samp{spam.detected}, the rest goes through the normal filter rules,
24485 i.e. to @samp{some.folder} or to @samp{INBOX}. Training on false
24486 positives or negatives is done by copying or moving the article to
24487 @samp{training.ham} or @samp{training.spam} respectively. A cron job on
24488 the server feeds those to bogofilter with the suitable ham or spam
24489 options and deletes them from the @samp{training.ham} and
24490 @samp{training.spam} folders.
24492 With the following entries in @code{gnus-parameters}, @code{spam.el}
24493 does most of the job for me:
24496 ("nnimap:spam\\.detected"
24497 (gnus-article-sort-functions '(gnus-article-sort-by-chars))
24498 (ham-process-destination "nnimap:INBOX" "nnimap:training.ham")
24499 (spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-spam))
24500 ("nnimap:\\(INBOX\\|other-folders\\)"
24501 (spam-process-destination . "nnimap:training.spam")
24502 (spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-ham))
24507 @item @b{The Spam folder:}
24509 In the folder @samp{spam.detected}, I have to check for false positives
24510 (i.e. legitimate mails, that were wrongly judged as spam by
24511 bogofilter or DCC).
24513 Because of the @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-spam} entry, all
24514 messages are marked as spam (with @code{$}). When I find a false
24515 positive, I mark the message with some other ham mark
24516 (@code{ham-marks}, @ref{Spam and Ham Processors}). On group exit,
24517 those messages are copied to both groups, @samp{INBOX} (where I want
24518 to have the article) and @samp{training.ham} (for training bogofilter)
24519 and deleted from the @samp{spam.detected} folder.
24521 The @code{gnus-article-sort-by-chars} entry simplifies detection of
24522 false positives for me. I receive lots of worms (sweN, @dots{}), that all
24523 have a similar size. Grouping them by size (i.e. chars) makes finding
24524 other false positives easier. (Of course worms aren't @i{spam}
24525 (@acronym{UCE}, @acronym{UBE}) strictly speaking. Anyhow, bogofilter is
24526 an excellent tool for filtering those unwanted mails for me.)
24528 @item @b{Ham folders:}
24530 In my ham folders, I just hit @kbd{S x}
24531 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}) whenever I see an unrecognized spam
24532 mail (false negative). On group exit, those messages are moved to
24533 @samp{training.spam}.
24536 @subsubheading Reporting spam articles in Gmane groups with @code{spam-report.el}
24538 From Reiner Steib <reiner.steib@@gmx.de>.
24540 With following entry in @code{gnus-parameters}, @kbd{S x}
24541 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}) marks articles in @code{gmane.*}
24542 groups as spam and reports the to Gmane at group exit:
24546 (spam-process (gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-report-gmane)))
24549 Additionally, I use @code{(setq spam-report-gmane-use-article-number nil)}
24550 because I don't read the groups directly from news.gmane.org, but
24551 through my local news server (leafnode). I.e. the article numbers are
24552 not the same as on news.gmane.org, thus @code{spam-report.el} has to check
24553 the @code{X-Report-Spam} header to find the correct number.
24555 @node Spam Back Ends
24556 @subsection Spam Back Ends
24557 @cindex spam back ends
24559 The spam package offers a variety of back ends for detecting spam.
24560 Each back end defines a set of methods for detecting spam
24561 (@pxref{Filtering Incoming Mail}, @pxref{Detecting Spam in Groups}),
24562 and a pair of spam and ham processors (@pxref{Spam and Ham
24566 * Blacklists and Whitelists::
24567 * BBDB Whitelists::
24568 * Gmane Spam Reporting::
24569 * Anti-spam Hashcash Payments::
24571 * Regular Expressions Header Matching::
24573 * SpamAssassin back end::
24574 * ifile spam filtering::
24575 * Spam Statistics Filtering::
24579 @node Blacklists and Whitelists
24580 @subsubsection Blacklists and Whitelists
24581 @cindex spam filtering
24582 @cindex whitelists, spam filtering
24583 @cindex blacklists, spam filtering
24586 @defvar spam-use-blacklist
24588 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use blacklists when
24589 splitting incoming mail. Messages whose senders are in the blacklist
24590 will be sent to the @code{spam-split-group}. This is an explicit
24591 filter, meaning that it acts only on mail senders @emph{declared} to
24596 @defvar spam-use-whitelist
24598 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use whitelists when
24599 splitting incoming mail. Messages whose senders are not in the
24600 whitelist will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an
24601 explicit filter, meaning that unless someone is in the whitelist, their
24602 messages are not assumed to be spam or ham.
24606 @defvar spam-use-whitelist-exclusive
24608 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use whitelists as an
24609 implicit filter, meaning that every message will be considered spam
24610 unless the sender is in the whitelist. Use with care.
24614 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist
24616 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24617 customizing the group parameters or the
24618 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
24619 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
24620 spam-marked articles will be added to the blacklist.
24624 Instead of the obsolete
24625 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist}, it is recommended
24626 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-blacklist)}. Everything will work
24627 the same way, we promise.
24631 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-whitelist
24633 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24634 customizing the group parameters or the
24635 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
24636 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
24637 ham-marked articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the
24642 Instead of the obsolete
24643 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-whitelist}, it is recommended
24644 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-whitelist)}. Everything will work
24645 the same way, we promise.
24649 Blacklists are lists of regular expressions matching addresses you
24650 consider to be spam senders. For instance, to block mail from any
24651 sender at @samp{vmadmin.com}, you can put @samp{vmadmin.com} in your
24652 blacklist. You start out with an empty blacklist. Blacklist entries
24653 use the Emacs regular expression syntax.
24655 Conversely, whitelists tell Gnus what addresses are considered
24656 legitimate. All messages from whitelisted addresses are considered
24657 non-spam. Also see @ref{BBDB Whitelists}. Whitelist entries use the
24658 Emacs regular expression syntax.
24660 The blacklist and whitelist file locations can be customized with the
24661 @code{spam-directory} variable (@file{~/News/spam} by default), or
24662 the @code{spam-whitelist} and @code{spam-blacklist} variables
24663 directly. The whitelist and blacklist files will by default be in the
24664 @code{spam-directory} directory, named @file{whitelist} and
24665 @file{blacklist} respectively.
24667 @node BBDB Whitelists
24668 @subsubsection BBDB Whitelists
24669 @cindex spam filtering
24670 @cindex BBDB whitelists, spam filtering
24671 @cindex BBDB, spam filtering
24674 @defvar spam-use-BBDB
24676 Analogous to @code{spam-use-whitelist} (@pxref{Blacklists and
24677 Whitelists}), but uses the BBDB as the source of whitelisted
24678 addresses, without regular expressions. You must have the BBDB loaded
24679 for @code{spam-use-BBDB} to work properly. Messages whose senders are
24680 not in the BBDB will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an
24681 explicit filter, meaning that unless someone is in the BBDB, their
24682 messages are not assumed to be spam or ham.
24686 @defvar spam-use-BBDB-exclusive
24688 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use the BBDB as an
24689 implicit filter, meaning that every message will be considered spam
24690 unless the sender is in the BBDB. Use with care. Only sender
24691 addresses in the BBDB will be allowed through; all others will be
24692 classified as spammers.
24694 While @code{spam-use-BBDB-exclusive} @emph{can} be used as an alias
24695 for @code{spam-use-BBDB} as far as @code{spam.el} is concerned, it is
24696 @emph{not} a separate back end. If you set
24697 @code{spam-use-BBDB-exclusive} to t, @emph{all} your BBDB splitting
24702 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-BBDB
24704 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24705 customizing the group parameters or the
24706 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
24707 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
24708 ham-marked articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the
24713 Instead of the obsolete
24714 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-BBDB}, it is recommended
24715 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-BBDB)}. Everything will work
24716 the same way, we promise.
24720 @node Gmane Spam Reporting
24721 @subsubsection Gmane Spam Reporting
24722 @cindex spam reporting
24723 @cindex Gmane, spam reporting
24724 @cindex Gmane, spam reporting
24727 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-report-gmane
24729 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24730 customizing the group parameters or the
24731 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
24732 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the spam-marked
24733 articles groups will be reported to the Gmane administrators via a
24736 Gmane can be found at @uref{http://gmane.org}.
24740 Instead of the obsolete
24741 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-report-gmane}, it is recommended
24742 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-gmane)}. Everything will work the
24743 same way, we promise.
24747 @defvar spam-report-gmane-use-article-number
24749 This variable is @code{t} by default. Set it to @code{nil} if you are
24750 running your own news server, for instance, and the local article
24751 numbers don't correspond to the Gmane article numbers. When
24752 @code{spam-report-gmane-use-article-number} is @code{nil},
24753 @code{spam-report.el} will fetch the number from the article headers.
24757 @defvar spam-report-user-mail-address
24759 Mail address exposed in the User-Agent spam reports to Gmane. It allows
24760 the Gmane administrators to contact you in case of misreports. The
24761 default is @code{user-mail-address}.
24765 @node Anti-spam Hashcash Payments
24766 @subsubsection Anti-spam Hashcash Payments
24767 @cindex spam filtering
24768 @cindex hashcash, spam filtering
24771 @defvar spam-use-hashcash
24773 Similar to @code{spam-use-whitelist} (@pxref{Blacklists and
24774 Whitelists}), but uses hashcash tokens for whitelisting messages
24775 instead of the sender address. Messages without a hashcash payment
24776 token will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an explicit
24777 filter, meaning that unless a hashcash token is found, the messages
24778 are not assumed to be spam or ham.
24783 @subsubsection Blackholes
24784 @cindex spam filtering
24785 @cindex blackholes, spam filtering
24788 @defvar spam-use-blackholes
24790 This option is disabled by default. You can let Gnus consult the
24791 blackhole-type distributed spam processing systems (DCC, for instance)
24792 when you set this option. The variable @code{spam-blackhole-servers}
24793 holds the list of blackhole servers Gnus will consult. The current
24794 list is fairly comprehensive, but make sure to let us know if it
24795 contains outdated servers.
24797 The blackhole check uses the @code{dig.el} package, but you can tell
24798 @code{spam.el} to use @code{dns.el} instead for better performance if
24799 you set @code{spam-use-dig} to @code{nil}. It is not recommended at
24800 this time to set @code{spam-use-dig} to @code{nil} despite the
24801 possible performance improvements, because some users may be unable to
24802 use it, but you can try it and see if it works for you.
24806 @defvar spam-blackhole-servers
24808 The list of servers to consult for blackhole checks.
24812 @defvar spam-blackhole-good-server-regex
24814 A regular expression for IPs that should not be checked against the
24815 blackhole server list. When set to @code{nil}, it has no effect.
24819 @defvar spam-use-dig
24821 Use the @code{dig.el} package instead of the @code{dns.el} package.
24822 The default setting of @code{t} is recommended.
24826 Blackhole checks are done only on incoming mail. There is no spam or
24827 ham processor for blackholes.
24829 @node Regular Expressions Header Matching
24830 @subsubsection Regular Expressions Header Matching
24831 @cindex spam filtering
24832 @cindex regular expressions header matching, spam filtering
24835 @defvar spam-use-regex-headers
24837 This option is disabled by default. You can let Gnus check the
24838 message headers against lists of regular expressions when you set this
24839 option. The variables @code{spam-regex-headers-spam} and
24840 @code{spam-regex-headers-ham} hold the list of regular expressions.
24841 Gnus will check against the message headers to determine if the
24842 message is spam or ham, respectively.
24846 @defvar spam-regex-headers-spam
24848 The list of regular expressions that, when matched in the headers of
24849 the message, positively identify it as spam.
24853 @defvar spam-regex-headers-ham
24855 The list of regular expressions that, when matched in the headers of
24856 the message, positively identify it as ham.
24860 Regular expression header checks are done only on incoming mail.
24861 There is no specific spam or ham processor for regular expressions.
24864 @subsubsection Bogofilter
24865 @cindex spam filtering
24866 @cindex bogofilter, spam filtering
24869 @defvar spam-use-bogofilter
24871 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use Eric Raymond's
24874 With a minimum of care for associating the @samp{$} mark for spam
24875 articles only, Bogofilter training all gets fairly automatic. You
24876 should do this until you get a few hundreds of articles in each
24877 category, spam or not. The command @kbd{S t} in summary mode, either
24878 for debugging or for curiosity, shows the @emph{spamicity} score of
24879 the current article (between 0.0 and 1.0).
24881 Bogofilter determines if a message is spam based on a specific
24882 threshold. That threshold can be customized, consult the Bogofilter
24885 If the @code{bogofilter} executable is not in your path, Bogofilter
24886 processing will be turned off.
24888 You should not enable this if you use @code{spam-use-bogofilter-headers}.
24897 @findex spam-bogofilter-score
24898 Get the Bogofilter spamicity score (@code{spam-bogofilter-score}).
24901 @defvar spam-use-bogofilter-headers
24903 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use Eric Raymond's
24904 speedy Bogofilter, looking only at the message headers. It works
24905 similarly to @code{spam-use-bogofilter}, but the @code{X-Bogosity} header
24906 must be in the message already. Normally you would do this with a
24907 procmail recipe or something similar; consult the Bogofilter
24908 installation documents for details.
24910 You should not enable this if you use @code{spam-use-bogofilter}.
24914 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-bogofilter
24915 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24916 customizing the group parameters or the
24917 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
24918 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, spam-marked articles
24919 will be added to the Bogofilter spam database.
24923 Instead of the obsolete
24924 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-bogofilter}, it is recommended
24925 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-bogofilter)}. Everything will work
24926 the same way, we promise.
24929 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-bogofilter
24930 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24931 customizing the group parameters or the
24932 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
24933 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked
24934 articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the Bogofilter database
24935 of non-spam messages.
24939 Instead of the obsolete
24940 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-bogofilter}, it is recommended
24941 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-bogofilter)}. Everything will work
24942 the same way, we promise.
24945 @defvar spam-bogofilter-database-directory
24947 This is the directory where Bogofilter will store its databases. It
24948 is not specified by default, so Bogofilter will use its own default
24949 database directory.
24953 The Bogofilter mail classifier is similar to @command{ifile} in intent and
24954 purpose. A ham and a spam processor are provided, plus the
24955 @code{spam-use-bogofilter} and @code{spam-use-bogofilter-headers}
24956 variables to indicate to spam-split that Bogofilter should either be
24957 used, or has already been used on the article. The 0.9.2.1 version of
24958 Bogofilter was used to test this functionality.
24960 @node SpamAssassin back end
24961 @subsubsection SpamAssassin back end
24962 @cindex spam filtering
24963 @cindex spamassassin, spam filtering
24966 @defvar spam-use-spamassassin
24968 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use SpamAssassin.
24970 SpamAssassin assigns a score to each article based on a set of rules
24971 and tests, including a Bayesian filter. The Bayesian filter can be
24972 trained by associating the @samp{$} mark for spam articles. The
24973 spam score can be viewed by using the command @kbd{S t} in summary
24976 If you set this variable, each article will be processed by
24977 SpamAssassin when @code{spam-split} is called. If your mail is
24978 preprocessed by SpamAssassin, and you want to just use the
24979 SpamAssassin headers, set @code{spam-use-spamassassin-headers}
24982 You should not enable this if you use
24983 @code{spam-use-spamassassin-headers}.
24987 @defvar spam-use-spamassassin-headers
24989 Set this variable if your mail is preprocessed by SpamAssassin and
24990 want @code{spam-split} to split based on the SpamAssassin headers.
24992 You should not enable this if you use @code{spam-use-spamassassin}.
24996 @defvar spam-spamassassin-program
24998 This variable points to the SpamAssassin executable. If you have
24999 @code{spamd} running, you can set this variable to the @code{spamc}
25000 executable for faster processing. See the SpamAssassin documentation
25001 for more information on @code{spamd}/@code{spamc}.
25005 SpamAssassin is a powerful and flexible spam filter that uses a wide
25006 variety of tests to identify spam. A ham and a spam processors are
25007 provided, plus the @code{spam-use-spamassassin} and
25008 @code{spam-use-spamassassin-headers} variables to indicate to
25009 spam-split that SpamAssassin should be either used, or has already
25010 been used on the article. The 2.63 version of SpamAssassin was used
25011 to test this functionality.
25013 @node ifile spam filtering
25014 @subsubsection ifile spam filtering
25015 @cindex spam filtering
25016 @cindex ifile, spam filtering
25019 @defvar spam-use-ifile
25021 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use @command{ifile}, a
25022 statistical analyzer similar to Bogofilter.
25026 @defvar spam-ifile-all-categories
25028 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-use-ifile} to give you all
25029 the ifile categories, not just spam/non-spam. If you use this, make
25030 sure you train ifile as described in its documentation.
25034 @defvar spam-ifile-spam-category
25036 This is the category of spam messages as far as ifile is concerned.
25037 The actual string used is irrelevant, but you probably want to leave
25038 the default value of @samp{spam}.
25041 @defvar spam-ifile-database
25043 This is the filename for the ifile database. It is not specified by
25044 default, so ifile will use its own default database name.
25048 The ifile mail classifier is similar to Bogofilter in intent and
25049 purpose. A ham and a spam processor are provided, plus the
25050 @code{spam-use-ifile} variable to indicate to spam-split that ifile
25051 should be used. The 1.2.1 version of ifile was used to test this
25054 @node Spam Statistics Filtering
25055 @subsubsection Spam Statistics Filtering
25056 @cindex spam filtering
25057 @cindex spam-stat, spam filtering
25061 This back end uses the Spam Statistics Emacs Lisp package to perform
25062 statistics-based filtering (@pxref{Spam Statistics Package}). Before
25063 using this, you may want to perform some additional steps to
25064 initialize your Spam Statistics dictionary. @xref{Creating a
25065 spam-stat dictionary}.
25067 @defvar spam-use-stat
25071 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-stat
25072 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
25073 customizing the group parameters or the
25074 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
25075 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the spam-marked
25076 articles will be added to the spam-stat database of spam messages.
25080 Instead of the obsolete
25081 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-stat}, it is recommended
25082 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-stat)}. Everything will work
25083 the same way, we promise.
25086 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-stat
25087 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
25088 customizing the group parameters or the
25089 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
25090 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked
25091 articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the spam-stat database
25092 of non-spam messages.
25096 Instead of the obsolete
25097 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-stat}, it is recommended
25098 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-stat)}. Everything will work
25099 the same way, we promise.
25102 This enables @code{spam.el} to cooperate with @file{spam-stat.el}.
25103 @file{spam-stat.el} provides an internal (Lisp-only) spam database,
25104 which unlike ifile or Bogofilter does not require external programs.
25105 A spam and a ham processor, and the @code{spam-use-stat} variable for
25106 @code{spam-split} are provided.
25109 @subsubsection Using SpamOracle with Gnus
25110 @cindex spam filtering
25114 An easy way to filter out spam is to use SpamOracle. SpamOracle is an
25115 statistical mail filtering tool written by Xavier Leroy and needs to be
25116 installed separately.
25118 There are several ways to use SpamOracle with Gnus. In all cases, your
25119 mail is piped through SpamOracle in its @emph{mark} mode. SpamOracle will
25120 then enter an @samp{X-Spam} header indicating whether it regards the
25121 mail as a spam mail or not.
25123 One possibility is to run SpamOracle as a @code{:prescript} from the
25124 @xref{Mail Source Specifiers}, (@pxref{SpamAssassin}). This method has
25125 the advantage that the user can see the @emph{X-Spam} headers.
25127 The easiest method is to make @file{spam.el} (@pxref{Spam Package})
25130 @vindex spam-use-spamoracle
25131 To enable SpamOracle usage by @code{spam.el}, set the variable
25132 @code{spam-use-spamoracle} to @code{t} and configure the
25133 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or @code{nnimap-split-fancy}. @xref{Spam
25134 Package}. In this example the @samp{INBOX} of an nnimap server is
25135 filtered using SpamOracle. Mails recognized as spam mails will be
25136 moved to @code{spam-split-group}, @samp{Junk} in this case. Ham
25137 messages stay in @samp{INBOX}:
25140 (setq spam-use-spamoracle t
25141 spam-split-group "Junk"
25142 nnimap-split-inbox '("INBOX")
25143 nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
25144 nnimap-split-fancy '(| (: spam-split) "INBOX"))
25147 @defvar spam-use-spamoracle
25148 Set to @code{t} if you want Gnus to enable spam filtering using
25152 @defvar spam-spamoracle-binary
25153 Gnus uses the SpamOracle binary called @file{spamoracle} found in the
25154 user's PATH. Using the variable @code{spam-spamoracle-binary}, this
25158 @defvar spam-spamoracle-database
25159 By default, SpamOracle uses the file @file{~/.spamoracle.db} as a database to
25160 store its analysis. This is controlled by the variable
25161 @code{spam-spamoracle-database} which defaults to @code{nil}. That means
25162 the default SpamOracle database will be used. In case you want your
25163 database to live somewhere special, set
25164 @code{spam-spamoracle-database} to this path.
25167 SpamOracle employs a statistical algorithm to determine whether a
25168 message is spam or ham. In order to get good results, meaning few
25169 false hits or misses, SpamOracle needs training. SpamOracle learns
25170 the characteristics of your spam mails. Using the @emph{add} mode
25171 (training mode) one has to feed good (ham) and spam mails to
25172 SpamOracle. This can be done by pressing @kbd{|} in the Summary
25173 buffer and pipe the mail to a SpamOracle process or using
25174 @file{spam.el}'s spam- and ham-processors, which is much more
25175 convenient. For a detailed description of spam- and ham-processors,
25176 @xref{Spam Package}.
25178 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-spamoracle
25179 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
25180 customizing the group parameter or the
25181 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is added
25182 to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, spam-marked articles will be
25183 sent to SpamOracle as spam samples.
25187 Instead of the obsolete
25188 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-spamoracle}, it is recommended
25189 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-spamoracle)}. Everything will work
25190 the same way, we promise.
25193 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-spamoracle
25194 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
25195 customizing the group parameter or the
25196 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is added
25197 to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked articles in
25198 @emph{ham} groups will be sent to the SpamOracle as samples of ham
25203 Instead of the obsolete
25204 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-spamoracle}, it is recommended
25205 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-spamoracle)}. Everything will work
25206 the same way, we promise.
25209 @emph{Example:} These are the Group Parameters of a group that has been
25210 classified as a ham group, meaning that it should only contain ham
25213 ((spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-ham)
25214 (spam-process ((ham spam-use-spamoracle)
25215 (spam spam-use-spamoracle))))
25217 For this group the @code{spam-use-spamoracle} is installed for both
25218 ham and spam processing. If the group contains spam message
25219 (e.g. because SpamOracle has not had enough sample messages yet) and
25220 the user marks some messages as spam messages, these messages will be
25221 processed by SpamOracle. The processor sends the messages to
25222 SpamOracle as new samples for spam.
25224 @node Extending the Spam package
25225 @subsection Extending the Spam package
25226 @cindex spam filtering
25227 @cindex spam elisp package, extending
25228 @cindex extending the spam elisp package
25230 Say you want to add a new back end called blackbox. For filtering
25231 incoming mail, provide the following:
25239 (defvar spam-use-blackbox nil
25240 "True if blackbox should be used.")
25243 Write @code{spam-check-blackbox} if Blackbox can check incoming mail.
25245 Write @code{spam-blackbox-register-routine} and
25246 @code{spam-blackbox-unregister-routine} using the bogofilter
25247 register/unregister routines as a start, or other restister/unregister
25248 routines more appropriate to Blackbox, if Blackbox can
25249 register/unregister spam and ham.
25254 The @code{spam-check-blackbox} function should return @samp{nil} or
25255 @code{spam-split-group}, observing the other conventions. See the
25256 existing @code{spam-check-*} functions for examples of what you can
25257 do, and stick to the template unless you fully understand the reasons
25262 For processing spam and ham messages, provide the following:
25269 Note you don't have to provide a spam or a ham processor. Only
25270 provide them if Blackbox supports spam or ham processing.
25272 Also, ham and spam processors are being phased out as single
25273 variables. Instead the form @code{(spam spam-use-blackbox)} or
25274 @code{(ham spam-use-blackbox)} is favored. For now, spam/ham
25275 processor variables are still around but they won't be for long.
25278 (defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blackbox "blackbox-spam"
25279 "The Blackbox summary exit spam processor.
25280 Only applicable to spam groups.")
25282 (defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-blackbox "blackbox-ham"
25283 "The whitelist summary exit ham processor.
25284 Only applicable to non-spam (unclassified and ham) groups.")
25293 (const :tag "Spam: Blackbox" (spam spam-use-blackbox))
25294 (const :tag "Ham: Blackbox" (ham spam-use-blackbox))
25296 to the @code{spam-process} group parameter in @code{gnus.el}. Make
25297 sure you do it twice, once for the parameter and once for the
25298 variable customization.
25302 (variable-item spam-use-blackbox)
25304 to the @code{spam-autodetect-methods} group parameter in
25305 @code{gnus.el} if Blackbox can check incoming mail for spam contents.
25307 Finally, use the appropriate @code{spam-install-*-backend} function in
25308 @code{spam.el}. Here are the available functions.
25314 @code{spam-install-backend-alias}
25316 This function will simply install an alias for a back end that does
25317 everything like the original back end. It is currently only used to
25318 make @code{spam-use-BBDB-exclusive} act like @code{spam-use-BBDB}.
25321 @code{spam-install-nocheck-backend}
25323 This function installs a back end that has no check function, but can
25324 register/unregister ham or spam. The @code{spam-use-gmane} back end is
25328 @code{spam-install-checkonly-backend}
25330 This function will install a back end that can only check incoming mail
25331 for spam contents. It can't register or unregister messages.
25332 @code{spam-use-blackholes} and @code{spam-use-hashcash} are such
25336 @code{spam-install-statistical-checkonly-backend}
25338 This function installs a statistical back end (one which requires the
25339 full body of a message to check it) that can only check incoming mail
25340 for contents. @code{spam-use-regex-body} is such a filter.
25343 @code{spam-install-statistical-backend}
25345 This function install a statistical back end with incoming checks and
25346 registration/unregistration routines. @code{spam-use-bogofilter} is
25350 @code{spam-install-backend}
25352 This is the most normal back end installation, where a back end that can
25353 check and register/unregister messages is set up without statistical
25354 abilities. The @code{spam-use-BBDB} is such a back end.
25357 @code{spam-install-mover-backend}
25359 Mover back ends are internal to @code{spam.el} and specifically move
25360 articles around when the summary is exited. You will very probably
25361 never install such a back end.
25366 @node Spam Statistics Package
25367 @subsection Spam Statistics Package
25368 @cindex Paul Graham
25369 @cindex Graham, Paul
25370 @cindex naive Bayesian spam filtering
25371 @cindex Bayesian spam filtering, naive
25372 @cindex spam filtering, naive Bayesian
25374 Paul Graham has written an excellent essay about spam filtering using
25375 statistics: @uref{http://www.paulgraham.com/spam.html,A Plan for
25376 Spam}. In it he describes the inherent deficiency of rule-based
25377 filtering as used by SpamAssassin, for example: Somebody has to write
25378 the rules, and everybody else has to install these rules. You are
25379 always late. It would be much better, he argues, to filter mail based
25380 on whether it somehow resembles spam or non-spam. One way to measure
25381 this is word distribution. He then goes on to describe a solution
25382 that checks whether a new mail resembles any of your other spam mails
25385 The basic idea is this: Create a two collections of your mail, one
25386 with spam, one with non-spam. Count how often each word appears in
25387 either collection, weight this by the total number of mails in the
25388 collections, and store this information in a dictionary. For every
25389 word in a new mail, determine its probability to belong to a spam or a
25390 non-spam mail. Use the 15 most conspicuous words, compute the total
25391 probability of the mail being spam. If this probability is higher
25392 than a certain threshold, the mail is considered to be spam.
25394 The Spam Statistics package adds support to Gnus for this kind of
25395 filtering. It can be used as one of the back ends of the Spam package
25396 (@pxref{Spam Package}), or by itself.
25398 Before using the Spam Statistics package, you need to set it up.
25399 First, you need two collections of your mail, one with spam, one with
25400 non-spam. Then you need to create a dictionary using these two
25401 collections, and save it. And last but not least, you need to use
25402 this dictionary in your fancy mail splitting rules.
25405 * Creating a spam-stat dictionary::
25406 * Splitting mail using spam-stat::
25407 * Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary::
25410 @node Creating a spam-stat dictionary
25411 @subsubsection Creating a spam-stat dictionary
25413 Before you can begin to filter spam based on statistics, you must
25414 create these statistics based on two mail collections, one with spam,
25415 one with non-spam. These statistics are then stored in a dictionary
25416 for later use. In order for these statistics to be meaningful, you
25417 need several hundred emails in both collections.
25419 Gnus currently supports only the nnml back end for automated dictionary
25420 creation. The nnml back end stores all mails in a directory, one file
25421 per mail. Use the following:
25423 @defun spam-stat-process-spam-directory
25424 Create spam statistics for every file in this directory. Every file
25425 is treated as one spam mail.
25428 @defun spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory
25429 Create non-spam statistics for every file in this directory. Every
25430 file is treated as one non-spam mail.
25433 Usually you would call @code{spam-stat-process-spam-directory} on a
25434 directory such as @file{~/Mail/mail/spam} (this usually corresponds to
25435 the group @samp{nnml:mail.spam}), and you would call
25436 @code{spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory} on a directory such as
25437 @file{~/Mail/mail/misc} (this usually corresponds to the group
25438 @samp{nnml:mail.misc}).
25440 When you are using @acronym{IMAP}, you won't have the mails available
25441 locally, so that will not work. One solution is to use the Gnus Agent
25442 to cache the articles. Then you can use directories such as
25443 @file{"~/News/agent/nnimap/mail.yourisp.com/personal_spam"} for
25444 @code{spam-stat-process-spam-directory}. @xref{Agent as Cache}.
25447 This variable holds the hash-table with all the statistics---the
25448 dictionary we have been talking about. For every word in either
25449 collection, this hash-table stores a vector describing how often the
25450 word appeared in spam and often it appeared in non-spam mails.
25453 If you want to regenerate the statistics from scratch, you need to
25454 reset the dictionary.
25456 @defun spam-stat-reset
25457 Reset the @code{spam-stat} hash-table, deleting all the statistics.
25460 When you are done, you must save the dictionary. The dictionary may
25461 be rather large. If you will not update the dictionary incrementally
25462 (instead, you will recreate it once a month, for example), then you
25463 can reduce the size of the dictionary by deleting all words that did
25464 not appear often enough or that do not clearly belong to only spam or
25465 only non-spam mails.
25467 @defun spam-stat-reduce-size
25468 Reduce the size of the dictionary. Use this only if you do not want
25469 to update the dictionary incrementally.
25472 @defun spam-stat-save
25473 Save the dictionary.
25476 @defvar spam-stat-file
25477 The filename used to store the dictionary. This defaults to
25478 @file{~/.spam-stat.el}.
25481 @node Splitting mail using spam-stat
25482 @subsubsection Splitting mail using spam-stat
25484 This section describes how to use the Spam statistics
25485 @emph{independently} of the @xref{Spam Package}.
25487 First, add the following to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
25490 (require 'spam-stat)
25494 This will load the necessary Gnus code, and the dictionary you
25497 Next, you need to adapt your fancy splitting rules: You need to
25498 determine how to use @code{spam-stat}. The following examples are for
25499 the nnml back end. Using the nnimap back end works just as well. Just
25500 use @code{nnimap-split-fancy} instead of @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
25502 In the simplest case, you only have two groups, @samp{mail.misc} and
25503 @samp{mail.spam}. The following expression says that mail is either
25504 spam or it should go into @samp{mail.misc}. If it is spam, then
25505 @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} will return @samp{mail.spam}.
25508 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
25509 `(| (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
25513 @defvar spam-stat-split-fancy-spam-group
25514 The group to use for spam. Default is @samp{mail.spam}.
25517 If you also filter mail with specific subjects into other groups, use
25518 the following expression. Only mails not matching the regular
25519 expression are considered potential spam.
25522 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
25523 `(| ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
25524 (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
25528 If you want to filter for spam first, then you must be careful when
25529 creating the dictionary. Note that @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} must
25530 consider both mails in @samp{mail.emacs} and in @samp{mail.misc} as
25531 non-spam, therefore both should be in your collection of non-spam
25532 mails, when creating the dictionary!
25535 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
25536 `(| (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
25537 ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
25541 You can combine this with traditional filtering. Here, we move all
25542 HTML-only mails into the @samp{mail.spam.filtered} group. Note that since
25543 @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} will never see them, the mails in
25544 @samp{mail.spam.filtered} should be neither in your collection of spam mails,
25545 nor in your collection of non-spam mails, when creating the
25549 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
25550 `(| ("Content-Type" "text/html" "mail.spam.filtered")
25551 (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
25552 ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
25557 @node Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary
25558 @subsubsection Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary
25560 The main interface to using @code{spam-stat}, are the following functions:
25562 @defun spam-stat-buffer-is-spam
25563 Called in a buffer, that buffer is considered to be a new spam mail.
25564 Use this for new mail that has not been processed before.
25567 @defun spam-stat-buffer-is-no-spam
25568 Called in a buffer, that buffer is considered to be a new non-spam
25569 mail. Use this for new mail that has not been processed before.
25572 @defun spam-stat-buffer-change-to-spam
25573 Called in a buffer, that buffer is no longer considered to be normal
25574 mail but spam. Use this to change the status of a mail that has
25575 already been processed as non-spam.
25578 @defun spam-stat-buffer-change-to-non-spam
25579 Called in a buffer, that buffer is no longer considered to be spam but
25580 normal mail. Use this to change the status of a mail that has already
25581 been processed as spam.
25584 @defun spam-stat-save
25585 Save the hash table to the file. The filename used is stored in the
25586 variable @code{spam-stat-file}.
25589 @defun spam-stat-load
25590 Load the hash table from a file. The filename used is stored in the
25591 variable @code{spam-stat-file}.
25594 @defun spam-stat-score-word
25595 Return the spam score for a word.
25598 @defun spam-stat-score-buffer
25599 Return the spam score for a buffer.
25602 @defun spam-stat-split-fancy
25603 Use this function for fancy mail splitting. Add the rule @samp{(:
25604 spam-stat-split-fancy)} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
25607 Make sure you load the dictionary before using it. This requires the
25608 following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
25611 (require 'spam-stat)
25615 Typical test will involve calls to the following functions:
25618 Reset: (setq spam-stat (make-hash-table :test 'equal))
25619 Learn spam: (spam-stat-process-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
25620 Learn non-spam: (spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
25621 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
25622 File size: (nth 7 (file-attributes spam-stat-file))
25623 Number of words: (hash-table-count spam-stat)
25624 Test spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
25625 Test non-spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
25626 Reduce table size: (spam-stat-reduce-size)
25627 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
25628 File size: (nth 7 (file-attributes spam-stat-file))
25629 Number of words: (hash-table-count spam-stat)
25630 Test spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
25631 Test non-spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
25634 Here is how you would create your dictionary:
25637 Reset: (setq spam-stat (make-hash-table :test 'equal))
25638 Learn spam: (spam-stat-process-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
25639 Learn non-spam: (spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
25640 Repeat for any other non-spam group you need...
25641 Reduce table size: (spam-stat-reduce-size)
25642 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
25646 @section Interaction with other modes
25651 @code{gnus-dired-minor-mode} provides some useful functions for dired
25652 buffers. It is enabled with
25654 (add-hook 'dired-mode-hook 'turn-on-gnus-dired-mode)
25659 @findex gnus-dired-attach
25660 @cindex attachments, selection via dired
25661 Send dired's marked files as an attachment (@code{gnus-dired-attach}).
25662 You will be prompted for a message buffer.
25665 @findex gnus-dired-find-file-mailcap
25666 Visit a file according to the appropriate mailcap entry
25667 (@code{gnus-dired-find-file-mailcap}). With prefix, open file in a new
25671 @findex gnus-dired-print
25672 Print file according to the mailcap entry (@code{gnus-dired-print}). If
25673 there is no print command, print in a PostScript image.
25676 @node Various Various
25677 @section Various Various
25683 @item gnus-home-directory
25684 @vindex gnus-home-directory
25685 All Gnus file and directory variables will be initialized from this
25686 variable, which defaults to @file{~/}.
25688 @item gnus-directory
25689 @vindex gnus-directory
25690 Most Gnus storage file and directory variables will be initialized from
25691 this variable, which defaults to the @env{SAVEDIR} environment
25692 variable, or @file{~/News/} if that variable isn't set.
25694 Note that Gnus is mostly loaded when the @file{~/.gnus.el} file is read.
25695 This means that other directory variables that are initialized from this
25696 variable won't be set properly if you set this variable in
25697 @file{~/.gnus.el}. Set this variable in @file{.emacs} instead.
25699 @item gnus-default-directory
25700 @vindex gnus-default-directory
25701 Not related to the above variable at all---this variable says what the
25702 default directory of all Gnus buffers should be. If you issue commands
25703 like @kbd{C-x C-f}, the prompt you'll get starts in the current buffer's
25704 default directory. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
25705 default), the default directory will be the default directory of the
25706 buffer you were in when you started Gnus.
25709 @vindex gnus-verbose
25710 This variable is an integer between zero and ten. The higher the value,
25711 the more messages will be displayed. If this variable is zero, Gnus
25712 will never flash any messages, if it is seven (which is the default),
25713 most important messages will be shown, and if it is ten, Gnus won't ever
25714 shut up, but will flash so many messages it will make your head swim.
25716 @item gnus-verbose-backends
25717 @vindex gnus-verbose-backends
25718 This variable works the same way as @code{gnus-verbose}, but it applies
25719 to the Gnus back ends instead of Gnus proper.
25721 @item gnus-add-timestamp-to-message
25722 @vindex gnus-add-timestamp-to-message
25723 This variable controls whether to add timestamps to messages that are
25724 controlled by @code{gnus-verbose} and @code{gnus-verbose-backends} and
25725 are issued. The default value is @code{nil} which means never to add
25726 timestamp. If it is @code{log}, add timestamps to only the messages
25727 that go into the @samp{*Messages*} buffer (in XEmacs, it is the
25728 @w{@samp{ *Message-Log*}} buffer). If it is neither @code{nil} nor
25729 @code{log}, add timestamps not only to log messages but also to the ones
25730 displayed in the echo area.
25732 @item nnheader-max-head-length
25733 @vindex nnheader-max-head-length
25734 When the back ends read straight heads of articles, they all try to read
25735 as little as possible. This variable (default 8192) specifies
25736 the absolute max length the back ends will try to read before giving up
25737 on finding a separator line between the head and the body. If this
25738 variable is @code{nil}, there is no upper read bound. If it is
25739 @code{t}, the back ends won't try to read the articles piece by piece,
25740 but read the entire articles. This makes sense with some versions of
25741 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs}.
25743 @item nnheader-head-chop-length
25744 @vindex nnheader-head-chop-length
25745 This variable (default 2048) says how big a piece of each article to
25746 read when doing the operation described above.
25748 @item nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
25749 @vindex nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
25751 @cindex invalid characters in file names
25752 @cindex characters in file names
25753 This is an alist that says how to translate characters in file names.
25754 For instance, if @samp{:} is invalid as a file character in file names
25755 on your system (you OS/2 user you), you could say something like:
25759 (setq nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
25764 In fact, this is the default value for this variable on OS/2 and MS
25765 Windows (phooey) systems.
25767 @item gnus-hidden-properties
25768 @vindex gnus-hidden-properties
25769 This is a list of properties to use to hide ``invisible'' text. It is
25770 @code{(invisible t intangible t)} by default on most systems, which
25771 makes invisible text invisible and intangible.
25773 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
25774 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
25775 A hook called before parsing headers. It can be used, for instance, to
25776 gather statistics on the headers fetched, or perhaps you'd like to prune
25777 some headers. I don't see why you'd want that, though.
25779 @item gnus-shell-command-separator
25780 @vindex gnus-shell-command-separator
25781 String used to separate two shell commands. The default is @samp{;}.
25783 @item gnus-invalid-group-regexp
25784 @vindex gnus-invalid-group-regexp
25786 Regexp to match ``invalid'' group names when querying user for a group
25787 name. The default value catches some @strong{really} invalid group
25788 names who could possibly mess up Gnus internally (like allowing
25789 @samp{:} in a group name, which is normally used to delimit method and
25792 @acronym{IMAP} users might want to allow @samp{/} in group names though.
25800 Well, that's the manual---you can get on with your life now. Keep in
25801 touch. Say hello to your cats from me.
25803 My @strong{ghod}---I just can't stand goodbyes. Sniffle.
25805 Ol' Charles Reznikoff said it pretty well, so I leave the floor to him:
25811 Not because of victories @*
25814 but for the common sunshine,@*
25816 the largess of the spring.
25820 but for the day's work done@*
25821 as well as I was able;@*
25822 not for a seat upon the dais@*
25823 but at the common table.@*
25828 @chapter Appendices
25831 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
25832 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
25833 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
25834 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
25835 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
25836 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
25837 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
25838 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
25839 * Frequently Asked Questions:: The Gnus FAQ
25846 @cindex installing under XEmacs
25848 XEmacs is distributed as a collection of packages. You should install
25849 whatever packages the Gnus XEmacs package requires. The current
25850 requirements are @samp{gnus}, @samp{mail-lib}, @samp{xemacs-base},
25851 @samp{eterm}, @samp{sh-script}, @samp{net-utils}, @samp{os-utils},
25852 @samp{dired}, @samp{mh-e}, @samp{sieve}, @samp{ps-print}, @samp{W3},
25853 @samp{pgg}, @samp{mailcrypt}, @samp{ecrypto}, and @samp{sasl}.
25860 @sc{gnus} was written by Masanobu @sc{Umeda}. When autumn crept up in
25861 '94, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen grew bored and decided to rewrite Gnus.
25863 If you want to investigate the person responsible for this outrage,
25864 you can point your (feh!) web browser to
25865 @uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/}. This is also the primary
25866 distribution point for the new and spiffy versions of Gnus, and is
25867 known as The Site That Destroys Newsrcs And Drives People Mad.
25869 During the first extended alpha period of development, the new Gnus was
25870 called ``(ding) Gnus''. @dfn{(ding)} is, of course, short for
25871 @dfn{ding is not Gnus}, which is a total and utter lie, but who cares?
25872 (Besides, the ``Gnus'' in this abbreviation should probably be
25873 pronounced ``news'' as @sc{Umeda} intended, which makes it a more
25874 appropriate name, don't you think?)
25876 In any case, after spending all that energy on coming up with a new and
25877 spunky name, we decided that the name was @emph{too} spunky, so we
25878 renamed it back again to ``Gnus''. But in mixed case. ``Gnus'' vs.
25879 ``@sc{gnus}''. New vs. old.
25882 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
25883 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
25884 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
25885 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
25886 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
25887 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
25888 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
25889 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
25890 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
25894 @node Gnus Versions
25895 @subsection Gnus Versions
25897 @cindex September Gnus
25899 @cindex Quassia Gnus
25900 @cindex Pterodactyl Gnus
25903 @cindex Gnus versions
25905 The first ``proper'' release of Gnus 5 was done in November 1995 when it
25906 was included in the Emacs 19.30 distribution (132 (ding) Gnus releases
25907 plus 15 Gnus 5.0 releases).
25909 In May 1996 the next Gnus generation (aka. ``September Gnus'' (after 99
25910 releases)) was released under the name ``Gnus 5.2'' (40 releases).
25912 On July 28th 1996 work on Red Gnus was begun, and it was released on
25913 January 25th 1997 (after 84 releases) as ``Gnus 5.4'' (67 releases).
25915 On September 13th 1997, Quassia Gnus was started and lasted 37 releases.
25916 It was released as ``Gnus 5.6'' on March 8th 1998 (46 releases).
25918 Gnus 5.6 begat Pterodactyl Gnus on August 29th 1998 and was released as
25919 ``Gnus 5.8'' (after 99 releases and a CVS repository) on December 3rd
25922 On the 26th of October 2000, Oort Gnus was begun and was released as
25923 Gnus 5.10 on May 1st 2003 (24 releases).
25925 On the January 4th 2004, No Gnus was begun.
25927 If you happen upon a version of Gnus that has a prefixed name --
25928 ``(ding) Gnus'', ``September Gnus'', ``Red Gnus'', ``Quassia Gnus'',
25929 ``Pterodactyl Gnus'', ``Oort Gnus'', ``No Gnus'' -- don't panic.
25930 Don't let it know that you're frightened. Back away. Slowly. Whatever
25931 you do, don't run. Walk away, calmly, until you're out of its reach.
25932 Find a proper released version of Gnus and snuggle up to that instead.
25935 @node Other Gnus Versions
25936 @subsection Other Gnus Versions
25939 In addition to the versions of Gnus which have had their releases
25940 coordinated by Lars, one major development has been Semi-gnus from
25941 Japan. It's based on a library called @acronym{SEMI}, which provides
25942 @acronym{MIME} capabilities.
25944 These Gnusae are based mainly on Gnus 5.6 and Pterodactyl Gnus.
25945 Collectively, they are called ``Semi-gnus'', and different strains are
25946 called T-gnus, ET-gnus, Nana-gnus and Chaos. These provide powerful
25947 @acronym{MIME} and multilingualization things, especially important for
25954 What's the point of Gnus?
25956 I want to provide a ``rad'', ``happening'', ``way cool'' and ``hep''
25957 newsreader, that lets you do anything you can think of. That was my
25958 original motivation, but while working on Gnus, it has become clear to
25959 me that this generation of newsreaders really belong in the stone age.
25960 Newsreaders haven't developed much since the infancy of the net. If the
25961 volume continues to rise with the current rate of increase, all current
25962 newsreaders will be pretty much useless. How do you deal with
25963 newsgroups that have thousands of new articles each day? How do you
25964 keep track of millions of people who post?
25966 Gnus offers no real solutions to these questions, but I would very much
25967 like to see Gnus being used as a testing ground for new methods of
25968 reading and fetching news. Expanding on @sc{Umeda}-san's wise decision
25969 to separate the newsreader from the back ends, Gnus now offers a simple
25970 interface for anybody who wants to write new back ends for fetching mail
25971 and news from different sources. I have added hooks for customizations
25972 everywhere I could imagine it being useful. By doing so, I'm inviting
25973 every one of you to explore and invent.
25975 May Gnus never be complete. @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-emacs} and
25976 @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-xemacs}.
25979 @node Compatibility
25980 @subsection Compatibility
25982 @cindex compatibility
25983 Gnus was designed to be fully compatible with @sc{gnus}. Almost all key
25984 bindings have been kept. More key bindings have been added, of course,
25985 but only in one or two obscure cases have old bindings been changed.
25990 @center In a cloud bones of steel.
25994 All commands have kept their names. Some internal functions have changed
25997 The @code{gnus-uu} package has changed drastically. @xref{Decoding
26000 One major compatibility question is the presence of several summary
26001 buffers. All variables relevant while reading a group are
26002 buffer-local to the summary buffer they belong in. Although many
26003 important variables have their values copied into their global
26004 counterparts whenever a command is executed in the summary buffer, this
26005 change might lead to incorrect values being used unless you are careful.
26007 All code that relies on knowledge of @sc{gnus} internals will probably
26008 fail. To take two examples: Sorting @code{gnus-newsrc-alist} (or
26009 changing it in any way, as a matter of fact) is strictly verboten. Gnus
26010 maintains a hash table that points to the entries in this alist (which
26011 speeds up many functions), and changing the alist directly will lead to
26015 @cindex highlighting
26016 Old hilit19 code does not work at all. In fact, you should probably
26017 remove all hilit code from all Gnus hooks
26018 (@code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} and @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook}).
26019 Gnus provides various integrated functions for highlighting. These are
26020 faster and more accurate. To make life easier for everybody, Gnus will
26021 by default remove all hilit calls from all hilit hooks. Uncleanliness!
26024 Packages like @code{expire-kill} will no longer work. As a matter of
26025 fact, you should probably remove all old @sc{gnus} packages (and other
26026 code) when you start using Gnus. More likely than not, Gnus already
26027 does what you have written code to make @sc{gnus} do. (Snicker.)
26029 Even though old methods of doing things are still supported, only the
26030 new methods are documented in this manual. If you detect a new method of
26031 doing something while reading this manual, that does not mean you have
26032 to stop doing it the old way.
26034 Gnus understands all @sc{gnus} startup files.
26036 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
26038 @cindex reporting bugs
26040 Overall, a casual user who hasn't written much code that depends on
26041 @sc{gnus} internals should suffer no problems. If problems occur,
26042 please let me know by issuing that magic command @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}.
26044 @vindex gnus-bug-create-help-buffer
26045 If you are in the habit of sending bug reports @emph{very} often, you
26046 may find the helpful help buffer annoying after a while. If so, set
26047 @code{gnus-bug-create-help-buffer} to @code{nil} to avoid having it pop
26052 @subsection Conformity
26054 No rebels without a clue here, ma'am. We conform to all standards known
26055 to (wo)man. Except for those standards and/or conventions we disagree
26063 There are no known breaches of this standard.
26067 There are no known breaches of this standard, either.
26069 @item Son-of-RFC 1036
26070 @cindex Son-of-RFC 1036
26071 We do have some breaches to this one.
26077 These are considered to be ``vanity headers'', while I consider them
26078 to be consumer information. After seeing so many badly formatted
26079 articles coming from @code{tin} and @code{Netscape} I know not to use
26080 either of those for posting articles. I would not have known that if
26081 it wasn't for the @code{X-Newsreader} header.
26086 USEFOR is an IETF working group writing a successor to RFC 1036, based
26087 on Son-of-RFC 1036. They have produced a number of drafts proposing
26088 various changes to the format of news articles. The Gnus towers will
26089 look into implementing the changes when the draft is accepted as an RFC.
26091 @item MIME - RFC 2045-2049 etc
26092 @cindex @acronym{MIME}
26093 All the various @acronym{MIME} RFCs are supported.
26095 @item Disposition Notifications - RFC 2298
26096 Message Mode is able to request notifications from the receiver.
26098 @item PGP - RFC 1991 and RFC 2440
26101 RFC 1991 is the original @acronym{PGP} message specification,
26102 published as an informational RFC. RFC 2440 was the follow-up, now
26103 called Open PGP, and put on the Standards Track. Both document a
26104 non-@acronym{MIME} aware @acronym{PGP} format. Gnus supports both
26105 encoding (signing and encryption) and decoding (verification and
26108 @item PGP/MIME - RFC 2015/3156
26109 RFC 2015 (superseded by 3156 which references RFC 2440 instead of RFC
26110 1991) describes the @acronym{MIME}-wrapping around the RFC 1991/2440 format.
26111 Gnus supports both encoding and decoding.
26113 @item S/MIME - RFC 2633
26114 RFC 2633 describes the @acronym{S/MIME} format.
26116 @item IMAP - RFC 1730/2060, RFC 2195, RFC 2086, RFC 2359, RFC 2595, RFC 1731
26117 RFC 1730 is @acronym{IMAP} version 4, updated somewhat by RFC 2060
26118 (@acronym{IMAP} 4 revision 1). RFC 2195 describes CRAM-MD5
26119 authentication for @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 2086 describes access control
26120 lists (ACLs) for @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 2359 describes a @acronym{IMAP}
26121 protocol enhancement. RFC 2595 describes the proper @acronym{TLS}
26122 integration (STARTTLS) with @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 1731 describes the
26123 GSSAPI/Kerberos4 mechanisms for @acronym{IMAP}.
26127 If you ever notice Gnus acting non-compliant with regards to the texts
26128 mentioned above, don't hesitate to drop a note to Gnus Towers and let us
26133 @subsection Emacsen
26139 Gnus should work on:
26147 XEmacs 21.4 and up.
26151 This Gnus version will absolutely not work on any Emacsen older than
26152 that. Not reliably, at least. Older versions of Gnus may work on older
26153 Emacs versions. Particularly, Gnus 5.10.8 should also work on Emacs
26154 20.7 and XEmacs 21.1.
26156 There are some vague differences between Gnus on the various
26157 platforms---XEmacs features more graphics (a logo and a toolbar)---but
26158 other than that, things should look pretty much the same under all
26162 @node Gnus Development
26163 @subsection Gnus Development
26165 Gnus is developed in a two-phased cycle. The first phase involves much
26166 discussion on the @samp{ding@@gnus.org} mailing list, where people
26167 propose changes and new features, post patches and new back ends. This
26168 phase is called the @dfn{alpha} phase, since the Gnusae released in this
26169 phase are @dfn{alpha releases}, or (perhaps more commonly in other
26170 circles) @dfn{snapshots}. During this phase, Gnus is assumed to be
26171 unstable and should not be used by casual users. Gnus alpha releases
26172 have names like ``Red Gnus'' and ``Quassia Gnus''.
26174 After futzing around for 50-100 alpha releases, Gnus is declared
26175 @dfn{frozen}, and only bug fixes are applied. Gnus loses the prefix,
26176 and is called things like ``Gnus 5.6.32'' instead. Normal people are
26177 supposed to be able to use these, and these are mostly discussed on the
26178 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} newsgroup.
26181 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
26182 Some variable defaults differ between alpha Gnusae and released Gnusae.
26183 In particular, @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} defaults to @code{nil} in
26184 alpha Gnusae and @code{t} in released Gnusae. This is to prevent
26185 lossage of mail if an alpha release hiccups while handling the mail.
26187 The division of discussion between the ding mailing list and the Gnus
26188 newsgroup is not purely based on publicity concerns. It's true that
26189 having people write about the horrible things that an alpha Gnus release
26190 can do (sometimes) in a public forum may scare people off, but more
26191 importantly, talking about new experimental features that have been
26192 introduced may confuse casual users. New features are frequently
26193 introduced, fiddled with, and judged to be found wanting, and then
26194 either discarded or totally rewritten. People reading the mailing list
26195 usually keep up with these rapid changes, while people on the newsgroup
26196 can't be assumed to do so.
26201 @subsection Contributors
26202 @cindex contributors
26204 The new Gnus version couldn't have been done without the help of all the
26205 people on the (ding) mailing list. Every day for over a year I have
26206 gotten billions of nice bug reports from them, filling me with joy,
26207 every single one of them. Smooches. The people on the list have been
26208 tried beyond endurance, what with my ``oh, that's a neat idea <type
26209 type>, yup, I'll release it right away <ship off> no wait, that doesn't
26210 work at all <type type>, yup, I'll ship that one off right away <ship
26211 off> no, wait, that absolutely does not work'' policy for releases.
26212 Micro$oft---bah. Amateurs. I'm @emph{much} worse. (Or is that
26213 ``worser''? ``much worser''? ``worsest''?)
26215 I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Academy for@dots{} oops,
26221 Masanobu @sc{Umeda}---the writer of the original @sc{gnus}.
26224 Shenghuo Zhu---uudecode.el, mm-uu.el, rfc1843.el, webmail.el,
26225 nnwarchive and many, many other things connected with @acronym{MIME} and
26226 other types of en/decoding, as well as general bug fixing, new
26227 functionality and stuff.
26230 Per Abrahamsen---custom, scoring, highlighting and @sc{soup} code (as
26231 well as numerous other things).
26234 Luis Fernandes---design and graphics.
26237 Joe Reiss---creator of the smiley faces.
26240 Justin Sheehy---the @acronym{FAQ} maintainer.
26243 Erik Naggum---help, ideas, support, code and stuff.
26246 Wes Hardaker---@file{gnus-picon.el} and the manual section on
26247 @dfn{picons} (@pxref{Picons}).
26250 Kim-Minh Kaplan---further work on the picon code.
26253 Brad Miller---@file{gnus-gl.el} and the GroupLens manual section.
26256 Sudish Joseph---innumerable bug fixes.
26259 Ilja Weis---@file{gnus-topic.el}.
26262 Steven L. Baur---lots and lots and lots of bugs detections and fixes.
26265 Vladimir Alexiev---the refcard and reference booklets.
26268 Felix Lee & Jamie Zawinski---I stole some pieces from the XGnus
26269 distribution by Felix Lee and JWZ.
26272 Scott Byer---@file{nnfolder.el} enhancements & rewrite.
26275 Peter Mutsaers---orphan article scoring code.
26278 Ken Raeburn---POP mail support.
26281 Hallvard B Furuseth---various bits and pieces, especially dealing with
26285 Brian Edmonds---@file{gnus-bbdb.el}.
26288 David Moore---rewrite of @file{nnvirtual.el} and many other things.
26291 Kevin Davidson---came up with the name @dfn{ding}, so blame him.
26294 Fran@,{c}ois Pinard---many, many interesting and thorough bug reports, as
26295 well as autoconf support.
26299 This manual was proof-read by Adrian Aichner, with Ricardo Nassif, Mark
26300 Borges, and Jost Krieger proof-reading parts of the manual.
26302 The following people have contributed many patches and suggestions:
26317 Jason L. Tibbitts, III,
26319 Katsumi Yamaoka, @c Yamaoka
26323 Also thanks to the following for patches and stuff:
26333 Alexei V. Barantsev,
26348 Massimo Campostrini,
26353 Jae-you Chung, @c ?
26354 James H. Cloos, Jr.,
26358 Andrew J. Cosgriff,
26361 Geoffrey T. Dairiki,
26367 Michael Welsh Duggan,
26372 Enami Tsugutomo, @c Enami
26376 Nelson Jose dos Santos Ferreira,
26384 Arne Georg Gleditsch,
26386 Michelangelo Grigni,
26390 Kenichi Handa, @c Handa
26392 Yoshiki Hayashi, @c Hayashi
26394 Hisashige Kenji, @c Hisashige
26402 Fran@,{c}ois Felix Ingrand,
26403 Tatsuya Ichikawa, @c Ichikawa
26404 Ishikawa Ichiro, @c Ishikawa
26406 Iwamuro Motonori, @c Iwamuro
26416 Peter Skov Knudsen,
26417 Shuhei Kobayashi, @c Kobayashi
26419 Koseki Yoshinori, @c Koseki
26420 Thor Kristoffersen,
26423 Seokchan Lee, @c Lee
26441 Morioka Tomohiko, @c Morioka
26442 Erik Toubro Nielsen,
26449 Masaharu Onishi, @c Onishi
26454 Jens-Ulrik Holger Petersen,
26458 John McClary Prevost,
26464 Lars Balker Rasmussen,
26469 Christian von Roques,
26472 Wolfgang Rupprecht,
26479 Philippe Schnoebelen,
26481 Randal L. Schwartz,
26495 Kiyokazu Suto, @c Suto
26500 Tozawa Akihiko, @c Tozawa
26520 For a full overview of what each person has done, the ChangeLogs
26521 included in the Gnus alpha distributions should give ample reading
26522 (550kB and counting).
26524 Apologies to everybody that I've forgotten, of which there are many, I'm
26527 Gee, that's quite a list of people. I guess that must mean that there
26528 actually are people who are using Gnus. Who'd'a thunk it!
26532 @subsection New Features
26533 @cindex new features
26536 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
26537 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
26538 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
26539 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
26540 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
26541 * Oort Gnus:: It's big. It's far out. Gnus 5.10/5.11.
26542 * No Gnus:: Very punny.
26545 These lists are, of course, just @emph{short} overviews of the
26546 @emph{most} important new features. No, really. There are tons more.
26547 Yes, we have feeping creaturism in full effect.
26550 @subsubsection (ding) Gnus
26552 New features in Gnus 5.0/5.1:
26557 The look of all buffers can be changed by setting format-like variables
26558 (@pxref{Group Buffer Format} and @pxref{Summary Buffer Format}).
26561 Local spool and several @acronym{NNTP} servers can be used at once
26562 (@pxref{Select Methods}).
26565 You can combine groups into virtual groups (@pxref{Virtual Groups}).
26568 You can read a number of different mail formats (@pxref{Getting Mail}).
26569 All the mail back ends implement a convenient mail expiry scheme
26570 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
26573 Gnus can use various strategies for gathering threads that have lost
26574 their roots (thereby gathering loose sub-threads into one thread) or it
26575 can go back and retrieve enough headers to build a complete thread
26576 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
26579 Killed groups can be displayed in the group buffer, and you can read
26580 them as well (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
26583 Gnus can do partial group updates---you do not have to retrieve the
26584 entire active file just to check for new articles in a few groups
26585 (@pxref{The Active File}).
26588 Gnus implements a sliding scale of subscribedness to groups
26589 (@pxref{Group Levels}).
26592 You can score articles according to any number of criteria
26593 (@pxref{Scoring}). You can even get Gnus to find out how to score
26594 articles for you (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
26597 Gnus maintains a dribble buffer that is auto-saved the normal Emacs
26598 manner, so it should be difficult to lose much data on what you have
26599 read if your machine should go down (@pxref{Auto Save}).
26602 Gnus now has its own startup file (@file{~/.gnus.el}) to avoid
26603 cluttering up the @file{.emacs} file.
26606 You can set the process mark on both groups and articles and perform
26607 operations on all the marked items (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
26610 You can grep through a subset of groups and create a group from the
26611 results (@pxref{Kibozed Groups}).
26614 You can list subsets of groups according to, well, anything
26615 (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
26618 You can browse foreign servers and subscribe to groups from those
26619 servers (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
26622 Gnus can fetch articles, asynchronously, on a second connection to the
26623 server (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
26626 You can cache articles locally (@pxref{Article Caching}).
26629 The uudecode functions have been expanded and generalized
26630 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
26633 You can still post uuencoded articles, which was a little-known feature
26634 of @sc{gnus}' past (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
26637 Fetching parents (and other articles) now actually works without
26638 glitches (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
26641 Gnus can fetch @acronym{FAQ}s and group descriptions (@pxref{Group Information}).
26644 Digests (and other files) can be used as the basis for groups
26645 (@pxref{Document Groups}).
26648 Articles can be highlighted and customized (@pxref{Customizing
26652 URLs and other external references can be buttonized (@pxref{Article
26656 You can do lots of strange stuff with the Gnus window & frame
26657 configuration (@pxref{Window Layout}).
26660 You can click on buttons instead of using the keyboard
26666 @node September Gnus
26667 @subsubsection September Gnus
26671 \gnusfig{-28cm}{0cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/september,height=20cm}}
26675 New features in Gnus 5.2/5.3:
26680 A new message composition mode is used. All old customization variables
26681 for @code{mail-mode}, @code{rnews-reply-mode} and @code{gnus-msg} are
26685 Gnus is now able to generate @dfn{sparse} threads---threads where
26686 missing articles are represented by empty nodes (@pxref{Customizing
26690 (setq gnus-build-sparse-threads 'some)
26694 Outgoing articles are stored on a special archive server
26695 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
26698 Partial thread regeneration now happens when articles are
26702 Gnus can make use of GroupLens predictions.
26705 Picons (personal icons) can be displayed under XEmacs (@pxref{Picons}).
26708 A @code{trn}-like tree buffer can be displayed (@pxref{Tree Display}).
26711 (setq gnus-use-trees t)
26715 An @code{nn}-like pick-and-read minor mode is available for the summary
26716 buffers (@pxref{Pick and Read}).
26719 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
26723 In binary groups you can use a special binary minor mode (@pxref{Binary
26727 Groups can be grouped in a folding topic hierarchy (@pxref{Group
26731 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
26735 Gnus can re-send and bounce mail (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
26738 Groups can now have a score, and bubbling based on entry frequency
26739 is possible (@pxref{Group Score}).
26742 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-exit-hook 'gnus-summary-bubble-group)
26746 Groups can be process-marked, and commands can be performed on
26747 groups of groups (@pxref{Marking Groups}).
26750 Caching is possible in virtual groups.
26753 @code{nndoc} now understands all kinds of digests, mail boxes, rnews
26754 news batches, ClariNet briefs collections, and just about everything
26755 else (@pxref{Document Groups}).
26758 Gnus has a new back end (@code{nnsoup}) to create/read SOUP packets
26762 The Gnus cache is much faster.
26765 Groups can be sorted according to many criteria (@pxref{Sorting
26769 New group parameters have been introduced to set list-addresses and
26770 expiry times (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
26773 All formatting specs allow specifying faces to be used
26774 (@pxref{Formatting Fonts}).
26777 There are several more commands for setting/removing/acting on process
26778 marked articles on the @kbd{M P} submap (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
26781 The summary buffer can be limited to show parts of the available
26782 articles based on a wide range of criteria. These commands have been
26783 bound to keys on the @kbd{/} submap (@pxref{Limiting}).
26786 Articles can be made persistent with the @kbd{*} command
26787 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
26790 All functions for hiding article elements are now toggles.
26793 Article headers can be buttonized (@pxref{Article Washing}).
26796 All mail back ends support fetching articles by @code{Message-ID}.
26799 Duplicate mail can now be treated properly (@pxref{Duplicates}).
26802 All summary mode commands are available directly from the article
26803 buffer (@pxref{Article Keymap}).
26806 Frames can be part of @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} (@pxref{Window
26810 Mail can be re-scanned by a daemonic process (@pxref{Daemons}).
26813 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}}
26818 Gnus can make use of NoCeM files to weed out spam (@pxref{NoCeM}).
26821 (setq gnus-use-nocem t)
26825 Groups can be made permanently visible (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
26828 (setq gnus-permanently-visible-groups "^nnml:")
26832 Many new hooks have been introduced to make customizing easier.
26835 Gnus respects the @code{Mail-Copies-To} header.
26838 Threads can be gathered by looking at the @code{References} header
26839 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
26842 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
26843 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
26847 Read articles can be stored in a special backlog buffer to avoid
26848 refetching (@pxref{Article Backlog}).
26851 (setq gnus-keep-backlog 50)
26855 A clean copy of the current article is always stored in a separate
26856 buffer to allow easier treatment.
26859 Gnus can suggest where to save articles (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
26862 Gnus doesn't have to do as much prompting when saving (@pxref{Saving
26866 (setq gnus-prompt-before-saving t)
26870 @code{gnus-uu} can view decoded files asynchronously while fetching
26871 articles (@pxref{Other Decode Variables}).
26874 (setq gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions 'gnus-uu-grab-view)
26878 Filling in the article buffer now works properly on cited text
26879 (@pxref{Article Washing}).
26882 Hiding cited text adds buttons to toggle hiding, and how much
26883 cited text to hide is now customizable (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
26886 (setq gnus-cited-lines-visible 2)
26890 Boring headers can be hidden (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
26893 Default scoring values can now be set from the menu bar.
26896 Further syntax checking of outgoing articles have been added.
26902 @subsubsection Red Gnus
26904 New features in Gnus 5.4/5.5:
26908 \gnusfig{-5.5cm}{-4cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/red,height=20cm}}
26915 @file{nntp.el} has been totally rewritten in an asynchronous fashion.
26918 Article prefetching functionality has been moved up into
26919 Gnus (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
26922 Scoring can now be performed with logical operators like @code{and},
26923 @code{or}, @code{not}, and parent redirection (@pxref{Advanced
26927 Article washing status can be displayed in the
26928 article mode line (@pxref{Misc Article}).
26931 @file{gnus.el} has been split into many smaller files.
26934 Suppression of duplicate articles based on Message-ID can be done
26935 (@pxref{Duplicate Suppression}).
26938 (setq gnus-suppress-duplicates t)
26942 New variables for specifying what score and adapt files are to be
26943 considered home score and adapt files (@pxref{Home Score File}) have
26947 @code{nndoc} was rewritten to be easily extendable (@pxref{Document
26948 Server Internals}).
26951 Groups can inherit group parameters from parent topics (@pxref{Topic
26955 Article editing has been revamped and is now actually usable.
26958 Signatures can be recognized in more intelligent fashions
26959 (@pxref{Article Signature}).
26962 Summary pick mode has been made to look more @code{nn}-like. Line
26963 numbers are displayed and the @kbd{.} command can be used to pick
26964 articles (@code{Pick and Read}).
26967 Commands for moving the @file{.newsrc.eld} from one server to
26968 another have been added (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
26971 There's a way now to specify that ``uninteresting'' fields be suppressed
26972 when generating lines in buffers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting}).
26975 Several commands in the group buffer can be undone with @kbd{C-M-_}
26979 Scoring can be done on words using the new score type @code{w}
26980 (@pxref{Score File Format}).
26983 Adaptive scoring can be done on a Subject word-by-word basis
26984 (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
26987 (setq gnus-use-adaptive-scoring '(word))
26991 Scores can be decayed (@pxref{Score Decays}).
26994 (setq gnus-decay-scores t)
26998 Scoring can be performed using a regexp on the Date header. The Date is
26999 normalized to compact ISO 8601 format first (@pxref{Score File Format}).
27002 A new command has been added to remove all data on articles from
27003 the native server (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
27006 A new command for reading collections of documents
27007 (@code{nndoc} with @code{nnvirtual} on top) has been added---@kbd{C-M-d}
27008 (@pxref{Really Various Summary Commands}).
27011 Process mark sets can be pushed and popped (@pxref{Setting Process
27015 A new mail-to-news back end makes it possible to post even when the @acronym{NNTP}
27016 server doesn't allow posting (@pxref{Mail-To-News Gateways}).
27019 A new back end for reading searches from Web search engines
27020 (@dfn{DejaNews}, @dfn{Alta Vista}, @dfn{InReference}) has been added
27021 (@pxref{Web Searches}).
27024 Groups inside topics can now be sorted using the standard sorting
27025 functions, and each topic can be sorted independently (@pxref{Topic
27029 Subsets of the groups can be sorted independently (@code{Sorting
27033 Cached articles can be pulled into the groups (@pxref{Summary Generation
27037 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}}
27042 Score files are now applied in a more reliable order (@pxref{Score
27046 Reports on where mail messages end up can be generated (@pxref{Splitting
27050 More hooks and functions have been added to remove junk from incoming
27051 mail before saving the mail (@pxref{Washing Mail}).
27054 Emphasized text can be properly fontisized:
27060 @subsubsection Quassia Gnus
27062 New features in Gnus 5.6:
27067 New functionality for using Gnus as an offline newsreader has been
27068 added. A plethora of new commands and modes have been added.
27069 @xref{Gnus Unplugged}, for the full story.
27072 The @code{nndraft} back end has returned, but works differently than
27073 before. All Message buffers are now also articles in the @code{nndraft}
27074 group, which is created automatically.
27077 @code{gnus-alter-header-function} can now be used to alter header
27081 @code{gnus-summary-goto-article} now accept Message-ID's.
27084 A new Message command for deleting text in the body of a message
27085 outside the region: @kbd{C-c C-v}.
27088 You can now post to component group in @code{nnvirtual} groups with
27092 @code{nntp-rlogin-program}---new variable to ease customization.
27095 @code{C-u C-c C-c} in @code{gnus-article-edit-mode} will now inhibit
27096 re-highlighting of the article buffer.
27099 New element in @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}---@code{long-to}.
27102 @kbd{M-i} symbolic prefix command. @xref{Symbolic Prefixes}, for
27106 @kbd{L} and @kbd{I} in the summary buffer now take the symbolic prefix
27107 @kbd{a} to add the score rule to the @file{all.SCORE} file.
27110 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions} variable to allow greater
27111 control over simplification.
27114 @kbd{A T}---new command for fetching the current thread.
27117 @kbd{/ T}---new command for including the current thread in the
27121 @kbd{M-RET} is a new Message command for breaking cited text.
27124 @samp{\\1}-expressions are now valid in @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
27127 The @code{custom-face-lookup} function has been removed.
27128 If you used this function in your initialization files, you must
27129 rewrite them to use @code{face-spec-set} instead.
27132 Canceling now uses the current select method. Symbolic prefix
27133 @kbd{a} forces normal posting method.
27136 New command to translate M******** sm*rtq**t*s into proper
27140 For easier debugging of @code{nntp}, you can set
27141 @code{nntp-record-commands} to a non-@code{nil} value.
27144 @code{nntp} now uses @file{~/.authinfo}, a @file{.netrc}-like file, for
27145 controlling where and how to send @sc{authinfo} to @acronym{NNTP} servers.
27148 A command for editing group parameters from the summary buffer
27152 A history of where mails have been split is available.
27155 A new article date command has been added---@code{article-date-iso8601}.
27158 Subjects can be simplified when threading by setting
27159 @code{gnus-score-thread-simplify}.
27162 A new function for citing in Message has been
27163 added---@code{message-cite-original-without-signature}.
27166 @code{article-strip-all-blank-lines}---new article command.
27169 A new Message command to kill to the end of the article has
27173 A minimum adaptive score can be specified by using the
27174 @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} variable.
27177 The ``lapsed date'' article header can be kept continually
27178 updated by the @code{gnus-start-date-timer} command.
27181 Web listserv archives can be read with the @code{nnlistserv} back end.
27184 Old dejanews archives can now be read by @code{nnweb}.
27188 @node Pterodactyl Gnus
27189 @subsubsection Pterodactyl Gnus
27191 New features in Gnus 5.8:
27196 The mail-fetching functions have changed. See the manual for the
27197 many details. In particular, all procmail fetching variables are gone.
27199 If you used procmail like in
27202 (setq nnmail-use-procmail t)
27203 (setq nnmail-spool-file 'procmail)
27204 (setq nnmail-procmail-directory "~/mail/incoming/")
27205 (setq nnmail-procmail-suffix "\\.in")
27208 this now has changed to
27212 '((directory :path "~/mail/incoming/"
27216 @xref{Mail Source Specifiers}.
27219 Gnus is now a @acronym{MIME}-capable reader. This affects many parts of
27220 Gnus, and adds a slew of new commands. See the manual for details.
27223 Gnus has also been multilingualized. This also affects too
27224 many parts of Gnus to summarize here, and adds many new variables.
27227 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} can now be a function to be
27228 called to position point.
27231 The user can now decide which extra headers should be included in
27232 summary buffers and @acronym{NOV} files.
27235 @code{gnus-article-display-hook} has been removed. Instead, a number
27236 of variables starting with @code{gnus-treat-} have been added.
27239 The Gnus posting styles have been redone again and now works in a
27240 subtly different manner.
27243 New web-based back ends have been added: @code{nnslashdot},
27244 @code{nnwarchive} and @code{nnultimate}. nnweb has been revamped,
27245 again, to keep up with ever-changing layouts.
27248 Gnus can now read @acronym{IMAP} mail via @code{nnimap}.
27253 @subsubsection Oort Gnus
27256 New features in Gnus 5.10:
27260 @item Installation changes
27261 @c ***********************
27265 Upgrading from previous (stable) version if you have used Oort.
27267 If you have tried Oort (the unstable Gnus branch leading to this
27268 release) but went back to a stable version, be careful when upgrading to
27269 this version. In particular, you will probably want to remove all
27270 @file{.marks} (nnml) and @file{.mrk} (nnfolder) files, so that flags are
27271 read from your @file{.newsrc.eld} instead of from the
27272 @file{.marks}/@file{.mrk} file where this release store flags. See a
27273 later entry for more information about marks. Note that downgrading
27274 isn't save in general.
27277 Lisp files are now installed in @file{.../site-lisp/gnus/} by default.
27278 It defaulted to @file{.../site-lisp/} formerly. In addition to this,
27279 the new installer issues a warning if other Gnus installations which
27280 will shadow the latest one are detected. You can then remove those
27281 shadows manually or remove them using @code{make
27282 remove-installed-shadows}.
27285 New @file{make.bat} for compiling and installing Gnus under MS Windows
27287 Use @file{make.bat} if you want to install Gnus under MS Windows, the
27288 first argument to the batch-program should be the directory where
27289 @file{xemacs.exe} respectively @file{emacs.exe} is located, iff you want
27290 to install Gnus after compiling it, give @file{make.bat} @code{/copy} as
27291 the second parameter.
27293 @file{make.bat} has been rewritten from scratch, it now features
27294 automatic recognition of XEmacs and GNU Emacs, generates
27295 @file{gnus-load.el}, checks if errors occur while compilation and
27296 generation of info files and reports them at the end of the build
27297 process. It now uses @code{makeinfo} if it is available and falls
27298 back to @file{infohack.el} otherwise. @file{make.bat} should now
27299 install all files which are necessary to run Gnus and be generally a
27300 complete replacement for the @code{configure; make; make install}
27301 cycle used under Unix systems.
27303 The new @file{make.bat} makes @file{make-x.bat} and @file{xemacs.mak}
27304 superfluous, so they have been removed.
27307 @file{~/News/overview/} not used.
27309 As a result of the following change, the @file{~/News/overview/}
27310 directory is not used any more. You can safely delete the entire
27313 @c FIXME: `gnus-load' is mentioned in README, which is not included in
27314 @c CVS. We should find a better place for this item.
27316 @code{(require 'gnus-load)}
27318 If you use a stand-alone Gnus distribution, you'd better add
27319 @code{(require 'gnus-load)} into your @file{~/.emacs} after adding the Gnus
27320 lisp directory into load-path.
27322 File @file{gnus-load.el} contains autoload commands, functions and variables,
27323 some of which may not be included in distributions of Emacsen.
27327 @item New packages and libraries within Gnus
27328 @c *****************************************
27333 The revised Gnus @acronym{FAQ} is included in the manual,
27334 @xref{Frequently Asked Questions}.
27337 @acronym{TLS} wrapper shipped with Gnus
27339 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} is now supported in @acronym{IMAP} and
27340 @acronym{NNTP} via @file{tls.el} and GNUTLS. The old
27341 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} support via (external third party)
27342 @file{ssl.el} and OpenSSL still works.
27345 Improved anti-spam features.
27347 Gnus is now able to take out spam from your mail and news streams
27348 using a wide variety of programs and filter rules. Among the supported
27349 methods are RBL blocklists, bogofilter and white/blacklists. Hooks
27350 for easy use of external packages such as SpamAssassin and Hashcash
27351 are also new. @ref{Thwarting Email Spam} and @ref{Spam Package}.
27352 @c FIXME: @xref{Spam Package}?. Should this be under Misc?
27355 Gnus supports server-side mail filtering using Sieve.
27357 Sieve rules can be added as Group Parameters for groups, and the
27358 complete Sieve script is generated using @kbd{D g} from the Group
27359 buffer, and then uploaded to the server using @kbd{C-c C-l} in the
27360 generated Sieve buffer. @xref{Sieve Commands}, and the new Sieve
27361 manual @ref{Top, , Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
27365 @item Changes in group mode
27366 @c ************************
27371 @code{gnus-group-read-ephemeral-group} can be called interactively,
27375 Retrieval of charters and control messages
27377 There are new commands for fetching newsgroup charters (@kbd{H c}) and
27378 control messages (@kbd{H C}).
27381 The new variable @code{gnus-parameters} can be used to set group parameters.
27383 Earlier this was done only via @kbd{G p} (or @kbd{G c}), which stored
27384 the parameters in @file{~/.newsrc.eld}, but via this variable you can
27385 enjoy the powers of customize, and simplified backups since you set the
27386 variable in @file{~/.gnus.el} instead of @file{~/.newsrc.eld}. The
27387 variable maps regular expressions matching group names to group
27390 (setq gnus-parameters
27392 (gnus-show-threads nil)
27393 (gnus-use-scoring nil))
27394 ("^nnimap:\\(foo.bar\\)$"
27395 (to-group . "\\1"))))
27399 Unread count correct in nnimap groups.
27401 The estimated number of unread articles in the group buffer should now
27402 be correct for nnimap groups. This is achieved by calling
27403 @code{nnimap-fixup-unread-after-getting-new-news} from the
27404 @code{gnus-setup-news-hook} (called on startup) and
27405 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook}. (called after getting new
27406 mail). If you have modified those variables from the default, you may
27407 want to add @code{nnimap-fixup-unread-after-getting-new-news} again. If
27408 you were happy with the estimate and want to save some (minimal) time
27409 when getting new mail, remove the function.
27412 Group names are treated as UTF-8 by default.
27414 This is supposedly what USEFOR wanted to migrate to. See
27415 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist} and
27416 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist} for customization.
27419 @code{gnus-group-charset-alist} and
27420 @code{gnus-group-ignored-charsets-alist}.
27422 The regexps in these variables are compared with full group names
27423 instead of real group names in 5.8. Users who customize these
27424 variables should change those regexps accordingly. For example:
27426 ("^han\\>" euc-kr) -> ("\\(^\\|:\\)han\\>" euc-kr)
27431 @item Changes in summary and article mode
27432 @c **************************************
27437 @kbd{F} (@code{gnus-article-followup-with-original}) and @kbd{R}
27438 (@code{gnus-article-reply-with-original}) only yank the text in the
27439 region if the region is active.
27442 In draft groups, @kbd{e} is now bound to @code{gnus-draft-edit-message}.
27443 Use @kbd{B w} for @code{gnus-summary-edit-article} instead.
27448 More buttons for URLs, mail addresses, Message-IDs, Info links, man
27449 pages and Emacs or Gnus related references. @xref{Article Buttons}. The
27450 variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} can be used to control the
27451 appearance of all article buttons. @xref{Article Button Levels}.
27454 Single-part yenc encoded attachments can be decoded.
27459 The picons code has been reimplemented to work in GNU Emacs---some of
27460 the previous options have been removed or renamed.
27462 Picons are small ``personal icons'' representing users, domain and
27463 newsgroups, which can be displayed in the Article buffer.
27467 If the new option @code{gnus-treat-body-boundary} is non-@code{nil}, a
27468 boundary line is drawn at the end of the headers.
27471 Signed article headers (X-PGP-Sig) can be verified with @kbd{W p}.
27474 The Summary Buffer uses an arrow in the fringe to indicate the current
27475 article. Use @code{(setq gnus-summary-display-arrow nil)} to disable it.
27478 Warn about email replies to news
27480 Do you often find yourself replying to news by email by mistake? Then
27481 the new option @code{gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news} is just the thing for
27485 If the new option @code{gnus-summary-display-while-building} is
27486 non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer is shown and updated as it's being
27490 The new @code{recent} mark @samp{.} indicates newly arrived messages (as
27491 opposed to old but unread messages).
27494 Gnus supports RFC 2369 mailing list headers, and adds a number of
27495 related commands in mailing list groups. @xref{Mailing List}.
27498 The Date header can be displayed in a format that can be read aloud
27499 in English. @xref{Article Date}.
27502 diffs are automatically highlighted in groups matching
27503 @code{mm-uu-diff-groups-regexp}
27506 Better handling of Microsoft citation styles
27508 Gnus now tries to recognize the mangled header block that some Microsoft
27509 mailers use to indicate that the rest of the message is a citation, even
27510 though it is not quoted in any way. The variable
27511 @code{gnus-cite-unsightly-citation-regexp} matches the start of these
27514 The new command @kbd{W Y f}
27515 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article}) allows deuglifying broken
27516 Outlook (Express) articles.
27519 @code{gnus-article-skip-boring}
27521 If you set @code{gnus-article-skip-boring} to @code{t}, then Gnus will
27522 not scroll down to show you a page that contains only boring text,
27523 which by default means cited text and signature. You can customize
27524 what is skippable using @code{gnus-article-boring-faces}.
27526 This feature is especially useful if you read many articles that
27527 consist of a little new content at the top with a long, untrimmed
27528 message cited below.
27531 Smileys (@samp{:-)}, @samp{;-)} etc) are now displayed graphically in
27534 Put @code{(setq gnus-treat-display-smileys nil)} in @file{~/.gnus.el} to
27538 Face headers handling. @xref{Face}.
27541 In the summary buffer, the new command @kbd{/ N} inserts new messages
27542 and @kbd{/ o} inserts old messages.
27545 Gnus decodes morse encoded messages if you press @kbd{W m}.
27548 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}
27550 The default value changed to @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%)
27551 %s\n}. Moreover @code{gnus-extra-headers},
27552 @code{nnmail-extra-headers} and @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses}
27553 changed their default so that the users name will be replaced by the
27554 recipient's name or the group name posting to for @acronym{NNTP}
27558 Deleting of attachments.
27560 The command @code{gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip} (bound to @kbd{C-o}
27561 on @acronym{MIME} buttons) saves a part and replaces the part with an
27562 external one. @code{gnus-mime-delete-part} (bound to @kbd{d} on
27563 @acronym{MIME} buttons) removes a part. It works only on back ends
27564 that support editing.
27567 @code{gnus-default-charset}
27569 The default value is determined from the
27570 @code{current-language-environment} variable, instead of
27571 @code{iso-8859-1}. Also the @samp{.*} item in
27572 @code{gnus-group-charset-alist} is removed.
27575 Printing capabilities are enhanced.
27577 Gnus supports Muttprint natively with @kbd{O P} from the Summary and
27578 Article buffers. Also, each individual @acronym{MIME} part can be
27579 printed using @kbd{p} on the @acronym{MIME} button.
27582 Extended format specs.
27584 Format spec @samp{%&user-date;} is added into
27585 @code{gnus-summary-line-format-alist}. Also, user defined extended
27586 format specs are supported. The extended format specs look like
27587 @samp{%u&foo;}, which invokes function
27588 @code{gnus-user-format-function-@var{foo}}. Because @samp{&} is used as the
27589 escape character, old user defined format @samp{%u&} is no longer supported.
27592 @kbd{/ *} (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}) is rewritten.
27593 @c FIXME: Was this a user-visible change?
27595 It was aliased to @kbd{Y c}
27596 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}). The new function filters
27597 out other articles.
27600 Some limiting commands accept a @kbd{C-u} prefix to negate the match.
27602 If @kbd{C-u} is used on subject, author or extra headers, i.e., @kbd{/
27603 s}, @kbd{/ a}, and @kbd{/ x}
27604 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-@{subject,author,extra@}}) respectively, the
27605 result will be to display all articles that do not match the expression.
27608 Gnus inlines external parts (message/external).
27612 @item Changes in Message mode and related Gnus features
27613 @c ****************************************************
27620 You can delay the sending of a message with @kbd{C-c C-j} in the Message
27621 buffer. The messages are delivered at specified time. This is useful
27622 for sending yourself reminders. @xref{Delayed Articles}.
27625 If the new option @code{nnml-use-compressed-files} is non-@code{nil},
27626 the nnml back end allows compressed message files.
27629 The new option @code{gnus-gcc-mark-as-read} automatically marks
27630 Gcc articles as read.
27633 Externalizing of attachments
27635 If @code{gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments} or
27636 @code{message-fcc-externalize-attachments} is non-@code{nil}, attach
27637 local files as external parts.
27640 The envelope sender address can be customized when using Sendmail.
27641 @xref{Mail Variables, Mail Variables,, message, Message Manual}.
27644 Gnus no longer generate the Sender: header automatically.
27646 Earlier it was generated iff the user configurable email address was
27647 different from the Gnus guessed default user address. As the guessing
27648 algorithm is rarely correct these days, and (more controversially) the
27649 only use of the Sender: header was to check if you are entitled to
27650 cancel/supersede news (which is now solved by Cancel Locks instead,
27651 see another entry), generation of the header has been disabled by
27652 default. See the variables @code{message-required-headers},
27653 @code{message-required-news-headers}, and
27654 @code{message-required-mail-headers}.
27657 Features from third party @file{message-utils.el} added to @file{message.el}.
27659 Message now asks if you wish to remove @samp{(was: <old subject>)} from
27660 subject lines (see @code{message-subject-trailing-was-query}). @kbd{C-c
27661 M-m} and @kbd{C-c M-f} inserts markers indicating included text.
27662 @kbd{C-c C-f a} adds a X-No-Archive: header. @kbd{C-c C-f x} inserts
27663 appropriate headers and a note in the body for cross-postings and
27664 followups (see the variables @code{message-cross-post-@var{*}}).
27667 References and X-Draft-From headers are no longer generated when you
27668 start composing messages and @code{message-generate-headers-first} is
27672 Easy inclusion of X-Faces headers. @xref{X-Face}.
27675 Group Carbon Copy (GCC) quoting
27677 To support groups that contains SPC and other weird characters, groups
27678 are quoted before they are placed in the Gcc: header. This means
27679 variables such as @code{gnus-message-archive-group} should no longer
27680 contain quote characters to make groups containing SPC work. Also, if
27681 you are using the string @samp{nnml:foo, nnml:bar} (indicating Gcc
27682 into two groups) you must change it to return the list
27683 @code{("nnml:foo" "nnml:bar")}, otherwise the Gcc: line will be quoted
27684 incorrectly. Note that returning the string @samp{nnml:foo, nnml:bar}
27685 was incorrect earlier, it just didn't generate any problems since it
27686 was inserted directly.
27689 @code{message-insinuate-rmail}
27691 Adding @code{(message-insinuate-rmail)} and @code{(setq
27692 mail-user-agent 'gnus-user-agent)} in @file{.emacs} convinces Rmail to
27693 compose, reply and forward messages in message-mode, where you can
27694 enjoy the power of @acronym{MML}.
27697 @code{message-minibuffer-local-map}
27699 The line below enables BBDB in resending a message:
27701 (define-key message-minibuffer-local-map [(tab)]
27702 'bbdb-complete-name)
27706 @code{gnus-posting-styles}
27708 Add a new format of match like
27710 ((header "to" "larsi.*org")
27711 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
27713 The old format like the lines below is obsolete, but still accepted.
27715 (header "to" "larsi.*org"
27716 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
27720 @code{message-ignored-news-headers} and @code{message-ignored-mail-headers}
27722 @samp{X-Draft-From} and @samp{X-Gnus-Agent-Meta-Information} have been
27723 added into these two variables. If you customized those, perhaps you
27724 need add those two headers too.
27727 Gnus supports the ``format=flowed'' (RFC 2646) parameter. On
27728 composing messages, it is enabled by @code{use-hard-newlines}.
27729 Decoding format=flowed was present but not documented in earlier
27733 The option @code{mm-fill-flowed} can be used to disable treatment of
27734 ``format=flowed'' messages. Also, flowed text is disabled when sending
27735 inline PGP signed messages. @xref{Flowed text, , Flowed text,
27736 emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME Manual}. (New in Gnus 5.10.7)
27737 @c This entry is also present in the node "No Gnus".
27740 Gnus supports the generation of RFC 2298 Disposition Notification requests.
27742 This is invoked with the @kbd{C-c M-n} key binding from message mode.
27745 Message supports the Importance: (RFC 2156) header.
27747 In the message buffer, @kbd{C-c C-f C-i} or @kbd{C-c C-u} cycles through
27751 Gnus supports Cancel Locks in News.
27753 This means a header @samp{Cancel-Lock} is inserted in news posting. It is
27754 used to determine if you wrote an article or not (for canceling and
27755 superseding). Gnus generates a random password string the first time
27756 you post a message, and saves it in your @file{~/.emacs} using the Custom
27757 system. While the variable is called @code{canlock-password}, it is not
27758 security sensitive data. Publishing your canlock string on the web
27759 will not allow anyone to be able to anything she could not already do.
27760 The behavior can be changed by customizing @code{message-insert-canlock}.
27763 Gnus supports @acronym{PGP} (RFC 1991/2440), @acronym{PGP/MIME} (RFC
27764 2015/3156) and @acronym{S/MIME} (RFC 2630-2633).
27766 It needs an external @acronym{S/MIME} and OpenPGP implementation, but no
27767 additional Lisp libraries. This add several menu items to the
27768 Attachments menu, and @kbd{C-c RET} key bindings, when composing
27769 messages. This also obsoletes @code{gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook}.
27772 @acronym{MML} (Mime compose) prefix changed from @kbd{M-m} to @kbd{C-c
27775 This change was made to avoid conflict with the standard binding of
27776 @code{back-to-indentation}, which is also useful in message mode.
27779 The default for @code{message-forward-show-mml} changed to the symbol
27782 The behavior for the @code{best} value is to show @acronym{MML} (i.e.,
27783 convert to @acronym{MIME}) when appropriate. @acronym{MML} will not be
27784 used when forwarding signed or encrypted messages, as the conversion
27785 invalidate the digital signature.
27788 If @code{auto-compression-mode} is enabled, attachments are automatically
27789 decompressed when activated.
27790 @c FIXME: Does this affect article or message mode?
27793 Support for non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names
27795 Message supports non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names in From:, To: and
27796 Cc: and will query you whether to perform encoding when you try to
27797 send a message. The variable @code{message-use-idna} controls this.
27798 Gnus will also decode non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names in From:, To:
27799 and Cc: when you view a message. The variable @code{gnus-use-idna}
27802 @item You can now drag and drop attachments to the Message buffer.
27803 See @code{mml-dnd-protocol-alist} and @code{mml-dnd-attach-options}.
27804 @xref{MIME, ,MIME, message, Message Manual}.
27805 @c New in 5.10.9 / 5.11
27809 @item Changes in back ends
27810 @c ***********************
27814 Gnus can display RSS newsfeeds as a newsgroup. @xref{RSS}.
27817 The nndoc back end now supports mailman digests and exim bounces.
27820 Gnus supports Maildir groups.
27822 Gnus includes a new back end @file{nnmaildir.el}. @xref{Maildir}.
27825 The nnml and nnfolder back ends store marks for each groups.
27827 This makes it possible to take backup of nnml/nnfolder servers/groups
27828 separately of @file{~/.newsrc.eld}, while preserving marks. It also
27829 makes it possible to share articles and marks between users (without
27830 sharing the @file{~/.newsrc.eld} file) within e.g. a department. It
27831 works by storing the marks stored in @file{~/.newsrc.eld} in a per-group
27832 file @file{.marks} (for nnml) and @file{@var{groupname}.mrk} (for
27833 nnfolder, named @var{groupname}). If the nnml/nnfolder is moved to
27834 another machine, Gnus will automatically use the @file{.marks} or
27835 @file{.mrk} file instead of the information in @file{~/.newsrc.eld}.
27836 The new server variables @code{nnml-marks-is-evil} and
27837 @code{nnfolder-marks-is-evil} can be used to disable this feature.
27847 The menu bar item (in Group and Summary buffer) named ``Misc'' has
27848 been renamed to ``Gnus''.
27851 The menu bar item (in Message mode) named ``@acronym{MML}'' has been
27852 renamed to ``Attachments''. Note that this menu also contains security
27853 related stuff, like signing and encryption (@pxref{Security, Security,,
27854 message, Message Manual}).
27857 The tool bars have been updated to use GNOME icons in Group, Summary and
27858 Message mode. You can also customize the tool bars. This is a new
27859 feature in Gnus 5.10.9. (Only for Emacs, not in XEmacs.)
27861 @item The tool bar icons are now (de)activated correctly
27862 in the group buffer, see the variable @code{gnus-group-update-tool-bar}.
27863 Its default value depends on your Emacs version. This is a new feature
27868 @item Miscellaneous changes
27869 @c ************************
27876 The Gnus Agent has seen a major updated and is now enabled by default,
27877 and all nntp and nnimap servers from @code{gnus-select-method} and
27878 @code{gnus-secondary-select-method} are agentized by default. Earlier
27879 only the server in @code{gnus-select-method} was agentized by the
27880 default, and the agent was disabled by default. When the agent is
27881 enabled, headers are now also retrieved from the Agent cache instead
27882 of the back ends when possible. Earlier this only happened in the
27883 unplugged state. You can enroll or remove servers with @kbd{J a} and
27884 @kbd{J r} in the server buffer. Gnus will not download articles into
27885 the Agent cache, unless you instruct it to do so, though, by using
27886 @kbd{J u} or @kbd{J s} from the Group buffer. You revert to the old
27887 behavior of having the Agent disabled with @code{(setq gnus-agent
27888 nil)}. Note that putting @code{(gnus-agentize)} in @file{~/.gnus.el}
27889 is not needed any more.
27892 Gnus reads the @acronym{NOV} and articles in the Agent if plugged.
27894 If one reads an article while plugged, and the article already exists
27895 in the Agent, it won't get downloaded once more. @code{(setq
27896 gnus-agent-cache nil)} reverts to the old behavior.
27901 @code{gnus-dired-minor-mode} (see @ref{Other modes}) installs key
27902 bindings in dired buffers to send a file as an attachment, open a file
27903 using the appropriate mailcap entry, and print a file using the mailcap
27907 The format spec @code{%C} for positioning point has changed to @code{%*}.
27910 @code{gnus-slave-unplugged}
27912 A new command which starts Gnus offline in slave mode.
27919 @subsubsection No Gnus
27922 New features in No Gnus:
27923 @c FIXME: Gnus 5.12?
27925 @include gnus-news.texi
27931 @section The Manual
27935 This manual was generated from a TeXinfo file and then run through
27936 either @code{texi2dvi}
27938 or my own home-brewed TeXinfo to \LaTeX\ transformer,
27939 and then run through @code{latex} and @code{dvips}
27941 to get what you hold in your hands now.
27943 The following conventions have been used:
27948 This is a @samp{string}
27951 This is a @kbd{keystroke}
27954 This is a @file{file}
27957 This is a @code{symbol}
27961 So if I were to say ``set @code{flargnoze} to @samp{yes}'', that would
27965 (setq flargnoze "yes")
27968 If I say ``set @code{flumphel} to @code{yes}'', that would mean:
27971 (setq flumphel 'yes)
27974 @samp{yes} and @code{yes} are two @emph{very} different things---don't
27975 ever get them confused.
27979 Of course, everything in this manual is of vital interest, so you should
27980 read it all. Several times. However, if you feel like skimming the
27981 manual, look for that gnu head you should see in the margin over
27982 there---it means that what's being discussed is of more importance than
27983 the rest of the stuff. (On the other hand, if everything is infinitely
27984 important, how can anything be more important than that? Just one more
27985 of the mysteries of this world, I guess.)
27991 @node On Writing Manuals
27992 @section On Writing Manuals
27994 I guess most manuals are written after-the-fact; documenting a program
27995 that's already there. This is not how this manual is written. When
27996 implementing something, I write the manual entry for that something
27997 straight away. I then see that it's difficult to explain the
27998 functionality, so I write how it's supposed to be, and then I change the
27999 implementation. Writing the documentation and writing the code goes
28002 This, of course, means that this manual has no, or little, flow. It
28003 documents absolutely everything in Gnus, but often not where you're
28004 looking for it. It is a reference manual, and not a guide to how to get
28007 That would be a totally different book, that should be written using the
28008 reference manual as source material. It would look quite differently.
28013 @section Terminology
28015 @cindex terminology
28020 This is what you are supposed to use this thing for---reading news.
28021 News is generally fetched from a nearby @acronym{NNTP} server, and is
28022 generally publicly available to everybody. If you post news, the entire
28023 world is likely to read just what you have written, and they'll all
28024 snigger mischievously. Behind your back.
28028 Everything that's delivered to you personally is mail. Some news/mail
28029 readers (like Gnus) blur the distinction between mail and news, but
28030 there is a difference. Mail is private. News is public. Mailing is
28031 not posting, and replying is not following up.
28035 Send a mail to the person who has written what you are reading.
28039 Post an article to the current newsgroup responding to the article you
28044 Gnus considers mail and news to be mostly the same, really. The only
28045 difference is how to access the actual articles. News articles are
28046 commonly fetched via the protocol @acronym{NNTP}, whereas mail
28047 messages could be read from a file on the local disk. The internal
28048 architecture of Gnus thus comprises a ``front end'' and a number of
28049 ``back ends''. Internally, when you enter a group (by hitting
28050 @key{RET}, say), you thereby invoke a function in the front end in
28051 Gnus. The front end then ``talks'' to a back end and says things like
28052 ``Give me the list of articles in the foo group'' or ``Show me article
28055 So a back end mainly defines either a protocol (the @code{nntp} back
28056 end accesses news via @acronym{NNTP}, the @code{nnimap} back end
28057 accesses mail via @acronym{IMAP}) or a file format and directory
28058 layout (the @code{nnspool} back end accesses news via the common
28059 ``spool directory'' format, the @code{nnml} back end access mail via a
28060 file format and directory layout that's quite similar).
28062 Gnus does not handle the underlying media, so to speak---this is all
28063 done by the back ends. A back end is a collection of functions to
28064 access the articles.
28066 However, sometimes the term ``back end'' is also used where ``server''
28067 would have been more appropriate. And then there is the term ``select
28068 method'' which can mean either. The Gnus terminology can be quite
28073 Gnus will always use one method (and back end) as the @dfn{native}, or
28074 default, way of getting news.
28078 You can also have any number of foreign groups active at the same time.
28079 These are groups that use non-native non-secondary back ends for getting
28084 Secondary back ends are somewhere half-way between being native and being
28085 foreign, but they mostly act like they are native.
28089 A message that has been posted as news.
28092 @cindex mail message
28093 A message that has been mailed.
28097 A mail message or news article
28101 The top part of a message, where administrative information (etc.) is
28106 The rest of an article. Everything not in the head is in the
28111 A line from the head of an article.
28115 A collection of such lines, or a collection of heads. Or even a
28116 collection of @acronym{NOV} lines.
28118 @item @acronym{NOV}
28119 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
28120 When Gnus enters a group, it asks the back end for the headers of all
28121 unread articles in the group. Most servers support the News OverView
28122 format, which is more compact and much faster to read and parse than the
28123 normal @sc{head} format.
28127 Each group is subscribed at some @dfn{level} or other (1-9). The ones
28128 that have a lower level are ``more'' subscribed than the groups with a
28129 higher level. In fact, groups on levels 1-5 are considered
28130 @dfn{subscribed}; 6-7 are @dfn{unsubscribed}; 8 are @dfn{zombies}; and 9
28131 are @dfn{killed}. Commands for listing groups and scanning for new
28132 articles will all use the numeric prefix as @dfn{working level}.
28134 @item killed groups
28135 @cindex killed groups
28136 No information on killed groups is stored or updated, which makes killed
28137 groups much easier to handle than subscribed groups.
28139 @item zombie groups
28140 @cindex zombie groups
28141 Just like killed groups, only slightly less dead.
28144 @cindex active file
28145 The news server has to keep track of what articles it carries, and what
28146 groups exist. All this information in stored in the active file, which
28147 is rather large, as you might surmise.
28150 @cindex bogus groups
28151 A group that exists in the @file{.newsrc} file, but isn't known to the
28152 server (i.e., it isn't in the active file), is a @emph{bogus group}.
28153 This means that the group probably doesn't exist (any more).
28156 @cindex activating groups
28157 The act of asking the server for info on a group and computing the
28158 number of unread articles is called @dfn{activating the group}.
28159 Un-activated groups are listed with @samp{*} in the group buffer.
28163 News servers store their articles locally in one fashion or other.
28164 One old-fashioned storage method is to have just one file per
28165 article. That's called a ``traditional spool''.
28169 A machine one can connect to and get news (or mail) from.
28171 @item select method
28172 @cindex select method
28173 A structure that specifies the back end, the server and the virtual
28176 @item virtual server
28177 @cindex virtual server
28178 A named select method. Since a select method defines all there is to
28179 know about connecting to a (physical) server, taking the thing as a
28180 whole is a virtual server.
28184 Taking a buffer and running it through a filter of some sort. The
28185 result will (more often than not) be cleaner and more pleasing than the
28188 @item ephemeral groups
28189 @cindex ephemeral groups
28190 @cindex temporary groups
28191 Most groups store data on what articles you have read. @dfn{Ephemeral}
28192 groups are groups that will have no data stored---when you exit the
28193 group, it'll disappear into the aether.
28196 @cindex solid groups
28197 This is the opposite of ephemeral groups. All groups listed in the
28198 group buffer are solid groups.
28200 @item sparse articles
28201 @cindex sparse articles
28202 These are article placeholders shown in the summary buffer when
28203 @code{gnus-build-sparse-threads} has been switched on.
28207 To put responses to articles directly after the articles they respond
28208 to---in a hierarchical fashion.
28212 @cindex thread root
28213 The first article in a thread is the root. It is the ancestor of all
28214 articles in the thread.
28218 An article that has responses.
28222 An article that responds to a different article---its parent.
28226 A collection of messages in one file. The most common digest format is
28227 specified by RFC 1153.
28230 @cindex splitting, terminology
28231 @cindex mail sorting
28232 @cindex mail filtering (splitting)
28233 The action of sorting your emails according to certain rules. Sometimes
28234 incorrectly called mail filtering.
28240 @node Customization
28241 @section Customization
28242 @cindex general customization
28244 All variables are properly documented elsewhere in this manual. This
28245 section is designed to give general pointers on how to customize Gnus
28246 for some quite common situations.
28249 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
28250 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
28251 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
28252 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
28256 @node Slow/Expensive Connection
28257 @subsection Slow/Expensive NNTP Connection
28259 If you run Emacs on a machine locally, and get your news from a machine
28260 over some very thin strings, you want to cut down on the amount of data
28261 Gnus has to get from the @acronym{NNTP} server.
28265 @item gnus-read-active-file
28266 Set this to @code{nil}, which will inhibit Gnus from requesting the
28267 entire active file from the server. This file is often very large. You
28268 also have to set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
28269 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make sure that Gnus
28270 doesn't suddenly decide to fetch the active file anyway.
28272 @item gnus-nov-is-evil
28273 This one has to be @code{nil}. If not, grabbing article headers from
28274 the @acronym{NNTP} server will not be very fast. Not all @acronym{NNTP} servers
28275 support @sc{xover}; Gnus will detect this by itself.
28279 @node Slow Terminal Connection
28280 @subsection Slow Terminal Connection
28282 Let's say you use your home computer for dialing up the system that runs
28283 Emacs and Gnus. If your modem is slow, you want to reduce (as much as
28284 possible) the amount of data sent over the wires.
28288 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
28289 Set this to @code{nil} to inhibit Gnus from re-centering the summary
28290 buffer all the time. If it is @code{vertical}, do only vertical
28291 re-centering. If it is neither @code{nil} nor @code{vertical}, do both
28292 horizontal and vertical recentering.
28294 @item gnus-visible-headers
28295 Cut down on the headers included in the articles to the
28296 minimum. You can, in fact, make do without them altogether---most of the
28297 useful data is in the summary buffer, anyway. Set this variable to
28298 @samp{^NEVVVVER} or @samp{From:}, or whatever you feel you need.
28300 Use the following to enable all the available hiding features:
28302 (setq gnus-treat-hide-headers 'head
28303 gnus-treat-hide-signature t
28304 gnus-treat-hide-citation t)
28307 @item gnus-use-full-window
28308 By setting this to @code{nil}, you can make all the windows smaller.
28309 While this doesn't really cut down much generally, it means that you
28310 have to see smaller portions of articles before deciding that you didn't
28311 want to read them anyway.
28313 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
28314 If this is non-@code{nil}, all threads in the summary buffer will be
28318 @item gnus-updated-mode-lines
28319 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not put information in the buffer mode
28320 lines, which might save some time.
28324 @node Little Disk Space
28325 @subsection Little Disk Space
28328 The startup files can get rather large, so you may want to cut their
28329 sizes a bit if you are running out of space.
28333 @item gnus-save-newsrc-file
28334 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never save @file{.newsrc}---it will
28335 only save @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
28336 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
28339 @item gnus-read-newsrc-file
28340 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never read @file{.newsrc}---it will
28341 only read @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
28342 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
28345 @item gnus-save-killed-list
28346 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not save the list of dead groups. You
28347 should also set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{ask-server}
28348 and @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} if you set this
28349 variable to @code{nil}. This variable is @code{t} by default.
28355 @subsection Slow Machine
28356 @cindex slow machine
28358 If you have a slow machine, or are just really impatient, there are a
28359 few things you can do to make Gnus run faster.
28361 Set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
28362 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make startup faster.
28364 Set @code{gnus-show-threads}, @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} and
28365 @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{nil} to make entering and exiting the
28366 summary buffer faster.
28370 @node Troubleshooting
28371 @section Troubleshooting
28372 @cindex troubleshooting
28374 Gnus works @emph{so} well straight out of the box---I can't imagine any
28382 Make sure your computer is switched on.
28385 Make sure that you really load the current Gnus version. If you have
28386 been running @sc{gnus}, you need to exit Emacs and start it up again before
28390 Try doing an @kbd{M-x gnus-version}. If you get something that looks
28391 like @samp{Gnus v5.10.6} you have the right files loaded. Otherwise
28392 you have some old @file{.el} files lying around. Delete these.
28395 Read the help group (@kbd{G h} in the group buffer) for a
28396 @acronym{FAQ} and a how-to.
28399 @vindex max-lisp-eval-depth
28400 Gnus works on many recursive structures, and in some extreme (and very
28401 rare) cases Gnus may recurse down ``too deeply'' and Emacs will beep at
28402 you. If this happens to you, set @code{max-lisp-eval-depth} to 500 or
28403 something like that.
28406 If all else fails, report the problem as a bug.
28409 @cindex reporting bugs
28411 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
28413 If you find a bug in Gnus, you can report it with the @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}
28414 command. @kbd{M-x set-variable RET debug-on-error RET t RET}, and send
28415 me the backtrace. I will fix bugs, but I can only fix them if you send
28416 me a precise description as to how to reproduce the bug.
28418 You really can never be too detailed in a bug report. Always use the
28419 @kbd{M-x gnus-bug} command when you make bug reports, even if it creates
28420 a 10Kb mail each time you use it, and even if you have sent me your
28421 environment 500 times before. I don't care. I want the full info each
28424 It is also important to remember that I have no memory whatsoever. If
28425 you send a bug report, and I send you a reply, and then you just send
28426 back ``No, it's not! Moron!'', I will have no idea what you are
28427 insulting me about. Always over-explain everything. It's much easier
28428 for all of us---if I don't have all the information I need, I will just
28429 mail you and ask for more info, and everything takes more time.
28431 If the problem you're seeing is very visual, and you can't quite explain
28432 it, copy the Emacs window to a file (with @code{xwd}, for instance), put
28433 it somewhere it can be reached, and include the URL of the picture in
28437 If you would like to contribute a patch to fix bugs or make
28438 improvements, please produce the patch using @samp{diff -u}.
28441 If you want to debug your problem further before reporting, possibly
28442 in order to solve the problem yourself and send a patch, you can use
28443 edebug. Debugging Lisp code is documented in the Elisp manual
28444 (@pxref{Debugging, , Debugging Lisp Programs, elisp, The GNU Emacs
28445 Lisp Reference Manual}). To get you started with edebug, consider if
28446 you discover some weird behavior when pressing @kbd{c}, the first
28447 step is to do @kbd{C-h k c} and click on the hyperlink (Emacs only) in
28448 the documentation buffer that leads you to the function definition,
28449 then press @kbd{M-x edebug-defun RET} with point inside that function,
28450 return to Gnus and press @kbd{c} to invoke the code. You will be
28451 placed in the lisp buffer and can single step using @kbd{SPC} and
28452 evaluate expressions using @kbd{M-:} or inspect variables using
28453 @kbd{C-h v}, abort execution with @kbd{q}, and resume execution with
28454 @kbd{c} or @kbd{g}.
28459 Sometimes, a problem do not directly generate an elisp error but
28460 manifests itself by causing Gnus to be very slow. In these cases, you
28461 can use @kbd{M-x toggle-debug-on-quit} and press @kbd{C-g} when things are
28462 slow, and then try to analyze the backtrace (repeating the procedure
28463 helps isolating the real problem areas).
28465 A fancier approach is to use the elisp profiler, ELP. The profiler is
28466 (or should be) fully documented elsewhere, but to get you started
28467 there are a few steps that need to be followed. First, instrument the
28468 part of Gnus you are interested in for profiling, e.g. @kbd{M-x
28469 elp-instrument-package RET gnus} or @kbd{M-x elp-instrument-package
28470 RET message}. Then perform the operation that is slow and press
28471 @kbd{M-x elp-results}. You will then see which operations that takes
28472 time, and can debug them further. If the entire operation takes much
28473 longer than the time spent in the slowest function in the profiler
28474 output, you probably profiled the wrong part of Gnus. To reset
28475 profiling statistics, use @kbd{M-x elp-reset-all}. @kbd{M-x
28476 elp-restore-all} is supposed to remove profiling, but given the
28477 complexities and dynamic code generation in Gnus, it might not always
28480 @cindex gnu.emacs.gnus
28481 @cindex ding mailing list
28482 If you just need help, you are better off asking on
28483 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}. I'm not very helpful. You can also ask on
28484 @email{ding@@gnus.org, the ding mailing list}. Write to
28485 @email{ding-request@@gnus.org} to subscribe.
28489 @node Gnus Reference Guide
28490 @section Gnus Reference Guide
28492 It is my hope that other people will figure out smart stuff that Gnus
28493 can do, and that other people will write those smart things as well. To
28494 facilitate that I thought it would be a good idea to describe the inner
28495 workings of Gnus. And some of the not-so-inner workings, while I'm at
28498 You can never expect the internals of a program not to change, but I
28499 will be defining (in some details) the interface between Gnus and its
28500 back ends (this is written in stone), the format of the score files
28501 (ditto), data structures (some are less likely to change than others)
28502 and general methods of operation.
28505 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
28506 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
28507 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
28508 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
28509 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
28510 * Group Info:: The group info format.
28511 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
28512 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
28513 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
28517 @node Gnus Utility Functions
28518 @subsection Gnus Utility Functions
28519 @cindex Gnus utility functions
28520 @cindex utility functions
28522 @cindex internal variables
28524 When writing small functions to be run from hooks (and stuff), it's
28525 vital to have access to the Gnus internal functions and variables.
28526 Below is a list of the most common ones.
28530 @item gnus-newsgroup-name
28531 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-name
28532 This variable holds the name of the current newsgroup.
28534 @item gnus-find-method-for-group
28535 @findex gnus-find-method-for-group
28536 A function that returns the select method for @var{group}.
28538 @item gnus-group-real-name
28539 @findex gnus-group-real-name
28540 Takes a full (prefixed) Gnus group name, and returns the unprefixed
28543 @item gnus-group-prefixed-name
28544 @findex gnus-group-prefixed-name
28545 Takes an unprefixed group name and a select method, and returns the full
28546 (prefixed) Gnus group name.
28548 @item gnus-get-info
28549 @findex gnus-get-info
28550 Returns the group info list for @var{group}.
28552 @item gnus-group-unread
28553 @findex gnus-group-unread
28554 The number of unread articles in @var{group}, or @code{t} if that is
28558 @findex gnus-active
28559 The active entry for @var{group}.
28561 @item gnus-set-active
28562 @findex gnus-set-active
28563 Set the active entry for @var{group}.
28565 @item gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
28566 @findex gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
28567 Adds the current buffer to the list of buffers to be killed on Gnus
28570 @item gnus-continuum-version
28571 @findex gnus-continuum-version
28572 Takes a Gnus version string as a parameter and returns a floating point
28573 number. Earlier versions will always get a lower number than later
28576 @item gnus-group-read-only-p
28577 @findex gnus-group-read-only-p
28578 Says whether @var{group} is read-only or not.
28580 @item gnus-news-group-p
28581 @findex gnus-news-group-p
28582 Says whether @var{group} came from a news back end.
28584 @item gnus-ephemeral-group-p
28585 @findex gnus-ephemeral-group-p
28586 Says whether @var{group} is ephemeral or not.
28588 @item gnus-server-to-method
28589 @findex gnus-server-to-method
28590 Returns the select method corresponding to @var{server}.
28592 @item gnus-server-equal
28593 @findex gnus-server-equal
28594 Says whether two virtual servers are equal.
28596 @item gnus-group-native-p
28597 @findex gnus-group-native-p
28598 Says whether @var{group} is native or not.
28600 @item gnus-group-secondary-p
28601 @findex gnus-group-secondary-p
28602 Says whether @var{group} is secondary or not.
28604 @item gnus-group-foreign-p
28605 @findex gnus-group-foreign-p
28606 Says whether @var{group} is foreign or not.
28608 @item gnus-group-find-parameter
28609 @findex gnus-group-find-parameter
28610 Returns the parameter list of @var{group}. If given a second parameter,
28611 returns the value of that parameter for @var{group}.
28613 @item gnus-group-set-parameter
28614 @findex gnus-group-set-parameter
28615 Takes three parameters; @var{group}, @var{parameter} and @var{value}.
28617 @item gnus-narrow-to-body
28618 @findex gnus-narrow-to-body
28619 Narrows the current buffer to the body of the article.
28621 @item gnus-check-backend-function
28622 @findex gnus-check-backend-function
28623 Takes two parameters, @var{function} and @var{group}. If the back end
28624 @var{group} comes from supports @var{function}, return non-@code{nil}.
28627 (gnus-check-backend-function "request-scan" "nnml:misc")
28631 @item gnus-read-method
28632 @findex gnus-read-method
28633 Prompts the user for a select method.
28638 @node Back End Interface
28639 @subsection Back End Interface
28641 Gnus doesn't know anything about @acronym{NNTP}, spools, mail or virtual
28642 groups. It only knows how to talk to @dfn{virtual servers}. A virtual
28643 server is a @dfn{back end} and some @dfn{back end variables}. As examples
28644 of the first, we have @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and @code{nnmbox}. As
28645 examples of the latter we have @code{nntp-port-number} and
28646 @code{nnmbox-directory}.
28648 When Gnus asks for information from a back end---say @code{nntp}---on
28649 something, it will normally include a virtual server name in the
28650 function parameters. (If not, the back end should use the ``current''
28651 virtual server.) For instance, @code{nntp-request-list} takes a virtual
28652 server as its only (optional) parameter. If this virtual server hasn't
28653 been opened, the function should fail.
28655 Note that a virtual server name has no relation to some physical server
28656 name. Take this example:
28660 (nntp-address "ifi.uio.no")
28661 (nntp-port-number 4324))
28664 Here the virtual server name is @samp{odd-one} while the name of
28665 the physical server is @samp{ifi.uio.no}.
28667 The back ends should be able to switch between several virtual servers.
28668 The standard back ends implement this by keeping an alist of virtual
28669 server environments that they pull down/push up when needed.
28671 There are two groups of interface functions: @dfn{required functions},
28672 which must be present, and @dfn{optional functions}, which Gnus will
28673 always check for presence before attempting to call 'em.
28675 All these functions are expected to return data in the buffer
28676 @code{nntp-server-buffer} (@samp{ *nntpd*}), which is somewhat
28677 unfortunately named, but we'll have to live with it. When I talk about
28678 @dfn{resulting data}, I always refer to the data in that buffer. When I
28679 talk about @dfn{return value}, I talk about the function value returned by
28680 the function call. Functions that fail should return @code{nil} as the
28683 Some back ends could be said to be @dfn{server-forming} back ends, and
28684 some might be said not to be. The latter are back ends that generally
28685 only operate on one group at a time, and have no concept of ``server''
28686 ---they have a group, and they deliver info on that group and nothing
28689 Gnus identifies each message by way of group name and article number. A
28690 few remarks about these article numbers might be useful. First of all,
28691 the numbers are positive integers. Secondly, it is normally not
28692 possible for later articles to ``re-use'' older article numbers without
28693 confusing Gnus. That is, if a group has ever contained a message
28694 numbered 42, then no other message may get that number, or Gnus will get
28695 mightily confused.@footnote{See the function
28696 @code{nnchoke-request-update-info}, @ref{Optional Back End Functions}.}
28697 Third, article numbers must be assigned in order of arrival in the
28698 group; this is not necessarily the same as the date of the message.
28700 The previous paragraph already mentions all the ``hard'' restrictions that
28701 article numbers must fulfill. But it seems that it might be useful to
28702 assign @emph{consecutive} article numbers, for Gnus gets quite confused
28703 if there are holes in the article numbering sequence. However, due to
28704 the ``no-reuse'' restriction, holes cannot be avoided altogether. It's
28705 also useful for the article numbers to start at 1 to avoid running out
28706 of numbers as long as possible.
28708 Note that by convention, back ends are named @code{nnsomething}, but
28709 Gnus also comes with some @code{nnnotbackends}, such as
28710 @file{nnheader.el}, @file{nnmail.el} and @file{nnoo.el}.
28712 In the examples and definitions I will refer to the imaginary back end
28715 @cindex @code{nnchoke}
28718 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
28719 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
28720 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
28721 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
28722 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
28723 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
28727 @node Required Back End Functions
28728 @subsubsection Required Back End Functions
28732 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-headers ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FETCH-OLD)
28734 @var{articles} is either a range of article numbers or a list of
28735 @code{Message-ID}s. Current back ends do not fully support either---only
28736 sequences (lists) of article numbers, and most back ends do not support
28737 retrieval of @code{Message-ID}s. But they should try for both.
28739 The result data should either be HEADs or @acronym{NOV} lines, and the result
28740 value should either be @code{headers} or @code{nov} to reflect this.
28741 This might later be expanded to @code{various}, which will be a mixture
28742 of HEADs and @acronym{NOV} lines, but this is currently not supported by Gnus.
28744 If @var{fetch-old} is non-@code{nil} it says to try fetching ``extra
28745 headers'', in some meaning of the word. This is generally done by
28746 fetching (at most) @var{fetch-old} extra headers less than the smallest
28747 article number in @code{articles}, and filling the gaps as well. The
28748 presence of this parameter can be ignored if the back end finds it
28749 cumbersome to follow the request. If this is non-@code{nil} and not a
28750 number, do maximum fetches.
28752 Here's an example HEAD:
28755 221 1056 Article retrieved.
28756 Path: ifi.uio.no!sturles
28757 From: sturles@@ifi.uio.no (Sturle Sunde)
28758 Newsgroups: ifi.discussion
28759 Subject: Re: Something very droll
28760 Date: 27 Oct 1994 14:02:57 +0100
28761 Organization: Dept. of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway
28763 Message-ID: <38o8e1$a0o@@holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no>
28764 References: <38jdmq$4qu@@visbur.ifi.uio.no>
28765 NNTP-Posting-Host: holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no
28769 So a @code{headers} return value would imply that there's a number of
28770 these in the data buffer.
28772 Here's a BNF definition of such a buffer:
28776 head = error / valid-head
28777 error-message = [ "4" / "5" ] 2number " " <error message> eol
28778 valid-head = valid-message *header "." eol
28779 valid-message = "221 " <number> " Article retrieved." eol
28780 header = <text> eol
28784 (The version of BNF used here is the one used in RFC822.)
28786 If the return value is @code{nov}, the data buffer should contain
28787 @dfn{network overview database} lines. These are basically fields
28791 nov-buffer = *nov-line
28792 nov-line = field 7*8[ <TAB> field ] eol
28793 field = <text except TAB>
28796 For a closer look at what should be in those fields,
28800 @item (nnchoke-open-server SERVER &optional DEFINITIONS)
28802 @var{server} is here the virtual server name. @var{definitions} is a
28803 list of @code{(VARIABLE VALUE)} pairs that define this virtual server.
28805 If the server can't be opened, no error should be signaled. The back end
28806 may then choose to refuse further attempts at connecting to this
28807 server. In fact, it should do so.
28809 If the server is opened already, this function should return a
28810 non-@code{nil} value. There should be no data returned.
28813 @item (nnchoke-close-server &optional SERVER)
28815 Close connection to @var{server} and free all resources connected
28816 to it. Return @code{nil} if the server couldn't be closed for some
28819 There should be no data returned.
28822 @item (nnchoke-request-close)
28824 Close connection to all servers and free all resources that the back end
28825 have reserved. All buffers that have been created by that back end
28826 should be killed. (Not the @code{nntp-server-buffer}, though.) This
28827 function is generally only called when Gnus is shutting down.
28829 There should be no data returned.
28832 @item (nnchoke-server-opened &optional SERVER)
28834 If @var{server} is the current virtual server, and the connection to the
28835 physical server is alive, then this function should return a
28836 non-@code{nil} value. This function should under no circumstances
28837 attempt to reconnect to a server we have lost connection to.
28839 There should be no data returned.
28842 @item (nnchoke-status-message &optional SERVER)
28844 This function should return the last error message from @var{server}.
28846 There should be no data returned.
28849 @item (nnchoke-request-article ARTICLE &optional GROUP SERVER TO-BUFFER)
28851 The result data from this function should be the article specified by
28852 @var{article}. This might either be a @code{Message-ID} or a number.
28853 It is optional whether to implement retrieval by @code{Message-ID}, but
28854 it would be nice if that were possible.
28856 If @var{to-buffer} is non-@code{nil}, the result data should be returned
28857 in this buffer instead of the normal data buffer. This is to make it
28858 possible to avoid copying large amounts of data from one buffer to
28859 another, while Gnus mainly requests articles to be inserted directly
28860 into its article buffer.
28862 If it is at all possible, this function should return a cons cell where
28863 the @code{car} is the group name the article was fetched from, and the @code{cdr} is
28864 the article number. This will enable Gnus to find out what the real
28865 group and article numbers are when fetching articles by
28866 @code{Message-ID}. If this isn't possible, @code{t} should be returned
28867 on successful article retrieval.
28870 @item (nnchoke-request-group GROUP &optional SERVER FAST)
28872 Get data on @var{group}. This function also has the side effect of
28873 making @var{group} the current group.
28875 If @var{fast}, don't bother to return useful data, just make @var{group}
28878 Here's an example of some result data and a definition of the same:
28881 211 56 1000 1059 ifi.discussion
28884 The first number is the status, which should be 211. Next is the
28885 total number of articles in the group, the lowest article number, the
28886 highest article number, and finally the group name. Note that the total
28887 number of articles may be less than one might think while just
28888 considering the highest and lowest article numbers, but some articles
28889 may have been canceled. Gnus just discards the total-number, so
28890 whether one should take the bother to generate it properly (if that is a
28891 problem) is left as an exercise to the reader. If the group contains no
28892 articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1 and the
28896 group-status = [ error / info ] eol
28897 error = [ "4" / "5" ] 2<number> " " <Error message>
28898 info = "211 " 3* [ <number> " " ] <string>
28902 @item (nnchoke-close-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
28904 Close @var{group} and free any resources connected to it. This will be
28905 a no-op on most back ends.
28907 There should be no data returned.
28910 @item (nnchoke-request-list &optional SERVER)
28912 Return a list of all groups available on @var{server}. And that means
28915 Here's an example from a server that only carries two groups:
28918 ifi.test 0000002200 0000002000 y
28919 ifi.discussion 3324 3300 n
28922 On each line we have a group name, then the highest article number in
28923 that group, the lowest article number, and finally a flag. If the group
28924 contains no articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1
28925 and the highest as 0.
28928 active-file = *active-line
28929 active-line = name " " <number> " " <number> " " flags eol
28931 flags = "n" / "y" / "m" / "x" / "j" / "=" name
28934 The flag says whether the group is read-only (@samp{n}), is moderated
28935 (@samp{m}), is dead (@samp{x}), is aliased to some other group
28936 (@samp{=other-group}) or none of the above (@samp{y}).
28939 @item (nnchoke-request-post &optional SERVER)
28941 This function should post the current buffer. It might return whether
28942 the posting was successful or not, but that's not required. If, for
28943 instance, the posting is done asynchronously, it has generally not been
28944 completed by the time this function concludes. In that case, this
28945 function should set up some kind of sentinel to beep the user loud and
28946 clear if the posting could not be completed.
28948 There should be no result data from this function.
28953 @node Optional Back End Functions
28954 @subsubsection Optional Back End Functions
28958 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-groups GROUPS &optional SERVER)
28960 @var{groups} is a list of groups, and this function should request data
28961 on all those groups. How it does it is of no concern to Gnus, but it
28962 should attempt to do this in a speedy fashion.
28964 The return value of this function can be either @code{active} or
28965 @code{group}, which says what the format of the result data is. The
28966 former is in the same format as the data from
28967 @code{nnchoke-request-list}, while the latter is a buffer full of lines
28968 in the same format as @code{nnchoke-request-group} gives.
28971 group-buffer = *active-line / *group-status
28975 @item (nnchoke-request-update-info GROUP INFO &optional SERVER)
28977 A Gnus group info (@pxref{Group Info}) is handed to the back end for
28978 alterations. This comes in handy if the back end really carries all
28979 the information (as is the case with virtual and imap groups). This
28980 function should destructively alter the info to suit its needs, and
28981 should return a non-@code{nil} value (exceptionally,
28982 @code{nntp-request-update-info} always returns @code{nil} not to waste
28983 the network resources).
28985 There should be no result data from this function.
28988 @item (nnchoke-request-type GROUP &optional ARTICLE)
28990 When the user issues commands for ``sending news'' (@kbd{F} in the
28991 summary buffer, for instance), Gnus has to know whether the article the
28992 user is following up on is news or mail. This function should return
28993 @code{news} if @var{article} in @var{group} is news, @code{mail} if it
28994 is mail and @code{unknown} if the type can't be decided. (The
28995 @var{article} parameter is necessary in @code{nnvirtual} groups which
28996 might very well combine mail groups and news groups.) Both @var{group}
28997 and @var{article} may be @code{nil}.
28999 There should be no result data from this function.
29002 @item (nnchoke-request-set-mark GROUP ACTION &optional SERVER)
29004 Set/remove/add marks on articles. Normally Gnus handles the article
29005 marks (such as read, ticked, expired etc) internally, and store them in
29006 @file{~/.newsrc.eld}. Some back ends (such as @acronym{IMAP}) however carry
29007 all information about the articles on the server, so Gnus need to
29008 propagate the mark information to the server.
29010 @var{action} is a list of mark setting requests, having this format:
29013 (RANGE ACTION MARK)
29016 @var{range} is a range of articles you wish to update marks on.
29017 @var{action} is @code{add} or @code{del}, used to add marks or remove
29018 marks (preserving all marks not mentioned). @var{mark} is a list of
29019 marks; where each mark is a symbol. Currently used marks are
29020 @code{read}, @code{tick}, @code{reply}, @code{expire}, @code{killed},
29021 @code{dormant}, @code{save}, @code{download}, @code{unsend},
29022 @code{forward} and @code{recent}, but your back end should, if
29023 possible, not limit itself to these.
29025 Given contradictory actions, the last action in the list should be the
29026 effective one. That is, if your action contains a request to add the
29027 @code{tick} mark on article 1 and, later in the list, a request to
29028 remove the mark on the same article, the mark should in fact be removed.
29030 An example action list:
29033 (((5 12 30) 'del '(tick))
29034 ((10 . 90) 'add '(read expire))
29035 ((92 94) 'del '(read)))
29038 The function should return a range of articles it wasn't able to set the
29039 mark on (currently not used for anything).
29041 There should be no result data from this function.
29043 @item (nnchoke-request-update-mark GROUP ARTICLE MARK)
29045 If the user tries to set a mark that the back end doesn't like, this
29046 function may change the mark. Gnus will use whatever this function
29047 returns as the mark for @var{article} instead of the original
29048 @var{mark}. If the back end doesn't care, it must return the original
29049 @var{mark}, and not @code{nil} or any other type of garbage.
29051 The only use for this I can see is what @code{nnvirtual} does with
29052 it---if a component group is auto-expirable, marking an article as read
29053 in the virtual group should result in the article being marked as
29056 There should be no result data from this function.
29059 @item (nnchoke-request-scan &optional GROUP SERVER)
29061 This function may be called at any time (by Gnus or anything else) to
29062 request that the back end check for incoming articles, in one way or
29063 another. A mail back end will typically read the spool file or query
29064 the @acronym{POP} server when this function is invoked. The
29065 @var{group} doesn't have to be heeded---if the back end decides that
29066 it is too much work just scanning for a single group, it may do a
29067 total scan of all groups. It would be nice, however, to keep things
29068 local if that's practical.
29070 There should be no result data from this function.
29073 @item (nnchoke-request-group-description GROUP &optional SERVER)
29075 The result data from this function should be a description of
29079 description-line = name <TAB> description eol
29081 description = <text>
29084 @item (nnchoke-request-list-newsgroups &optional SERVER)
29086 The result data from this function should be the description of all
29087 groups available on the server.
29090 description-buffer = *description-line
29094 @item (nnchoke-request-newgroups DATE &optional SERVER)
29096 The result data from this function should be all groups that were
29097 created after @samp{date}, which is in normal human-readable date format
29098 (i.e., the date format used in mail and news headers, and returned by
29099 the function @code{message-make-date} by default). The data should be
29100 in the active buffer format.
29102 It is okay for this function to return ``too many'' groups; some back ends
29103 might find it cheaper to return the full list of groups, rather than
29104 just the new groups. But don't do this for back ends with many groups.
29105 Normally, if the user creates the groups herself, there won't be too
29106 many groups, so @code{nnml} and the like are probably safe. But for
29107 back ends like @code{nntp}, where the groups have been created by the
29108 server, it is quite likely that there can be many groups.
29111 @item (nnchoke-request-create-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
29113 This function should create an empty group with name @var{group}.
29115 There should be no return data.
29118 @item (nnchoke-request-expire-articles ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FORCE)
29120 This function should run the expiry process on all articles in the
29121 @var{articles} range (which is currently a simple list of article
29122 numbers.) It is left up to the back end to decide how old articles
29123 should be before they are removed by this function. If @var{force} is
29124 non-@code{nil}, all @var{articles} should be deleted, no matter how new
29127 This function should return a list of articles that it did not/was not
29130 There should be no result data returned.
29133 @item (nnchoke-request-move-article ARTICLE GROUP SERVER ACCEPT-FORM &optional LAST)
29135 This function should move @var{article} (which is a number) from
29136 @var{group} by calling @var{accept-form}.
29138 This function should ready the article in question for moving by
29139 removing any header lines it has added to the article, and generally
29140 should ``tidy up'' the article. Then it should @code{eval}
29141 @var{accept-form} in the buffer where the ``tidy'' article is. This
29142 will do the actual copying. If this @code{eval} returns a
29143 non-@code{nil} value, the article should be removed.
29145 If @var{last} is @code{nil}, that means that there is a high likelihood
29146 that there will be more requests issued shortly, so that allows some
29149 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
29150 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
29152 There should be no data returned.
29155 @item (nnchoke-request-accept-article GROUP &optional SERVER LAST)
29157 This function takes the current buffer and inserts it into @var{group}.
29158 If @var{last} in @code{nil}, that means that there will be more calls to
29159 this function in short order.
29161 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
29162 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
29164 The group should exist before the back end is asked to accept the
29165 article for that group.
29167 There should be no data returned.
29170 @item (nnchoke-request-replace-article ARTICLE GROUP BUFFER)
29172 This function should remove @var{article} (which is a number) from
29173 @var{group} and insert @var{buffer} there instead.
29175 There should be no data returned.
29178 @item (nnchoke-request-delete-group GROUP FORCE &optional SERVER)
29180 This function should delete @var{group}. If @var{force}, it should
29181 really delete all the articles in the group, and then delete the group
29182 itself. (If there is such a thing as ``the group itself''.)
29184 There should be no data returned.
29187 @item (nnchoke-request-rename-group GROUP NEW-NAME &optional SERVER)
29189 This function should rename @var{group} into @var{new-name}. All
29190 articles in @var{group} should move to @var{new-name}.
29192 There should be no data returned.
29197 @node Error Messaging
29198 @subsubsection Error Messaging
29200 @findex nnheader-report
29201 @findex nnheader-get-report
29202 The back ends should use the function @code{nnheader-report} to report
29203 error conditions---they should not raise errors when they aren't able to
29204 perform a request. The first argument to this function is the back end
29205 symbol, and the rest are interpreted as arguments to @code{format} if
29206 there are multiple of them, or just a string if there is one of them.
29207 This function must always returns @code{nil}.
29210 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "You did something totally bogus")
29212 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "Could not request group %s" group)
29215 Gnus, in turn, will call @code{nnheader-get-report} when it gets a
29216 @code{nil} back from a server, and this function returns the most
29217 recently reported message for the back end in question. This function
29218 takes one argument---the server symbol.
29220 Internally, these functions access @var{back-end}@code{-status-string},
29221 so the @code{nnchoke} back end will have its error message stored in
29222 @code{nnchoke-status-string}.
29225 @node Writing New Back Ends
29226 @subsubsection Writing New Back Ends
29228 Many back ends are quite similar. @code{nnml} is just like
29229 @code{nnspool}, but it allows you to edit the articles on the server.
29230 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, but it doesn't use an active file,
29231 and it doesn't maintain overview databases. @code{nndir} is just like
29232 @code{nnml}, but it has no concept of ``groups'', and it doesn't allow
29235 It would make sense if it were possible to ``inherit'' functions from
29236 back ends when writing new back ends. And, indeed, you can do that if you
29237 want to. (You don't have to if you don't want to, of course.)
29239 All the back ends declare their public variables and functions by using a
29240 package called @code{nnoo}.
29242 To inherit functions from other back ends (and allow other back ends to
29243 inherit functions from the current back end), you should use the
29249 This macro declares the first parameter to be a child of the subsequent
29250 parameters. For instance:
29253 (nnoo-declare nndir
29257 @code{nndir} has declared here that it intends to inherit functions from
29258 both @code{nnml} and @code{nnmh}.
29261 This macro is equivalent to @code{defvar}, but registers the variable as
29262 a public server variable. Most state-oriented variables should be
29263 declared with @code{defvoo} instead of @code{defvar}.
29265 In addition to the normal @code{defvar} parameters, it takes a list of
29266 variables in the parent back ends to map the variable to when executing
29267 a function in those back ends.
29270 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
29271 "Where nndir will look for groups."
29272 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
29275 This means that @code{nnml-current-directory} will be set to
29276 @code{nndir-directory} when an @code{nnml} function is called on behalf
29277 of @code{nndir}. (The same with @code{nnmh}.)
29279 @item nnoo-define-basics
29280 This macro defines some common functions that almost all back ends should
29284 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
29288 This macro is just like @code{defun} and takes the same parameters. In
29289 addition to doing the normal @code{defun} things, it registers the
29290 function as being public so that other back ends can inherit it.
29292 @item nnoo-map-functions
29293 This macro allows mapping of functions from the current back end to
29294 functions from the parent back ends.
29297 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
29298 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
29299 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0))
29302 This means that when @code{nndir-retrieve-headers} is called, the first,
29303 third, and fourth parameters will be passed on to
29304 @code{nnml-retrieve-headers}, while the second parameter is set to the
29305 value of @code{nndir-current-group}.
29308 This macro allows importing functions from back ends. It should be the
29309 last thing in the source file, since it will only define functions that
29310 haven't already been defined.
29316 nnmh-request-newgroups)
29320 This means that calls to @code{nndir-request-list} should just be passed
29321 on to @code{nnmh-request-list}, while all public functions from
29322 @code{nnml} that haven't been defined in @code{nndir} yet should be
29327 Below is a slightly shortened version of the @code{nndir} back end.
29330 ;;; @r{nndir.el --- single directory newsgroup access for Gnus}
29331 ;; @r{Copyright (C) 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.}
29335 (require 'nnheader)
29339 (eval-when-compile (require 'cl))
29341 (nnoo-declare nndir
29344 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
29345 "Where nndir will look for groups."
29346 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
29348 (defvoo nndir-nov-is-evil nil
29349 "*Non-nil means that nndir will never retrieve NOV headers."
29352 (defvoo nndir-current-group ""
29354 nnml-current-group nnmh-current-group)
29355 (defvoo nndir-top-directory nil nil nnml-directory nnmh-directory)
29356 (defvoo nndir-get-new-mail nil nil nnml-get-new-mail nnmh-get-new-mail)
29358 (defvoo nndir-status-string "" nil nnmh-status-string)
29359 (defconst nndir-version "nndir 1.0")
29361 ;;; @r{Interface functions.}
29363 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
29365 (deffoo nndir-open-server (server &optional defs)
29366 (setq nndir-directory
29367 (or (cadr (assq 'nndir-directory defs))
29369 (unless (assq 'nndir-directory defs)
29370 (push `(nndir-directory ,server) defs))
29371 (push `(nndir-current-group
29372 ,(file-name-nondirectory
29373 (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
29375 (push `(nndir-top-directory
29376 ,(file-name-directory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
29378 (nnoo-change-server 'nndir server defs))
29380 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
29381 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
29382 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
29383 (nnmh-request-group nndir-current-group 0 0)
29384 (nnmh-close-group nndir-current-group 0))
29388 nnmh-status-message
29390 nnmh-request-newgroups))
29396 @node Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
29397 @subsubsection Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
29399 @vindex gnus-valid-select-methods
29400 @findex gnus-declare-backend
29401 Having Gnus start using your new back end is rather easy---you just
29402 declare it with the @code{gnus-declare-backend} functions. This will
29403 enter the back end into the @code{gnus-valid-select-methods} variable.
29405 @code{gnus-declare-backend} takes two parameters---the back end name and
29406 an arbitrary number of @dfn{abilities}.
29411 (gnus-declare-backend "nnchoke" 'mail 'respool 'address)
29414 The above line would then go in the @file{nnchoke.el} file.
29416 The abilities can be:
29420 This is a mailish back end---followups should (probably) go via mail.
29422 This is a newsish back end---followups should (probably) go via news.
29424 This back end supports both mail and news.
29426 This is neither a post nor mail back end---it's something completely
29429 It supports respooling---or rather, it is able to modify its source
29430 articles and groups.
29432 The name of the server should be in the virtual server name. This is
29433 true for almost all back ends.
29434 @item prompt-address
29435 The user should be prompted for an address when doing commands like
29436 @kbd{B} in the group buffer. This is true for back ends like
29437 @code{nntp}, but not @code{nnmbox}, for instance.
29441 @node Mail-like Back Ends
29442 @subsubsection Mail-like Back Ends
29444 One of the things that separate the mail back ends from the rest of the
29445 back ends is the heavy dependence by most of the mail back ends on
29446 common functions in @file{nnmail.el}. For instance, here's the
29447 definition of @code{nnml-request-scan}:
29450 (deffoo nnml-request-scan (&optional group server)
29451 (setq nnml-article-file-alist nil)
29452 (nnmail-get-new-mail 'nnml 'nnml-save-nov nnml-directory group))
29455 It simply calls @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} with a few parameters,
29456 and @code{nnmail} takes care of all the moving and splitting of the
29459 This function takes four parameters.
29463 This should be a symbol to designate which back end is responsible for
29466 @item exit-function
29467 This function should be called after the splitting has been performed.
29469 @item temp-directory
29470 Where the temporary files should be stored.
29473 This optional argument should be a group name if the splitting is to be
29474 performed for one group only.
29477 @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} will call @var{back-end}@code{-save-mail} to
29478 save each article. @var{back-end}@code{-active-number} will be called to
29479 find the article number assigned to this article.
29481 The function also uses the following variables:
29482 @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} (to see whether to get new mail for
29483 this back end); and @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} and
29484 @var{back-end}@code{-active-file} to generate the new active file.
29485 @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} should be a group-active alist, like
29489 (("a-group" (1 . 10))
29490 ("some-group" (34 . 39)))
29494 @node Score File Syntax
29495 @subsection Score File Syntax
29497 Score files are meant to be easily parseable, but yet extremely
29498 mallable. It was decided that something that had the same read syntax
29499 as an Emacs Lisp list would fit that spec.
29501 Here's a typical score file:
29505 ("win95" -10000 nil s)
29512 BNF definition of a score file:
29515 score-file = "" / "(" *element ")"
29516 element = rule / atom
29517 rule = string-rule / number-rule / date-rule
29518 string-rule = "(" quote string-header quote space *string-match ")"
29519 number-rule = "(" quote number-header quote space *number-match ")"
29520 date-rule = "(" quote date-header quote space *date-match ")"
29522 string-header = "subject" / "from" / "references" / "message-id" /
29523 "xref" / "body" / "head" / "all" / "followup"
29524 number-header = "lines" / "chars"
29525 date-header = "date"
29526 string-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
29527 space date [ "" / [ space string-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
29528 score = "nil" / <integer>
29529 date = "nil" / <natural number>
29530 string-match-t = "nil" / "s" / "substring" / "S" / "Substring" /
29531 "r" / "regex" / "R" / "Regex" /
29532 "e" / "exact" / "E" / "Exact" /
29533 "f" / "fuzzy" / "F" / "Fuzzy"
29534 number-match = "(" <integer> [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
29535 space date [ "" / [ space number-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
29536 number-match-t = "nil" / "=" / "<" / ">" / ">=" / "<="
29537 date-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
29538 space date [ "" / [ space date-match-t ] ] ] ] ")"
29539 date-match-t = "nil" / "at" / "before" / "after"
29540 atom = "(" [ required-atom / optional-atom ] ")"
29541 required-atom = mark / expunge / mark-and-expunge / files /
29542 exclude-files / read-only / touched
29543 optional-atom = adapt / local / eval
29544 mark = "mark" space nil-or-number
29545 nil-or-number = "nil" / <integer>
29546 expunge = "expunge" space nil-or-number
29547 mark-and-expunge = "mark-and-expunge" space nil-or-number
29548 files = "files" *[ space <string> ]
29549 exclude-files = "exclude-files" *[ space <string> ]
29550 read-only = "read-only" [ space "nil" / space "t" ]
29551 adapt = "adapt" [ space "ignore" / space "t" / space adapt-rule ]
29552 adapt-rule = "(" *[ <string> *[ "(" <string> <integer> ")" ] ")"
29553 local = "local" *[ space "(" <string> space <form> ")" ]
29554 eval = "eval" space <form>
29555 space = *[ " " / <TAB> / <NEWLINE> ]
29558 Any unrecognized elements in a score file should be ignored, but not
29561 As you can see, white space is needed, but the type and amount of white
29562 space is irrelevant. This means that formatting of the score file is
29563 left up to the programmer---if it's simpler to just spew it all out on
29564 one looong line, then that's ok.
29566 The meaning of the various atoms are explained elsewhere in this
29567 manual (@pxref{Score File Format}).
29571 @subsection Headers
29573 Internally Gnus uses a format for storing article headers that
29574 corresponds to the @acronym{NOV} format in a mysterious fashion. One could
29575 almost suspect that the author looked at the @acronym{NOV} specification and
29576 just shamelessly @emph{stole} the entire thing, and one would be right.
29578 @dfn{Header} is a severely overloaded term. ``Header'' is used in
29579 RFC 1036 to talk about lines in the head of an article (e.g.,
29580 @code{From}). It is used by many people as a synonym for
29581 ``head''---``the header and the body''. (That should be avoided, in my
29582 opinion.) And Gnus uses a format internally that it calls ``header'',
29583 which is what I'm talking about here. This is a 9-element vector,
29584 basically, with each header (ouch) having one slot.
29586 These slots are, in order: @code{number}, @code{subject}, @code{from},
29587 @code{date}, @code{id}, @code{references}, @code{chars}, @code{lines},
29588 @code{xref}, and @code{extra}. There are macros for accessing and
29589 setting these slots---they all have predictable names beginning with
29590 @code{mail-header-} and @code{mail-header-set-}, respectively.
29592 All these slots contain strings, except the @code{extra} slot, which
29593 contains an alist of header/value pairs (@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
29599 @sc{gnus} introduced a concept that I found so useful that I've started
29600 using it a lot and have elaborated on it greatly.
29602 The question is simple: If you have a large amount of objects that are
29603 identified by numbers (say, articles, to take a @emph{wild} example)
29604 that you want to qualify as being ``included'', a normal sequence isn't
29605 very useful. (A 200,000 length sequence is a bit long-winded.)
29607 The solution is as simple as the question: You just collapse the
29611 (1 2 3 4 5 6 10 11 12)
29614 is transformed into
29617 ((1 . 6) (10 . 12))
29620 To avoid having those nasty @samp{(13 . 13)} elements to denote a
29621 lonesome object, a @samp{13} is a valid element:
29624 ((1 . 6) 7 (10 . 12))
29627 This means that comparing two ranges to find out whether they are equal
29628 is slightly tricky:
29631 ((1 . 5) 7 8 (10 . 12))
29637 ((1 . 5) (7 . 8) (10 . 12))
29640 are equal. In fact, any non-descending list is a range:
29646 is a perfectly valid range, although a pretty long-winded one. This is
29653 and is equal to the previous range.
29655 Here's a BNF definition of ranges. Of course, one must remember the
29656 semantic requirement that the numbers are non-descending. (Any number
29657 of repetition of the same number is allowed, but apt to disappear in
29661 range = simple-range / normal-range
29662 simple-range = "(" number " . " number ")"
29663 normal-range = "(" start-contents ")"
29664 contents = "" / simple-range *[ " " contents ] /
29665 number *[ " " contents ]
29668 Gnus currently uses ranges to keep track of read articles and article
29669 marks. I plan on implementing a number of range operators in C if The
29670 Powers That Be are willing to let me. (I haven't asked yet, because I
29671 need to do some more thinking on what operators I need to make life
29672 totally range-based without ever having to convert back to normal
29677 @subsection Group Info
29679 Gnus stores all permanent info on groups in a @dfn{group info} list.
29680 This list is from three to six elements (or more) long and exhaustively
29681 describes the group.
29683 Here are two example group infos; one is a very simple group while the
29684 second is a more complex one:
29687 ("no.group" 5 ((1 . 54324)))
29689 ("nnml:my.mail" 3 ((1 . 5) 9 (20 . 55))
29690 ((tick (15 . 19)) (replied 3 6 (19 . 3)))
29692 ((auto-expire . t) (to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")))
29695 The first element is the @dfn{group name}---as Gnus knows the group,
29696 anyway. The second element is the @dfn{subscription level}, which
29697 normally is a small integer. (It can also be the @dfn{rank}, which is a
29698 cons cell where the @code{car} is the level and the @code{cdr} is the
29699 score.) The third element is a list of ranges of read articles. The
29700 fourth element is a list of lists of article marks of various kinds.
29701 The fifth element is the select method (or virtual server, if you like).
29702 The sixth element is a list of @dfn{group parameters}, which is what
29703 this section is about.
29705 Any of the last three elements may be missing if they are not required.
29706 In fact, the vast majority of groups will normally only have the first
29707 three elements, which saves quite a lot of cons cells.
29709 Here's a BNF definition of the group info format:
29712 info = "(" group space ralevel space read
29713 [ "" / [ space marks-list [ "" / [ space method [ "" /
29714 space parameters ] ] ] ] ] ")"
29715 group = quote <string> quote
29716 ralevel = rank / level
29717 level = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
29718 rank = "(" level "." score ")"
29719 score = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
29721 marks-lists = nil / "(" *marks ")"
29722 marks = "(" <string> range ")"
29723 method = "(" <string> *elisp-forms ")"
29724 parameters = "(" *elisp-forms ")"
29727 Actually that @samp{marks} rule is a fib. A @samp{marks} is a
29728 @samp{<string>} consed on to a @samp{range}, but that's a bitch to say
29731 If you have a Gnus info and want to access the elements, Gnus offers a
29732 series of macros for getting/setting these elements.
29735 @item gnus-info-group
29736 @itemx gnus-info-set-group
29737 @findex gnus-info-group
29738 @findex gnus-info-set-group
29739 Get/set the group name.
29741 @item gnus-info-rank
29742 @itemx gnus-info-set-rank
29743 @findex gnus-info-rank
29744 @findex gnus-info-set-rank
29745 Get/set the group rank (@pxref{Group Score}).
29747 @item gnus-info-level
29748 @itemx gnus-info-set-level
29749 @findex gnus-info-level
29750 @findex gnus-info-set-level
29751 Get/set the group level.
29753 @item gnus-info-score
29754 @itemx gnus-info-set-score
29755 @findex gnus-info-score
29756 @findex gnus-info-set-score
29757 Get/set the group score (@pxref{Group Score}).
29759 @item gnus-info-read
29760 @itemx gnus-info-set-read
29761 @findex gnus-info-read
29762 @findex gnus-info-set-read
29763 Get/set the ranges of read articles.
29765 @item gnus-info-marks
29766 @itemx gnus-info-set-marks
29767 @findex gnus-info-marks
29768 @findex gnus-info-set-marks
29769 Get/set the lists of ranges of marked articles.
29771 @item gnus-info-method
29772 @itemx gnus-info-set-method
29773 @findex gnus-info-method
29774 @findex gnus-info-set-method
29775 Get/set the group select method.
29777 @item gnus-info-params
29778 @itemx gnus-info-set-params
29779 @findex gnus-info-params
29780 @findex gnus-info-set-params
29781 Get/set the group parameters.
29784 All the getter functions take one parameter---the info list. The setter
29785 functions take two parameters---the info list and the new value.
29787 The last three elements in the group info aren't mandatory, so it may be
29788 necessary to extend the group info before setting the element. If this
29789 is necessary, you can just pass on a non-@code{nil} third parameter to
29790 the three final setter functions to have this happen automatically.
29793 @node Extended Interactive
29794 @subsection Extended Interactive
29795 @cindex interactive
29796 @findex gnus-interactive
29798 Gnus extends the standard Emacs @code{interactive} specification
29799 slightly to allow easy use of the symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic
29800 Prefixes}). Here's an example of how this is used:
29803 (defun gnus-summary-increase-score (&optional score symp)
29804 (interactive (gnus-interactive "P\ny"))
29809 The best thing to do would have been to implement
29810 @code{gnus-interactive} as a macro which would have returned an
29811 @code{interactive} form, but this isn't possible since Emacs checks
29812 whether a function is interactive or not by simply doing an @code{assq}
29813 on the lambda form. So, instead we have @code{gnus-interactive}
29814 function that takes a string and returns values that are usable to
29815 @code{interactive}.
29817 This function accepts (almost) all normal @code{interactive} specs, but
29822 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbol
29823 The current symbolic prefix---the @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol}
29827 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbols
29828 A list of the current symbolic prefixes---the
29829 @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol} variable.
29832 The current article number---the @code{gnus-summary-article-number}
29836 The current article header---the @code{gnus-summary-article-header}
29840 The current group name---the @code{gnus-group-group-name}
29846 @node Emacs/XEmacs Code
29847 @subsection Emacs/XEmacs Code
29851 While Gnus runs under Emacs, XEmacs and Mule, I decided that one of the
29852 platforms must be the primary one. I chose Emacs. Not because I don't
29853 like XEmacs or Mule, but because it comes first alphabetically.
29855 This means that Gnus will byte-compile under Emacs with nary a warning,
29856 while XEmacs will pump out gigabytes of warnings while byte-compiling.
29857 As I use byte-compilation warnings to help me root out trivial errors in
29858 Gnus, that's very useful.
29860 I've also consistently used Emacs function interfaces, but have used
29861 Gnusey aliases for the functions. To take an example: Emacs defines a
29862 @code{run-at-time} function while XEmacs defines a @code{start-itimer}
29863 function. I then define a function called @code{gnus-run-at-time} that
29864 takes the same parameters as the Emacs @code{run-at-time}. When running
29865 Gnus under Emacs, the former function is just an alias for the latter.
29866 However, when running under XEmacs, the former is an alias for the
29867 following function:
29870 (defun gnus-xmas-run-at-time (time repeat function &rest args)
29874 (,function ,@@args))
29878 This sort of thing has been done for bunches of functions. Gnus does
29879 not redefine any native Emacs functions while running under XEmacs---it
29880 does this @code{defalias} thing with Gnus equivalents instead. Cleaner
29883 In the cases where the XEmacs function interface was obviously cleaner,
29884 I used it instead. For example @code{gnus-region-active-p} is an alias
29885 for @code{region-active-p} in XEmacs, whereas in Emacs it is a function.
29887 Of course, I could have chosen XEmacs as my native platform and done
29888 mapping functions the other way around. But I didn't. The performance
29889 hit these indirections impose on Gnus under XEmacs should be slight.
29892 @node Various File Formats
29893 @subsection Various File Formats
29896 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
29897 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
29901 @node Active File Format
29902 @subsubsection Active File Format
29904 The active file lists all groups available on the server in
29905 question. It also lists the highest and lowest current article numbers
29908 Here's an excerpt from a typical active file:
29911 soc.motss 296030 293865 y
29912 alt.binaries.pictures.fractals 3922 3913 n
29913 comp.sources.unix 1605 1593 m
29914 comp.binaries.ibm.pc 5097 5089 y
29915 no.general 1000 900 y
29918 Here's a pseudo-BNF definition of this file:
29921 active = *group-line
29922 group-line = group spc high-number spc low-number spc flag <NEWLINE>
29923 group = <non-white-space string>
29925 high-number = <non-negative integer>
29926 low-number = <positive integer>
29927 flag = "y" / "n" / "m" / "j" / "x" / "=" group
29930 For a full description of this file, see the manual pages for
29931 @samp{innd}, in particular @samp{active(5)}.
29934 @node Newsgroups File Format
29935 @subsubsection Newsgroups File Format
29937 The newsgroups file lists groups along with their descriptions. Not all
29938 groups on the server have to be listed, and not all groups in the file
29939 have to exist on the server. The file is meant purely as information to
29942 The format is quite simple; a group name, a tab, and the description.
29943 Here's the definition:
29947 line = group tab description <NEWLINE>
29948 group = <non-white-space string>
29950 description = <string>
29955 @node Emacs for Heathens
29956 @section Emacs for Heathens
29958 Believe it or not, but some people who use Gnus haven't really used
29959 Emacs much before they embarked on their journey on the Gnus Love Boat.
29960 If you are one of those unfortunates whom ``@kbd{C-M-a}'', ``kill the
29961 region'', and ``set @code{gnus-flargblossen} to an alist where the key
29962 is a regexp that is used for matching on the group name'' are magical
29963 phrases with little or no meaning, then this appendix is for you. If
29964 you are already familiar with Emacs, just ignore this and go fondle your
29968 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
29969 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
29974 @subsection Keystrokes
29978 Q: What is an experienced Emacs user?
29981 A: A person who wishes that the terminal had pedals.
29984 Yes, when you use Emacs, you are apt to use the control key, the shift
29985 key and the meta key a lot. This is very annoying to some people
29986 (notably @code{vi}le users), and the rest of us just love the hell out
29987 of it. Just give up and submit. Emacs really does stand for
29988 ``Escape-Meta-Alt-Control-Shift'', and not ``Editing Macros'', as you
29989 may have heard from other disreputable sources (like the Emacs author).
29991 The shift keys are normally located near your pinky fingers, and are
29992 normally used to get capital letters and stuff. You probably use it all
29993 the time. The control key is normally marked ``CTRL'' or something like
29994 that. The meta key is, funnily enough, never marked as such on any
29995 keyboard. The one I'm currently at has a key that's marked ``Alt'',
29996 which is the meta key on this keyboard. It's usually located somewhere
29997 to the left hand side of the keyboard, usually on the bottom row.
29999 Now, us Emacs people don't say ``press the meta-control-m key'',
30000 because that's just too inconvenient. We say ``press the @kbd{C-M-m}
30001 key''. @kbd{M-} is the prefix that means ``meta'' and ``C-'' is the
30002 prefix that means ``control''. So ``press @kbd{C-k}'' means ``press
30003 down the control key, and hold it down while you press @kbd{k}''.
30004 ``Press @kbd{C-M-k}'' means ``press down and hold down the meta key and
30005 the control key and then press @kbd{k}''. Simple, ay?
30007 This is somewhat complicated by the fact that not all keyboards have a
30008 meta key. In that case you can use the ``escape'' key. Then @kbd{M-k}
30009 means ``press escape, release escape, press @kbd{k}''. That's much more
30010 work than if you have a meta key, so if that's the case, I respectfully
30011 suggest you get a real keyboard with a meta key. You can't live without
30017 @subsection Emacs Lisp
30019 Emacs is the King of Editors because it's really a Lisp interpreter.
30020 Each and every key you tap runs some Emacs Lisp code snippet, and since
30021 Emacs Lisp is an interpreted language, that means that you can configure
30022 any key to run any arbitrary code. You just, like, do it.
30024 Gnus is written in Emacs Lisp, and is run as a bunch of interpreted
30025 functions. (These are byte-compiled for speed, but it's still
30026 interpreted.) If you decide that you don't like the way Gnus does
30027 certain things, it's trivial to have it do something a different way.
30028 (Well, at least if you know how to write Lisp code.) However, that's
30029 beyond the scope of this manual, so we are simply going to talk about
30030 some common constructs that you normally use in your @file{~/.gnus.el}
30031 file to customize Gnus. (You can also use the @file{~/.emacs} file, but
30032 in order to set things of Gnus up, it is much better to use the
30033 @file{~/.gnus.el} file, @xref{Startup Files}.)
30035 If you want to set the variable @code{gnus-florgbnize} to four (4), you
30036 write the following:
30039 (setq gnus-florgbnize 4)
30042 This function (really ``special form'') @code{setq} is the one that can
30043 set a variable to some value. This is really all you need to know. Now
30044 you can go and fill your @file{~/.gnus.el} file with lots of these to
30045 change how Gnus works.
30047 If you have put that thing in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file, it will be
30048 read and @code{eval}ed (which is Lisp-ese for ``run'') the next time you
30049 start Gnus. If you want to change the variable right away, simply say
30050 @kbd{C-x C-e} after the closing parenthesis. That will @code{eval} the
30051 previous ``form'', which is a simple @code{setq} statement here.
30053 Go ahead---just try it, if you're located at your Emacs. After you
30054 @kbd{C-x C-e}, you will see @samp{4} appear in the echo area, which
30055 is the return value of the form you @code{eval}ed.
30059 If the manual says ``set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{some}'',
30063 (setq gnus-read-active-file 'some)
30066 On the other hand, if the manual says ``set @code{gnus-nntp-server} to
30067 @samp{nntp.ifi.uio.no}'', that means:
30070 (setq gnus-nntp-server "nntp.ifi.uio.no")
30073 So be careful not to mix up strings (the latter) with symbols (the
30074 former). The manual is unambiguous, but it can be confusing.
30077 @include gnus-faq.texi
30079 @node GNU Free Documentation License
30080 @chapter GNU Free Documentation License
30081 @include doclicense.texi
30101 @c Local Variables:
30103 @c coding: iso-8859-1
30107 arch-tag: c9fa47e7-78ca-4681-bda9-9fef45d1c819