1 \input texinfo @c -*-texinfo-*-
4 @settitle Gnus 5.4.51 Manual
11 @setchapternewpage odd
15 \documentclass[twoside,a4paper,openright]{book}
16 \usepackage[latin1]{inputenc}
17 \usepackage{pagestyle}
19 \fontfamily{bembo}\selectfont
24 \newcommand{\gnuschaptername}{}
25 \newcommand{\gnussectionname}{}
27 \newcommand{\gnusbackslash}{/}
29 \newcommand{\gnusxref}[1]{See ``#1'' on page \pageref{#1}}
30 \newcommand{\gnuspxref}[1]{see ``#1'' on page \pageref{#1}}
32 \newcommand{\gnuskindex}[1]{\index{#1}}
33 \newcommand{\gnusindex}[1]{\index{#1}}
35 \newcommand{\gnustt}[1]{{\textbf{\textsf{#1}}}}
36 \newcommand{\gnuscode}[1]{\gnustt{#1}}
37 \newcommand{\gnussamp}[1]{``\gnustt{#1}''}
38 \newcommand{\gnuslisp}[1]{\gnustt{#1}}
39 \newcommand{\gnuskbd}[1]{`\gnustt{#1}'}
40 \newcommand{\gnusfile}[1]{`\gnustt{#1}'}
41 \newcommand{\gnusdfn}[1]{\textit{#1}}
42 \newcommand{\gnusi}[1]{\textit{#1}}
43 \newcommand{\gnusstrong}[1]{\textbf{#1}}
44 \newcommand{\gnusemph}[1]{\textit{#1}}
45 \newcommand{\gnusvar}[1]{\textsl{\textsf{#1}}}
46 \newcommand{\gnussc}[1]{\textsc{#1}}
47 \newcommand{\gnustitle}[1]{{\huge\textbf{#1}}}
48 \newcommand{\gnusauthor}[1]{{\large\textbf{#1}}}
50 \newcommand{\gnusbullet}{{${\bullet}$}}
51 \newcommand{\gnusdollar}{\$}
52 \newcommand{\gnusampersand}{\&}
53 \newcommand{\gnuspercent}{\%}
54 \newcommand{\gnushash}{\#}
55 \newcommand{\gnushat}{\symbol{"5E}}
56 \newcommand{\gnusunderline}{\symbol{"5F}}
57 \newcommand{\gnusnot}{$\neg$}
58 \newcommand{\gnustilde}{\symbol{"7E}}
59 \newcommand{\gnusless}{{$<$}}
60 \newcommand{\gnusgreater}{{$>$}}
62 \newcommand{\gnushead}{\raisebox{-1cm}{\epsfig{figure=gnus-head.eps,height=1cm}}}
63 \newcommand{\gnusinteresting}{
64 \marginpar[\hspace{2.5cm}\gnushead]{\gnushead}
67 \newcommand{\gnuscleardoublepage}{\ifodd\count0\mbox{}\clearpage\thispagestyle{empty}\mbox{}\clearpage\else\clearpage\fi}
69 \newcommand{\gnuspagechapter}[1]{
76 \newcommand{\gnuschapter}[2]{
78 \ifdim \gnusdimen = 0pt\setcounter{page}{1}\pagestyle{gnus}\pagenumbering{arabic} \gnusdimen 1pt\fi
80 \renewcommand{\gnussectionname}{}
81 \renewcommand{\gnuschaptername}{#2}
84 \begin{picture}(500,500)(0,0)
85 \put(0,0){\makebox(480,350)[tr]{#1}}
86 \put(40,300){\makebox(500,50)[bl]{{\Huge\bf{#2}}}}
91 \newcommand{\gnusitemx}[1]{\mbox{}\vspace*{-\itemsep}\vspace*{-\parsep}\item#1}
93 \newcommand{\gnussection}[1]{
94 \renewcommand{\gnussectionname}{#1}
98 \newenvironment{codelist}%
103 \newenvironment{kbdlist}%
109 \newenvironment{dfnlist}%
114 \newenvironment{stronglist}%
119 \newenvironment{samplist}%
124 \newenvironment{varlist}%
129 \newenvironment{emphlist}%
134 \newlength\gnusheadtextwidth
135 \setlength{\gnusheadtextwidth}{\headtextwidth}
136 \addtolength{\gnusheadtextwidth}{1cm}
138 \newpagestyle{gnuspreamble}%
143 \hspace*{-0.23cm}\underline{\makebox[\gnusheadtextwidth]{\mbox{}}\textbf{\hfill\roman{page}}}
147 \hspace*{-3.25cm}\underline{\makebox[\gnusheadtextwidth]{\textbf{\roman{page}\hfill\mbox{}}}
156 \raisebox{-0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=gnus-big-logo.eps,height=1cm}}
158 \raisebox{-0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=gnus-big-logo.eps,height=1cm}}
163 \newpagestyle{gnusindex}%
168 \hspace*{-0.23cm}\underline{\makebox[\gnusheadtextwidth]{\textbf{\gnuschaptername\hfill\arabic{page}}}}
172 \hspace*{-3.25cm}\underline{\makebox[\gnusheadtextwidth]{\textbf{\arabic{page}\hfill\gnuschaptername}}}
180 \raisebox{-0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=gnus-big-logo.eps,height=1cm}}
182 \raisebox{-0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=gnus-big-logo.eps,height=1cm}}
192 \hspace*{-0.23cm}\underline{\makebox[\gnusheadtextwidth]{\textbf{\arabic{chapter}.\arabic{section}} \textbf{\gnussectionname\hfill\arabic{page}}}}
196 \hspace*{-3.25cm}\underline{\makebox[\gnusheadtextwidth]{\textbf{\arabic{page}\hfill\gnuschaptername}}}
204 \raisebox{-0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=gnus-big-logo.eps,height=1cm}}
206 \raisebox{-0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=gnus-big-logo.eps,height=1cm}}
211 \pagenumbering{roman}
212 \pagestyle{gnuspreamble}
222 %\addtolength{\oddsidemargin}{-5cm}
223 %\addtolength{\evensidemargin}{-5cm}
225 \addtolength{\textheight}{2cm}
227 \gnustitle{\gnustitlename}\\
230 \hspace*{-1cm}\epsfig{figure=gnus-big-logo.eps,height=15cm}
233 \gnusauthor{by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen}
240 \thispagestyle{empty}
242 Copyright \copyright{} 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
244 Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of
245 this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice
246 are preserved on all copies.
248 Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this
249 manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided that the
250 entire resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a
251 permission notice identical to this one.
253 Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual
254 into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions.
263 This file documents Gnus, the GNU Emacs newsreader.
265 Copyright (C) 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
267 Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of
268 this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice
269 are preserved on all copies.
272 Permission is granted to process this file through Tex and print the
273 results, provided the printed document carries copying permission
274 notice identical to this one except for the removal of this paragraph
275 (this paragraph not being relevant to the printed manual).
278 Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this
279 manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided also that the
280 entire resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a
281 permission notice identical to this one.
283 Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual
284 into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions.
290 @title Gnus 5.4.51 Manual
292 @author by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen
295 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
296 Copyright @copyright{} 1995,96,97 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
298 Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of
299 this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice
300 are preserved on all copies.
302 Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this
303 manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided that the
304 entire resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a
305 permission notice identical to this one.
307 Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual
308 into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions.
317 @top The Gnus Newsreader
321 You can read news (and mail) from within Emacs by using Gnus. The news
322 can be gotten by any nefarious means you can think of---@sc{nntp}, local
323 spool or your mbox file. All at the same time, if you want to push your
326 This manual corresponds to Gnus 5.4.51.
337 Gnus is the advanced, self-documenting, customizable, extensible
338 unreal-time newsreader for GNU Emacs.
340 Oops. That sounds oddly familiar, so let's start over again to avoid
341 being accused of plagiarism:
343 Gnus is a message-reading laboratory. It will let you look at just
344 about anything as if it were a newsgroup. You can read mail with it,
345 you can browse directories with it, you can @code{ftp} with it---you can
346 even read news with it!
348 Gnus tries to empower people who read news the same way Emacs empowers
349 people who edit text. Gnus sets no limits to what the user should be
350 allowed to do. Users are encouraged to extend Gnus to make it behave
351 like they want it to behave. A program should not control people;
352 people should be empowered to do what they want by using (or abusing)
359 * Starting Up:: Finding news can be a pain.
360 * The Group Buffer:: Selecting, subscribing and killing groups.
361 * The Summary Buffer:: Reading, saving and posting articles.
362 * The Article Buffer:: Displaying and handling articles.
363 * Composing Messages:: Information on sending mail and news.
364 * Select Methods:: Gnus reads all messages from various select methods.
365 * Scoring:: Assigning values to articles.
366 * Various:: General purpose settings.
367 * The End:: Farewell and goodbye.
368 * Appendices:: Terminology, Emacs intro, FAQ, History, Internals.
369 * Index:: Variable, function and concept index.
370 * Key Index:: Key Index.
374 @chapter Starting Gnus
379 If your system administrator has set things up properly, starting Gnus
380 and reading news is extremely easy---you just type @kbd{M-x gnus} in
383 @findex gnus-other-frame
384 @kindex M-x gnus-other-frame
385 If you want to start Gnus in a different frame, you can use the command
386 @kbd{M-x gnus-other-frame} instead.
388 If things do not go smoothly at startup, you have to twiddle some
392 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
393 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
394 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
395 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
396 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
397 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
398 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
399 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
400 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
401 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
402 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
406 @node Finding the News
407 @section Finding the News
410 @vindex gnus-select-method
412 The @code{gnus-select-method} variable says where Gnus should look for
413 news. This variable should be a list where the first element says
414 @dfn{how} and the second element says @dfn{where}. This method is your
415 native method. All groups that are not fetched with this method are
418 For instance, if the @samp{news.somewhere.edu} @sc{nntp} server is where
419 you want to get your daily dosage of news from, you'd say:
422 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"))
425 If you want to read directly from the local spool, say:
428 (setq gnus-select-method '(nnspool ""))
431 If you can use a local spool, you probably should, as it will almost
432 certainly be much faster.
434 @vindex gnus-nntpserver-file
436 @cindex @sc{nntp} server
437 If this variable is not set, Gnus will take a look at the
438 @code{NNTPSERVER} environment variable. If that variable isn't set,
439 Gnus will see whether @code{gnus-nntpserver-file}
440 (@file{/etc/nntpserver} by default) has any opinions on the matter. If
441 that fails as well, Gnus will will try to use the machine that is
442 running Emacs as an @sc{nntp} server. That's a long shot, though.
444 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
445 If @code{gnus-nntp-server} is set, this variable will override
446 @code{gnus-select-method}. You should therefore set
447 @code{gnus-nntp-server} to @code{nil}, which is what it is by default.
449 @vindex gnus-secondary-servers
450 You can also make Gnus prompt you interactively for the name of an
451 @sc{nntp} server. If you give a non-numerical prefix to @code{gnus}
452 (i.e., @kbd{C-u M-x gnus}), Gnus will let you choose between the servers
453 in the @code{gnus-secondary-servers} list (if any). You can also just
454 type in the name of any server you feel like visiting.
456 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
458 However, if you use one @sc{nntp} server regularly and are just
459 interested in a couple of groups from a different server, you would be
460 better served by using the @kbd{B} command in the group buffer. It will
461 let you have a look at what groups are available, and you can subscribe
462 to any of the groups you want to. This also makes @file{.newsrc}
463 maintenance much tidier. @xref{Foreign Groups}.
465 @vindex gnus-secondary-select-methods
467 A slightly different approach to foreign groups is to set the
468 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} variable. The select methods
469 listed in this variable are in many ways just as native as the
470 @code{gnus-select-method} server. They will also be queried for active
471 files during startup (if that's required), and new newsgroups that
472 appear on these servers will be subscribed (or not) just as native
475 For instance, if you use the @code{nnmbox} backend to read your mail, you
476 would typically set this variable to
479 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnmbox "")))
484 @section The First Time
485 @cindex first time usage
487 If no startup files exist, Gnus will try to determine what groups should
488 be subscribed by default.
490 @vindex gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups
491 If the variable @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is set, Gnus
492 will subscribe you to just those groups in that list, leaving the rest
493 killed. Your system administrator should have set this variable to
496 Since she hasn't, Gnus will just subscribe you to a few arbitrarily
497 picked groups (i.e., @samp{*.newusers}). (@dfn{Arbitrary} is here
498 defined as @dfn{whatever Lars thinks you should read}.)
500 You'll also be subscribed to the Gnus documentation group, which should
501 help you with most common problems.
503 If @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is @code{t}, Gnus will just
504 use the normal functions for handling new groups, and not do anything
508 @node The Server is Down
509 @section The Server is Down
510 @cindex server errors
512 If the default server is down, Gnus will understandably have some
513 problems starting. However, if you have some mail groups in addition to
514 the news groups, you may want to start Gnus anyway.
516 Gnus, being the trusting sort of program, will ask whether to proceed
517 without a native select method if that server can't be contacted. This
518 will happen whether the server doesn't actually exist (i.e., you have
519 given the wrong address) or the server has just momentarily taken ill
520 for some reason or other. If you decide to continue and have no foreign
521 groups, you'll find it difficult to actually do anything in the group
522 buffer. But, hey, that's your problem. Blllrph!
524 @findex gnus-no-server
525 @kindex M-x gnus-no-server
527 If you know that the server is definitely down, or you just want to read
528 your mail without bothering with the server at all, you can use the
529 @code{gnus-no-server} command to start Gnus. That might come in handy
530 if you're in a hurry as well. This command will not attempt to contact
531 your primary server---instead, it will just activate all groups on level
532 1 and 2. (You should preferably keep no native groups on those two
537 @section Slave Gnusae
540 You might want to run more than one Emacs with more than one Gnus at the
541 same time. If you are using different @file{.newsrc} files (e.g., if you
542 are using the two different Gnusae to read from two different servers),
543 that is no problem whatsoever. You just do it.
545 The problem appears when you want to run two Gnusae that use the same
548 To work around that problem some, we here at the Think-Tank at the Gnus
549 Towers have come up with a new concept: @dfn{Masters} and
550 @dfn{slaves}. (We have applied for a patent on this concept, and have
551 taken out a copyright on those words. If you wish to use those words in
552 conjunction with each other, you have to send $1 per usage instance to
553 me. Usage of the patent (@dfn{Master/Slave Relationships In Computer
554 Applications}) will be much more expensive, of course.)
556 Anyways, you start one Gnus up the normal way with @kbd{M-x gnus} (or
557 however you do it). Each subsequent slave Gnusae should be started with
558 @kbd{M-x gnus-slave}. These slaves won't save normal @file{.newsrc}
559 files, but instead save @dfn{slave files} that contain information only
560 on what groups have been read in the slave session. When a master Gnus
561 starts, it will read (and delete) these slave files, incorporating all
562 information from them. (The slave files will be read in the sequence
563 they were created, so the latest changes will have precedence.)
565 Information from the slave files has, of course, precedence over the
566 information in the normal (i.e., master) @code{.newsrc} file.
569 @node Fetching a Group
570 @section Fetching a Group
571 @cindex fetching a group
573 @findex gnus-fetch-group
574 It it sometimes convenient to be able to just say ``I want to read this
575 group and I don't care whether Gnus has been started or not''. This is
576 perhaps more useful for people who write code than for users, but the
577 command @code{gnus-fetch-group} provides this functionality in any case.
578 It takes the group name as a parameter.
586 @vindex gnus-check-new-newsgroups
587 If you are satisfied that you really never want to see any new groups,
588 you can set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil}. This will
589 also save you some time at startup. Even if this variable is
590 @code{nil}, you can always subscribe to the new groups just by pressing
591 @kbd{U} in the group buffer (@pxref{Group Maintenance}). This variable
592 is @code{t} by default. If you set this variable to @code{always}, then
593 Gnus will query the backends for new groups even when you do the @kbd{g}
594 command (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
597 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
598 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
599 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
603 @node Checking New Groups
604 @subsection Checking New Groups
606 Gnus normally determines whether a group is new or not by comparing the
607 list of groups from the active file(s) with the lists of subscribed and
608 dead groups. This isn't a particularly fast method. If
609 @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} is @code{ask-server}, Gnus will ask the
610 server for new groups since the last time. This is both faster and
611 cheaper. This also means that you can get rid of the list of killed
612 groups altogether, so you may set @code{gnus-save-killed-list} to
613 @code{nil}, which will save time both at startup, at exit, and all over.
614 Saves disk space, too. Why isn't this the default, then?
615 Unfortunately, not all servers support this command.
617 I bet I know what you're thinking now: How do I find out whether my
618 server supports @code{ask-server}? No? Good, because I don't have a
619 fail-safe answer. I would suggest just setting this variable to
620 @code{ask-server} and see whether any new groups appear within the next
621 few days. If any do, then it works. If none do, then it doesn't
622 work. I could write a function to make Gnus guess whether the server
623 supports @code{ask-server}, but it would just be a guess. So I won't.
624 You could @code{telnet} to the server and say @code{HELP} and see
625 whether it lists @samp{NEWGROUPS} among the commands it understands. If
626 it does, then it might work. (But there are servers that lists
627 @samp{NEWGROUPS} without supporting the function properly.)
629 This variable can also be a list of select methods. If so, Gnus will
630 issue an @code{ask-server} command to each of the select methods, and
631 subscribe them (or not) using the normal methods. This might be handy
632 if you are monitoring a few servers for new groups. A side effect is
633 that startup will take much longer, so you can meditate while waiting.
634 Use the mantra ``dingnusdingnusdingnus'' to achieve permanent bliss.
637 @node Subscription Methods
638 @subsection Subscription Methods
640 @vindex gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method
641 What Gnus does when it encounters a new group is determined by the
642 @code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} variable.
644 This variable should contain a function. This function will be called
645 with the name of the new group as the only parameter.
647 Some handy pre-fab functions are:
651 @item gnus-subscribe-zombies
652 @vindex gnus-subscribe-zombies
653 Make all new groups zombies. This is the default. You can browse the
654 zombies later (with @kbd{A z}) and either kill them all off properly
655 (with @kbd{S z}), or subscribe to them (with @kbd{u}).
657 @item gnus-subscribe-randomly
658 @vindex gnus-subscribe-randomly
659 Subscribe all new groups randomly.
661 @item gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
662 @vindex gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
663 Subscribe all new groups alphabetically.
665 @item gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
666 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
667 Subscribe all new groups hierarchically. The difference between this
668 function and @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} is slight.
669 @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} will subscribe new groups in a strictly
670 alphabetical fashion, while this function will enter groups into it's
671 hierarchy. So if you want to have the @samp{rec} hierarchy before the
672 @samp{comp} hierarchy, this function will not mess that configuration
673 up. Or something like that.
675 @item gnus-subscribe-interactively
676 @vindex gnus-subscribe-interactively
677 Subscribe new groups interactively. This means that Gnus will ask
678 you about @strong{all} new groups.
680 @item gnus-subscribe-killed
681 @vindex gnus-subscribe-killed
686 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive
687 A closely related variable is
688 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. (That's quite a
689 mouthful.) If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will ask you in a
690 hierarchical fashion whether to subscribe to new groups or not. Gnus
691 will ask you for each sub-hierarchy whether you want to descend the
694 One common mistake is to set the variable a few paragraphs above to
695 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. This is an error. This
696 will not work. This is ga-ga. So don't do it.
699 @node Filtering New Groups
700 @subsection Filtering New Groups
702 A nice and portable way to control which new newsgroups should be
703 subscribed (or ignored) is to put an @dfn{options} line at the start of
704 the @file{.newsrc} file. Here's an example:
707 options -n !alt.all !rec.all sci.all
710 @vindex gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method
711 This line obviously belongs to a serious-minded intellectual scientific
712 person (or she may just be plain old boring), because it says that all
713 groups that have names beginning with @samp{alt} and @samp{rec} should
714 be ignored, and all groups with names beginning with @samp{sci} should
715 be subscribed. Gnus will not use the normal subscription method for
716 subscribing these groups.
717 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method} is used instead. This
718 variable defaults to @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically}.
720 @vindex gnus-options-not-subscribe
721 @vindex gnus-options-subscribe
722 If you don't want to mess with your @file{.newsrc} file, you can just
723 set the two variables @code{gnus-options-subscribe} and
724 @code{gnus-options-not-subscribe}. These two variables do exactly the
725 same as the @file{.newsrc} @samp{options -n} trick. Both are regexps,
726 and if the the new group matches the former, it will be unconditionally
727 subscribed, and if it matches the latter, it will be ignored.
729 @vindex gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
730 Yet another variable that meddles here is
731 @code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups}. It works exactly like
732 @code{gnus-options-subscribe}, and is therefore really superfluous, but I
733 thought it would be nice to have two of these. This variable is more
734 meant for setting some ground rules, while the other variable is used
735 more for user fiddling. By default this variable makes all new groups
736 that come from mail backends (@code{nnml}, @code{nnbabyl},
737 @code{nnfolder}, @code{nnmbox}, and @code{nnmh}) subscribed. If you
738 don't like that, just set this variable to @code{nil}.
740 New groups that match this regexp are subscribed using
741 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method}.
744 @node Changing Servers
745 @section Changing Servers
746 @cindex changing servers
748 Sometimes it is necessary to move from one @sc{nntp} server to another.
749 This happens very rarely, but perhaps you change jobs, or one server is
750 very flaky and you want to use another.
752 Changing the server is pretty easy, right? You just change
753 @code{gnus-select-method} to point to the new server?
757 Article numbers are not (in any way) kept synchronized between different
758 @sc{nntp} servers, and the only way Gnus keeps track of what articles
759 you have read is by keeping track of article numbers. So when you
760 change @code{gnus-select-method}, your @file{.newsrc} file becomes
763 Gnus provides a few functions to attempt to translate a @file{.newsrc}
764 file from one server to another. They all have one thing in
765 common---they take a looong time to run. You don't want to use these
766 functions more than absolutely necessary.
768 @kindex M-x gnus-change-server
769 @findex gnus-change-server
770 If you have access to both servers, Gnus can request the headers for all
771 the articles you have read and compare @code{Message-ID}s and map the
772 article numbers of the read articles and article marks. The @kbd{M-x
773 gnus-change-server} command will do this for all your native groups. It
774 will prompt for the method you want to move to.
776 @kindex M-x gnus-group-move-group-to-server
777 @findex gnus-group-move-group-to-server
778 You can also move individual groups with the @kbd{M-x
779 gnus-group-move-group-to-server} command. This is useful if you want to
780 move a (foreign) group from one server to another.
782 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
783 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
784 If you don't have access to both the old and new server, all your marks
785 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use the @kbd{M-x
786 gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} command to clear out all data
787 that you have on your native groups. Use with caution.
791 @section Startup Files
792 @cindex startup files
797 Now, you all know about the @file{.newsrc} file. All subscription
798 information is traditionally stored in this file.
800 Things got a bit more complicated with @sc{gnus}. In addition to
801 keeping the @file{.newsrc} file updated, it also used a file called
802 @file{.newsrc.el} for storing all the information that didn't fit into
803 the @file{.newsrc} file. (Actually, it also duplicated everything in
804 the @file{.newsrc} file.) @sc{gnus} would read whichever one of these
805 files was the most recently saved, which enabled people to swap between
806 @sc{gnus} and other newsreaders.
808 That was kinda silly, so Gnus went one better: In addition to the
809 @file{.newsrc} and @file{.newsrc.el} files, Gnus also has a file called
810 @file{.newsrc.eld}. It will read whichever of these files that are most
811 recent, but it will never write a @file{.newsrc.el} file.
813 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-file
814 You can turn off writing the @file{.newsrc} file by setting
815 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-file} to @code{nil}, which means you can delete
816 the file and save some space, as well as making exit from Gnus faster.
817 However, this will make it impossible to use other newsreaders than
818 Gnus. But hey, who would want to, right?
820 @vindex gnus-save-killed-list
821 If @code{gnus-save-killed-list} (default @code{t}) is @code{nil}, Gnus
822 will not save the list of killed groups to the startup file. This will
823 save both time (when starting and quitting) and space (on disk). It
824 will also mean that Gnus has no record of what groups are new or old,
825 so the automatic new groups subscription methods become meaningless.
826 You should always set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil} or
827 @code{ask-server} if you set this variable to @code{nil} (@pxref{New
828 Groups}). This variable can also be a regular expression. If that's
829 the case, remove all groups that do not match this regexp before
830 saving. This can be useful in certain obscure situations that involve
831 several servers where not all servers support @code{ask-server}.
833 @vindex gnus-startup-file
834 The @code{gnus-startup-file} variable says where the startup files are.
835 The default value is @file{~/.newsrc}, with the Gnus (El Dingo) startup
836 file being whatever that one is with a @samp{.eld} appended.
838 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-hook
839 @vindex gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook
840 @vindex gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook
841 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-hook} is called before saving any of the newsrc
842 files, while @code{gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook} is called just before
843 saving the @file{.newsrc.eld} file, and
844 @code{gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook} is called just before saving the
845 @file{.newsrc} file. The latter two are commonly used to turn version
846 control on or off. Version control is on by default when saving the
847 startup files. If you want to turn backup creation off, say something like:
850 (defun turn-off-backup ()
851 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
853 (add-hook 'gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
854 (add-hook 'gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
857 @vindex gnus-init-file
858 When Gnus starts, it will read the @code{gnus-site-init-file}
859 (@file{.../site-lisp/gnus} by default) and @code{gnus-init-file}
860 (@file{~/.gnus} by default) files. These are normal Emacs Lisp files
861 and can be used to avoid cluttering your @file{~/.emacs} and
862 @file{site-init} files with Gnus stuff. Gnus will also check for files
863 with the same names as these, but with @file{.elc} and @file{.el}
864 suffixes. In other words, if you have set @code{gnus-init-file} to
865 @file{~/.gnus}, it will look for @file{~/.gnus.elc}, @file{~/.gnus.el},
866 and finally @file{~/.gnus} (in this order).
875 Whenever you do something that changes the Gnus data (reading articles,
876 catching up, killing/subscribing groups), the change is added to a
877 special @dfn{dribble buffer}. This buffer is auto-saved the normal
878 Emacs way. If your Emacs should crash before you have saved the
879 @file{.newsrc} files, all changes you have made can be recovered from
882 If Gnus detects this file at startup, it will ask the user whether to
883 read it. The auto save file is deleted whenever the real startup file is
886 @vindex gnus-use-dribble-file
887 If @code{gnus-use-dribble-file} is @code{nil}, Gnus won't create and
888 maintain a dribble buffer. The default is @code{t}.
890 @vindex gnus-dribble-directory
891 Gnus will put the dribble file(s) in @code{gnus-dribble-directory}. If
892 this variable is @code{nil}, which it is by default, Gnus will dribble
893 into the directory where the @file{.newsrc} file is located. (This is
894 normally the user's home directory.) The dribble file will get the same
895 file permissions as the @code{.newsrc} file.
898 @node The Active File
899 @section The Active File
901 @cindex ignored groups
903 When Gnus starts, or indeed whenever it tries to determine whether new
904 articles have arrived, it reads the active file. This is a very large
905 file that lists all the active groups and articles on the server.
907 @vindex gnus-ignored-newsgroups
908 Before examining the active file, Gnus deletes all lines that match the
909 regexp @code{gnus-ignored-newsgroups}. This is done primarily to reject
910 any groups with bogus names, but you can use this variable to make Gnus
911 ignore hierarchies you aren't ever interested in. However, this is not
912 recommended. In fact, it's highly discouraged. Instead, @pxref{New
913 Groups} for an overview of other variables that can be used instead.
916 @c @code{nil} by default, and will slow down active file handling somewhat
917 @c if you set it to anything else.
919 @vindex gnus-read-active-file
921 The active file can be rather Huge, so if you have a slow network, you
922 can set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{nil} to prevent Gnus from
923 reading the active file. This variable is @code{t} by default.
925 Gnus will try to make do by getting information just on the groups that
926 you actually subscribe to.
928 Note that if you subscribe to lots and lots of groups, setting this
929 variable to @code{nil} will probably make Gnus slower, not faster. At
930 present, having this variable @code{nil} will slow Gnus down
931 considerably, unless you read news over a 2400 baud modem.
933 This variable can also have the value @code{some}. Gnus will then
934 attempt to read active info only on the subscribed groups. On some
935 servers this is quite fast (on sparkling, brand new INN servers that
936 support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command), on others this isn't fast
937 at all. In any case, @code{some} should be faster than @code{nil}, and
938 is certainly faster than @code{t} over slow lines.
940 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will ask for group info in total
941 lock-step, which isn't very fast. If it is @code{some} and you use an
942 @sc{nntp} server, Gnus will pump out commands as fast as it can, and
943 read all the replies in one swoop. This will normally result in better
944 performance, but if the server does not support the aforementioned
945 @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, this isn't very nice to the server.
947 In any case, if you use @code{some} or @code{nil}, you should definitely
948 kill all groups that you aren't interested in to speed things up.
950 Note that this variable also affects active file retrieval from
951 secondary select methods.
954 @node Startup Variables
955 @section Startup Variables
960 @vindex gnus-load-hook
961 A hook that is run while Gnus is being loaded. Note that this hook will
962 normally be run just once in each Emacs session, no matter how many
963 times you start Gnus.
965 @item gnus-startup-hook
966 @vindex gnus-startup-hook
967 A hook that is run after starting up Gnus successfully.
969 @item gnus-started-hook
970 @vindex gnus-started-hook
971 A hook that is run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
974 @item gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
975 @vindex gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
976 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will check for and delete all bogus groups at
977 startup. A @dfn{bogus group} is a group that you have in your
978 @file{.newsrc} file, but doesn't exist on the news server. Checking for
979 bogus groups can take quite a while, so to save time and resources it's
980 best to leave this option off, and do the checking for bogus groups once
981 in a while from the group buffer instead (@pxref{Group Maintenance}).
983 @item gnus-inhibit-startup-message
984 @vindex gnus-inhibit-startup-message
985 If non-@code{nil}, the startup message won't be displayed. That way,
986 your boss might not notice as easily that you are reading news instead
987 of doing your job. Note that this variable is used before
988 @file{.gnus.el} is loaded, so it should be set in @code{.emacs} instead.
990 @item gnus-no-groups-message
991 @vindex gnus-no-groups-message
992 Message displayed by Gnus when no groups are available.
994 @item gnus-play-startup-jingle
995 @vindex gnus-play-startup-jingle
996 If non-@code{nil}, play the Gnus jingle at startup.
998 @item gnus-startup-jingle
999 @vindex gnus-startup-jingle
1000 Jingle to be played if the above variable is non-@code{nil}. The
1001 default is @samp{Tuxedomoon.Jingle4.au}.
1006 @node The Group Buffer
1007 @chapter The Group Buffer
1008 @cindex group buffer
1010 The @dfn{group buffer} lists all (or parts) of the available groups. It
1011 is the first buffer shown when Gnus starts, and will never be killed as
1012 long as Gnus is active.
1015 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
1016 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
1017 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
1018 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
1019 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
1020 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
1021 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
1022 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
1023 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
1024 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
1025 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
1026 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
1027 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
1028 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
1029 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
1030 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
1031 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
1035 @node Group Buffer Format
1036 @section Group Buffer Format
1039 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
1040 * Group Modeline Specification:: The group buffer modeline.
1041 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
1045 @node Group Line Specification
1046 @subsection Group Line Specification
1047 @cindex group buffer format
1049 The default format of the group buffer is nice and dull, but you can
1050 make it as exciting and ugly as you feel like.
1052 Here's a couple of example group lines:
1055 25: news.announce.newusers
1056 * 0: alt.fan.andrea-dworkin
1061 You can see that there are 25 unread articles in
1062 @samp{news.announce.newusers}. There are no unread articles, but some
1063 ticked articles, in @samp{alt.fan.andrea-dworkin} (see that little
1064 asterisk at the beginning of the line?)
1066 @vindex gnus-group-line-format
1067 You can change that format to whatever you want by fiddling with the
1068 @code{gnus-group-line-format} variable. This variable works along the
1069 lines of a @code{format} specification, which is pretty much the same as
1070 a @code{printf} specifications, for those of you who use (feh!) C.
1071 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
1073 @samp{%M%S%5y: %(%g%)\n} is the value that produced those lines above.
1075 There should always be a colon on the line; the cursor always moves to
1076 the colon after performing an operation. Nothing else is required---not
1077 even the group name. All displayed text is just window dressing, and is
1078 never examined by Gnus. Gnus stores all real information it needs using
1081 (Note that if you make a really strange, wonderful, spreadsheet-like
1082 layout, everybody will believe you are hard at work with the accounting
1083 instead of wasting time reading news.)
1085 Here's a list of all available format characters:
1090 An asterisk if the group only has marked articles.
1093 Whether the group is subscribed.
1096 Level of subscribedness.
1099 Number of unread articles.
1102 Number of dormant articles.
1105 Number of ticked articles.
1108 Number of read articles.
1111 Estimated total number of articles. (This is really @var{max-number}
1112 minus @var{min-number} plus 1.)
1115 Number of unread, unticked, non-dormant articles.
1118 Number of ticked and dormant articles.
1127 Newsgroup description.
1130 @samp{m} if moderated.
1133 @samp{(m)} if moderated.
1142 A string that looks like @samp{<%s:%n>} if a foreign select method is
1146 Indentation based on the level of the topic (@pxref{Group Topics}).
1149 @vindex gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels
1150 Short (collapsed) group name. The @code{gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels}
1151 variable says how many levels to leave at the end of the group name.
1152 The default is 1---this will mean that group names like
1153 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} will be shortened to @samp{g.emacs.gnus}.
1156 @vindex gnus-new-mail-mark
1158 @samp{%} (@code{gnus-new-mail-mark}) if there has arrived new mail to
1162 A string that says when you last read the group (@pxref{Group
1166 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
1167 be a letter. @sc{gnus} will call the function
1168 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
1169 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed a single dummy
1170 parameter as argument. The function should return a string, which will
1171 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
1176 All the ``number-of'' specs will be filled with an asterisk (@samp{*})
1177 if no info is available---for instance, if it is a non-activated foreign
1178 group, or a bogus native group.
1181 @node Group Modeline Specification
1182 @subsection Group Modeline Specification
1183 @cindex group modeline
1185 @vindex gnus-group-mode-line-format
1186 The mode line can be changed by setting
1187 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). It
1188 doesn't understand that many format specifiers:
1192 The native news server.
1194 The native select method.
1198 @node Group Highlighting
1199 @subsection Group Highlighting
1200 @cindex highlighting
1201 @cindex group highlighting
1203 @vindex gnus-group-highlight
1204 Highlighting in the group buffer is controlled by the
1205 @code{gnus-group-highlight} variable. This is an alist with elements
1206 that look like @var{(form . face)}. If @var{form} evaluates to
1207 something non-@code{nil}, the @var{face} will be used on the line.
1209 Here's an example value for this variable that might look nice if the
1213 (setq gnus-group-highlight
1215 ,(custom-face-lookup "Red" nil nil t nil nil))
1216 ((and (< level 3) (zerop unread)) .
1217 ,(custom-face-lookup "SeaGreen" nil nil t nil nil))
1219 ,(custom-face-lookup "SpringGreen" nil nil t nil nil))
1221 ,(custom-face-lookup "SteelBlue" nil nil t nil nil))
1223 ,(custom-face-lookup "SkyBlue" nil nil t nil nil))))
1226 Variables that are dynamically bound when the forms are evaluated
1233 The number of unread articles in the group.
1237 Whether the group is a mail group.
1239 The level of the group.
1241 The score of the group.
1243 The number of ticked articles in the group.
1245 The total number of articles in the group. Or rather, MAX-NUMBER minus
1248 When using the topic minor mode, this variable is bound to the current
1249 topic being inserted.
1252 When the forms are @code{eval}ed, point is at the beginning of the line
1253 of the group in question, so you can use many of the normal Gnus
1254 functions for snarfing info on the group.
1256 @vindex gnus-group-update-hook
1257 @findex gnus-group-highlight-line
1258 @code{gnus-group-update-hook} is called when a group line is changed.
1259 It will not be called when @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}. This hook
1260 calls @code{gnus-group-highlight-line} by default.
1263 @node Group Maneuvering
1264 @section Group Maneuvering
1265 @cindex group movement
1267 All movement commands understand the numeric prefix and will behave as
1268 expected, hopefully.
1274 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group
1275 Go to the next group that has unread articles
1276 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group}).
1282 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group
1283 Go to the previous group that has unread articles
1284 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group}).
1288 @findex gnus-group-next-group
1289 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
1293 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
1294 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
1298 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level
1299 Go to the next unread group on the same (or lower) level
1300 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level}).
1304 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level
1305 Go to the previous unread group on the same (or lower) level
1306 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level}).
1309 Three commands for jumping to groups:
1315 @findex gnus-group-jump-to-group
1316 Jump to a group (and make it visible if it isn't already)
1317 (@code{gnus-group-jump-to-group}). Killed groups can be jumped to, just
1322 @findex gnus-group-best-unread-group
1323 Jump to the unread group with the lowest level
1324 (@code{gnus-group-best-unread-group}).
1328 @findex gnus-group-first-unread-group
1329 Jump to the first group with unread articles
1330 (@code{gnus-group-first-unread-group}).
1333 @vindex gnus-group-goto-unread
1334 If @code{gnus-group-goto-unread} is @code{nil}, all the movement
1335 commands will move to the next group, not the next unread group. Even
1336 the commands that say they move to the next unread group. The default
1340 @node Selecting a Group
1341 @section Selecting a Group
1342 @cindex group selection
1347 @kindex SPACE (Group)
1348 @findex gnus-group-read-group
1349 Select the current group, switch to the summary buffer and display the
1350 first unread article (@code{gnus-group-read-group}). If there are no
1351 unread articles in the group, or if you give a non-numerical prefix to
1352 this command, Gnus will offer to fetch all the old articles in this
1353 group from the server. If you give a numerical prefix @var{N}, @var{N}
1354 determines the number of articles Gnus will fetch. If @var{N} is
1355 positive, Gnus fetches the @var{N} newest articles, if @var{N} is
1356 negative, Gnus fetches the @var{abs(N)} oldest articles.
1360 @findex gnus-group-select-group
1361 Select the current group and switch to the summary buffer
1362 (@code{gnus-group-select-group}). Takes the same arguments as
1363 @code{gnus-group-read-group}---the only difference is that this command
1364 does not display the first unread article automatically upon group
1368 @kindex M-RET (Group)
1369 @findex gnus-group-quick-select-group
1370 This does the same as the command above, but tries to do it with the
1371 minimum amount of fuzz (@code{gnus-group-quick-select-group}). No
1372 scoring/killing will be performed, there will be no highlights and no
1373 expunging. This might be useful if you're in a real hurry and have to
1374 enter some humongous group. If you give a 0 prefix to this command
1375 (i.e., @kbd{0 M-RET}), Gnus won't even generate the summary buffer.
1376 This might be useful if you want to toggle threading before entering the
1380 @kindex M-SPACE (Group)
1381 @findex gnus-group-visible-select-group
1382 This is yet one more command that does the same as the @kbd{RET}
1383 command, but this one does it without expunging and hiding dormants
1384 (@code{gnus-group-visible-select-group}).
1387 @kindex M-C-RET (Group)
1388 @findex gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally
1389 Finally, this command selects the current group ephemerally without
1390 doing any processing of its contents
1391 (@code{gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally}). Even threading has been
1392 turned off. Everything you do in the group after selecting it in this
1393 manner will have no permanent effects.
1397 @vindex gnus-large-newsgroup
1398 The @code{gnus-large-newsgroup} variable says what Gnus should consider
1399 to be a big group. This is 200 by default. If the group has more
1400 (unread and/or ticked) articles than this, Gnus will query the user
1401 before entering the group. The user can then specify how many articles
1402 should be fetched from the server. If the user specifies a negative
1403 number (@code{-n}), the @code{n} oldest articles will be fetched. If it
1404 is positive, the @code{n} articles that have arrived most recently will
1407 @vindex gnus-select-group-hook
1408 @vindex gnus-auto-select-first
1409 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} control whether any articles are selected
1410 automatically when entering a group with the @kbd{SPACE} command.
1415 Don't select any articles when entering the group. Just display the
1416 full summary buffer.
1419 Select the first unread article when entering the group.
1422 Select the most high-scored article in the group when entering the
1426 If you want to prevent automatic selection in some group (say, in a
1427 binary group with Huge articles) you can set this variable to @code{nil}
1428 in @code{gnus-select-group-hook}, which is called when a group is
1432 @node Subscription Commands
1433 @section Subscription Commands
1434 @cindex subscription
1442 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group
1443 Toggle subscription to the current group
1444 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group}).
1450 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-group
1451 Prompt for a group to subscribe, and then subscribe it. If it was
1452 subscribed already, unsubscribe it instead
1453 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-group}).
1459 @findex gnus-group-kill-group
1460 Kill the current group (@code{gnus-group-kill-group}).
1466 @findex gnus-group-yank-group
1467 Yank the last killed group (@code{gnus-group-yank-group}).
1470 @kindex C-x C-t (Group)
1471 @findex gnus-group-transpose-groups
1472 Transpose two groups (@code{gnus-group-transpose-groups}). This isn't
1473 really a subscription command, but you can use it instead of a
1474 kill-and-yank sequence sometimes.
1480 @findex gnus-group-kill-region
1481 Kill all groups in the region (@code{gnus-group-kill-region}).
1485 @findex gnus-group-kill-all-zombies
1486 Kill all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-kill-all-zombies}).
1489 @kindex S C-k (Group)
1490 @findex gnus-group-kill-level
1491 Kill all groups on a certain level (@code{gnus-group-kill-level}).
1492 These groups can't be yanked back after killing, so this command should
1493 be used with some caution. The only time where this command comes in
1494 really handy is when you have a @file{.newsrc} with lots of unsubscribed
1495 groups that you want to get rid off. @kbd{S C-k} on level 7 will
1496 kill off all unsubscribed groups that do not have message numbers in the
1497 @file{.newsrc} file.
1501 Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
1511 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current
1512 @vindex gnus-group-catchup-group-hook
1513 Mark all unticked articles in this group as read
1514 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current}).
1515 @code{gnus-group-catchup-group-hook} is called when catching up a group from
1520 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current-all
1521 Mark all articles in this group, even the ticked ones, as read
1522 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current-all}).
1526 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
1527 Clear the data from the current group---nix out marks and the list of
1528 read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
1530 @item M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1531 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1532 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1533 If you have switched from one @sc{nntp} server to another, all your marks
1534 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use this command to
1535 clear out all data that you have on your native groups. Use with
1542 @section Group Levels
1546 All groups have a level of @dfn{subscribedness}. For instance, if a
1547 group is on level 2, it is more subscribed than a group on level 5. You
1548 can ask Gnus to just list groups on a given level or lower
1549 (@pxref{Listing Groups}), or to just check for new articles in groups on
1550 a given level or lower (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
1552 Remember: The higher the level of the group, the less important it is.
1558 @findex gnus-group-set-current-level
1559 Set the level of the current group. If a numeric prefix is given, the
1560 next @var{n} groups will have their levels set. The user will be
1561 prompted for a level.
1564 @vindex gnus-level-killed
1565 @vindex gnus-level-zombie
1566 @vindex gnus-level-unsubscribed
1567 @vindex gnus-level-subscribed
1568 Gnus considers groups on between levels 1 and
1569 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (inclusive) (default 5) to be subscribed,
1570 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (exclusive) and
1571 @code{gnus-level-unsubscribed} (inclusive) (default 7) to be
1572 unsubscribed, @code{gnus-level-zombie} to be zombies (walking dead)
1573 (default 8) and @code{gnus-level-killed} to be killed (default 9),
1574 completely dead. Gnus treats subscribed and unsubscribed groups exactly
1575 the same, but zombie and killed groups have no information on what
1576 articles you have read, etc, stored. This distinction between dead and
1577 living groups isn't done because it is nice or clever, it is done purely
1578 for reasons of efficiency.
1580 It is recommended that you keep all your mail groups (if any) on quite
1581 low levels (e.g. 1 or 2).
1583 If you want to play with the level variables, you should show some care.
1584 Set them once, and don't touch them ever again. Better yet, don't touch
1585 them at all unless you know exactly what you're doing.
1587 @vindex gnus-level-default-unsubscribed
1588 @vindex gnus-level-default-subscribed
1589 Two closely related variables are @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}
1590 (default 3) and @code{gnus-level-default-unsubscribed} (default 6),
1591 which are the levels that new groups will be put on if they are
1592 (un)subscribed. These two variables should, of course, be inside the
1593 relevant legal ranges.
1595 @vindex gnus-keep-same-level
1596 If @code{gnus-keep-same-level} is non-@code{nil}, some movement commands
1597 will only move to groups that are of the same level (or lower). In
1598 particular, going from the last article in one group to the next group
1599 will go to the next group of the same level (or lower). This might be
1600 handy if you want to read the most important groups before you read the
1603 @vindex gnus-group-default-list-level
1604 All groups with a level less than or equal to
1605 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level} will be listed in the group buffer
1608 @vindex gnus-group-list-inactive-groups
1609 If @code{gnus-group-list-inactive-groups} is non-@code{nil}, non-active
1610 groups will be listed along with the unread groups. This variable is
1611 @code{t} by default. If it is @code{nil}, inactive groups won't be
1614 @vindex gnus-group-use-permanent-levels
1615 If @code{gnus-group-use-permanent-levels} is non-@code{nil}, once you
1616 give a level prefix to @kbd{g} or @kbd{l}, all subsequent commands will
1617 use this level as the ``work'' level.
1619 @vindex gnus-activate-level
1620 Gnus will normally just activate groups that are on level
1621 @code{gnus-activate-level} or less. If you don't want to activate
1622 unsubscribed groups, for instance, you might set this variable to
1623 5. The default is 6.
1627 @section Group Score
1630 You would normally keep important groups on high levels, but that scheme
1631 is somewhat restrictive. Don't you wish you could have Gnus sort the
1632 group buffer according to how often you read groups, perhaps? Within
1635 This is what @dfn{group score} is for. You can assign a score to each
1636 group. You can then sort the group buffer based on this score.
1637 Alternatively, you can sort on score and then level. (Taken together,
1638 the level and the score is called the @dfn{rank} of the group. A group
1639 that is on level 4 and has a score of 1 has a higher rank than a group
1640 on level 5 that has a score of 300. (The level is the most significant
1641 part and the score is the least significant part.))
1643 @findex gnus-summary-bubble-group
1644 If you want groups you read often to get higher scores than groups you
1645 read seldom you can add the @code{gnus-summary-bubble-group} function to
1646 the @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} hook. This will result (after
1647 sorting) in a bubbling sort of action. If you want to see that in
1648 action after each summary exit, you can add
1649 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank} or
1650 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score} to the same hook, but that will
1651 slow things down somewhat.
1654 @node Marking Groups
1655 @section Marking Groups
1656 @cindex marking groups
1658 If you want to perform some command on several groups, and they appear
1659 subsequently in the group buffer, you would normally just give a
1660 numerical prefix to the command. Most group commands will then do your
1661 bidding on those groups.
1663 However, if the groups are not in sequential order, you can still
1664 perform a command on several groups. You simply mark the groups first
1665 with the process mark and then execute the command.
1673 @findex gnus-group-mark-group
1674 Set the mark on the current group (@code{gnus-group-mark-group}).
1680 @findex gnus-group-unmark-group
1681 Remove the mark from the current group
1682 (@code{gnus-group-unmark-group}).
1686 @findex gnus-group-unmark-all-groups
1687 Remove the mark from all groups (@code{gnus-group-unmark-all-groups}).
1691 @findex gnus-group-mark-region
1692 Mark all groups between point and mark (@code{gnus-group-mark-region}).
1696 @findex gnus-group-mark-buffer
1697 Mark all groups in the buffer (@code{gnus-group-mark-buffer}).
1701 @findex gnus-group-mark-regexp
1702 Mark all groups that match some regular expression
1703 (@code{gnus-group-mark-regexp}).
1706 Also @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
1708 @findex gnus-group-universal-argument
1709 If you want to execute some command on all groups that have been marked
1710 with the process mark, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
1711 (@code{gnus-group-universal-argument}) command. It will prompt you for
1712 the command to be executed.
1715 @node Foreign Groups
1716 @section Foreign Groups
1717 @cindex foreign groups
1719 Below are some group mode commands for making and editing general foreign
1720 groups, as well as commands to ease the creation of a few
1721 special-purpose groups. All these commands insert the newly created
1722 groups under point---@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} is not
1729 @findex gnus-group-make-group
1730 @cindex making groups
1731 Make a new group (@code{gnus-group-make-group}). Gnus will prompt you
1732 for a name, a method and possibly an @dfn{address}. For an easier way
1733 to subscribe to @sc{nntp} groups, @pxref{Browse Foreign Server}.
1737 @findex gnus-group-rename-group
1738 @cindex renaming groups
1739 Rename the current group to something else
1740 (@code{gnus-group-rename-group}). This is legal only on some
1741 groups---mail groups mostly. This command might very well be quite slow
1747 @findex gnus-group-customize
1748 Customize the group parameters (@code{gnus-group-customize}).
1752 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-method
1753 @cindex renaming groups
1754 Enter a buffer where you can edit the select method of the current
1755 group (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method}).
1759 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-parameters
1760 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group parameters
1761 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-parameters}).
1765 @findex gnus-group-edit-group
1766 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group info
1767 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group}).
1771 @findex gnus-group-make-directory-group
1773 Make a directory group (@pxref{Directory Groups}). You will be prompted
1774 for a directory name (@code{gnus-group-make-directory-group}).
1779 @findex gnus-group-make-help-group
1780 Make the Gnus help group (@code{gnus-group-make-help-group}).
1784 @cindex (ding) archive
1785 @cindex archive group
1786 @findex gnus-group-make-archive-group
1787 @vindex gnus-group-archive-directory
1788 @vindex gnus-group-recent-archive-directory
1789 Make a Gnus archive group (@code{gnus-group-make-archive-group}). By
1790 default a group pointing to the most recent articles will be created
1791 (@code{gnus-group-recent-archive-directory}), but given a prefix, a full
1792 group will be created from @code{gnus-group-archive-directory}.
1796 @findex gnus-group-make-kiboze-group
1798 Make a kiboze group. You will be prompted for a name, for a regexp to
1799 match groups to be ``included'' in the kiboze group, and a series of
1800 strings to match on headers (@code{gnus-group-make-kiboze-group}).
1801 @xref{Kibozed Groups}.
1805 @findex gnus-group-enter-directory
1807 Read an arbitrary directory as if with were a newsgroup with the
1808 @code{nneething} backend (@code{gnus-group-enter-directory}).
1809 @xref{Anything Groups}.
1813 @findex gnus-group-make-doc-group
1814 @cindex ClariNet Briefs
1816 Make a group based on some file or other
1817 (@code{gnus-group-make-doc-group}). If you give a prefix to this
1818 command, you will be prompted for a file name and a file type.
1819 Currently supported types are @code{babyl}, @code{mbox}, @code{digest},
1820 @code{mmdf}, @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{clari-briefs},
1821 @code{rfc934}, @code{rfc822-forward}, and @code{forward}. If you run
1822 this command without a prefix, Gnus will guess at the file type.
1823 @xref{Document Groups}.
1827 @findex gnus-group-make-web-group
1832 Make an ephemeral group based on a web search
1833 (@code{gnus-group-make-web-group}). If you give a prefix to this
1834 command, make a solid group instead. You will be prompted for the
1835 search engine type and the search string. Legal search engine types
1836 include @code{dejanews}, @code{altavista} and @code{reference}.
1837 @xref{Web Searches}.
1840 @kindex G DEL (Group)
1841 @findex gnus-group-delete-group
1842 This function will delete the current group
1843 (@code{gnus-group-delete-group}). If given a prefix, this function will
1844 actually delete all the articles in the group, and forcibly remove the
1845 group itself from the face of the Earth. Use a prefix only if you are
1846 absolutely sure of what you are doing.
1850 @findex gnus-group-make-empty-virtual
1851 Make a new, fresh, empty @code{nnvirtual} group
1852 (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}). @xref{Virtual Groups}.
1856 @findex gnus-group-add-to-virtual
1857 Add the current group to an @code{nnvirtual} group
1858 (@code{gnus-group-add-to-virtual}). Uses the process/prefix convention.
1861 @xref{Select Methods} for more information on the various select
1864 @vindex gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups
1865 If @code{gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups} is a positive number,
1866 Gnus will check all foreign groups with this level or lower at startup.
1867 This might take quite a while, especially if you subscribe to lots of
1868 groups from different @sc{nntp} servers.
1871 @node Group Parameters
1872 @section Group Parameters
1873 @cindex group parameters
1875 The group parameters store information local to a particular group:
1880 If the group parameter list contains an element that looks like
1881 @code{(to-address . "some@@where.com")}, that address will be used by
1882 the backend when doing followups and posts. This is primarily useful in
1883 mail groups that represent closed mailing lists---mailing lists where
1884 it's expected that everybody that writes to the mailing list is
1885 subscribed to it. Since using this parameter ensures that the mail only
1886 goes to the mailing list itself, it means that members won't receive two
1887 copies of your followups.
1889 Using @code{to-address} will actually work whether the group is foreign
1890 or not. Let's say there's a group on the server that is called
1891 @samp{fa.4ad-l}. This is a real newsgroup, but the server has gotten
1892 the articles from a mail-to-news gateway. Posting directly to this
1893 group is therefore impossible---you have to send mail to the mailing
1894 list address instead.
1898 If the group parameter list has an element that looks like
1899 @code{(to-list . "some@@where.com")}, that address will be used when
1900 doing a @kbd{a} in any group. It is totally ignored when doing a
1901 followup---except that if it is present in a news group, you'll get mail
1902 group semantics when doing @kbd{f}.
1904 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you don't have a
1905 @code{to-list} group parameter, one will be added automatically upon
1906 sending the message.
1908 @item broken-reply-to
1909 @cindex broken-reply-to
1910 Elements like @code{(broken-reply-to . t)} signals that @code{Reply-To}
1911 headers in this group are to be ignored. This can be useful if you're
1912 reading a mailing list group where the listserv has inserted
1913 @code{Reply-To} headers that point back to the listserv itself. This is
1914 broken behavior. So there!
1918 Elements like @code{(to-group . "some.group.name")} means that all
1919 posts in that group will be sent to @code{some.group.name}.
1923 If this symbol is present in the group parameter list, Gnus will treat
1924 all responses as if they were responses to news articles. This can be
1925 useful if you have a mail group that's really a mirror of a news group.
1929 If this symbol is present in the group parameter list and set to
1930 @code{t}, new composed messages will be @code{Gcc}'d to the current
1931 group. If it is present and set to @code{none}, no @code{Gcc:} header
1932 will be generated, if it is present and a string, this string will be
1933 inserted literally as a @code{gcc} header (this symbol takes precedence over
1934 any default @code{Gcc} rules as described later).
1938 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(auto-expire
1939 . t)}, , all articles that are read will be marked as expirable. For an
1940 alternative approach, @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
1943 @cindex total-expire
1944 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
1945 @code{(total-expire . t)}, all read articles will be put through the
1946 expiry process, even if they are not marked as expirable. Use with
1951 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
1952 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(expiry-wait
1953 . 10)}, this value will override any @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} and
1954 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} when expiring expirable messages.
1955 The value can either be a number of days (not necessarily an integer) or
1956 the symbols @code{never} or @code{immediate}.
1959 @cindex score file group parameter
1960 Elements that look like @code{(score-file . "file")} will make
1961 @file{file} into the current score file for the group in question. This
1962 means that all score commands you issue will end up in that file.
1965 @cindex adapt file group parameter
1966 Elements that look like @code{(adapt-file . "file")} will make
1967 @file{file} into the current adaptive file for the group in question.
1968 All adaptive score entries will be put into this file.
1971 When unsubscribing to a mailing list you should never send the
1972 unsubscription notice to the mailing list itself. Instead, you'd send
1973 messages to the administrative address. This parameter allows you to
1974 put the admin address somewhere convenient.
1977 Elements that look like @code{(display . MODE)} says which articles to
1978 display on entering the group. Legal values are:
1982 Display all articles, both read and unread.
1985 Display the default visible articles, which normally includes unread and
1990 Elements that look like @code{(comment . "This is a comment")}
1991 are arbitrary comments on the group. They are currently ignored by
1992 Gnus, but provide a place for you to store information on particular
1995 @item @var{(variable form)}
1996 You can use the group parameters to set variables local to the group you
1997 are entering. If you want to turn threading off in @samp{news.answers},
1998 you could put @code{(gnus-show-threads nil)} in the group parameters of
1999 that group. @code{gnus-show-threads} will be made into a local variable
2000 in the summary buffer you enter, and the form @code{nil} will be
2001 @code{eval}ed there.
2003 This can also be used as a group-specific hook function, if you'd like.
2004 If you want to hear a beep when you enter a group, you could put
2005 something like @code{(dummy-variable (ding))} in the parameters of that
2006 group. @code{dummy-variable} will be set to the result of the
2007 @code{(ding)} form, but who cares?
2011 Use the @kbd{G p} command to edit group parameters of a group.
2013 Also @pxref{Topic Parameters}.
2015 Here's an example group parameter list:
2018 ((to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")
2023 @node Listing Groups
2024 @section Listing Groups
2025 @cindex group listing
2027 These commands all list various slices of the groups that are available.
2035 @findex gnus-group-list-groups
2036 List all groups that have unread articles
2037 (@code{gnus-group-list-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used, this
2038 command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default, it
2039 only lists groups of level five (i. e.,
2040 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level}) or lower (i.e., just subscribed
2047 @findex gnus-group-list-all-groups
2048 List all groups, whether they have unread articles or not
2049 (@code{gnus-group-list-all-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used,
2050 this command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default,
2051 it lists groups of level seven or lower (i.e., just subscribed and
2052 unsubscribed groups).
2056 @findex gnus-group-list-level
2057 List all unread groups on a specific level
2058 (@code{gnus-group-list-level}). If given a prefix, also list the groups
2059 with no unread articles.
2063 @findex gnus-group-list-killed
2064 List all killed groups (@code{gnus-group-list-killed}). If given a
2065 prefix argument, really list all groups that are available, but aren't
2066 currently (un)subscribed. This could entail reading the active file
2071 @findex gnus-group-list-zombies
2072 List all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-list-zombies}).
2076 @findex gnus-group-list-matching
2077 List all unread, subscribed groups with names that match a regexp
2078 (@code{gnus-group-list-matching}).
2082 @findex gnus-group-list-all-matching
2083 List groups that match a regexp (@code{gnus-group-list-all-matching}).
2087 @findex gnus-group-list-active
2088 List absolutely all groups that are in the active file(s) of the
2089 server(s) you are connected to (@code{gnus-group-list-active}). This
2090 might very well take quite a while. It might actually be a better idea
2091 to do a @kbd{A M} to list all matching, and just give @samp{.} as the
2092 thing to match on. Also note that this command may list group that
2093 don't exist (yet)---these will be listed as if they are killed groups.
2094 Take the output with some grains of salt.
2098 @findex gnus-group-apropos
2099 List all groups that have names that match a regexp
2100 (@code{gnus-group-apropos}).
2104 @findex gnus-group-description-apropos
2105 List all groups that have names or descriptions that match a regexp
2106 (@code{gnus-group-description-apropos}).
2110 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
2111 @cindex visible group parameter
2112 Groups that match the @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} regexp will
2113 always be shown, whether they have unread articles or not. You can also
2114 add the @code{visible} element to the group parameters in question to
2115 get the same effect.
2117 @vindex gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles
2118 Groups that have just ticked articles in it are normally listed in the
2119 group buffer. If @code{gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles} is
2120 @code{nil}, these groups will be treated just like totally empty
2121 groups. It is @code{t} by default.
2124 @node Sorting Groups
2125 @section Sorting Groups
2126 @cindex sorting groups
2128 @kindex C-c C-s (Group)
2129 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups
2130 @vindex gnus-group-sort-function
2131 The @kbd{C-c C-s} (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups}) command sorts the
2132 group buffer according to the function(s) given by the
2133 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable. Available sorting functions
2138 @item gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
2139 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
2140 Sort the group names alphabetically. This is the default.
2142 @item gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
2143 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
2144 Sort the group alphabetically on the real (unprefixed) group names.
2146 @item gnus-group-sort-by-level
2147 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-level
2148 Sort by group level.
2150 @item gnus-group-sort-by-score
2151 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-score
2152 Sort by group score.
2154 @item gnus-group-sort-by-rank
2155 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-rank
2156 Sort by group score and then the group level. The level and the score
2157 are, when taken together, the group's @dfn{rank}.
2159 @item gnus-group-sort-by-unread
2160 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-unread
2161 Sort by number of unread articles.
2163 @item gnus-group-sort-by-method
2164 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-method
2165 Sort alphabetically on the select method.
2170 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} can also be a list of sorting
2171 functions. In that case, the most significant sort key function must be
2175 There are also a number of commands for sorting directly according to
2176 some sorting criteria:
2180 @kindex G S a (Group)
2181 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet
2182 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by group name
2183 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
2186 @kindex G S u (Group)
2187 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread
2188 Sort the group buffer by the number of unread articles
2189 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread}).
2192 @kindex G S l (Group)
2193 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level
2194 Sort the group buffer by group level
2195 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level}).
2198 @kindex G S v (Group)
2199 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score
2200 Sort the group buffer by group score
2201 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score}).
2204 @kindex G S r (Group)
2205 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank
2206 Sort the group buffer by group rank
2207 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank}).
2210 @kindex G S m (Group)
2211 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method
2212 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by backend name
2213 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method}).
2217 When given a prefix, all these commands will sort in reverse order.
2219 You can also sort a subset of the groups:
2223 @kindex G P a (Group)
2224 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet
2225 Sort the process/prefixed groups in the group buffer alphabetically by
2226 group name (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet}).
2229 @kindex G P u (Group)
2230 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread
2231 Sort the process/prefixed groups in the group buffer by the number of
2232 unread articles (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread}).
2235 @kindex G P l (Group)
2236 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level
2237 Sort the process/prefixed groups in the group buffer by group level
2238 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level}).
2241 @kindex G P v (Group)
2242 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score
2243 Sort the process/prefixed groups in the group buffer by group score
2244 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score}).
2247 @kindex G P r (Group)
2248 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank
2249 Sort the process/prefixed groups in the group buffer by group rank
2250 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank}).
2253 @kindex G P m (Group)
2254 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method
2255 Sort the process/prefixed groups in the group buffer alphabetically by
2256 backend name (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method}).
2262 @node Group Maintenance
2263 @section Group Maintenance
2264 @cindex bogus groups
2269 @findex gnus-group-check-bogus-groups
2270 Find bogus groups and delete them
2271 (@code{gnus-group-check-bogus-groups}).
2275 @findex gnus-find-new-newsgroups
2276 Find new groups and process them (@code{gnus-find-new-newsgroups}). If
2277 given a prefix, use the @code{ask-server} method to query the server for
2281 @kindex C-c C-x (Group)
2282 @findex gnus-group-expire-articles
2283 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
2284 process (if any) (@code{gnus-group-expire-articles}).
2287 @kindex C-c M-C-x (Group)
2288 @findex gnus-group-expire-all-groups
2289 Run all articles in all groups through the expiry process
2290 (@code{gnus-group-expire-all-groups}).
2295 @node Browse Foreign Server
2296 @section Browse Foreign Server
2297 @cindex foreign servers
2298 @cindex browsing servers
2303 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
2304 You will be queried for a select method and a server name. Gnus will
2305 then attempt to contact this server and let you browse the groups there
2306 (@code{gnus-group-browse-foreign-server}).
2309 @findex gnus-browse-mode
2310 A new buffer with a list of available groups will appear. This buffer
2311 will be use the @code{gnus-browse-mode}. This buffer looks a bit (well,
2312 a lot) like a normal group buffer.
2314 Here's a list of keystrokes available in the browse mode:
2319 @findex gnus-group-next-group
2320 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
2324 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
2325 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
2328 @kindex SPACE (Browse)
2329 @findex gnus-browse-read-group
2330 Enter the current group and display the first article
2331 (@code{gnus-browse-read-group}).
2334 @kindex RET (Browse)
2335 @findex gnus-browse-select-group
2336 Enter the current group (@code{gnus-browse-select-group}).
2340 @findex gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group
2341 Unsubscribe to the current group, or, as will be the case here,
2342 subscribe to it (@code{gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group}).
2348 @findex gnus-browse-exit
2349 Exit browse mode (@code{gnus-browse-exit}).
2353 @findex gnus-browse-describe-briefly
2354 Describe browse mode briefly (well, there's not much to describe, is
2355 there) (@code{gnus-browse-describe-briefly}).
2360 @section Exiting Gnus
2361 @cindex exiting Gnus
2363 Yes, Gnus is ex(c)iting.
2368 @findex gnus-group-suspend
2369 Suspend Gnus (@code{gnus-group-suspend}). This doesn't really exit Gnus,
2370 but it kills all buffers except the Group buffer. I'm not sure why this
2371 is a gain, but then who am I to judge?
2375 @findex gnus-group-exit
2376 Quit Gnus (@code{gnus-group-exit}).
2380 @findex gnus-group-quit
2381 Quit Gnus without saving the @file{.newsrc} files (@code{gnus-group-quit}).
2382 The dribble file will be saved, though (@pxref{Auto Save}).
2385 @vindex gnus-exit-gnus-hook
2386 @vindex gnus-suspend-gnus-hook
2387 @code{gnus-suspend-gnus-hook} is called when you suspend Gnus and
2388 @code{gnus-exit-gnus-hook} is called when you quit Gnus, while
2389 @code{gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook} is called as the final item when
2394 If you wish to completely unload Gnus and all its adherents, you can use
2395 the @code{gnus-unload} command. This command is also very handy when
2396 trying to customize meta-variables.
2401 Miss Lisa Cannifax, while sitting in English class, felt her feet go
2402 numbly heavy and herself fall into a hazy trance as the boy sitting
2403 behind her drew repeated lines with his pencil across the back of her
2409 @section Group Topics
2412 If you read lots and lots of groups, it might be convenient to group
2413 them hierarchically according to topics. You put your Emacs groups over
2414 here, your sex groups over there, and the rest (what, two groups or so?)
2415 you put in some misc section that you never bother with anyway. You can
2416 even group the Emacs sex groups as a sub-topic to either the Emacs
2417 groups or the sex groups---or both! Go wild!
2425 2: alt.religion.emacs
2428 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
2430 8: comp.binaries.fractals
2431 13: comp.sources.unix
2434 @findex gnus-topic-mode
2436 To get this @emph{fab} functionality you simply turn on (ooh!) the
2437 @code{gnus-topic} minor mode---type @kbd{t} in the group buffer. (This
2438 is a toggling command.)
2440 Go ahead, just try it. I'll still be here when you get back. La de
2441 dum... Nice tune, that... la la la... What, you're back? Yes, and now
2442 press @kbd{l}. There. All your groups are now listed under
2443 @samp{misc}. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy? Hot and
2446 If you want this permanently enabled, you should add that minor mode to
2447 the hook for the group mode:
2450 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
2454 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
2455 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
2456 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
2457 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
2458 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
2462 @node Topic Variables
2463 @subsection Topic Variables
2464 @cindex topic variables
2466 Now, if you select a topic, if will fold/unfold that topic, which is
2467 really neat, I think.
2469 @vindex gnus-topic-line-format
2470 The topic lines themselves are created according to the
2471 @code{gnus-topic-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
2484 Number of groups in the topic.
2486 Number of unread articles in the topic.
2488 Number of unread articles in the topic and all its subtopics.
2491 @vindex gnus-topic-indent-level
2492 Each sub-topic (and the groups in the sub-topics) will be indented with
2493 @code{gnus-topic-indent-level} times the topic level number of spaces.
2496 @vindex gnus-topic-mode-hook
2497 @code{gnus-topic-mode-hook} is called in topic minor mode buffers.
2499 @vindex gnus-topic-display-empty-topics
2500 The @code{gnus-topic-display-empty-topics} says whether to display even
2501 topics that have no unread articles in them. The default is @code{t}.
2504 @node Topic Commands
2505 @subsection Topic Commands
2506 @cindex topic commands
2508 When the topic minor mode is turned on, a new @kbd{T} submap will be
2509 available. In addition, a few of the standard keys change their
2510 definitions slightly.
2516 @findex gnus-topic-create-topic
2517 Prompt for a new topic name and create it
2518 (@code{gnus-topic-create-topic}).
2522 @findex gnus-topic-move-group
2523 Move the current group to some other topic
2524 (@code{gnus-topic-move-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
2525 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
2529 @findex gnus-topic-copy-group
2530 Copy the current group to some other topic
2531 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
2532 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
2536 @findex gnus-topic-remove-group
2537 Remove a group from the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-remove-group}).
2538 This command uses the process/prefix convention
2539 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
2543 @findex gnus-topic-move-matching
2544 Move all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
2545 (@code{gnus-topic-move-matching}).
2549 @findex gnus-topic-copy-matching
2550 Copy all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
2551 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-matching}).
2555 @findex gnus-topic-mark-topic
2556 Mark all groups in the current topic with the process mark
2557 (@code{gnus-topic-mark-topic}).
2560 @kindex T M-# (Topic)
2561 @findex gnus-topic-unmark-topic
2562 Remove the process mark from all groups in the current topic
2563 (@code{gnus-topic-unmark-topic}).
2567 @findex gnus-topic-select-group
2569 Either select a group or fold a topic (@code{gnus-topic-select-group}).
2570 When you perform this command on a group, you'll enter the group, as
2571 usual. When done on a topic line, the topic will be folded (if it was
2572 visible) or unfolded (if it was folded already). So it's basically a
2573 toggling command on topics. In addition, if you give a numerical
2574 prefix, group on that level (and lower) will be displayed.
2577 @kindex T TAB (Topic)
2578 @findex gnus-topic-indent
2579 ``Indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
2580 previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-indent}). If given a prefix,
2581 ``un-indent'' the topic instead.
2585 @findex gnus-topic-kill-group
2586 Kill a group or topic (@code{gnus-topic-kill-group}). All groups in the
2587 topic will be removed along with the topic.
2591 @findex gnus-topic-yank-group
2592 Yank the previously killed group or topic
2593 (@code{gnus-topic-yank-group}). Note that all topics will be yanked
2598 @findex gnus-topic-rename
2599 Rename a topic (@code{gnus-topic-rename}).
2602 @kindex T DEL (Topic)
2603 @findex gnus-topic-delete
2604 Delete an empty topic (@code{gnus-topic-delete}).
2608 @findex gnus-topic-list-active
2609 List all groups that Gnus knows about in a topics-ified way
2610 (@code{gnus-topic-list-active}).
2614 @findex gnus-topic-edit-parameters
2615 @cindex group parameters
2616 @cindex topic parameters
2618 Edit the topic parameters (@code{gnus-topic-edit-parameters}).
2619 @xref{Topic Parameters}.
2625 @subsection Topic Sorting
2626 @cindex topic sorting
2628 You can sort the groups in each topic individually with the following
2634 @kindex T S a (Topic)
2635 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet
2636 Sort the current topic alphabetically by group name
2637 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
2640 @kindex T S u (Topic)
2641 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread
2642 Sort the current topic by the number of unread articles
2643 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread}).
2646 @kindex T S l (Topic)
2647 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level
2648 Sort the current topic by group level
2649 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level}).
2652 @kindex T S v (Topic)
2653 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score
2654 Sort the current topic by group score
2655 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score}).
2658 @kindex T S r (Topic)
2659 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank
2660 Sort the current topic by group rank
2661 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank}).
2664 @kindex T S m (Topic)
2665 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method
2666 Sort the current topic alphabetically by backend name
2667 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method}).
2671 @xref{Sorting Groups} for more information about group sorting.
2674 @node Topic Topology
2675 @subsection Topic Topology
2676 @cindex topic topology
2679 So, let's have a look at an example group buffer:
2685 2: alt.religion.emacs
2688 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
2690 8: comp.binaries.fractals
2691 13: comp.sources.unix
2694 So, here we have one top-level topic (@samp{Gnus}), two topics under
2695 that, and one sub-topic under one of the sub-topics. (There is always
2696 just one (1) top-level topic). This topology can be expressed as
2701 (("Emacs -- I wuw it!" visible)
2702 (("Naughty Emacs" visible)))
2706 @vindex gnus-topic-topology
2707 This is in fact how the variable @code{gnus-topic-topology} would look
2708 for the display above. That variable is saved in the @file{.newsrc.eld}
2709 file, and shouldn't be messed with manually---unless you really want
2710 to. Since this variable is read from the @file{.newsrc.eld} file,
2711 setting it in any other startup files will have no effect.
2713 This topology shows what topics are sub-topics of what topics (right),
2714 and which topics are visible. Two settings are currently
2715 allowed---@code{visible} and @code{invisible}.
2718 @node Topic Parameters
2719 @subsection Topic Parameters
2720 @cindex topic parameters
2722 All groups in a topic will inherit group parameters from the parent (and
2723 ancestor) topic parameters. All legal group parameters are legal topic
2724 parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
2726 Group parameters (of course) override topic parameters, and topic
2727 parameters in sub-topics override topic parameters in super-topics. You
2728 know. Normal inheritance rules. (@dfn{Rules} is here a noun, not a
2729 verb, although you may feel free to disagree with me here.)
2735 2: alt.religion.emacs
2739 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
2741 8: comp.binaries.fractals
2742 13: comp.sources.unix
2746 The @samp{Emacs} topic has the topic parameter @code{(score-file
2747 . "emacs.SCORE")}; the @samp{Relief} topic has the topic parameter
2748 @code{(score-file . "relief.SCORE")}; and the @samp{Misc} topic has the
2749 topic parameter @code{(score-file . "emacs.SCORE")}. In addition,
2750 @samp{alt.religion.emacs} has the group parameter @code{(score-file
2751 . "religion.SCORE")}.
2753 Now, when you enter @samp{alt.sex.emacs} in the @samp{Relief} topic, you
2754 will get the @file{relief.SCORE} home score file. If you enter the same
2755 group in the @samp{Emacs} topic, you'll get the @file{emacs.SCORE} home
2756 score file. If you enter the group @samp{alt.religion.emacs}, you'll
2757 get the @file{religion.SCORE} home score file.
2759 This seems rather simple and self-evident, doesn't it? Well, yes. But
2760 there are some problems, especially with the @code{total-expiry}
2761 parameter. Say you have a mail group in two topics; one with
2762 @code{total-expiry} and one without. What happens when you do @kbd{M-x
2763 gnus-expire-all-expirable-groups}? Gnus has no way of telling which one
2764 of these topics you mean to expire articles from, so anything may
2765 happen. In fact, I hereby declare that it is @dfn{undefined} what
2766 happens. You just have to be careful if you do stuff like that.
2769 @node Misc Group Stuff
2770 @section Misc Group Stuff
2773 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
2774 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
2775 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
2776 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
2783 @findex gnus-group-enter-server-mode
2784 Enter the server buffer (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}).
2785 @xref{The Server Buffer}.
2789 @findex gnus-group-post-news
2790 Post an article to a group (@code{gnus-group-post-news}). The current
2791 group name will be used as the default.
2795 @findex gnus-group-mail
2796 Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}).
2800 Variables for the group buffer:
2804 @item gnus-group-mode-hook
2805 @vindex gnus-group-mode-hook
2806 @code{gnus-group-mode-hook} is called after the group buffer has been
2809 @item gnus-group-prepare-hook
2810 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
2811 @code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} is called after the group buffer is
2812 generated. It may be used to modify the buffer in some strange,
2815 @item gnus-permanently-visible-groups
2816 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
2817 Groups matching this regexp will always be listed in the group buffer,
2818 whether they are empty or not.
2823 @node Scanning New Messages
2824 @subsection Scanning New Messages
2825 @cindex new messages
2826 @cindex scanning new news
2832 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news
2833 Check the server(s) for new articles. If the numerical prefix is used,
2834 this command will check only groups of level @var{arg} and lower
2835 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news}). If given a non-numerical prefix, this
2836 command will force a total rereading of the active file(s) from the
2841 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group
2842 @vindex gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating
2843 Check whether new articles have arrived in the current group
2844 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}).
2845 @code{gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating} says whether this command is
2846 to move point to the next group or not. It is @code{t} by default.
2848 @findex gnus-activate-all-groups
2849 @cindex activating groups
2851 @kindex C-c M-g (Group)
2852 Activate absolutely all groups (@code{gnus-activate-all-groups}).
2857 @findex gnus-group-restart
2858 Restart Gnus (@code{gnus-group-restart}). This saves the @file{.newsrc}
2859 file(s), closes the connection to all servers, clears up all run-time
2860 Gnus variables, and then starts Gnus all over again.
2864 @vindex gnus-get-new-news-hook
2865 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is run just before checking for new news.
2867 @vindex gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook
2868 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook} is run after checking for new
2872 @node Group Information
2873 @subsection Group Information
2874 @cindex group information
2875 @cindex information on groups
2882 @findex gnus-group-fetch-faq
2883 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
2886 Try to fetch the FAQ for the current group
2887 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the FAQ from
2888 @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory on a
2889 remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories. In
2890 that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
2891 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} (or @code{efs}) will be used
2892 for fetching the file.
2894 If fetching from the first site is unsuccessful, Gnus will attempt to go
2895 through @code{gnus-group-faq-directory} and try to open them one by one.
2900 @kindex C-c C-d (Group)
2901 @cindex describing groups
2902 @cindex group description
2903 @findex gnus-group-describe-group
2904 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-group-describe-group}). If given
2905 a prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description from the server.
2909 @findex gnus-group-describe-all-groups
2910 Describe all groups (@code{gnus-group-describe-all-groups}). If given a
2911 prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description file from the server.
2918 @findex gnus-version
2919 Display current Gnus version numbers (@code{gnus-version}).
2923 @findex gnus-group-describe-briefly
2924 Give a very short help message (@code{gnus-group-describe-briefly}).
2927 @kindex C-c C-i (Group)
2930 @findex gnus-info-find-node
2931 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
2935 @node Group Timestamp
2936 @subsection Group Timestamp
2938 @cindex group timestamps
2940 It can be convenient to let Gnus keep track of when you last read a
2941 group. To set the ball rolling, you should add
2942 @code{gnus-group-set-timestamp} to @code{gnus-select-group-hook}:
2945 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook 'gnus-group-set-timestamp)
2948 After doing this, each time you enter a group, it'll be recorded.
2950 This information can be displayed in various ways---the easiest is to
2951 use the @samp{%d} spec in the group line format:
2954 (setq gnus-group-line-format
2955 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %d\n")
2958 This will result in lines looking like:
2961 * 0: mail.ding 19961002T012943
2962 0: custom 19961002T012713
2965 As you can see, the date is displayed in compact ISO 8601 format. This
2966 may be a bit too much, so to just display the date, you could say
2970 (setq gnus-group-line-format
2971 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %6,6~(cut 2)d\n")
2976 @subsection File Commands
2977 @cindex file commands
2983 @findex gnus-group-read-init-file
2984 @vindex gnus-init-file
2985 @cindex reading init file
2986 Re-read the init file (@code{gnus-init-file}, which defaults to
2987 @file{~/.gnus}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
2991 @findex gnus-group-save-newsrc
2992 @cindex saving .newsrc
2993 Save the @file{.newsrc.eld} file (and @file{.newsrc} if wanted)
2994 (@code{gnus-group-save-newsrc}). If given a prefix, force saving the
2995 file(s) whether Gnus thinks it is necessary or not.
2998 @c @kindex Z (Group)
2999 @c @findex gnus-group-clear-dribble
3000 @c Clear the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-group-clear-dribble}).
3005 @node The Summary Buffer
3006 @chapter The Summary Buffer
3007 @cindex summary buffer
3009 A line for each article is displayed in the summary buffer. You can
3010 move around, read articles, post articles and reply to articles.
3012 The most common way to a summary buffer is to select a group from the
3013 group buffer (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
3015 You can have as many summary buffers open as you wish.
3018 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
3019 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
3020 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
3021 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
3022 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
3023 * Canceling and Superseding:: ``Whoops, I shouldn't have called him that.''
3024 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
3025 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
3026 * Threading:: How threads are made.
3027 * Sorting:: How articles and threads are sorted.
3028 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
3029 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
3030 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
3031 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
3032 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
3033 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
3034 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
3035 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
3036 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
3037 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
3038 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
3039 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
3040 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
3041 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
3042 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer.
3043 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
3044 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
3048 @node Summary Buffer Format
3049 @section Summary Buffer Format
3050 @cindex summary buffer format
3053 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
3054 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
3055 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
3058 @findex mail-extract-address-components
3059 @findex gnus-extract-address-components
3060 @vindex gnus-extract-address-components
3061 Gnus will use the value of the @code{gnus-extract-address-components}
3062 variable as a function for getting the name and address parts of a
3063 @code{From} header. Two pre-defined function exist:
3064 @code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is the default, quite
3065 fast, and too simplistic solution; and
3066 @code{mail-extract-address-components}, which works very nicely, but is
3067 slower. The default function will return the wrong answer in 5% of the
3068 cases. If this is unacceptable to you, use the other function instead.
3070 @vindex gnus-summary-same-subject
3071 @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} is a string indicating that the current
3072 article has the same subject as the previous. This string will be used
3073 with those specs that require it. The default is @samp{}.
3076 @node Summary Buffer Lines
3077 @subsection Summary Buffer Lines
3079 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
3080 You can change the format of the lines in the summary buffer by changing
3081 the @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable. It works along the same
3082 lines a a normal @code{format} string, with some extensions
3083 (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
3085 The default string is @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-20,20n%]%) %s\n}.
3087 The following format specification characters are understood:
3095 Subject if the article is the root or the previous article had a
3096 different subject, @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} otherwise.
3097 (@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} defaults to @samp{}.)
3099 Full @code{From} header.
3101 The name (from the @code{From} header).
3103 The name (from the @code{From} header). This differs from the @code{n}
3104 spec in that it uses the function designated by the
3105 @code{gnus-extract-address-components} variable, which is slower, but
3106 may be more thorough.
3108 The address (from the @code{From} header). This works the same way as
3111 Number of lines in the article.
3113 Number of characters in the article.
3115 Indentation based on thread level (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
3117 Nothing if the article is a root and lots of spaces if it isn't (it
3118 pushes everything after it off the screen).
3120 Opening bracket, which is normally @samp{[}, but can also be @samp{<}
3121 for adopted articles (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
3123 Closing bracket, which is normally @samp{]}, but can also be @samp{>}
3124 for adopted articles.
3126 One space for each thread level.
3128 Twenty minus thread level spaces.
3136 @vindex gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz
3137 Zcore, @samp{+} if above the default level and @samp{-} if below the
3138 default level. If the difference between
3139 @code{gnus-summary-default-level} and the score is less than
3140 @code{gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz}, this spec will not be used.
3148 The @code{Date} in @code{DD-MMM} format.
3150 The @code{Date} in @code{YYYYMMDDTHHMMSS} format.
3156 Number of articles in the current sub-thread. Using this spec will slow
3157 down summary buffer generation somewhat.
3159 An @samp{=} (@code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark}) will be displayed if the
3160 article has any children.
3164 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
3165 be a letter. @sc{gnus} will call the function
3166 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
3167 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current header as
3168 argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
3169 into the summary just like information from any other summary specifier.
3172 The @samp{%U} (status), @samp{%R} (replied) and @samp{%z} (zcore) specs
3173 have to be handled with care. For reasons of efficiency, Gnus will
3174 compute what column these characters will end up in, and ``hard-code''
3175 that. This means that it is illegal to have these specs after a
3176 variable-length spec. Well, you might not be arrested, but your summary
3177 buffer will look strange, which is bad enough.
3179 The smart choice is to have these specs as far to the left as possible.
3180 (Isn't that the case with everything, though? But I digress.)
3182 This restriction may disappear in later versions of Gnus.
3185 @node Summary Buffer Mode Line
3186 @subsection Summary Buffer Mode Line
3188 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-line-format
3189 You can also change the format of the summary mode bar. Set
3190 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} to whatever you like. The default
3191 is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}.
3193 Here are the elements you can play with:
3199 Unprefixed group name.
3201 Current article number.
3205 Number of unread articles in this group.
3207 Number of unselected articles in this group.
3209 A string with the number of unread and unselected articles represented
3210 either as @samp{<%U(+%e) more>} if there are both unread and unselected
3211 articles, and just as @samp{<%U more>} if there are just unread articles
3212 and no unselected ones.
3214 Shortish group name. For instance, @samp{rec.arts.anime} will be
3215 shortened to @samp{r.a.anime}.
3217 Subject of the current article.
3221 Name of the current score file.
3223 Number of dormant articles.
3225 Number of ticked articles.
3227 Number of articles that have been marked as read in this session.
3229 Number of articles expunged by the score files.
3233 @node Summary Highlighting
3234 @subsection Summary Highlighting
3238 @item gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
3239 @vindex gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
3240 This hook is run after selecting an article. It is meant to be used for
3241 highlighting the article in some way. It is not run if
3242 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
3244 @item gnus-summary-update-hook
3245 @vindex gnus-summary-update-hook
3246 This hook is called when a summary line is changed. It is not run if
3247 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
3249 @item gnus-summary-selected-face
3250 @vindex gnus-summary-selected-face
3251 This is the face (or @dfn{font} as some people call it) that is used to
3252 highlight the current article in the summary buffer.
3254 @item gnus-summary-highlight
3255 @vindex gnus-summary-highlight
3256 Summary lines are highlighted according to this variable, which is a
3257 list where the elements are on the format @var{(FORM . FACE)}. If you
3258 would, for instance, like ticked articles to be italic and high-scored
3259 articles to be bold, you could set this variable to something like
3261 (((eq mark gnus-ticked-mark) . italic)
3262 ((> score default) . bold))
3264 As you may have guessed, if @var{FORM} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
3265 @var{FACE} will be applied to the line.
3269 @node Summary Maneuvering
3270 @section Summary Maneuvering
3271 @cindex summary movement
3273 All the straight movement commands understand the numeric prefix and
3274 behave pretty much as you'd expect.
3276 None of these commands select articles.
3281 @kindex M-n (Summary)
3282 @kindex G M-n (Summary)
3283 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-subject
3284 Go to the next summary line of an unread article
3285 (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-subject}).
3289 @kindex M-p (Summary)
3290 @kindex G M-p (Summary)
3291 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject
3292 Go to the previous summary line of an unread article
3293 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject}).
3298 @kindex G j (Summary)
3299 @findex gnus-summary-goto-article
3300 Ask for an article number and then go to that article
3301 (@code{gnus-summary-goto-article}).
3304 @kindex G g (Summary)
3305 @findex gnus-summary-goto-subject
3306 Ask for an article number and then go the summary line of that article
3307 without displaying the article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-subject}).
3310 If Gnus asks you to press a key to confirm going to the next group, you
3311 can use the @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} keys to move around the group
3312 buffer, searching for the next group to read without actually returning
3313 to the group buffer.
3315 Variables related to summary movement:
3319 @vindex gnus-auto-select-next
3320 @item gnus-auto-select-next
3321 If you issue one of the movement commands (like @kbd{n}) and there are
3322 no more unread articles after the current one, Gnus will offer to go to
3323 the next group. If this variable is @code{t} and the next group is
3324 empty, Gnus will exit summary mode and return to the group buffer. If
3325 this variable is neither @code{t} nor @code{nil}, Gnus will select the
3326 next group, no matter whether it has any unread articles or not. As a
3327 special case, if this variable is @code{quietly}, Gnus will select the
3328 next group without asking for confirmation. If this variable is
3329 @code{almost-quietly}, the same will happen only if you are located on
3330 the last article in the group. Finally, if this variable is
3331 @code{slightly-quietly}, the @kbd{Z n} command will go to the next group
3332 without confirmation. Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
3334 @item gnus-auto-select-same
3335 @vindex gnus-auto-select-same
3336 If non-@code{nil}, all the movement commands will try to go to the next
3337 article with the same subject as the current. (@dfn{Same} here might
3338 mean @dfn{roughly equal}. See @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}
3339 for details (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).) This variable is not
3340 particularly useful if you use a threaded display.
3342 @item gnus-summary-check-current
3343 @vindex gnus-summary-check-current
3344 If non-@code{nil}, all the ``unread'' movement commands will not proceed
3345 to the next (or previous) article if the current article is unread.
3346 Instead, they will choose the current article.
3348 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
3349 @vindex gnus-auto-center-summary
3350 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will keep the point in the summary buffer
3351 centered at all times. This makes things quite tidy, but if you have a
3352 slow network connection, or simply do not like this un-Emacsism, you can
3353 set this variable to @code{nil} to get the normal Emacs scrolling
3354 action. This will also inhibit horizontal re-centering of the summary
3355 buffer, which might make it more inconvenient to read extremely long
3361 @node Choosing Articles
3362 @section Choosing Articles
3363 @cindex selecting articles
3366 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
3367 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
3371 @node Choosing Commands
3372 @subsection Choosing Commands
3374 None of the following movement commands understand the numeric prefix,
3375 and they all select and display an article.
3379 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
3380 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
3381 Select the current article, or, if that one's read already, the next
3382 unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
3387 @kindex G n (Summary)
3388 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-article
3389 Go to next unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-article}).
3394 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-article
3395 Go to previous unread article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-article}).
3400 @kindex G N (Summary)
3401 @findex gnus-summary-next-article
3402 Go to the next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-article}).
3407 @kindex G P (Summary)
3408 @findex gnus-summary-prev-article
3409 Go to the previous article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-article}).
3412 @kindex G C-n (Summary)
3413 @findex gnus-summary-next-same-subject
3414 Go to the next article with the same subject
3415 (@code{gnus-summary-next-same-subject}).
3418 @kindex G C-p (Summary)
3419 @findex gnus-summary-prev-same-subject
3420 Go to the previous article with the same subject
3421 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-same-subject}).
3425 @kindex G f (Summary)
3427 @findex gnus-summary-first-unread-article
3428 Go to the first unread article
3429 (@code{gnus-summary-first-unread-article}).
3433 @kindex G b (Summary)
3435 @findex gnus-summary-best-unread-article
3436 Go to the article with the highest score
3437 (@code{gnus-summary-best-unread-article}).
3442 @kindex G l (Summary)
3443 @findex gnus-summary-goto-last-article
3444 Go to the previous article read (@code{gnus-summary-goto-last-article}).
3447 @kindex G p (Summary)
3448 @findex gnus-summary-pop-article
3449 Pop an article off the summary history and go to this article
3450 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-article}). This command differs from the
3451 command above in that you can pop as many previous articles off the
3452 history as you like.
3456 @node Choosing Variables
3457 @subsection Choosing Variables
3459 Some variables that are relevant for moving and selecting articles:
3462 @item gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
3463 @vindex gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
3464 All the movement commands will try to go to the previous (or next)
3465 article, even if that article isn't displayed in the Summary buffer if
3466 this variable is non-@code{nil}. Gnus will then fetch the article from
3467 the server and display it in the article buffer.
3469 @item gnus-select-article-hook
3470 @vindex gnus-select-article-hook
3471 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. By default it
3472 exposes any threads hidden under the selected article.
3474 @item gnus-mark-article-hook
3475 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
3476 @findex gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read
3477 @findex gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read
3478 @findex gnus-unread-mark
3479 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. It is intended to
3480 be used for marking articles as read. The default value is
3481 @code{gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read}, and will change the
3482 mark of almost any article you read to @code{gnus-unread-mark}. The
3483 only articles not affected by this function are ticked, dormant, and
3484 expirable articles. If you'd instead like to just have unread articles
3485 marked as read, you can use @code{gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read}
3486 instead. It will leave marks like @code{gnus-low-score-mark},
3487 @code{gnus-del-mark} (and so on) alone.
3492 @node Paging the Article
3493 @section Scrolling the Article
3494 @cindex article scrolling
3499 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
3500 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
3501 Pressing @kbd{SPACE} will scroll the current article forward one page,
3502 or, if you have come to the end of the current article, will choose the
3503 next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
3506 @kindex DEL (Summary)
3507 @findex gnus-summary-prev-page
3508 Scroll the current article back one page (@code{gnus-summary-prev-page}).
3511 @kindex RET (Summary)
3512 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-up
3513 Scroll the current article one line forward
3514 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-up}).
3518 @kindex A g (Summary)
3520 @findex gnus-summary-show-article
3521 (Re)fetch the current article (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). If
3522 given a prefix, fetch the current article, but don't run any of the
3523 article treatment functions. This will give you a ``raw'' article, just
3524 the way it came from the server.
3529 @kindex A < (Summary)
3530 @findex gnus-summary-beginning-of-article
3531 Scroll to the beginning of the article
3532 (@code{gnus-summary-beginning-of-article}).
3537 @kindex A > (Summary)
3538 @findex gnus-summary-end-of-article
3539 Scroll to the end of the article (@code{gnus-summary-end-of-article}).
3543 @kindex A s (Summary)
3545 @findex gnus-summary-isearch-article
3546 Perform an isearch in the article buffer
3547 (@code{gnus-summary-isearch-article}).
3552 @node Reply Followup and Post
3553 @section Reply, Followup and Post
3556 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
3557 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
3561 @node Summary Mail Commands
3562 @subsection Summary Mail Commands
3564 @cindex composing mail
3566 Commands for composing a mail message:
3572 @kindex S r (Summary)
3574 @findex gnus-summary-reply
3575 Mail a reply to the author of the current article
3576 (@code{gnus-summary-reply}).
3581 @kindex S R (Summary)
3582 @findex gnus-summary-reply-with-original
3583 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
3584 original message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This
3585 command uses the process/prefix convention.
3588 @kindex S w (Summary)
3589 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply
3590 Mail a wide reply to the author of the current article
3591 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}).
3594 @kindex S W (Summary)
3595 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original
3596 Mail a wide reply to the current article and include the original
3597 message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This command uses
3598 the process/prefix convention.
3601 @kindex S o m (Summary)
3602 @findex gnus-summary-mail-forward
3603 Forward the current article to some other person
3604 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-forward}). If given a prefix, include the full
3605 headers of the forwarded article.
3610 @kindex S m (Summary)
3611 @findex gnus-summary-mail-other-window
3612 Send a mail to some other person
3613 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}).
3616 @kindex S D b (Summary)
3617 @findex gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail
3618 @cindex bouncing mail
3619 If you have sent a mail, but the mail was bounced back to you for some
3620 reason (wrong address, transient failure), you can use this command to
3621 resend that bounced mail (@code{gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail}). You
3622 will be popped into a mail buffer where you can edit the headers before
3623 sending the mail off again. If you give a prefix to this command, and
3624 the bounced mail is a reply to some other mail, Gnus will try to fetch
3625 that mail and display it for easy perusal of its headers. This might
3626 very well fail, though.
3629 @kindex S D r (Summary)
3630 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message
3631 Not to be confused with the previous command,
3632 @code{gnus-summary-resend-message} will prompt you for an address to
3633 send the current message off to, and then send it to that place. The
3634 headers of the message won't be altered---but lots of headers that say
3635 @code{Resent-To}, @code{Resent-From} and so on will be added. This
3636 means that you actually send a mail to someone that has a @code{To}
3637 header that (probably) points to yourself. This will confuse people.
3638 So, natcherly you'll only do that if you're really eVIl.
3640 This command is mainly used if you have several accounts and want to
3641 ship a mail to a different account of yours. (If you're both
3642 @code{root} and @code{postmaster} and get a mail for @code{postmaster}
3643 to the @code{root} account, you may want to resend it to
3644 @code{postmaster}. Ordnung muß sein!
3646 This command understands the process/prefix convention
3647 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3650 @kindex S O m (Summary)
3651 @findex gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward
3652 Digest the current series and forward the result using mail
3653 (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command uses the
3654 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3657 @kindex S M-c (Summary)
3658 @findex gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint
3659 @cindex crossposting
3660 @cindex excessive crossposting
3661 Send a complaint about excessive crossposting to the author of the
3662 current article (@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint}).
3664 @findex gnus-crosspost-complaint
3665 This command is provided as a way to fight back agains the current
3666 crossposting pandemic that's sweeping Usenet. It will compose a reply
3667 using the @code{gnus-crosspost-complaint} variable as a preamble. This
3668 command understands the process/prefix convention
3669 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) and will prompt you before sending each mail.
3674 @node Summary Post Commands
3675 @subsection Summary Post Commands
3677 @cindex composing news
3679 Commands for posting a news article:
3685 @kindex S p (Summary)
3686 @findex gnus-summary-post-news
3687 Post an article to the current group
3688 (@code{gnus-summary-post-news}).
3693 @kindex S f (Summary)
3694 @findex gnus-summary-followup
3695 Post a followup to the current article (@code{gnus-summary-followup}).
3699 @kindex S F (Summary)
3701 @findex gnus-summary-followup-with-original
3702 Post a followup to the current article and include the original message
3703 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}). This command uses the
3704 process/prefix convention.
3707 @kindex S n (Summary)
3708 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail
3709 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
3710 message through mail (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail}).
3713 @kindex S n (Summary)
3714 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail
3715 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
3716 message through mail and include the original message
3717 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original}). This command uses
3718 the process/prefix convention.
3721 @kindex S o p (Summary)
3722 @findex gnus-summary-post-forward
3723 Forward the current article to a newsgroup
3724 (@code{gnus-summary-post-forward}). If given a prefix, include the full
3725 headers of the forwarded article.
3728 @kindex S O p (Summary)
3729 @findex gnus-uu-digest-post-forward
3731 @cindex making digests
3732 Digest the current series and forward the result to a newsgroup
3733 (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command uses the
3734 process/prefix convention.
3737 @kindex S u (Summary)
3738 @findex gnus-uu-post-news
3739 Uuencode a file, split it into parts, and post it as a series
3740 (@code{gnus-uu-post-news}). (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
3744 @node Canceling and Superseding
3745 @section Canceling Articles
3746 @cindex canceling articles
3747 @cindex superseding articles
3749 Have you ever written something, and then decided that you really,
3750 really, really wish you hadn't posted that?
3752 Well, you can't cancel mail, but you can cancel posts.
3754 @findex gnus-summary-cancel-article
3756 Find the article you wish to cancel (you can only cancel your own
3757 articles, so don't try any funny stuff). Then press @kbd{C} or @kbd{S
3758 c} (@code{gnus-summary-cancel-article}). Your article will be
3759 canceled---machines all over the world will be deleting your article.
3761 Be aware, however, that not all sites honor cancels, so your article may
3762 live on here and there, while most sites will delete the article in
3765 If you discover that you have made some mistakes and want to do some
3766 corrections, you can post a @dfn{superseding} article that will replace
3767 your original article.
3769 @findex gnus-summary-supersede-article
3771 Go to the original article and press @kbd{S s}
3772 (@code{gnus-summary-supersede-article}). You will be put in a buffer
3773 where you can edit the article all you want before sending it off the
3776 The same goes for superseding as for canceling, only more so: Some
3777 sites do not honor superseding. On those sites, it will appear that you
3778 have posted almost the same article twice.
3780 If you have just posted the article, and change your mind right away,
3781 there is a trick you can use to cancel/supersede the article without
3782 waiting for the article to appear on your site first. You simply return
3783 to the post buffer (which is called @code{*sent ...*}). There you will
3784 find the article you just posted, with all the headers intact. Change
3785 the @code{Message-ID} header to a @code{Cancel} or @code{Supersedes}
3786 header by substituting one of those words for the word
3787 @code{Message-ID}. Then just press @kbd{C-c C-c} to send the article as
3788 you would do normally. The previous article will be
3789 canceled/superseded.
3791 Just remember, kids: There is no 'c' in 'supersede'.
3794 @node Marking Articles
3795 @section Marking Articles
3796 @cindex article marking
3797 @cindex article ticking
3800 There are several marks you can set on an article.
3802 You have marks that decide the @dfn{readedness} (whoo, neato-keano
3803 neologism ohoy!) of the article. Alphabetic marks generally mean
3804 @dfn{read}, while non-alphabetic characters generally mean @dfn{unread}.
3806 In addition, you also have marks that do not affect readedness.
3809 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
3810 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
3811 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
3815 There's a plethora of commands for manipulating these marks:
3819 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
3820 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
3824 @node Unread Articles
3825 @subsection Unread Articles
3827 The following marks mark articles as (kinda) unread, in one form or
3832 @vindex gnus-ticked-mark
3833 Marked as ticked (@code{gnus-ticked-mark}).
3835 @dfn{Ticked articles} are articles that will remain visible always. If
3836 you see an article that you find interesting, or you want to put off
3837 reading it, or replying to it, until sometime later, you'd typically
3838 tick it. However, articles can be expired, so if you want to keep an
3839 article forever, you'll have to make it persistent (@pxref{Persistent
3843 @vindex gnus-dormant-mark
3844 Marked as dormant (@code{gnus-dormant-mark}).
3846 @dfn{Dormant articles} will only appear in the summary buffer if there
3847 are followups to it.
3850 @vindex gnus-unread-mark
3851 Markes as unread (@code{gnus-unread-mark}).
3853 @dfn{Unread articles} are articles that haven't been read at all yet.
3858 @subsection Read Articles
3859 @cindex expirable mark
3861 All the following marks mark articles as read.
3866 @vindex gnus-del-mark
3867 These are articles that the user has marked as read with the @kbd{d}
3868 command manually, more or less (@code{gnus-del-mark}).
3871 @vindex gnus-read-mark
3872 Articles that have actually been read (@code{gnus-read-mark}).
3875 @vindex gnus-ancient-mark
3876 Articles that were marked as read in previous sessions and are now
3877 @dfn{old} (@code{gnus-ancient-mark}).
3880 @vindex gnus-killed-mark
3881 Marked as killed (@code{gnus-killed-mark}).
3884 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mark
3885 Marked as killed by kill files (@code{gnus-kill-file-mark}).
3888 @vindex gnus-low-score-mark
3889 Marked as read by having a too low score (@code{gnus-low-score-mark}).
3892 @vindex gnus-catchup-mark
3893 Marked as read by a catchup (@code{gnus-catchup-mark}).
3896 @vindex gnus-canceled-mark
3897 Canceled article (@code{gnus-canceled-mark})
3900 @vindex gnus-souped-mark
3901 @sc{SOUP}ed article (@code{gnus-souped-mark}). @xref{SOUP}.
3904 @vindex gnus-sparse-mark
3905 Sparsely reffed article (@code{gnus-sparse-mark}). @xref{Customizing
3909 @vindex gnus-duplicate-mark
3910 Article marked as read by duplicate suppression
3911 (@code{gnus-duplicated-mark}). @xref{Duplicate Suppression}.
3915 All these marks just mean that the article is marked as read, really.
3916 They are interpreted differently when doing adaptive scoring, though.
3918 One more special mark, though:
3922 @vindex gnus-expirable-mark
3923 Marked as expirable (@code{gnus-expirable-mark}).
3925 Marking articles as @dfn{expirable} (or have them marked as such
3926 automatically) doesn't make much sense in normal groups---a user doesn't
3927 control the expiring of news articles, but in mail groups, for instance,
3928 articles that are marked as @dfn{expirable} can be deleted by Gnus at
3934 @subsection Other Marks
3935 @cindex process mark
3938 There are some marks that have nothing to do with whether the article is
3944 You can set a bookmark in the current article. Say you are reading a
3945 long thesis on cats' urinary tracts, and have to go home for dinner
3946 before you've finished reading the thesis. You can then set a bookmark
3947 in the article, and Gnus will jump to this bookmark the next time it
3948 encounters the article. @xref{Setting Marks}
3951 @vindex gnus-replied-mark
3952 All articles that you have replied to or made a followup to (i.e., have
3953 answered) will be marked with an @samp{A} in the second column
3954 (@code{gnus-replied-mark}).
3957 @vindex gnus-cached-mark
3958 Articles that are stored in the article cache will be marked with an
3959 @samp{*} in the second column (@code{gnus-cached-mark}).
3962 @vindex gnus-saved-mark
3963 Articles that are ``saved'' (in some manner or other; not necessarily
3964 religiously) are marked with an @samp{S} in the second column
3965 (@code{gnus-saved-mark}.
3968 @vindex gnus-not-empty-thread-mark
3969 @vindex gnus-empty-thread-mark
3970 It the @samp{%e} spec is used, the presence of threads or not will be
3971 marked with @code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark} and
3972 @code{gnus-empty-thread-mark} in the third column, respectively.
3975 @vindex gnus-process-mark
3976 Finally we have the @dfn{process mark} (@code{gnus-process-mark}. A
3977 variety of commands react to the presence of the process mark. For
3978 instance, @kbd{X u} (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}) will uudecode and view
3979 all articles that have been marked with the process mark. Articles
3980 marked with the process mark have a @samp{#} in the second column.
3984 You might have noticed that most of these ``non-readedness'' marks
3985 appear in the second column by default. So if you have a cached, saved,
3986 replied article that you have process-marked, what will that look like?
3988 Nothing much. The precedence rules go as follows: process -> cache ->
3989 replied -> saved. So if the article is in the cache and is replied,
3990 you'll only see the cache mark and not the replied mark.
3994 @subsection Setting Marks
3995 @cindex setting marks
3997 All the marking commands understand the numeric prefix.
4003 @kindex M t (Summary)
4004 @findex gnus-summary-tick-article-forward
4005 Tick the current article (@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}).
4010 @kindex M ? (Summary)
4011 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant
4012 Mark the current article as dormant
4013 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant}).
4017 @kindex M d (Summary)
4019 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward
4020 Mark the current article as read
4021 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward}).
4025 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward
4026 Mark the current article as read and move point to the previous line
4027 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward}).
4032 @kindex M k (Summary)
4033 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select
4034 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read,
4035 and then select the next unread article
4036 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select}).
4040 @kindex M K (Summary)
4041 @kindex C-k (Summary)
4042 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject
4043 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read
4044 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject}).
4047 @kindex M C (Summary)
4048 @findex gnus-summary-catchup
4049 Mark all unread articles as read (@code{gnus-summary-catchup}).
4052 @kindex M C-c (Summary)
4053 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all
4054 Mark all articles in the group as read---even the ticked and dormant
4055 articles (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all}).
4058 @kindex M H (Summary)
4059 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-to-here
4060 Catchup the current group to point
4061 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-to-here}).
4064 @kindex C-w (Summary)
4065 @findex gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read
4066 Mark all articles between point and mark as read
4067 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read}).
4070 @kindex M V k (Summary)
4071 @findex gnus-summary-kill-below
4072 Kill all articles with scores below the default score (or below the
4073 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-kill-below}).
4077 @kindex M c (Summary)
4078 @kindex M-u (Summary)
4079 @findex gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward
4080 Clear all readedness-marks from the current article
4081 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward}).
4085 @kindex M e (Summary)
4087 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable
4088 Mark the current article as expirable
4089 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable}).
4092 @kindex M b (Summary)
4093 @findex gnus-summary-set-bookmark
4094 Set a bookmark in the current article
4095 (@code{gnus-summary-set-bookmark}).
4098 @kindex M B (Summary)
4099 @findex gnus-summary-remove-bookmark
4100 Remove the bookmark from the current article
4101 (@code{gnus-summary-remove-bookmark}).
4104 @kindex M V c (Summary)
4105 @findex gnus-summary-clear-above
4106 Clear all marks from articles with scores over the default score (or
4107 over the numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
4110 @kindex M V u (Summary)
4111 @findex gnus-summary-tick-above
4112 Tick all articles with scores over the default score (or over the
4113 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-tick-above}).
4116 @kindex M V m (Summary)
4117 @findex gnus-summary-mark-above
4118 Prompt for a mark, and mark all articles with scores over the default
4119 score (or over the numeric prefix) with this mark
4120 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
4123 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
4124 The @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} variable controls what action should
4125 be taken after setting a mark. If non-@code{nil}, point will move to
4126 the next/previous unread article. If @code{nil}, point will just move
4127 one line up or down. As a special case, if this variable is
4128 @code{never}, all the marking commands as well as other commands (like
4129 @kbd{SPACE}) will move to the next article, whether it is unread or not.
4130 The default is @code{t}.
4133 @node Setting Process Marks
4134 @subsection Setting Process Marks
4135 @cindex setting process marks
4142 @kindex M P p (Summary)
4143 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
4144 Mark the current article with the process mark
4145 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}).
4146 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
4150 @kindex M P u (Summary)
4151 @kindex M-# (Summary)
4152 Remove the process mark, if any, from the current article
4153 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
4156 @kindex M P U (Summary)
4157 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
4158 Remove the process mark from all articles
4159 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
4162 @kindex M P i (Summary)
4163 @findex gnus-uu-invert-processable
4164 Invert the list of process marked articles
4165 (@code{gnus-uu-invert-processable}).
4168 @kindex M P R (Summary)
4169 @findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
4170 Mark articles by a regular expression (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
4173 @kindex M P r (Summary)
4174 @findex gnus-uu-mark-region
4175 Mark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
4178 @kindex M P t (Summary)
4179 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
4180 Mark all articles in the current (sub)thread
4181 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
4184 @kindex M P T (Summary)
4185 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
4186 Unmark all articles in the current (sub)thread
4187 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
4190 @kindex M P v (Summary)
4191 @findex gnus-uu-mark-over
4192 Mark all articles that have a score above the prefix argument
4193 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-over}).
4196 @kindex M P s (Summary)
4197 @findex gnus-uu-mark-series
4198 Mark all articles in the current series (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
4201 @kindex M P S (Summary)
4202 @findex gnus-uu-mark-sparse
4203 Mark all series that have already had some articles marked
4204 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-sparse}).
4207 @kindex M P a (Summary)
4208 @findex gnus-uu-mark-all
4209 Mark all articles in series order (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
4212 @kindex M P b (Summary)
4213 @findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
4214 Mark all articles in the buffer in the order they appear
4215 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
4218 @kindex M P k (Summary)
4219 @findex gnus-summary-kill-process-mark
4220 Push the current process mark set onto the stack and unmark all articles
4221 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-process-mark}).
4224 @kindex M P y (Summary)
4225 @findex gnus-summary-yank-process-mark
4226 Pop the previous process mark set from the stack and restore it
4227 (@code{gnus-summary-yank-process-mark}).
4230 @kindex M P w (Summary)
4231 @findex gnus-summary-save-process-mark
4232 Push the current process mark set onto the stack
4233 (@code{gnus-summary-save-process-mark}).
4242 It can be convenient to limit the summary buffer to just show some
4243 subset of the articles currently in the group. The effect most limit
4244 commands have is to remove a few (or many) articles from the summary
4251 @kindex / / (Summary)
4252 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-subject
4253 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some subject
4254 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-subject}).
4257 @kindex / a (Summary)
4258 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-author
4259 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some author
4260 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-author}).
4264 @kindex / u (Summary)
4266 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unread
4267 Limit the summary buffer to articles that are not marked as read
4268 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unread}). If given a prefix, limit the
4269 buffer to articles that are strictly unread. This means that ticked and
4270 dormant articles will also be excluded.
4273 @kindex / m (Summary)
4274 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-marks
4275 Ask for a mark and then limit to all articles that have not been marked
4276 with that mark (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}).
4279 @kindex / t (Summary)
4280 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-age
4281 Ask for a number and then limit the summary buffer to articles that are
4282 older than (or equal to) that number of days
4283 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}). If given a prefix, limit to
4284 articles that are younger than that number of days.
4287 @kindex / n (Summary)
4288 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-articles
4289 Limit the summary buffer to the current article
4290 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-articles}). Uses the process/prefix
4291 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
4294 @kindex / w (Summary)
4295 @findex gnus-summary-pop-limit
4296 Pop the previous limit off the stack and restore it
4297 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-limit}). If given a prefix, pop all limits off
4301 @kindex / v (Summary)
4302 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-score
4303 Limit the summary buffer to articles that have a score at or above some
4304 score (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-score}).
4308 @kindex M S (Summary)
4309 @kindex / E (Summary)
4310 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged
4311 Display all expunged articles
4312 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged}).
4315 @kindex / D (Summary)
4316 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant
4317 Display all dormant articles (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant}).
4320 @kindex / d (Summary)
4321 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant
4322 Hide all dormant articles (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant}).
4325 @kindex / c (Summary)
4326 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant
4327 Hide all dormant articles that have no children
4328 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant}).
4331 @kindex / C (Summary)
4332 @findex gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read
4333 Mark all excluded unread articles as read
4334 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read}). If given a prefix,
4335 also mark excluded ticked and dormant articles as read.
4343 @cindex article threading
4345 Gnus threads articles by default. @dfn{To thread} is to put responses
4346 to articles directly after the articles they respond to---in a
4347 hierarchical fashion.
4350 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
4351 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
4355 @node Customizing Threading
4356 @subsection Customizing Threading
4357 @cindex customizing threading
4363 @item gnus-show-threads
4364 @vindex gnus-show-threads
4365 If this variable is @code{nil}, no threading will be done, and all of
4366 the rest of the variables here will have no effect. Turning threading
4367 off will speed group selection up a bit, but it is sure to make reading
4368 slower and more awkward.
4370 @item gnus-fetch-old-headers
4371 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-headers
4372 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will attempt to build old threads by fetching
4373 more old headers---headers to articles that are marked as read. If you
4374 would like to display as few summary lines as possible, but still
4375 connect as many loose threads as possible, you should set this variable
4376 to @code{some} or a number. If you set it to a number, no more than
4377 that number of extra old headers will be fetched. In either case,
4378 fetching old headers only works if the backend you are using carries
4379 overview files---this would normally be @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and
4380 @code{nnml}. Also remember that if the root of the thread has been
4381 expired by the server, there's not much Gnus can do about that.
4383 @item gnus-build-sparse-threads
4384 @vindex gnus-build-sparse-threads
4385 Fetching old headers can be slow. A low-rent similar effect can be
4386 gotten by setting this variable to @code{some}. Gnus will then look at
4387 the complete @code{References} headers of all articles and try to string
4388 articles that belong in the same thread together. This will leave
4389 @dfn{gaps} in the threading display where Gnus guesses that an article
4390 is missing from the thread. (These gaps appear like normal summary
4391 lines. If you select a gap, Gnus will try to fetch the article in
4392 question.) If this variable is @code{t}, Gnus will display all these
4393 ``gaps'' without regard for whether they are useful for completing the
4394 thread or not. Finally, if this variable is @code{more}, Gnus won't cut
4395 off sparse leaf nodes that don't lead anywhere. This variable is
4396 @code{nil} by default.
4398 @item gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
4399 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
4400 Loose threads are gathered by comparing subjects of articles. If this
4401 variable is @code{nil}, Gnus requires an exact match between the
4402 subjects of the loose threads before gathering them into one big
4403 super-thread. This might be too strict a requirement, what with the
4404 presence of stupid newsreaders that chop off long subjects lines. If
4405 you think so, set this variable to, say, 20 to require that only the
4406 first 20 characters of the subjects have to match. If you set this
4407 variable to a really low number, you'll find that Gnus will gather
4408 everything in sight into one thread, which isn't very helpful.
4410 @cindex fuzzy article gathering
4411 If you set this variable to the special value @code{fuzzy}, Gnus will
4412 use a fuzzy string comparison algorithm on the subjects (@pxref{Fuzzy
4415 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
4416 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
4417 This can either be a regular expression or list of regular expressions
4418 that match strings that will be removed from subjects if fuzzy subject
4419 simplification is used.
4421 @item gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
4422 @vindex gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
4423 If you set @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit} to something as low
4424 as 10, you might consider setting this variable to something sensible:
4426 @c Written by Michael Ernst <mernst@cs.rice.edu>
4428 (setq gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
4434 "wanted" "followup" "summary\\( of\\)?"
4435 "help" "query" "problem" "question"
4436 "answer" "reference" "announce"
4437 "How can I" "How to" "Comparison of"
4442 (mapconcat 'identity
4443 '("for" "for reference" "with" "about")
4445 "\\)?\\]?:?[ \t]*"))
4448 All words that match this regexp will be removed before comparing two
4451 @item gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
4452 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
4453 Since loose thread gathering is done on subjects only, that might lead
4454 to many false hits, especially with certain common subjects like
4455 @samp{} and @samp{(none)}. To make the situation slightly better,
4456 you can use the regexp @code{gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject} to say
4457 what subjects should be excluded from the gathering process. The
4458 default is @samp{^ *$\\|^(none)$}.
4460 @item gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
4461 @vindex gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
4462 Gnus gathers threads by looking at @code{Subject} headers. This means
4463 that totally unrelated articles may end up in the same ``thread'', which
4464 is confusing. An alternate approach is to look at all the
4465 @code{Message-ID}s in all the @code{References} headers to find matches.
4466 This will ensure that no gathered threads ever includes unrelated
4467 articles, but it's also means that people who have posted with broken
4468 newsreaders won't be gathered properly. The choice is yours---plague or
4472 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
4473 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
4474 This function is the default gathering function and looks at
4475 @code{Subject}s exclusively.
4477 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-references
4478 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-references
4479 This function looks at @code{References} headers exclusively.
4482 If you want to test gathering by @code{References}, you could say
4486 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
4487 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
4490 @item gnus-summary-make-false-root
4491 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root
4492 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will gather all loose subtrees into one big tree
4493 and create a dummy root at the top. (Wait a minute. Root at the top?
4494 Yup.) Loose subtrees occur when the real root has expired, or you've
4495 read or killed the root in a previous session.
4497 When there is no real root of a thread, Gnus will have to fudge
4498 something. This variable says what fudging method Gnus should use.
4499 There are four possible values:
4501 @cindex adopting articles
4506 Gnus will make the first of the orphaned articles the parent. This
4507 parent will adopt all the other articles. The adopted articles will be
4508 marked as such by pointy brackets (@samp{<>}) instead of the standard
4509 square brackets (@samp{[]}). This is the default method.
4512 @vindex gnus-summary-dummy-line-format
4513 Gnus will create a dummy summary line that will pretend to be the
4514 parent. This dummy line does not correspond to any real article, so
4515 selecting it will just select the first real article after the dummy
4516 article. @code{gnus-summary-dummy-line-format} is used to specify the
4517 format of the dummy roots. It accepts only one format spec: @samp{S},
4518 which is the subject of the article. @xref{Formatting Variables}.
4521 Gnus won't actually make any article the parent, but simply leave the
4522 subject field of all orphans except the first empty. (Actually, it will
4523 use @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} as the subject (@pxref{Summary
4527 Don't make any article parent at all. Just gather the threads and
4528 display them after one another.
4531 Don't gather loose threads.
4534 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
4535 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-subtree
4536 If non-@code{nil}, all threads will be hidden when the summary buffer is
4539 @item gnus-thread-expunge-below
4540 @vindex gnus-thread-expunge-below
4541 All threads that have a total score (as defined by
4542 @code{gnus-thread-score-function}) less than this number will be
4543 expunged. This variable is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
4544 threads are expunged.
4546 @item gnus-thread-hide-killed
4547 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-killed
4548 if you kill a thread and this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subtree
4551 @item gnus-thread-ignore-subject
4552 @vindex gnus-thread-ignore-subject
4553 Sometimes somebody changes the subject in the middle of a thread. If
4554 this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subject change is ignored. If it
4555 is @code{nil}, which is the default, a change in the subject will result
4558 @item gnus-thread-indent-level
4559 @vindex gnus-thread-indent-level
4560 This is a number that says how much each sub-thread should be indented.
4563 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
4564 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
4565 Hook run before parsing any headers. The default value is
4566 @code{(gnus-decode-rfc1522)}, which means that QPized headers will be
4567 slightly decoded in a hackish way. This is likely to change in the
4568 future when Gnus becomes @sc{MIME}ified.
4573 @node Thread Commands
4574 @subsection Thread Commands
4575 @cindex thread commands
4581 @kindex T k (Summary)
4582 @kindex M-C-k (Summary)
4583 @findex gnus-summary-kill-thread
4584 Mark all articles in the current (sub-)thread as read
4585 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}). If the prefix argument is positive,
4586 remove all marks instead. If the prefix argument is negative, tick
4591 @kindex T l (Summary)
4592 @kindex M-C-l (Summary)
4593 @findex gnus-summary-lower-thread
4594 Lower the score of the current (sub-)thread
4595 (@code{gnus-summary-lower-thread}).
4598 @kindex T i (Summary)
4599 @findex gnus-summary-raise-thread
4600 Increase the score of the current (sub-)thread
4601 (@code{gnus-summary-raise-thread}).
4604 @kindex T # (Summary)
4605 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
4606 Set the process mark on the current (sub-)thread
4607 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
4610 @kindex T M-# (Summary)
4611 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
4612 Remove the process mark from the current (sub-)thread
4613 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
4616 @kindex T T (Summary)
4617 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-threads
4618 Toggle threading (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-threads}).
4621 @kindex T s (Summary)
4622 @findex gnus-summary-show-thread
4623 Expose the (sub-)thread hidden under the current article, if any
4624 (@code{gnus-summary-show-thread}).
4627 @kindex T h (Summary)
4628 @findex gnus-summary-hide-thread
4629 Hide the current (sub-)thread (@code{gnus-summary-hide-thread}).
4632 @kindex T S (Summary)
4633 @findex gnus-summary-show-all-threads
4634 Expose all hidden threads (@code{gnus-summary-show-all-threads}).
4637 @kindex T H (Summary)
4638 @findex gnus-summary-hide-all-threads
4639 Hide all threads (@code{gnus-summary-hide-all-threads}).
4642 @kindex T t (Summary)
4643 @findex gnus-summary-rethread-current
4644 Re-thread the thread the current article is part of
4645 (@code{gnus-summary-rethread-current}). This works even when the
4646 summary buffer is otherwise unthreaded.
4649 @kindex T ^ (Summary)
4650 @findex gnus-summary-reparent-thread
4651 Make the current article the child of the marked (or previous) article
4652 (@code{gnus-summary-reparent-thread}.
4656 The following commands are thread movement commands. They all
4657 understand the numeric prefix.
4662 @kindex T n (Summary)
4663 @findex gnus-summary-next-thread
4664 Go to the next thread (@code{gnus-summary-next-thread}).
4667 @kindex T p (Summary)
4668 @findex gnus-summary-prev-thread
4669 Go to the previous thread (@code{gnus-summary-prev-thread}).
4672 @kindex T d (Summary)
4673 @findex gnus-summary-down-thread
4674 Descend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-down-thread}).
4677 @kindex T u (Summary)
4678 @findex gnus-summary-up-thread
4679 Ascend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-up-thread}).
4682 @kindex T o (Summary)
4683 @findex gnus-summary-top-thread
4684 Go to the top of the thread (@code{gnus-summary-top-thread}).
4687 @vindex gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject
4688 If you ignore subject while threading, you'll naturally end up with
4689 threads that have several different subjects in them. If you then issue
4690 a command like `T k' (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}) you might not
4691 wish to kill the entire thread, but just those parts of the thread that
4692 have the same subject as the current article. If you like this idea,
4693 you can fiddle with @code{gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject}. If is
4694 is non-@code{nil} (which it is by default), subjects will be ignored
4695 when doing thread commands. If this variable is @code{nil}, articles in
4696 the same thread with different subjects will not be included in the
4697 operation in question. If this variable is @code{fuzzy}, only articles
4698 that have subjects that are fuzzily equal will be included (@pxref{Fuzzy
4705 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score
4706 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date
4707 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-score
4708 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
4709 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-author
4710 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-number
4711 @vindex gnus-thread-sort-functions
4712 If you are using a threaded summary display, you can sort the threads by
4713 setting @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, which is a list of functions.
4714 By default, sorting is done on article numbers. Ready-made sorting
4715 predicate functions include @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number},
4716 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-subject},
4717 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-score}, and
4718 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score}.
4720 Each function takes two threads and return non-@code{nil} if the first
4721 thread should be sorted before the other. Note that sorting really is
4722 normally done by looking only at the roots of each thread. If you use
4723 more than one function, the primary sort key should be the last function
4724 in the list. You should probably always include
4725 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number} in the list of sorting
4726 functions---preferably first. This will ensure that threads that are
4727 equal with respect to the other sort criteria will be displayed in
4728 ascending article order.
4730 If you would like to sort by score, then by subject, and finally by
4731 number, you could do something like:
4734 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
4735 '(gnus-thread-sort-by-number
4736 gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
4737 gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score))
4740 The threads that have highest score will be displayed first in the
4741 summary buffer. When threads have the same score, they will be sorted
4742 alphabetically. The threads that have the same score and the same
4743 subject will be sorted by number, which is (normally) the sequence in
4744 which the articles arrived.
4746 If you want to sort by score and then reverse arrival order, you could
4750 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
4752 (not (gnus-thread-sort-by-number t1 t2)))
4753 gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
4756 @vindex gnus-thread-score-function
4757 The function in the @code{gnus-thread-score-function} variable (default
4758 @code{+}) is used for calculating the total score of a thread. Useful
4759 functions might be @code{max}, @code{min}, or squared means, or whatever
4762 @findex gnus-article-sort-functions
4763 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-date
4764 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-score
4765 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-subject
4766 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-author
4767 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-number
4768 If you are using an unthreaded display for some strange reason or other,
4769 you have to fiddle with the @code{gnus-article-sort-functions} variable.
4770 It is very similar to the @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, except that
4771 is uses slightly different functions for article comparison. Available
4772 sorting predicate functions are @code{gnus-article-sort-by-number},
4773 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-article-sort-by-subject},
4774 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-date}, and @code{gnus-article-sort-by-score}.
4776 If you want to sort an unthreaded summary display by subject, you could
4780 (setq gnus-article-sort-functions
4781 '(gnus-article-sort-by-number
4782 gnus-article-sort-by-subject))
4787 @node Asynchronous Fetching
4788 @section Asynchronous Article Fetching
4789 @cindex asynchronous article fetching
4790 @cindex article pre-fetch
4793 If you read your news from an @sc{nntp} server that's far away, the
4794 network latencies may make reading articles a chore. You have to wait
4795 for a while after pressing @kbd{n} to go to the next article before the
4796 article appears. Why can't Gnus just go ahead and fetch the article
4797 while you are reading the previous one? Why not, indeed.
4799 First, some caveats. There are some pitfalls to using asynchronous
4800 article fetching, especially the way Gnus does it.
4802 Let's say you are reading article 1, which is short, and article 2 is
4803 quite long, and you are not interested in reading that. Gnus does not
4804 know this, so it goes ahead and fetches article 2. You decide to read
4805 article 3, but since Gnus is in the process of fetching article 2, the
4806 connection is blocked.
4808 To avoid these situations, Gnus will open two (count 'em two)
4809 connections to the server. Some people may think this isn't a very nice
4810 thing to do, but I don't see any real alternatives. Setting up that
4811 extra connection takes some time, so Gnus startup will be slower.
4813 Gnus will fetch more articles than you will read. This will mean that
4814 the link between your machine and the @sc{nntp} server will become more
4815 loaded than if you didn't use article pre-fetch. The server itself will
4816 also become more loaded---both with the extra article requests, and the
4819 Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing... unless
4822 @vindex gnus-asynchronous
4823 Here's how: Set @code{gnus-asynchronous} to @code{t}. The rest should
4824 happen automatically.
4826 @vindex gnus-use-article-prefetch
4827 You can control how many articles that are to be pre-fetched by setting
4828 @code{gnus-use-article-prefetch}. This is 30 by default, which means
4829 that when you read an article in the group, the backend will pre-fetch
4830 the next 30 articles. If this variable is @code{t}, the backend will
4831 pre-fetch all the articles that it can without bound. If it is
4832 @code{nil}, no pre-fetching will be made.
4834 @vindex gnus-async-prefetch-article-p
4835 @findex gnus-async-read-p
4836 There are probably some articles that you don't want to pre-fetch---read
4837 articles, for instance. Which articles to pre-fetch is controlled by
4838 the @code{gnus-async-prefetch-article-p} variable. This function should
4839 return non-@code{nil} when the article in question is to be
4840 pre-fetched. The default is @code{gnus-async-read-p}, which returns
4841 @code{nil} on read articles. The function is called with an article
4842 data structure as the only parameter.
4844 If, for instance, you wish to pre-fetch only unread articles that are
4845 shorter than 100 lines, you could say something like:
4848 (defun my-async-short-unread-p (data)
4849 "Return non-nil for short, unread articles."
4850 (and (gnus-data-unread-p data)
4851 (< (mail-header-lines (gnus-data-header data))
4854 (setq gnus-async-prefetch-article-p 'my-async-short-unread-p)
4857 These functions will be called many, many times, so they should
4858 preferrably be short and sweet to avoid slowing down Gnus too much.
4859 It's also probably a good idea to byte-compile things like this.
4861 @vindex gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy
4862 Articles have to be removed from the asynch buffer sooner or later. The
4863 @code{gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy} says when to remove
4864 articles. This is a list that may contain the following elements:
4868 Remove articles when they are read.
4871 Remove articles when exiting the group.
4874 The default value is @code{(read exit)}.
4876 @vindex gnus-use-header-prefetch
4877 If @code{gnus-use-header-prefetch} is non-@code{nil}, prefetch articles
4878 from the next group.
4881 @node Article Caching
4882 @section Article Caching
4883 @cindex article caching
4886 If you have an @emph{extremely} slow @sc{nntp} connection, you may
4887 consider turning article caching on. Each article will then be stored
4888 locally under your home directory. As you may surmise, this could
4889 potentially use @emph{huge} amounts of disk space, as well as eat up all
4890 your inodes so fast it will make your head swim. In vodka.
4892 Used carefully, though, it could be just an easier way to save articles.
4894 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
4895 @vindex gnus-cache-directory
4896 @vindex gnus-use-cache
4897 To turn caching on, set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{t}. By default,
4898 all articles that are ticked or marked as dormant will then be copied
4899 over to your local cache (@code{gnus-cache-directory}). Whether this
4900 cache is flat or hierarchal is controlled by the
4901 @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable, as usual.
4903 When re-select a ticked or dormant article, it will be fetched from the
4904 cache instead of from the server. As articles in your cache will never
4905 expire, this might serve as a method of saving articles while still
4906 keeping them where they belong. Just mark all articles you want to save
4907 as dormant, and don't worry.
4909 When an article is marked as read, is it removed from the cache.
4911 @vindex gnus-cache-remove-articles
4912 @vindex gnus-cache-enter-articles
4913 The entering/removal of articles from the cache is controlled by the
4914 @code{gnus-cache-enter-articles} and @code{gnus-cache-remove-articles}
4915 variables. Both are lists of symbols. The first is @code{(ticked
4916 dormant)} by default, meaning that ticked and dormant articles will be
4917 put in the cache. The latter is @code{(read)} by default, meaning that
4918 articles that are marked as read are removed from the cache. Possibly
4919 symbols in these two lists are @code{ticked}, @code{dormant},
4920 @code{unread} and @code{read}.
4922 @findex gnus-jog-cache
4923 So where does the massive article-fetching and storing come into the
4924 picture? The @code{gnus-jog-cache} command will go through all
4925 subscribed newsgroups, request all unread articles, and store them in
4926 the cache. You should only ever, ever ever ever, use this command if 1)
4927 your connection to the @sc{nntp} server is really, really, really slow
4928 and 2) you have a really, really, really huge disk. Seriously.
4930 @vindex gnus-uncacheable-groups
4931 It is likely that you do not want caching on some groups. For instance,
4932 if your @code{nnml} mail is located under your home directory, it makes no
4933 sense to cache it somewhere else under your home directory. Unless you
4934 feel that it's neat to use twice as much space. To limit the caching,
4935 you could set the @code{gnus-uncacheable-groups} regexp to
4936 @samp{^nnml}, for instance. This variable is @code{nil} by
4939 @findex gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases
4940 @findex gnus-cache-generate-active
4941 @vindex gnus-cache-active-file
4942 The cache stores information on what articles it contains in its active
4943 file (@code{gnus-cache-active-file}). If this file (or any other parts
4944 of the cache) becomes all messed up for some reason or other, Gnus
4945 offers two functions that will try to set things right. @kbd{M-x
4946 gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases} will (re)build all the @sc{nov}
4947 files, and @kbd{gnus-cache-generate-active} will (re)generate the active
4951 @node Persistent Articles
4952 @section Persistent Articles
4953 @cindex persistent articles
4955 Closely related to article caching, we have @dfn{persistent articles}.
4956 In fact, it's just a different way of looking at caching, and much more
4957 useful in my opinion.
4959 Say you're reading a newsgroup, and you happen on to some valuable gem
4960 that you want to keep and treasure forever. You'd normally just save it
4961 (using one of the many saving commands) in some file. The problem with
4962 that is that it's just, well, yucky. Ideally you'd prefer just having
4963 the article remain in the group where you found it forever; untouched by
4964 the expiry going on at the news server.
4966 This is what a @dfn{persistent article} is---an article that just won't
4967 be deleted. It's implemented using the normal cache functions, but
4968 you use two explicit commands for managing persistent articles:
4974 @findex gnus-cache-enter-article
4975 Make the current article persistent (@code{gnus-cache-enter-article}).
4978 @kindex M-* (Summary)
4979 @findex gnus-cache-remove-article
4980 Remove the current article from the persistent articles
4981 (@code{gnus-cache-remove-article}). This will normally delete the
4985 Both these commands understand the process/prefix convention.
4987 To avoid having all ticked articles (and stuff) entered into the cache,
4988 you should set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{passive} if you're just
4989 interested in persistent articles:
4992 (setq gnus-use-cache 'passive)
4996 @node Article Backlog
4997 @section Article Backlog
4999 @cindex article backlog
5001 If you have a slow connection, but the idea of using caching seems
5002 unappealing to you (and it is, really), you can help the situation some
5003 by switching on the @dfn{backlog}. This is where Gnus will buffer
5004 already read articles so that it doesn't have to re-fetch articles
5005 you've already read. This only helps if you are in the habit of
5006 re-selecting articles you've recently read, of course. If you never do
5007 that, turning the backlog on will slow Gnus down a little bit, and
5008 increase memory usage some.
5010 @vindex gnus-keep-backlog
5011 If you set @code{gnus-keep-backlog} to a number @var{n}, Gnus will store
5012 at most @var{n} old articles in a buffer for later re-fetching. If this
5013 variable is non-@code{nil} and is not a number, Gnus will store
5014 @emph{all} read articles, which means that your Emacs will grow without
5015 bound before exploding and taking your machine down with you. I put
5016 that in there just to keep y'all on your toes.
5018 This variable is @code{nil} by default.
5021 @node Saving Articles
5022 @section Saving Articles
5023 @cindex saving articles
5025 Gnus can save articles in a number of ways. Below is the documentation
5026 for saving articles in a fairly straight-forward fashion (i.e., little
5027 processing of the article is done before it is saved). For a different
5028 approach (uudecoding, unsharing) you should use @code{gnus-uu}
5029 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
5031 @vindex gnus-save-all-headers
5032 If @code{gnus-save-all-headers} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will not delete
5033 unwanted headers before saving the article.
5035 @vindex gnus-saved-headers
5036 If the preceding variable is @code{nil}, all headers that match the
5037 @code{gnus-saved-headers} regexp will be kept, while the rest will be
5038 deleted before saving.
5044 @kindex O o (Summary)
5046 @findex gnus-summary-save-article
5047 Save the current article using the default article saver
5048 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article}).
5051 @kindex O m (Summary)
5052 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-mail
5053 Save the current article in mail format
5054 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-mail}).
5057 @kindex O r (Summary)
5058 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-rmail
5059 Save the current article in rmail format
5060 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-rmail}).
5063 @kindex O f (Summary)
5064 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-file
5065 Save the current article in plain file format
5066 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-file}).
5069 @kindex O F (Summary)
5070 @findex gnus-summary-write-article-file
5071 Write the current article in plain file format, overwriting any previous
5072 file contents (@code{gnus-summary-write-article-file}).
5075 @kindex O b (Summary)
5076 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-body-file
5077 Save the current article body in plain file format
5078 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-body-file}).
5081 @kindex O h (Summary)
5082 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-folder
5083 Save the current article in mh folder format
5084 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-folder}).
5087 @kindex O v (Summary)
5088 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-vm
5089 Save the current article in a VM folder
5090 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-vm}).
5093 @kindex O p (Summary)
5094 @findex gnus-summary-pipe-output
5095 Save the current article in a pipe. Uhm, like, what I mean is---Pipe
5096 the current article to a process (@code{gnus-summary-pipe-output}).
5099 @vindex gnus-prompt-before-saving
5100 All these commands use the process/prefix convention
5101 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). If you save bunches of articles using these
5102 functions, you might get tired of being prompted for files to save each
5103 and every article in. The prompting action is controlled by
5104 the @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} variable, which is @code{always} by
5105 default, giving you that excessive prompting action you know and
5106 loathe. If you set this variable to @code{t} instead, you'll be prompted
5107 just once for each series of articles you save. If you like to really
5108 have Gnus do all your thinking for you, you can even set this variable
5109 to @code{nil}, which means that you will never be prompted for files to
5110 save articles in. Gnus will simply save all the articles in the default
5114 @vindex gnus-default-article-saver
5115 You can customize the @code{gnus-default-article-saver} variable to make
5116 Gnus do what you want it to. You can use any of the four ready-made
5117 functions below, or you can create your own.
5121 @item gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
5122 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
5123 @vindex gnus-rmail-save-name
5124 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
5125 This is the default format, @dfn{babyl}. Uses the function in the
5126 @code{gnus-rmail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
5127 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
5129 @item gnus-summary-save-in-mail
5130 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-mail
5131 @vindex gnus-mail-save-name
5132 Save in a Unix mail (mbox) file. Uses the function in the
5133 @code{gnus-mail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
5134 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
5136 @item gnus-summary-save-in-file
5137 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-file
5138 @vindex gnus-file-save-name
5139 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
5140 Append the article straight to an ordinary file. Uses the function in
5141 the @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
5142 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
5144 @item gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
5145 @findex gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
5146 Append the article body to an ordinary file. Uses the function in the
5147 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
5148 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
5150 @item gnus-summary-save-in-folder
5151 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-folder
5152 @findex gnus-folder-save-name
5153 @findex gnus-Folder-save-name
5154 @vindex gnus-folder-save-name
5157 Save the article to an MH folder using @code{rcvstore} from the MH
5158 library. Uses the function in the @code{gnus-folder-save-name} variable
5159 to get a file name to save the article in. The default is
5160 @code{gnus-folder-save-name}, but you can also use
5161 @code{gnus-Folder-save-name}. The former creates capitalized names, and
5162 the latter does not.
5164 @item gnus-summary-save-in-vm
5165 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-vm
5166 Save the article in a VM folder. You have to have the VM mail
5167 reader to use this setting.
5170 @vindex gnus-article-save-directory
5171 All of these functions, except for the last one, will save the article
5172 in the @code{gnus-article-save-directory}, which is initialized from the
5173 @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable. This is @file{~/News/} by
5176 As you can see above, the functions use different functions to find a
5177 suitable name of a file to save the article in. Below is a list of
5178 available functions that generate names:
5182 @item gnus-Numeric-save-name
5183 @findex gnus-Numeric-save-name
5184 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
5186 @item gnus-numeric-save-name
5187 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
5188 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
5190 @item gnus-Plain-save-name
5191 @findex gnus-Plain-save-name
5192 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin}.
5194 @item gnus-plain-save-name
5195 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
5196 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.
5199 @vindex gnus-split-methods
5200 You can have Gnus suggest where to save articles by plonking a regexp into
5201 the @code{gnus-split-methods} alist. For instance, if you would like to
5202 save articles related to Gnus in the file @file{gnus-stuff}, and articles
5203 related to VM in @code{vm-stuff}, you could set this variable to something
5207 (("^Subject:.*gnus\\|^Newsgroups:.*gnus" "gnus-stuff")
5208 ("^Subject:.*vm\\|^Xref:.*vm" "vm-stuff")
5209 (my-choosing-function "../other-dir/my-stuff")
5210 ((equal gnus-newsgroup-name "mail.misc") "mail-stuff"))
5213 We see that this is a list where each element is a list that has two
5214 elements---the @dfn{match} and the @dfn{file}. The match can either be
5215 a string (in which case it is used as a regexp to match on the article
5216 head); it can be a symbol (which will be called as a function with the
5217 group name as a parameter); or it can be a list (which will be
5218 @code{eval}ed). If any of these actions have a non-@code{nil} result,
5219 the @dfn{file} will be used as a default prompt. In addition, the
5220 result of the operation itself will be used if the function or form
5221 called returns a string or a list of strings.
5223 You basically end up with a list of file names that might be used when
5224 saving the current article. (All ``matches'' will be used.) You will
5225 then be prompted for what you really want to use as a name, with file
5226 name completion over the results from applying this variable.
5228 This variable is @code{((gnus-article-archive-name))} by default, which
5229 means that Gnus will look at the articles it saves for an
5230 @code{Archive-name} line and use that as a suggestion for the file
5233 Here's an example function to clean up file names somewhat. If you have
5234 lots of mail groups that are called things like
5235 @samp{nnml:mail.whatever}, you may want to chop off the beginning of
5236 these group names before creating the file name to save to. The
5237 following will do just that:
5240 (defun my-save-name (group)
5241 (when (string-match "^nnml:mail." group)
5242 (substring group (match-end 0))))
5244 (setq gnus-split-methods
5245 '((gnus-article-archive-name)
5250 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
5251 Finally, you have the @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable. If it is
5252 @code{nil}, all the preceding functions will replace all periods
5253 (@samp{.}) in the group names with slashes (@samp{/})---which means that
5254 the functions will generate hierarchies of directories instead of having
5255 all the files in the toplevel directory
5256 (@file{~/News/alt/andrea-dworkin} instead of
5257 @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.) This variable is @code{t} by default
5258 on most systems. However, for historical reasons, this is @code{nil} on
5259 Xenix and usg-unix-v machines by default.
5261 This function also affects kill and score file names. If this variable
5262 is a list, and the list contains the element @code{not-score}, long file
5263 names will not be used for score files, if it contains the element
5264 @code{not-save}, long file names will not be used for saving, and if it
5265 contains the element @code{not-kill}, long file names will not be used
5268 If you'd like to save articles in a hierarchy that looks something like
5272 (setq gnus-use-long-file-name '(not-save)) ; to get a hierarchy
5273 (setq gnus-default-article-save 'gnus-summary-save-in-file) ; no encoding
5276 Then just save with @kbd{o}. You'd then read this hierarchy with
5277 ephemeral @code{nneething} groups---@kbd{G D} in the group buffer, and
5278 the toplevel directory as the argument (@file{~/News/}). Then just walk
5279 around to the groups/directories with @code{nneething}.
5282 @node Decoding Articles
5283 @section Decoding Articles
5284 @cindex decoding articles
5286 Sometime users post articles (or series of articles) that have been
5287 encoded in some way or other. Gnus can decode them for you.
5290 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
5291 * Shared Articles:: Unshar articles.
5292 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
5293 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
5294 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
5297 All these functions use the process/prefix convention
5298 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) for finding out what articles to work on, with
5299 the extension that a ``single article'' means ``a single series''. Gnus
5300 can find out by itself what articles belong to a series, decode all the
5301 articles and unpack/view/save the resulting file(s).
5303 Gnus guesses what articles are in the series according to the following
5304 simplish rule: The subjects must be (nearly) identical, except for the
5305 last two numbers of the line. (Spaces are largely ignored, however.)
5307 For example: If you choose a subject called @samp{cat.gif (2/3)}, Gnus
5308 will find all the articles that match the regexp @samp{^cat.gif
5309 ([0-9]+/[0-9]+).*$}.
5311 Subjects that are nonstandard, like @samp{cat.gif (2/3) Part 6 of a
5312 series}, will not be properly recognized by any of the automatic viewing
5313 commands, and you have to mark the articles manually with @kbd{#}.
5316 @node Uuencoded Articles
5317 @subsection Uuencoded Articles
5319 @cindex uuencoded articles
5324 @kindex X u (Summary)
5325 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu
5326 Uudecodes the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}).
5329 @kindex X U (Summary)
5330 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save
5331 Uudecodes and saves the current series
5332 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
5335 @kindex X v u (Summary)
5336 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-view
5337 Uudecodes and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-view}).
5340 @kindex X v U (Summary)
5341 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view
5342 Uudecodes, views and saves the current series
5343 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view}).
5346 Remember that these all react to the presence of articles marked with
5347 the process mark. If, for instance, you'd like to decode and save an
5348 entire newsgroup, you'd typically do @kbd{M P a}
5349 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}) and then @kbd{X U}
5350 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
5352 All this is very much different from how @code{gnus-uu} worked with
5353 @sc{gnus 4.1}, where you had explicit keystrokes for everything under
5354 the sun. This version of @code{gnus-uu} generally assumes that you mark
5355 articles in some way (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}) and then press
5358 @vindex gnus-uu-notify-files
5359 Note: When trying to decode articles that have names matching
5360 @code{gnus-uu-notify-files}, which is hard-coded to
5361 @samp{[Cc][Ii][Nn][Dd][Yy][0-9]+.\\(gif\\|jpg\\)}, @code{gnus-uu} will
5362 automatically post an article on @samp{comp.unix.wizards} saying that
5363 you have just viewed the file in question. This feature can't be turned
5367 @node Shared Articles
5368 @subsection Shared Articles
5370 @cindex shared articles
5375 @kindex X s (Summary)
5376 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar
5377 Unshars the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar}).
5380 @kindex X S (Summary)
5381 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save
5382 Unshars and saves the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save}).
5385 @kindex X v s (Summary)
5386 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view
5387 Unshars and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view}).
5390 @kindex X v S (Summary)
5391 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view
5392 Unshars, views and saves the current series
5393 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view}).
5397 @node PostScript Files
5398 @subsection PostScript Files
5404 @kindex X p (Summary)
5405 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript
5406 Unpack the current PostScript series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript}).
5409 @kindex X P (Summary)
5410 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save
5411 Unpack and save the current PostScript series
5412 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save}).
5415 @kindex X v p (Summary)
5416 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view
5417 View the current PostScript series
5418 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view}).
5421 @kindex X v P (Summary)
5422 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view
5423 View and save the current PostScript series
5424 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view}).
5428 @node Decoding Variables
5429 @subsection Decoding Variables
5431 Adjective, not verb.
5434 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
5435 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
5436 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
5440 @node Rule Variables
5441 @subsubsection Rule Variables
5442 @cindex rule variables
5444 Gnus uses @dfn{rule variables} to decide how to view a file. All these
5445 variables are on the form
5448 (list '(regexp1 command2)
5455 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules
5456 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules
5458 This variable is consulted first when viewing files. If you wish to use,
5459 for instance, @code{sox} to convert an @samp{.au} sound file, you could
5462 (setq gnus-uu-user-view-rules
5463 (list '(\"\\\\.au$\" \"sox %s -t .aiff > /dev/audio\")))
5466 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
5467 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
5468 This variable is consulted if Gnus couldn't make any matches from the
5469 user and default view rules.
5471 @item gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
5472 @vindex gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
5473 This variable can be used to say what commands should be used to unpack
5478 @node Other Decode Variables
5479 @subsubsection Other Decode Variables
5482 @vindex gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
5484 @item gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
5485 All functions in this list will be called right each file has been
5486 successfully decoded---so that you can move or view files right away,
5487 and don't have to wait for all files to be decoded before you can do
5488 anything. Ready-made functions you can put in this list are:
5492 @item gnus-uu-grab-view
5493 @findex gnus-uu-grab-view
5496 @item gnus-uu-grab-move
5497 @findex gnus-uu-grab-move
5498 Move the file (if you're using a saving function.)
5501 @item gnus-uu-be-dangerous
5502 @vindex gnus-uu-be-dangerous
5503 Specifies what to do if unusual situations arise during decoding. If
5504 @code{nil}, be as conservative as possible. If @code{t}, ignore things
5505 that didn't work, and overwrite existing files. Otherwise, ask each
5508 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
5509 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
5510 Files with name matching this regular expression won't be viewed.
5512 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
5513 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
5514 Files with a @sc{mime} type matching this variable won't be viewed.
5515 Note that Gnus tries to guess what type the file is based on the name.
5516 @code{gnus-uu} is not a @sc{mime} package (yet), so this is slightly
5519 @item gnus-uu-tmp-dir
5520 @vindex gnus-uu-tmp-dir
5521 Where @code{gnus-uu} does its work.
5523 @item gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
5524 @vindex gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
5525 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} won't peek inside archives
5526 looking for files to display.
5528 @item gnus-uu-view-and-save
5529 @vindex gnus-uu-view-and-save
5530 Non-@code{nil} means that the user will always be asked to save a file
5533 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
5534 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
5535 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default viewing
5538 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
5539 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
5540 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default archive
5543 @item gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
5544 @vindex gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
5545 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will strip all carriage returns
5548 @item gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
5549 @vindex gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
5550 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will mark articles that were
5551 unsuccessfully decoded as unread.
5553 @item gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
5554 @vindex gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
5555 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will @emph{try} to fix
5556 uuencoded files that have had trailing spaces deleted.
5558 @item gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
5559 @vindex gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
5561 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the viewing
5562 commands defined by the rule variables and just fudge a @sc{mime}
5563 content type based on the file name. The result will be fed to
5564 @code{metamail} for viewing.
5566 @item gnus-uu-save-in-digest
5567 @vindex gnus-uu-save-in-digest
5568 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu}, when asked to save without
5569 decoding, will save in digests. If this variable is @code{nil},
5570 @code{gnus-uu} will just save everything in a file without any
5571 embellishments. The digesting almost conforms to RFC1153---no easy way
5572 to specify any meaningful volume and issue numbers were found, so I
5573 simply dropped them.
5578 @node Uuencoding and Posting
5579 @subsubsection Uuencoding and Posting
5583 @item gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
5584 @vindex gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
5585 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ask for a file to encode
5586 before you compose the article. If this variable is @code{t}, you can
5587 either include an encoded file with @kbd{C-c C-i} or have one included
5588 for you when you post the article.
5590 @item gnus-uu-post-length
5591 @vindex gnus-uu-post-length
5592 Maximum length of an article. The encoded file will be split into how
5593 many articles it takes to post the entire file.
5595 @item gnus-uu-post-threaded
5596 @vindex gnus-uu-post-threaded
5597 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will post the encoded file in a
5598 thread. This may not be smart, as no other decoder I have seen are able
5599 to follow threads when collecting uuencoded articles. (Well, I have
5600 seen one package that does that---@code{gnus-uu}, but somehow, I don't
5601 think that counts...) Default is @code{nil}.
5603 @item gnus-uu-post-separate-description
5604 @vindex gnus-uu-post-separate-description
5605 Non-@code{nil} means that the description will be posted in a separate
5606 article. The first article will typically be numbered (0/x). If this
5607 variable is @code{nil}, the description the user enters will be included
5608 at the beginning of the first article, which will be numbered (1/x).
5609 Default is @code{t}.
5615 @subsection Viewing Files
5616 @cindex viewing files
5617 @cindex pseudo-articles
5619 After decoding, if the file is some sort of archive, Gnus will attempt
5620 to unpack the archive and see if any of the files in the archive can be
5621 viewed. For instance, if you have a gzipped tar file @file{pics.tar.gz}
5622 containing the files @file{pic1.jpg} and @file{pic2.gif}, Gnus will
5623 uncompress and de-tar the main file, and then view the two pictures.
5624 This unpacking process is recursive, so if the archive contains archives
5625 of archives, it'll all be unpacked.
5627 Finally, Gnus will normally insert a @dfn{pseudo-article} for each
5628 extracted file into the summary buffer. If you go to these
5629 ``articles'', you will be prompted for a command to run (usually Gnus
5630 will make a suggestion), and then the command will be run.
5632 @vindex gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously
5633 If @code{gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously} is @code{nil}, Emacs will wait
5634 until the viewing is done before proceeding.
5636 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos
5637 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos} is @code{automatic}, Gnus will not insert
5638 the pseudo-articles into the summary buffer, but view them
5639 immediately. If this variable is @code{not-confirm}, the user won't even
5640 be asked for a confirmation before viewing is done.
5642 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos-separately
5643 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos-separately} is non-@code{nil}, one
5644 pseudo-article will be created for each file to be viewed. If
5645 @code{nil}, all files that use the same viewing command will be given as
5646 a list of parameters to that command.
5648 @vindex gnus-insert-pseudo-articles
5649 If @code{gnus-insert-pseudo-articles} is non-@code{nil}, insert
5650 pseudo-articles when decoding. It is @code{t} by default.
5652 So; there you are, reading your @emph{pseudo-articles} in your
5653 @emph{virtual newsgroup} from the @emph{virtual server}; and you think:
5654 Why isn't anything real anymore? How did we get here?
5657 @node Article Treatment
5658 @section Article Treatment
5660 Reading through this huge manual, you may have quite forgotten that the
5661 object of newsreaders are to actually, like, read what people have
5662 written. Reading articles. Unfortunately, people are quite bad at
5663 writing, so there are tons of functions and variables to make reading
5664 these articles easier.
5667 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
5668 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look niced.
5669 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
5670 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
5671 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
5672 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
5673 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
5677 @node Article Highlighting
5678 @subsection Article Highlighting
5681 Not only do you want your article buffer to look like fruit salad, but
5682 you want it to look like technicolor fruit salad.
5687 @kindex W H a (Summary)
5688 @findex gnus-article-highlight
5689 Highlight the current article (@code{gnus-article-highlight}).
5692 @kindex W H h (Summary)
5693 @findex gnus-article-highlight-headers
5694 @vindex gnus-header-face-alist
5695 Highlight the headers (@code{gnus-article-highlight-headers}). The
5696 highlighting will be done according to the @code{gnus-header-face-alist}
5697 variable, which is a list where each element has the form @var{(regexp
5698 name content)}. @var{regexp} is a regular expression for matching the
5699 header, @var{name} is the face used for highlighting the header name and
5700 @var{content} is the face for highlighting the header value. The first
5701 match made will be used. Note that @var{regexp} shouldn't have @samp{^}
5702 prepended---Gnus will add one.
5705 @kindex W H c (Summary)
5706 @findex gnus-article-highlight-citation
5707 Highlight cited text (@code{gnus-article-highlight-citation}).
5709 Some variables to customize the citation highlights:
5712 @vindex gnus-cite-parse-max-size
5714 @item gnus-cite-parse-max-size
5715 If the article size if bigger than this variable (which is 25000 by
5716 default), no citation highlighting will be performed.
5718 @item gnus-cite-prefix-regexp
5719 @vindex gnus-cite-prefix-regexp
5720 Regexp matching the longest possible citation prefix on a line.
5722 @item gnus-cite-max-prefix
5723 @vindex gnus-cite-max-prefix
5724 Maximum possible length for a citation prefix (default 20).
5726 @item gnus-cite-face-list
5727 @vindex gnus-cite-face-list
5728 List of faces used for highlighting citations. When there are citations
5729 from multiple articles in the same message, Gnus will try to give each
5730 citation from each article its own face. This should make it easier to
5733 @item gnus-supercite-regexp
5734 @vindex gnus-supercite-regexp
5735 Regexp matching normal Supercite attribution lines.
5737 @item gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
5738 @vindex gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
5739 Regexp matching mangled Supercite attribution lines.
5741 @item gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
5742 @vindex gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
5743 Minimum number of identical prefixes we have to see before we believe
5744 that it's a citation.
5746 @item gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
5747 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
5748 Regexp matching the beginning of an attribution line.
5750 @item gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
5751 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
5752 Regexp matching the end of an attribution line.
5754 @item gnus-cite-attribution-face
5755 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-face
5756 Face used for attribution lines. It is merged with the face for the
5757 cited text belonging to the attribution.
5763 @kindex W H s (Summary)
5764 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
5765 @vindex gnus-signature-face
5766 @findex gnus-article-highlight-signature
5767 Highlight the signature (@code{gnus-article-highlight-signature}).
5768 Everything after @code{gnus-signature-separator} (@pxref{Article
5769 Signature}) in an article will be considered a signature and will be
5770 highlighted with @code{gnus-signature-face}, which is @code{italic} by
5776 @node Article Fontisizing
5777 @subsection Article Fontisizing
5779 @cindex article emphasis
5781 @findex gnus-article-emphasize
5782 @kindex W e (Summary)
5783 People commonly add emphasis to words in news articles by writing things
5784 like @samp{_this_} or @samp{*this*}. Gnus can make this look nicer by
5785 running the article through the @kbd{W e}
5786 (@code{gnus-article-emphasize}) command.
5788 @vindex gnus-article-emphasis
5789 How the emphasis is computed is controlled by the
5790 @code{gnus-article-emphasis} variable. This is an alist where the first
5791 element is a regular expression to be matched. The second is a number
5792 that says what regular expression grouping used to find the entire
5793 emphasized word. The third is a number that says what regexp grouping
5794 should be displayed and highlighted. (The text between these two
5795 groupings will be hidden.) The fourth is the face used for
5799 (setq gnus-article-emphasis
5800 '(("_\\(\\w+\\)_" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-underline)
5801 ("\\*\\(\\w+\\)\\*" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-bold)))
5804 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline
5805 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold
5806 @vindex gnus-emphasis-italic
5807 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold
5808 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-italic
5809 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold-italic
5810 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic
5811 By default, there are seven rules, and they use the following faces:
5812 @code{gnus-emphasis-bold}, @code{gnus-emphasis-italic},
5813 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline}, @code{gnus-emphasis-bold-italic},
5814 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-italic},
5815 @code{gnus-emphasis-undeline-bold}, and
5816 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic}.
5818 If you want to change these faces, you can either use @kbd{M-x
5819 customize}, or you can use @code{copy-face}. For instance, if you want
5820 to make @code{gnus-emphasis-italic} use a red face instead, you could
5824 (copy-face 'red 'gnus-emphasis-italic)
5828 @node Article Hiding
5829 @subsection Article Hiding
5830 @cindex article hiding
5832 Or rather, hiding certain things in each article. There usually is much
5833 too much cruft in most articles.
5838 @kindex W W a (Summary)
5839 @findex gnus-article-hide
5840 Do maximum hiding on the summary buffer (@kbd{gnus-article-hide}).
5843 @kindex W W h (Summary)
5844 @findex gnus-article-hide-headers
5845 Hide headers (@code{gnus-article-hide-headers}). @xref{Hiding
5849 @kindex W W b (Summary)
5850 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
5851 Hide headers that aren't particularly interesting
5852 (@code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers}). @xref{Hiding Headers}.
5855 @kindex W W s (Summary)
5856 @findex gnus-article-hide-signature
5857 Hide signature (@code{gnus-article-hide-signature}). @xref{Article
5861 @kindex W W p (Summary)
5862 @findex gnus-article-hide-pgp
5863 Hide @sc{pgp} signatures (@code{gnus-article-hide-pgp}).
5866 @kindex W W P (Summary)
5867 @findex gnus-article-hide-pem
5868 Hide @sc{pem} (privacy enhanced messages) gruft
5869 (@code{gnus-article-hide-pem}).
5872 @kindex W W c (Summary)
5873 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation
5874 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation}). Some variables for
5875 customizing the hiding:
5879 @item gnus-cite-hide-percentage
5880 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-percentage
5881 If the cited text is of a bigger percentage than this variable (default
5882 50), hide the cited text.
5884 @item gnus-cite-hide-absolute
5885 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-absolute
5886 The cited text must be have at least this length (default 10) before it
5889 @item gnus-cited-text-button-line-format
5890 @vindex gnus-cited-text-button-line-format
5891 Gnus adds buttons show where the cited text has been hidden, and to
5892 allow toggle hiding the text. The format of the variable is specified
5893 by this format-like variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). These
5898 Start point of the hidden text.
5900 End point of the hidden text.
5902 Length of the hidden text.
5905 @item gnus-cited-lines-visible
5906 @vindex gnus-cited-lines-visible
5907 The number of lines at the beginning of the cited text to leave shown.
5912 @kindex W W C (Summary)
5913 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups
5914 Hide cited text in articles that aren't roots
5915 (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups}). This isn't very
5916 useful as an interactive command, but might be a handy function to stick
5917 in @code{gnus-article-display-hook} (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
5921 All these ``hiding'' commands are toggles, but if you give a negative
5922 prefix to these commands, they will show what they have previously
5923 hidden. If you give a positive prefix, they will always hide.
5925 Also @pxref{Article Highlighting} for further variables for
5926 citation customization.
5929 @node Article Washing
5930 @subsection Article Washing
5932 @cindex article washing
5934 We call this ``article washing'' for a really good reason. Namely, the
5935 @kbd{A} key was taken, so we had to use the @kbd{W} key instead.
5937 @dfn{Washing} is defined by us as ``changing something from something to
5938 something else'', but normally results in something looking better.
5944 @kindex W l (Summary)
5945 @findex gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking
5946 Remove page breaks from the current article
5947 (@code{gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking}).
5950 @kindex W r (Summary)
5951 @findex gnus-summary-caesar-message
5952 Do a Caesar rotate (rot13) on the article buffer
5953 (@code{gnus-summary-caesar-message}).
5956 @kindex W t (Summary)
5957 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-header
5958 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer
5959 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-header}).
5962 @kindex W v (Summary)
5963 @findex gnus-summary-verbose-header
5964 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer permanently
5965 (@code{gnus-summary-verbose-header}).
5968 @kindex W m (Summary)
5969 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-mime
5970 Toggle whether to run the article through @sc{mime} before displaying
5971 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-mime}).
5974 @kindex W o (Summary)
5975 @findex gnus-article-treat-overstrike
5976 Treat overstrike (@code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}).
5979 @kindex W w (Summary)
5980 @findex gnus-article-fill-cited-article
5981 Do word wrap (@code{gnus-article-fill-cited-article}). If you use this
5982 function in @code{gnus-article-display-hook}, it should be run fairly
5983 late and certainly after any highlighting.
5985 You can give the command a numerical prefix to specify the width to use
5989 @kindex W c (Summary)
5990 @findex gnus-article-remove-cr
5991 Remove CR (@code{gnus-article-remove-cr}).
5994 @kindex W q (Summary)
5995 @findex gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable
5996 Treat quoted-printable (@code{gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable}).
5999 @kindex W f (Summary)
6001 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
6002 @findex gnus-article-x-face-command
6003 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-command
6004 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly
6005 Look for and display any X-Face headers
6006 (@code{gnus-article-display-x-face}). The command executed by this
6007 function is given by the @code{gnus-article-x-face-command} variable.
6008 If this variable is a string, this string will be executed in a
6009 sub-shell. If it is a function, this function will be called with the
6010 face as the argument. If the @code{gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly} (which
6011 is a regexp) matches the @code{From} header, the face will not be shown.
6012 The default action under Emacs is to fork off an @code{xv} to view the
6013 face; under XEmacs the default action is to display the face before the
6014 @code{From} header. (It's nicer if XEmacs has been compiled with X-Face
6015 support---that will make display somewhat faster. If there's no native
6016 X-Face support, Gnus will try to convert the @code{X-Face} header using
6017 external programs from the @code{pbmplus} package and friends.) If you
6018 want to have this function in the display hook, it should probably come
6022 @kindex W b (Summary)
6023 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons
6024 Add clickable buttons to the article (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons}).
6027 @kindex W B (Summary)
6028 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head
6029 Add clickable buttons to the article headers
6030 (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head}).
6033 @kindex W E l (Summary)
6034 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines
6035 Remove all blank lines from the beginning of the article
6036 (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines}).
6039 @kindex W E m (Summary)
6040 @findex gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines
6041 Replace all blank lines with empty lines and then all multiple empty
6042 lines with a single empty line.
6043 (@code{gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines}).
6046 @kindex W E t (Summary)
6047 @findex gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines
6048 Remove all blank lines at the end of the article
6049 (@code{gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines}).
6052 @kindex W E a (Summary)
6053 @findex gnus-article-strip-blank-lines
6054 Do all the three commands above
6055 (@code{gnus-article-strip-blank-lines}).
6058 @kindex W E s (Summary)
6059 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-space
6060 Remove all white space from the beginning of all lines of the article
6061 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-space}).
6066 @node Article Buttons
6067 @subsection Article Buttons
6070 People often include references to other stuff in articles, and it would
6071 be nice if Gnus could just fetch whatever it is that people talk about
6072 with the minimum of fuzz.
6074 Gnus adds @dfn{buttons} to certain standard references by default:
6075 Well-formed URLs, mail addresses and Message-IDs. This is controlled by
6076 two variables, one that handles article bodies and one that handles
6081 @item gnus-button-alist
6082 @vindex gnus-button-alist
6083 This is an alist where each entry has this form:
6086 (REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
6092 All text that match this regular expression will be considered an
6093 external reference. Here's a typical regexp that match embedded URLs:
6094 @samp{<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>}.
6097 Gnus has to know which parts of the match is to be highlighted. This is
6098 a number that says what sub-expression of the regexp that is to be
6099 highlighted. If you want it all highlighted, you use 0 here.
6102 This form will be @code{eval}ed, and if the result is non-@code{nil},
6103 this is considered a match. This is useful if you want extra sifting to
6104 avoid false matches.
6107 This function will be called when you click on this button.
6110 As with @var{button-par}, this is a sub-expression number, but this one
6111 says which part of the match is to be sent as data to @var{function}.
6115 So the full entry for buttonizing URLs is then
6118 ("<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>" 0 t gnus-button-url 1)
6121 @item gnus-header-button-alist
6122 @vindex gnus-header-button-alist
6123 This is just like the other alist, except that it is applied to the
6124 article head only, and that each entry has an additional element that is
6125 used to say what headers to apply the buttonize coding to:
6128 (HEADER REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
6131 @var{header} is a regular expression.
6133 @item gnus-button-url-regexp
6134 @vindex gnus-button-url-regexp
6135 A regular expression that matches embedded URLs. It is used in the
6136 default values of the variables above.
6138 @item gnus-article-button-face
6139 @vindex gnus-article-button-face
6140 Face used on buttons.
6142 @item gnus-article-mouse-face
6143 @vindex gnus-article-mouse-face
6144 Face is used when the mouse cursor is over a button.
6150 @subsection Article Date
6152 The date is most likely generated in some obscure timezone you've never
6153 heard of, so it's quite nice to be able to find out what the time was
6154 when the article was sent.
6159 @kindex W T u (Summary)
6160 @findex gnus-article-date-ut
6161 Display the date in UT (aka. GMT, aka ZULU)
6162 (@code{gnus-article-date-ut}).
6165 @kindex W T l (Summary)
6166 @findex gnus-article-date-local
6167 Display the date in the local timezone (@code{gnus-article-date-local}).
6170 @kindex W T s (Summary)
6171 @vindex gnus-article-time-format
6172 @findex gnus-article-date-user
6173 @findex format-time-string
6174 Display the date using a user-defined format
6175 (@code{gnus-article-date-user}). The format is specified by the
6176 @code{gnus-article-time-format} variable, and is a string that's passed
6177 to @code{format-time-string}. See the documentation of that variable
6178 for a list possible format specs.
6181 @kindex W T e (Summary)
6182 @findex gnus-article-date-lapsed
6183 Say how much time has (e)lapsed between the article was posted and now
6184 (@code{gnus-article-date-lapsed}).
6187 @kindex W T o (Summary)
6188 @findex gnus-article-date-original
6189 Display the original date (@code{gnus-article-date-original}). This can
6190 be useful if you normally use some other conversion function and is
6191 worried that it might be doing something totally wrong. Say, claiming
6192 that the article was posted in 1854. Although something like that is
6193 @emph{totally} impossible. Don't you trust me? *titter*
6198 @node Article Signature
6199 @subsection Article Signature
6201 @cindex article signature
6203 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
6204 Each article is divided into two parts---the head and the body. The
6205 body can be divided into a signature part and a text part. The variable
6206 that says what is to be considered a signature is
6207 @code{gnus-signature-separator}. This is normally the standard
6208 @samp{^-- $} as mandated by son-of-RFC 1036. However, many people use
6209 non-standard signature separators, so this variable can also be a list
6210 of regular expressions to be tested, one by one. (Searches are done
6211 from the end of the body towards the beginning.) One likely value is:
6214 (setq gnus-signature-separator
6215 '("^-- $" ; The standard
6216 "^-- *$" ; A common mangling
6217 "^-------*$" ; Many people just use a looong
6218 ; line of dashes. Shame!
6219 "^ *--------*$" ; Double-shame!
6220 "^________*$" ; Underscores are also popular
6221 "^========*$")) ; Pervert!
6224 The more permissive you are, the more likely it is that you'll get false
6227 @vindex gnus-signature-limit
6228 @code{gnus-signature-limit} provides a limit to what is considered a
6233 If it is an integer, no signature may be longer (in characters) than
6236 If it is a floating point number, no signature may be longer (in lines)
6239 If it is a function, the function will be called without any parameters,
6240 and if it returns @code{nil}, there is no signature in the buffer.
6242 If it is a string, it will be used as a regexp. If it matches, the text
6243 in question is not a signature.
6246 This variable can also be a list where the elements may be of the types
6250 @node Article Commands
6251 @section Article Commands
6258 @kindex A P (Summary)
6259 @vindex gnus-ps-print-hook
6260 @findex gnus-summary-print-article
6261 Generate and print a PostScript image of the article buffer
6262 (@code{gnus-summary-print-article}). @code{gnus-ps-print-hook} will be
6263 run just before printing the buffer.
6268 @node Summary Sorting
6269 @section Summary Sorting
6270 @cindex summary sorting
6272 You can have the summary buffer sorted in various ways, even though I
6273 can't really see why you'd want that.
6278 @kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
6279 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-number
6280 Sort by article number (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-number}).
6283 @kindex C-c C-s C-a (Summary)
6284 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-author
6285 Sort by author (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-author}).
6288 @kindex C-c C-s C-s (Summary)
6289 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-subject
6290 Sort by subject (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-subject}).
6293 @kindex C-c C-s C-d (Summary)
6294 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-date
6295 Sort by date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-date}).
6298 @kindex C-c C-s C-l (Summary)
6299 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-lines
6300 Sort by lines (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-lines}).
6303 @kindex C-c C-s C-i (Summary)
6304 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-score
6305 Sort by score (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-score}).
6308 These functions will work both when you use threading and when you don't
6309 use threading. In the latter case, all summary lines will be sorted,
6310 line by line. In the former case, sorting will be done on a
6311 root-by-root basis, which might not be what you were looking for. To
6312 toggle whether to use threading, type @kbd{T T} (@pxref{Thread
6316 @node Finding the Parent
6317 @section Finding the Parent
6318 @cindex parent articles
6319 @cindex referring articles
6321 @findex gnus-summary-refer-parent-article
6323 If you'd like to read the parent of the current article, and it is not
6324 displayed in the summary buffer, you might still be able to. That is,
6325 if the current group is fetched by @sc{nntp}, the parent hasn't expired
6326 and the @code{References} in the current article are not mangled, you
6327 can just press @kbd{^} or @kbd{A r}
6328 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article}). If everything goes well,
6329 you'll get the parent. If the parent is already displayed in the
6330 summary buffer, point will just move to this article.
6332 If given a positive numerical prefix, fetch that many articles back into
6333 the ancestry. If given a negative numerical prefix, fetch just that
6334 ancestor. So if you say @kbd{3 ^}, Gnus will fetch the parent, the
6335 grandparent and the grandgrandparent of the current article. If you say
6336 @kbd{-3 ^}, Gnus will only fetch the grandgrandparent of the current
6339 @findex gnus-summary-refer-references
6340 @kindex A R (Summary)
6341 You can have Gnus fetch all articles mentioned in the @code{References}
6342 header of the article by pushing @kbd{A R}
6343 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-references}).
6345 @findex gnus-summary-refer-article
6346 @kindex M-^ (Summary)
6348 @cindex fetching by Message-ID
6349 You can also ask the @sc{nntp} server for an arbitrary article, no
6350 matter what group it belongs to. @kbd{M-^}
6351 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-article}) will ask you for a
6352 @code{Message-ID}, which is one of those long, hard-to-read thingies
6353 that look something like @samp{<38o6up$6f2@@hymir.ifi.uio.no>}. You
6354 have to get it all exactly right. No fuzzy searches, I'm afraid.
6356 The current select method will be used when fetching by
6357 @code{Message-ID} from non-news select method, but you can override this
6358 by giving this command a prefix.
6360 @vindex gnus-refer-article-method
6361 If the group you are reading is located on a backend that does not
6362 support fetching by @code{Message-ID} very well (like @code{nnspool}),
6363 you can set @code{gnus-refer-article-method} to an @sc{nntp} method. It
6364 would, perhaps, be best if the @sc{nntp} server you consult is the same
6365 as the one that keeps the spool you are reading from updated, but that's
6366 not really necessary.
6368 Most of the mail backends support fetching by @code{Message-ID}, but do
6369 not do a particularly excellent job of it. That is, @code{nnmbox} and
6370 @code{nnbabyl} are able to locate articles from any groups, while
6371 @code{nnml} and @code{nnfolder} are only able to locate articles that
6372 have been posted to the current group. (Anything else would be too time
6373 consuming.) @code{nnmh} does not support this at all.
6376 @node Alternative Approaches
6377 @section Alternative Approaches
6379 Different people like to read news using different methods. This being
6380 Gnus, we offer a small selection of minor modes for the summary buffers.
6383 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
6384 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
6389 @subsection Pick and Read
6390 @cindex pick and read
6392 Some newsreaders (like @code{nn} and, uhm, @code{Netnews} on VM/CMS) use
6393 a two-phased reading interface. The user first marks the articles she
6394 wants to read from a summary buffer. Then she starts reading the
6395 articles with just an article buffer displayed.
6397 @findex gnus-pick-mode
6398 @kindex M-x gnus-pick-mode
6399 Gnus provides a summary buffer minor mode that allows
6400 this---@code{gnus-pick-mode}. This basically means that a few process
6401 mark commands become one-keystroke commands to allow easy marking, and
6402 it makes one additional command for switching to the summary buffer
6405 Here are the available keystrokes when using pick mode:
6410 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
6411 Pick the article on the current line
6412 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}). If given a numerical prefix,
6413 go to the article on that line and pick that article. (The line number
6414 is normally displayed on the beginning of the summary pick lines.)
6417 @kindex SPACE (Pick)
6418 @findex gnus-pick-next-page
6419 Scroll the summary buffer up one page (@code{gnus-pick-next-page}). If
6420 at the end of the buffer, start reading the picked articles.
6424 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
6425 Unpick the article (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
6429 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
6430 Unpick all articles (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
6434 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
6435 Pick the thread (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
6439 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
6440 Unpick the thread (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
6444 @findex gnus-uu-mark-region
6445 Pick the region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
6449 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-region
6450 Unpick the region (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-region}).
6454 @findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
6455 Pick articles that match a regexp (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
6459 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp
6460 Unpick articles that match a regexp (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp}).
6464 @findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
6465 Pick the buffer (@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
6469 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-buffer
6470 Unpick the buffer (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-buffer}).
6474 @findex gnus-pick-start-reading
6475 @vindex gnus-pick-display-summary
6476 Start reading the picked articles (@code{gnus-pick-start-reading}). If
6477 given a prefix, mark all unpicked articles as read first. If
6478 @code{gnus-pick-display-summary} is non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer
6479 will still be visible when you are reading.
6483 If this sounds like a good idea to you, you could say:
6486 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
6489 @vindex gnus-pick-mode-hook
6490 @code{gnus-pick-mode-hook} is run in pick minor mode buffers.
6492 @vindex gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read
6493 If @code{gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read} is non-@code{nil}, mark
6494 all unpicked articles as read. The default is @code{nil}.
6496 @vindex gnus-summary-pick-line-format
6497 The summary line format in pick mode is slightly different than the
6498 standard format. At the beginning of each line the line number is
6499 displayed. The pick mode line format is controlled by the
6500 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting
6501 Variables}). It accepts the same format specs that
6502 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} does (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}).
6506 @subsection Binary Groups
6507 @cindex binary groups
6509 @findex gnus-binary-mode
6510 @kindex M-x gnus-binary-mode
6511 If you spend much time in binary groups, you may grow tired of hitting
6512 @kbd{X u}, @kbd{n}, @kbd{RET} all the time. @kbd{M-x gnus-binary-mode}
6513 is a minor mode for summary buffers that makes all ordinary Gnus article
6514 selection functions uudecode series of articles and display the result
6515 instead of just displaying the articles the normal way.
6518 @findex gnus-binary-show-article
6519 In fact, the only way to see the actual articles if you have turned this
6520 mode on is the @kbd{g} command (@code{gnus-binary-show-article}).
6522 @vindex gnus-binary-mode-hook
6523 @code{gnus-binary-mode-hook} is called in binary minor mode buffers.
6527 @section Tree Display
6530 @vindex gnus-use-trees
6531 If you don't like the normal Gnus summary display, you might try setting
6532 @code{gnus-use-trees} to @code{t}. This will create (by default) an
6533 additional @dfn{tree buffer}. You can execute all summary mode commands
6536 There are a few variables to customize the tree display, of course:
6539 @item gnus-tree-mode-hook
6540 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-hook
6541 A hook called in all tree mode buffers.
6543 @item gnus-tree-mode-line-format
6544 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-line-format
6545 A format string for the mode bar in the tree mode buffers. The default
6546 is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}. For a list of legal specs, @pxref{Summary
6549 @item gnus-selected-tree-face
6550 @vindex gnus-selected-tree-face
6551 Face used for highlighting the selected article in the tree buffer. The
6552 default is @code{modeline}.
6554 @item gnus-tree-line-format
6555 @vindex gnus-tree-line-format
6556 A format string for the tree nodes. The name is a bit of a misnomer,
6557 though---it doesn't define a line, but just the node. The default value
6558 is @samp{%(%[%3,3n%]%)}, which displays the first three characters of
6559 the name of the poster. It is vital that all nodes are of the same
6560 length, so you @emph{must} use @samp{%4,4n}-like specifiers.
6566 The name of the poster.
6568 The @code{From} header.
6570 The number of the article.
6572 The opening bracket.
6574 The closing bracket.
6579 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
6581 Variables related to the display are:
6584 @item gnus-tree-brackets
6585 @vindex gnus-tree-brackets
6586 This is used for differentiating between ``real'' articles and
6587 ``sparse'' articles. The format is @var{((real-open . real-close)
6588 (sparse-open . sparse-close) (dummy-open . dummy-close))}, and the
6589 default is @code{((?[ . ?]) (?( . ?)) (?@{ . ?@}))}.
6591 @item gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
6592 @vindex gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
6593 This is a list that contains the characters used for connecting parent
6594 nodes to their children. The default is @code{(?- ?\\ ?|)}.
6598 @item gnus-tree-minimize-window
6599 @vindex gnus-tree-minimize-window
6600 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will try to keep the tree
6601 buffer as small as possible to allow more room for the other Gnus
6602 windows. If this variable is a number, the tree buffer will never be
6603 higher than that number. The default is @code{t}. Note that if you
6604 have several windows displayed side-by-side in a frame and the tree
6605 buffer is one of these, minimizing the tree window will also resize all
6606 other windows that are displayed next to it.
6608 @item gnus-generate-tree-function
6609 @vindex gnus-generate-tree-function
6610 @findex gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
6611 @findex gnus-generate-vertical-tree
6612 The function that actually generates the thread tree. Two predefined
6613 functions are available: @code{gnus-generate-horizontal-tree} and
6614 @code{gnus-generate-vertical-tree} (which is the default).
6618 Here's and example from a horizontal tree buffer:
6621 @{***@}-(***)-[odd]-[Gun]
6631 Here's the same thread displayed in a vertical tree buffer:
6635 |--------------------------\-----\-----\
6636 (***) [Bjo] [Gun] [Gun]
6638 [odd] [Jan] [odd] (***) [Jor]
6640 [Gun] [Eri] [Eri] [odd]
6646 @node Mail Group Commands
6647 @section Mail Group Commands
6648 @cindex mail group commands
6650 Some commands only make sense in mail groups. If these commands are
6651 illegal in the current group, they will raise a hell and let you know.
6653 All these commands (except the expiry and edit commands) use the
6654 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
6659 @kindex B e (Summary)
6660 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles
6661 Expire all expirable articles in the group
6662 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles}).
6665 @kindex B M-C-e (Summary)
6666 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles-now
6667 Delete all the expirable articles in the group
6668 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles-now}). This means that @strong{all}
6669 articles that are eligible for expiry in the current group will
6670 disappear forever into that big @file{/dev/null} in the sky.
6673 @kindex B DEL (Summary)
6674 @findex gnus-summary-delete-article
6675 Delete the mail article. This is ``delete'' as in ``delete it from your
6676 disk forever and ever, never to return again.'' Use with caution.
6677 (@code{gnus-summary-delete-article}).
6680 @kindex B m (Summary)
6682 @findex gnus-summary-move-article
6683 Move the article from one mail group to another
6684 (@code{gnus-summary-move-article}).
6687 @kindex B c (Summary)
6689 @findex gnus-summary-copy-article
6690 Copy the article from one group (mail group or not) to a mail group
6691 (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}).
6694 @kindex B C (Summary)
6695 @cindex crosspost mail
6696 @findex gnus-summary-crosspost-article
6697 Crosspost the current article to some other group
6698 (@code{gnus-summary-crosspost-article}). This will create a new copy of
6699 the article in the other group, and the Xref headers of the article will
6700 be properly updated.
6703 @kindex B i (Summary)
6704 @findex gnus-summary-import-article
6705 Import an arbitrary file into the current mail newsgroup
6706 (@code{gnus-summary-import-article}). You will be prompted for a file
6707 name, a @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
6710 @kindex B r (Summary)
6711 @findex gnus-summary-respool-article
6712 Respool the mail article (@code{gnus-summary-move-article}).
6713 @code{gnus-summary-respool-default-method} will be used as the default
6714 select method when respooling. This variable is @code{nil} by default,
6715 which means that the current group select method will be used instead.
6719 @kindex B w (Summary)
6721 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article
6722 @kindex C-c C-c (Article)
6723 Edit the current article (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article}). To finish
6724 editing and make the changes permanent, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
6725 (@kbd{gnus-summary-edit-article-done}).
6728 @kindex B q (Summary)
6729 @findex gnus-summary-respool-query
6730 If you want to re-spool an article, you might be curious as to what group
6731 the article will end up in before you do the re-spooling. This command
6732 will tell you (@code{gnus-summary-respool-query}).
6735 @kindex B p (Summary)
6736 @findex gnus-summary-article-posted-p
6737 Some people have a tendency to send you "courtesy" copies when they
6738 follow up to articles you have posted. These usually have a
6739 @code{Newsgroups} header in them, but not always. This command
6740 (@code{gnus-summary-article-posted-p}) will try to fetch the current
6741 article from your news server (or rather, from
6742 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} or @code{gnus-select-method}) and will
6743 report back whether it found the article or not. Even if it says that
6744 it didn't find the article, it may have been posted anyway---mail
6745 propagation is much faster than news propagation, and the news copy may
6746 just not have arrived yet.
6750 @vindex gnus-move-split-methods
6751 @cindex moving articles
6752 If you move (or copy) articles regularly, you might wish to have Gnus
6753 suggest where to put the articles. @code{gnus-move-split-methods} is a
6754 variable that uses the same syntax as @code{gnus-split-methods}
6755 (@pxref{Saving Articles}). You may customize that variable to create
6756 suggestions you find reasonable.
6759 (setq gnus-move-split-methods
6760 '(("^From:.*Lars Magne" "nnml:junk")
6761 ("^Subject:.*gnus" "nnfolder:important")
6762 (".*" "nnml:misc")))
6766 @node Various Summary Stuff
6767 @section Various Summary Stuff
6770 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
6771 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
6772 * Summary Generation Commands:: (Re)generating the summary buffer.
6773 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
6777 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-hook
6778 @item gnus-summary-mode-hook
6779 This hook is called when creating a summary mode buffer.
6781 @vindex gnus-summary-generate-hook
6782 @item gnus-summary-generate-hook
6783 This is called as the last thing before doing the threading and the
6784 generation of the summary buffer. It's quite convenient for customizing
6785 the threading variables based on what data the newsgroup has. This hook
6786 is called from the summary buffer after most summary buffer variables
6789 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-hook
6790 @item gnus-summary-prepare-hook
6791 Is is called after the summary buffer has been generated. You might use
6792 it to, for instance, highlight lines or modify the look of the buffer in
6793 some other ungodly manner. I don't care.
6795 @vindex gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
6796 @item gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
6797 When Gnus discovers two articles that have the same @code{Message-ID},
6798 it has to do something drastic. No articles are allowed to have the
6799 same @code{Message-ID}, but this may happen when reading mail from some
6800 sources. Gnus allows you to customize what happens with this variable.
6801 If it is @code{nil} (which is the default), Gnus will rename the
6802 @code{Message-ID} (for display purposes only) and display the article as
6803 any other article. If this variable is @code{t}, it won't display the
6804 article---it'll be as if it never existed.
6809 @node Summary Group Information
6810 @subsection Summary Group Information
6815 @kindex H f (Summary)
6816 @findex gnus-summary-fetch-faq
6817 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
6818 Try to fetch the FAQ (list of frequently asked questions) for the
6819 current group (@code{gnus-summary-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the
6820 FAQ from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory
6821 on a remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories.
6822 In that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
6823 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} probably will be used for
6827 @kindex H d (Summary)
6828 @findex gnus-summary-describe-group
6829 Give a brief description of the current group
6830 (@code{gnus-summary-describe-group}). If given a prefix, force
6831 rereading the description from the server.
6834 @kindex H h (Summary)
6835 @findex gnus-summary-describe-briefly
6836 Give an extremely brief description of the most important summary
6837 keystrokes (@code{gnus-summary-describe-briefly}).
6840 @kindex H i (Summary)
6841 @findex gnus-info-find-node
6842 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
6846 @node Searching for Articles
6847 @subsection Searching for Articles
6852 @kindex M-s (Summary)
6853 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
6854 Search through all subsequent articles for a regexp
6855 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-forward}).
6858 @kindex M-r (Summary)
6859 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-backward
6860 Search through all previous articles for a regexp
6861 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-backward}).
6865 @findex gnus-summary-execute-command
6866 This command will prompt you for a header field, a regular expression to
6867 match on this field, and a command to be executed if the match is made
6868 (@code{gnus-summary-execute-command}).
6871 @kindex M-& (Summary)
6872 @findex gnus-summary-universal-argument
6873 Perform any operation on all articles that have been marked with
6874 the process mark (@code{gnus-summary-universal-argument}).
6877 @node Summary Generation Commands
6878 @subsection Summary Generation Commands
6883 @kindex Y g (Summary)
6884 @findex gnus-summary-prepare
6885 Regenerate the current summary buffer (@code{gnus-summary-prepare}).
6888 @kindex Y c (Summary)
6889 @findex gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles
6890 Pull all cached articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
6891 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}).
6896 @node Really Various Summary Commands
6897 @subsection Really Various Summary Commands
6902 @kindex C-d (Summary)
6903 @findex gnus-summary-enter-digest-group
6904 If the current article is a collection of other articles (for instance,
6905 a digest), you might use this command to enter a group based on the that
6906 article (@code{gnus-summary-enter-digest-group}). Gnus will try to
6907 guess what article type is currently displayed unless you give a prefix
6908 to this command, which forces a ``digest'' interpretation. Basically,
6909 whenever you see a message that is a collection of other messages on
6910 some format, you @kbd{C-d} and read these messages in a more convenient
6914 @kindex M-C-d (Summary)
6915 @findex gnus-summary-read-document
6916 This command is very similar to the one above, but lets you gather
6917 several documents into one biiig group
6918 (@code{gnus-summary-read-document}). It does this by opening several
6919 @code{nndoc} groups for each document, and then opening an
6920 @code{nnvirtual} group on top of these @code{nndoc} groups. This
6921 command understands the process/prefix convention
6922 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
6925 @kindex C-t (Summary)
6926 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-truncation
6927 Toggle truncation of summary lines
6928 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-truncation}). This will probably confuse the
6929 line centering function in the summary buffer, so it's not a good idea
6930 to have truncation switched off while reading articles.
6934 @findex gnus-summary-expand-window
6935 Expand the summary buffer window (@code{gnus-summary-expand-window}).
6936 If given a prefix, force an @code{article} window configuration.
6941 @node Exiting the Summary Buffer
6942 @section Exiting the Summary Buffer
6943 @cindex summary exit
6944 @cindex exiting groups
6946 Exiting from the summary buffer will normally update all info on the
6947 group and return you to the group buffer.
6953 @kindex Z Z (Summary)
6955 @findex gnus-summary-exit
6956 @vindex gnus-summary-exit-hook
6957 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook
6958 Exit the current group and update all information on the group
6959 (@code{gnus-summary-exit}). @code{gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook} is
6960 called before doing much of the exiting, and calls
6961 @code{gnus-summary-expire-articles} by default.
6962 @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} is called after finishing the exiting
6963 process. @code{gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook} is run when returning to
6964 group mode having no more (unread) groups.
6968 @kindex Z E (Summary)
6970 @findex gnus-summary-exit-no-update
6971 Exit the current group without updating any information on the group
6972 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}).
6976 @kindex Z c (Summary)
6978 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit
6979 Mark all unticked articles in the group as read and then exit
6980 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}).
6983 @kindex Z C (Summary)
6984 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit
6985 Mark all articles, even the ticked ones, as read and then exit
6986 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit}).
6989 @kindex Z n (Summary)
6990 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group
6991 Mark all articles as read and go to the next group
6992 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group}).
6995 @kindex Z R (Summary)
6996 @findex gnus-summary-reselect-current-group
6997 Exit this group, and then enter it again
6998 (@code{gnus-summary-reselect-current-group}). If given a prefix, select
6999 all articles, both read and unread.
7003 @kindex Z G (Summary)
7004 @kindex M-g (Summary)
7005 @findex gnus-summary-rescan-group
7006 Exit the group, check for new articles in the group, and select the
7007 group (@code{gnus-summary-rescan-group}). If given a prefix, select all
7008 articles, both read and unread.
7011 @kindex Z N (Summary)
7012 @findex gnus-summary-next-group
7013 Exit the group and go to the next group
7014 (@code{gnus-summary-next-group}).
7017 @kindex Z P (Summary)
7018 @findex gnus-summary-prev-group
7019 Exit the group and go to the previous group
7020 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-group}).
7023 @kindex Z s (Summary)
7024 @findex gnus-summary-save-newsrc
7025 Save the current number of read/marked articles in the dribble buffer
7026 and then save the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-summary-save-newsrc}). If
7027 given a prefix, also save the @file{.newsrc} file(s). Using this
7028 command will make exit without updating (the @kbd{Q} command) worthless.
7031 @vindex gnus-exit-group-hook
7032 @code{gnus-exit-group-hook} is called when you exit the current
7035 @findex gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead
7036 @findex gnus-dead-summary-mode
7037 @vindex gnus-kill-summary-on-exit
7038 If you're in the habit of exiting groups, and then changing your mind
7039 about it, you might set @code{gnus-kill-summary-on-exit} to @code{nil}.
7040 If you do that, Gnus won't kill the summary buffer when you exit it.
7041 (Quelle surprise!) Instead it will change the name of the buffer to
7042 something like @samp{*Dead Summary ... *} and install a minor mode
7043 called @code{gnus-dead-summary-mode}. Now, if you switch back to this
7044 buffer, you'll find that all keys are mapped to a function called
7045 @code{gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead}. So tapping any keys in a dead
7046 summary buffer will result in a live, normal summary buffer.
7048 There will never be more than one dead summary buffer at any one time.
7050 @vindex gnus-use-cross-reference
7051 The data on the current group will be updated (which articles you have
7052 read, which articles you have replied to, etc.) when you exit the
7053 summary buffer. If the @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} variable is
7054 @code{t} (which is the default), articles that are cross-referenced to
7055 this group and are marked as read, will also be marked as read in the
7056 other subscribed groups they were cross-posted to. If this variable is
7057 neither @code{nil} nor @code{t}, the article will be marked as read in
7058 both subscribed and unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}).
7061 @node Crosspost Handling
7062 @section Crosspost Handling
7066 Marking cross-posted articles as read ensures that you'll never have to
7067 read the same article more than once. Unless, of course, somebody has
7068 posted it to several groups separately. Posting the same article to
7069 several groups (not cross-posting) is called @dfn{spamming}, and you are
7070 by law required to send nasty-grams to anyone who perpetrates such a
7071 heinous crime. You may want to try NoCeM handling to filter out spam
7074 Remember: Cross-posting is kinda ok, but posting the same article
7075 separately to several groups is not. Massive cross-posting (aka.
7076 @dfn{velveeta}) is to be avoided at all costs, and you can even use the
7077 @code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint} command to complain about
7078 excessive crossposting (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
7080 @cindex cross-posting
7083 One thing that may cause Gnus to not do the cross-posting thing
7084 correctly is if you use an @sc{nntp} server that supports @sc{xover}
7085 (which is very nice, because it speeds things up considerably) which
7086 does not include the @code{Xref} header in its @sc{nov} lines. This is
7087 Evil, but all too common, alas, alack. Gnus tries to Do The Right Thing
7088 even with @sc{xover} by registering the @code{Xref} lines of all
7089 articles you actually read, but if you kill the articles, or just mark
7090 them as read without reading them, Gnus will not get a chance to snoop
7091 the @code{Xref} lines out of these articles, and will be unable to use
7092 the cross reference mechanism.
7094 @cindex LIST overview.fmt
7095 @cindex overview.fmt
7096 To check whether your @sc{nntp} server includes the @code{Xref} header
7097 in its overview files, try @samp{telnet your.nntp.server nntp},
7098 @samp{MODE READER} on @code{inn} servers, and then say @samp{LIST
7099 overview.fmt}. This may not work, but if it does, and the last line you
7100 get does not read @samp{Xref:full}, then you should shout and whine at
7101 your news admin until she includes the @code{Xref} header in the
7104 @vindex gnus-nov-is-evil
7105 If you want Gnus to get the @code{Xref}s right all the time, you have to
7106 set @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{t}, which slows things down
7111 For an alternative approach, @pxref{Duplicate Suppression}.
7114 @node Duplicate Suppression
7115 @section Duplicate Suppression
7117 By default, Gnus tries to make sure that you don't have to read the same
7118 article more than once by utilizing the crossposting mechanism
7119 (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}). However, that simple and efficient
7120 approach may not work satisfactorily for some users for various
7125 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to generate the @code{Xref} header. This
7126 is evil and not very common.
7129 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to include the @code{Xref} header in the
7130 @file{.overview} data bases. This is evil and all too common, alas.
7133 You may be reading the same group (or several related groups) from
7134 different @sc{nntp} servers.
7137 You may be getting mail that duplicates articles posted to groups.
7140 I'm sure there are other situations that @code{Xref} handling fails as
7141 well, but these four are the most common situations.
7143 If, and only if, @code{Xref} handling fails for you, then you may
7144 consider switching on @dfn{duplicate suppression}. If you do so, Gnus
7145 will remember the @code{Message-ID}s of all articles you have read or
7146 otherwise marked as read, and then, as if by magic, mark them as read
7147 all subsequent times you see them---in @emph{all} groups. Using this
7148 mechanism is quite likely to be somewhat inefficient, but not overly
7149 so. It's certainly preferable to reading the same articles more than
7152 Duplicate suppression is not a very subtle instrument. It's more like a
7153 sledge hammer than anything else. It works in a very simple
7154 fashion---if you have marked an article as read, it adds this Message-ID
7155 to a cache. The next time it sees this Message-ID, it will mark the
7156 article as read the the @samp{M} mark. It doesn't care what group it
7160 @item gnus-suppress-duplicates
7161 @vindex gnus-suppress-duplicates
7162 If non-@code{nil}, suppress duplicates.
7164 @item gnus-save-duplicate-list
7165 @vindex gnus-save-duplicate-list
7166 If non-@code{nil}, save the list of duplicates to a file. This will
7167 make startup and shutdown take longer, so the default is @code{nil}.
7168 However, this means that only duplicate articles that is read in a
7169 single Gnus session are suppressed.
7171 @item gnus-duplicate-list-length
7172 @vindex gnus-duplicate-list-length
7173 This variables says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the duplicate
7174 suppression list. The default is 10000.
7176 @item gnus-duplicate-file
7177 @vindex gnus-duplicate-file
7178 The name of the file to store the duplicate suppression list. The
7179 default is @file{~/News/suppression}.
7182 If you have a tendency to stop and start Gnus often, setting
7183 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{t} is probably a good idea. If
7184 you leave Gnus running for weeks on end, you may have it @code{nil}. On
7185 the other hand, saving the list makes startup and shutdown much slower,
7186 so that means that if you stop and start Gnus often, you should set
7187 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{nil}. Uhm. I'll leave this up
7188 to you to figure out, I think.
7191 @node The Article Buffer
7192 @chapter The Article Buffer
7193 @cindex article buffer
7195 The articles are displayed in the article buffer, of which there is only
7196 one. All the summary buffers share the same article buffer unless you
7197 tell Gnus otherwise.
7200 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
7201 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @sc{mime} before reading them.
7202 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
7203 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
7204 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
7208 @node Hiding Headers
7209 @section Hiding Headers
7210 @cindex hiding headers
7211 @cindex deleting headers
7213 The top section of each article is the @dfn{head}. (The rest is the
7214 @dfn{body}, but you may have guessed that already.)
7216 @vindex gnus-show-all-headers
7217 There is a lot of useful information in the head: the name of the person
7218 who wrote the article, the date it was written and the subject of the
7219 article. That's well and nice, but there's also lots of information
7220 most people do not want to see---what systems the article has passed
7221 through before reaching you, the @code{Message-ID}, the
7222 @code{References}, etc. ad nauseum---and you'll probably want to get rid
7223 of some of those lines. If you want to keep all those lines in the
7224 article buffer, you can set @code{gnus-show-all-headers} to @code{t}.
7226 Gnus provides you with two variables for sifting headers:
7230 @item gnus-visible-headers
7231 @vindex gnus-visible-headers
7232 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a regular expression
7233 that says what headers you wish to keep in the article buffer. All
7234 headers that do not match this variable will be hidden.
7236 For instance, if you only want to see the name of the person who wrote
7237 the article and the subject, you'd say:
7240 (setq gnus-visible-headers "^From:\\|^Subject:")
7243 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers that are to
7246 @item gnus-ignored-headers
7247 @vindex gnus-ignored-headers
7248 This variable is the reverse of @code{gnus-visible-headers}. If this
7249 variable is set (and @code{gnus-visible-headers} is @code{nil}), it
7250 should be a regular expression that matches all lines that you want to
7251 hide. All lines that do not match this variable will remain visible.
7253 For instance, if you just want to get rid of the @code{References} line
7254 and the @code{Xref} line, you might say:
7257 (setq gnus-ignored-headers "^References:\\|^Xref:")
7260 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers that are to
7263 Note that if @code{gnus-visible-headers} is non-@code{nil}, this
7264 variable will have no effect.
7268 @vindex gnus-sorted-header-list
7269 Gnus can also sort the headers for you. (It does this by default.) You
7270 can control the sorting by setting the @code{gnus-sorted-header-list}
7271 variable. It is a list of regular expressions that says in what order
7272 the headers are to be displayed.
7274 For instance, if you want the name of the author of the article first,
7275 and then the subject, you might say something like:
7278 (setq gnus-sorted-header-list '("^From:" "^Subject:"))
7281 Any headers that are to remain visible, but are not listed in this
7282 variable, will be displayed in random order after all the headers that
7283 are listed in this variable.
7285 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
7286 @vindex gnus-article-display-hook
7287 @vindex gnus-boring-article-headers
7288 You can hide further boring headers by entering
7289 @code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers} into
7290 @code{gnus-article-display-hook}. What this function does depends on
7291 the @code{gnus-boring-article-headers} variable. It's a list, but this
7292 list doesn't actually contain header names. Instead is lists various
7293 @dfn{boring conditions} that Gnus can check and remove from sight.
7295 These conditions are:
7298 Remove all empty headers.
7300 Remove the @code{Newsgroups} header if it only contains the current group
7303 Remove the @code{Followup-To} header if it is identical to the
7304 @code{Newsgroups} header.
7306 Remove the @code{Reply-To} header if it lists the same address as the
7309 Remove the @code{Date} header if the article is less than three days
7313 To include the four first elements, you could say something like;
7316 (setq gnus-boring-article-headers
7317 '(empty newsgroups followup-to reply-to))
7320 This is also the default value for this variable.
7324 @section Using @sc{mime}
7327 Mime is a standard for waving your hands through the air, aimlessly,
7328 while people stand around yawning.
7330 @sc{mime}, however, is a standard for encoding your articles, aimlessly,
7331 while all newsreaders die of fear.
7333 @sc{mime} may specify what character set the article uses, the encoding
7334 of the characters, and it also makes it possible to embed pictures and
7335 other naughty stuff in innocent-looking articles.
7337 @vindex gnus-show-mime
7338 @vindex gnus-show-mime-method
7339 @vindex gnus-strict-mime
7340 @findex metamail-buffer
7341 Gnus handles @sc{mime} by pushing the articles through
7342 @code{gnus-show-mime-method}, which is @code{metamail-buffer} by
7343 default. Set @code{gnus-show-mime} to @code{t} if you want to use
7344 @sc{mime} all the time. However, if @code{gnus-strict-mime} is
7345 non-@code{nil}, the @sc{mime} method will only be used if there are
7346 @sc{mime} headers in the article. If you have @code{gnus-show-mime}
7347 set, then you'll see some unfortunate display glitches in the article
7348 buffer. These can't be avoided.
7350 It might be best to just use the toggling functions from the summary
7351 buffer to avoid getting nasty surprises. (For instance, you enter the
7352 group @samp{alt.sing-a-long} and, before you know it, @sc{mime} has
7353 decoded the sound file in the article and some horrible sing-a-long song
7354 comes streaming out out your speakers, and you can't find the volume
7355 button, because there isn't one, and people are starting to look at you,
7356 and you try to stop the program, but you can't, and you can't find the
7357 program to control the volume, and everybody else in the room suddenly
7358 decides to look at you disdainfully, and you'll feel rather stupid.)
7360 Any similarity to real events and people is purely coincidental. Ahem.
7363 @node Customizing Articles
7364 @section Customizing Articles
7365 @cindex article customization
7367 @vindex gnus-article-display-hook
7368 The @code{gnus-article-display-hook} is called after the article has
7369 been inserted into the article buffer. It is meant to handle all
7370 treatment of the article before it is displayed.
7372 @findex gnus-article-maybe-highlight
7373 By default this hook just contains @code{gnus-article-hide-headers},
7374 @code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}, and
7375 @code{gnus-article-maybe-highlight}, but there are thousands, nay
7376 millions, of functions you can put in this hook. For an overview of
7377 functions @pxref{Article Highlighting}, @pxref{Article Hiding},
7378 @pxref{Article Washing}, @pxref{Article Buttons} and @pxref{Article
7379 Date}. Note that the order of functions in this hook might affect
7380 things, so you may have to fiddle a bit to get the desired results.
7382 You can, of course, write your own functions. The functions are called
7383 from the article buffer, and you can do anything you like, pretty much.
7384 There is no information that you have to keep in the buffer---you can
7385 change everything. However, you shouldn't delete any headers. Instead
7386 make them invisible if you want to make them go away.
7389 @node Article Keymap
7390 @section Article Keymap
7392 Most of the keystrokes in the summary buffer can also be used in the
7393 article buffer. They should behave as if you typed them in the summary
7394 buffer, which means that you don't actually have to have a summary
7395 buffer displayed while reading. You can do it all from the article
7398 A few additional keystrokes are available:
7403 @kindex SPACE (Article)
7404 @findex gnus-article-next-page
7405 Scroll forwards one page (@code{gnus-article-next-page}).
7408 @kindex DEL (Article)
7409 @findex gnus-article-prev-page
7410 Scroll backwards one page (@code{gnus-article-prev-page}).
7413 @kindex C-c ^ (Article)
7414 @findex gnus-article-refer-article
7415 If point is in the neighborhood of a @code{Message-ID} and you press
7416 @kbd{r}, Gnus will try to get that article from the server
7417 (@code{gnus-article-refer-article}).
7420 @kindex C-c C-m (Article)
7421 @findex gnus-article-mail
7422 Send a reply to the address near point (@code{gnus-article-mail}). If
7423 given a prefix, include the mail.
7427 @findex gnus-article-show-summary
7428 Reconfigure the buffers so that the summary buffer becomes visible
7429 (@code{gnus-article-show-summary}).
7433 @findex gnus-article-describe-briefly
7434 Give a very brief description of the available keystrokes
7435 (@code{gnus-article-describe-briefly}).
7438 @kindex TAB (Article)
7439 @findex gnus-article-next-button
7440 Go to the next button, if any (@code{gnus-article-next-button}. This
7441 only makes sense if you have buttonizing turned on.
7444 @kindex M-TAB (Article)
7445 @findex gnus-article-prev-button
7446 Go to the previous button, if any (@code{gnus-article-prev-button}.
7452 @section Misc Article
7456 @item gnus-single-article-buffer
7457 @vindex gnus-single-article-buffer
7458 If non-@code{nil}, use the same article buffer for all the groups.
7459 (This is the default.) If @code{nil}, each group will have its own
7462 @vindex gnus-article-prepare-hook
7463 @item gnus-article-prepare-hook
7464 This hook is called right after the article has been inserted into the
7465 article buffer. It is mainly intended for functions that do something
7466 depending on the contents; it should probably not be used for changing
7467 the contents of the article buffer.
7469 @vindex gnus-article-display-hook
7470 @item gnus-article-display-hook
7471 This hook is called as the last thing when displaying an article, and is
7472 intended for modifying the contents of the buffer, doing highlights,
7473 hiding headers, and the like.
7475 @item gnus-article-mode-hook
7476 @vindex gnus-article-mode-hook
7477 Hook called in article mode buffers.
7479 @item gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
7480 @vindex gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
7481 Syntax table used in article buffers. It is initialized from
7482 @code{text-mode-syntax-table}.
7484 @vindex gnus-article-mode-line-format
7485 @item gnus-article-mode-line-format
7486 This variable is a format string along the same lines as
7487 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. It accepts the same
7488 format specifications as that variable, with one extension:
7492 The @dfn{wash status} of the article. This is a short string with one
7493 character for each possible article wash operation that may have been
7497 @vindex gnus-break-pages
7499 @item gnus-break-pages
7500 Controls whether @dfn{page breaking} is to take place. If this variable
7501 is non-@code{nil}, the articles will be divided into pages whenever a
7502 page delimiter appears in the article. If this variable is @code{nil},
7503 paging will not be done.
7505 @item gnus-page-delimiter
7506 @vindex gnus-page-delimiter
7507 This is the delimiter mentioned above. By default, it is @samp{^L}
7512 @node Composing Messages
7513 @chapter Composing Messages
7518 @kindex C-c C-c (Post)
7519 All commands for posting and mailing will put you in a message buffer
7520 where you can edit the article all you like, before you send the article
7521 by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}. @xref{Top, , Top, message, The Message
7522 Manual}. If you are in a foreign news group, and you wish to post the
7523 article using the foreign server, you can give a prefix to @kbd{C-c C-c}
7524 to make Gnus try to post using the foreign server.
7527 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
7528 * Post:: Posting and following up.
7529 * Posting Server:: What server should you post via?
7530 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
7531 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
7532 @c * Posting Styles:: An easier way to configure some key elements.
7533 @c * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
7534 @c * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
7537 Also see @pxref{Canceling and Superseding} for information on how to
7538 remove articles you shouldn't have posted.
7544 Variables for customizing outgoing mail:
7547 @item gnus-uu-digest-headers
7548 @vindex gnus-uu-digest-headers
7549 List of regexps to match headers included in digested messages. The
7550 headers will be included in the sequence they are matched.
7552 @item gnus-add-to-list
7553 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
7554 If non-@code{nil}, add a @code{to-list} group parameter to mail groups
7555 that have none when you do a @kbd{a}.
7563 Variables for composing news articles:
7566 @item gnus-sent-message-ids-file
7567 @vindex gnus-sent-message-ids-file
7568 Gnus will keep a @code{Message-ID} history file of all the mails it has
7569 sent. If it discovers that it has already sent a mail, it will ask the
7570 user whether to re-send the mail. (This is primarily useful when
7571 dealing with @sc{soup} packets and the like where one is apt to sent the
7572 same packet multiple times.) This variable says what the name of this
7573 history file is. It is @file{~/News/Sent-Message-IDs} by default. Set
7574 this variable to @code{nil} if you don't want Gnus to keep a history
7577 @item gnus-sent-message-ids-length
7578 @vindex gnus-sent-message-ids-length
7579 This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the history
7580 file. It is 1000 by default.
7585 @node Posting Server
7586 @section Posting Server
7588 When you press those magical @kbd{C-c C-c} keys to ship off your latest
7589 (extremely intelligent, of course) article, where does it go?
7591 Thank you for asking. I hate you.
7593 @vindex gnus-post-method
7595 It can be quite complicated. Normally, Gnus will use the same native
7596 server. However. If your native server doesn't allow posting, just
7597 reading, you probably want to use some other server to post your
7598 (extremely intelligent and fabulously interesting) articles. You can
7599 then set the @code{gnus-post-method} to some other method:
7602 (setq gnus-post-method '(nnspool ""))
7605 Now, if you've done this, and then this server rejects your article, or
7606 this server is down, what do you do then? To override this variable you
7607 can use a non-zero prefix to the @kbd{C-c C-c} command to force using
7608 the ``current'' server for posting.
7610 If you give a zero prefix (i.e., @kbd{C-u 0 C-c C-c}) to that command,
7611 Gnus will prompt you for what method to use for posting.
7613 You can also set @code{gnus-post-method} to a list of select methods.
7614 If that's the case, Gnus will always prompt you for what method to use
7619 @section Mail and Post
7621 Here's a list of variables that are relevant to both mailing and
7625 @item gnus-mailing-list-groups
7626 @findex gnus-mailing-list-groups
7627 @cindex mailing lists
7629 If your news server offers groups that are really mailing lists that are
7630 gatewayed to the @sc{nntp} server, you can read those groups without
7631 problems, but you can't post/followup to them without some difficulty.
7632 One solution is to add a @code{to-address} to the group parameters
7633 (@pxref{Group Parameters}). An easier thing to do is set the
7634 @code{gnus-mailing-list-groups} to a regexp that match the groups that
7635 really are mailing lists. Then, at least, followups to the mailing
7636 lists will work most of the time. Posting to these groups (@kbd{a}) is
7637 still a pain, though.
7641 You may want to do spell-checking on messages that you send out. Or, if
7642 you don't want to spell-check by hand, you could add automatic
7643 spell-checking via the @code{ispell} package:
7646 @findex ispell-message
7648 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'ispell-message)
7652 @node Archived Messages
7653 @section Archived Messages
7654 @cindex archived messages
7655 @cindex sent messages
7657 Gnus provides a few different methods for storing the mail and news you
7658 send. The default method is to use the @dfn{archive virtual server} to
7659 store the messages. If you want to disable this completely, the
7660 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable should be @code{nil}, which
7663 @vindex gnus-message-archive-method
7664 @code{gnus-message-archive-method} says what virtual server Gnus is to
7665 use to store sent messages. The default is:
7669 (nnfolder-directory "~/Mail/archive/"))
7672 You can, however, use any mail select method (@code{nnml},
7673 @code{nnmbox}, etc.). @code{nnfolder} is a quite likeable select method
7674 for doing this sort of thing, though. If you don't like the default
7675 directory chosen, you could say something like:
7678 (setq gnus-message-archive-method
7679 '(nnfolder "archive"
7680 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t)
7681 (nnfolder-active-file "~/News/sent-mail/active")
7682 (nnfolder-directory "~/News/sent-mail/")))
7685 @vindex gnus-message-archive-group
7687 Gnus will insert @code{Gcc} headers in all outgoing messages that point
7688 to one or more group(s) on that server. Which group to use is
7689 determined by the @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable.
7691 This variable can be:
7695 Messages will be saved in that group.
7696 @item a list of strings
7697 Messages will be saved in all those groups.
7698 @item an alist of regexps, functions and forms
7699 When a key ``matches'', the result is used.
7701 No message archiving will take place. This is the default.
7706 Just saving to a single group called @samp{MisK}:
7708 (setq gnus-message-archive-group "MisK")
7711 Saving to two groups, @samp{MisK} and @samp{safe}:
7713 (setq gnus-message-archive-group '("MisK" "safe"))
7716 Save to different groups based on what group you are in:
7718 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
7719 '(("^alt" "sent-to-alt")
7720 ("mail" "sent-to-mail")
7721 (".*" "sent-to-misc")))
7726 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
7727 '((if (message-news-p)
7732 How about storing all news messages in one file, but storing all mail
7733 messages in one file per month:
7736 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
7737 '((if (message-news-p)
7739 (concat "mail." (format-time-string
7740 "%Y-%m" (current-time))))))
7743 Now, when you send a message off, it will be stored in the appropriate
7744 group. (If you want to disable storing for just one particular message,
7745 you can just remove the @code{Gcc} header that has been inserted.) The
7746 archive group will appear in the group buffer the next time you start
7747 Gnus, or the next time you press @kbd{F} in the group buffer. You can
7748 enter it and read the articles in it just like you'd read any other
7749 group. If the group gets really big and annoying, you can simply rename
7750 if (using @kbd{G r} in the group buffer) to something
7751 nice---@samp{misc-mail-september-1995}, or whatever. New messages will
7752 continue to be stored in the old (now empty) group.
7754 That's the default method of archiving sent messages. Gnus also a
7755 different way for the people who don't like the default method. In that
7756 case you should set @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{nil};
7757 this will disable archiving.
7759 XEmacs 19.13 doesn't have @code{format-time-string}, so you'll have to
7760 use a different value for @code{gnus-message-archive-group} there.
7763 @item gnus-outgoing-message-group
7764 @vindex gnus-outgoing-message-group
7765 All outgoing messages will be put in this group. If you want to store
7766 all your outgoing mail and articles in the group @samp{nnml:archive},
7767 you set this variable to that value. This variable can also be a list of
7770 If you want to have greater control over what group to put each
7771 message in, you can set this variable to a function that checks the
7772 current newsgroup name and then returns a suitable group name (or list
7775 This variable can be used instead of @code{gnus-message-archive-group},
7776 but the latter is the preferred method.
7780 @c @node Posting Styles
7781 @c @section Posting Styles
7782 @c @cindex posting styles
7785 @c All them variables, they make my head swim.
7787 @c So what if you want a different @code{Organization} and signature based
7788 @c on what groups you post to? And you post both from your home machine
7789 @c and your work machine, and you want different @code{From} lines, and so
7792 @c @vindex gnus-posting-styles
7793 @c One way to do stuff like that is to write clever hooks that change the
7794 @c variables you need to have changed. That's a bit boring, so somebody
7795 @c came up with the bright idea of letting the user specify these things in
7796 @c a handy alist. Here's an example of a @code{gnus-posting-styles}
7801 @c (signature . "Peace and happiness")
7802 @c (organization . "What me?"))
7804 @c (signature . "Death to everybody"))
7805 @c ("comp.emacs.i-love-it"
7806 @c (organization . "Emacs is it")))
7809 @c As you might surmise from this example, this alist consists of several
7810 @c @dfn{styles}. Each style will be applicable if the first element
7811 @c ``matches'', in some form or other. The entire alist will be iterated
7812 @c over, from the beginning towards the end, and each match will be
7813 @c applied, which means that attributes in later styles that match override
7814 @c the same attributes in earlier matching styles. So
7815 @c @samp{comp.programming.literate} will have the @samp{Death to everybody}
7816 @c signature and the @samp{What me?} @code{Organization} header.
7818 @c The first element in each style is called the @code{match}. If it's a
7819 @c string, then Gnus will try to regexp match it against the group name.
7820 @c If it's a function symbol, that function will be called with no
7821 @c arguments. If it's a variable symbol, then the variable will be
7822 @c referenced. If it's a list, then that list will be @code{eval}ed. In
7823 @c any case, if this returns a non-@code{nil} value, then the style is said
7826 @c Each style may contain a arbitrary amount of @dfn{attributes}. Each
7827 @c attribute consists of a @var{(name . value)} pair. The attribute name
7828 @c can be one of @code{signature}, @code{organization} or @code{from}. The
7829 @c attribute name can also be a string. In that case, this will be used as
7830 @c a header name, and the value will be inserted in the headers of the
7833 @c The attribute value can be a string (used verbatim), a function (the
7834 @c return value will be used), a variable (its value will be used) or a
7835 @c list (it will be @code{eval}ed and the return value will be used).
7837 @c So here's a new example:
7840 @c (setq gnus-posting-styles
7842 @c (signature . "~/.signature")
7843 @c (from . "user@@foo (user)")
7844 @c ("X-Home-Page" . (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
7845 @c (organization . "People's Front Against MWM"))
7847 @c (signature . my-funny-signature-randomizer))
7848 @c ((equal (system-name) "gnarly")
7849 @c (signature . my-quote-randomizer))
7850 @c (posting-from-work-p
7851 @c (signature . "~/.work-signature")
7852 @c (from . "user@@bar.foo (user)")
7853 @c (organization . "Important Work, Inc"))
7855 @c (signature . "~/.mail-signature"))))
7862 @c If you are writing a message (mail or news) and suddenly remember that
7863 @c you have a steak in the oven (or some pesto in the food processor, you
7864 @c craazy vegetarians), you'll probably wish there was a method to save the
7865 @c message you are writing so that you can continue editing it some other
7866 @c day, and send it when you feel its finished.
7868 @c Well, don't worry about it. Whenever you start composing a message of
7869 @c some sort using the Gnus mail and post commands, the buffer you get will
7870 @c automatically associate to an article in a special @dfn{draft} group.
7871 @c If you save the buffer the normal way (@kbd{C-x C-s}, for instance), the
7872 @c article will be saved there. (Auto-save files also go to the draft
7876 @c @vindex gnus-draft-group-directory
7877 @c The draft group is a special group (which is implemented as an
7878 @c @code{nndraft} group, if you absolutely have to know) called
7879 @c @samp{nndraft:drafts}. The variable @code{gnus-draft-group-directory}
7880 @c controls both the name of the group and the location---the leaf element
7881 @c in the path will be used as the name of the group. What makes this
7882 @c group special is that you can't tick any articles in it or mark any
7883 @c articles as read---all articles in the group are permanently unread.
7885 @c If the group doesn't exist, it will be created and you'll be subscribed
7888 @c @findex gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft
7889 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Mail)
7890 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Post)
7891 @c @findex gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft
7892 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Mail)
7893 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Post)
7894 @c If you're writing some super-secret message that you later want to
7895 @c encode with PGP before sending, you may wish to turn the auto-saving
7896 @c (and association with the draft group) off. You never know who might be
7897 @c interested in reading all your extremely valuable and terribly horrible
7898 @c and interesting secrets. The @kbd{C-c M-d}
7899 @c (@code{gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft}) command does that for you.
7900 @c If you change your mind and want to turn the auto-saving back on again,
7901 @c @kbd{C-c C-d} (@code{gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft} does that.
7903 @c @vindex gnus-use-draft
7904 @c To leave association with the draft group off by default, set
7905 @c @code{gnus-use-draft} to @code{nil}. It is @code{t} by default.
7907 @c @findex gnus-summary-send-draft
7908 @c @kindex S D c (Summary)
7909 @c When you want to continue editing the article, you simply enter the
7910 @c draft group and push @kbd{S D c} (@code{gnus-summary-send-draft}) to do
7911 @c that. You will be placed in a buffer where you left off.
7913 @c Rejected articles will also be put in this draft group (@pxref{Rejected
7916 @c @findex gnus-summary-send-all-drafts
7917 @c If you have lots of rejected messages you want to post (or mail) without
7918 @c doing further editing, you can use the @kbd{S D a} command
7919 @c (@code{gnus-summary-send-all-drafts}). This command understands the
7920 @c process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
7923 @c @node Rejected Articles
7924 @c @section Rejected Articles
7925 @c @cindex rejected articles
7927 @c Sometimes a news server will reject an article. Perhaps the server
7928 @c doesn't like your face. Perhaps it just feels miserable. Perhaps
7929 @c @emph{there be demons}. Perhaps you have included too much cited text.
7930 @c Perhaps the disk is full. Perhaps the server is down.
7932 @c These situations are, of course, totally beyond the control of Gnus.
7933 @c (Gnus, of course, loves the way you look, always feels great, has angels
7934 @c fluttering around inside of it, doesn't care about how much cited text
7935 @c you include, never runs full and never goes down.) So Gnus saves these
7936 @c articles until some later time when the server feels better.
7938 @c The rejected articles will automatically be put in a special draft group
7939 @c (@pxref{Drafts}). When the server comes back up again, you'd then
7940 @c typically enter that group and send all the articles off.
7943 @node Select Methods
7944 @chapter Select Methods
7945 @cindex foreign groups
7946 @cindex select methods
7948 A @dfn{foreign group} is a group that is not read by the usual (or
7949 default) means. It could be, for instance, a group from a different
7950 @sc{nntp} server, it could be a virtual group, or it could be your own
7951 personal mail group.
7953 A foreign group (or any group, really) is specified by a @dfn{name} and
7954 a @dfn{select method}. To take the latter first, a select method is a
7955 list where the first element says what backend to use (e.g. @code{nntp},
7956 @code{nnspool}, @code{nnml}) and the second element is the @dfn{server
7957 name}. There may be additional elements in the select method, where the
7958 value may have special meaning for the backend in question.
7960 One could say that a select method defines a @dfn{virtual server}---so
7961 we do just that (@pxref{The Server Buffer}).
7963 The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the backend will recognize the
7966 For instance, the group @samp{soc.motss} on the @sc{nntp} server
7967 @samp{some.where.edu} will have the name @samp{soc.motss} and select
7968 method @code{(nntp "some.where.edu")}. Gnus will call this group
7969 @samp{nntp+some.where.edu:soc.motss}, even though the @code{nntp}
7970 backend just knows this group as @samp{soc.motss}.
7972 The different methods all have their peculiarities, of course.
7975 * The Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
7976 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
7977 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
7978 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
7979 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
7983 @node The Server Buffer
7984 @section The Server Buffer
7986 Traditionally, a @dfn{server} is a machine or a piece of software that
7987 one connects to, and then requests information from. Gnus does not
7988 connect directly to any real servers, but does all transactions through
7989 one backend or other. But that's just putting one layer more between
7990 the actual media and Gnus, so we might just as well say that each
7991 backend represents a virtual server.
7993 For instance, the @code{nntp} backend may be used to connect to several
7994 different actual @sc{nntp} servers, or, perhaps, to many different ports
7995 on the same actual @sc{nntp} server. You tell Gnus which backend to
7996 use, and what parameters to set by specifying a @dfn{select method}.
7998 These select methods specifications can sometimes become quite
7999 complicated---say, for instance, that you want to read from the
8000 @sc{nntp} server @samp{news.funet.fi} on port number 13, which
8001 hangs if queried for @sc{nov} headers and has a buggy select. Ahem.
8002 Anyways, if you had to specify that for each group that used this
8003 server, that would be too much work, so Gnus offers a way of naming
8004 select methods, which is what you do in the server buffer.
8006 To enter the server buffer, user the @kbd{^}
8007 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
8010 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
8011 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
8012 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
8013 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
8014 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
8015 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
8016 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
8019 @vindex gnus-server-mode-hook
8020 @code{gnus-server-mode-hook} is run when creating the server buffer.
8023 @node Server Buffer Format
8024 @subsection Server Buffer Format
8025 @cindex server buffer format
8027 @vindex gnus-server-line-format
8028 You can change the look of the server buffer lines by changing the
8029 @code{gnus-server-line-format} variable. This is a @code{format}-like
8030 variable, with some simple extensions:
8035 How the news is fetched---the backend name.
8038 The name of this server.
8041 Where the news is to be fetched from---the address.
8044 The opened/closed/denied status of the server.
8047 @vindex gnus-server-mode-line-format
8048 The mode line can also be customized by using the
8049 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format} variable. The following specs are
8060 Also @pxref{Formatting Variables}.
8063 @node Server Commands
8064 @subsection Server Commands
8065 @cindex server commands
8071 @findex gnus-server-add-server
8072 Add a new server (@code{gnus-server-add-server}).
8076 @findex gnus-server-edit-server
8077 Edit a server (@code{gnus-server-edit-server}).
8080 @kindex SPACE (Server)
8081 @findex gnus-server-read-server
8082 Browse the current server (@code{gnus-server-read-server}).
8086 @findex gnus-server-exit
8087 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-server-exit}).
8091 @findex gnus-server-kill-server
8092 Kill the current server (@code{gnus-server-kill-server}).
8096 @findex gnus-server-yank-server
8097 Yank the previously killed server (@code{gnus-server-yank-server}).
8101 @findex gnus-server-copy-server
8102 Copy the current server (@code{gnus-server-copy-server}).
8106 @findex gnus-server-list-servers
8107 List all servers (@code{gnus-server-list-servers}).
8111 @findex gnus-server-scan-server
8112 Request that the server scan its sources for new articles
8113 (@code{gnus-server-scan-server}). This is mainly sensible with mail
8118 @findex gnus-server-regenerate-server
8119 Request that the server regenerate all its data structures
8120 (@code{gnus-server-regenerate-server}). This can be useful if you have
8121 a mail backend that has gotten out of synch.
8126 @node Example Methods
8127 @subsection Example Methods
8129 Most select methods are pretty simple and self-explanatory:
8132 (nntp "news.funet.fi")
8135 Reading directly from the spool is even simpler:
8141 As you can see, the first element in a select method is the name of the
8142 backend, and the second is the @dfn{address}, or @dfn{name}, if you
8145 After these two elements, there may be a arbitrary number of
8146 @var{(variable form)} pairs.
8148 To go back to the first example---imagine that you want to read from
8149 port 15 from that machine. This is what the select method should
8153 (nntp "news.funet.fi" (nntp-port-number 15))
8156 You should read the documentation to each backend to find out what
8157 variables are relevant, but here's an @code{nnmh} example.
8159 @code{nnmh} is a mail backend that reads a spool-like structure. Say
8160 you have two structures that you wish to access: One is your private
8161 mail spool, and the other is a public one. Here's the possible spec for
8165 (nnmh "private" (nnmh-directory "~/private/mail/"))
8168 (This server is then called @samp{private}, but you may have guessed
8171 Here's the method for a public spool:
8175 (nnmh-directory "/usr/information/spool/")
8176 (nnmh-get-new-mail nil))
8179 If you are behind a firewall and only have access to the @sc{nntp}
8180 server from the firewall machine, you can instruct Gnus to @code{rlogin}
8181 on the firewall machine and telnet from there to the @sc{nntp} server.
8182 Doing this can be rather fiddly, but your virtual server definition
8183 should probably look something like this:
8187 (nntp-address "the.firewall.machine")
8188 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-rlogin)
8189 (nntp-end-of-line "\n")
8190 (nntp-rlogin-parameters
8191 ("telnet" "the.real.nntp.host" "nntp")))
8196 @node Creating a Virtual Server
8197 @subsection Creating a Virtual Server
8199 If you're saving lots of articles in the cache by using persistent
8200 articles, you may want to create a virtual server to read the cache.
8202 First you need to add a new server. The @kbd{a} command does that. It
8203 would probably be best to use @code{nnspool} to read the cache. You
8204 could also use @code{nnml} or @code{nnmh}, though.
8206 Type @kbd{a nnspool RET cache RET}.
8208 You should now have a brand new @code{nnspool} virtual server called
8209 @samp{cache}. You now need to edit it to have the right definitions.
8210 Type @kbd{e} to edit the server. You'll be entered into a buffer that
8211 will contain the following:
8221 (nnspool-spool-directory "~/News/cache/")
8222 (nnspool-nov-directory "~/News/cache/")
8223 (nnspool-active-file "~/News/cache/active"))
8226 Type @kbd{C-c C-c} to return to the server buffer. If you now press
8227 @kbd{RET} over this virtual server, you should be entered into a browse
8228 buffer, and you should be able to enter any of the groups displayed.
8231 @node Server Variables
8232 @subsection Server Variables
8234 One sticky point when defining variables (both on backends and in Emacs
8235 in general) is that some variables are typically initialized from other
8236 variables when the definition of the variables is being loaded. If you
8237 change the "base" variable after the variables have been loaded, you
8238 won't change the "derived" variables.
8240 This typically affects directory and file variables. For instance,
8241 @code{nnml-directory} is @file{~/Mail/} by default, and all @code{nnml}
8242 directory variables are initialized from that variable, so
8243 @code{nnml-active-file} will be @file{~/Mail/active}. If you define a
8244 new virtual @code{nnml} server, it will @emph{not} suffice to set just
8245 @code{nnml-directory}---you have to explicitly set all the file
8246 variables to be what you want them to be. For a complete list of
8247 variables for each backend, see each backend's section later in this
8248 manual, but here's an example @code{nnml} definition:
8252 (nnml-directory "~/my-mail/")
8253 (nnml-active-file "~/my-mail/active")
8254 (nnml-newsgroups-file "~/my-mail/newsgroups"))
8258 @node Servers and Methods
8259 @subsection Servers and Methods
8261 Wherever you would normally use a select method
8262 (e.g. @code{gnus-secondary-select-method}, in the group select method,
8263 when browsing a foreign server) you can use a virtual server name
8264 instead. This could potentially save lots of typing. And it's nice all
8268 @node Unavailable Servers
8269 @subsection Unavailable Servers
8271 If a server seems to be unreachable, Gnus will mark that server as
8272 @code{denied}. That means that any subsequent attempt to make contact
8273 with that server will just be ignored. ``It can't be opened,'' Gnus
8274 will tell you, without making the least effort to see whether that is
8275 actually the case or not.
8277 That might seem quite naughty, but it does make sense most of the time.
8278 Let's say you have 10 groups subscribed to the server
8279 @samp{nephelococcygia.com}. This server is located somewhere quite far
8280 away from you and the machine is quite slow, so it takes 1 minute just
8281 to find out that it refuses connection from you today. If Gnus were to
8282 attempt to do that 10 times, you'd be quite annoyed, so Gnus won't
8283 attempt to do that. Once it has gotten a single ``connection refused'',
8284 it will regard that server as ``down''.
8286 So, what happens if the machine was only feeling unwell temporarily?
8287 How do you test to see whether the machine has come up again?
8289 You jump to the server buffer (@pxref{The Server Buffer}) and poke it
8290 with the following commands:
8296 @findex gnus-server-open-server
8297 Try to establish connection to the server on the current line
8298 (@code{gnus-server-open-server}).
8302 @findex gnus-server-close-server
8303 Close the connection (if any) to the server
8304 (@code{gnus-server-close-server}).
8308 @findex gnus-server-deny-server
8309 Mark the current server as unreachable
8310 (@code{gnus-server-deny-server}).
8313 @kindex M-o (Server)
8314 @findex gnus-server-open-all-servers
8315 Open the connections to all servers in the buffer
8316 (@code{gnus-server-open-all-servers}).
8319 @kindex M-c (Server)
8320 @findex gnus-server-close-all-servers
8321 Close the connections to all servers in the buffer
8322 (@code{gnus-server-close-all-servers}).
8326 @findex gnus-server-remove-denials
8327 Remove all marks to whether Gnus was denied connection from all servers
8328 (@code{gnus-server-remove-denials}).
8334 @section Getting News
8335 @cindex reading news
8336 @cindex news backends
8338 A newsreader is normally used for reading news. Gnus currently provides
8339 only two methods of getting news---it can read from an @sc{nntp} server,
8340 or it can read from a local spool.
8343 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
8344 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
8349 @subsection @sc{nntp}
8352 Subscribing to a foreign group from an @sc{nntp} server is rather easy.
8353 You just specify @code{nntp} as method and the address of the @sc{nntp}
8354 server as the, uhm, address.
8356 If the @sc{nntp} server is located at a non-standard port, setting the
8357 third element of the select method to this port number should allow you
8358 to connect to the right port. You'll have to edit the group info for
8359 that (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
8361 The name of the foreign group can be the same as a native group. In
8362 fact, you can subscribe to the same group from as many different servers
8363 you feel like. There will be no name collisions.
8365 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nntp}
8370 @item nntp-server-opened-hook
8371 @vindex nntp-server-opened-hook
8372 @cindex @sc{mode reader}
8374 @cindex authentification
8375 @cindex nntp authentification
8376 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
8377 @findex nntp-send-mode-reader
8378 @code{nntp-server-opened-hook} is run after a connection has been made.
8379 It can be used to send commands to the @sc{nntp} server after it has
8380 been contacted. By default is sends the command @code{MODE READER} to
8381 the server with the @code{nntp-send-mode-reader} function.
8383 @item nntp-authinfo-function
8384 @vindex nntp-authinfo-function
8385 This function will be used to send @samp{AUTHINFO} to the @sc{nntp}
8386 server. Available functions include:
8389 @item nntp-send-authinfo
8390 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
8391 This function will used you current login name as the user name and will
8392 prompt you for the password. This is the default.
8394 @item nntp-send-nosy-authinfo
8395 @findex nntp-send-nosy-authinfo
8396 This function will prompt you for both user name and password.
8398 @item nntp-send-authinfo-from-file
8399 @findex nntp-send-authinfo-from-file
8400 This function will use your current login name as the user name and will
8401 read the @sc{nntp} password from @file{~/.nntp-authinfo}.
8404 @item nntp-server-action-alist
8405 @vindex nntp-server-action-alist
8406 This is an list of regexps to match on server types and actions to be
8407 taken when matches are made. For instance, if you want Gnus to beep
8408 every time you connect to innd, you could say something like:
8411 (setq nntp-server-action-alist
8415 You probably don't want to do that, though.
8417 The default value is
8420 '(("nntpd 1\\.5\\.11t"
8421 (remove-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook nntp-send-mode-reader)))
8424 This ensures that Gnus doesn't send the @code{MODE READER} command to
8425 nntpd 1.5.11t, since that command chokes that server, I've been told.
8427 @item nntp-maximum-request
8428 @vindex nntp-maximum-request
8429 If the @sc{nntp} server doesn't support @sc{nov} headers, this backend
8430 will collect headers by sending a series of @code{head} commands. To
8431 speed things up, the backend sends lots of these commands without
8432 waiting for reply, and then reads all the replies. This is controlled
8433 by the @code{nntp-maximum-request} variable, and is 400 by default. If
8434 your network is buggy, you should set this to 1.
8436 @item nntp-connection-timeout
8437 @vindex nntp-connection-timeout
8438 If you have lots of foreign @code{nntp} groups that you connect to
8439 regularly, you're sure to have problems with @sc{nntp} servers not
8440 responding properly, or being too loaded to reply within reasonable
8441 time. This is can lead to awkward problems, which can be helped
8442 somewhat by setting @code{nntp-connection-timeout}. This is an integer
8443 that says how many seconds the @code{nntp} backend should wait for a
8444 connection before giving up. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default,
8445 no timeouts are done.
8447 @item nntp-command-timeout
8448 @vindex nntp-command-timeout
8449 @cindex PPP connections
8450 @cindex dynamic IP addresses
8451 If you're running Gnus on a machine that has a dynamically assigned
8452 address, Gnus may become confused. If the address of your machine
8453 changes after connecting to the @sc{nntp} server, Gnus will simply sit
8454 waiting forever for replies from the server. To help with this
8455 unfortunate problem, you can set this command to a number. Gnus will
8456 then, if it sits waiting longer than that number of seconds for a reply
8457 from the server, shut down the connection, start a new one, and resend
8458 the command. This should hopefully be transparent to the user. A
8459 likely number is 30 seconds.
8461 @item nntp-retry-on-break
8462 @vindex nntp-retry-on-break
8463 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you can also @kbd{C-g} if Gnus
8464 hangs. This will have much the same effect as the command timeout
8467 @item nntp-server-hook
8468 @vindex nntp-server-hook
8469 This hook is run as the last step when connecting to an @sc{nntp}
8472 @findex nntp-open-rlogin
8473 @findex nntp-open-telnet
8474 @findex nntp-open-network-stream
8475 @item nntp-open-connection-function
8476 @vindex nntp-open-connection-function
8477 This function is used to connect to the remote system. Three pre-made
8478 functions are @code{nntp-open-network-stream}, which is the default, and
8479 simply connects to some port or other on the remote system. The other
8480 two are @code{nntp-open-rlogin}, which does an @samp{rlogin} on the
8481 remote system, and then does a @samp{telnet} to the @sc{nntp} server
8482 available there, and @code{nntp-open-telnet}, which does a @samp{telnet}
8483 to the remote system and then another @samp{telnet} to get to the
8486 @code{nntp-open-rlogin}-related variables:
8490 @item nntp-rlogin-parameters
8491 @vindex nntp-rlogin-parameters
8492 This list will be used as the parameter list given to @code{rsh}.
8494 @item nntp-rlogin-user-name
8495 @vindex nntp-rlogin-user-name
8496 User name on the remote system.
8500 @code{nntp-open-telnet}-related variables:
8503 @item nntp-telnet-command
8504 @vindex nntp-telnet-command
8505 Command used to start @samp{telnet}.
8507 @item nntp-telnet-switches
8508 @vindex nntp-telnet-switches
8509 List of strings to be used as the switches to the telnet command.
8511 @item nntp-telnet-user-name
8512 @vindex nntp-telnet-user-name
8513 User name to log in on the remote system as.
8515 @item nntp-telnet-passwd
8516 @vindex nntp-telnet-passwd
8517 Password to use when logging in.
8519 @item nntp-telnet-parameters
8520 @vindex nntp-telnet-parameters
8521 A list of strings that will be executed as a command after logging in
8526 @item nntp-end-of-line
8527 @vindex nntp-end-of-line
8528 String to use as end-of-line markers when talking to the @sc{nntp}
8529 server. This is @samp{\r\n} by default, but should be @samp{\n} when
8530 using @code{rlogin} to talk to the server.
8532 @item nntp-rlogin-user-name
8533 @vindex nntp-rlogin-user-name
8534 User name on the remote system when using the @code{rlogin} connect
8538 @vindex nntp-address
8539 The address of the remote system running the @sc{nntp} server.
8541 @item nntp-port-number
8542 @vindex nntp-port-number
8543 Port number to connect to when using the @code{nntp-open-network-stream}
8546 @item nntp-buggy-select
8547 @vindex nntp-buggy-select
8548 Set this to non-@code{nil} if your select routine is buggy.
8550 @item nntp-nov-is-evil
8551 @vindex nntp-nov-is-evil
8552 If the @sc{nntp} server does not support @sc{nov}, you could set this
8553 variable to @code{t}, but @code{nntp} usually checks whether @sc{nov}
8554 can be used automatically.
8556 @item nntp-xover-commands
8557 @vindex nntp-xover-commands
8560 List of strings that are used as commands to fetch @sc{nov} lines from a
8561 server. The default value of this variable is @code{("XOVER"
8565 @vindex nntp-nov-gap
8566 @code{nntp} normally sends just one big request for @sc{nov} lines to
8567 the server. The server responds with one huge list of lines. However,
8568 if you have read articles 2-5000 in the group, and only want to read
8569 article 1 and 5001, that means that @code{nntp} will fetch 4999 @sc{nov}
8570 lines that you do not want, and will not use. This variable says how
8571 big a gap between two consecutive articles is allowed to be before the
8572 @code{XOVER} request is split into several request. Note that if your
8573 network is fast, setting this variable to a really small number means
8574 that fetching will probably be slower. If this variable is @code{nil},
8575 @code{nntp} will never split requests.
8577 @item nntp-prepare-server-hook
8578 @vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
8579 A hook run before attempting to connect to an @sc{nntp} server.
8581 @item nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
8582 @vindex nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
8583 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, some noise will be made when a
8584 server closes connection.
8590 @subsection News Spool
8594 Subscribing to a foreign group from the local spool is extremely easy,
8595 and might be useful, for instance, to speed up reading groups that
8596 contain very big articles---@samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}, for
8599 Anyways, you just specify @code{nnspool} as the method and @samp{} (or
8600 anything else) as the address.
8602 If you have access to a local spool, you should probably use that as the
8603 native select method (@pxref{Finding the News}). It is normally faster
8604 than using an @code{nntp} select method, but might not be. It depends.
8605 You just have to try to find out what's best at your site.
8609 @item nnspool-inews-program
8610 @vindex nnspool-inews-program
8611 Program used to post an article.
8613 @item nnspool-inews-switches
8614 @vindex nnspool-inews-switches
8615 Parameters given to the inews program when posting an article.
8617 @item nnspool-spool-directory
8618 @vindex nnspool-spool-directory
8619 Where @code{nnspool} looks for the articles. This is normally
8620 @file{/usr/spool/news/}.
8622 @item nnspool-nov-directory
8623 @vindex nnspool-nov-directory
8624 Where @code{nnspool} will look for @sc{nov} files. This is normally
8625 @file{/usr/spool/news/over.view/}.
8627 @item nnspool-lib-dir
8628 @vindex nnspool-lib-dir
8629 Where the news lib dir is (@file{/usr/lib/news/} by default).
8631 @item nnspool-active-file
8632 @vindex nnspool-active-file
8633 The path of the active file.
8635 @item nnspool-newsgroups-file
8636 @vindex nnspool-newsgroups-file
8637 The path of the group descriptions file.
8639 @item nnspool-history-file
8640 @vindex nnspool-history-file
8641 The path of the news history file.
8643 @item nnspool-active-times-file
8644 @vindex nnspool-active-times-file
8645 The path of the active date file.
8647 @item nnspool-nov-is-evil
8648 @vindex nnspool-nov-is-evil
8649 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnspool} won't try to use any @sc{nov} files
8652 @item nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
8653 @vindex nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
8655 If non-@code{nil}, which is the default, use @code{sed} to get the
8656 relevant portion from the overview file. If nil, @code{nnspool} will
8657 load the entire file into a buffer and process it there.
8663 @section Getting Mail
8664 @cindex reading mail
8667 Reading mail with a newsreader---isn't that just plain WeIrD? But of
8671 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
8672 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
8673 * Mail Backend Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
8674 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
8675 * Mail and Procmail:: Reading mail groups that procmail create.
8676 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
8677 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
8678 * Washing Mail:: Removing gruft from the mail you get.
8679 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
8680 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail backends for reading other files.
8681 * Choosing a Mail Backend:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
8685 @node Getting Started Reading Mail
8686 @subsection Getting Started Reading Mail
8688 It's quite easy to use Gnus to read your new mail. You just plonk the
8689 mail backend of your choice into @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods},
8690 and things will happen automatically.
8692 For instance, if you want to use @code{nnml} (which is a one file per
8693 mail backend), you could put the following in your @file{.gnus} file:
8696 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
8697 '((nnml "private")))
8700 Now, the next time you start Gnus, this backend will be queried for new
8701 articles, and it will move all the messages in your spool file to its
8702 directory, which is @code{~/Mail/} by default. The new group that will
8703 be created (@samp{mail.misc}) will be subscribed, and you can read it
8704 like any other group.
8706 You will probably want to split the mail into several groups, though:
8709 (setq nnmail-split-methods
8710 '(("junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
8711 ("crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
8715 This will result in three new @code{nnml} mail groups being created:
8716 @samp{nnml:junk}, @samp{nnml:crazy}, and @samp{nnml:other}. All the
8717 mail that doesn't fit into the first two groups will be placed in the
8720 This should be sufficient for reading mail with Gnus. You might want to
8721 give the other sections in this part of the manual a perusal, though,
8722 especially @pxref{Choosing a Mail Backend} and @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
8725 @node Splitting Mail
8726 @subsection Splitting Mail
8727 @cindex splitting mail
8728 @cindex mail splitting
8730 @vindex nnmail-split-methods
8731 The @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable says how the incoming mail is
8732 to be split into groups.
8735 (setq nnmail-split-methods
8736 '(("mail.junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
8737 ("mail.crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
8741 This variable is a list of lists, where the first element of each of
8742 these lists is the name of the mail group (they do not have to be called
8743 something beginning with @samp{mail}, by the way), and the second
8744 element is a regular expression used on the header of each mail to
8745 determine if it belongs in this mail group.
8747 If the first element is the special symbol @code{junk}, then messages
8748 that match the regexp will disappear into the aether. Use with
8751 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
8752 called narrowed to the headers with the first element of the rule as the
8753 argument. It should return a non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the
8754 mail belongs in that group.
8756 The last of these groups should always be a general one, and the regular
8757 expression should @emph{always} be @samp{} so that it matches any mails
8758 that haven't been matched by any of the other regexps. (These rules are
8759 processed from the beginning of the alist toward the end. The first
8760 rule to make a match will "win", unless you have crossposting enabled.
8761 In that case, all matching rules will "win".)
8763 If you like to tinker with this yourself, you can set this variable to a
8764 function of your choice. This function will be called without any
8765 arguments in a buffer narrowed to the headers of an incoming mail
8766 message. The function should return a list of groups names that it
8767 thinks should carry this mail message.
8769 Note that the mail backends are free to maul the poor, innocent
8770 incoming headers all they want to. They all add @code{Lines} headers;
8771 some add @code{X-Gnus-Group} headers; most rename the Unix mbox
8772 @code{From<SPACE>} line to something else.
8774 @vindex nnmail-crosspost
8775 The mail backends all support cross-posting. If several regexps match,
8776 the mail will be ``cross-posted'' to all those groups.
8777 @code{nnmail-crosspost} says whether to use this mechanism or not. Note
8778 that no articles are crossposted to the general (@samp{}) group.
8780 @vindex nnmail-crosspost-link-function
8783 @code{nnmh} and @code{nnml} makes crossposts by creating hard links to
8784 the crossposted articles. However, not all files systems support hard
8785 links. If that's the case for you, set
8786 @code{nnmail-crosspost-link-function} to @code{copy-file}. (This
8787 variable is @code{add-name-to-file} by default.)
8789 @kindex M-x nnmail-split-history
8790 @kindex nnmail-split-history
8791 If you wish to see where the previous mail split put the messages, you
8792 can use the @kbd{M-x nnmail-split-history} command.
8794 Gnus gives you all the opportunity you could possibly want for shooting
8795 yourself in the foot. Let's say you create a group that will contain
8796 all the mail you get from your boss. And then you accidentally
8797 unsubscribe from the group. Gnus will still put all the mail from your
8798 boss in the unsubscribed group, and so, when your boss mails you ``Have
8799 that report ready by Monday or you're fired!'', you'll never see it and,
8800 come Tuesday, you'll still believe that you're gainfully employed while
8801 you really should be out collecting empty bottles to save up for next
8805 @node Mail Backend Variables
8806 @subsection Mail Backend Variables
8808 These variables are (for the most part) pertinent to all the various
8812 @vindex nnmail-read-incoming-hook
8813 @item nnmail-read-incoming-hook
8814 The mail backends all call this hook after reading new mail. You can
8815 use this hook to notify any mail watch programs, if you want to.
8817 @vindex nnmail-spool-file
8818 @item nnmail-spool-file
8822 @vindex nnmail-pop-password
8823 @vindex nnmail-pop-password-required
8824 The backends will look for new mail in this file. If this variable is
8825 @code{nil}, the mail backends will never attempt to fetch mail by
8826 themselves. If you are using a POP mail server and your name is
8827 @samp{larsi}, you should set this variable to @samp{po:larsi}. If
8828 your name is not @samp{larsi}, you should probably modify that
8829 slightly, but you may have guessed that already, you smart & handsome
8830 devil! You can also set this variable to @code{pop}, and Gnus will try
8831 to figure out the POP mail string by itself. In any case, Gnus will
8832 call @code{movemail} which will contact the POP server named in the
8833 @code{MAILHOST} environment variable. If the POP server needs a
8834 password, you can either set @code{nnmail-pop-password-required} to
8835 @code{t} and be prompted for the password, or set
8836 @code{nnmail-pop-password} to the password itself.
8838 @code{nnmail-spool-file} can also be a list of mailboxes.
8840 Your Emacs has to have been configured with @samp{--with-pop} before
8841 compilation. This is the default, but some installations have it
8844 When you use a mail backend, Gnus will slurp all your mail from your
8845 inbox and plonk it down in your home directory. Gnus doesn't move any
8846 mail if you're not using a mail backend---you have to do a lot of magic
8847 invocations first. At the time when you have finished drawing the
8848 pentagram, lightened the candles, and sacrificed the goat, you really
8849 shouldn't be too surprised when Gnus moves your mail.
8851 @vindex nnmail-use-procmail
8852 @vindex nnmail-procmail-suffix
8853 @item nnmail-use-procmail
8854 If non-@code{nil}, the mail backends will look in
8855 @code{nnmail-procmail-directory} for incoming mail. All the files in
8856 that directory that have names ending in @code{nnmail-procmail-suffix}
8857 will be considered incoming mailboxes, and will be searched for new
8860 @vindex nnmail-crash-box
8861 @item nnmail-crash-box
8862 When the mail backends read a spool file, it is first moved to this
8863 file, which is @file{~/.gnus-crash-box} by default. If this file
8864 already exists, it will always be read (and incorporated) before any
8867 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
8868 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
8869 This is run in a buffer that holds all the new incoming mail, and can be
8870 used for, well, anything, really.
8872 @vindex nnmail-split-hook
8873 @item nnmail-split-hook
8874 @findex article-decode-rfc1522
8875 @findex RFC1522 decoding
8876 Hook run in the buffer where the mail headers of each message is kept
8877 just before the splitting based on these headers is done. The hook is
8878 free to modify the buffer contents in any way it sees fit---the buffer
8879 is discarded after the splitting has been done, and no changes performed
8880 in the buffer will show up in any files. @code{gnus-article-decode-rfc1522}
8881 is one likely function to add to this hook.
8883 @vindex nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
8884 @vindex nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
8885 @item nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
8886 @itemx nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
8887 These are two useful hooks executed when treating new incoming
8888 mail---@code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook} (is called just before
8889 starting to handle the new mail) and
8890 @code{nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook} (is called when the mail handling
8891 is done). Here's and example of using these two hooks to change the
8892 default file modes the new mail files get:
8895 (add-hook 'gnus-pre-get-new-mail-hook
8896 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 511)))
8898 (add-hook 'gnus-post-get-new-mail-hook
8899 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 551)))
8902 @item nnmail-tmp-directory
8903 @vindex nnmail-tmp-directory
8904 This variable says where to move the incoming mail to while processing
8905 it. This is usually done in the same directory that the mail backend
8906 inhabits (i.e., @file{~/Mail/}), but if this variable is non-@code{nil},
8907 it will be used instead.
8909 @item nnmail-movemail-program
8910 @vindex nnmail-movemail-program
8911 This program is executed to move mail from the user's inbox to her home
8912 directory. The default is @samp{movemail}.
8914 This can also be a function. In that case, the function will be called
8915 with two parameters -- the name of the inbox, and the file to be moved
8918 @item nnmail-delete-incoming
8919 @vindex nnmail-delete-incoming
8920 @cindex incoming mail files
8921 @cindex deleting incoming files
8922 If non-@code{nil}, the mail backends will delete the temporary incoming
8923 file after splitting mail into the proper groups. This is @code{t} by
8926 @c This is @code{nil} by
8927 @c default for reasons of security.
8929 @c Since Red Gnus is an alpha release, it is to be expected to lose mail.
8930 (No Gnus release since (ding) Gnus 0.10 (or something like that) have
8931 lost mail, I think, but that's not the point. (Except certain versions
8932 of Red Gnus.)) By not deleting the Incoming* files, one can be sure to
8933 not lose mail -- if Gnus totally whacks out, one can always recover what
8936 Delete the @file{Incoming*} files at will.
8938 @item nnmail-use-long-file-names
8939 @vindex nnmail-use-long-file-names
8940 If non-@code{nil}, the mail backends will use long file and directory
8941 names. Groups like @samp{mail.misc} will end up in directories like
8942 @file{mail.misc/}. If it is @code{nil}, the same group will end up in
8945 @item nnmail-delete-file-function
8946 @vindex nnmail-delete-file-function
8948 Function called to delete files. It is @code{delete-file} by default.
8950 @item nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
8951 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
8952 If non-@code{nil}, put the @code{Message-ID}s of articles imported into
8953 the backend (via @code{Gcc}, for instance) into the mail duplication
8954 discovery cache. The default is @code{nil}.
8959 @node Fancy Mail Splitting
8960 @subsection Fancy Mail Splitting
8961 @cindex mail splitting
8962 @cindex fancy mail splitting
8964 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy
8965 @findex nnmail-split-fancy
8966 If the rather simple, standard method for specifying how to split mail
8967 doesn't allow you to do what you want, you can set
8968 @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. Then you can
8969 play with the @code{nnmail-split-fancy} variable.
8971 Let's look at an example value of this variable first:
8974 ;; Messages from the mailer daemon are not crossposted to any of
8975 ;; the ordinary groups. Warnings are put in a separate group
8976 ;; from real errors.
8977 (| ("from" mail (| ("subject" "warn.*" "mail.warning")
8979 ;; Non-error messages are crossposted to all relevant
8980 ;; groups, but we don't crosspost between the group for the
8981 ;; (ding) list and the group for other (ding) related mail.
8982 (& (| (any "ding@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "ding.list")
8983 ("subject" "ding" "ding.misc"))
8984 ;; Other mailing lists...
8985 (any "procmail@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "procmail.list")
8986 (any "SmartList@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "SmartList.list")
8988 (any "larsi@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "people.Lars_Magne_Ingebrigtsen"))
8989 ;; Unmatched mail goes to the catch all group.
8993 This variable has the format of a @dfn{split}. A split is a (possibly)
8994 recursive structure where each split may contain other splits. Here are
8995 the five possible split syntaxes:
9000 @samp{group}: If the split is a string, that will be taken as a group name.
9003 @var{(FIELD VALUE SPLIT)}: If the split is a list, and the first
9004 element is a string, then that means that if header FIELD (a regexp)
9005 contains VALUE (also a regexp), then store the message as specified by
9009 @var{(| SPLIT...)}: If the split is a list, and the first element is
9010 @code{|} (vertical bar), then process each SPLIT until one of them
9011 matches. A SPLIT is said to match if it will cause the mail message to
9012 be stored in one or more groups.
9015 @var{(& SPLIT...)}: If the split is a list, and the first element is
9016 @code{&}, then process all SPLITs in the list.
9019 @code{junk}: If the split is the symbol @code{junk}, then don't save
9020 this message anywhere.
9023 @var{(: function arg1 arg2 ...)}: If the split is a list, and the first
9024 element is @code{:}, then the second element will be called as a
9025 function with @var{args} given as arguments. The function should return
9030 In these splits, @var{FIELD} must match a complete field name.
9031 @var{VALUE} must match a complete word according to the fundamental mode
9032 syntax table. You can use @code{.*} in the regexps to match partial
9033 field names or words. In other words, all @var{VALUE}'s are wrapped in
9034 @samp{\<} and @samp{\>} pairs.
9036 @vindex nnmail-split-abbrev-alist
9037 @var{FIELD} and @var{VALUE} can also be lisp symbols, in that case they
9038 are expanded as specified by the variable
9039 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist}. This is an alist of cons cells, where
9040 the car of the cells contains the key, and the cdr contains a string.
9042 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table
9043 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table} is the syntax table in effect
9044 when all this splitting is performed.
9046 If you want to have Gnus create groups dynamically based on some
9047 information in the headers, you can say things like:
9050 (any "debian-\(\\w*\\)@@lists.debian.org" "mail.debian.\\1")
9053 That is, do @code{replace-match}-like substitions in the group names.
9056 @node Mail and Procmail
9057 @subsection Mail and Procmail
9062 Many people use @code{procmail} (or some other mail filter program or
9063 external delivery agent---@code{slocal}, @code{elm}, etc) to split
9064 incoming mail into groups. If you do that, you should set
9065 @code{nnmail-spool-file} to @code{procmail} to ensure that the mail
9066 backends never ever try to fetch mail by themselves.
9068 This also means that you probably don't want to set
9069 @code{nnmail-split-methods} either, which has some, perhaps, unexpected
9072 When a mail backend is queried for what groups it carries, it replies
9073 with the contents of that variable, along with any groups it has figured
9074 out that it carries by other means. None of the backends (except
9075 @code{nnmh}) actually go out to the disk and check what groups actually
9076 exist. (It's not trivial to distinguish between what the user thinks is
9077 a basis for a newsgroup and what is just a plain old file or directory.)
9079 This means that you have to tell Gnus (and the backends) what groups
9082 Let's take the @code{nnmh} backend as an example.
9084 The folders are located in @code{nnmh-directory}, say, @file{~/Mail/}.
9085 There are three folders, @file{foo}, @file{bar} and @file{mail.baz}.
9087 Go to the group buffer and type @kbd{G m}. When prompted, answer
9088 @samp{foo} for the name and @samp{nnmh} for the method. Repeat
9089 twice for the two other groups, @samp{bar} and @samp{mail.baz}. Be sure
9090 to include all your mail groups.
9092 That's it. You are now set to read your mail. An active file for this
9093 method will be created automatically.
9095 @vindex nnmail-procmail-suffix
9096 @vindex nnmail-procmail-directory
9097 If you use @code{nnfolder} or any other backend that store more than a
9098 single article in each file, you should never have procmail add mails to
9099 the file that Gnus sees. Instead, procmail should put all incoming mail
9100 in @code{nnmail-procmail-directory}. To arrive at the file name to put
9101 the incoming mail in, append @code{nnmail-procmail-suffix} to the group
9102 name. The mail backends will read the mail from these files.
9104 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
9105 When Gnus reads a file called @file{mail.misc.spool}, this mail will be
9106 put in the @code{mail.misc}, as one would expect. However, if you want
9107 Gnus to split the mail the normal way, you could set
9108 @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming} to @code{t}.
9110 @vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
9111 If you use @code{procmail} to split things directory into an @code{nnmh}
9112 directory (which you shouldn't do), you should set
9113 @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} to non-@code{nil} to prevent Gnus from
9114 ever expiring the final article (i. e., the article with the highest
9115 article number) in a mail newsgroup. This is quite, quite important.
9117 Here's an example setup: The incoming spools are located in
9118 @file{~/incoming/} and have @samp{""} as suffixes (i. e., the incoming
9119 spool files have the same names as the equivalent groups). The
9120 @code{nnfolder} backend is to be used as the mail interface, and the
9121 @code{nnfolder} directory is @file{~/fMail/}.
9124 (setq nnfolder-directory "~/fMail/")
9125 (setq nnmail-spool-file 'procmail)
9126 (setq nnmail-procmail-directory "~/incoming/")
9127 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnfolder "")))
9128 (setq nnmail-procmail-suffix "")
9132 @node Incorporating Old Mail
9133 @subsection Incorporating Old Mail
9135 Most people have lots of old mail stored in various file formats. If
9136 you have set up Gnus to read mail using one of the spiffy Gnus mail
9137 backends, you'll probably wish to have that old mail incorporated into
9140 Doing so can be quite easy.
9142 To take an example: You're reading mail using @code{nnml}
9143 (@pxref{Mail Spool}), and have set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to a
9144 satisfactory value (@pxref{Splitting Mail}). You have an old Unix mbox
9145 file filled with important, but old, mail. You want to move it into
9146 your @code{nnml} groups.
9152 Go to the group buffer.
9155 Type `G f' and give the path of the mbox file when prompted to create an
9156 @code{nndoc} group from the mbox file (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
9159 Type `SPACE' to enter the newly created group.
9162 Type `M P b' to process-mark all articles in this group (@pxref{Setting
9166 Type `B r' to respool all the process-marked articles, and answer
9167 @samp{nnml} when prompted (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
9170 All the mail messages in the mbox file will now also be spread out over
9171 all your @code{nnml} groups. Try entering them and check whether things
9172 have gone without a glitch. If things look ok, you may consider
9173 deleting the mbox file, but I wouldn't do that unless I was absolutely
9174 sure that all the mail has ended up where it should be.
9176 Respooling is also a handy thing to do if you're switching from one mail
9177 backend to another. Just respool all the mail in the old mail groups
9178 using the new mail backend.
9182 @subsection Expiring Mail
9183 @cindex article expiry
9185 Traditional mail readers have a tendency to remove mail articles when
9186 you mark them as read, in some way. Gnus takes a fundamentally
9187 different approach to mail reading.
9189 Gnus basically considers mail just to be news that has been received in
9190 a rather peculiar manner. It does not think that it has the power to
9191 actually change the mail, or delete any mail messages. If you enter a
9192 mail group, and mark articles as ``read'', or kill them in some other
9193 fashion, the mail articles will still exist on the system. I repeat:
9194 Gnus will not delete your old, read mail. Unless you ask it to, of
9197 To make Gnus get rid of your unwanted mail, you have to mark the
9198 articles as @dfn{expirable}. This does not mean that the articles will
9199 disappear right away, however. In general, a mail article will be
9200 deleted from your system if, 1) it is marked as expirable, AND 2) it is
9201 more than one week old. If you do not mark an article as expirable, it
9202 will remain on your system until hell freezes over. This bears
9203 repeating one more time, with some spurious capitalizations: IF you do
9204 NOT mark articles as EXPIRABLE, Gnus will NEVER delete those ARTICLES.
9206 @vindex gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
9207 You do not have to mark articles as expirable by hand. Groups that
9208 match the regular expression @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups} will
9209 have all articles that you read marked as expirable automatically. All
9210 articles that are marked as expirable have an @samp{E} in the first
9211 column in the summary buffer.
9213 Note that making a group auto-expirable don't mean that all read
9214 articles are expired---only the articles that are marked as expirable
9215 will be expired. Also note the using the @kbd{d} command won't make
9216 groups expirable---only semi-automatic marking of articles as read will
9217 mark the articles as expirable in auto-expirable groups.
9219 Let's say you subscribe to a couple of mailing lists, and you want the
9220 articles you have read to disappear after a while:
9223 (setq gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
9224 "mail.nonsense-list\\|mail.nice-list")
9227 Another way to have auto-expiry happen is to have the element
9228 @code{auto-expire} in the group parameters of the group.
9230 If you use adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}) and
9231 auto-expiring, you'll have problems. Auto-expiring and adaptive scoring
9232 doesn't really mix very well.
9234 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait
9235 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable supplies the default time an
9236 expirable article has to live. Gnus starts counting days from when the
9237 message @emph{arrived}, not from when it was sent. The default is seven
9240 Gnus also supplies a function that lets you fine-tune how long articles
9241 are to live, based on what group they are in. Let's say you want to
9242 have one month expiry period in the @samp{mail.private} group, a one day
9243 expiry period in the @samp{mail.junk} group, and a six day expiry period
9246 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
9248 (setq nnmail-expiry-wait-function
9250 (cond ((string= group "mail.private")
9252 ((string= group "mail.junk")
9254 ((string= group "important")
9260 The group names that this function is fed are ``unadorned'' group
9261 names---no @samp{nnml:} prefixes and the like.
9263 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable and
9264 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} function can be either a number (not
9265 necessarily an integer) or the symbols @code{immediate} or
9268 You can also use the @code{expiry-wait} group parameter to selectively
9269 change the expiry period (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
9271 @vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
9272 If @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will never
9273 expire the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is to make life
9274 easier for procmail users.
9276 @vindex gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups
9277 By the way, that line up there about Gnus never expiring non-expirable
9278 articles is a lie. If you put @code{total-expire} in the group
9279 parameters, articles will not be marked as expirable, but all read
9280 articles will be put through the expiry process. Use with extreme
9281 caution. Even more dangerous is the
9282 @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups} variable. All groups that match
9283 this regexp will have all read articles put through the expiry process,
9284 which means that @emph{all} old mail articles in the groups in question
9285 will be deleted after a while. Use with extreme caution, and don't come
9286 crying to me when you discover that the regexp you used matched the
9287 wrong group and all your important mail has disappeared. Be a
9288 @emph{man}! Or a @emph{woman}! Whatever you feel more comfortable
9291 Most people make most of their mail groups total-expirable, though.
9295 @subsection Washing Mail
9296 @cindex mail washing
9297 @cindex list server brain damage
9298 @cindex incoming mail treatment
9300 Mailers and list servers are notorious for doing all sorts of really,
9301 really stupid things with mail. ``Hey, RFC822 doesn't explicitly
9302 prohibit us from adding the string @code{wE aRe ElItE!!!!!1!!} to the
9303 end of all lines passing through our server, so let's do that!!!!1!''
9304 Yes, but RFC822 wasn't designed to be read by morons. Things that were
9305 considered to be self-evident were not discussed. So. Here we are.
9307 Case in point: The German version of Microsoft Exchange adds @samp{AW:
9308 } to the subjects of replies instead of @samp{Re: }. I could pretend to
9309 be shocked and dismayed by this, but I haven't got the energy. It is to
9312 Gnus provides a plethora of functions for washing articles while
9313 displaying them, but it might be nicer to do the filtering before
9314 storing the mail to disc. For that purpose, we have three hooks and
9315 various functions that can be put in these hooks.
9318 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
9319 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
9320 This hook is called before doing anything with the mail and is meant for
9321 grand, sweeping gestures. Functions to be used include:
9324 @item nnheader-ms-strip-cr
9325 @findex nnheader-ms-strip-cr
9326 Remove trailing carriage returns from each line. This is default on
9327 Emacs running on MS machines.
9331 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
9332 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
9333 This hook is called narrowed to each header. It can be used when
9334 cleaning up the headers. Functions that can be used include:
9337 @item nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
9338 @findex nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
9339 Clear leading white space that ``helpful'' listservs have added to the
9340 headers too make them look nice. Aaah.
9342 @item nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
9343 @findex nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
9344 Some list servers add an identifier---for example, @samp{(idm)}---to the
9345 beginning of all @code{Subject} headers. I'm sure that's nice for
9346 people who use stone age mail readers. This function will remove
9347 strings that match the @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} regexp, which can
9348 also be a list of regexp.
9350 For instance, if you want to remove the @samp{(idm)} and the
9351 @samp{nagnagnag} identifiers:
9354 (setq nnmail-list-identifiers
9355 '("(idm)" "nagnagnag"))
9358 @item nnmail-remove-tabs
9359 @findex nnmail-remove-tabs
9360 Translate all @samp{TAB} characters into @samp{SPACE} characters.
9364 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
9365 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
9366 This hook is called narrowed to each message. Functions to be used
9370 @item article-de-quoted-unreadable
9371 @findex article-de-quoted-unreadable
9372 Decode Quoted Readable encoding.
9379 @subsection Duplicates
9381 @vindex nnmail-treat-duplicates
9382 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-length
9383 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-file
9384 @cindex duplicate mails
9385 If you are a member of a couple of mailing list, you will sometime
9386 receive two copies of the same mail. This can be quite annoying, so
9387 @code{nnmail} checks for and treats any duplicates it might find. To do
9388 this, it keeps a cache of old @code{Message-ID}s---
9389 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, which is @file{~/.nnmail-cache} by
9390 default. The approximate maximum number of @code{Message-ID}s stored
9391 there is controlled by the @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length}
9392 variable, which is 1000 by default. (So 1000 @code{Message-ID}s will be
9393 stored.) If all this sounds scary to you, you can set
9394 @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to @code{warn} (which is what it is by
9395 default), and @code{nnmail} won't delete duplicate mails. Instead it
9396 will insert a warning into the head of the mail saying that it thinks
9397 that this is a duplicate of a different message.
9399 This variable can also be a function. If that's the case, the function
9400 will be called from a buffer narrowed to the message in question with
9401 the @code{Message-ID} as a parameter. The function must return either
9402 @code{nil}, @code{warn}, or @code{delete}.
9404 You can turn this feature off completely by setting the variable to
9407 If you want all the duplicate mails to be put into a special
9408 @dfn{duplicates} group, you could do that using the normal mail split
9412 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
9413 '(| ;; Messages duplicates go to a separate group.
9414 ("gnus-warning" "duplication of message" "duplicate")
9415 ;; Message from daemons, postmaster, and the like to another.
9416 (any mail "mail.misc")
9423 (setq nnmail-split-methods
9424 '(("duplicates" "^Gnus-Warning:")
9429 Here's a neat feature: If you know that the recipient reads her mail
9430 with Gnus, and that she has @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} set to
9431 @code{delete}, you can send her as many insults as you like, just by
9432 using a @code{Message-ID} of a mail that you know that she's already
9433 received. Think of all the fun! She'll never see any of it! Whee!
9436 @node Not Reading Mail
9437 @subsection Not Reading Mail
9439 If you start using any of the mail backends, they have the annoying
9440 habit of assuming that you want to read mail with them. This might not
9441 be unreasonable, but it might not be what you want.
9443 If you set @code{nnmail-spool-file} to @code{nil}, none of the backends
9444 will ever attempt to read incoming mail, which should help.
9446 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
9447 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
9448 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
9449 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
9450 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
9451 This might be too much, if, for instance, you are reading mail quite
9452 happily with @code{nnml} and just want to peek at some old @sc{rmail}
9453 file you have stashed away with @code{nnbabyl}. All backends have
9454 variables called backend-@code{get-new-mail}. If you want to disable
9455 the @code{nnbabyl} mail reading, you edit the virtual server for the
9456 group to have a setting where @code{nnbabyl-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}.
9458 All the mail backends will call @code{nn}*@code{-prepare-save-mail-hook}
9459 narrowed to the article to be saved before saving it when reading
9463 @node Choosing a Mail Backend
9464 @subsection Choosing a Mail Backend
9466 Gnus will read the mail spool when you activate a mail group. The mail
9467 file is first copied to your home directory. What happens after that
9468 depends on what format you want to store your mail in.
9471 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
9472 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
9473 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
9474 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like backend.
9475 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
9480 @subsubsection Unix Mail Box
9482 @cindex unix mail box
9484 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
9485 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
9486 The @dfn{nnmbox} backend will use the standard Un*x mbox file to store
9487 mail. @code{nnmbox} will add extra headers to each mail article to say
9488 which group it belongs in.
9490 Virtual server settings:
9493 @item nnmbox-mbox-file
9494 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
9495 The name of the mail box in the user's home directory.
9497 @item nnmbox-active-file
9498 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
9499 The name of the active file for the mail box.
9501 @item nnmbox-get-new-mail
9502 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
9503 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmbox} will read incoming mail and split it
9509 @subsubsection Rmail Babyl
9513 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
9514 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
9515 The @dfn{nnbabyl} backend will use a babyl mail box (aka. @dfn{rmail
9516 mbox}) to store mail. @code{nnbabyl} will add extra headers to each mail
9517 article to say which group it belongs in.
9519 Virtual server settings:
9522 @item nnbabyl-mbox-file
9523 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
9524 The name of the rmail mbox file.
9526 @item nnbabyl-active-file
9527 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
9528 The name of the active file for the rmail box.
9530 @item nnbabyl-get-new-mail
9531 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
9532 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnbabyl} will read incoming mail.
9537 @subsubsection Mail Spool
9539 @cindex mail @sc{nov} spool
9541 The @dfn{nnml} spool mail format isn't compatible with any other known
9542 format. It should be used with some caution.
9544 @vindex nnml-directory
9545 If you use this backend, Gnus will split all incoming mail into files;
9546 one file for each mail, and put the articles into the correct
9547 directories under the directory specified by the @code{nnml-directory}
9548 variable. The default value is @file{~/Mail/}.
9550 You do not have to create any directories beforehand; Gnus will take
9553 If you have a strict limit as to how many files you are allowed to store
9554 in your account, you should not use this backend. As each mail gets its
9555 own file, you might very well occupy thousands of inodes within a few
9556 weeks. If this is no problem for you, and it isn't a problem for you
9557 having your friendly systems administrator walking around, madly,
9558 shouting ``Who is eating all my inodes?! Who? Who!?!'', then you should
9559 know that this is probably the fastest format to use. You do not have
9560 to trudge through a big mbox file just to read your new mail.
9562 @code{nnml} is probably the slowest backend when it comes to article
9563 splitting. It has to create lots of files, and it also generates
9564 @sc{nov} databases for the incoming mails. This makes is the fastest
9565 backend when it comes to reading mail.
9567 Virtual server settings:
9570 @item nnml-directory
9571 @vindex nnml-directory
9572 All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory.
9574 @item nnml-active-file
9575 @vindex nnml-active-file
9576 The active file for the @code{nnml} server.
9578 @item nnml-newsgroups-file
9579 @vindex nnml-newsgroups-file
9580 The @code{nnml} group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
9583 @item nnml-get-new-mail
9584 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
9585 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail.
9587 @item nnml-nov-is-evil
9588 @vindex nnml-nov-is-evil
9589 If non-@code{nil}, this backend will ignore any @sc{nov} files.
9591 @item nnml-nov-file-name
9592 @vindex nnml-nov-file-name
9593 The name of the @sc{nov} files. The default is @file{.overview}.
9595 @item nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
9596 @vindex nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
9597 Hook run narrowed to an article before saving.
9601 @findex nnml-generate-nov-databases
9602 If your @code{nnml} groups and @sc{nov} files get totally out of whack,
9603 you can do a complete update by typing @kbd{M-x
9604 nnml-generate-nov-databases}. This command will trawl through the
9605 entire @code{nnml} hierarchy, looking at each and every article, so it
9606 might take a while to complete. A better interface to this
9607 functionality can be found in the server buffer (@pxref{Server
9612 @subsubsection MH Spool
9614 @cindex mh-e mail spool
9616 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, except that is doesn't generate
9617 @sc{nov} databases and it doesn't keep an active file. This makes
9618 @code{nnmh} a @emph{much} slower backend than @code{nnml}, but it also
9619 makes it easier to write procmail scripts for.
9621 Virtual server settings:
9624 @item nnmh-directory
9625 @vindex nnmh-directory
9626 All @code{nnmh} directories will be located under this directory.
9628 @item nnmh-get-new-mail
9629 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
9630 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail.
9633 @vindex nnmh-be-safe
9634 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will go to ridiculous lengths to make
9635 sure that the articles in the folder are actually what Gnus thinks they
9636 are. It will check date stamps and stat everything in sight, so
9637 setting this to @code{t} will mean a serious slow-down. If you never
9638 use anything but Gnus to read the @code{nnmh} articles, you do not have
9639 to set this variable to @code{t}.
9644 @subsubsection Mail Folders
9646 @cindex mbox folders
9647 @cindex mail folders
9649 @code{nnfolder} is a backend for storing each mail group in a separate
9650 file. Each file is in the standard Un*x mbox format. @code{nnfolder}
9651 will add extra headers to keep track of article numbers and arrival
9654 Virtual server settings:
9657 @item nnfolder-directory
9658 @vindex nnfolder-directory
9659 All the @code{nnfolder} mail boxes will be stored under this directory.
9661 @item nnfolder-active-file
9662 @vindex nnfolder-active-file
9663 The name of the active file.
9665 @item nnfolder-newsgroups-file
9666 @vindex nnfolder-newsgroups-file
9667 The name of the group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File Format}.
9669 @item nnfolder-get-new-mail
9670 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
9671 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail.
9674 @findex nnfolder-generate-active-file
9675 @kindex M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file
9676 If you have lots of @code{nnfolder}-like files you'd like to read with
9677 @code{nnfolder}, you can use the @kbd{M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file}
9678 command to make @code{nnfolder} aware of all likely files in
9679 @code{nnfolder-directory}.
9683 @section Other Sources
9685 Gnus can do more than just read news or mail. The methods described
9686 below allow Gnus to view directories and files as if they were
9690 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
9691 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
9692 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
9693 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{SOUP} packets ``offline''.
9694 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
9695 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
9699 @node Directory Groups
9700 @subsection Directory Groups
9702 @cindex directory groups
9704 If you have a directory that has lots of articles in separate files in
9705 it, you might treat it as a newsgroup. The files have to have numerical
9708 This might be an opportune moment to mention @code{ange-ftp}, that most
9709 wonderful of all wonderful Emacs packages. When I wrote @code{nndir}, I
9710 didn't think much about it---a backend to read directories. Big deal.
9712 @code{ange-ftp} changes that picture dramatically. For instance, if you
9713 enter the @code{ange-ftp} file name
9714 @file{/ftp.hpc.uh.edu:/pub/emacs/ding-list/} as the the directory name,
9715 @code{ange-ftp} will actually allow you to read this directory over at
9716 @samp{sina} as a newsgroup. Distributed news ahoy!
9718 @code{nndir} will use @sc{nov} files if they are present.
9720 @code{nndir} is a ``read-only'' backend---you can't delete or expire
9721 articles with this method. You can use @code{nnmh} or @code{nnml} for
9722 whatever you use @code{nndir} for, so you could switch to any of those
9723 methods if you feel the need to have a non-read-only @code{nndir}.
9726 @node Anything Groups
9727 @subsection Anything Groups
9730 From the @code{nndir} backend (which reads a single spool-like
9731 directory), it's just a hop and a skip to @code{nneething}, which
9732 pretends that any arbitrary directory is a newsgroup. Strange, but
9735 When @code{nneething} is presented with a directory, it will scan this
9736 directory and assign article numbers to each file. When you enter such
9737 a group, @code{nneething} must create ``headers'' that Gnus can use.
9738 After all, Gnus is a newsreader, in case you're
9739 forgetting. @code{nneething} does this in a two-step process. First, it
9740 snoops each file in question. If the file looks like an article (i.e.,
9741 the first few lines look like headers), it will use this as the head.
9742 If this is just some arbitrary file without a head (e.g. a C source
9743 file), @code{nneething} will cobble up a header out of thin air. It
9744 will use file ownership, name and date and do whatever it can with these
9747 All this should happen automatically for you, and you will be presented
9748 with something that looks very much like a newsgroup. Totally like a
9749 newsgroup, to be precise. If you select an article, it will be displayed
9750 in the article buffer, just as usual.
9752 If you select a line that represents a directory, Gnus will pop you into
9753 a new summary buffer for this @code{nneething} group. And so on. You can
9754 traverse the entire disk this way, if you feel like, but remember that
9755 Gnus is not dired, really, and does not intend to be, either.
9757 There are two overall modes to this action---ephemeral or solid. When
9758 doing the ephemeral thing (i.e., @kbd{G D} from the group buffer), Gnus
9759 will not store information on what files you have read, and what files
9760 are new, and so on. If you create a solid @code{nneething} group the
9761 normal way with @kbd{G m}, Gnus will store a mapping table between
9762 article numbers and file names, and you can treat this group like any
9763 other groups. When you activate a solid @code{nneething} group, you will
9764 be told how many unread articles it contains, etc., etc.
9769 @item nneething-map-file-directory
9770 @vindex nneething-map-file-directory
9771 All the mapping files for solid @code{nneething} groups will be stored
9772 in this directory, which defaults to @file{~/.nneething/}.
9774 @item nneething-exclude-files
9775 @vindex nneething-exclude-files
9776 All files that match this regexp will be ignored. Nice to use to exclude
9777 auto-save files and the like, which is what it does by default.
9779 @item nneething-map-file
9780 @vindex nneething-map-file
9781 Name of the map files.
9785 @node Document Groups
9786 @subsection Document Groups
9788 @cindex documentation group
9791 @code{nndoc} is a cute little thing that will let you read a single file
9792 as a newsgroup. Several files types are supported:
9799 The babyl (rmail) mail box.
9804 The standard Unix mbox file.
9806 @cindex MMDF mail box
9808 The MMDF mail box format.
9811 Several news articles appended into a file.
9814 @cindex rnews batch files
9815 The rnews batch transport format.
9816 @cindex forwarded messages
9825 @cindex RFC 1153 digest
9826 @cindex RFC 341 digest
9827 MIME (RFC 1341) digest format.
9829 @item standard-digest
9830 The standard (RFC 1153) digest format.
9833 Non-standard digest format---matches most things, but does it badly.
9836 You can also use the special ``file type'' @code{guess}, which means
9837 that @code{nndoc} will try to guess what file type it is looking at.
9838 @code{digest} means that @code{nndoc} should guess what digest type the
9841 @code{nndoc} will not try to change the file or insert any extra headers into
9842 it---it will simply, like, let you use the file as the basis for a
9843 group. And that's it.
9845 If you have some old archived articles that you want to insert into your
9846 new & spiffy Gnus mail backend, @code{nndoc} can probably help you with
9847 that. Say you have an old @file{RMAIL} file with mail that you now want
9848 to split into your new @code{nnml} groups. You look at that file using
9849 @code{nndoc} (using the @kbd{G f} command in the group buffer
9850 (@pxref{Foreign Groups})), set the process mark on all the articles in
9851 the buffer (@kbd{M P b}, for instance), and then re-spool (@kbd{B r})
9852 using @code{nnml}. If all goes well, all the mail in the @file{RMAIL}
9853 file is now also stored in lots of @code{nnml} directories, and you can
9854 delete that pesky @file{RMAIL} file. If you have the guts!
9856 Virtual server variables:
9859 @item nndoc-article-type
9860 @vindex nndoc-article-type
9861 This should be one of @code{mbox}, @code{babyl}, @code{digest},
9862 @code{mmdf}, @code{forward}, @code{rfc934}, @code{rfc822-forward},
9863 @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mime-digest}, @code{clari-briefs}, or
9866 @item nndoc-post-type
9867 @vindex nndoc-post-type
9868 This variable says whether Gnus is to consider the group a news group or
9869 a mail group. There are two legal values: @code{mail} (the default)
9874 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
9878 @node Document Server Internals
9879 @subsubsection Document Server Internals
9881 Adding new document types to be recognized by @code{nndoc} isn't
9882 difficult. You just have to whip up a definition of what the document
9883 looks like, write a predicate function to recognize that document type,
9884 and then hook into @code{nndoc}.
9886 First, here's an example document type definition:
9890 (article-begin . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n")
9891 (body-end . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n"))
9894 The definition is simply a unique @dfn{name} followed by a series of
9895 regexp pseudo-variable settings. Below are the possible
9896 variables---don't be daunted by the number of variables; most document
9897 types can be defined with very few settings:
9901 If present, @code{nndoc} will skip past all text until it finds
9902 something that match this regexp. All text before this will be
9906 This setting has to be present in all document type definitions. It
9907 says what the beginning of each article looks like.
9909 @item head-begin-function
9910 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the head of
9913 @item nndoc-head-begin
9914 If present, this should be a regexp that matches the head of the
9917 @item nndoc-head-end
9918 This should match the end of the head of the article. It defaults to
9919 @samp{^$}---the empty line.
9921 @item body-begin-function
9922 If present, this function should move point to the beginning of the body
9926 This should match the beginning of the body of the article. It defaults
9929 @item body-end-function
9930 If present, this function should move point to the end of the body of
9934 If present, this should match the end of the body of the article.
9936 @item nndoc-file-end
9937 If present, this should match the end of the file. All text after this
9938 regexp will be totally ignored.
9942 So, using these variables @code{nndoc} is able to dissect a document
9943 file into a series of articles, each with a head and a body. However, a
9944 few more variables are needed since not all document types are all that
9945 news-like---variables needed to transform the head or the body into
9946 something that's palatable for Gnus:
9949 @item prepare-body-function
9950 If present, this function will be called when requesting an article. It
9951 will be called with point at the start of the body, and is useful if the
9952 document has encoded some parts of its contents.
9954 @item article-transform-function
9955 If present, this function is called when requesting an article. It's
9956 meant to be used how more wide-ranging transformation of both head and
9957 body of the article.
9959 @item generate-head-function
9960 If present, this function is called to generate a head that Gnus can
9961 understand. It is called with the article number as a parameter, and is
9962 expected to generate a nice head for the article in question. It is
9963 called when requesting the headers of all articles.
9967 Let's look at the most complicated example I can come up with---standard
9972 (first-article . ,(concat "^" (make-string 70 ?-) "\n\n+"))
9973 (article-begin . ,(concat "\n\n" (make-string 30 ?-) "\n\n+"))
9974 (prepare-body-function . nndoc-unquote-dashes)
9975 (body-end-function . nndoc-digest-body-end)
9977 (body-begin . "^ ?\n")
9978 (file-end . "^End of .*digest.*[0-9].*\n\\*\\*\\|^End of.*Digest *$")
9979 (subtype digest guess))
9982 We see that all text before a 70-width line of dashes is ignored; all
9983 text after a line that starts with that @samp{^End of} is also ignored;
9984 each article begins with a 30-width line of dashes; the line separating
9985 the head from the body may contain a single space; and that the body is
9986 run through @code{nndoc-unquote-dashes} before being delivered.
9988 To hook your own document definition into @code{nndoc}, use the
9989 @code{nndoc-add-type} function. It takes two parameters---the first is
9990 the definition itself and the second (optional) parameter says where in
9991 the document type definition alist to put this definition. The alist is
9992 traversed sequentially, and @code{nndoc-TYPE-type-p} is called for each
9993 type. So @code{nndoc-mmdf-type-p} is called to see whether a document
9994 is of @code{mmdf} type, and so on. These type predicates should return
9995 @code{nil} if the document is not of the correct type; @code{t} if it is
9996 of the correct type; and a number if the document might be of the
9997 correct type. A high number means high probability; a low number means
9998 low probability with @samp{0} being the lowest legal number.
10006 In the PC world people often talk about ``offline'' newsreaders. These
10007 are thingies that are combined reader/news transport monstrosities.
10008 With built-in modem programs. Yecchh!
10010 Of course, us Unix Weenie types of human beans use things like
10011 @code{uucp} and, like, @code{nntpd} and set up proper news and mail
10012 transport things like Ghod intended. And then we just use normal
10015 However, it can sometimes be convenient to do something a that's a bit
10016 easier on the brain if you have a very slow modem, and you're not really
10017 that interested in doing things properly.
10019 A file format called @sc{soup} has been developed for transporting news
10020 and mail from servers to home machines and back again. It can be a bit
10023 First some terminology:
10028 This is the machine that is connected to the outside world and where you
10029 get news and/or mail from.
10032 This is the machine that you want to do the actual reading and responding
10033 on. It is typically not connected to the rest of the world in any way.
10036 Something that contains messages and/or commands. There are two kinds
10040 @item message packets
10041 These are packets made at the server, and typically contains lots of
10042 messages for you to read. These are called @file{SoupoutX.tgz} by
10043 default, where @var{X} is a number.
10045 @item response packets
10046 These are packets made at the home machine, and typically contains
10047 replies that you've written. These are called @file{SoupinX.tgz} by
10048 default, where @var{X} is a number.
10058 You log in on the server and create a @sc{soup} packet. You can either
10059 use a dedicated @sc{soup} thingie (like the @code{awk} program), or you
10060 can use Gnus to create the packet with its @sc{soup} commands (@kbd{O
10061 s} and/or @kbd{G s b}; and then @kbd{G s p}) (@pxref{SOUP Commands}).
10064 You transfer the packet home. Rail, boat, car or modem will do fine.
10067 You put the packet in your home directory.
10070 You fire up Gnus on your home machine using the @code{nnsoup} backend as
10071 the native or secondary server.
10074 You read articles and mail and answer and followup to the things you
10075 want (@pxref{SOUP Replies}).
10078 You do the @kbd{G s r} command to pack these replies into a @sc{soup}
10082 You transfer this packet to the server.
10085 You use Gnus to mail this packet out with the @kbd{G s s} command.
10088 You then repeat until you die.
10092 So you basically have a bipartite system---you use @code{nnsoup} for
10093 reading and Gnus for packing/sending these @sc{soup} packets.
10096 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
10097 * SOUP Groups:: A backend for reading @sc{soup} packets.
10098 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
10102 @node SOUP Commands
10103 @subsubsection SOUP Commands
10105 These are commands for creating and manipulating @sc{soup} packets.
10109 @kindex G s b (Group)
10110 @findex gnus-group-brew-soup
10111 Pack all unread articles in the current group
10112 (@code{gnus-group-brew-soup}). This command understands the
10113 process/prefix convention.
10116 @kindex G s w (Group)
10117 @findex gnus-soup-save-areas
10118 Save all @sc{soup} data files (@code{gnus-soup-save-areas}).
10121 @kindex G s s (Group)
10122 @findex gnus-soup-send-replies
10123 Send all replies from the replies packet
10124 (@code{gnus-soup-send-replies}).
10127 @kindex G s p (Group)
10128 @findex gnus-soup-pack-packet
10129 Pack all files into a @sc{soup} packet (@code{gnus-soup-pack-packet}).
10132 @kindex G s r (Group)
10133 @findex nnsoup-pack-replies
10134 Pack all replies into a replies packet (@code{nnsoup-pack-replies}).
10137 @kindex O s (Summary)
10138 @findex gnus-soup-add-article
10139 This summary-mode command adds the current article to a @sc{soup} packet
10140 (@code{gnus-soup-add-article}). It understands the process/prefix
10141 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
10146 There are a few variables to customize where Gnus will put all these
10151 @item gnus-soup-directory
10152 @vindex gnus-soup-directory
10153 Directory where Gnus will save intermediate files while composing
10154 @sc{soup} packets. The default is @file{~/SoupBrew/}.
10156 @item gnus-soup-replies-directory
10157 @vindex gnus-soup-replies-directory
10158 This is what Gnus will use as a temporary directory while sending our
10159 reply packets. @file{~/SoupBrew/SoupReplies/} is the default.
10161 @item gnus-soup-prefix-file
10162 @vindex gnus-soup-prefix-file
10163 Name of the file where Gnus stores the last used prefix. The default is
10164 @samp{gnus-prefix}.
10166 @item gnus-soup-packer
10167 @vindex gnus-soup-packer
10168 A format string command for packing a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
10169 @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupout%d.tgz}.
10171 @item gnus-soup-unpacker
10172 @vindex gnus-soup-unpacker
10173 Format string command for unpacking a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
10174 @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
10176 @item gnus-soup-packet-directory
10177 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-directory
10178 Where Gnus will look for reply packets. The default is @file{~/}.
10180 @item gnus-soup-packet-regexp
10181 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-regexp
10182 Regular expression matching @sc{soup} reply packets in
10183 @code{gnus-soup-packet-directory}.
10189 @subsubsection @sc{soup} Groups
10192 @code{nnsoup} is the backend for reading @sc{soup} packets. It will
10193 read incoming packets, unpack them, and put them in a directory where
10194 you can read them at leisure.
10196 These are the variables you can use to customize its behavior:
10200 @item nnsoup-tmp-directory
10201 @vindex nnsoup-tmp-directory
10202 When @code{nnsoup} unpacks a @sc{soup} packet, it does it in this
10203 directory. (@file{/tmp/} by default.)
10205 @item nnsoup-directory
10206 @vindex nnsoup-directory
10207 @code{nnsoup} then moves each message and index file to this directory.
10208 The default is @file{~/SOUP/}.
10210 @item nnsoup-replies-directory
10211 @vindex nnsoup-replies-directory
10212 All replies will stored in this directory before being packed into a
10213 reply packet. The default is @file{~/SOUP/replies/"}.
10215 @item nnsoup-replies-format-type
10216 @vindex nnsoup-replies-format-type
10217 The @sc{soup} format of the replies packets. The default is @samp{?n}
10218 (rnews), and I don't think you should touch that variable. I probably
10219 shouldn't even have documented it. Drats! Too late!
10221 @item nnsoup-replies-index-type
10222 @vindex nnsoup-replies-index-type
10223 The index type of the replies packet. The is @samp{?n}, which means
10224 ``none''. Don't fiddle with this one either!
10226 @item nnsoup-active-file
10227 @vindex nnsoup-active-file
10228 Where @code{nnsoup} stores lots of information. This is not an ``active
10229 file'' in the @code{nntp} sense; it's an Emacs Lisp file. If you lose
10230 this file or mess it up in any way, you're dead. The default is
10231 @file{~/SOUP/active}.
10233 @item nnsoup-packer
10234 @vindex nnsoup-packer
10235 Format string command for packing a reply @sc{soup} packet. The default
10236 is @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupin%d.tgz}.
10238 @item nnsoup-unpacker
10239 @vindex nnsoup-unpacker
10240 Format string command for unpacking incoming @sc{soup} packets. The
10241 default is @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
10243 @item nnsoup-packet-directory
10244 @vindex nnsoup-packet-directory
10245 Where @code{nnsoup} will look for incoming packets. The default is
10248 @item nnsoup-packet-regexp
10249 @vindex nnsoup-packet-regexp
10250 Regular expression matching incoming @sc{soup} packets. The default is
10257 @subsubsection SOUP Replies
10259 Just using @code{nnsoup} won't mean that your postings and mailings end
10260 up in @sc{soup} reply packets automagically. You have to work a bit
10261 more for that to happen.
10263 @findex nnsoup-set-variables
10264 The @code{nnsoup-set-variables} command will set the appropriate
10265 variables to ensure that all your followups and replies end up in the
10268 In specific, this is what it does:
10271 (setq message-send-news-function 'nnsoup-request-post)
10272 (setq message-send-mail-function 'nnsoup-request-mail)
10275 And that's it, really. If you only want news to go into the @sc{soup}
10276 system you just use the first line. If you only want mail to be
10277 @sc{soup}ed you use the second.
10281 @subsection Web Searches
10285 @cindex InReference
10286 @cindex Usenet searches
10287 @cindex searching the Usenet
10289 It's, like, too neat to search the Usenet for articles that match a
10290 string, but it, like, totally @emph{sucks}, like, totally, to use one of
10291 those, like, Web browsers, and you, like, have to, rilly, like, look at
10292 the commercials, so, like, with Gnus you can do @emph{rad}, rilly,
10293 searches without having to use a browser.
10295 The @code{nnweb} backend allows an easy interface to the mighty search
10296 engine. You create an @code{nnweb} group, enter a search pattern, and
10297 then enter the group and read the articles like you would any normal
10298 group. The @kbd{G w} command in the group buffer (@pxref{Foreign
10299 Groups}) will do this in an easy-to-use fashion.
10301 @code{nnweb} groups don't really lend themselves to being solid
10302 groups---they have a very fleeting idea of article numbers. In fact,
10303 each time you enter an @code{nnweb} group (not even changing the search
10304 pattern), you are likely to get the articles ordered in a different
10305 manner. Not even using duplicate suppression (@code{Duplicate
10306 Suppression}) will help, since @code{nnweb} doesn't even know the
10307 @code{Message-ID} of the articles before reading them using some search
10308 engines (DejaNews, for instance). The only possible way to keep track
10309 of which articles you've read is by scoring on the @code{Date}
10310 header---mark all articles that were posted before the last date you
10311 read the group as read.
10313 If the search engine changes its output substantially, @code{nnweb}
10314 won't be able to parse it and will fail. One could hardly fault the Web
10315 providers if they were to do this---their @emph{raison d'être} is to
10316 make money off of advertisements, not to provide services to the
10317 community. Since @code{nnweb} washes the ads off all the articles, one
10318 might think that the providers might be somewhat miffed. We'll see.
10320 You must have the @code{url} and @code{w3} package installed to be able
10321 to use @code{nnweb}.
10323 Virtual server variables:
10328 What search engine type is being used. The currently supported types
10329 are @code{dejanews}, @code{altavista} and @code{reference}.
10332 @vindex nnweb-search
10333 The search string to feed to the search engine.
10335 @item nnweb-max-hits
10336 @vindex nnweb-max-hits
10337 Advisory maximum number of hits per search to display. The default is
10340 @item nnweb-type-definition
10341 @vindex nnweb-type-definition
10342 Type-to-definition alist. This alist says what @code{nnweb} should do
10343 with the various search engine types. The following elements must be
10348 Function to decode the article and provide something that Gnus
10352 Function to create an article number to message header and URL alist.
10355 Function to send the search string to the search engine.
10358 The address the aforementioned function should send the search string
10362 Format string URL to fetch an article by @code{Message-ID}.
10369 @node Mail-To-News Gateways
10370 @subsection Mail-To-News Gateways
10371 @cindex mail-to-news gateways
10374 If your local @code{nntp} server doesn't allow posting, for some reason
10375 or other, you can post using one of the numerous mail-to-news gateways.
10376 The @code{nngateway} backend provides the interface.
10378 Note that you can't read anything from this backend---it can only be
10384 @item nngateway-address
10385 @vindex nngateway-address
10386 This is the address of the mail-to-news gateway.
10388 @item nngateway-header-transformation
10389 @vindex nngateway-header-transformation
10390 News headers have often have to be transformed in some odd way or other
10391 for the mail-to-news gateway to accept it. This variable says what
10392 transformation should be called, and defaults to
10393 @code{nngateway-simple-header-transformation}. The function is called
10394 narrowed to the headers to be transformed and with one parameter---the
10397 This default function just inserts a new @code{To} header based on the
10398 @code{Newsgroups} header and the gateway address---an article with this
10399 @code{Newsgroups} header:
10402 Newsgroups: alt.religion.emacs
10405 will get this @code{From} header inserted:
10408 To: alt-religion-emacs@@GATEWAY
10413 So, to use this, simply say something like:
10416 (setq gnus-post-method '(nngateway "GATEWAY.ADDRESS"))
10420 @node Combined Groups
10421 @section Combined Groups
10423 Gnus allows combining a mixture of all the other group types into bigger
10427 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
10428 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
10432 @node Virtual Groups
10433 @subsection Virtual Groups
10435 @cindex virtual groups
10437 An @dfn{nnvirtual group} is really nothing more than a collection of
10440 For instance, if you are tired of reading many small group, you can
10441 put them all in one big group, and then grow tired of reading one
10442 big, unwieldy group. The joys of computing!
10444 You specify @code{nnvirtual} as the method. The address should be a
10445 regexp to match component groups.
10447 All marks in the virtual group will stick to the articles in the
10448 component groups. So if you tick an article in a virtual group, the
10449 article will also be ticked in the component group from whence it came.
10450 (And vice versa---marks from the component groups will also be shown in
10451 the virtual group.)
10453 Here's an example @code{nnvirtual} method that collects all Andrea Dworkin
10454 newsgroups into one, big, happy newsgroup:
10457 (nnvirtual "^alt\\.fan\\.andrea-dworkin$\\|^rec\\.dworkin.*")
10460 The component groups can be native or foreign; everything should work
10461 smoothly, but if your computer explodes, it was probably my fault.
10463 Collecting the same group from several servers might actually be a good
10464 idea if users have set the Distribution header to limit distribution.
10465 If you would like to read @samp{soc.motss} both from a server in Japan
10466 and a server in Norway, you could use the following as the group regexp:
10469 "^nntp+some.server.jp:soc.motss$\\|^nntp+some.server.no:soc.motss$"
10472 This should work kinda smoothly---all articles from both groups should
10473 end up in this one, and there should be no duplicates. Threading (and
10474 the rest) will still work as usual, but there might be problems with the
10475 sequence of articles. Sorting on date might be an option here
10476 (@pxref{Selecting a Group}.
10478 One limitation, however---all groups that are included in a virtual
10479 group has to be alive (i.e., subscribed or unsubscribed). Killed or
10480 zombie groups can't be component groups for @code{nnvirtual} groups.
10482 @vindex nnvirtual-always-rescan
10483 If the @code{nnvirtual-always-rescan} is non-@code{nil},
10484 @code{nnvirtual} will always scan groups for unread articles when
10485 entering a virtual group. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
10486 default) and you read articles in a component group after the virtual
10487 group has been activated, the read articles from the component group
10488 will show up when you enter the virtual group. You'll also see this
10489 effect if you have two virtual groups that contain the same component
10490 group. If that's the case, you should set this variable to @code{t}.
10491 Or you can just tap @code{M-g} on the virtual group every time before
10492 you enter it---it'll have much the same effect.
10495 @node Kibozed Groups
10496 @subsection Kibozed Groups
10500 @dfn{Kibozing} is defined by @sc{oed} as ``grepping through (parts of)
10501 the news feed''. @code{nnkiboze} is a backend that will do this for
10502 you. Oh joy! Now you can grind any @sc{nntp} server down to a halt
10503 with useless requests! Oh happiness!
10505 @kindex G k (Group)
10506 To create a kibozed group, use the @kbd{G k} command in the group
10509 The address field of the @code{nnkiboze} method is, as with
10510 @code{nnvirtual}, a regexp to match groups to be ``included'' in the
10511 @code{nnkiboze} group. There most similarities between @code{nnkiboze}
10512 and @code{nnvirtual} ends.
10514 In addition to this regexp detailing component groups, an @code{nnkiboze} group
10515 must have a score file to say what articles that are to be included in
10516 the group (@pxref{Scoring}).
10518 @kindex M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups
10519 @findex nnkiboze-generate-groups
10520 You must run @kbd{M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups} after creating the
10521 @code{nnkiboze} groups you want to have. This command will take time. Lots of
10522 time. Oodles and oodles of time. Gnus has to fetch the headers from
10523 all the articles in all the components groups and run them through the
10524 scoring process to determine if there are any articles in the groups
10525 that are to be part of the @code{nnkiboze} groups.
10527 Please limit the number of component groups by using restrictive
10528 regexps. Otherwise your sysadmin may become annoyed with you, and the
10529 @sc{nntp} site may throw you off and never let you back in again.
10530 Stranger things have happened.
10532 @code{nnkiboze} component groups do not have to be alive---they can be dead,
10533 and they can be foreign. No restrictions.
10535 @vindex nnkiboze-directory
10536 The generation of an @code{nnkiboze} group means writing two files in
10537 @code{nnkiboze-directory}, which is @file{~/News/} by default. One
10538 contains the @sc{nov} header lines for all the articles in the group,
10539 and the other is an additional @file{.newsrc} file to store information
10540 on what groups that have been searched through to find component
10543 Articles that are marked as read in the @code{nnkiboze} group will have their
10544 @sc{nov} lines removed from the @sc{nov} file.
10551 Other people use @dfn{kill files}, but we here at Gnus Towers like
10552 scoring better than killing, so we'd rather switch than fight. They do
10553 something completely different as well, so sit up straight and pay
10556 @vindex gnus-summary-mark-below
10557 All articles have a default score (@code{gnus-summary-default-score}),
10558 which is 0 by default. This score may be raised or lowered either
10559 interactively or by score files. Articles that have a score lower than
10560 @code{gnus-summary-mark-below} are marked as read.
10562 Gnus will read any @dfn{score files} that apply to the current group
10563 before generating the summary buffer.
10565 There are several commands in the summary buffer that insert score
10566 entries based on the current article. You can, for instance, ask Gnus to
10567 lower or increase the score of all articles with a certain subject.
10569 There are two sorts of scoring entries: Permanent and temporary.
10570 Temporary score entries are self-expiring entries. Any entries that are
10571 temporary and have not been used for, say, a week, will be removed
10572 silently to help keep the sizes of the score files down.
10575 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
10576 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
10577 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
10578 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
10579 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
10580 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
10581 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
10582 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
10583 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
10584 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
10585 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
10586 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
10587 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
10588 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
10589 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
10590 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
10594 @node Summary Score Commands
10595 @section Summary Score Commands
10596 @cindex score commands
10598 The score commands that alter score entries do not actually modify real
10599 score files. That would be too inefficient. Gnus maintains a cache of
10600 previously loaded score files, one of which is considered the
10601 @dfn{current score file alist}. The score commands simply insert
10602 entries into this list, and upon group exit, this list is saved.
10604 The current score file is by default the group's local score file, even
10605 if no such score file actually exists. To insert score commands into
10606 some other score file (e.g. @file{all.SCORE}), you must first make this
10607 score file the current one.
10609 General score commands that don't actually change the score file:
10614 @kindex V s (Summary)
10615 @findex gnus-summary-set-score
10616 Set the score of the current article (@code{gnus-summary-set-score}).
10619 @kindex V S (Summary)
10620 @findex gnus-summary-current-score
10621 Display the score of the current article
10622 (@code{gnus-summary-current-score}).
10625 @kindex V t (Summary)
10626 @findex gnus-score-find-trace
10627 Display all score rules that have been used on the current article
10628 (@code{gnus-score-find-trace}).
10631 @kindex V R (Summary)
10632 @findex gnus-summary-rescore
10633 Run the current summary through the scoring process
10634 (@code{gnus-summary-rescore}). This might be useful if you're playing
10635 around with your score files behind Gnus' back and want to see the
10636 effect you're having.
10639 @kindex V a (Summary)
10640 @findex gnus-summary-score-entry
10641 Add a new score entry, and allow specifying all elements
10642 (@code{gnus-summary-score-entry}).
10645 @kindex V c (Summary)
10646 @findex gnus-score-change-score-file
10647 Make a different score file the current
10648 (@code{gnus-score-change-score-file}).
10651 @kindex V e (Summary)
10652 @findex gnus-score-edit-current-scores
10653 Edit the current score file (@code{gnus-score-edit-current-scores}).
10654 You will be popped into a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score
10658 @kindex V f (Summary)
10659 @findex gnus-score-edit-file
10660 Edit a score file and make this score file the current one
10661 (@code{gnus-score-edit-file}).
10664 @kindex V F (Summary)
10665 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
10666 Flush the score cache (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}). This is useful
10667 after editing score files.
10670 @kindex V C (Summary)
10671 @findex gnus-score-customize
10672 Customize a score file in a visually pleasing manner
10673 (@code{gnus-score-customize}).
10676 @kindex I C-i (Summary)
10677 @findex gnus-summary-raise-score
10678 Increase the score of the current article
10679 (@code{gnus-summary-raise-score}).
10682 @kindex L C-l (Summary)
10683 @findex gnus-summary-lower-score
10684 Lower the score of the current article
10685 (@code{gnus-summary-lower-score}).
10688 The rest of these commands modify the local score file.
10693 @kindex V m (Summary)
10694 @findex gnus-score-set-mark-below
10695 Prompt for a score, and mark all articles with a score below this as
10696 read (@code{gnus-score-set-mark-below}).
10699 @kindex V x (Summary)
10700 @findex gnus-score-set-expunge-below
10701 Prompt for a score, and add a score rule to the current score file to
10702 expunge all articles below this score
10703 (@code{gnus-score-set-expunge-below}).
10706 The keystrokes for actually making score entries follow a very regular
10707 pattern, so there's no need to list all the commands. (Hundreds of
10712 The first key is either @kbd{I} (upper case i) for increasing the score
10713 or @kbd{L} for lowering the score.
10715 The second key says what header you want to score on. The following
10716 keys are available:
10720 Score on the author name.
10723 Score on the subject line.
10726 Score on the Xref line---i.e., the cross-posting line.
10729 Score on thread---the References line.
10735 Score on the number of lines.
10738 Score on the Message-ID.
10741 Score on followups.
10751 The third key is the match type. Which match types are legal depends on
10752 what headers you are scoring on.
10764 Substring matching.
10767 Fuzzy matching (@pxref{Fuzzy Matching}).
10796 Greater than number.
10801 The fourth and final key says whether this is a temporary (i.e., expiring)
10802 score entry, or a permanent (i.e., non-expiring) score entry, or whether
10803 it is to be done immediately, without adding to the score file.
10807 Temporary score entry.
10810 Permanent score entry.
10813 Immediately scoring.
10818 So, let's say you want to increase the score on the current author with
10819 exact matching permanently: @kbd{I a e p}. If you want to lower the
10820 score based on the subject line, using substring matching, and make a
10821 temporary score entry: @kbd{L s s t}. Pretty easy.
10823 To make things a bit more complicated, there are shortcuts. If you use
10824 a capital letter on either the second or third keys, Gnus will use
10825 defaults for the remaining one or two keystrokes. The defaults are
10826 ``substring'' and ``temporary''. So @kbd{I A} is the same as @kbd{I a s
10827 t}, and @kbd{I a R} is the same as @kbd{I a r t}.
10829 @vindex gnus-score-mimic-keymap
10830 The @code{gnus-score-mimic-keymap} says whether these commands will
10831 pretend they are keymaps or not.
10834 @node Group Score Commands
10835 @section Group Score Commands
10836 @cindex group score commands
10838 There aren't many of these as yet, I'm afraid.
10843 @kindex W f (Group)
10844 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
10845 Gnus maintains a cache of score alists to avoid having to reload them
10846 all the time. This command will flush the cache
10847 (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}).
10852 @node Score Variables
10853 @section Score Variables
10854 @cindex score variables
10858 @item gnus-use-scoring
10859 @vindex gnus-use-scoring
10860 If @code{nil}, Gnus will not check for score files, and will not, in
10861 general, do any score-related work. This is @code{t} by default.
10863 @item gnus-kill-killed
10864 @vindex gnus-kill-killed
10865 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will never apply score files to
10866 articles that have already been through the kill process. While this
10867 may save you lots of time, it also means that if you apply a kill file
10868 to a group, and then change the kill file and want to run it over you
10869 group again to kill more articles, it won't work. You have to set this
10870 variable to @code{t} to do that. (It is @code{t} by default.)
10872 @item gnus-kill-files-directory
10873 @vindex gnus-kill-files-directory
10874 All kill and score files will be stored in this directory, which is
10875 initialized from the @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable by default.
10876 This is @file{~/News/} by default.
10878 @item gnus-score-file-suffix
10879 @vindex gnus-score-file-suffix
10880 Suffix to add to the group name to arrive at the score file name
10881 (@samp{SCORE} by default.)
10883 @item gnus-score-uncacheable-files
10884 @vindex gnus-score-uncacheable-files
10885 @cindex score cache
10886 All score files are normally cached to avoid excessive re-loading of
10887 score files. However, if this might make you Emacs grow big and
10888 bloated, so this regexp can be used to weed out score files that are
10889 unlikely to be needed again. It would be a bad idea to deny caching of
10890 @file{all.SCORE}, while it might be a good idea to not cache
10891 @file{comp.infosystems.www.authoring.misc.ADAPT}. In fact, this
10892 variable is @samp{ADAPT$} by default, so no adaptive score files will
10895 @item gnus-save-score
10896 @vindex gnus-save-score
10897 If you have really complicated score files, and do lots of batch
10898 scoring, then you might set this variable to @code{t}. This will make
10899 Gnus save the scores into the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
10901 @item gnus-score-interactive-default-score
10902 @vindex gnus-score-interactive-default-score
10903 Score used by all the interactive raise/lower commands to raise/lower
10904 score with. Default is 1000, which may seem excessive, but this is to
10905 ensure that the adaptive scoring scheme gets enough room to play with.
10906 We don't want the small changes from the adaptive scoring to overwrite
10907 manually entered data.
10909 @item gnus-summary-default-score
10910 @vindex gnus-summary-default-score
10911 Default score of an article, which is 0 by default.
10913 @item gnus-summary-expunge-below
10914 @vindex gnus-summary-expunge-below
10915 Don't display the summary lines of articles that have scores lower than
10916 this variable. This is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
10917 articles will be hidden.
10919 @item gnus-score-over-mark
10920 @vindex gnus-score-over-mark
10921 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score over the
10922 default. Default is @samp{+}.
10924 @item gnus-score-below-mark
10925 @vindex gnus-score-below-mark
10926 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score below the
10927 default. Default is @samp{-}.
10929 @item gnus-score-find-score-files-function
10930 @vindex gnus-score-find-score-files-function
10931 Function used to find score files for the current group. This function
10932 is called with the name of the group as the argument.
10934 Predefined functions available are:
10937 @item gnus-score-find-single
10938 @findex gnus-score-find-single
10939 Only apply the group's own score file.
10941 @item gnus-score-find-bnews
10942 @findex gnus-score-find-bnews
10943 Apply all score files that match, using bnews syntax. This is the
10944 default. If the current group is @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}, for instance,
10945 @file{all.emacs.all.SCORE}, @file{not.alt.all.SCORE} and
10946 @file{gnu.all.SCORE} would all apply. In short, the instances of
10947 @samp{all} in the score file names are translated into @samp{.*}, and
10948 then a regexp match is done.
10950 This means that if you have some score entries that you want to apply to
10951 all groups, then you put those entries in the @file{all.SCORE} file.
10953 The score files are applied in a semi-random order, although Gnus will
10954 try to apply the more general score files before the more specific score
10955 files. It does this by looking at the number of elements in the score
10956 file names---discarding the @samp{all} elements.
10958 @item gnus-score-find-hierarchical
10959 @findex gnus-score-find-hierarchical
10960 Apply all score files from all the parent groups. This means that you
10961 can't have score files like @file{all.SCORE}, but you can have
10962 @file{SCORE}, @file{comp.SCORE} and @file{comp.emacs.SCORE}.
10965 This variable can also be a list of functions. In that case, all these
10966 functions will be called, and all the returned lists of score files will
10967 be applied. These functions can also return lists of score alists
10968 directly. In that case, the functions that return these non-file score
10969 alists should probably be placed before the ``real'' score file
10970 functions, to ensure that the last score file returned is the local
10973 @item gnus-score-expiry-days
10974 @vindex gnus-score-expiry-days
10975 This variable says how many days should pass before an unused score file
10976 entry is expired. If this variable is @code{nil}, no score file entries
10977 are expired. It's 7 by default.
10979 @item gnus-update-score-entry-dates
10980 @vindex gnus-update-score-entry-dates
10981 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, matching score entries will have
10982 their dates updated. (This is how Gnus controls expiry---all
10983 non-matching entries will become too old while matching entries will
10984 stay fresh and young.) However, if you set this variable to @code{nil},
10985 even matching entries will grow old and will have to face that oh-so
10988 @item gnus-score-after-write-file-function
10989 @vindex gnus-score-after-write-file-function
10990 Function called with the name of the score file just written.
10995 @node Score File Format
10996 @section Score File Format
10997 @cindex score file format
10999 A score file is an @code{emacs-lisp} file that normally contains just a
11000 single form. Casual users are not expected to edit these files;
11001 everything can be changed from the summary buffer.
11003 Anyway, if you'd like to dig into it yourself, here's an example:
11007 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" -10000)
11009 ("larsi\\|lmi" -50000 nil R))
11011 ("Ding is Badd" nil 728373))
11013 ("alt.politics" -1000 728372 s))
11018 (mark-and-expunge -10)
11022 (files "/hom/larsi/News/gnu.SCORE")
11023 (exclude-files "all.SCORE")
11024 (local (gnus-newsgroup-auto-expire t)
11025 (gnus-summary-make-false-root 'empty))
11029 This example demonstrates most score file elements. For a different
11030 approach, see @pxref{Advanced Scoring}.
11032 Even though this looks much like lisp code, nothing here is actually
11033 @code{eval}ed. The lisp reader is used to read this form, though, so it
11034 has to be legal syntactically, if not semantically.
11036 Six keys are supported by this alist:
11041 If the key is a string, it is the name of the header to perform the
11042 match on. Scoring can only be performed on these eight headers:
11043 @code{From}, @code{Subject}, @code{References}, @code{Message-ID},
11044 @code{Xref}, @code{Lines}, @code{Chars} and @code{Date}. In addition to
11045 these headers, there are three strings to tell Gnus to fetch the entire
11046 article and do the match on larger parts of the article: @code{Body}
11047 will perform the match on the body of the article, @code{Head} will
11048 perform the match on the head of the article, and @code{All} will
11049 perform the match on the entire article. Note that using any of these
11050 last three keys will slow down group entry @emph{considerably}. The
11051 final ``header'' you can score on is @code{Followup}. These score
11052 entries will result in new score entries being added for all follow-ups
11053 to articles that matches these score entries.
11055 Following this key is a arbitrary number of score entries, where each
11056 score entry has one to four elements.
11060 The first element is the @dfn{match element}. On most headers this will
11061 be a string, but on the Lines and Chars headers, this must be an
11065 If the second element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{score
11066 element}. This number should be an integer in the neginf to posinf
11067 interval. This number is added to the score of the article if the match
11068 is successful. If this element is not present, the
11069 @code{gnus-score-interactive-default-score} number will be used
11070 instead. This is 1000 by default.
11073 If the third element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{date
11074 element}. This date says when the last time this score entry matched,
11075 which provides a mechanism for expiring the score entries. It this
11076 element is not present, the score entry is permanent. The date is
11077 represented by the number of days since December 31, 1 BCE.
11080 If the fourth element is present, it should be a symbol---the @dfn{type
11081 element}. This element specifies what function should be used to see
11082 whether this score entry matches the article. What match types that can
11083 be used depends on what header you wish to perform the match on.
11086 @item From, Subject, References, Xref, Message-ID
11087 For most header types, there are the @code{r} and @code{R} (regexp), as
11088 well as @code{s} and @code{S} (substring) types, and @code{e} and
11089 @code{E} (exact match), and @code{w} (word match) types. If this
11090 element is not present, Gnus will assume that substring matching should
11091 be used. @code{R}, @code{S}, and @code{E} differ from the others in
11092 that the matches will be done in a case-sensitive manner. All these
11093 one-letter types are really just abbreviations for the @code{regexp},
11094 @code{string}, @code{exact}, and @code{word} types, which you can use
11095 instead, if you feel like.
11098 These two headers use different match types: @code{<}, @code{>},
11099 @code{=}, @code{>=} and @code{<=}. When matching on @code{Lines}, be
11100 careful because some backends (like @code{nndir}) do not generate
11101 @code{Lines} header, so every article ends up being marked as having 0
11102 lines. This can lead to strange results if you happen to lower score of
11103 the articles with few lines.
11106 For the Date header we have three kinda silly match types:
11107 @code{before}, @code{at} and @code{after}. I can't really imagine this
11108 ever being useful, but, like, it would feel kinda silly not to provide
11109 this function. Just in case. You never know. Better safe than sorry.
11110 Once burnt, twice shy. Don't judge a book by its cover. Never not have
11111 sex on a first date. (I have been told that at least one person, and I
11112 quote, ``found this function indispensable'', however.)
11116 A more useful match type is @code{regexp}. With it, you can match the
11117 date string using a regular expression. The date is normalized to
11118 ISO8601 compact format first---@samp{YYYYMMDDTHHMMSS}. If you want to
11119 match all articles that have been posted on April 1st in every year, you
11120 could use @samp{....0401.........} as a match string, for instance.
11121 (Note that the date is kept in its original time zone, so this will
11122 match articles that were posted when it was April 1st where the article
11123 was posted from. Time zones are such wholesome fun for the whole
11126 @item Head, Body, All
11127 These three match keys use the same match types as the @code{From} (etc)
11131 This match key is somewhat special, in that it will match the
11132 @code{From} header, and affect the score of not only the matching
11133 articles, but also all followups to the matching articles. This allows
11134 you e.g. increase the score of followups to your own articles, or
11135 decrease the score of followups to the articles of some known
11136 trouble-maker. Uses the same match types as the @code{From} header
11140 This match key works along the same lines as the @code{Followup} match
11141 key. If you say that you want to score on a (sub-)thread that is
11142 started by an article with a @code{Message-ID} @var{X}, then you add a
11143 @samp{thread} match. This will add a new @samp{thread} match for each
11144 article that has @var{X} in its @code{References} header. (These new
11145 @samp{thread} matches will use the @code{Message-ID}s of these matching
11146 articles.) This will ensure that you can raise/lower the score of an
11147 entire thread, even though some articles in the thread may not have
11148 complete @code{References} headers. Note that using this may lead to
11149 undeterministic scores of the articles in the thread.
11154 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
11155 lower than this number will be marked as read.
11158 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
11159 lower than this number will be removed from the summary buffer.
11161 @item mark-and-expunge
11162 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
11163 lower than this number will be marked as read and removed from the
11166 @item thread-mark-and-expunge
11167 The value of this entry should be a number. All articles that belong to
11168 a thread that has a total score below this number will be marked as read
11169 and removed from the summary buffer. @code{gnus-thread-score-function}
11170 says how to compute the total score for a thread.
11173 The value of this entry should be any number of file names. These files
11174 are assumed to be score files as well, and will be loaded the same way
11177 @item exclude-files
11178 The clue of this entry should be any number of files. These files will
11179 not be loaded, even though they would normally be so, for some reason or
11183 The value of this entry will be @code{eval}el. This element will be
11184 ignored when handling global score files.
11187 Read-only score files will not be updated or saved. Global score files
11188 should feature this atom (@pxref{Global Score Files}).
11191 The value of this entry should be a number. Articles that do not have
11192 parents will get this number added to their scores. Imagine you follow
11193 some high-volume newsgroup, like @samp{comp.lang.c}. Most likely you
11194 will only follow a few of the threads, also want to see any new threads.
11196 You can do this with the following two score file entries:
11200 (mark-and-expunge -100)
11203 When you enter the group the first time, you will only see the new
11204 threads. You then raise the score of the threads that you find
11205 interesting (with @kbd{I T} or @kbd{I S}), and ignore (@kbd{C y}) the
11206 rest. Next time you enter the group, you will see new articles in the
11207 interesting threads, plus any new threads.
11209 I.e.---the orphan score atom is for high-volume groups where there
11210 exist a few interesting threads which can't be found automatically by
11211 ordinary scoring rules.
11214 This entry controls the adaptive scoring. If it is @code{t}, the
11215 default adaptive scoring rules will be used. If it is @code{ignore}, no
11216 adaptive scoring will be performed on this group. If it is a list, this
11217 list will be used as the adaptive scoring rules. If it isn't present,
11218 or is something other than @code{t} or @code{ignore}, the default
11219 adaptive scoring rules will be used. If you want to use adaptive
11220 scoring on most groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
11221 @code{t}, and insert an @code{(adapt ignore)} in the groups where you do
11222 not want adaptive scoring. If you only want adaptive scoring in a few
11223 groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to @code{nil}, and
11224 insert @code{(adapt t)} in the score files of the groups where you want
11228 All adaptive score entries will go to the file named by this entry. It
11229 will also be applied when entering the group. This atom might be handy
11230 if you want to adapt on several groups at once, using the same adaptive
11231 file for a number of groups.
11234 @cindex local variables
11235 The value of this entry should be a list of @code{(VAR VALUE)} pairs.
11236 Each @var{var} will be made buffer-local to the current summary buffer,
11237 and set to the value specified. This is a convenient, if somewhat
11238 strange, way of setting variables in some groups if you don't like hooks
11243 @node Score File Editing
11244 @section Score File Editing
11246 You normally enter all scoring commands from the summary buffer, but you
11247 might feel the urge to edit them by hand as well, so we've supplied you
11248 with a mode for that.
11250 It's simply a slightly customized @code{emacs-lisp} mode, with these
11251 additional commands:
11256 @kindex C-c C-c (Score)
11257 @findex gnus-score-edit-done
11258 Save the changes you have made and return to the summary buffer
11259 (@code{gnus-score-edit-done}).
11262 @kindex C-c C-d (Score)
11263 @findex gnus-score-edit-insert-date
11264 Insert the current date in numerical format
11265 (@code{gnus-score-edit-insert-date}). This is really the day number, if
11266 you were wondering.
11269 @kindex C-c C-p (Score)
11270 @findex gnus-score-pretty-print
11271 The adaptive score files are saved in an unformatted fashion. If you
11272 intend to read one of these files, you want to @dfn{pretty print} it
11273 first. This command (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) does that for
11278 Type @kbd{M-x gnus-score-mode} to use this mode.
11280 @vindex gnus-score-mode-hook
11281 @code{gnus-score-menu-hook} is run in score mode buffers.
11283 In the summary buffer you can use commands like @kbd{V f} and @kbd{V
11284 e} to begin editing score files.
11287 @node Adaptive Scoring
11288 @section Adaptive Scoring
11289 @cindex adaptive scoring
11291 If all this scoring is getting you down, Gnus has a way of making it all
11292 happen automatically---as if by magic. Or rather, as if by artificial
11293 stupidity, to be precise.
11295 @vindex gnus-use-adaptive-scoring
11296 When you read an article, or mark an article as read, or kill an
11297 article, you leave marks behind. On exit from the group, Gnus can sniff
11298 these marks and add score elements depending on what marks it finds.
11299 You turn on this ability by setting @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
11300 @code{t} or @code{(line)}. If you want score adaptively on separate
11301 words appearing in the subjects, you should set this variable to
11302 @code{(word)}. If you want to use both adaptive methods, set this
11303 variable to @code{(word line)}.
11305 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
11306 To give you complete control over the scoring process, you can customize
11307 the @code{gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist} variable. For instance, it
11308 might look something like this:
11311 (defvar gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
11312 '((gnus-unread-mark)
11313 (gnus-ticked-mark (from 4))
11314 (gnus-dormant-mark (from 5))
11315 (gnus-del-mark (from -4) (subject -1))
11316 (gnus-read-mark (from 4) (subject 2))
11317 (gnus-expirable-mark (from -1) (subject -1))
11318 (gnus-killed-mark (from -1) (subject -3))
11319 (gnus-kill-file-mark)
11320 (gnus-ancient-mark)
11321 (gnus-low-score-mark)
11322 (gnus-catchup-mark (from -1) (subject -1))))
11325 As you see, each element in this alist has a mark as a key (either a
11326 variable name or a ``real'' mark---a character). Following this key is
11327 a arbitrary number of header/score pairs. If there are no header/score
11328 pairs following the key, no adaptive scoring will be done on articles
11329 that have that key as the article mark. For instance, articles with
11330 @code{gnus-unread-mark} in the example above will not get adaptive score
11333 Each article can have only one mark, so just a single of these rules
11334 will be applied to each article.
11336 To take @code{gnus-del-mark} as an example---this alist says that all
11337 articles that have that mark (i.e., are marked with @samp{D}) will have a
11338 score entry added to lower based on the @code{From} header by -4, and
11339 lowered by @code{Subject} by -1. Change this to fit your prejudices.
11341 If you have marked 10 articles with the same subject with
11342 @code{gnus-del-mark}, the rule for that mark will be applied ten times.
11343 That means that that subject will get a score of ten times -1, which
11344 should be, unless I'm much mistaken, -10.
11346 If you have auto-expirable (mail) groups (@pxref{Expiring Mail}), all
11347 the read articles will be marked with the @samp{E} mark. This'll
11348 probably make adaptive scoring slightly impossible, so auto-expiring and
11349 adaptive scoring doesn't really mix very well.
11351 The headers you can score on are @code{from}, @code{subject},
11352 @code{message-id}, @code{references}, @code{xref}, @code{lines},
11353 @code{chars} and @code{date}. In addition, you can score on
11354 @code{followup}, which will create an adaptive score entry that matches
11355 on the @code{References} header using the @code{Message-ID} of the
11356 current article, thereby matching the following thread.
11358 You can also score on @code{thread}, which will try to score all
11359 articles that appear in a thread. @code{thread} matches uses a
11360 @code{Message-ID} to match on the @code{References} header of the
11361 article. If the match is made, the @code{Message-ID} of the article is
11362 added to the @code{thread} rule. (Think about it. I'd recommend two
11363 aspirins afterwards.)
11365 If you use this scheme, you should set the score file atom @code{mark}
11366 to something small---like -300, perhaps, to avoid having small random
11367 changes result in articles getting marked as read.
11369 After using adaptive scoring for a week or so, Gnus should start to
11370 become properly trained and enhance the authors you like best, and kill
11371 the authors you like least, without you having to say so explicitly.
11373 You can control what groups the adaptive scoring is to be performed on
11374 by using the score files (@pxref{Score File Format}). This will also
11375 let you use different rules in different groups.
11377 @vindex gnus-adaptive-file-suffix
11378 The adaptive score entries will be put into a file where the name is the
11379 group name with @code{gnus-adaptive-file-suffix} appended. The default
11382 @vindex gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit
11383 When doing adaptive scoring, substring or fuzzy matching would probably
11384 give you the best results in most cases. However, if the header one
11385 matches is short, the possibility for false positives is great, so if
11386 the length of the match is less than
11387 @code{gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit}, exact matching will be used. If
11388 this variable is @code{nil}, exact matching will always be used to avoid
11391 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
11392 As mentioned above, you can adapt either on individual words or entire
11393 headers. If you adapt on words, the
11394 @code{gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist} variable says what score
11395 each instance of a word should add given a mark.
11398 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
11399 `((,gnus-read-mark . 30)
11400 (,gnus-catchup-mark . -10)
11401 (,gnus-killed-mark . -20)
11402 (,gnus-del-mark . -15)))
11405 This is the default value. If you have adaption on words enabled, every
11406 word that appears in subjects of articles that are marked with
11407 @code{gnus-read-mark} will result in a score rule that increase the
11408 score with 30 points.
11410 @vindex gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words
11411 @vindex gnus-ignored-adaptive-words
11412 Words that appear in the @code{gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words} list
11413 will be ignored. If you wish to add more words to be ignored, use the
11414 @code{gnus-ignored-adaptive-words} list instead.
11416 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table
11417 When the scoring is done, @code{gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table} is the
11418 syntax table in effect. It is similar to the standard syntax table, but
11419 it considers numbers to be non-word-constituent characters.
11421 After using this scheme for a while, it might be nice to write a
11422 @code{gnus-psychoanalyze-user} command to go through the rules and see
11423 what words you like and what words you don't like. Or perhaps not.
11425 Note that the adaptive word scoring thing is highly experimental and is
11426 likely to change in the future. Initial impressions seem to indicate
11427 that it's totally useless as it stands. Some more work (involving more
11428 rigorous statistical methods) will have to be done to make this useful.
11431 @node Home Score File
11432 @section Home Score File
11434 The score file where new score file entries will go is called the
11435 @dfn{home score file}. This is normally (and by default) the score file
11436 for the group itself. For instance, the home score file for
11437 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} is @file{gnu.emacs.gnus.SCORE}.
11439 However, this may not be what you want. It is often convenient to share
11440 a common home score file among many groups---all @samp{emacs} groups
11441 could perhaps use the same home score file.
11443 @vindex gnus-home-score-file
11444 The variable that controls this is @code{gnus-home-score-file}. It can
11449 A string. Then this file will be used as the home score file for all
11453 A function. The result of this function will be used as the home score
11454 file. The function will be called with the name of the group as the
11458 A list. The elements in this list can be:
11462 @var{(regexp file-name)}. If the @var{regexp} matches the group name,
11463 the @var{file-name} will will be used as the home score file.
11466 A function. If the function returns non-nil, the result will be used as
11467 the home score file.
11470 A string. Use the string as the home score file.
11473 The list will be traversed from the beginning towards the end looking
11478 So, if you want to use just a single score file, you could say:
11481 (setq gnus-home-score-file
11482 "my-total-score-file.SCORE")
11485 If you want to use @file{gnu.SCORE} for all @samp{gnu} groups and
11486 @file{rec.SCORE} for all @samp{rec} groups (and so on), you can say:
11489 (setq gnus-home-score-file
11490 'gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file)
11493 This is a ready-made function provided for your convenience.
11495 If you want to have one score file for the @samp{emacs} groups and
11496 another for the @samp{comp} groups, while letting all other groups use
11497 their own home score files:
11500 (setq gnus-home-score-file
11501 ;; All groups that match the regexp "\\.emacs"
11502 '("\\.emacs" "emacs.SCORE")
11503 ;; All the comp groups in one score file
11504 ("^comp" "comp.SCORE"))
11507 @vindex gnus-home-adapt-file
11508 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file} works exactly the same way as
11509 @code{gnus-home-score-file}, but says what the home adaptive score file
11510 is instead. All new adaptive file entries will go into the file
11511 specified by this variable, and the same syntax is allowed.
11513 In addition to using @code{gnus-home-score-file} and
11514 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file}, you can also use group parameters
11515 (@pxref{Group Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
11516 Parameters}) to achieve much the same. Group and topic parameters take
11517 precedence over this variable.
11520 @node Followups To Yourself
11521 @section Followups To Yourself
11523 Gnus offers two commands for picking out the @code{Message-ID} header in
11524 the current buffer. Gnus will then add a score rule that scores using
11525 this @code{Message-ID} on the @code{References} header of other
11526 articles. This will, in effect, increase the score of all articles that
11527 respond to the article in the current buffer. Quite useful if you want
11528 to easily note when people answer what you've said.
11532 @item gnus-score-followup-article
11533 @findex gnus-score-followup-article
11534 This will add a score to articles that directly follow up your own
11537 @item gnus-score-followup-thread
11538 @findex gnus-score-followup-thread
11539 This will add a score to all articles that appear in a thread ``below''
11543 @vindex message-sent-hook
11544 These two functions are both primarily meant to be used in hooks like
11545 @code{message-sent-hook}.
11547 If you look closely at your own @code{Message-ID}, you'll notice that
11548 the first two or three characters are always the same. Here's two of
11552 <x6u3u47icf.fsf@@eyesore.no>
11553 <x6sp9o7ibw.fsf@@eyesore.no>
11556 So ``my'' ident on this machine is @samp{x6}. This can be
11557 exploited---the following rule will raise the score on all followups to
11562 ("<x6[0-9a-z]+\\.fsf@@.*eyesore.no>" 1000 nil r))
11565 Whether it's the first two or first three characters that are ``yours''
11566 is system-dependent.
11570 @section Scoring Tips
11571 @cindex scoring tips
11577 @cindex scoring crossposts
11578 If you want to lower the score of crossposts, the line to match on is
11579 the @code{Xref} header.
11581 ("xref" (" talk.politics.misc:" -1000))
11584 @item Multiple crossposts
11585 If you want to lower the score of articles that have been crossposted to
11586 more than, say, 3 groups:
11588 ("xref" ("[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+" -1000 nil r))
11591 @item Matching on the body
11592 This is generally not a very good idea---it takes a very long time.
11593 Gnus actually has to fetch each individual article from the server. But
11594 you might want to anyway, I guess. Even though there are three match
11595 keys (@code{Head}, @code{Body} and @code{All}), you should choose one
11596 and stick with it in each score file. If you use any two, each article
11597 will be fetched @emph{twice}. If you want to match a bit on the
11598 @code{Head} and a bit on the @code{Body}, just use @code{All} for all
11601 @item Marking as read
11602 You will probably want to mark articles that has a score below a certain
11603 number as read. This is most easily achieved by putting the following
11604 in your @file{all.SCORE} file:
11608 You may also consider doing something similar with @code{expunge}.
11610 @item Negated character classes
11611 If you say stuff like @code{[^abcd]*}, you may get unexpected results.
11612 That will match newlines, which might lead to, well, The Unknown. Say
11613 @code{[^abcd\n]*} instead.
11617 @node Reverse Scoring
11618 @section Reverse Scoring
11619 @cindex reverse scoring
11621 If you want to keep just articles that have @samp{Sex with Emacs} in the
11622 subject header, and expunge all other articles, you could put something
11623 like this in your score file:
11627 ("Sex with Emacs" 2))
11632 So, you raise all articles that match @samp{Sex with Emacs} and mark the
11633 rest as read, and expunge them to boot.
11636 @node Global Score Files
11637 @section Global Score Files
11638 @cindex global score files
11640 Sure, other newsreaders have ``global kill files''. These are usually
11641 nothing more than a single kill file that applies to all groups, stored
11642 in the user's home directory. Bah! Puny, weak newsreaders!
11644 What I'm talking about here are Global Score Files. Score files from
11645 all over the world, from users everywhere, uniting all nations in one
11646 big, happy score file union! Ange-score! New and untested!
11648 @vindex gnus-global-score-files
11649 All you have to do to use other people's score files is to set the
11650 @code{gnus-global-score-files} variable. One entry for each score file,
11651 or each score file directory. Gnus will decide by itself what score
11652 files are applicable to which group.
11654 Say you want to use the score file
11655 @file{/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE} and
11656 all score files in the @file{/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score} directory:
11659 (setq gnus-global-score-files
11660 '("/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE"
11661 "/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score/"))
11664 @findex gnus-score-search-global-directories
11665 Simple, eh? Directory names must end with a @samp{/}. These
11666 directories are typically scanned only once during each Gnus session.
11667 If you feel the need to manually re-scan the remote directories, you can
11668 use the @code{gnus-score-search-global-directories} command.
11670 Note that, at present, using this option will slow down group entry
11671 somewhat. (That is---a lot.)
11673 If you want to start maintaining score files for other people to use,
11674 just put your score file up for anonymous ftp and announce it to the
11675 world. Become a retro-moderator! Participate in the retro-moderator
11676 wars sure to ensue, where retro-moderators battle it out for the
11677 sympathy of the people, luring them to use their score files on false
11678 premises! Yay! The net is saved!
11680 Here are some tips for the would-be retro-moderator, off the top of my
11686 Articles that are heavily crossposted are probably junk.
11688 To lower a single inappropriate article, lower by @code{Message-ID}.
11690 Particularly brilliant authors can be raised on a permanent basis.
11692 Authors that repeatedly post off-charter for the group can safely be
11693 lowered out of existence.
11695 Set the @code{mark} and @code{expunge} atoms to obliterate the nastiest
11696 articles completely.
11699 Use expiring score entries to keep the size of the file down. You
11700 should probably have a long expiry period, though, as some sites keep
11701 old articles for a long time.
11704 ... I wonder whether other newsreaders will support global score files
11705 in the future. @emph{Snicker}. Yup, any day now, newsreaders like Blue
11706 Wave, xrn and 1stReader are bound to implement scoring. Should we start
11707 holding our breath yet?
11711 @section Kill Files
11714 Gnus still supports those pesky old kill files. In fact, the kill file
11715 entries can now be expiring, which is something I wrote before Daniel
11716 Quinlan thought of doing score files, so I've left the code in there.
11718 In short, kill processing is a lot slower (and I do mean @emph{a lot})
11719 than score processing, so it might be a good idea to rewrite your kill
11720 files into score files.
11722 Anyway, a kill file is a normal @code{emacs-lisp} file. You can put any
11723 forms into this file, which means that you can use kill files as some
11724 sort of primitive hook function to be run on group entry, even though
11725 that isn't a very good idea.
11727 Normal kill files look like this:
11730 (gnus-kill "From" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
11731 (gnus-kill "Subject" "ding")
11735 This will mark every article written by me as read, and remove them from
11736 the summary buffer. Very useful, you'll agree.
11738 Other programs use a totally different kill file syntax. If Gnus
11739 encounters what looks like a @code{rn} kill file, it will take a stab at
11742 Two summary functions for editing a GNUS kill file:
11747 @kindex M-k (Summary)
11748 @findex gnus-summary-edit-local-kill
11749 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-local-kill}).
11752 @kindex M-K (Summary)
11753 @findex gnus-summary-edit-global-kill
11754 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-global-kill}).
11757 Two group mode functions for editing the kill files:
11762 @kindex M-k (Group)
11763 @findex gnus-group-edit-local-kill
11764 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-local-kill}).
11767 @kindex M-K (Group)
11768 @findex gnus-group-edit-global-kill
11769 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-global-kill}).
11772 Kill file variables:
11775 @item gnus-kill-file-name
11776 @vindex gnus-kill-file-name
11777 A kill file for the group @samp{soc.motss} is normally called
11778 @file{soc.motss.KILL}. The suffix appended to the group name to get
11779 this file name is detailed by the @code{gnus-kill-file-name} variable.
11780 The ``global'' kill file (not in the score file sense of ``global'', of
11781 course) is called just @file{KILL}.
11783 @vindex gnus-kill-save-kill-file
11784 @item gnus-kill-save-kill-file
11785 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will save the
11786 kill file after processing, which is necessary if you use expiring
11789 @item gnus-apply-kill-hook
11790 @vindex gnus-apply-kill-hook
11791 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored
11792 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file
11793 A hook called to apply kill files to a group. It is
11794 @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file)} by default. If you want to ignore the
11795 kill file if you have a score file for the same group, you can set this
11796 hook to @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored)}. If you don't want
11797 kill files to be processed, you should set this variable to @code{nil}.
11799 @item gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
11800 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
11801 A hook called in kill-file mode buffers.
11806 @node Converting Kill Files
11807 @section Converting Kill Files
11809 @cindex converting kill files
11811 If you have loads of old kill files, you may want to convert them into
11812 score files. If they are ``regular'', you can use
11813 the @file{gnus-kill-to-score.el} package; if not, you'll have to do it
11816 The kill to score conversion package isn't included in Gnus by default.
11817 You can fetch it from
11818 @file{http://www.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/ding-other/gnus-kill-to-score}.
11820 If your old kill files are very complex---if they contain more
11821 non-@code{gnus-kill} forms than not, you'll have to convert them by
11822 hand. Or just let them be as they are. Gnus will still use them as
11830 GroupLens is a collaborative filtering system that helps you work
11831 together with other people to find the quality news articles out of the
11832 huge volume of news articles generated every day.
11834 To accomplish this the GroupLens system combines your opinions about
11835 articles you have already read with the opinions of others who have done
11836 likewise and gives you a personalized prediction for each unread news
11837 article. Think of GroupLens as a matchmaker. GroupLens watches how you
11838 rate articles, and finds other people that rate articles the same way.
11839 Once it has found for you some people you agree with it tells you, in
11840 the form of a prediction, what they thought of the article. You can use
11841 this prediction to help you decide whether or not you want to read the
11845 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
11846 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
11847 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
11848 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
11852 @node Using GroupLens
11853 @subsection Using GroupLens
11855 To use GroupLens you must register a pseudonym with your local Better
11857 @samp{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/bbb.html} is the only
11858 better bit in town is at the moment.
11860 Once you have registered you'll need to set a couple of variables.
11864 @item gnus-use-grouplens
11865 @vindex gnus-use-grouplens
11866 Setting this variable to a non-@code{nil} value will make Gnus hook into
11867 all the relevant GroupLens functions.
11869 @item grouplens-pseudonym
11870 @vindex grouplens-pseudonym
11871 This variable should be set to the pseudonym you got when registering
11872 with the Better Bit Bureau.
11874 @item grouplens-newsgroups
11875 @vindex grouplens-newsgroups
11876 A list of groups that you want to get GroupLens predictions for.
11880 Thats the minimum of what you need to get up and running with GroupLens.
11881 Once you've registered, GroupLens will start giving you scores for
11882 articles based on the average of what other people think. But, to get
11883 the real benefit of GroupLens you need to start rating articles
11884 yourself. Then the scores GroupLens gives you will be personalized for
11885 you, based on how the people you usually agree with have already rated.
11888 @node Rating Articles
11889 @subsection Rating Articles
11891 In GroupLens, an article is rated on a scale from 1 to 5, inclusive.
11892 Where 1 means something like this article is a waste of bandwidth and 5
11893 means that the article was really good. The basic question to ask
11894 yourself is, "on a scale from 1 to 5 would I like to see more articles
11897 There are four ways to enter a rating for an article in GroupLens.
11902 @kindex r (GroupLens)
11903 @findex bbb-summary-rate-article
11904 This function will prompt you for a rating on a scale of one to five.
11907 @kindex k (GroupLens)
11908 @findex grouplens-score-thread
11909 This function will prompt you for a rating, and rate all the articles in
11910 the thread. This is really useful for some of those long running giant
11911 threads in rec.humor.
11915 The next two commands, @kbd{n} and @kbd{,} take a numerical prefix to be
11916 the score of the article you're reading.
11921 @kindex n (GroupLens)
11922 @findex grouplens-next-unread-article
11923 Rate the article and go to the next unread article.
11926 @kindex , (GroupLens)
11927 @findex grouplens-best-unread-article
11928 Rate the article and go to the next unread article with the highest score.
11932 If you want to give the current article a score of 4 and then go to the
11933 next article, just type @kbd{4 n}.
11936 @node Displaying Predictions
11937 @subsection Displaying Predictions
11939 GroupLens makes a prediction for you about how much you will like a
11940 news article. The predictions from GroupLens are on a scale from 1 to
11941 5, where 1 is the worst and 5 is the best. You can use the predictions
11942 from GroupLens in one of three ways controlled by the variable
11943 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring}.
11945 @vindex gnus-grouplens-override-scoring
11946 There are three ways to display predictions in grouplens. You may
11947 choose to have the GroupLens scores contribute to, or override the
11948 regular gnus scoring mechanism. override is the default; however, some
11949 people prefer to see the Gnus scores plus the grouplens scores. To get
11950 the separate scoring behavior you need to set
11951 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'separate}. To have the
11952 GroupLens predictions combined with the grouplens scores set it to
11953 @code{'override} and to combine the scores set
11954 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'combine}. When you use
11955 the combine option you will also want to set the values for
11956 @code{grouplens-prediction-offset} and
11957 @code{grouplens-score-scale-factor}.
11959 @vindex grouplens-prediction-display
11960 In either case, GroupLens gives you a few choices for how you would like
11961 to see your predictions displayed. The display of predictions is
11962 controlled by the @code{grouplens-prediction-display} variable.
11964 The following are legal values for that variable.
11967 @item prediction-spot
11968 The higher the prediction, the further to the right an @samp{*} is
11971 @item confidence-interval
11972 A numeric confidence interval.
11974 @item prediction-bar
11975 The higher the prediction, the longer the bar.
11977 @item confidence-bar
11978 Numerical confidence.
11980 @item confidence-spot
11981 The spot gets bigger with more confidence.
11983 @item prediction-num
11984 Plain-old numeric value.
11986 @item confidence-plus-minus
11987 Prediction +/i confidence.
11992 @node GroupLens Variables
11993 @subsection GroupLens Variables
11997 @item gnus-summary-grouplens-line-format
11998 The summary line format used in summary buffers that are GroupLens
11999 enhanced. It accepts the same specs as the normal summary line format
12000 (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}). The default is
12001 @samp{%U%R%z%l%I%(%[%4L: %-20,20n%]%) %s\n}.
12003 @item grouplens-bbb-host
12004 Host running the bbbd server. @samp{grouplens.cs.umn.edu} is the
12007 @item grouplens-bbb-port
12008 Port of the host running the bbbd server. The default is 9000.
12010 @item grouplens-score-offset
12011 Offset the prediction by this value. In other words, subtract the
12012 prediction value by this number to arrive at the effective score. The
12015 @item grouplens-score-scale-factor
12016 This variable allows the user to magnify the effect of GroupLens scores.
12017 The scale factor is applied after the offset. The default is 1.
12022 @node Advanced Scoring
12023 @section Advanced Scoring
12025 Scoring on Subjects and From headers is nice enough, but what if you're
12026 really interested in what a person has to say only when she's talking
12027 about a particular subject? Or what about if you really don't want to
12028 read what person A has to say when she's following up to person B, but
12029 want to read what she says when she's following up to person C?
12031 By using advanced scoring rules you may create arbitrarily complex
12035 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
12036 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
12037 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
12041 @node Advanced Scoring Syntax
12042 @subsection Advanced Scoring Syntax
12044 Ordinary scoring rules have a string as the first element in the rule.
12045 Advanced scoring rules have a list as the first element. The second
12046 element is the score to be applied if the first element evaluated to a
12047 non-@code{nil} value.
12049 These lists may consist of three logical operators, one redirection
12050 operator, and various match operators.
12057 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
12058 one that evaluates to @code{false}, and then it'll stop. If all arguments
12059 evaluate to @code{true} values, then this operator will return
12064 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
12065 one that evaluates to @code{true}. If no arguments are @code{true},
12066 then this operator will return @code{false}.
12071 This logical operator only takes a single argument. It returns the
12072 inverse of the value of its argument.
12076 There is an @dfn{indirection operator} that will make its arguments
12077 apply to the ancestors of the current article being scored. For
12078 instance, @code{1-} will make score rules apply to the parent of the
12079 current article. @code{2-} will make score fules apply to the
12080 grandparent of the current article. Alternatively, you can write
12081 @code{^^}, where the number of @code{^}s (carets) say how far back into
12082 the ancestry you want to go.
12084 Finally, we have the match operators. These are the ones that do the
12085 real work. Match operators are header name strings followed by a match
12086 and a match type. A typical match operator looks like @samp{("from"
12087 "Lars Ingebrigtsen" s)}. The header names are the same as when using
12088 simple scoring, and the match types are also the same.
12091 @node Advanced Scoring Examples
12092 @subsection Advanced Scoring Examples
12094 Let's say you want to increase the score of articles written by Lars
12095 when he's talking about Gnus:
12099 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
12100 ("subject" "Gnus"))
12106 When he writes long articles, he sometimes has something nice to say:
12110 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
12117 However, when he responds to things written by Reig Eigil Logge, you
12118 really don't want to read what he's written:
12122 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
12123 (1- ("from" "Reig Eigir Logge")))
12127 Everybody that follows up Redmondo when he writes about disappearing
12128 socks should have their scores raised, but only when they talk about
12129 white socks. However, when Lars talks about socks, it's usually not
12136 ("from" "redmondo@@.*no" r)
12137 ("body" "disappearing.*socks" t)))
12138 (! ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen"))
12139 ("body" "white.*socks"))
12143 The possibilities are endless.
12146 @node Advanced Scoring Tips
12147 @subsection Advanced Scoring Tips
12149 The @code{&} and @code{|} logical operators do short-circuit logic.
12150 That is, they stop processing their arguments when it's clear what the
12151 result of the operation will be. For instance, if one of the arguments
12152 of an @code{&} evaluates to @code{false}, there's no point in evaluating
12153 the rest of the arguments. This means that you should put slow matches
12154 (@samp{body}, @code{header}) last and quick matches (@samp{from},
12155 @samp{subject}) first.
12157 The indirection arguments (@code{1-} and so on) will make their
12158 arguments work on previous generations of the thread. If you say
12169 Then that means "score on the from header of the grandparent of the
12170 current article". An indirection is quite fast, but it's better to say:
12176 ("subject" "Gnus")))
12183 (1- ("from" "Lars"))
12184 (1- ("subject" "Gnus")))
12189 @section Score Decays
12190 @cindex score decays
12193 You may find that your scores have a tendency to grow without
12194 bounds, especially if you're using adaptive scoring. If scores get too
12195 big, they lose all meaning---they simply max out and it's difficult to
12196 use them in any sensible way.
12198 @vindex gnus-decay-scores
12199 @findex gnus-decay-score
12200 @vindex gnus-score-decay-function
12201 Gnus provides a mechanism for decaying scores to help with this problem.
12202 When score files are loaded and @code{gnus-decay-scores} is
12203 non-@code{nil}, Gnus will run the score files through the decaying
12204 mechanism thereby lowering the scores of all non-permanent score rules.
12205 The decay itself if performed by the @code{gnus-score-decay-function}
12206 function, which is @code{gnus-decay-score} by default. Here's the
12207 definition of that function:
12210 (defun gnus-decay-score (score)
12213 (* (if (< score 0) 1 -1)
12215 (max gnus-score-decay-constant
12217 gnus-score-decay-scale)))))))
12220 @vindex gnus-score-decay-scale
12221 @vindex gnus-score-decay-constant
12222 @code{gnus-score-decay-constant} is 3 by default and
12223 @code{gnus-score-decay-scale} is 0.05. This should cause the following:
12227 Scores between -3 and 3 will be set to 0 when this function is called.
12230 Scores with magnitudes between 3 and 60 will be shrunk by 3.
12233 Scores with magnitudes greater than 60 will be shrunk by 5% of the
12237 If you don't like this decay function, write your own. It is called
12238 with the score to be decayed as its only parameter, and it should return
12239 the new score, which should be an integer.
12241 Gnus will try to decay scores once a day. If you haven't run Gnus for
12242 four days, Gnus will decay the scores four times, for instance.
12249 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
12250 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
12251 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
12252 * Windows Configuration:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
12253 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
12254 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
12255 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
12256 * Buttons:: Get tendonitis in ten easy steps!
12257 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
12258 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
12259 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what your reading.
12260 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
12261 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
12262 * XEmacs Enhancements:: There are more pictures and stuff under XEmacs.
12263 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
12264 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolited commercial email.
12265 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
12269 @node Process/Prefix
12270 @section Process/Prefix
12271 @cindex process/prefix convention
12273 Many functions, among them functions for moving, decoding and saving
12274 articles, use what is known as the @dfn{Process/Prefix convention}.
12276 This is a method for figuring out what articles that the user wants the
12277 command to be performed on.
12281 If the numeric prefix is N, perform the operation on the next N
12282 articles, starting with the current one. If the numeric prefix is
12283 negative, perform the operation on the previous N articles, starting
12284 with the current one.
12286 @vindex transient-mark-mode
12287 If @code{transient-mark-mode} in non-@code{nil} and the region is
12288 active, all articles in the region will be worked upon.
12290 If there is no numeric prefix, but some articles are marked with the
12291 process mark, perform the operation on the articles that are marked with
12294 If there is neither a numeric prefix nor any articles marked with the
12295 process mark, just perform the operation on the current article.
12297 Quite simple, really, but it needs to be made clear so that surprises
12300 Commands that react to the process mark will push the current list of
12301 process marked articles onto a stack and will then clear all process
12302 marked articles. You can restore the previous configuration with the
12303 @kbd{M P y} command (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
12305 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
12306 One thing that seems to shock & horrify lots of people is that, for
12307 instance, @kbd{3 d} does exactly the same as @kbd{d} @kbd{d} @kbd{d}.
12308 Since each @kbd{d} (which marks the current article as read) by default
12309 goes to the next unread article after marking, this means that @kbd{3 d}
12310 will mark the next three unread articles as read, no matter what the
12311 summary buffer looks like. Set @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} to
12312 @code{nil} for a more straightforward action.
12316 @section Interactive
12317 @cindex interaction
12321 @item gnus-novice-user
12322 @vindex gnus-novice-user
12323 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you are either a newcomer to the
12324 World of Usenet, or you are very cautious, which is a nice thing to be,
12325 really. You will be given questions of the type ``Are you sure you want
12326 to do this?'' before doing anything dangerous. This is @code{t} by
12329 @item gnus-expert-user
12330 @vindex gnus-expert-user
12331 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you will never ever be asked any
12332 questions by Gnus. It will simply assume you know what you're doing, no
12333 matter how strange.
12335 @item gnus-interactive-catchup
12336 @vindex gnus-interactive-catchup
12337 Require confirmation before catching up a group if non-@code{nil}. It
12338 is @code{t} by default.
12340 @item gnus-interactive-exit
12341 @vindex gnus-interactive-exit
12342 Require confirmation before exiting Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
12347 @node Formatting Variables
12348 @section Formatting Variables
12349 @cindex formatting variables
12351 Throughout this manual you've probably noticed lots of variables that
12352 are called things like @code{gnus-group-line-format} and
12353 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. These control how Gnus is to
12354 output lines in the various buffers. There's quite a lot of them.
12355 Fortunately, they all use the same syntax, so there's not that much to
12358 Here's an example format spec (from the group buffer): @samp{%M%S%5y:
12359 %(%g%)\n}. We see that it is indeed extremely ugly, and that there are
12360 lots of percentages everywhere.
12363 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
12364 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
12365 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
12366 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
12369 Currently Gnus uses the following formatting variables:
12370 @code{gnus-group-line-format}, @code{gnus-summary-line-format},
12371 @code{gnus-server-line-format}, @code{gnus-topic-line-format},
12372 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format},
12373 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format},
12374 @code{gnus-article-mode-line-format},
12375 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format}, and
12376 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format}.
12378 All these format variables can also be arbitrary elisp forms. In that
12379 case, they will be @code{eval}ed to insert the required lines.
12381 @kindex M-x gnus-update-format
12382 @findex gnus-update-format
12383 Gnus includes a command to help you while creating your own format
12384 specs. @kbd{M-x gnus-update-format} will @code{eval} the current form,
12385 update the spec in question and pop you to a buffer where you can
12386 examine the resulting lisp code to be run to generate the line.
12390 @node Formatting Basics
12391 @subsection Formatting Basics
12393 Each @samp{%} element will be replaced by some string or other when the
12394 buffer in question is generated. @samp{%5y} means ``insert the @samp{y}
12395 spec, and pad with spaces to get a 5-character field''.
12397 As with normal C and Emacs Lisp formatting strings, the numerical
12398 modifier between the @samp{%} and the formatting type character will
12399 @dfn{pad} the output so that it is always at least that long.
12400 @samp{%5y} will make the field always (at least) five characters wide by
12401 padding with spaces to the left. If you say @samp{%-5y}, it will pad to
12404 You may also wish to limit the length of the field to protect against
12405 particularly wide values. For that you can say @samp{%4,6y}, which
12406 means that the field will never be more than 6 characters wide and never
12407 less than 4 characters wide.
12410 @node Advanced Formatting
12411 @subsection Advanced Formatting
12413 It is frequently useful to post-process the fields in some way.
12414 Padding, limiting, cutting off parts and suppressing certain values can
12415 be achieved by using @dfn{tilde modifiers}. A typical tilde spec might
12416 look like @samp{%~(cut 3)~(ignore "0")y}.
12418 These are the legal modifiers:
12423 Pad the field to the left with spaces until it reaches the required
12427 Pad the field to the right with spaces until it reaches the required
12432 Cut off characters from the left until it reaches the specified length.
12435 Cut off characters from the right until it reaches the specified
12440 Cut off the specified number of characters from the left.
12443 Cut off the specified number of characters from the right.
12446 Return an empty string if the field is equal to the specified value.
12449 Use the specified form as the field value when the @samp{@@} spec is
12453 Let's take an example. The @samp{%o} spec in the summary mode lines
12454 will return a date in compact ISO8601 format---@samp{19960809T230410}.
12455 This is quite a mouthful, so we want to shave off the century number and
12456 the time, leaving us with a six-character date. That would be
12457 @samp{%~(cut-left 2)~(max-right 6)~(pad 6)o}. (Cutting is done before
12458 maxing, and we need the padding to ensure that the date is never less
12459 than 6 characters to make it look nice in columns.)
12461 Ignoring is done first; then cutting; then maxing; and then as the very
12462 last operation, padding.
12464 If you use lots of these advanced thingies, you'll find that Gnus gets
12465 quite slow. This can be helped enormously by running @kbd{M-x
12466 gnus-compile} when you are satisfied with the look of your lines.
12467 @xref{Compilation}.
12470 @node User-Defined Specs
12471 @subsection User-Defined Specs
12473 All the specs allow for inserting user defined specifiers---@samp{u}.
12474 The next character in the format string should be a letter. Gnus
12475 will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where
12476 @samp{X} is the letter following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed
12477 a single parameter---what the parameter means depends on what buffer
12478 it's being called from. The function should return a string, which will
12479 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
12480 specifier. This function may also be called with dummy values, so it
12481 should protect against that.
12483 You can also use tilde modifiers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting} to achieve
12484 much the same without defining new functions. Here's an example:
12485 @samp{%~(form (count-lines (point-min) (point)))@@}. The form
12486 given here will be evaluated to yield the current line number, and then
12490 @node Formatting Fonts
12491 @subsection Formatting Fonts
12493 There are specs for highlighting, and these are shared by all the format
12494 variables. Text inside the @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} specifiers will get
12495 the special @code{mouse-face} property set, which means that it will be
12496 highlighted (with @code{gnus-mouse-face}) when you put the mouse pointer
12499 Text inside the @samp{%[} and @samp{%]} specifiers will have their
12500 normal faces set using @code{gnus-face-0}, which is @code{bold} by
12501 default. If you say @samp{%1[} instead, you'll get @code{gnus-face-1}
12502 instead, and so on. Create as many faces as you wish. The same goes
12503 for the @code{mouse-face} specs---you can say @samp{%3(hello%)} to have
12504 @samp{hello} mouse-highlighted with @code{gnus-mouse-face-3}.
12506 Here's an alternative recipe for the group buffer:
12509 ;; Create three face types.
12510 (setq gnus-face-1 'bold)
12511 (setq gnus-face-3 'italic)
12513 ;; We want the article count to be in
12514 ;; a bold and green face. So we create
12515 ;; a new face called `my-green-bold'.
12516 (copy-face 'bold 'my-green-bold)
12518 (set-face-foreground 'my-green-bold "ForestGreen")
12519 (setq gnus-face-2 'my-green-bold)
12521 ;; Set the new & fancy format.
12522 (setq gnus-group-line-format
12523 "%M%S%3@{%5y%@}%2[:%] %(%1@{%g%@}%)\n")
12526 I'm sure you'll be able to use this scheme to create totally unreadable
12527 and extremely vulgar displays. Have fun!
12529 Note that the @samp{%(} specs (and friends) do not make any sense on the
12530 mode-line variables.
12533 @node Windows Configuration
12534 @section Windows Configuration
12535 @cindex windows configuration
12537 No, there's nothing here about X, so be quiet.
12539 @vindex gnus-use-full-window
12540 If @code{gnus-use-full-window} non-@code{nil}, Gnus will delete all
12541 other windows and occupy the entire Emacs screen by itself. It is
12542 @code{t} by default.
12544 @vindex gnus-buffer-configuration
12545 @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} describes how much space each Gnus
12546 buffer should be given. Here's an excerpt of this variable:
12549 ((group (vertical 1.0 (group 1.0 point)
12550 (if gnus-carpal (group-carpal 4))))
12551 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
12555 This is an alist. The @dfn{key} is a symbol that names some action or
12556 other. For instance, when displaying the group buffer, the window
12557 configuration function will use @code{group} as the key. A full list of
12558 possible names is listed below.
12560 The @dfn{value} (i.e., the @dfn{split}) says how much space each buffer
12561 should occupy. To take the @code{article} split as an example -
12564 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
12568 This @dfn{split} says that the summary buffer should occupy 25% of upper
12569 half of the screen, and that it is placed over the article buffer. As
12570 you may have noticed, 100% + 25% is actually 125% (yup, I saw y'all
12571 reaching for that calculator there). However, the special number
12572 @code{1.0} is used to signal that this buffer should soak up all the
12573 rest of the space available after the rest of the buffers have taken
12574 whatever they need. There should be only one buffer with the @code{1.0}
12575 size spec per split.
12577 Point will be put in the buffer that has the optional third element
12580 Here's a more complicated example:
12583 (article (vertical 1.0 (group 4)
12584 (summary 0.25 point)
12585 (if gnus-carpal (summary-carpal 4))
12589 If the size spec is an integer instead of a floating point number,
12590 then that number will be used to say how many lines a buffer should
12591 occupy, not a percentage.
12593 If the @dfn{split} looks like something that can be @code{eval}ed (to be
12594 precise---if the @code{car} of the split is a function or a subr), this
12595 split will be @code{eval}ed. If the result is non-@code{nil}, it will
12596 be used as a split. This means that there will be three buffers if
12597 @code{gnus-carpal} is @code{nil}, and four buffers if @code{gnus-carpal}
12600 Not complicated enough for you? Well, try this on for size:
12603 (article (horizontal 1.0
12608 (summary 0.25 point)
12613 Whoops. Two buffers with the mystery 100% tag. And what's that
12614 @code{horizontal} thingie?
12616 If the first element in one of the split is @code{horizontal}, Gnus will
12617 split the window horizontally, giving you two windows side-by-side.
12618 Inside each of these strips you may carry on all you like in the normal
12619 fashion. The number following @code{horizontal} says what percentage of
12620 the screen is to be given to this strip.
12622 For each split, there @emph{must} be one element that has the 100% tag.
12623 The splitting is never accurate, and this buffer will eat any leftover
12624 lines from the splits.
12626 To be slightly more formal, here's a definition of what a legal split
12630 split = frame | horizontal | vertical | buffer | form
12631 frame = "(frame " size *split ")"
12632 horizontal = "(horizontal " size *split ")"
12633 vertical = "(vertical " size *split ")"
12634 buffer = "(" buffer-name " " size *[ "point" ] ")"
12635 size = number | frame-params
12636 buffer-name = group | article | summary ...
12639 The limitations are that the @code{frame} split can only appear as the
12640 top-level split. @var{form} should be an Emacs Lisp form that should
12641 return a valid split. We see that each split is fully recursive, and
12642 may contain any number of @code{vertical} and @code{horizontal} splits.
12644 @vindex gnus-window-min-width
12645 @vindex gnus-window-min-height
12646 @cindex window height
12647 @cindex window width
12648 Finding the right sizes can be a bit complicated. No window may be less
12649 than @code{gnus-window-min-height} (default 1) characters high, and all
12650 windows must be at least @code{gnus-window-min-width} (default 1)
12651 characters wide. Gnus will try to enforce this before applying the
12652 splits. If you want to use the normal Emacs window width/height limit,
12653 you can just set these two variables to @code{nil}.
12655 If you're not familiar with Emacs terminology, @code{horizontal} and
12656 @code{vertical} splits may work the opposite way of what you'd expect.
12657 Windows inside a @code{horizontal} split are shown side-by-side, and
12658 windows within a @code{vertical} split are shown above each other.
12660 @findex gnus-configure-frame
12661 If you want to experiment with window placement, a good tip is to call
12662 @code{gnus-configure-frame} directly with a split. This is the function
12663 that does all the real work when splitting buffers. Below is a pretty
12664 nonsensical configuration with 5 windows; two for the group buffer and
12665 three for the article buffer. (I said it was nonsensical.) If you
12666 @code{eval} the statement below, you can get an idea of how that would
12667 look straight away, without going through the normal Gnus channels.
12668 Play with it until you're satisfied, and then use
12669 @code{gnus-add-configuration} to add your new creation to the buffer
12670 configuration list.
12673 (gnus-configure-frame
12677 (article 0.3 point))
12685 You might want to have several frames as well. No prob---just use the
12686 @code{frame} split:
12689 (gnus-configure-frame
12692 (summary 0.25 point)
12694 (vertical ((height . 5) (width . 15)
12695 (user-position . t)
12696 (left . -1) (top . 1))
12701 This split will result in the familiar summary/article window
12702 configuration in the first (or ``main'') frame, while a small additional
12703 frame will be created where picons will be shown. As you can see,
12704 instead of the normal @code{1.0} top-level spec, each additional split
12705 should have a frame parameter alist as the size spec.
12706 @xref{Frame Parameters, , Frame Parameters, elisp, The GNU Emacs Lisp
12709 Here's a list of all possible keys for
12710 @code{gnus-buffer-configuration}:
12712 @code{group}, @code{summary}, @code{article}, @code{server},
12713 @code{browse}, @code{message}, @code{pick}, @code{info},
12714 @code{summary-faq}, @code{edit-group}, @code{edit-server},
12715 @code{edit-score}, @code{post}, @code{reply}, @code{forward},
12716 @code{reply-yank}, @code{mail-bounce}, @code{draft}, @code{pipe},
12717 @code{bug}, @code{compose-bounce}.
12719 Note that the @code{message} key is used for both
12720 @code{gnus-group-mail} and @code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}. If
12721 it is desirable to distinguish between the two, something like this
12725 (message (horizontal 1.0
12726 (vertical 1.0 (message 1.0 point))
12728 (if (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer)
12733 @findex gnus-add-configuration
12734 Since the @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} variable is so long and
12735 complicated, there's a function you can use to ease changing the config
12736 of a single setting: @code{gnus-add-configuration}. If, for instance,
12737 you want to change the @code{article} setting, you could say:
12740 (gnus-add-configuration
12741 '(article (vertical 1.0
12743 (summary .25 point)
12747 You'd typically stick these @code{gnus-add-configuration} calls in your
12748 @file{.gnus.el} file or in some startup hook---they should be run after
12749 Gnus has been loaded.
12751 @vindex gnus-always-force-window-configuration
12752 If all windows mentioned in the configuration are already visible, Gnus
12753 won't change the window configuration. If you always want to force the
12754 ``right'' window configuration, you can set
12755 @code{gnus-always-force-window-configuration} to non-@code{nil}.
12759 @section Compilation
12760 @cindex compilation
12761 @cindex byte-compilation
12763 @findex gnus-compile
12765 Remember all those line format specification variables?
12766 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}, @code{gnus-group-line-format}, and so
12767 on. Now, Gnus will of course heed whatever these variables are, but,
12768 unfortunately, changing them will mean a quite significant slow-down.
12769 (The default values of these variables have byte-compiled functions
12770 associated with them, while the user-generated versions do not, of
12773 To help with this, you can run @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} after you've
12774 fiddled around with the variables and feel that you're (kind of)
12775 satisfied. This will result in the new specs being byte-compiled, and
12776 you'll get top speed again. Gnus will save these compiled specs in the
12777 @file{.newsrc.eld} file. (User-defined functions aren't compiled by
12778 this function, though---you should compile them yourself by sticking
12779 them into the @code{.gnus.el} file and byte-compiling that file.)
12783 @section Mode Lines
12786 @vindex gnus-updated-mode-lines
12787 @code{gnus-updated-mode-lines} says what buffers should keep their mode
12788 lines updated. It is a list of symbols. Supported symbols include
12789 @code{group}, @code{article}, @code{summary}, @code{server},
12790 @code{browse}, and @code{tree}. If the corresponding symbol is present,
12791 Gnus will keep that mode line updated with information that may be
12792 pertinent. If this variable is @code{nil}, screen refresh may be
12795 @cindex display-time
12797 @vindex gnus-mode-non-string-length
12798 By default, Gnus displays information on the current article in the mode
12799 lines of the summary and article buffers. The information Gnus wishes
12800 to display (e.g. the subject of the article) is often longer than the
12801 mode lines, and therefore have to be cut off at some point. The
12802 @code{gnus-mode-non-string-length} variable says how long the other
12803 elements on the line is (i.e., the non-info part). If you put
12804 additional elements on the mode line (e.g. a clock), you should modify
12807 @c Hook written by Francesco Potorti` <pot@cnuce.cnr.it>
12809 (add-hook 'display-time-hook
12810 (lambda () (setq gnus-mode-non-string-length
12812 (if line-number-mode 5 0)
12813 (if column-number-mode 4 0)
12814 (length display-time-string)))))
12817 If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the default), the mode line
12818 strings won't be chopped off, and they won't be padded either.
12819 Note that the default is unlikely to be desirable, as even the
12820 percentage complete in the buffer may be crowded off the mode line;
12821 the user should configure this variable appropriately for their
12825 @node Highlighting and Menus
12826 @section Highlighting and Menus
12828 @cindex highlighting
12831 @vindex gnus-visual
12832 The @code{gnus-visual} variable controls most of the prettifying Gnus
12833 aspects. If @code{nil}, Gnus won't attempt to create menus or use fancy
12834 colors or fonts. This will also inhibit loading the @file{gnus-vis.el}
12837 This variable can be a list of visual properties that are enabled. The
12838 following elements are legal, and are all included by default:
12841 @item group-highlight
12842 Do highlights in the group buffer.
12843 @item summary-highlight
12844 Do highlights in the summary buffer.
12845 @item article-highlight
12846 Do highlights in the article buffer.
12848 Turn on highlighting in all buffers.
12850 Create menus in the group buffer.
12852 Create menus in the summary buffers.
12854 Create menus in the article buffer.
12856 Create menus in the browse buffer.
12858 Create menus in the server buffer.
12860 Create menus in the score buffers.
12862 Create menus in all buffers.
12865 So if you only want highlighting in the article buffer and menus in all
12866 buffers, you could say something like:
12869 (setq gnus-visual '(article-highlight menu))
12872 If you want only highlighting and no menus whatsoever, you'd say:
12875 (setq gnus-visual '(highlight))
12878 If @code{gnus-visual} is @code{t}, highlighting and menus will be used
12879 in all Gnus buffers.
12881 Other general variables that influence the look of all buffers include:
12884 @item gnus-mouse-face
12885 @vindex gnus-mouse-face
12886 This is the face (i.e., font) used for mouse highlighting in Gnus. No
12887 mouse highlights will be done if @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
12891 There are hooks associated with the creation of all the different menus:
12895 @item gnus-article-menu-hook
12896 @vindex gnus-article-menu-hook
12897 Hook called after creating the article mode menu.
12899 @item gnus-group-menu-hook
12900 @vindex gnus-group-menu-hook
12901 Hook called after creating the group mode menu.
12903 @item gnus-summary-menu-hook
12904 @vindex gnus-summary-menu-hook
12905 Hook called after creating the summary mode menu.
12907 @item gnus-server-menu-hook
12908 @vindex gnus-server-menu-hook
12909 Hook called after creating the server mode menu.
12911 @item gnus-browse-menu-hook
12912 @vindex gnus-browse-menu-hook
12913 Hook called after creating the browse mode menu.
12915 @item gnus-score-menu-hook
12916 @vindex gnus-score-menu-hook
12917 Hook called after creating the score mode menu.
12928 Those new-fangled @dfn{mouse} contraptions is very popular with the
12929 young, hep kids who don't want to learn the proper way to do things
12930 these days. Why, I remember way back in the summer of '89, when I was
12931 using Emacs on a Tops 20 system. Three hundred users on one single
12932 machine, and every user was running Simula compilers. Bah!
12936 @vindex gnus-carpal
12937 Well, you can make Gnus display bufferfuls of buttons you can click to
12938 do anything by setting @code{gnus-carpal} to @code{t}. Pretty simple,
12939 really. Tell the chiropractor I sent you.
12944 @item gnus-carpal-mode-hook
12945 @vindex gnus-carpal-mode-hook
12946 Hook run in all carpal mode buffers.
12948 @item gnus-carpal-button-face
12949 @vindex gnus-carpal-button-face
12950 Face used on buttons.
12952 @item gnus-carpal-header-face
12953 @vindex gnus-carpal-header-face
12954 Face used on carpal buffer headers.
12956 @item gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
12957 @vindex gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
12958 Buttons in the group buffer.
12960 @item gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
12961 @vindex gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
12962 Buttons in the summary buffer.
12964 @item gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
12965 @vindex gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
12966 Buttons in the server buffer.
12968 @item gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
12969 @vindex gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
12970 Buttons in the browse buffer.
12973 All the @code{buttons} variables are lists. The elements in these list
12974 is either a cons cell where the car contains a text to be displayed and
12975 the cdr contains a function symbol, or a simple string.
12983 Gnus, being larger than any program ever written (allegedly), does lots
12984 of strange stuff that you may wish to have done while you're not
12985 present. For instance, you may want it to check for new mail once in a
12986 while. Or you may want it to close down all connections to all servers
12987 when you leave Emacs idle. And stuff like that.
12989 Gnus will let you do stuff like that by defining various
12990 @dfn{handlers}. Each handler consists of three elements: A
12991 @var{function}, a @var{time}, and an @var{idle} parameter.
12993 Here's an example of a handler that closes connections when Emacs has
12994 been idle for thirty minutes:
12997 (gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
13000 Here's a handler that scans for PGP headers every hour when Emacs is
13004 (gnus-demon-scan-pgp 60 t)
13007 This @var{time} parameter and than @var{idle} parameter works together
13008 in a strange, but wonderful fashion. Basically, if @var{idle} is
13009 @code{nil}, then the function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
13011 If @var{idle} is @code{t}, then the function will be called after
13012 @var{time} minutes only if Emacs is idle. So if Emacs is never idle,
13013 the function will never be called. But once Emacs goes idle, the
13014 function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
13016 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is a number, the function will
13017 be called every @var{time} minutes only when Emacs has been idle for
13018 @var{idle} minutes.
13020 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is @code{nil}, the function
13021 will be called once every time Emacs has been idle for @var{idle}
13024 And if @var{time} is a string, it should look like @samp{07:31}, and
13025 the function will then be called once every day somewhere near that
13026 time. Modified by the @var{idle} parameter, of course.
13028 @vindex gnus-demon-timestep
13029 (When I say ``minute'' here, I really mean @code{gnus-demon-timestep}
13030 seconds. This is 60 by default. If you change that variable,
13031 all the timings in the handlers will be affected.)
13033 @vindex gnus-use-demon
13034 To set the whole thing in motion, though, you have to set
13035 @code{gnus-use-demon} to @code{t}.
13037 So, if you want to add a handler, you could put something like this in
13038 your @file{.gnus} file:
13040 @findex gnus-demon-add-handler
13042 (gnus-demon-add-handler 'gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
13045 @findex gnus-demon-add-nocem
13046 @findex gnus-demon-add-scanmail
13047 @findex gnus-demon-add-rescan
13048 @findex gnus-demon-add-disconnection
13049 Some ready-made functions to do this has been created:
13050 @code{gnus-demon-add-nocem}, @code{gnus-demon-add-disconnection},
13051 @code{gnus-demon-add-rescan}, and @code{gnus-demon-add-scanmail}. Just
13052 put those functions in your @file{.gnus} if you want those abilities.
13054 @findex gnus-demon-init
13055 @findex gnus-demon-cancel
13056 @vindex gnus-demon-handlers
13057 If you add handlers to @code{gnus-demon-handlers} directly, you should
13058 run @code{gnus-demon-init} to make the changes take hold. To cancel all
13059 daemons, you can use the @code{gnus-demon-cancel} function.
13061 Note that adding daemons can be pretty naughty if you overdo it. Adding
13062 functions that scan all news and mail from all servers every two seconds
13063 is a sure-fire way of getting booted off any respectable system. So
13072 @dfn{Spamming} is posting the same article lots and lots of times.
13073 Spamming is bad. Spamming is evil.
13075 Spamming is usually canceled within a day or so by various anti-spamming
13076 agencies. These agencies usually also send out @dfn{NoCeM} messages.
13077 NoCeM is pronounced ``no see-'em'', and means what the name
13078 implies---these are messages that make the offending articles, like, go
13081 What use are these NoCeM messages if the articles are canceled anyway?
13082 Some sites do not honor cancel messages and some sites just honor cancels
13083 from a select few people. Then you may wish to make use of the NoCeM
13084 messages, which are distributed in the @samp{alt.nocem.misc} newsgroup.
13086 Gnus can read and parse the messages in this group automatically, and
13087 this will make spam disappear.
13089 There are some variables to customize, of course:
13092 @item gnus-use-nocem
13093 @vindex gnus-use-nocem
13094 Set this variable to @code{t} to set the ball rolling. It is @code{nil}
13097 @item gnus-nocem-groups
13098 @vindex gnus-nocem-groups
13099 Gnus will look for NoCeM messages in the groups in this list. The
13100 default is @code{("news.lists.filters" "news.admin.net-abuse.bulletins"
13101 "alt.nocem.misc" "news.admin.net-abuse.announce")}.
13103 @item gnus-nocem-issuers
13104 @vindex gnus-nocem-issuers
13105 There are many people issuing NoCeM messages. This list says what
13106 people you want to listen to. The default is @code{("Automoose-1"
13107 "clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca;" "jem@@xpat.com;" "red@@redpoll.mrfs.oh.us
13108 (Richard E. Depew)")}; fine, upstanding citizens all of them.
13110 Known despammers that you can put in this list include:
13113 @item clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca;
13114 @cindex Chris Lewis
13115 Chris Lewis---Major Canadian despammer who has probably canceled more
13116 usenet abuse than anybody else.
13119 @cindex CancelMoose[tm]
13120 The CancelMoose[tm] on autopilot. The CancelMoose[tm] is reputed to be
13121 Norwegian, and was the person(s) who invented NoCeM.
13123 @item jem@@xpat.com;
13125 John Milburn---despammer located in Korea who is getting very busy these
13128 @item red@@redpoll.mrfs.oh.us (Richard E. Depew)
13129 Richard E. Depew---lone American despammer. He mostly cancels binary
13130 postings to non-binary groups and removes spews (regurgitated articles).
13133 You do not have to heed NoCeM messages from all these people---just the
13134 ones you want to listen to.
13136 @item gnus-nocem-verifyer
13137 @vindex gnus-nocem-verifyer
13139 This should be a function for verifying that the NoCeM issuer is who she
13140 says she is. The default is @code{mc-verify}, which is a Mailcrypt
13141 function. If this is too slow and you don't care for verification
13142 (which may be dangerous), you can set this variable to @code{nil}.
13144 If you want signed NoCeM messages to be verified and unsigned messages
13145 not to be verified (but used anyway), you could do something like:
13148 (setq gnus-nocem-verifyer 'my-gnus-mc-verify)
13150 (defun my-gnus-mc-verify ()
13158 This might be dangerous, though.
13160 @item gnus-nocem-directory
13161 @vindex gnus-nocem-directory
13162 This is where Gnus will store its NoCeM cache files. The default is
13163 @file{~/News/NoCeM/}.
13165 @item gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
13166 @vindex gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
13167 The number of days before removing old NoCeM entries from the cache.
13168 The default is 15. If you make it shorter Gnus will be faster, but you
13169 might then see old spam.
13173 Using NoCeM could potentially be a memory hog. If you have many living
13174 (i. e., subscribed or unsubscribed groups), your Emacs process will grow
13175 big. If this is a problem, you should kill off all (or most) of your
13176 unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Subscription Commands}).
13182 So... You want to slow down your news reader even more! This is a
13183 good way to do so. Its also a great way to impress people staring
13184 over your shoulder as you read news.
13187 * Picon Basics:: What are picons and How do I get them.
13188 * Picon Requirements:: Don't go further if you aren't using XEmacs.
13189 * Easy Picons:: Displaying Picons---the easy way.
13190 * Hard Picons:: The way you should do it. You'll learn something.
13191 * Picon Configuration:: Other variables you can trash/tweak/munge/play with.
13196 @subsection Picon Basics
13198 What are Picons? To quote directly from the Picons Web site:
13201 @dfn{Picons} is short for ``personal icons''. They're small,
13202 constrained images used to represent users and domains on the net,
13203 organized into databases so that the appropriate image for a given
13204 e-mail address can be found. Besides users and domains, there are picon
13205 databases for Usenet newsgroups and weather forecasts. The picons are
13206 in either monochrome @code{XBM} format or color @code{XPM} and
13207 @code{GIF} formats.
13210 For instructions on obtaining and installing the picons databases, point
13211 your Web browser at
13212 @file{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/ftp/index.html}.
13214 @vindex gnus-picons-database
13215 Gnus expects picons to be installed into a location pointed to by
13216 @code{gnus-picons-database}.
13219 @node Picon Requirements
13220 @subsection Picon Requirements
13222 To use have Gnus display Picons for you, you must be running XEmacs
13223 19.13 or greater since all other versions of Emacs aren't yet able to
13226 Additionally, you must have @code{xpm} support compiled into XEmacs.
13228 @vindex gnus-picons-convert-x-face
13229 If you want to display faces from @code{X-Face} headers, you must have
13230 the @code{netpbm} utilities installed, or munge the
13231 @code{gnus-picons-convert-x-face} variable to use something else.
13235 @subsection Easy Picons
13237 To enable displaying picons, simply put the following line in your
13238 @file{~/.gnus} file and start Gnus.
13241 (setq gnus-use-picons t)
13242 (add-hook 'gnus-article-display-hook 'gnus-article-display-picons t)
13243 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-prepare-hook 'gnus-group-display-picons t)
13244 (add-hook 'gnus-article-display-hook 'gnus-picons-article-display-x-face)
13249 @subsection Hard Picons
13251 Gnus can display picons for you as you enter and leave groups and
13252 articles. It knows how to interact with three sections of the picons
13253 database. Namely, it can display the picons newsgroup pictures,
13254 author's face picture(s), and the authors domain. To enable this
13255 feature, you need to first decide where to display them.
13259 @item gnus-picons-display-where
13260 @vindex gnus-picons-display-where
13261 Where the picon images should be displayed. It is @code{picons} by
13262 default (which by default maps to the buffer @samp{*Picons*}). Other
13263 valid places could be @code{article}, @code{summary}, or
13264 @samp{*scratch*} for all I care. Just make sure that you've made the
13265 buffer visible using the standard Gnus window configuration
13266 routines---@pxref{Windows Configuration}.
13270 Note: If you set @code{gnus-use-picons} to @code{t}, it will set up your
13271 window configuration for you to include the @code{picons} buffer.
13273 Now that you've made that decision, you need to add the following
13274 functions to the appropriate hooks so these pictures will get
13275 displayed at the right time.
13277 @vindex gnus-article-display-hook
13278 @vindex gnus-picons-display-where
13280 @item gnus-article-display-picons
13281 @findex gnus-article-display-picons
13282 Looks up and display the picons for the author and the author's domain
13283 in the @code{gnus-picons-display-where} buffer. Should be added to
13284 the @code{gnus-article-display-hook}.
13286 @item gnus-group-display-picons
13287 @findex gnus-article-display-picons
13288 Displays picons representing the current group. This function should
13289 be added to the @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook} or to the
13290 @code{gnus-article-display-hook} if @code{gnus-picons-display-where}
13291 is set to @code{article}.
13293 @item gnus-picons-article-display-x-face
13294 @findex gnus-article-display-picons
13295 Decodes and displays the X-Face header if present. This function
13296 should be added to @code{gnus-article-display-hook}.
13300 Note: You must append them to the hook, so make sure to specify 't'
13301 to the append flag of @code{add-hook}:
13304 (add-hook 'gnus-article-display-hook 'gnus-article-display-picons t)
13308 @node Picon Configuration
13309 @subsection Picon Configuration
13311 The following variables offer further control over how things are
13312 done, where things are located, and other useless stuff you really
13313 don't need to worry about.
13316 @item gnus-picons-database
13317 @vindex gnus-picons-database
13318 The location of the picons database. Should point to a directory
13319 containing the @file{news}, @file{domains}, @file{users} (and so on)
13320 subdirectories. Defaults to @file{/usr/local/faces}.
13322 @item gnus-picons-news-directory
13323 @vindex gnus-picons-news-directory
13324 Sub-directory of the faces database containing the icons for
13327 @item gnus-picons-user-directories
13328 @vindex gnus-picons-user-directories
13329 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for user
13330 faces. @code{("local" "users" "usenix" "misc/MISC")} is the default.
13332 @item gnus-picons-domain-directories
13333 @vindex gnus-picons-domain-directories
13334 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for
13335 domain name faces. Defaults to @code{("domains")}. Some people may
13336 want to add @samp{unknown} to this list.
13338 @item gnus-picons-convert-x-face
13339 @vindex gnus-picons-convert-x-face
13340 The command to use to convert the @code{X-Face} header to an X bitmap
13341 (@code{xbm}). Defaults to @code{(format "@{ echo '/* Width=48,
13342 Height=48 */'; uncompface; @} | icontopbm | pbmtoxbm > %s"
13343 gnus-picons-x-face-file-name)}
13345 @item gnus-picons-x-face-file-name
13346 @vindex gnus-picons-x-face-file-name
13347 Names a temporary file to store the @code{X-Face} bitmap in. Defaults
13348 to @code{(format "/tmp/picon-xface.%s.xbm" (user-login-name))}.
13350 @item gnus-picons-buffer
13351 @vindex gnus-picons-buffer
13352 The name of the buffer that @code{picons} points to. Defaults to
13353 @samp{*Icon Buffer*}.
13362 It is very useful to be able to undo actions one has done. In normal
13363 Emacs buffers, it's easy enough---you just push the @code{undo} button.
13364 In Gnus buffers, however, it isn't that simple.
13366 The things Gnus displays in its buffer is of no value whatsoever to
13367 Gnus---it's all just data that is designed to look nice to the user.
13368 Killing a group in the group buffer with @kbd{C-k} makes the line
13369 disappear, but that's just a side-effect of the real action---the
13370 removal of the group in question from the internal Gnus structures.
13371 Undoing something like that can't be done by the normal Emacs
13372 @code{undo} function.
13374 Gnus tries to remedy this somewhat by keeping track of what the user
13375 does and coming up with actions that would reverse the actions the user
13376 takes. When the user then presses the @code{undo} key, Gnus will run
13377 the code to reverse the previous action, or the previous actions.
13378 However, not all actions are easily reversible, so Gnus currently offers
13379 a few key functions to be undoable. These include killing groups,
13380 yanking groups, and changing the list of read articles of groups.
13381 That's it, really. More functions may be added in the future, but each
13382 added function means an increase in data to be stored, so Gnus will
13383 never be totally undoable.
13385 @findex gnus-undo-mode
13386 @vindex gnus-use-undo
13388 The undoability is provided by the @code{gnus-undo-mode} minor mode. It
13389 is used if @code{gnus-use-undo} is non-@code{nil}, which is the
13390 default. The @kbd{M-C-_} key performs the @code{gnus-undo} command
13391 command, which should feel kinda like the normal Emacs @code{undo}
13396 @section Moderation
13399 If you are a moderator, you can use the @file{gnus-mdrtn.el} package.
13400 It is not included in the standard Gnus package. Write a mail to
13401 @samp{larsi@@gnus.org} and state what group you moderate, and you'll
13404 The moderation package is implemented as a minor mode for summary
13408 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-moderate)
13411 in your @file{.gnus.el} file.
13413 If you are the moderation of @samp{rec.zoofle}, this is how it's
13418 You split your incoming mail by matching on
13419 @samp{Newsgroups:.*rec.zoofle}, which will put all the to-be-posted
13420 articles in some mail group---for instance, @samp{nnml:rec.zoofle}.
13423 You enter that group once in a while and post articles using the @kbd{e}
13424 (edit-and-post) or @kbd{s} (just send unedited) commands.
13427 If, while reading the @samp{rec.zoofle} newsgroup, you happen upon some
13428 articles that weren't approved by you, you can cancel them with the
13432 To use moderation mode in these two groups, say:
13435 (setq gnus-moderated-list
13436 "^nnml:rec.zoofle$\\|^rec.zoofle$")
13440 @node XEmacs Enhancements
13441 @section XEmacs Enhancements
13444 XEmacs is able to display pictures and stuff, so Gnus has taken
13445 advantage of that. Relevant variables include:
13448 @item gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
13449 @vindex gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
13450 This is where Gnus will look for pictures. Gnus will normally
13451 auto-detect this directory, but you may set it manually if you have an
13452 unusual directory structure.
13454 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
13455 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
13456 This is an alist where the key is a type symbol and the values are the
13457 foreground and background color of the splash page glyph.
13459 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
13460 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
13461 This is the key used to look up the color in the alist described above.
13462 Legal values include @code{flame}, @code{pine}, @code{moss},
13463 @code{irish}, @code{sky}, @code{tin}, @code{velvet}, @code{grape},
13464 @code{labia}, @code{berry}, @code{neutral}, and @code{september}.
13466 @item gnus-use-toolbar
13467 @vindex gnus-use-toolbar
13468 If @code{nil}, don't display toolbars. If non-@code{nil}, it should be
13469 one of @code{default-toolbar}, @code{top-toolbar}, @code{bottom-toolbar},
13470 @code{right-toolbar}, or @code{left-toolbar}.
13472 @item gnus-group-toolbar
13473 @vindex gnus-group-toolbar
13474 The toolbar in the group buffer.
13476 @item gnus-summary-toolbar
13477 @vindex gnus-summary-toolbar
13478 The toolbar in the summary buffer.
13480 @item gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
13481 @vindex gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
13482 The toolbar in the summary buffer of mail groups.
13484 @item gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
13485 @vindex gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
13486 A glyph displayed in all Gnus mode lines. It is a tiny gnu head by
13492 @node Fuzzy Matching
13493 @section Fuzzy Matching
13494 @cindex fuzzy matching
13496 Gnus provides @dfn{fuzzy matching} of @code{Subject} lines when doing
13497 things like scoring, thread gathering and thread comparison.
13499 As opposed to regular expression matching, fuzzy matching is very fuzzy.
13500 It's so fuzzy that there's not even a definition of what @dfn{fuzziness}
13501 means, and the implementation has changed over time.
13503 Basically, it tries to remove all noise from lines before comparing.
13504 @samp{Re: }, parenthetical remarks, white space, and so on, are filtered
13505 out of the strings before comparing the results. This often leads to
13506 adequate results---even when faced with strings generated by text
13507 manglers masquerading as newsreaders.
13510 @node Thwarting Email Spam
13511 @section Thwarting Email Spam
13515 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
13517 In these last days of the Usenet, commercial vultures are hanging about
13518 and grepping through news like crazy to find email addresses they can
13519 foist off their scams and products to. As a reaction to this, many
13520 people have started putting nonsense addresses into their @code{From}
13521 lines. I think this is counterproductive---it makes it difficult for
13522 people to send you legitimate mail in response to things you write, as
13523 well as making it difficult to see who wrote what. This rewriting may
13524 perhaps be a bigger menace than the unsolicited commercial email itself
13527 The biggest problem I have with email spam is that it comes in under
13528 false pretenses. I press @kbd{g} and Gnus merrily informs me that I
13529 have 10 new emails. I say ``Golly gee! Happy is me!'' and selects the
13530 mail group, only to find two pyramid schemes, seven advertisements
13531 (``New! Miracle tonic for growing full, lustrouos hair on your toes!'')
13532 and one mail asking me to repent and find some god.
13536 The way to deal with this is having Gnus split out all spam into a
13537 @samp{spam} mail group (@pxref{Splitting Mail}).
13539 First, pick one (1) legal mail address that you can be reached at, and
13540 put it in your @code{From} header of all your news articles. (I've
13541 chosen @samp{larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no}, but for many addresses on the form
13542 @samp{larsi+usenet@@ifi.uio.no} will be a better choice. Ask your
13543 sysadm whether your sendmail installation accepts keywords in the local
13544 part of the mail address.)
13547 (setq message-default-news-headers
13548 "From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no>\n")
13551 Then put the following split rule in @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
13552 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
13557 (to "larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no"
13558 (| ("subject" "re:.*" "misc")
13559 ("references" ".*@@.*" "misc")
13565 This says that all mail to this address is suspect, but if it has a
13566 @code{Subject} that starts with a @samp{Re:} or has a @code{References}
13567 header, it's probably ok. All the rest goes to the @samp{spam} group.
13568 (This idea probably comes from Tim Pierce.)
13570 In addition, many mail spammers talk directly to your @code{smtp} server
13571 and do not include your email address explicitly in the @code{To}
13572 header. Why they do this is unknown---perhaps it's to thwart this
13573 twarting scheme? In any case, this is trivial to deal with---you just
13574 put anything not addressed to you in the @samp{spam} group by ending
13575 your fancy split rule in this way:
13580 (to "larsi" "misc")
13584 In my experience, this will sort virtually everything into the right
13585 group. You still have to check the @samp{spam} group from time to time to
13586 check for legitimate mail, though. If you feel like being a good net
13587 citizen, you can even send off complaints to the proper authorities on
13588 each unsolicited commercial email---at your leisure.
13590 If you are also a lazy net citizen, you will probably prefer complaining
13591 automatically with the @file{gnus-junk.el} package, availiable FOR FREE
13592 at @file{<URL:http://stud2.tuwien.ac.at/~e9426626/gnus-junk.html>}.
13593 Since most e-mail spam is sent automatically, this may reconcile the
13594 cosmic balance somewhat.
13596 This works for me. It allows people an easy way to contact me (they can
13597 just press @kbd{r} in the usual way), and I'm not bothered at all with
13598 spam. It's a win-win situation. Forging @code{From} headers to point
13599 to non-existant domains is yucky, in my opinion.
13602 @node Various Various
13603 @section Various Various
13609 @item gnus-home-directory
13610 All Gnus path variables will be initialized from this variable, which
13611 defaults to @file{~/}.
13613 @item gnus-directory
13614 @vindex gnus-directory
13615 Most Gnus storage path variables will be initialized from this variable,
13616 which defaults to the @samp{SAVEDIR} environment variable, or
13617 @file{~/News/} if that variable isn't set.
13619 @item gnus-default-directory
13620 @vindex gnus-default-directory
13621 Not related to the above variable at all---this variable says what the
13622 default directory of all Gnus buffers should be. If you issue commands
13623 like @kbd{C-x C-f}, the prompt you'll get starts in the current buffer's
13624 default directory. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
13625 default), the default directory will be the default directory of the
13626 buffer you were in when you started Gnus.
13629 @vindex gnus-verbose
13630 This variable is an integer between zero and ten. The higher the value,
13631 the more messages will be displayed. If this variable is zero, Gnus
13632 will never flash any messages, if it is seven (which is the default),
13633 most important messages will be shown, and if it is ten, Gnus won't ever
13634 shut up, but will flash so many messages it will make your head swim.
13636 @item gnus-verbose-backends
13637 @vindex gnus-verbose-backends
13638 This variable works the same way as @code{gnus-verbose}, but it applies
13639 to the Gnus backends instead of Gnus proper.
13641 @item nnheader-max-head-length
13642 @vindex nnheader-max-head-length
13643 When the backends read straight heads of articles, they all try to read
13644 as little as possible. This variable (default 4096) specifies
13645 the absolute max length the backends will try to read before giving up
13646 on finding a separator line between the head and the body. If this
13647 variable is @code{nil}, there is no upper read bound. If it is
13648 @code{t}, the backends won't try to read the articles piece by piece,
13649 but read the entire articles. This makes sense with some versions of
13652 @item nnheader-head-chop-length
13653 @vindex nnheader-head-chop-length
13654 This variable says how big a piece of each article to read when doing
13655 the operation described above.
13657 @item nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
13658 @vindex nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
13660 @cindex illegal characters in file names
13661 @cindex characters in file names
13662 This is an alist that says how to translate characters in file names.
13663 For instance, if @samp{:} is illegal as a file character in file names
13664 on your system (you OS/2 user you), you could say something like:
13667 (setq nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
13671 In fact, this is the default value for this variable on OS/2 and MS
13672 Windows (phooey) systems.
13674 @item gnus-hidden-properties
13675 @vindex gnus-hidden-properties
13676 This is a list of properties to use to hide ``invisible'' text. It is
13677 @code{(invisible t intangible t)} by default on most systems, which
13678 makes invisible text invisible and intangible.
13680 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
13681 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
13682 A hook called before parsing headers. It can be used, for instance, to
13683 gather statistics on the headers fetched, or perhaps you'd like to prune
13684 some headers. I don't see why you'd want that, though.
13686 @item gnus-shell-command-separator
13687 @vindex gnus-shell-command-separator
13688 String used to separate to shell commands. The default is @samp{;}.
13697 Well, that's the manual---you can get on with your life now. Keep in
13698 touch. Say hello to your cats from me.
13700 My @strong{ghod}---I just can't stand goodbyes. Sniffle.
13702 Ol' Charles Reznikoff said it pretty well, so I leave the floor to him:
13708 Not because of victories @*
13711 but for the common sunshine,@*
13713 the largess of the spring.
13717 but for the day's work done@*
13718 as well as I was able;@*
13719 not for a seat upon the dais@*
13720 but at the common table.@*
13725 @chapter Appendices
13728 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
13729 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
13730 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
13731 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
13732 * A Programmers Guide to Gnus:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
13733 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
13734 * Frequently Asked Questions:: A question-and-answer session.
13742 @sc{gnus} was written by Masanobu @sc{Umeda}. When autumn crept up in
13743 '94, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen grew bored and decided to rewrite Gnus.
13745 If you want to investigate the person responsible for this outrage, you
13746 can point your (feh!) web browser to
13747 @file{http://www.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/}. This is also the primary
13748 distribution point for the new and spiffy versions of Gnus, and is known
13749 as The Site That Destroys Newsrcs And Drives People Mad.
13751 During the first extended alpha period of development, the new Gnus was
13752 called ``(ding) Gnus''. @dfn{(ding)} is, of course, short for
13753 @dfn{ding is not Gnus}, which is a total and utter lie, but who cares?
13754 (Besides, the ``Gnus'' in this abbreviation should probably be
13755 pronounced ``news'' as @sc{Umeda} intended, which makes it a more
13756 appropriate name, don't you think?)
13758 In any case, after spending all that energy on coming up with a new and
13759 spunky name, we decided that the name was @emph{too} spunky, so we
13760 renamed it back again to ``Gnus''. But in mixed case. ``Gnus'' vs.
13761 ``@sc{gnus}''. New vs. old.
13763 The first ``proper'' release of Gnus 5 was done in November 1995 when it
13764 was included in the Emacs 19.30 distribution (132 (ding) Gnus releases
13765 plus 15 Gnus 5.0 releases).
13767 In May 1996 the next Gnus generation (aka. ``September Gnus'' (after 99
13768 releases)) was released under the name ``Gnus 5.2'' (40 releases).
13770 On July 28th 1996 work on Red Gnus was begun, and it was released on
13771 January 25th 1997 (after 84 releases) as ``Gnus 5.4''.
13773 If you happen upon a version of Gnus that has a name that is prefixed --
13774 ``(ding) Gnus'', ``September Gnus'', ``Red Gnus'', ``Quassia Gnus'' --
13775 don't panic. Don't let it know that you're frightened. Back away.
13776 Slowly. Whatever you do, don't run. Walk away, calmly, until you're
13777 out of its reach. Find a proper released version of Gnus and snuggle up
13781 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
13782 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
13783 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
13784 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
13785 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
13786 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
13787 * Newest Features:: Features so new that they haven't been written yet.
13794 What's the point of Gnus?
13796 I want to provide a ``rad'', ``happening'', ``way cool'' and ``hep''
13797 newsreader, that lets you do anything you can think of. That was my
13798 original motivation, but while working on Gnus, it has become clear to
13799 me that this generation of newsreaders really belong in the stone age.
13800 Newsreaders haven't developed much since the infancy of the net. If the
13801 volume continues to rise with the current rate of increase, all current
13802 newsreaders will be pretty much useless. How do you deal with
13803 newsgroups that have thousands of new articles each day? How do you
13804 keep track of millions of people who post?
13806 Gnus offers no real solutions to these questions, but I would very much
13807 like to see Gnus being used as a testing ground for new methods of
13808 reading and fetching news. Expanding on @sc{Umeda}-san's wise decision
13809 to separate the newsreader from the backends, Gnus now offers a simple
13810 interface for anybody who wants to write new backends for fetching mail
13811 and news from different sources. I have added hooks for customizations
13812 everywhere I could imagine useful. By doing so, I'm inviting every one
13813 of you to explore and invent.
13815 May Gnus never be complete. @kbd{C-u 100 M-x hail-emacs}.
13818 @node Compatibility
13819 @subsection Compatibility
13821 @cindex compatibility
13822 Gnus was designed to be fully compatible with @sc{gnus}. Almost all key
13823 bindings have been kept. More key bindings have been added, of course,
13824 but only in one or two obscure cases have old bindings been changed.
13829 @center In a cloud bones of steel.
13833 All commands have kept their names. Some internal functions have changed
13836 The @code{gnus-uu} package has changed drastically. @pxref{Decoding
13839 One major compatibility question is the presence of several summary
13840 buffers. All variables that are relevant while reading a group are
13841 buffer-local to the summary buffer they belong in. Although many
13842 important variables have their values copied into their global
13843 counterparts whenever a command is executed in the summary buffer, this
13844 change might lead to incorrect values being used unless you are careful.
13846 All code that relies on knowledge of @sc{gnus} internals will probably
13847 fail. To take two examples: Sorting @code{gnus-newsrc-alist} (or
13848 changing it in any way, as a matter of fact) is strictly verboten. Gnus
13849 maintains a hash table that points to the entries in this alist (which
13850 speeds up many functions), and changing the alist directly will lead to
13854 @cindex highlighting
13855 Old hilit19 code does not work at all. In fact, you should probably
13856 remove all hilit code from all Gnus hooks
13857 (@code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} and @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook}).
13858 Gnus provides various integrated functions for highlighting. These are
13859 faster and more accurate. To make life easier for everybody, Gnus will
13860 by default remove all hilit calls from all hilit hooks. Uncleanliness!
13863 Packages like @code{expire-kill} will no longer work. As a matter of
13864 fact, you should probably remove all old @sc{gnus} packages (and other
13865 code) when you start using Gnus. More likely than not, Gnus already
13866 does what you have written code to make @sc{gnus} do. (Snicker.)
13868 Even though old methods of doing things are still supported, only the
13869 new methods are documented in this manual. If you detect a new method of
13870 doing something while reading this manual, that does not mean you have
13871 to stop doing it the old way.
13873 Gnus understands all @sc{gnus} startup files.
13875 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
13877 @cindex reporting bugs
13879 Overall, a casual user who hasn't written much code that depends on
13880 @sc{gnus} internals should suffer no problems. If problems occur,
13881 please let me know by issuing that magic command @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}.
13885 @subsection Conformity
13887 No rebels without a clue here, ma'am. We conform to all standards known
13888 to (wo)man. Except for those standards and/or conventions we disagree
13895 There are no known breaches of this standard.
13899 There are no known breaches of this standard, either.
13901 @item Good Net-Keeping Seal of Approval
13902 @cindex Good Net-Keeping Seal of Approval
13903 Gnus has been through the Seal process and failed. I think it'll pass
13904 the next inspection.
13906 @item Son-of-RFC 1036
13907 @cindex Son-of-RFC 1036
13908 We do have some breaches to this one.
13913 Gnus does no MIME handling, and this standard-to-be seems to think that
13914 MIME is the bees' knees, so we have major breakage here.
13917 This is considered to be a ``vanity header'', while I consider it to be
13918 consumer information. After seeing so many badly formatted articles
13919 coming from @code{tin} and @code{Netscape} I know not to use either of
13920 those for posting articles. I would not have known that if it wasn't
13921 for the @code{X-Newsreader} header.
13926 If you ever notice Gnus acting non-compliantly with regards to the texts
13927 mentioned above, don't hesitate to drop a note to Gnus Towers and let us
13932 @subsection Emacsen
13938 Gnus should work on :
13943 Emacs 19.32 and up.
13946 XEmacs 19.14 and up.
13949 Mule versions based on Emacs 19.32 and up.
13953 Gnus will absolutely not work on any Emacsen older than that. Not
13954 reliably, at least.
13956 There are some vague differences between Gnus on the various
13957 platforms---XEmacs features more graphics (a logo and a toolbar)---but
13958 other than that, things should look pretty much the same under all
13963 @subsection Contributors
13964 @cindex contributors
13966 The new Gnus version couldn't have been done without the help of all the
13967 people on the (ding) mailing list. Every day for over a year I have
13968 gotten billions of nice bug reports from them, filling me with joy,
13969 every single one of them. Smooches. The people on the list have been
13970 tried beyond endurance, what with my ``oh, that's a neat idea <type
13971 type>, yup, I'll release it right away <ship off> no wait, that doesn't
13972 work at all <type type>, yup, I'll ship that one off right away <ship
13973 off> no, wait, that absolutely does not work'' policy for releases.
13974 Micro$oft---bah. Amateurs. I'm @emph{much} worse. (Or is that
13975 ``worser''? ``much worser''? ``worsest''?)
13977 I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Academy for... oops,
13983 Masanobu @sc{Umeda}---the writer of the original @sc{gnus}.
13986 Per Abrahamsen---custom, scoring, highlighting and @sc{soup} code (as
13987 well as numerous other things).
13990 Luis Fernandes---design and graphics.
13993 Erik Naggum---help, ideas, support, code and stuff.
13996 Wes Hardaker---@file{gnus-picon.el} and the manual section on
13997 @dfn{picons} (@pxref{Picons}).
14000 Brad Miller---@file{gnus-gl.el} and the GroupLens manual section
14001 (@pxref{GroupLens}).
14004 Sudish Joseph---innumerable bug fixes.
14007 Ilja Weis---@file{gnus-topic.el}.
14010 Steven L. Baur---lots and lots and lots of bugs detections and fixes.
14013 Vladimir Alexiev---the refcard and reference booklets.
14016 Felix Lee & Jamie Zawinsky---I stole some pieces from the XGnus
14017 distribution by Felix Lee and JWZ.
14020 Scott Byer---@file{nnfolder.el} enhancements & rewrite.
14023 Peter Mutsaers---orphan article scoring code.
14026 Ken Raeburn---POP mail support.
14029 Hallvard B Furuseth---various bits and pieces, especially dealing with
14033 Brian Edmonds---@file{gnus-bbdb.el}.
14036 David Moore---rewrite of @file{nnvirtual.el} and many other things.
14039 Ricardo Nassif, Mark Borges, and Jost Krieger---proof-reading.
14042 Kevin Davidson---came up with the name @dfn{ding}, so blame him.
14045 François Pinard---many, many interesting and thorough bug reports.
14049 The following people have contributed many patches and suggestions:
14058 Jason L. Tibbitts, III,
14062 Also thanks to the following for patches and stuff:
14077 Massimo Campostrini,
14081 Geoffrey T. Dairiki,
14086 Michael Welsh Duggan,
14092 Arne Georg Gleditsch,
14097 Hisashige Kenji, @c Hisashige
14101 François Felix Ingrand,
14102 Ishikawa Ichiro, @c Ishikawa
14110 Peter Skov Knudsen,
14111 Shuhei Kobayashi, @c Kobayashi
14112 Thor Kristoffersen,
14127 Morioka Tomohiko, @c Morioka
14128 Erik Toubro Nielsen,
14134 Masaharu Onishi, @c Onishi
14139 John McClary Prevost,
14147 Philippe Schnoebelen,
14148 Randal L. Schwartz,
14168 Katsumi Yamaoka. @c Yamaoka
14170 For a full overview of what each person has done, the ChangeLogs
14171 included in the Gnus alpha distributions should give ample reading
14172 (550kB and counting).
14174 Apologies to everybody that I've forgotten, of which there are many, I'm
14177 Gee, that's quite a list of people. I guess that must mean that there
14178 actually are people who are using Gnus. Who'd'a thunk it!
14182 @subsection New Features
14183 @cindex new features
14186 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
14187 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.3/5.3.
14188 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
14191 These lists are, of course, just @emph{short} overviews of the
14192 @emph{most} important new features. No, really. There are tons more.
14193 Yes, we have feeping creaturism in full effect.
14197 @subsubsection (ding) Gnus
14199 New features in Gnus 5.0/5.1:
14204 The look of all buffers can be changed by setting format-like variables
14205 (@pxref{Group Buffer Format} and @pxref{Summary Buffer Format}).
14208 Local spool and several @sc{nntp} servers can be used at once
14209 (@pxref{Select Methods}).
14212 You can combine groups into virtual groups (@pxref{Virtual Groups}).
14215 You can read a number of different mail formats (@pxref{Getting Mail}).
14216 All the mail backends implement a convenient mail expiry scheme
14217 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
14220 Gnus can use various strategies for gathering threads that have lost
14221 their roots (thereby gathering loose sub-threads into one thread) or it
14222 can go back and retrieve enough headers to build a complete thread
14223 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
14226 Killed groups can be displayed in the group buffer, and you can read
14227 them as well (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
14230 Gnus can do partial group updates---you do not have to retrieve the
14231 entire active file just to check for new articles in a few groups
14232 (@pxref{The Active File}).
14235 Gnus implements a sliding scale of subscribedness to groups
14236 (@pxref{Group Levels}).
14239 You can score articles according to any number of criteria
14240 (@pxref{Scoring}). You can even get Gnus to find out how to score
14241 articles for you (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
14244 Gnus maintains a dribble buffer that is auto-saved the normal Emacs
14245 manner, so it should be difficult to lose much data on what you have
14246 read if your machine should go down (@pxref{Auto Save}).
14249 Gnus now has its own startup file (@file{.gnus}) to avoid cluttering up
14250 the @file{.emacs} file.
14253 You can set the process mark on both groups and articles and perform
14254 operations on all the marked items (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
14257 You can grep through a subset of groups and create a group from the
14258 results (@pxref{Kibozed Groups}).
14261 You can list subsets of groups according to, well, anything
14262 (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
14265 You can browse foreign servers and subscribe to groups from those
14266 servers (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
14269 Gnus can fetch articles asynchronously on a second connection to the
14270 server (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
14273 You can cache articles locally (@pxref{Article Caching}).
14276 The uudecode functions have been expanded and generalized
14277 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
14280 You can still post uuencoded articles, which was a little-known feature
14281 of @sc{gnus}' past (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
14284 Fetching parents (and other articles) now actually works without
14285 glitches (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
14288 Gnus can fetch FAQs and group descriptions (@pxref{Group Information}).
14291 Digests (and other files) can be used as the basis for groups
14292 (@pxref{Document Groups}).
14295 Articles can be highlighted and customized (@pxref{Customizing
14299 URLs and other external references can be buttonized (@pxref{Article
14303 You can do lots of strange stuff with the Gnus window & frame
14304 configuration (@pxref{Windows Configuration}).
14307 You can click on buttons instead of using the keyboard
14313 @node September Gnus
14314 @subsubsection September Gnus
14316 New features in Gnus 5.2/5.3:
14321 A new message composition mode is used. All old customization variables
14322 for @code{mail-mode}, @code{rnews-reply-mode} and @code{gnus-msg} are
14326 Gnus is now able to generate @dfn{sparse} threads---threads where
14327 missing articles are represented by empty nodes (@pxref{Customizing
14331 (setq gnus-build-sparse-threads 'some)
14335 Outgoing articles are stored on a special archive server
14336 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
14339 Partial thread regeneration now happens when articles are
14343 Gnus can make use of GroupLens predictions (@pxref{GroupLens}).
14346 Picons (personal icons) can be displayed under XEmacs (@pxref{Picons}).
14349 A @code{trn}-line tree buffer can be displayed (@pxref{Tree Display}).
14352 (setq gnus-use-trees t)
14356 An @code{nn}-like pick-and-read minor mode is available for the summary
14357 buffers (@pxref{Pick and Read}).
14360 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
14364 In binary groups you can use a special binary minor mode (@pxref{Binary
14368 Groups can be grouped in a folding topic hierarchy (@pxref{Group
14372 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
14376 Gnus can re-send and bounce mail (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
14379 Groups can now have a score, and bubbling based on entry frequency
14380 is possible (@pxref{Group Score}).
14383 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-exit-hook 'gnus-summary-bubble-group)
14387 Groups can be process-marked, and commands can be performed on
14388 groups of groups (@pxref{Marking Groups}).
14391 Caching is possible in virtual groups.
14394 @code{nndoc} now understands all kinds of digests, mail boxes, rnews
14395 news batches, ClariNet briefs collections, and just about everything
14396 else (@pxref{Document Groups}).
14399 Gnus has a new backend (@code{nnsoup}) to create/read SOUP packets
14403 The Gnus cache is much faster.
14406 Groups can be sorted according to many criteria (@pxref{Sorting
14410 New group parameters have been introduced to set list-address and
14411 expiry times (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
14414 All formatting specs allow specifying faces to be used
14415 (@pxref{Formatting Fonts}).
14418 There are several more commands for setting/removing/acting on process
14419 marked articles on the @kbd{M P} submap (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
14422 The summary buffer can be limited to show parts of the available
14423 articles based on a wide range of criteria. These commands have been
14424 bound to keys on the @kbd{/} submap (@pxref{Limiting}).
14427 Articles can be made persistent with the @kbd{*} command
14428 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
14431 All functions for hiding article elements are now toggles.
14434 Article headers can be buttonized (@pxref{Article Washing}).
14437 (add-hook 'gnus-article-display-hook
14438 'gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head)
14442 All mail backends support fetching articles by @code{Message-ID}.
14445 Duplicate mail can now be treated properly (@pxref{Duplicates}).
14448 All summary mode commands are available directly from the article
14449 buffer (@pxref{Article Keymap}).
14452 Frames can be part of @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} (@pxref{Windows
14456 Mail can be re-scanned by a daemonic process (@pxref{Daemons}).
14459 Gnus can make use of NoCeM files to weed out spam (@pxref{NoCeM}).
14462 (setq gnus-use-nocem t)
14466 Groups can be made permanently visible (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
14469 (setq gnus-permanently-visible-groups "^nnml:")
14473 Many new hooks have been introduced to make customizing easier.
14476 Gnus respects the @code{Mail-Copies-To} header.
14479 Threads can be gathered by looking at the @code{References} header
14480 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
14483 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
14484 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
14488 Read articles can be stored in a special backlog buffer to avoid
14489 refetching (@pxref{Article Backlog}).
14492 (setq gnus-keep-backlog 50)
14496 A clean copy of the current article is always stored in a separate
14497 buffer to allow easier treatment.
14500 Gnus can suggest where to save articles (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
14503 Gnus doesn't have to do as much prompting when saving (@pxref{Saving
14507 (setq gnus-prompt-before-saving t)
14511 @code{gnus-uu} can view decoded files asynchronously while fetching
14512 articles (@pxref{Other Decode Variables}).
14515 (setq gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions 'gnus-uu-grab-view)
14519 Filling in the article buffer now works properly on cited text
14520 (@pxref{Article Washing}).
14523 Hiding cited text adds buttons to toggle hiding, and how much
14524 cited text to hide is now customizable (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
14527 (setq gnus-cited-lines-visible 2)
14531 Boring headers can be hidden (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
14534 (add-hook 'gnus-article-display-hook
14535 'gnus-article-hide-boring-headers t)
14539 Default scoring values can now be set from the menu bar.
14542 Further syntax checking of outgoing articles have been added.
14548 @subsubsection Red Gnus
14550 New features in Gnus 5.4/5.5:
14555 @file{nntp.el} has been totally rewritten in an asynchronous fashion.
14558 Article prefetching functionality has been moved up into
14559 Gnus (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
14562 Scoring can now be performed with logical operators like @code{and},
14563 @code{or}, @code{not}, and parent redirection (@pxref{Advanced
14567 Article washing status can be displayed in the
14568 article mode line (@pxref{Misc Article}).
14571 @file{gnus.el} has been split into many smaller files.
14574 Suppression of duplicate articles based on Message-ID can be done
14575 (@pxref{Duplicate Suppression}).
14578 (setq gnus-suppress-duplicates t)
14582 New variables for specifying what score and adapt files are to be
14583 considered home score and adapt files (@pxref{Home Score File}).
14586 @code{nndoc} was rewritten to be easily extendable (@pxref{Document
14587 Server Internals}).
14590 Groups can inherit group parameters from parent topics (@pxref{Topic
14594 Article editing has been revamped and is now actually usable.
14597 Signatures can be recognized in more intelligent fashions
14598 (@pxref{Article Signature}).
14601 Summary pick mode has been made to look more @code{nn}-like. Line
14602 numbers are displayed and the @kbd{.} command can be used to pick
14603 articles (@code{Pick and Read}).
14606 Commands for moving the @file{.newsrc.eld} from one server to
14607 another have been added (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
14610 A way to specify that ``uninteresting'' fields be suppressed when
14611 generating lines in buffers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting}).
14614 Several commands in the group buffer can be undone with @kbd{M-C-_}
14618 Scoring can be done on words using the new score type @code{w}
14619 (@pxref{Score File Format}).
14622 Adaptive scoring can be done on a Subject word-by-word basis
14623 (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
14626 (setq gnus-use-adaptive-scoring '(word))
14630 Scores can be decayed (@pxref{Score Decays}).
14633 (setq gnus-decay-scores t)
14637 Scoring can be performed using a regexp on the Date header. The Date is
14638 normalized to compact ISO 8601 format first (@pxref{Score File Format}).
14641 A new command has been added to remove all data on articles from
14642 the native server (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
14645 A new command for reading collections of documents
14646 (@code{nndoc} with @code{nnvirtual} on top) has been added---@kbd{M-C-d}
14647 (@pxref{Really Various Summary Commands}).
14650 Process mark sets can be pushed and popped (@pxref{Setting Process
14654 A new mail-to-news backend makes it possible to post even when the NNTP
14655 server doesn't allow posting (@pxref{Mail-To-News Gateways}).
14658 A new backend for reading searches from Web search engines
14659 (@dfn{DejaNews}, @dfn{Alta Vista}, @dfn{InReference}) has been added
14660 (@pxref{Web Searches}).
14663 Groups inside topics can now be sorted using the standard sorting
14664 functions, and each topic can be sorted independently (@pxref{Topic
14668 Subsets of the groups can be sorted independently (@code{Sorting
14672 Cached articles can be pulled into the groups (@pxref{Summary Generation
14676 Score files are now applied in a more reliable order (@pxref{Score
14680 Reports on where mail messages end up can be generated (@pxref{Splitting
14684 More hooks and functions have been added to remove junk from incoming
14685 mail before saving the mail (@pxref{Washing Mail}).
14688 Emphasized text can be properly fontisized:
14691 (add-hook 'gnus-article-display-hook 'gnus-article-emphasize)
14697 @node Newest Features
14698 @subsection Newest Features
14701 Also known as the @dfn{todo list}. Sure to be implemented before the
14704 Be afraid. Be very afraid.
14708 Native @sc{mime} support is something that should be done.
14710 Really do unbinhexing.
14713 And much, much, much more. There is more to come than has already been
14714 implemented. (But that's always true, isn't it?)
14716 @file{<URL:http://www.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/rgnus/todo>} is where the actual
14717 up-to-the-second todo list is located, so if you're really curious, you
14718 could point your Web browser over that-a-way.
14723 @section The Manual
14727 This manual was generated from a TeXinfo file and then run through
14728 either @code{texi2dvi}
14730 or my own home-brewed TeXinfo to \LaTeX\ transformer,
14731 and then run through @code{latex} and @code{dvips}
14733 to get what you hold in your hands now.
14735 The following conventions have been used:
14740 This is a @samp{string}
14743 This is a @kbd{keystroke}
14746 This is a @file{file}
14749 This is a @code{symbol}
14753 So if I were to say ``set @code{flargnoze} to @samp{yes}'', that would
14757 (setq flargnoze "yes")
14760 If I say ``set @code{flumphel} to @code{yes}'', that would mean:
14763 (setq flumphel 'yes)
14766 @samp{yes} and @code{yes} are two @emph{very} different things---don't
14767 ever get them confused.
14771 Of course, everything in this manual is of vital interest, so you should
14772 read it all. Several times. However, if you feel like skimming the
14773 manual, look for that gnu head you should see in the margin over
14774 there---it means that what's being discussed is of more importance than
14775 the rest of the stuff. (On the other hand, if everything is infinitely
14776 important, how can anything be more important than that? Just one more
14777 of the mysteries of this world, I guess.)
14784 @section Terminology
14786 @cindex terminology
14791 This is what you are supposed to use this thing for---reading news.
14792 News is generally fetched from a nearby @sc{nntp} server, and is
14793 generally publicly available to everybody. If you post news, the entire
14794 world is likely to read just what you have written, and they'll all
14795 snigger mischievously. Behind your back.
14799 Everything that's delivered to you personally is mail. Some news/mail
14800 readers (like Gnus) blur the distinction between mail and news, but
14801 there is a difference. Mail is private. News is public. Mailing is
14802 not posting, and replying is not following up.
14806 Send a mail to the person who has written what you are reading.
14810 Post an article to the current newsgroup responding to the article you
14815 Gnus gets fed articles from a number of backends, both news and mail
14816 backends. Gnus does not handle the underlying media, so to speak---this
14817 is all done by the backends.
14821 Gnus will always use one method (and backend) as the @dfn{native}, or
14822 default, way of getting news.
14826 You can also have any number of foreign groups active at the same time.
14827 These are groups that use different backends for getting news.
14831 Secondary backends are somewhere half-way between being native and being
14832 foreign, but they mostly act like they are native.
14836 A message that has been posted as news.
14839 @cindex mail message
14840 A message that has been mailed.
14844 A mail message or news article
14848 The top part of a message, where administrative information (etc.) is
14853 The rest of an article. Everything that is not in the head is in the
14858 A line from the head of an article.
14862 A collection of such lines, or a collection of heads. Or even a
14863 collection of @sc{nov} lines.
14867 When Gnus enters a group, it asks the backend for the headers of all
14868 unread articles in the group. Most servers support the News OverView
14869 format, which is more compact and much faster to read and parse than the
14870 normal @sc{head} format.
14874 Each group is subscribed at some @dfn{level} or other (1-9). The ones
14875 that have a lower level are ``more'' subscribed than the groups with a
14876 higher level. In fact, groups on levels 1-5 are considered
14877 @dfn{subscribed}; 6-7 are @dfn{unsubscribed}; 8 are @dfn{zombies}; and 9
14878 are @dfn{killed}. Commands for listing groups and scanning for new
14879 articles will all use the numeric prefix as @dfn{working level}.
14881 @item killed groups
14882 @cindex killed groups
14883 No information on killed groups is stored or updated, which makes killed
14884 groups much easier to handle than subscribed groups.
14886 @item zombie groups
14887 @cindex zombie groups
14888 Just like killed groups, only slightly less dead.
14891 @cindex active file
14892 The news server has to keep track of what articles it carries, and what
14893 groups exist. All this information in stored in the active file, which
14894 is rather large, as you might surmise.
14897 @cindex bogus groups
14898 A group that exists in the @file{.newsrc} file, but isn't known to the
14899 server (i.e., it isn't in the active file), is a @emph{bogus group}.
14900 This means that the group probably doesn't exist (any more).
14904 A machine than one can connect to and get news (or mail) from.
14906 @item select method
14907 @cindex select method
14908 A structure that specifies the backend, the server and the virtual
14911 @item virtual server
14912 @cindex virtual server
14913 A named select method. Since a select methods defines all there is to
14914 know about connecting to a (physical) server, taking the things as a
14915 whole is a virtual server.
14919 Taking a buffer and running it through a filter of some sort. The
14920 result will (more often than not) be cleaner and more pleasing than the
14923 @item ephemeral groups
14924 @cindex ephemeral groups
14925 Most groups store data on what articles you have read. @dfn{Ephemeral}
14926 groups are groups that will have no data stored---when you exit the
14927 group, it'll disappear into the aether.
14930 @cindex solid groups
14931 This is the opposite of ephemeral groups. All groups listed in the
14932 group buffer are solid groups.
14934 @item sparse articles
14935 @cindex sparse articles
14936 These are article placeholders shown in the summary buffer when
14937 @code{gnus-build-sparse-threads} has been switched on.
14942 @node Customization
14943 @section Customization
14944 @cindex general customization
14946 All variables are properly documented elsewhere in this manual. This
14947 section is designed to give general pointers on how to customize Gnus
14948 for some quite common situations.
14951 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
14952 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
14953 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
14954 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
14958 @node Slow/Expensive Connection
14959 @subsection Slow/Expensive @sc{nntp} Connection
14961 If you run Emacs on a machine locally, and get your news from a machine
14962 over some very thin strings, you want to cut down on the amount of data
14963 Gnus has to get from the @sc{nntp} server.
14967 @item gnus-read-active-file
14968 Set this to @code{nil}, which will inhibit Gnus from requesting the
14969 entire active file from the server. This file is often v. large. You
14970 also have to set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
14971 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make sure that Gnus
14972 doesn't suddenly decide to fetch the active file anyway.
14974 @item gnus-nov-is-evil
14975 This one has to be @code{nil}. If not, grabbing article headers from
14976 the @sc{nntp} server will not be very fast. Not all @sc{nntp} servers
14977 support @sc{xover}; Gnus will detect this by itself.
14981 @node Slow Terminal Connection
14982 @subsection Slow Terminal Connection
14984 Let's say you use your home computer for dialing up the system that
14985 runs Emacs and Gnus. If your modem is slow, you want to reduce the
14986 amount of data that is sent over the wires as much as possible.
14990 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
14991 Set this to @code{nil} to inhibit Gnus from re-centering the summary
14992 buffer all the time. If it is @code{vertical}, do only vertical
14993 re-centering. If it is neither @code{nil} nor @code{vertical}, do both
14994 horizontal and vertical recentering.
14996 @item gnus-visible-headers
14997 Cut down on the headers that are included in the articles to the
14998 minimum. You can, in fact, make do without them altogether---most of the
14999 useful data is in the summary buffer, anyway. Set this variable to
15000 @samp{^NEVVVVER} or @samp{From:}, or whatever you feel you need.
15002 @item gnus-article-display-hook
15003 Set this hook to all the available hiding commands:
15005 (setq gnus-article-display-hook
15006 '(gnus-article-hide-headers gnus-article-hide-signature
15007 gnus-article-hide-citation))
15010 @item gnus-use-full-window
15011 By setting this to @code{nil}, you can make all the windows smaller.
15012 While this doesn't really cut down much generally, it means that you
15013 have to see smaller portions of articles before deciding that you didn't
15014 want to read them anyway.
15016 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
15017 If this is non-@code{nil}, all threads in the summary buffer will be
15020 @item gnus-updated-mode-lines
15021 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not put information in the buffer mode
15022 lines, which might save some time.
15026 @node Little Disk Space
15027 @subsection Little Disk Space
15030 The startup files can get rather large, so you may want to cut their
15031 sizes a bit if you are running out of space.
15035 @item gnus-save-newsrc-file
15036 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never save @file{.newsrc}---it will
15037 only save @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
15038 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
15041 @item gnus-save-killed-list
15042 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not save the list of dead groups. You
15043 should also set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{ask-server}
15044 and @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} if you set this
15045 variable to @code{nil}. This variable is @code{t} by default.
15051 @subsection Slow Machine
15052 @cindex slow machine
15054 If you have a slow machine, or are just really impatient, there are a
15055 few things you can do to make Gnus run faster.
15057 Set@code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
15058 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make startup faster.
15060 Set @code{gnus-show-threads}, @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} and
15061 @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{nil} to make entering and exiting the
15062 summary buffer faster.
15064 Set @code{gnus-article-display-hook} to @code{nil} to make article
15065 processing a bit faster.
15068 @node Troubleshooting
15069 @section Troubleshooting
15070 @cindex troubleshooting
15072 Gnus works @emph{so} well straight out of the box---I can't imagine any
15080 Make sure your computer is switched on.
15083 Make sure that you really load the current Gnus version. If you have
15084 been running @sc{gnus}, you need to exit Emacs and start it up again before
15088 Try doing an @kbd{M-x gnus-version}. If you get something that looks
15089 like @samp{Gnus v5.46; nntp 4.0} you have the right files loaded. If,
15090 on the other hand, you get something like @samp{NNTP 3.x} or @samp{nntp
15091 flee}, you have some old @file{.el} files lying around. Delete these.
15094 Read the help group (@kbd{G h} in the group buffer) for a FAQ and a
15098 @vindex max-lisp-eval-depth
15099 Gnus works on many recursive structures, and in some extreme (and very
15100 rare) cases Gnus may recurse down ``too deeply'' and Emacs will beep at
15101 you. If this happens to you, set @code{max-lisp-eval-depth} to 500 or
15102 something like that.
15105 If all else fails, report the problem as a bug.
15108 @cindex reporting bugs
15110 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
15112 If you find a bug in Gnus, you can report it with the @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}
15113 command. @kbd{M-x set-variable RET debug-on-error RET t RET}, and send
15114 me the backtrace. I will fix bugs, but I can only fix them if you send
15115 me a precise description as to how to reproduce the bug.
15117 You really can never be too detailed in a bug report. Always use the
15118 @kbd{M-x gnus-bug} command when you make bug reports, even if it creates
15119 a 10Kb mail each time you use it, and even if you have sent me your
15120 environment 500 times before. I don't care. I want the full info each
15123 It is also important to remember that I have no memory whatsoever. If
15124 you send a bug report, and I send you a reply, and then you send back
15125 just ``No, it's not! Moron!'', I will have no idea what you are
15126 insulting me about. Always over-explain everything. It's much easier
15127 for all of us---if I don't have all the information I need, I will just
15128 mail you and ask for more info, and everything takes more time.
15130 If the problem you're seeing is very visual, and you can't quite explain
15131 it, copy the Emacs window to a file (with @code{xwd}, for instance), put
15132 it somewhere it can be reached, and include the URL of the picture in
15135 If you just need help, you are better off asking on
15136 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}. I'm not very helpful.
15138 @cindex gnu.emacs.gnus
15139 @cindex ding mailing list
15140 You can also ask on the ding mailing list---@samp{ding@@gnus.org}.
15141 Write to @samp{ding-request@@gnus.org} to subscribe.
15144 @node A Programmers Guide to Gnus
15145 @section A Programmer@'s Guide to Gnus
15147 It is my hope that other people will figure out smart stuff that Gnus
15148 can do, and that other people will write those smart things as well. To
15149 facilitate that I thought it would be a good idea to describe the inner
15150 workings of Gnus. And some of the not-so-inner workings, while I'm at
15153 You can never expect the internals of a program not to change, but I
15154 will be defining (in some details) the interface between Gnus and its
15155 backends (this is written in stone), the format of the score files
15156 (ditto), data structures (some are less likely to change than others)
15157 and general method of operations.
15160 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
15161 * Backend Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
15162 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
15163 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
15164 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
15165 * Group Info:: The group info format.
15166 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
15167 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
15171 @node Gnus Utility Functions
15172 @subsection Gnus Utility Functions
15173 @cindex Gnus utility functions
15174 @cindex utility functions
15176 @cindex internal variables
15178 When writing small functions to be run from hooks (and stuff), it's
15179 vital to have access to the Gnus internal functions and variables.
15180 Below is a list of the most common ones.
15184 @item gnus-newsgroup-name
15185 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-name
15186 This variable holds the name of the current newsgroup.
15188 @item gnus-find-method-for-group
15189 @findex gnus-find-method-for-group
15190 A function that returns the select method for @var{group}.
15192 @item gnus-group-real-name
15193 @findex gnus-group-real-name
15194 Takes a full (prefixed) Gnus group name, and returns the unprefixed
15197 @item gnus-group-prefixed-name
15198 @findex gnus-group-prefixed-name
15199 Takes an unprefixed group name and a select method, and returns the full
15200 (prefixed) Gnus group name.
15202 @item gnus-get-info
15203 @findex gnus-get-info
15204 Return the group info list for @var{group}.
15206 @item gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
15207 @findex gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
15208 Add the current buffer to the list of buffers to be killed on Gnus
15211 @item gnus-continuum-version
15212 @findex gnus-continuum-version
15213 Take a Gnus version string as a parameter and returns a floating point
15214 number. Earlier versions will always get a lower number than later
15217 @item gnus-group-read-only-p
15218 @findex gnus-group-read-only-p
15219 Say whether @var{group} is read-only or not.
15221 @item gnus-news-group-p
15222 @findex gnus-news-group-p
15223 Say whether @var{group} came from a news backend.
15225 @item gnus-ephemeral-group-p
15226 @findex gnus-ephemeral-group-p
15227 Say whether @var{group} is ephemeral or not.
15229 @item gnus-server-to-method
15230 @findex gnus-server-to-method
15231 Return the select method corresponding to @var{server}.
15233 @item gnus-server-equal
15234 @findex gnus-server-equal
15235 Say whether two virtual servers are equal.
15237 @item gnus-group-native-p
15238 @findex gnus-group-native-p
15239 Say whether @var{group} is native or not.
15241 @item gnus-group-secondary-p
15242 @findex gnus-group-secondary-p
15243 Say whether @var{group} is secondary or not.
15245 @item gnus-group-foreign-p
15246 @findex gnus-group-foreign-p
15247 Say whether @var{group} is foreign or not.
15249 @item group-group-find-parameter
15250 @findex group-group-find-parameter
15251 Return the parameter list of @var{group}. If given a second parameter,
15252 return the value of that parameter for @var{group}.
15254 @item gnus-group-set-parameter
15255 @findex gnus-group-set-parameter
15256 Takes three parameters; @var{group}, @var{parameter} and @var{value}.
15258 @item gnus-narrow-to-body
15259 @findex gnus-narrow-to-body
15260 Narrow the current buffer to the body of the article.
15262 @item gnus-check-backend-function
15263 @findex gnus-check-backend-function
15264 Takes two parameters, @var{function} and @var{group}. If the backend
15265 @var{group} comes from supports @var{function}, return non-@code{nil}.
15268 (gnus-check-backend-function "request-scan" "nnml:misc")
15272 @item gnus-read-method
15273 @findex gnus-read-method
15274 Prompt the user for a select method.
15279 @node Backend Interface
15280 @subsection Backend Interface
15282 Gnus doesn't know anything about @sc{nntp}, spools, mail or virtual
15283 groups. It only knows how to talk to @dfn{virtual servers}. A virtual
15284 server is a @dfn{backend} and some @dfn{backend variables}. As examples
15285 of the first, we have @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and @code{nnmbox}. As
15286 examples of the latter we have @code{nntp-port-number} and
15287 @code{nnmbox-directory}.
15289 When Gnus asks for information from a backend---say @code{nntp}---on
15290 something, it will normally include a virtual server name in the
15291 function parameters. (If not, the backend should use the ``current''
15292 virtual server.) For instance, @code{nntp-request-list} takes a virtual
15293 server as its only (optional) parameter. If this virtual server hasn't
15294 been opened, the function should fail.
15296 Note that a virtual server name has no relation to some physical server
15297 name. Take this example:
15301 (nntp-address "ifi.uio.no")
15302 (nntp-port-number 4324))
15305 Here the virtual server name is @samp{odd-one} while the name of
15306 the physical server is @samp{ifi.uio.no}.
15308 The backends should be able to switch between several virtual servers.
15309 The standard backends implement this by keeping an alist of virtual
15310 server environments that it pulls down/pushes up when needed.
15312 There are two groups of interface functions: @dfn{required functions},
15313 which must be present, and @dfn{optional functions}, which Gnus will
15314 always check whether are present before attempting to call.
15316 All these functions are expected to return data in the buffer
15317 @code{nntp-server-buffer} (@samp{ *nntpd*}), which is somewhat
15318 unfortunately named, but we'll have to live with it. When I talk about
15319 @dfn{resulting data}, I always refer to the data in that buffer. When I
15320 talk about @dfn{return value}, I talk about the function value returned by
15321 the function call. Functions that fail should return @code{nil} as the
15324 Some backends could be said to be @dfn{server-forming} backends, and
15325 some might be said to not be. The latter are backends that generally
15326 only operate on one group at a time, and have no concept of ``server''
15327 -- they have a group, and they deliver info on that group and nothing
15330 In the examples and definitions I will refer to the imaginary backend
15333 @cindex @code{nnchoke}
15336 * Required Backend Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
15337 * Optional Backend Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
15338 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
15339 * Writing New Backends:: Extending old backends.
15340 * Hooking New Backends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
15341 * Mail-like Backends:: Some tips on mail backends.
15345 @node Required Backend Functions
15346 @subsubsection Required Backend Functions
15350 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-headers ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FETCH-OLD)
15352 @var{articles} is either a range of article numbers or a list of
15353 @code{Message-ID}s. Current backends do not fully support either---only
15354 sequences (lists) of article numbers, and most backends do not support
15355 retrieval of @code{Message-ID}s. But they should try for both.
15357 The result data should either be HEADs or NOV lines, and the result
15358 value should either be @code{headers} or @code{nov} to reflect this.
15359 This might later be expanded to @code{various}, which will be a mixture
15360 of HEADs and NOV lines, but this is currently not supported by Gnus.
15362 If @var{fetch-old} is non-@code{nil} it says to try to fetch "extra
15363 headers, in some meaning of the word. This is generally done by
15364 fetching (at most) @var{fetch-old} extra headers less than the smallest
15365 article number in @code{articles}, and fill in the gaps as well. The
15366 presence of this parameter can be ignored if the backend finds it
15367 cumbersome to follow the request. If this is non-@code{nil} and not a
15368 number, do maximum fetches.
15370 Here's an example HEAD:
15373 221 1056 Article retrieved.
15374 Path: ifi.uio.no!sturles
15375 From: sturles@@ifi.uio.no (Sturle Sunde)
15376 Newsgroups: ifi.discussion
15377 Subject: Re: Something very droll
15378 Date: 27 Oct 1994 14:02:57 +0100
15379 Organization: Dept. of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway
15381 Message-ID: <38o8e1$a0o@@holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no>
15382 References: <38jdmq$4qu@@visbur.ifi.uio.no>
15383 NNTP-Posting-Host: holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no
15387 So a @code{headers} return value would imply that there's a number of
15388 these in the data buffer.
15390 Here's a BNF definition of such a buffer:
15394 head = error / valid-head
15395 error-message = [ "4" / "5" ] 2number " " <error message> eol
15396 valid-head = valid-message *header "." eol
15397 valid-message = "221 " <number> " Article retrieved." eol
15398 header = <text> eol
15401 If the return value is @code{nov}, the data buffer should contain
15402 @dfn{network overview database} lines. These are basically fields
15406 nov-buffer = *nov-line
15407 nov-line = 8*9 [ field <TAB> ] eol
15408 field = <text except TAB>
15411 For a closer explanation what should be in those fields,
15415 @item (nnchoke-open-server SERVER &optional DEFINITIONS)
15417 @var{server} is here the virtual server name. @var{definitions} is a
15418 list of @code{(VARIABLE VALUE)} pairs that defines this virtual server.
15420 If the server can't be opened, no error should be signaled. The backend
15421 may then choose to refuse further attempts at connecting to this
15422 server. In fact, it should do so.
15424 If the server is opened already, this function should return a
15425 non-@code{nil} value. There should be no data returned.
15428 @item (nnchoke-close-server &optional SERVER)
15430 Close connection to @var{server} and free all resources connected
15431 to it. Return @code{nil} if the server couldn't be closed for some
15434 There should be no data returned.
15437 @item (nnchoke-request-close)
15439 Close connection to all servers and free all resources that the backend
15440 have reserved. All buffers that have been created by that backend
15441 should be killed. (Not the @code{nntp-server-buffer}, though.) This
15442 function is generally only called when Gnus is shutting down.
15444 There should be no data returned.
15447 @item (nnchoke-server-opened &optional SERVER)
15449 If @var{server} is the current virtual server, and the connection to the
15450 physical server is alive, then this function should return a
15451 non-@code{nil} vlue. This function should under no circumstances
15452 attempt to reconnect to a server that is has lost connection to.
15454 There should be no data returned.
15457 @item (nnchoke-status-message &optional SERVER)
15459 This function should return the last error message from @var{server}.
15461 There should be no data returned.
15464 @item (nnchoke-request-article ARTICLE &optional GROUP SERVER TO-BUFFER)
15466 The result data from this function should be the article specified by
15467 @var{article}. This might either be a @code{Message-ID} or a number.
15468 It is optional whether to implement retrieval by @code{Message-ID}, but
15469 it would be nice if that were possible.
15471 If @var{to-buffer} is non-@code{nil}, the result data should be returned
15472 in this buffer instead of the normal data buffer. This is to make it
15473 possible to avoid copying large amounts of data from one buffer to
15474 another, and Gnus mainly request articles to be inserted directly into
15475 its article buffer.
15477 If it is at all possible, this function should return a cons cell where
15478 the car is the group name the article was fetched from, and the cdr is
15479 the article number. This will enable Gnus to find out what the real
15480 group and article numbers are when fetching articles by
15481 @code{Message-ID}. If this isn't possible, @code{t} should be returned
15482 on successful article retrievement.
15485 @item (nnchoke-request-group GROUP &optional SERVER FAST)
15487 Get data on @var{group}. This function also has the side effect of
15488 making @var{group} the current group.
15490 If @var{FAST}, don't bother to return useful data, just make @var{group}
15493 Here's an example of some result data and a definition of the same:
15496 211 56 1000 1059 ifi.discussion
15499 The first number is the status, which should be 211. Next is the
15500 total number of articles in the group, the lowest article number, the
15501 highest article number, and finally the group name. Note that the total
15502 number of articles may be less than one might think while just
15503 considering the highest and lowest article numbers, but some articles
15504 may have been canceled. Gnus just discards the total-number, so
15505 whether one should take the bother to generate it properly (if that is a
15506 problem) is left as an exercise to the reader.
15509 group-status = [ error / info ] eol
15510 error = [ "4" / "5" ] 2<number> " " <Error message>
15511 info = "211 " 3* [ <number> " " ] <string>
15515 @item (nnchoke-close-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
15517 Close @var{group} and free any resources connected to it. This will be
15518 a no-op on most backends.
15520 There should be no data returned.
15523 @item (nnchoke-request-list &optional SERVER)
15525 Return a list of all groups available on @var{server}. And that means
15528 Here's an example from a server that only carries two groups:
15531 ifi.test 0000002200 0000002000 y
15532 ifi.discussion 3324 3300 n
15535 On each line we have a group name, then the highest article number in
15536 that group, the lowest article number, and finally a flag.
15539 active-file = *active-line
15540 active-line = name " " <number> " " <number> " " flags eol
15542 flags = "n" / "y" / "m" / "x" / "j" / "=" name
15545 The flag says whether the group is read-only (@samp{n}), is moderated
15546 (@samp{m}), is dead (@samp{x}), is aliased to some other group
15547 (@samp{=other-group} or none of the above (@samp{y}).
15550 @item (nnchoke-request-post &optional SERVER)
15552 This function should post the current buffer. It might return whether
15553 the posting was successful or not, but that's not required. If, for
15554 instance, the posting is done asynchronously, it has generally not been
15555 completed by the time this function concludes. In that case, this
15556 function should set up some kind of sentinel to beep the user loud and
15557 clear if the posting could not be completed.
15559 There should be no result data from this function.
15564 @node Optional Backend Functions
15565 @subsubsection Optional Backend Functions
15569 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-groups GROUPS &optional SERVER)
15571 @var{groups} is a list of groups, and this function should request data
15572 on all those groups. How it does it is of no concern to Gnus, but it
15573 should attempt to do this in a speedy fashion.
15575 The return value of this function can be either @code{active} or
15576 @code{group}, which says what the format of the result data is. The
15577 former is in the same format as the data from
15578 @code{nnchoke-request-list}, while the latter is a buffer full of lines
15579 in the same format as @code{nnchoke-request-group} gives.
15582 group-buffer = *active-line / *group-status
15586 @item (nnchoke-request-update-info GROUP INFO &optional SERVER)
15588 A Gnus group info (@pxref{Group Info}) is handed to the backend for
15589 alterations. This comes in handy if the backend really carries all the
15590 information (as is the case with virtual and imap groups). This
15591 function should destructively alter the info to suit its needs, and
15592 should return the (altered) group info.
15594 There should be no result data from this function.
15597 @item (nnchoke-request-type GROUP &optional ARTICLE)
15599 When the user issues commands for ``sending news'' (@kbd{F} in the
15600 summary buffer, for instance), Gnus has to know whether the article the
15601 user is following up is news or mail. This function should return
15602 @code{news} if @var{article} in @var{group} is news, @code{mail} if it
15603 is mail and @code{unknown} if the type can't be decided. (The
15604 @var{article} parameter is necessary in @code{nnvirtual} groups which
15605 might very well combine mail groups and news groups.) Both @var{group}
15606 and @var{article} may be @code{nil}.
15608 There should be no result data from this function.
15611 @item (nnchoke-request-update-mark GROUP ARTICLE MARK)
15613 If the user tries to set a mark that the backend doesn't like, this
15614 function may change the mark. Gnus will use whatever this function
15615 returns as the mark for @var{article} instead of the original
15616 @var{mark}. If the backend doesn't care, it must return the original
15617 @var{mark}, and not @code{nil} or any other type of garbage.
15619 The only use for this that I can see is what @code{nnvirtual} does with
15620 it---if a component group is auto-expirable, marking an article as read
15621 in the virtual group should result in the article being marked as
15624 There should be no result data from this function.
15627 @item (nnchoke-request-scan &optional GROUP SERVER)
15629 This function may be called at any time (by Gnus or anything else) to
15630 request that the backend check for incoming articles, in one way or
15631 another. A mail backend will typically read the spool file or query the
15632 POP server when this function is invoked. The @var{group} doesn't have
15633 to be heeded---if the backend decides that it is too much work just
15634 scanning for a single group, it may do a total scan of all groups. It
15635 would be nice, however, to keep things local if that's practical.
15637 There should be no result data from this function.
15640 @item (nnchoke-request-group-description GROUP &optional SERVER)
15642 The result data from this function should be a description of
15646 description-line = name <TAB> description eol
15648 description = <text>
15651 @item (nnchoke-request-list-newsgroups &optional SERVER)
15653 The result data from this function should be the description of all
15654 groups available on the server.
15657 description-buffer = *description-line
15661 @item (nnchoke-request-newgroups DATE &optional SERVER)
15663 The result data from this function should be all groups that were
15664 created after @samp{date}, which is in normal human-readable date
15665 format. The data should be in the active buffer format.
15668 @item (nnchoke-request-create-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
15670 This function should create an empty group with name @var{group}.
15672 There should be no return data.
15675 @item (nnchoke-request-expire-articles ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FORCE)
15677 This function should run the expiry process on all articles in the
15678 @var{articles} range (which is currently a simple list of article
15679 numbers.) It is left up to the backend to decide how old articles
15680 should be before they are removed by this function. If @var{force} is
15681 non-@code{nil}, all @var{articles} should be deleted, no matter how new
15684 This function should return a list of articles that it did not/was not
15687 There should be no result data returned.
15690 @item (nnchoke-request-move-article ARTICLE GROUP SERVER ACCEPT-FORM
15693 This function should move @var{article} (which is a number) from
15694 @var{group} by calling @var{accept-form}.
15696 This function should ready the article in question for moving by
15697 removing any header lines it has added to the article, and generally
15698 should ``tidy up'' the article. Then it should @code{eval}
15699 @var{accept-form} in the buffer where the ``tidy'' article is. This
15700 will do the actual copying. If this @code{eval} returns a
15701 non-@code{nil} value, the article should be removed.
15703 If @var{last} is @code{nil}, that means that there is a high likelihood
15704 that there will be more requests issued shortly, so that allows some
15707 The function should return a cons where the car is the group name and
15708 the cdr is the article number that the article was entered as.
15710 There should be no data returned.
15713 @item (nnchoke-request-accept-article GROUP &optional SERVER LAST)
15715 This function takes the current buffer and inserts it into @var{group}.
15716 If @var{last} in @code{nil}, that means that there will be more calls to
15717 this function in short order.
15719 The function should return a cons where the car is the group name and
15720 the cdr is the article number that the article was entered as.
15722 There should be no data returned.
15725 @item (nnchoke-request-replace-article ARTICLE GROUP BUFFER)
15727 This function should remove @var{article} (which is a number) from
15728 @var{group} and insert @var{buffer} there instead.
15730 There should be no data returned.
15733 @item (nnchoke-request-delete-group GROUP FORCE &optional SERVER)
15735 This function should delete @var{group}. If @var{force}, it should
15736 really delete all the articles in the group, and then delete the group
15737 itself. (If there is such a thing as ``the group itself''.)
15739 There should be no data returned.
15742 @item (nnchoke-request-rename-group GROUP NEW-NAME &optional SERVER)
15744 This function should rename @var{group} into @var{new-name}. All
15745 articles that are in @var{group} should move to @var{new-name}.
15747 There should be no data returned.
15752 @node Error Messaging
15753 @subsubsection Error Messaging
15755 @findex nnheader-report
15756 @findex nnheader-get-report
15757 The backends should use the function @code{nnheader-report} to report
15758 error conditions---they should not raise errors when they aren't able to
15759 perform a request. The first argument to this function is the backend
15760 symbol, and the rest are interpreted as arguments to @code{format} if
15761 there are many of them, or just a string if there is one of them.
15762 This function always returns @code{nil}.
15765 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "You did something totally bogus")
15767 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "Could not request group %s" group)
15770 Gnus, in turn, will call @code{nnheader-get-report} when it gets a
15771 @code{nil} back from a server, and this function returns the most
15772 recently reported message for the backend in question. This function
15773 takes one argument---the server symbol.
15775 Internally, these function access @var{backend}@code{-status-string}, so
15776 the @code{nnchoke} backend will have its error message stored in
15777 @code{nnchoke-status-string}.
15780 @node Writing New Backends
15781 @subsubsection Writing New Backends
15783 Many backends are quite similar. @code{nnml} is just like
15784 @code{nnspool}, but it allows you to edit the articles on the server.
15785 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, but it doesn't use an active file,
15786 and it doesn't maintain overview databases. @code{nndir} is just like
15787 @code{nnml}, but it has no concept of ``groups'', and it doesn't allow
15790 It would make sense if it were possible to ``inherit'' functions from
15791 backends when writing new backends. And, indeed, you can do that if you
15792 want to. (You don't have to if you don't want to, of course.)
15794 All the backends declare their public variables and functions by using a
15795 package called @code{nnoo}.
15797 To inherit functions from other backends (and allow other backends to
15798 inherit functions from the current backend), you should use the
15805 This macro declares the first parameter to be a child of the subsequent
15806 parameters. For instance:
15809 (nnoo-declare nndir
15813 @code{nndir} has here declared that it intends to inherit functions from
15814 both @code{nnml} and @code{nnmh}.
15817 This macro is equivalent to @code{defvar}, but registers the variable as
15818 a public server variable. Most state-oriented variables should be
15819 declared with @code{defvoo} instead of @code{defvar}.
15821 In addition to the normal @code{defvar} parameters, it takes a list of
15822 variables in the parent backends to map the variable to when executing
15823 a function in those backends.
15826 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
15827 "Where nndir will look for groups."
15828 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
15831 This means that @code{nnml-current-directory} will be set to
15832 @code{nndir-directory} when an @code{nnml} function is called on behalf
15833 of @code{nndir}. (The same with @code{nnmh}.)
15835 @item nnoo-define-basics
15836 This macro defines some common functions that almost all backends should
15840 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
15844 This macro is just like @code{defun} and takes the same parameters. In
15845 addition to doing the normal @code{defun} things, it registers the
15846 function as being public so that other backends can inherit it.
15848 @item nnoo-map-functions
15849 This macro allows mapping of functions from the current backend to
15850 functions from the parent backends.
15853 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
15854 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
15855 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0))
15858 This means that when @code{nndir-retrieve-headers} is called, the first,
15859 third, and fourth parameters will be passed on to
15860 @code{nnml-retrieve-headers}, while the second parameter is set to the
15861 value of @code{nndir-current-group}.
15864 This macro allows importing functions from backends. It should be the
15865 last thing in the source file, since it will only define functions that
15866 haven't already been defined.
15872 nnmh-request-newgroups)
15876 This means that calls to @code{nndir-request-list} should just be passed
15877 on to @code{nnmh-request-list}, while all public functions from
15878 @code{nnml} that haven't been defined in @code{nndir} yet should be
15883 Below is a slightly shortened version of the @code{nndir} backend.
15886 ;;; nndir.el --- single directory newsgroup access for Gnus
15887 ;; Copyright (C) 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
15891 (require 'nnheader)
15895 (eval-when-compile (require 'cl))
15897 (nnoo-declare nndir
15900 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
15901 "Where nndir will look for groups."
15902 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
15904 (defvoo nndir-nov-is-evil nil
15905 "*Non-nil means that nndir will never retrieve NOV headers."
15908 (defvoo nndir-current-group "" nil nnml-current-group nnmh-current-group)
15909 (defvoo nndir-top-directory nil nil nnml-directory nnmh-directory)
15910 (defvoo nndir-get-new-mail nil nil nnml-get-new-mail nnmh-get-new-mail)
15912 (defvoo nndir-status-string "" nil nnmh-status-string)
15913 (defconst nndir-version "nndir 1.0")
15915 ;;; Interface functions.
15917 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
15919 (deffoo nndir-open-server (server &optional defs)
15920 (setq nndir-directory
15921 (or (cadr (assq 'nndir-directory defs))
15923 (unless (assq 'nndir-directory defs)
15924 (push `(nndir-directory ,server) defs))
15925 (push `(nndir-current-group
15926 ,(file-name-nondirectory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
15928 (push `(nndir-top-directory
15929 ,(file-name-directory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
15931 (nnoo-change-server 'nndir server defs))
15933 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
15934 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
15935 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
15936 (nnmh-request-group nndir-current-group 0 0)
15937 (nnmh-close-group nndir-current-group 0))
15941 nnmh-status-message
15943 nnmh-request-newgroups))
15949 @node Hooking New Backends Into Gnus
15950 @subsubsection Hooking New Backends Into Gnus
15952 @vindex gnus-valid-select-methods
15953 Having Gnus start using your new backend is rather easy---you just
15954 declare it with the @code{gnus-declare-backend} functions. This will
15955 enter the backend into the @code{gnus-valid-select-methods} variable.
15957 @code{gnus-declare-backend} takes two parameters---the backend name and
15958 an arbitrary number of @dfn{abilities}.
15963 (gnus-declare-backend "nnchoke" 'mail 'respool 'address)
15966 The abilities can be:
15970 This is a mailish backend---followups should (probably) go via mail.
15972 This is a newsish backend---followups should (probably) go via news.
15974 This backend supports both mail and news.
15976 This is neither a post or mail backend---it's something completely
15979 It supports respooling---or rather, it is able to modify its source
15980 articles and groups.
15982 The name of the server should be in the virtual server name. This is
15983 true for almost all backends.
15984 @item prompt-address
15985 The user should be prompted for an address when doing commands like
15986 @kbd{B} in the group buffer. This is true for backends like
15987 @code{nntp}, but not @code{nnmbox}, for instance.
15991 @node Mail-like Backends
15992 @subsubsection Mail-like Backends
15994 One of the things that separate the mail backends from the rest of the
15995 backends is the heavy dependence by the mail backends on common
15996 functions in @file{nnmail.el}. For instance, here's the definition of
15997 @code{nnml-request-scan}:
16000 (deffoo nnml-request-scan (&optional group server)
16001 (setq nnml-article-file-alist nil)
16002 (nnmail-get-new-mail 'nnml 'nnml-save-nov nnml-directory group))
16005 It simply just calls @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} will a few parameters,
16006 and @code{nnmail} takes care of all the moving and splitting of the
16009 This function takes four parameters.
16013 This should be a symbol to designate which backend is responsible for
16016 @item exit-function
16017 This function should be called after the splitting has been performed.
16019 @item temp-directory
16020 Where the temporary files should be stored.
16023 This optional argument should be a group name if the splitting is to be
16024 performed for one group only.
16027 @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} will call @var{backend}@code{-save-mail} to
16028 save each article. @var{backend}@code{-active-number} will be called to
16029 find the article number assigned to this article.
16031 The function also uses the following variables:
16032 @var{backend}@code{-get-new-mail} (to see whether to get new mail for
16033 this backend); and @var{backend}@code{-group-alist} and
16034 @var{backend}@code{-active-file} to generate the new active file.
16035 @var{backend}@code{-group-alist} should be a group-active alist, like
16039 (("a-group" (1 . 10))
16040 ("some-group" (34 . 39)))
16044 @node Score File Syntax
16045 @subsection Score File Syntax
16047 Score files are meant to be easily parsable, but yet extremely
16048 mallable. It was decided that something that had the same read syntax
16049 as an Emacs Lisp list would fit that spec.
16051 Here's a typical score file:
16055 ("win95" -10000 nil s)
16062 BNF definition of a score file:
16065 score-file = "" / "(" *element ")"
16066 element = rule / atom
16067 rule = string-rule / number-rule / date-rule
16068 string-rule = "(" quote string-header quote space *string-match ")"
16069 number-rule = "(" quote number-header quote space *number-match ")"
16070 date-rule = "(" quote date-header quote space *date-match ")"
16072 string-header = "subject" / "from" / "references" / "message-id" /
16073 "xref" / "body" / "head" / "all" / "followup"
16074 number-header = "lines" / "chars"
16075 date-header = "date"
16076 string-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
16077 space date [ "" / [ space string-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
16078 score = "nil" / <integer>
16079 date = "nil" / <natural number>
16080 string-match-t = "nil" / "s" / "substring" / "S" / "Substring" /
16081 "r" / "regex" / "R" / "Regex" /
16082 "e" / "exact" / "E" / "Exact" /
16083 "f" / "fuzzy" / "F" / "Fuzzy"
16084 number-match = "(" <integer> [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
16085 space date [ "" / [ space number-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
16086 number-match-t = "nil" / "=" / "<" / ">" / ">=" / "<="
16087 date-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
16088 space date [ "" / [ space date-match-t ] ] ] ] ")"
16089 date-match-t = "nil" / "at" / "before" / "after"
16090 atom = "(" [ required-atom / optional-atom ] ")"
16091 required-atom = mark / expunge / mark-and-expunge / files /
16092 exclude-files / read-only / touched
16093 optional-atom = adapt / local / eval
16094 mark = "mark" space nil-or-number
16095 nil-or-number = "nil" / <integer>
16096 expunge = "expunge" space nil-or-number
16097 mark-and-expunge = "mark-and-expunge" space nil-or-number
16098 files = "files" *[ space <string> ]
16099 exclude-files = "exclude-files" *[ space <string> ]
16100 read-only = "read-only" [ space "nil" / space "t" ]
16101 adapt = "adapt" [ space "ignore" / space "t" / space adapt-rule ]
16102 adapt-rule = "(" *[ <string> *[ "(" <string> <integer> ")" ] ")"
16103 local = "local" *[ space "(" <string> space <form> ")" ]
16104 eval = "eval" space <form>
16105 space = *[ " " / <TAB> / <NEWLINE> ]
16108 Any unrecognized elements in a score file should be ignored, but not
16111 As you can see, white space is needed, but the type and amount of white
16112 space is irrelevant. This means that formatting of the score file is
16113 left up to the programmer---if it's simpler to just spew it all out on
16114 one looong line, then that's ok.
16116 The meaning of the various atoms are explained elsewhere in this
16121 @subsection Headers
16123 Gnus uses internally a format for storing article headers that
16124 corresponds to the @sc{nov} format in a mysterious fashion. One could
16125 almost suspect that the author looked at the @sc{nov} specification and
16126 just shamelessly @emph{stole} the entire thing, and one would be right.
16128 @dfn{Header} is a severely overloaded term. ``Header'' is used in
16129 RFC1036 to talk about lines in the head of an article (e.g.,
16130 @code{From}). It is used by many people as a synonym for
16131 ``head''---``the header and the body''. (That should be avoided, in my
16132 opinion.) And Gnus uses a format internally that it calls ``header'',
16133 which is what I'm talking about here. This is a 9-element vector,
16134 basically, with each header (ouch) having one slot.
16136 These slots are, in order: @code{number}, @code{subject}, @code{from},
16137 @code{date}, @code{id}, @code{references}, @code{chars}, @code{lines},
16138 @code{xref}. There are macros for accessing and setting these
16139 slots---they all have predictable names beginning with
16140 @code{mail-header-} and @code{mail-header-set-}, respectively.
16142 The @code{xref} slot is really a @code{misc} slot. Any extra info will
16149 @sc{gnus} introduced a concept that I found so useful that I've started
16150 using it a lot and have elaborated on it greatly.
16152 The question is simple: If you have a large amount of objects that are
16153 identified by numbers (say, articles, to take a @emph{wild} example)
16154 that you want to qualify as being ``included'', a normal sequence isn't
16155 very useful. (A 200,000 length sequence is a bit long-winded.)
16157 The solution is as simple as the question: You just collapse the
16161 (1 2 3 4 5 6 10 11 12)
16164 is transformed into
16167 ((1 . 6) (10 . 12))
16170 To avoid having those nasty @samp{(13 . 13)} elements to denote a
16171 lonesome object, a @samp{13} is a valid element:
16174 ((1 . 6) 7 (10 . 12))
16177 This means that comparing two ranges to find out whether they are equal
16178 is slightly tricky:
16181 ((1 . 5) 7 8 (10 . 12))
16187 ((1 . 5) (7 . 8) (10 . 12))
16190 are equal. In fact, any non-descending list is a range:
16196 is a perfectly valid range, although a pretty long-winded one. This is
16203 and is equal to the previous range.
16205 Here's a BNF definition of ranges. Of course, one must remember the
16206 semantic requirement that the numbers are non-descending. (Any number
16207 of repetition of the same number is allowed, but apt to disappear in
16211 range = simple-range / normal-range
16212 simple-range = "(" number " . " number ")"
16213 normal-range = "(" start-contents ")"
16214 contents = "" / simple-range *[ " " contents ] /
16215 number *[ " " contents ]
16218 Gnus currently uses ranges to keep track of read articles and article
16219 marks. I plan on implementing a number of range operators in C if The
16220 Powers That Be are willing to let me. (I haven't asked yet, because I
16221 need to do some more thinking on what operators I need to make life
16222 totally range-based without ever having to convert back to normal
16227 @subsection Group Info
16229 Gnus stores all permanent info on groups in a @dfn{group info} list.
16230 This list is from three to six elements (or more) long and exhaustively
16231 describes the group.
16233 Here are two example group infos; one is a very simple group while the
16234 second is a more complex one:
16237 ("no.group" 5 (1 . 54324))
16239 ("nnml:my.mail" 3 ((1 . 5) 9 (20 . 55))
16240 ((tick (15 . 19)) (replied 3 6 (19 . 3)))
16242 (auto-expire (to-address "ding@@gnus.org")))
16245 The first element is the @dfn{group name}---as Gnus knows the group,
16246 anyway. The second element is the @dfn{subscription level}, which
16247 normally is a small integer. The third element is a list of ranges of
16248 read articles. The fourth element is a list of lists of article marks
16249 of various kinds. The fifth element is the select method (or virtual
16250 server, if you like). The sixth element is a list of @dfn{group
16251 parameters}, which is what this section is about.
16253 Any of the last three elements may be missing if they are not required.
16254 In fact, the vast majority of groups will normally only have the first
16255 three elements, which saves quite a lot of cons cells.
16257 Here's a BNF definition of the group info format:
16260 info = "(" group space level space read
16261 [ "" / [ space marks-list [ "" / [ space method [ "" /
16262 space parameters ] ] ] ] ] ")"
16263 group = quote <string> quote
16264 level = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
16266 marks-lists = nil / "(" *marks ")"
16267 marks = "(" <string> range ")"
16268 method = "(" <string> *elisp-forms ")"
16269 parameters = "(" *elisp-forms ")"
16272 Actually that @samp{marks} rule is a fib. A @samp{marks} is a
16273 @samp{<string>} consed on to a @samp{range}, but that's a bitch to say
16276 If you have a Gnus info and want to access the elements, Gnus offers a
16277 series of macros for getting/setting these elements.
16280 @item gnus-info-group
16281 @itemx gnus-info-set-group
16282 @findex gnus-info-group
16283 @findex gnus-info-set-group
16284 Get/set the group name.
16286 @item gnus-info-rank
16287 @itemx gnus-info-set-rank
16288 @findex gnus-info-rank
16289 @findex gnus-info-set-rank
16290 Get/set the group rank.
16292 @item gnus-info-level
16293 @itemx gnus-info-set-level
16294 @findex gnus-info-level
16295 @findex gnus-info-set-level
16296 Get/set the group level.
16298 @item gnus-info-score
16299 @itemx gnus-info-set-score
16300 @findex gnus-info-score
16301 @findex gnus-info-set-score
16302 Get/set the group score.
16304 @item gnus-info-read
16305 @itemx gnus-info-set-read
16306 @findex gnus-info-read
16307 @findex gnus-info-set-read
16308 Get/set the ranges of read articles.
16310 @item gnus-info-marks
16311 @itemx gnus-info-set-marks
16312 @findex gnus-info-marks
16313 @findex gnus-info-set-marks
16314 Get/set the lists of ranges of marked articles.
16316 @item gnus-info-method
16317 @itemx gnus-info-set-method
16318 @findex gnus-info-method
16319 @findex gnus-info-set-method
16320 Get/set the group select method.
16322 @item gnus-info-params
16323 @itemx gnus-info-set-params
16324 @findex gnus-info-params
16325 @findex gnus-info-set-params
16326 Get/set the group parameters.
16329 All the getter functions take one parameter---the info list. The setter
16330 functions take two parameters---the info list and the new value.
16332 The last three elements in the group info aren't mandatory, so it may be
16333 necessary to extend the group info before setting the element. If this
16334 is necessary, you can just pass on a non-@code{nil} third parameter to
16335 the three final setter functions to have this happen automatically.
16338 @node Emacs/XEmacs Code
16339 @subsection Emacs/XEmacs Code
16343 While Gnus runs under Emacs, XEmacs and Mule, I decided that one of the
16344 platforms must be the primary one. I chose Emacs. Not because I don't
16345 like XEmacs or Mule, but because it comes first alphabetically.
16347 This means that Gnus will byte-compile under Emacs with nary a warning,
16348 while XEmacs will pump out gigabytes of warnings while byte-compiling.
16349 As I use byte-compilation warnings to help me root out trivial errors in
16350 Gnus, that's very useful.
16352 I've also consistently used Emacs function interfaces, but have used
16353 Gnusey aliases for the functions. To take an example: Emacs defines a
16354 @code{run-at-time} function while XEmacs defines a @code{start-itimer}
16355 function. I then define a function called @code{gnus-run-at-time} that
16356 takes the same parameters as the Emacs @code{run-at-time}. When running
16357 Gnus under Emacs, the former function is just an alias for the latter.
16358 However, when running under XEmacs, the former is an alias for the
16359 following function:
16362 (defun gnus-xmas-run-at-time (time repeat function &rest args)
16366 (,function ,@@args))
16370 This sort of thing has been done for bunches of functions. Gnus does
16371 not redefine any native Emacs functions while running under XEmacs---it
16372 does this @code{defalias} thing with Gnus equivalents instead. Cleaner
16375 In the cases when the XEmacs function interface was obviously
16376 cleaner, I used it instead. For example @code{gnus-region-active-p}
16377 is an alias for @code{region-active-p} in XEmacs, whereas in Emacs
16380 Of course, I could have chosen XEmacs as my native platform and done
16381 mapping functions the other way around. But I didn't. The performance
16382 hit these indirections impose on Gnus under XEmacs should be slight.
16385 @node Various File Formats
16386 @subsection Various File Formats
16389 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
16390 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
16394 @node Active File Format
16395 @subsubsection Active File Format
16397 The active file lists all groups that are available on the server in
16398 question. It also lists the highest and lowest current article numbers
16401 Here's an excerpt from a typical active file:
16404 soc.motss 296030 293865 y
16405 alt.binaries.pictures.fractals 3922 3913 n
16406 comp.sources.unix 1605 1593 m
16407 comp.binaries.ibm.pc 5097 5089 y
16408 no.general 1000 900 y
16411 Here's a pseudo-BNF definition of this file:
16414 active = *group-line
16415 group-line = group space high-number space low-number space flag <NEWLINE>
16416 group = <non-white-space string>
16418 high-number = <non-negative integer>
16419 low-number = <positive integer>
16420 flag = "y" / "n" / "m" / "j" / "x" / "=" group
16424 @node Newsgroups File Format
16425 @subsubsection Newsgroups File Format
16427 The newsgroups file lists groups along with their descriptions. Not all
16428 groups on the server have to be listed, and not all groups in the file
16429 have to exist on the server. The file is meant purely as information to
16432 The format is quite simple; a group name, a tab, and the description.
16433 Here's the definition:
16437 line = group tab description <NEWLINE>
16438 group = <non-white-space string>
16440 description = <string>
16444 @node Emacs for Heathens
16445 @section Emacs for Heathens
16447 Believe it or not, but some people who use Gnus haven't really used
16448 Emacs much before they embarked on their journey on the Gnus Love Boat.
16449 If you are one of those unfortunates whom ``@kbd{M-C-a}'', ``kill the
16450 region'', and ``set @code{gnus-flargblossen} to an alist where the key
16451 is a regexp that is used for matching on the group name'' are magical
16452 phrases with little or no meaning, then this appendix is for you. If
16453 you are already familiar with Emacs, just ignore this and go fondle your
16457 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
16458 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
16463 @subsection Keystrokes
16467 Q: What is an experienced Emacs user?
16470 A: A person who wishes that the terminal had pedals.
16473 Yes, when you use Emacs, you are apt to use the control key, the shift
16474 key and the meta key a lot. This is very annoying to some people
16475 (notably @code{vi}le users), and the rest of us just love the hell out
16476 of it. Just give up and submit. Emacs really does stand for
16477 ``Escape-Meta-Alt-Control-Shift'', and not ``Editing Macros'', as you
16478 may have heard from other disreputable sources (like the Emacs author).
16480 The shift key is normally located near your pinky fingers, and are
16481 normally used to get capital letters and stuff. You probably use it all
16482 the time. The control key is normally marked ``CTRL'' or something like
16483 that. The meta key is, funnily enough, never marked as such on any
16484 keyboards. The one I'm currently at has a key that's marked ``Alt'',
16485 which is the meta key on this keyboard. It's usually located somewhere
16486 to the left hand side of the keyboard, usually on the bottom row.
16488 Now, us Emacs people doesn't say ``press the meta-control-m key'',
16489 because that's just too inconvenient. We say ``press the @kbd{M-C-m}
16490 key''. @kbd{M-} is the prefix that means ``meta'' and ``C-'' is the
16491 prefix that means ``control''. So ``press @kbd{C-k}'' means ``press
16492 down the control key, and hold it down while you press @kbd{k}''.
16493 ``Press @kbd{M-C-k}'' means ``press down and hold down the meta key and
16494 the control key and then press @kbd{k}''. Simple, ay?
16496 This is somewhat complicated by the fact that not all keyboards have a
16497 meta key. In that case you can use the ``escape'' key. Then @kbd{M-k}
16498 means ``press escape, release escape, press @kbd{k}''. That's much more
16499 work than if you have a meta key, so if that's the case, I respectfully
16500 suggest you get a real keyboard with a meta key. You can't live without
16506 @subsection Emacs Lisp
16508 Emacs is the King of Editors because it's really a Lisp interpreter.
16509 Each and every key you tap runs some Emacs Lisp code snippet, and since
16510 Emacs Lisp is an interpreted language, that means that you can configure
16511 any key to run any arbitrary code. You just, like, do it.
16513 Gnus is written in Emacs Lisp, and is run as a bunch of interpreted
16514 functions. (These are byte-compiled for speed, but it's still
16515 interpreted.) If you decide that you don't like the way Gnus does
16516 certain things, it's trivial to have it do something a different way.
16517 (Well, at least if you know how to write Lisp code.) However, that's
16518 beyond the scope of this manual, so we are simply going to talk about
16519 some common constructs that you normally use in your @file{.emacs} file
16522 If you want to set the variable @code{gnus-florgbnize} to four (4), you
16523 write the following:
16526 (setq gnus-florgbnize 4)
16529 This function (really ``special form'') @code{setq} is the one that can
16530 set a variable to some value. This is really all you need to know. Now
16531 you can go and fill your @code{.emacs} file with lots of these to change
16534 If you have put that thing in your @code{.emacs} file, it will be read
16535 and @code{eval}ed (which is lisp-ese for ``run'') the next time you
16536 start Emacs. If you want to change the variable right away, simply say
16537 @kbd{C-x C-e} after the closing parenthesis. That will @code{eval} the
16538 previous ``form'', which here is a simple @code{setq} statement.
16540 Go ahead---just try it, if you're located at your Emacs. After you
16541 @kbd{C-x C-e}, you will see @samp{4} appear in the echo area, which
16542 is the return value of the form you @code{eval}ed.
16546 If the manual says ``set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{some}'',
16550 (setq gnus-read-active-file 'some)
16553 On the other hand, if the manual says ``set @code{gnus-nntp-server} to
16554 @samp{nntp.ifi.uio.no}'', that means:
16557 (setq gnus-nntp-server "nntp.ifi.uio.no")
16560 So be careful not to mix up strings (the latter) with symbols (the
16561 former). The manual is unambiguous, but it can be confusing.
16564 @include gnus-faq.texi