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10 * Gnus: (gnus). The newsreader Gnus.
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268 \gnusauthor{by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen}
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277 Copyright \copyright{} 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000
278 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
281 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
282 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
283 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
284 Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
285 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
286 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
287 License'' in the Emacs manual.
289 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
290 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
291 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
293 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
294 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
295 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
296 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
304 This file documents Gnus, the GNU Emacs newsreader.
306 Copyright (C) 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
308 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
309 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
310 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with the
311 Invariant Sections being none, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
312 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
313 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
314 License'' in the Emacs manual.
316 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
317 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
318 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
320 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
321 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
322 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
323 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
331 @author by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen
334 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
335 Copyright @copyright{} 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
337 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
338 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
339 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
340 Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
341 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
342 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
343 License'' in the Emacs manual.
345 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
346 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
347 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
349 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
350 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
351 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
352 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
361 @top The Gnus Newsreader
365 You can read news (and mail) from within Emacs by using Gnus. The news
366 can be gotten by any nefarious means you can think of---@sc{nntp}, local
367 spool or your mbox file. All at the same time, if you want to push your
370 This manual corresponds to Oort Gnus v.
381 Gnus is the advanced, self-documenting, customizable, extensible
382 unreal-time newsreader for GNU Emacs.
384 Oops. That sounds oddly familiar, so let's start over again to avoid
385 being accused of plagiarism:
387 Gnus is a message-reading laboratory. It will let you look at just
388 about anything as if it were a newsgroup. You can read mail with it,
389 you can browse directories with it, you can @code{ftp} with it---you
390 can even read news with it!
392 Gnus tries to empower people who read news the same way Emacs empowers
393 people who edit text. Gnus sets no limits to what the user should be
394 allowed to do. Users are encouraged to extend Gnus to make it behave
395 like they want it to behave. A program should not control people;
396 people should be empowered to do what they want by using (or abusing)
402 * Starting Up:: Finding news can be a pain.
403 * Group Buffer:: Selecting, subscribing and killing groups.
404 * Summary Buffer:: Reading, saving and posting articles.
405 * Article Buffer:: Displaying and handling articles.
406 * Composing Messages:: Information on sending mail and news.
407 * Select Methods:: Gnus reads all messages from various select methods.
408 * Scoring:: Assigning values to articles.
409 * Various:: General purpose settings.
410 * The End:: Farewell and goodbye.
411 * Appendices:: Terminology, Emacs intro, FAQ, History, Internals.
412 * Index:: Variable, function and concept index.
413 * Key Index:: Key Index.
416 --- The Detailed Node Listing ---
420 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
421 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
422 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
423 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
424 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
425 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
426 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
427 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
428 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
429 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
430 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
434 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
435 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
436 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
440 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
441 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
442 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
443 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
444 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
445 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
446 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
447 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
448 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
449 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
450 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
451 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
452 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
453 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
454 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
455 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
456 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
460 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
461 * Group Modeline Specification:: The group buffer modeline.
462 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
466 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
467 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
468 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
469 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
470 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
474 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
475 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
476 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
477 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
481 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
482 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
483 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
484 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
485 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
486 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
487 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
488 * Threading:: How threads are made.
489 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
490 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
491 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
492 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
493 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
494 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
495 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
496 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
497 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
498 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
499 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
500 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
501 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
502 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
503 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
504 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
505 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
506 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer.
507 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
508 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
509 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
511 Summary Buffer Format
513 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
514 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
515 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
516 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
520 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
521 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
523 Reply, Followup and Post
525 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
526 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
527 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
528 * Canceling and Superseding:: ``Whoops, I shouldn't have called him that.''
532 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
533 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
534 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
535 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
536 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
537 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
541 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
542 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
544 Customizing Threading
546 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
547 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
548 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
549 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over... but you were wrong!
553 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
554 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
555 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
556 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
557 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
558 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
562 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
563 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
564 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
568 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
569 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
570 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
571 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
572 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
573 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
574 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
575 * Article Miscellania:: Various other stuff.
577 Alternative Approaches
579 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
580 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
582 Various Summary Stuff
584 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
585 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
586 * Summary Generation Commands:: (Re)generating the summary buffer.
587 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
591 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
592 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @sc{mime} before reading them.
593 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
594 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
595 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
599 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
600 * Posting Server:: What server should you post via?
601 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
602 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
603 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
604 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
605 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
606 * Using GPG:: How to use GPG and MML to sign and encrypt messages
610 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
611 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
612 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
613 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
614 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
615 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
616 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
620 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
621 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
622 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
623 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
624 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
625 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
626 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
630 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
631 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
635 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
636 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
637 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
638 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
639 * Mail Backend Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
640 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
641 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
642 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
643 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
644 * Washing Mail:: Removing cruft from the mail you get.
645 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
646 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail backends for reading other files.
647 * Choosing a Mail Backend:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
651 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
652 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
653 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
655 Choosing a Mail Backend
657 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
658 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
659 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
660 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like backend.
661 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
662 * Comparing Mail Backends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
666 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
667 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
668 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
669 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
670 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
671 * Customizing w3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/w3 from Gnus.
675 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
676 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
677 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
678 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
679 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
680 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @sc{imap} client.
684 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
688 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
689 * SOUP Groups:: A backend for reading @sc{soup} packets.
690 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
694 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
695 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
696 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a "compress mailbox" button.
700 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
701 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
705 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
706 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
707 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
708 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
709 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with IMAP.
710 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
711 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
712 * Example Setup:: An example @file{.gnus.el} file for offline people.
713 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
714 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
718 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
719 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
720 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
724 * Group Agent Commands::
725 * Summary Agent Commands::
726 * Server Agent Commands::
730 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
731 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
732 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
733 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
734 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
735 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
736 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
737 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
738 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
739 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
740 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
741 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
742 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
743 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
744 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
745 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
749 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
750 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
751 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
752 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
756 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
757 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
758 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
762 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
763 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
764 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
765 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
766 * Windows Configuration:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
767 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
768 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
769 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
770 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
771 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
772 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
773 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
774 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
775 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
776 * XEmacs Enhancements:: There are more pictures and stuff under XEmacs.
777 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
778 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
779 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
783 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
784 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
785 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
786 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
787 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
791 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what your reading.
792 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
793 * Toolbar:: Click'n'drool.
794 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
798 * Picon Basics:: What are picons and How do I get them.
799 * Picon Requirements:: Don't go further if you aren't using XEmacs.
800 * Easy Picons:: Displaying Picons---the easy way.
801 * Hard Picons:: The way you should do it. You'll learn something.
802 * Picon Useless Configuration:: Other variables you can trash/tweak/munge/play with.
806 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
807 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
808 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
809 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
810 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
811 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
812 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
813 * Frequently Asked Questions:: A question-and-answer session.
817 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
818 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
819 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
820 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
821 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
822 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
823 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
824 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
825 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
829 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
830 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
831 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
832 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
833 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
837 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
838 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
839 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
840 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
844 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
845 * Backend Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
846 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
847 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
848 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
849 * Group Info:: The group info format.
850 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
851 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
852 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
856 * Required Backend Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
857 * Optional Backend Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
858 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
859 * Writing New Backends:: Extending old backends.
860 * Hooking New Backends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
861 * Mail-like Backends:: Some tips on mail backends.
865 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
866 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
870 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
871 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
877 @chapter Starting Gnus
882 If your system administrator has set things up properly, starting Gnus
883 and reading news is extremely easy---you just type @kbd{M-x gnus} in
886 @findex gnus-other-frame
887 @kindex M-x gnus-other-frame
888 If you want to start Gnus in a different frame, you can use the command
889 @kbd{M-x gnus-other-frame} instead.
891 If things do not go smoothly at startup, you have to twiddle some
892 variables in your @file{~/.gnus} file. This file is similar to
893 @file{~/.emacs}, but is read when gnus starts.
895 If you puzzle at any terms used in this manual, please refer to the
896 terminology section (@pxref{Terminology}).
899 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
900 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
901 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
902 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
903 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
904 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
905 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
906 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
907 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
908 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
909 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
913 @node Finding the News
914 @section Finding the News
917 @vindex gnus-select-method
919 The @code{gnus-select-method} variable says where Gnus should look for
920 news. This variable should be a list where the first element says
921 @dfn{how} and the second element says @dfn{where}. This method is your
922 native method. All groups not fetched with this method are
925 For instance, if the @samp{news.somewhere.edu} @sc{nntp} server is where
926 you want to get your daily dosage of news from, you'd say:
929 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"))
932 If you want to read directly from the local spool, say:
935 (setq gnus-select-method '(nnspool ""))
938 If you can use a local spool, you probably should, as it will almost
939 certainly be much faster.
941 @vindex gnus-nntpserver-file
943 @cindex @sc{nntp} server
944 If this variable is not set, Gnus will take a look at the
945 @code{NNTPSERVER} environment variable. If that variable isn't set,
946 Gnus will see whether @code{gnus-nntpserver-file}
947 (@file{/etc/nntpserver} by default) has any opinions on the matter. If
948 that fails as well, Gnus will try to use the machine running Emacs as an @sc{nntp} server. That's a long shot, though.
950 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
951 If @code{gnus-nntp-server} is set, this variable will override
952 @code{gnus-select-method}. You should therefore set
953 @code{gnus-nntp-server} to @code{nil}, which is what it is by default.
955 @vindex gnus-secondary-servers
956 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
957 You can also make Gnus prompt you interactively for the name of an
958 @sc{nntp} server. If you give a non-numerical prefix to @code{gnus}
959 (i.e., @kbd{C-u M-x gnus}), Gnus will let you choose between the servers
960 in the @code{gnus-secondary-servers} list (if any). You can also just
961 type in the name of any server you feel like visiting. (Note that this
962 will set @code{gnus-nntp-server}, which means that if you then @kbd{M-x
963 gnus} later in the same Emacs session, Gnus will contact the same
966 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
968 However, if you use one @sc{nntp} server regularly and are just
969 interested in a couple of groups from a different server, you would be
970 better served by using the @kbd{B} command in the group buffer. It will
971 let you have a look at what groups are available, and you can subscribe
972 to any of the groups you want to. This also makes @file{.newsrc}
973 maintenance much tidier. @xref{Foreign Groups}.
975 @vindex gnus-secondary-select-methods
977 A slightly different approach to foreign groups is to set the
978 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} variable. The select methods
979 listed in this variable are in many ways just as native as the
980 @code{gnus-select-method} server. They will also be queried for active
981 files during startup (if that's required), and new newsgroups that
982 appear on these servers will be subscribed (or not) just as native
985 For instance, if you use the @code{nnmbox} backend to read your mail, you
986 would typically set this variable to
989 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnmbox "")))
994 @section The First Time
995 @cindex first time usage
997 If no startup files exist, Gnus will try to determine what groups should
998 be subscribed by default.
1000 @vindex gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups
1001 If the variable @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is set, Gnus
1002 will subscribe you to just those groups in that list, leaving the rest
1003 killed. Your system administrator should have set this variable to
1006 Since she hasn't, Gnus will just subscribe you to a few arbitrarily
1007 picked groups (i.e., @samp{*.newusers}). (@dfn{Arbitrary} is defined
1008 here as @dfn{whatever Lars thinks you should read}.)
1010 You'll also be subscribed to the Gnus documentation group, which should
1011 help you with most common problems.
1013 If @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is @code{t}, Gnus will just
1014 use the normal functions for handling new groups, and not do anything
1018 @node The Server is Down
1019 @section The Server is Down
1020 @cindex server errors
1022 If the default server is down, Gnus will understandably have some
1023 problems starting. However, if you have some mail groups in addition to
1024 the news groups, you may want to start Gnus anyway.
1026 Gnus, being the trusting sort of program, will ask whether to proceed
1027 without a native select method if that server can't be contacted. This
1028 will happen whether the server doesn't actually exist (i.e., you have
1029 given the wrong address) or the server has just momentarily taken ill
1030 for some reason or other. If you decide to continue and have no foreign
1031 groups, you'll find it difficult to actually do anything in the group
1032 buffer. But, hey, that's your problem. Blllrph!
1034 @findex gnus-no-server
1035 @kindex M-x gnus-no-server
1037 If you know that the server is definitely down, or you just want to read
1038 your mail without bothering with the server at all, you can use the
1039 @code{gnus-no-server} command to start Gnus. That might come in handy
1040 if you're in a hurry as well. This command will not attempt to contact
1041 your primary server---instead, it will just activate all groups on level
1042 1 and 2. (You should preferably keep no native groups on those two
1043 levels.) Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
1047 @section Slave Gnusae
1050 You might want to run more than one Emacs with more than one Gnus at the
1051 same time. If you are using different @file{.newsrc} files (e.g., if you
1052 are using the two different Gnusae to read from two different servers),
1053 that is no problem whatsoever. You just do it.
1055 The problem appears when you want to run two Gnusae that use the same
1056 @code{.newsrc} file.
1058 To work around that problem some, we here at the Think-Tank at the Gnus
1059 Towers have come up with a new concept: @dfn{Masters} and
1060 @dfn{slaves}. (We have applied for a patent on this concept, and have
1061 taken out a copyright on those words. If you wish to use those words in
1062 conjunction with each other, you have to send $1 per usage instance to
1063 me. Usage of the patent (@dfn{Master/Slave Relationships In Computer
1064 Applications}) will be much more expensive, of course.)
1066 Anyway, you start one Gnus up the normal way with @kbd{M-x gnus} (or
1067 however you do it). Each subsequent slave Gnusae should be started with
1068 @kbd{M-x gnus-slave}. These slaves won't save normal @file{.newsrc}
1069 files, but instead save @dfn{slave files} that contain information only
1070 on what groups have been read in the slave session. When a master Gnus
1071 starts, it will read (and delete) these slave files, incorporating all
1072 information from them. (The slave files will be read in the sequence
1073 they were created, so the latest changes will have precedence.)
1075 Information from the slave files has, of course, precedence over the
1076 information in the normal (i.e., master) @code{.newsrc} file.
1079 @node Fetching a Group
1080 @section Fetching a Group
1081 @cindex fetching a group
1083 @findex gnus-fetch-group
1084 It is sometimes convenient to be able to just say ``I want to read this
1085 group and I don't care whether Gnus has been started or not''. This is
1086 perhaps more useful for people who write code than for users, but the
1087 command @code{gnus-fetch-group} provides this functionality in any case.
1088 It takes the group name as a parameter.
1094 @cindex subscription
1096 @vindex gnus-check-new-newsgroups
1097 If you are satisfied that you really never want to see any new groups,
1098 you can set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil}. This will
1099 also save you some time at startup. Even if this variable is
1100 @code{nil}, you can always subscribe to the new groups just by pressing
1101 @kbd{U} in the group buffer (@pxref{Group Maintenance}). This variable
1102 is @code{ask-server} by default. If you set this variable to
1103 @code{always}, then Gnus will query the backends for new groups even
1104 when you do the @kbd{g} command (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
1107 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
1108 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
1109 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
1113 @node Checking New Groups
1114 @subsection Checking New Groups
1116 Gnus normally determines whether a group is new or not by comparing the
1117 list of groups from the active file(s) with the lists of subscribed and
1118 dead groups. This isn't a particularly fast method. If
1119 @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} is @code{ask-server}, Gnus will ask the
1120 server for new groups since the last time. This is both faster and
1121 cheaper. This also means that you can get rid of the list of killed
1122 groups altogether, so you may set @code{gnus-save-killed-list} to
1123 @code{nil}, which will save time both at startup, at exit, and all over.
1124 Saves disk space, too. Why isn't this the default, then?
1125 Unfortunately, not all servers support this command.
1127 I bet I know what you're thinking now: How do I find out whether my
1128 server supports @code{ask-server}? No? Good, because I don't have a
1129 fail-safe answer. I would suggest just setting this variable to
1130 @code{ask-server} and see whether any new groups appear within the next
1131 few days. If any do, then it works. If none do, then it doesn't
1132 work. I could write a function to make Gnus guess whether the server
1133 supports @code{ask-server}, but it would just be a guess. So I won't.
1134 You could @code{telnet} to the server and say @code{HELP} and see
1135 whether it lists @samp{NEWGROUPS} among the commands it understands. If
1136 it does, then it might work. (But there are servers that lists
1137 @samp{NEWGROUPS} without supporting the function properly.)
1139 This variable can also be a list of select methods. If so, Gnus will
1140 issue an @code{ask-server} command to each of the select methods, and
1141 subscribe them (or not) using the normal methods. This might be handy
1142 if you are monitoring a few servers for new groups. A side effect is
1143 that startup will take much longer, so you can meditate while waiting.
1144 Use the mantra ``dingnusdingnusdingnus'' to achieve permanent bliss.
1147 @node Subscription Methods
1148 @subsection Subscription Methods
1150 @vindex gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method
1151 What Gnus does when it encounters a new group is determined by the
1152 @code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} variable.
1154 This variable should contain a function. This function will be called
1155 with the name of the new group as the only parameter.
1157 Some handy pre-fab functions are:
1161 @item gnus-subscribe-zombies
1162 @vindex gnus-subscribe-zombies
1163 Make all new groups zombies. This is the default. You can browse the
1164 zombies later (with @kbd{A z}) and either kill them all off properly
1165 (with @kbd{S z}), or subscribe to them (with @kbd{u}).
1167 @item gnus-subscribe-randomly
1168 @vindex gnus-subscribe-randomly
1169 Subscribe all new groups in arbitrary order. This really means that all
1170 new groups will be added at ``the top'' of the group buffer.
1172 @item gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1173 @vindex gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1174 Subscribe all new groups in alphabetical order.
1176 @item gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1177 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1178 Subscribe all new groups hierarchically. The difference between this
1179 function and @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} is slight.
1180 @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} will subscribe new groups in a strictly
1181 alphabetical fashion, while this function will enter groups into its
1182 hierarchy. So if you want to have the @samp{rec} hierarchy before the
1183 @samp{comp} hierarchy, this function will not mess that configuration
1184 up. Or something like that.
1186 @item gnus-subscribe-interactively
1187 @vindex gnus-subscribe-interactively
1188 Subscribe new groups interactively. This means that Gnus will ask
1189 you about @strong{all} new groups. The groups you choose to subscribe
1190 to will be subscribed hierarchically.
1192 @item gnus-subscribe-killed
1193 @vindex gnus-subscribe-killed
1194 Kill all new groups.
1196 @item gnus-subscribe-topics
1197 @vindex gnus-subscribe-topics
1198 Put the groups into the topic that has a matching @code{subscribe} topic
1199 parameter (@pxref{Topic Parameters}). For instance, a @code{subscribe}
1200 topic parameter that looks like
1206 will mean that all groups that match that regex will be subscribed under
1209 If no topics match the groups, the groups will be subscribed in the
1214 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive
1215 A closely related variable is
1216 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. (That's quite a
1217 mouthful.) If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will ask you in a
1218 hierarchical fashion whether to subscribe to new groups or not. Gnus
1219 will ask you for each sub-hierarchy whether you want to descend the
1222 One common mistake is to set the variable a few paragraphs above
1223 (@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method}) to
1224 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. This is an error. This
1225 will not work. This is ga-ga. So don't do it.
1228 @node Filtering New Groups
1229 @subsection Filtering New Groups
1231 A nice and portable way to control which new newsgroups should be
1232 subscribed (or ignored) is to put an @dfn{options} line at the start of
1233 the @file{.newsrc} file. Here's an example:
1236 options -n !alt.all !rec.all sci.all
1239 @vindex gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method
1240 This line obviously belongs to a serious-minded intellectual scientific
1241 person (or she may just be plain old boring), because it says that all
1242 groups that have names beginning with @samp{alt} and @samp{rec} should
1243 be ignored, and all groups with names beginning with @samp{sci} should
1244 be subscribed. Gnus will not use the normal subscription method for
1245 subscribing these groups.
1246 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method} is used instead. This
1247 variable defaults to @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically}.
1249 @vindex gnus-options-not-subscribe
1250 @vindex gnus-options-subscribe
1251 If you don't want to mess with your @file{.newsrc} file, you can just
1252 set the two variables @code{gnus-options-subscribe} and
1253 @code{gnus-options-not-subscribe}. These two variables do exactly the
1254 same as the @file{.newsrc} @samp{options -n} trick. Both are regexps,
1255 and if the new group matches the former, it will be unconditionally
1256 subscribed, and if it matches the latter, it will be ignored.
1258 @vindex gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
1259 Yet another variable that meddles here is
1260 @code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups}. It works exactly like
1261 @code{gnus-options-subscribe}, and is therefore really superfluous, but I
1262 thought it would be nice to have two of these. This variable is more
1263 meant for setting some ground rules, while the other variable is used
1264 more for user fiddling. By default this variable makes all new groups
1265 that come from mail backends (@code{nnml}, @code{nnbabyl},
1266 @code{nnfolder}, @code{nnmbox}, and @code{nnmh}) subscribed. If you
1267 don't like that, just set this variable to @code{nil}.
1269 New groups that match this regexp are subscribed using
1270 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method}.
1273 @node Changing Servers
1274 @section Changing Servers
1275 @cindex changing servers
1277 Sometimes it is necessary to move from one @sc{nntp} server to another.
1278 This happens very rarely, but perhaps you change jobs, or one server is
1279 very flaky and you want to use another.
1281 Changing the server is pretty easy, right? You just change
1282 @code{gnus-select-method} to point to the new server?
1286 Article numbers are not (in any way) kept synchronized between different
1287 @sc{nntp} servers, and the only way Gnus keeps track of what articles
1288 you have read is by keeping track of article numbers. So when you
1289 change @code{gnus-select-method}, your @file{.newsrc} file becomes
1292 Gnus provides a few functions to attempt to translate a @file{.newsrc}
1293 file from one server to another. They all have one thing in
1294 common---they take a looong time to run. You don't want to use these
1295 functions more than absolutely necessary.
1297 @kindex M-x gnus-change-server
1298 @findex gnus-change-server
1299 If you have access to both servers, Gnus can request the headers for all
1300 the articles you have read and compare @code{Message-ID}s and map the
1301 article numbers of the read articles and article marks. The @kbd{M-x
1302 gnus-change-server} command will do this for all your native groups. It
1303 will prompt for the method you want to move to.
1305 @kindex M-x gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1306 @findex gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1307 You can also move individual groups with the @kbd{M-x
1308 gnus-group-move-group-to-server} command. This is useful if you want to
1309 move a (foreign) group from one server to another.
1311 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1312 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1313 If you don't have access to both the old and new server, all your marks
1314 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use the @kbd{M-x
1315 gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} command to clear out all data
1316 that you have on your native groups. Use with caution.
1318 After changing servers, you @strong{must} move the cache hierarchy away,
1319 since the cached articles will have wrong article numbers, which will
1320 affect which articles Gnus thinks are read.
1324 @section Startup Files
1325 @cindex startup files
1330 Now, you all know about the @file{.newsrc} file. All subscription
1331 information is traditionally stored in this file.
1333 Things got a bit more complicated with @sc{gnus}. In addition to
1334 keeping the @file{.newsrc} file updated, it also used a file called
1335 @file{.newsrc.el} for storing all the information that didn't fit into
1336 the @file{.newsrc} file. (Actually, it also duplicated everything in
1337 the @file{.newsrc} file.) @sc{gnus} would read whichever one of these
1338 files was the most recently saved, which enabled people to swap between
1339 @sc{gnus} and other newsreaders.
1341 That was kinda silly, so Gnus went one better: In addition to the
1342 @file{.newsrc} and @file{.newsrc.el} files, Gnus also has a file called
1343 @file{.newsrc.eld}. It will read whichever of these files that are most
1344 recent, but it will never write a @file{.newsrc.el} file. You should
1345 never delete the @file{.newsrc.eld} file---it contains much information
1346 not stored in the @file{.newsrc} file.
1348 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-file
1349 @vindex gnus-read-newsrc-file
1350 You can turn off writing the @file{.newsrc} file by setting
1351 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-file} to @code{nil}, which means you can delete
1352 the file and save some space, as well as exiting from Gnus faster.
1353 However, this will make it impossible to use other newsreaders than
1354 Gnus. But hey, who would want to, right? Similarly, setting
1355 @code{gnus-read-newsrc-file} to @code{nil} makes Gnus ignore the
1356 @file{.newsrc} file and any @file{.newsrc-SERVER} files, which is
1357 convenient if you have a tendency to use Netscape once in a while.
1359 @vindex gnus-save-killed-list
1360 If @code{gnus-save-killed-list} (default @code{t}) is @code{nil}, Gnus
1361 will not save the list of killed groups to the startup file. This will
1362 save both time (when starting and quitting) and space (on disk). It
1363 will also mean that Gnus has no record of what groups are new or old,
1364 so the automatic new groups subscription methods become meaningless.
1365 You should always set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil} or
1366 @code{ask-server} if you set this variable to @code{nil} (@pxref{New
1367 Groups}). This variable can also be a regular expression. If that's
1368 the case, remove all groups that do not match this regexp before
1369 saving. This can be useful in certain obscure situations that involve
1370 several servers where not all servers support @code{ask-server}.
1372 @vindex gnus-startup-file
1373 The @code{gnus-startup-file} variable says where the startup files are.
1374 The default value is @file{~/.newsrc}, with the Gnus (El Dingo) startup
1375 file being whatever that one is, with a @samp{.eld} appended.
1377 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-hook
1378 @vindex gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook
1379 @vindex gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook
1380 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-hook} is called before saving any of the newsrc
1381 files, while @code{gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook} is called just before
1382 saving the @file{.newsrc.eld} file, and
1383 @code{gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook} is called just before saving the
1384 @file{.newsrc} file. The latter two are commonly used to turn version
1385 control on or off. Version control is on by default when saving the
1386 startup files. If you want to turn backup creation off, say something like:
1389 (defun turn-off-backup ()
1390 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
1392 (add-hook 'gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1393 (add-hook 'gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1396 @vindex gnus-init-file
1397 When Gnus starts, it will read the @code{gnus-site-init-file}
1398 (@file{.../site-lisp/gnus} by default) and @code{gnus-init-file}
1399 (@file{~/.gnus} by default) files. These are normal Emacs Lisp files
1400 and can be used to avoid cluttering your @file{~/.emacs} and
1401 @file{site-init} files with Gnus stuff. Gnus will also check for files
1402 with the same names as these, but with @file{.elc} and @file{.el}
1403 suffixes. In other words, if you have set @code{gnus-init-file} to
1404 @file{~/.gnus}, it will look for @file{~/.gnus.elc}, @file{~/.gnus.el},
1405 and finally @file{~/.gnus} (in this order).
1411 @cindex dribble file
1414 Whenever you do something that changes the Gnus data (reading articles,
1415 catching up, killing/subscribing groups), the change is added to a
1416 special @dfn{dribble buffer}. This buffer is auto-saved the normal
1417 Emacs way. If your Emacs should crash before you have saved the
1418 @file{.newsrc} files, all changes you have made can be recovered from
1421 If Gnus detects this file at startup, it will ask the user whether to
1422 read it. The auto save file is deleted whenever the real startup file is
1425 @vindex gnus-use-dribble-file
1426 If @code{gnus-use-dribble-file} is @code{nil}, Gnus won't create and
1427 maintain a dribble buffer. The default is @code{t}.
1429 @vindex gnus-dribble-directory
1430 Gnus will put the dribble file(s) in @code{gnus-dribble-directory}. If
1431 this variable is @code{nil}, which it is by default, Gnus will dribble
1432 into the directory where the @file{.newsrc} file is located. (This is
1433 normally the user's home directory.) The dribble file will get the same
1434 file permissions as the @code{.newsrc} file.
1436 @vindex gnus-always-read-dribble-file
1437 If @code{gnus-always-read-dribble-file} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will
1438 read the dribble file on startup without querying the user.
1441 @node The Active File
1442 @section The Active File
1444 @cindex ignored groups
1446 When Gnus starts, or indeed whenever it tries to determine whether new
1447 articles have arrived, it reads the active file. This is a very large
1448 file that lists all the active groups and articles on the server.
1450 @vindex gnus-ignored-newsgroups
1451 Before examining the active file, Gnus deletes all lines that match the
1452 regexp @code{gnus-ignored-newsgroups}. This is done primarily to reject
1453 any groups with bogus names, but you can use this variable to make Gnus
1454 ignore hierarchies you aren't ever interested in. However, this is not
1455 recommended. In fact, it's highly discouraged. Instead, @pxref{New
1456 Groups} for an overview of other variables that can be used instead.
1459 @c @code{nil} by default, and will slow down active file handling somewhat
1460 @c if you set it to anything else.
1462 @vindex gnus-read-active-file
1464 The active file can be rather Huge, so if you have a slow network, you
1465 can set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{nil} to prevent Gnus from
1466 reading the active file. This variable is @code{some} by default.
1468 Gnus will try to make do by getting information just on the groups that
1469 you actually subscribe to.
1471 Note that if you subscribe to lots and lots of groups, setting this
1472 variable to @code{nil} will probably make Gnus slower, not faster. At
1473 present, having this variable @code{nil} will slow Gnus down
1474 considerably, unless you read news over a 2400 baud modem.
1476 This variable can also have the value @code{some}. Gnus will then
1477 attempt to read active info only on the subscribed groups. On some
1478 servers this is quite fast (on sparkling, brand new INN servers that
1479 support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command), on others this isn't fast
1480 at all. In any case, @code{some} should be faster than @code{nil}, and
1481 is certainly faster than @code{t} over slow lines.
1483 Some news servers (old versions of Leafnode and old versions of INN, for
1484 instance) do not support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group}. For these
1485 servers, @code{nil} is probably the most efficient value for this
1488 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will ask for group info in total
1489 lock-step, which isn't very fast. If it is @code{some} and you use an
1490 @sc{nntp} server, Gnus will pump out commands as fast as it can, and
1491 read all the replies in one swoop. This will normally result in better
1492 performance, but if the server does not support the aforementioned
1493 @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, this isn't very nice to the server.
1495 If you think that starting up Gnus takes too long, try all the three
1496 different values for this variable and see what works best for you.
1498 In any case, if you use @code{some} or @code{nil}, you should definitely
1499 kill all groups that you aren't interested in to speed things up.
1501 Note that this variable also affects active file retrieval from
1502 secondary select methods.
1505 @node Startup Variables
1506 @section Startup Variables
1510 @item gnus-load-hook
1511 @vindex gnus-load-hook
1512 A hook run while Gnus is being loaded. Note that this hook will
1513 normally be run just once in each Emacs session, no matter how many
1514 times you start Gnus.
1516 @item gnus-before-startup-hook
1517 @vindex gnus-before-startup-hook
1518 A hook run after starting up Gnus successfully.
1520 @item gnus-startup-hook
1521 @vindex gnus-startup-hook
1522 A hook run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1524 @item gnus-started-hook
1525 @vindex gnus-started-hook
1526 A hook that is run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1529 @item gnus-setup-news-hook
1530 @vindex gnus-setup-news-hook
1531 A hook that is run after reading the @file{.newsrc} file(s), but before
1532 generating the group buffer.
1534 @item gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1535 @vindex gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1536 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will check for and delete all bogus groups at
1537 startup. A @dfn{bogus group} is a group that you have in your
1538 @file{.newsrc} file, but doesn't exist on the news server. Checking for
1539 bogus groups can take quite a while, so to save time and resources it's
1540 best to leave this option off, and do the checking for bogus groups once
1541 in a while from the group buffer instead (@pxref{Group Maintenance}).
1543 @item gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1544 @vindex gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1545 If non-@code{nil}, the startup message won't be displayed. That way,
1546 your boss might not notice as easily that you are reading news instead
1547 of doing your job. Note that this variable is used before
1548 @file{.gnus.el} is loaded, so it should be set in @code{.emacs} instead.
1550 @item gnus-no-groups-message
1551 @vindex gnus-no-groups-message
1552 Message displayed by Gnus when no groups are available.
1554 @item gnus-play-startup-jingle
1555 @vindex gnus-play-startup-jingle
1556 If non-@code{nil}, play the Gnus jingle at startup.
1558 @item gnus-startup-jingle
1559 @vindex gnus-startup-jingle
1560 Jingle to be played if the above variable is non-@code{nil}. The
1561 default is @samp{Tuxedomoon.Jingle4.au}.
1567 @chapter Group Buffer
1568 @cindex group buffer
1570 The @dfn{group buffer} lists all (or parts) of the available groups. It
1571 is the first buffer shown when Gnus starts, and will never be killed as
1572 long as Gnus is active.
1576 \gnusfigure{The Group Buffer}{320}{
1577 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=tmp/group.ps,height=9cm}}
1578 \put(120,37){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Buffer name}}
1579 \put(120,38){\vector(1,2){10}}
1580 \put(40,60){\makebox(0,0)[r]{Mode line}}
1581 \put(40,58){\vector(1,0){30}}
1582 \put(200,28){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Native select method}}
1583 \put(200,26){\vector(-1,2){15}}
1589 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
1590 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
1591 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
1592 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
1593 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
1594 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
1595 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
1596 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
1597 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
1598 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
1599 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
1600 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
1601 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
1602 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
1603 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
1604 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
1605 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
1609 @node Group Buffer Format
1610 @section Group Buffer Format
1613 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
1614 * Group Modeline Specification:: The group buffer modeline.
1615 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
1619 @node Group Line Specification
1620 @subsection Group Line Specification
1621 @cindex group buffer format
1623 The default format of the group buffer is nice and dull, but you can
1624 make it as exciting and ugly as you feel like.
1626 Here's a couple of example group lines:
1629 25: news.announce.newusers
1630 * 0: alt.fan.andrea-dworkin
1635 You can see that there are 25 unread articles in
1636 @samp{news.announce.newusers}. There are no unread articles, but some
1637 ticked articles, in @samp{alt.fan.andrea-dworkin} (see that little
1638 asterisk at the beginning of the line?).
1640 @vindex gnus-group-line-format
1641 You can change that format to whatever you want by fiddling with the
1642 @code{gnus-group-line-format} variable. This variable works along the
1643 lines of a @code{format} specification, which is pretty much the same as
1644 a @code{printf} specifications, for those of you who use (feh!) C.
1645 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
1647 @samp{%M%S%5y: %(%g%)\n} is the value that produced those lines above.
1649 There should always be a colon on the line; the cursor always moves to
1650 the colon after performing an operation. Nothing else is required---not
1651 even the group name. All displayed text is just window dressing, and is
1652 never examined by Gnus. Gnus stores all real information it needs using
1655 (Note that if you make a really strange, wonderful, spreadsheet-like
1656 layout, everybody will believe you are hard at work with the accounting
1657 instead of wasting time reading news.)
1659 Here's a list of all available format characters:
1664 An asterisk if the group only has marked articles.
1667 Whether the group is subscribed.
1670 Level of subscribedness.
1673 Number of unread articles.
1676 Number of dormant articles.
1679 Number of ticked articles.
1682 Number of read articles.
1685 Estimated total number of articles. (This is really @var{max-number}
1686 minus @var{min-number} plus 1.)
1689 Number of unread, unticked, non-dormant articles.
1692 Number of ticked and dormant articles.
1701 Newsgroup description.
1704 @samp{m} if moderated.
1707 @samp{(m)} if moderated.
1716 A string that looks like @samp{<%s:%n>} if a foreign select method is
1720 Indentation based on the level of the topic (@pxref{Group Topics}).
1723 @vindex gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels
1724 Short (collapsed) group name. The @code{gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels}
1725 variable says how many levels to leave at the end of the group name.
1726 The default is 1---this will mean that group names like
1727 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} will be shortened to @samp{g.e.gnus}.
1730 @vindex gnus-new-mail-mark
1732 @samp{%} (@code{gnus-new-mail-mark}) if there has arrived new mail to
1736 @samp{#} (@code{gnus-process-mark}) if the group is process marked.
1739 A string that says when you last read the group (@pxref{Group
1743 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
1744 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
1745 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
1746 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed a single dummy
1747 parameter as argument. The function should return a string, which will
1748 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
1753 All the ``number-of'' specs will be filled with an asterisk (@samp{*})
1754 if no info is available---for instance, if it is a non-activated foreign
1755 group, or a bogus native group.
1758 @node Group Modeline Specification
1759 @subsection Group Modeline Specification
1760 @cindex group modeline
1762 @vindex gnus-group-mode-line-format
1763 The mode line can be changed by setting
1764 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
1765 doesn't understand that many format specifiers:
1769 The native news server.
1771 The native select method.
1775 @node Group Highlighting
1776 @subsection Group Highlighting
1777 @cindex highlighting
1778 @cindex group highlighting
1780 @vindex gnus-group-highlight
1781 Highlighting in the group buffer is controlled by the
1782 @code{gnus-group-highlight} variable. This is an alist with elements
1783 that look like @code{(@var{form} . @var{face})}. If @var{form} evaluates to
1784 something non-@code{nil}, the @var{face} will be used on the line.
1786 Here's an example value for this variable that might look nice if the
1790 (cond (window-system
1791 (setq custom-background-mode 'light)
1792 (defface my-group-face-1
1793 '((t (:foreground "Red" :bold t))) "First group face")
1794 (defface my-group-face-2
1795 '((t (:foreground "DarkSeaGreen4" :bold t))) "Second group face")
1796 (defface my-group-face-3
1797 '((t (:foreground "Green4" :bold t))) "Third group face")
1798 (defface my-group-face-4
1799 '((t (:foreground "SteelBlue" :bold t))) "Fourth group face")
1800 (defface my-group-face-5
1801 '((t (:foreground "Blue" :bold t))) "Fifth group face")))
1803 (setq gnus-group-highlight
1804 '(((> unread 200) . my-group-face-1)
1805 ((and (< level 3) (zerop unread)) . my-group-face-2)
1806 ((< level 3) . my-group-face-3)
1807 ((zerop unread) . my-group-face-4)
1808 (t . my-group-face-5)))
1811 Also @pxref{Faces and Fonts}.
1813 Variables that are dynamically bound when the forms are evaluated
1820 The number of unread articles in the group.
1824 Whether the group is a mail group.
1826 The level of the group.
1828 The score of the group.
1830 The number of ticked articles in the group.
1832 The total number of articles in the group. Or rather, MAX-NUMBER minus
1833 MIN-NUMBER plus one.
1835 When using the topic minor mode, this variable is bound to the current
1836 topic being inserted.
1839 When the forms are @code{eval}ed, point is at the beginning of the line
1840 of the group in question, so you can use many of the normal Gnus
1841 functions for snarfing info on the group.
1843 @vindex gnus-group-update-hook
1844 @findex gnus-group-highlight-line
1845 @code{gnus-group-update-hook} is called when a group line is changed.
1846 It will not be called when @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}. This hook
1847 calls @code{gnus-group-highlight-line} by default.
1850 @node Group Maneuvering
1851 @section Group Maneuvering
1852 @cindex group movement
1854 All movement commands understand the numeric prefix and will behave as
1855 expected, hopefully.
1861 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group
1862 Go to the next group that has unread articles
1863 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group}).
1869 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group
1870 Go to the previous group that has unread articles
1871 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group}).
1875 @findex gnus-group-next-group
1876 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
1880 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
1881 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
1885 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level
1886 Go to the next unread group on the same (or lower) level
1887 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level}).
1891 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level
1892 Go to the previous unread group on the same (or lower) level
1893 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level}).
1896 Three commands for jumping to groups:
1902 @findex gnus-group-jump-to-group
1903 Jump to a group (and make it visible if it isn't already)
1904 (@code{gnus-group-jump-to-group}). Killed groups can be jumped to, just
1909 @findex gnus-group-best-unread-group
1910 Jump to the unread group with the lowest level
1911 (@code{gnus-group-best-unread-group}).
1915 @findex gnus-group-first-unread-group
1916 Jump to the first group with unread articles
1917 (@code{gnus-group-first-unread-group}).
1920 @vindex gnus-group-goto-unread
1921 If @code{gnus-group-goto-unread} is @code{nil}, all the movement
1922 commands will move to the next group, not the next unread group. Even
1923 the commands that say they move to the next unread group. The default
1927 @node Selecting a Group
1928 @section Selecting a Group
1929 @cindex group selection
1934 @kindex SPACE (Group)
1935 @findex gnus-group-read-group
1936 Select the current group, switch to the summary buffer and display the
1937 first unread article (@code{gnus-group-read-group}). If there are no
1938 unread articles in the group, or if you give a non-numerical prefix to
1939 this command, Gnus will offer to fetch all the old articles in this
1940 group from the server. If you give a numerical prefix @var{N}, @var{N}
1941 determines the number of articles Gnus will fetch. If @var{N} is
1942 positive, Gnus fetches the @var{N} newest articles, if @var{N} is
1943 negative, Gnus fetches the @code{abs(@var{N})} oldest articles.
1945 Thus, @kbd{SPC} enters the group normally, @kbd{C-u SPC} offers old
1946 articles, @kbd{C-u 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 newest articles, and @kbd{C-u
1947 - 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 oldest ones.
1949 When you are in the group (in the Summary buffer), you can type
1950 @kbd{M-g} to fetch new articles, or @kbd{C-u M-g} to also show the old
1955 @findex gnus-group-select-group
1956 Select the current group and switch to the summary buffer
1957 (@code{gnus-group-select-group}). Takes the same arguments as
1958 @code{gnus-group-read-group}---the only difference is that this command
1959 does not display the first unread article automatically upon group
1963 @kindex M-RET (Group)
1964 @findex gnus-group-quick-select-group
1965 This does the same as the command above, but tries to do it with the
1966 minimum amount of fuzz (@code{gnus-group-quick-select-group}). No
1967 scoring/killing will be performed, there will be no highlights and no
1968 expunging. This might be useful if you're in a real hurry and have to
1969 enter some humongous group. If you give a 0 prefix to this command
1970 (i.e., @kbd{0 M-RET}), Gnus won't even generate the summary buffer,
1971 which is useful if you want to toggle threading before generating the
1972 summary buffer (@pxref{Summary Generation Commands}).
1975 @kindex M-SPACE (Group)
1976 @findex gnus-group-visible-select-group
1977 This is yet one more command that does the same as the @kbd{RET}
1978 command, but this one does it without expunging and hiding dormants
1979 (@code{gnus-group-visible-select-group}).
1982 @kindex M-C-RET (Group)
1983 @findex gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally
1984 Finally, this command selects the current group ephemerally without
1985 doing any processing of its contents
1986 (@code{gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally}). Even threading has been
1987 turned off. Everything you do in the group after selecting it in this
1988 manner will have no permanent effects.
1992 @vindex gnus-large-newsgroup
1993 The @code{gnus-large-newsgroup} variable says what Gnus should consider
1994 to be a big group. This is 200 by default. If the group has more
1995 (unread and/or ticked) articles than this, Gnus will query the user
1996 before entering the group. The user can then specify how many articles
1997 should be fetched from the server. If the user specifies a negative
1998 number (@code{-n}), the @code{n} oldest articles will be fetched. If it
1999 is positive, the @code{n} articles that have arrived most recently will
2002 @vindex gnus-select-group-hook
2003 @vindex gnus-auto-select-first
2004 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} control whether any articles are selected
2005 automatically when entering a group with the @kbd{SPACE} command.
2010 Don't select any articles when entering the group. Just display the
2011 full summary buffer.
2014 Select the first unread article when entering the group.
2017 Select the highest scored article in the group when entering the
2022 This variable can also be a function. In that case, that function will
2023 be called to place point on a subject line, and/or select some article.
2024 Useful functions include:
2027 @item gnus-summary-first-unread-subject
2028 Place point on the subject line of the first unread article, but
2029 don't select the article.
2031 @item gnus-summary-first-unread-article
2032 Select the first unread article.
2034 @item gnus-summary-best-unread-article
2035 Select the highest-scored unread article.
2039 If you want to prevent automatic selection in some group (say, in a
2040 binary group with Huge articles) you can set this variable to @code{nil}
2041 in @code{gnus-select-group-hook}, which is called when a group is
2045 @node Subscription Commands
2046 @section Subscription Commands
2047 @cindex subscription
2055 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group
2056 @c @icon{gnus-group-unsubscribe}
2057 Toggle subscription to the current group
2058 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group}).
2064 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-group
2065 Prompt for a group to subscribe, and then subscribe it. If it was
2066 subscribed already, unsubscribe it instead
2067 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-group}).
2073 @findex gnus-group-kill-group
2074 @c @icon{gnus-group-kill-group}
2075 Kill the current group (@code{gnus-group-kill-group}).
2081 @findex gnus-group-yank-group
2082 Yank the last killed group (@code{gnus-group-yank-group}).
2085 @kindex C-x C-t (Group)
2086 @findex gnus-group-transpose-groups
2087 Transpose two groups (@code{gnus-group-transpose-groups}). This isn't
2088 really a subscription command, but you can use it instead of a
2089 kill-and-yank sequence sometimes.
2095 @findex gnus-group-kill-region
2096 Kill all groups in the region (@code{gnus-group-kill-region}).
2100 @findex gnus-group-kill-all-zombies
2101 Kill all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-kill-all-zombies}).
2104 @kindex S C-k (Group)
2105 @findex gnus-group-kill-level
2106 Kill all groups on a certain level (@code{gnus-group-kill-level}).
2107 These groups can't be yanked back after killing, so this command should
2108 be used with some caution. The only time where this command comes in
2109 really handy is when you have a @file{.newsrc} with lots of unsubscribed
2110 groups that you want to get rid off. @kbd{S C-k} on level 7 will
2111 kill off all unsubscribed groups that do not have message numbers in the
2112 @file{.newsrc} file.
2116 Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
2126 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current
2127 @vindex gnus-group-catchup-group-hook
2128 @c @icon{gnus-group-catchup-current}
2129 Mark all unticked articles in this group as read
2130 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current}).
2131 @code{gnus-group-catchup-group-hook} is called when catching up a group from
2136 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current-all
2137 Mark all articles in this group, even the ticked ones, as read
2138 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current-all}).
2142 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
2143 Clear the data from the current group---nix out marks and the list of
2144 read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
2146 @item M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2147 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2148 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2149 If you have switched from one @sc{nntp} server to another, all your marks
2150 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use this command to
2151 clear out all data that you have on your native groups. Use with
2158 @section Group Levels
2162 All groups have a level of @dfn{subscribedness}. For instance, if a
2163 group is on level 2, it is more subscribed than a group on level 5. You
2164 can ask Gnus to just list groups on a given level or lower
2165 (@pxref{Listing Groups}), or to just check for new articles in groups on
2166 a given level or lower (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
2168 Remember: The higher the level of the group, the less important it is.
2174 @findex gnus-group-set-current-level
2175 Set the level of the current group. If a numeric prefix is given, the
2176 next @var{n} groups will have their levels set. The user will be
2177 prompted for a level.
2180 @vindex gnus-level-killed
2181 @vindex gnus-level-zombie
2182 @vindex gnus-level-unsubscribed
2183 @vindex gnus-level-subscribed
2184 Gnus considers groups from levels 1 to
2185 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (inclusive) (default 5) to be subscribed,
2186 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (exclusive) and
2187 @code{gnus-level-unsubscribed} (inclusive) (default 7) to be
2188 unsubscribed, @code{gnus-level-zombie} to be zombies (walking dead)
2189 (default 8) and @code{gnus-level-killed} to be killed (completely dead)
2190 (default 9). Gnus treats subscribed and unsubscribed groups exactly the
2191 same, but zombie and killed groups have no information on what articles
2192 you have read, etc, stored. This distinction between dead and living
2193 groups isn't done because it is nice or clever, it is done purely for
2194 reasons of efficiency.
2196 It is recommended that you keep all your mail groups (if any) on quite
2197 low levels (e.g. 1 or 2).
2199 Maybe the following description of the default behavior of Gnus helps to
2200 understand what these levels are all about. By default, Gnus shows you
2201 subscribed nonempty groups, but by hitting @kbd{L} you can have it show
2202 empty subscribed groups and unsubscribed groups, too. Type @kbd{l} to
2203 go back to showing nonempty subscribed groups again. Thus, unsubscribed
2204 groups are hidden, in a way.
2206 Zombie and killed groups are similar to unsubscribed groups in that they
2207 are hidden by default. But they are different from subscribed and
2208 unsubscribed groups in that Gnus doesn't ask the news server for
2209 information (number of messages, number of unread messages) on zombie
2210 and killed groups. Normally, you use @kbd{C-k} to kill the groups you
2211 aren't interested in. If most groups are killed, Gnus is faster.
2213 Why does Gnus distinguish between zombie and killed groups? Well, when
2214 a new group arrives on the server, Gnus by default makes it a zombie
2215 group. This means that you are normally not bothered with new groups,
2216 but you can type @kbd{A z} to get a list of all new groups. Subscribe
2217 the ones you like and kill the ones you don't want. (@kbd{A k} shows a
2218 list of killed groups.)
2220 If you want to play with the level variables, you should show some care.
2221 Set them once, and don't touch them ever again. Better yet, don't touch
2222 them at all unless you know exactly what you're doing.
2224 @vindex gnus-level-default-unsubscribed
2225 @vindex gnus-level-default-subscribed
2226 Two closely related variables are @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}
2227 (default 3) and @code{gnus-level-default-unsubscribed} (default 6),
2228 which are the levels that new groups will be put on if they are
2229 (un)subscribed. These two variables should, of course, be inside the
2230 relevant valid ranges.
2232 @vindex gnus-keep-same-level
2233 If @code{gnus-keep-same-level} is non-@code{nil}, some movement commands
2234 will only move to groups of the same level (or lower). In
2235 particular, going from the last article in one group to the next group
2236 will go to the next group of the same level (or lower). This might be
2237 handy if you want to read the most important groups before you read the
2240 If this variable is @code{best}, Gnus will make the next newsgroup the
2241 one with the best level.
2243 @vindex gnus-group-default-list-level
2244 All groups with a level less than or equal to
2245 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level} will be listed in the group buffer
2248 @vindex gnus-group-list-inactive-groups
2249 If @code{gnus-group-list-inactive-groups} is non-@code{nil}, non-active
2250 groups will be listed along with the unread groups. This variable is
2251 @code{t} by default. If it is @code{nil}, inactive groups won't be
2254 @vindex gnus-group-use-permanent-levels
2255 If @code{gnus-group-use-permanent-levels} is non-@code{nil}, once you
2256 give a level prefix to @kbd{g} or @kbd{l}, all subsequent commands will
2257 use this level as the ``work'' level.
2259 @vindex gnus-activate-level
2260 Gnus will normally just activate (i. e., query the server about) groups
2261 on level @code{gnus-activate-level} or less. If you don't want to
2262 activate unsubscribed groups, for instance, you might set this variable
2263 to 5. The default is 6.
2267 @section Group Score
2272 You would normally keep important groups on high levels, but that scheme
2273 is somewhat restrictive. Don't you wish you could have Gnus sort the
2274 group buffer according to how often you read groups, perhaps? Within
2277 This is what @dfn{group score} is for. You can have Gnus assign a score
2278 to each group through the mechanism described below. You can then sort
2279 the group buffer based on this score. Alternatively, you can sort on
2280 score and then level. (Taken together, the level and the score is
2281 called the @dfn{rank} of the group. A group that is on level 4 and has
2282 a score of 1 has a higher rank than a group on level 5 that has a score
2283 of 300. (The level is the most significant part and the score is the
2284 least significant part.))
2286 @findex gnus-summary-bubble-group
2287 If you want groups you read often to get higher scores than groups you
2288 read seldom you can add the @code{gnus-summary-bubble-group} function to
2289 the @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} hook. This will result (after
2290 sorting) in a bubbling sort of action. If you want to see that in
2291 action after each summary exit, you can add
2292 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank} or
2293 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score} to the same hook, but that will
2294 slow things down somewhat.
2297 @node Marking Groups
2298 @section Marking Groups
2299 @cindex marking groups
2301 If you want to perform some command on several groups, and they appear
2302 subsequently in the group buffer, you would normally just give a
2303 numerical prefix to the command. Most group commands will then do your
2304 bidding on those groups.
2306 However, if the groups are not in sequential order, you can still
2307 perform a command on several groups. You simply mark the groups first
2308 with the process mark and then execute the command.
2316 @findex gnus-group-mark-group
2317 Set the mark on the current group (@code{gnus-group-mark-group}).
2323 @findex gnus-group-unmark-group
2324 Remove the mark from the current group
2325 (@code{gnus-group-unmark-group}).
2329 @findex gnus-group-unmark-all-groups
2330 Remove the mark from all groups (@code{gnus-group-unmark-all-groups}).
2334 @findex gnus-group-mark-region
2335 Mark all groups between point and mark (@code{gnus-group-mark-region}).
2339 @findex gnus-group-mark-buffer
2340 Mark all groups in the buffer (@code{gnus-group-mark-buffer}).
2344 @findex gnus-group-mark-regexp
2345 Mark all groups that match some regular expression
2346 (@code{gnus-group-mark-regexp}).
2349 Also @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
2351 @findex gnus-group-universal-argument
2352 If you want to execute some command on all groups that have been marked
2353 with the process mark, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
2354 (@code{gnus-group-universal-argument}) command. It will prompt you for
2355 the command to be executed.
2358 @node Foreign Groups
2359 @section Foreign Groups
2360 @cindex foreign groups
2362 Below are some group mode commands for making and editing general foreign
2363 groups, as well as commands to ease the creation of a few
2364 special-purpose groups. All these commands insert the newly created
2365 groups under point---@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} is not
2372 @findex gnus-group-make-group
2373 @cindex making groups
2374 Make a new group (@code{gnus-group-make-group}). Gnus will prompt you
2375 for a name, a method and possibly an @dfn{address}. For an easier way
2376 to subscribe to @sc{nntp} groups, @pxref{Browse Foreign Server}.
2380 @findex gnus-group-rename-group
2381 @cindex renaming groups
2382 Rename the current group to something else
2383 (@code{gnus-group-rename-group}). This is valid only on some
2384 groups---mail groups mostly. This command might very well be quite slow
2390 @findex gnus-group-customize
2391 Customize the group parameters (@code{gnus-group-customize}).
2395 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-method
2396 @cindex renaming groups
2397 Enter a buffer where you can edit the select method of the current
2398 group (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method}).
2402 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-parameters
2403 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group parameters
2404 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-parameters}).
2408 @findex gnus-group-edit-group
2409 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group info
2410 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group}).
2414 @findex gnus-group-make-directory-group
2416 Make a directory group (@pxref{Directory Groups}). You will be prompted
2417 for a directory name (@code{gnus-group-make-directory-group}).
2422 @findex gnus-group-make-help-group
2423 Make the Gnus help group (@code{gnus-group-make-help-group}).
2427 @cindex (ding) archive
2428 @cindex archive group
2429 @findex gnus-group-make-archive-group
2430 @vindex gnus-group-archive-directory
2431 @vindex gnus-group-recent-archive-directory
2432 Make a Gnus archive group (@code{gnus-group-make-archive-group}). By
2433 default a group pointing to the most recent articles will be created
2434 (@code{gnus-group-recent-archive-directory}), but given a prefix, a full
2435 group will be created from @code{gnus-group-archive-directory}.
2439 @findex gnus-group-make-kiboze-group
2441 Make a kiboze group. You will be prompted for a name, for a regexp to
2442 match groups to be ``included'' in the kiboze group, and a series of
2443 strings to match on headers (@code{gnus-group-make-kiboze-group}).
2444 @xref{Kibozed Groups}.
2448 @findex gnus-group-enter-directory
2450 Read an arbitrary directory as if it were a newsgroup with the
2451 @code{nneething} backend (@code{gnus-group-enter-directory}).
2452 @xref{Anything Groups}.
2456 @findex gnus-group-make-doc-group
2457 @cindex ClariNet Briefs
2459 Make a group based on some file or other
2460 (@code{gnus-group-make-doc-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2461 command, you will be prompted for a file name and a file type.
2462 Currently supported types are @code{babyl}, @code{mbox}, @code{digest},
2463 @code{mmdf}, @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{clari-briefs},
2464 @code{rfc934}, @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{nsmail} and @code{forward}.
2465 If you run this command without a prefix, Gnus will guess at the file
2466 type. @xref{Document Groups}.
2470 @vindex gnus-useful-groups
2471 @findex gnus-group-make-useful-group
2472 Create one of the groups mentioned in @code{gnus-useful-groups}
2473 (@code{gnus-group-make-useful-group}).
2477 @findex gnus-group-make-web-group
2482 Make an ephemeral group based on a web search
2483 (@code{gnus-group-make-web-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2484 command, make a solid group instead. You will be prompted for the
2485 search engine type and the search string. Valid search engine types
2486 include @code{dejanews}, @code{altavista} and @code{reference}.
2487 @xref{Web Searches}.
2489 If you use the @code{dejanews} search engine, you can limit the search
2490 to a particular group by using a match string like
2491 @samp{~g alt.sysadmin.recovery shaving}.
2494 @kindex G DEL (Group)
2495 @findex gnus-group-delete-group
2496 This function will delete the current group
2497 (@code{gnus-group-delete-group}). If given a prefix, this function will
2498 actually delete all the articles in the group, and forcibly remove the
2499 group itself from the face of the Earth. Use a prefix only if you are
2500 absolutely sure of what you are doing. This command can't be used on
2501 read-only groups (like @code{nntp} group), though.
2505 @findex gnus-group-make-empty-virtual
2506 Make a new, fresh, empty @code{nnvirtual} group
2507 (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}). @xref{Virtual Groups}.
2511 @findex gnus-group-add-to-virtual
2512 Add the current group to an @code{nnvirtual} group
2513 (@code{gnus-group-add-to-virtual}). Uses the process/prefix convention.
2516 @xref{Select Methods}, for more information on the various select
2519 @vindex gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups
2520 If @code{gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups} is a positive number,
2521 Gnus will check all foreign groups with this level or lower at startup.
2522 This might take quite a while, especially if you subscribe to lots of
2523 groups from different @sc{nntp} servers. Also @pxref{Group Levels};
2524 @code{gnus-activate-level} also affects activation of foreign
2528 @node Group Parameters
2529 @section Group Parameters
2530 @cindex group parameters
2532 The group parameters store information local to a particular group.
2533 Here's an example group parameter list:
2536 ((to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")
2540 We see that each element consists of a "dotted pair"---the thing before
2541 the dot is the key, while the thing after the dot is the value. All the
2542 parameters have this form @emph{except} local variable specs, which are
2543 not dotted pairs, but proper lists.
2545 Some parameters have correspondant customizable variables, each of which
2546 is an alist of regexps and values.
2548 The following group parameters can be used:
2553 Address used by when doing followups and new posts.
2556 (to-address . "some@@where.com")
2559 This is primarily useful in mail groups that represent closed mailing
2560 lists---mailing lists where it's expected that everybody that writes to
2561 the mailing list is subscribed to it. Since using this parameter
2562 ensures that the mail only goes to the mailing list itself, it means
2563 that members won't receive two copies of your followups.
2565 Using @code{to-address} will actually work whether the group is foreign
2566 or not. Let's say there's a group on the server that is called
2567 @samp{fa.4ad-l}. This is a real newsgroup, but the server has gotten
2568 the articles from a mail-to-news gateway. Posting directly to this
2569 group is therefore impossible---you have to send mail to the mailing
2570 list address instead.
2572 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-address-alist}.
2576 Address used when doing @kbd{a} in that group.
2579 (to-list . "some@@where.com")
2582 It is totally ignored
2583 when doing a followup---except that if it is present in a news group,
2584 you'll get mail group semantics when doing @kbd{f}.
2586 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you have neither a
2587 @code{to-list} group parameter nor a @code{to-address} group parameter,
2588 then a @code{to-list} group parameter will be added automatically upon
2589 sending the message if @code{gnus-add-to-list} is set to @code{t}.
2590 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
2592 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you don't have a
2593 @code{to-list} group parameter, one will be added automatically upon
2594 sending the message.
2596 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-list-alist}.
2600 If the group parameter list has the element @code{(visible . t)},
2601 that group will always be visible in the Group buffer, regardless
2602 of whether it has any unread articles.
2604 @item broken-reply-to
2605 @cindex broken-reply-to
2606 Elements like @code{(broken-reply-to . t)} signals that @code{Reply-To}
2607 headers in this group are to be ignored. This can be useful if you're
2608 reading a mailing list group where the listserv has inserted
2609 @code{Reply-To} headers that point back to the listserv itself. This is
2610 broken behavior. So there!
2614 Elements like @code{(to-group . "some.group.name")} means that all
2615 posts in that group will be sent to @code{some.group.name}.
2619 If you have @code{(newsgroup . t)} in the group parameter list, Gnus
2620 will treat all responses as if they were responses to news articles.
2621 This can be useful if you have a mail group that's really a mirror of a
2626 If @code{(gcc-self . t)} is present in the group parameter list, newly
2627 composed messages will be @code{Gcc}'d to the current group. If
2628 @code{(gcc-self . none)} is present, no @code{Gcc:} header will be
2629 generated, if @code{(gcc-self . "string")} is present, this string will
2630 be inserted literally as a @code{gcc} header. This parameter takes
2631 precedence over any default @code{Gcc} rules as described later
2632 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
2636 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(auto-expire
2637 . t)}, all articles read will be marked as expirable. For an
2638 alternative approach, @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
2640 See also @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups}.
2643 @cindex total-expire
2644 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2645 @code{(total-expire . t)}, all read articles will be put through the
2646 expiry process, even if they are not marked as expirable. Use with
2647 caution. Unread, ticked and dormant articles are not eligible for
2650 See also @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups}.
2654 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
2655 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(expiry-wait
2656 . 10)}, this value will override any @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} and
2657 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} when expiring expirable messages.
2658 The value can either be a number of days (not necessarily an integer) or
2659 the symbols @code{never} or @code{immediate}.
2662 @cindex score file group parameter
2663 Elements that look like @code{(score-file . "file")} will make
2664 @file{file} into the current score file for the group in question. All
2665 interactive score entries will be put into this file.
2668 @cindex adapt file group parameter
2669 Elements that look like @code{(adapt-file . "file")} will make
2670 @file{file} into the current adaptive file for the group in question.
2671 All adaptive score entries will be put into this file.
2674 When unsubscribing from a mailing list you should never send the
2675 unsubscription notice to the mailing list itself. Instead, you'd send
2676 messages to the administrative address. This parameter allows you to
2677 put the admin address somewhere convenient.
2680 Elements that look like @code{(display . MODE)} say which articles to
2681 display on entering the group. Valid values are:
2685 Display all articles, both read and unread.
2688 Display the default visible articles, which normally includes unread and
2693 Elements that look like @code{(comment . "This is a comment")}
2694 are arbitrary comments on the group. They are currently ignored by
2695 Gnus, but provide a place for you to store information on particular
2699 Elements that look like @code{(charset . iso-8859-1)} will make
2700 @code{iso-8859-1} the default charset; that is, the charset that will be
2701 used for all articles that do not specify a charset.
2703 See also @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}.
2705 @item ignored-charsets
2706 Elements that look like @code{(ignored-charsets x-known iso-8859-1)}
2707 will make @code{iso-8859-1} and @code{x-unknown} ignored; that is, the
2708 default charset will be used for decoding articles.
2710 See also @code{gnus-group-ignored-charsets-alist}.
2713 You can store additional posting style information for this group only
2714 here (@pxref{Posting Styles}). The format is that of an entry in the
2715 @code{gnus-posting-styles} alist, except that there's no regexp matching
2716 the group name (of course). Style elements in this group parameter will
2717 take precedence over the ones found in @code{gnus-posting-styles}.
2719 For instance, if you want a funky name and signature in this group only,
2720 instead of hacking @code{gnus-posting-styles}, you could put something
2721 like this in the group parameters:
2726 (signature "Funky Signature"))
2730 An item like @code{(banner . "regex")} causes any part of an article
2731 that matches the regular expression "regex" to be stripped. Instead of
2732 "regex", you can also use the symbol @code{signature} which strips the
2733 last signature or any of the elements of the alist
2734 @code{gnus-article-banner-alist}.
2736 @item (@var{variable} @var{form})
2737 You can use the group parameters to set variables local to the group you
2738 are entering. If you want to turn threading off in @samp{news.answers},
2739 you could put @code{(gnus-show-threads nil)} in the group parameters of
2740 that group. @code{gnus-show-threads} will be made into a local variable
2741 in the summary buffer you enter, and the form @code{nil} will be
2742 @code{eval}ed there.
2744 This can also be used as a group-specific hook function, if you'd like.
2745 If you want to hear a beep when you enter a group, you could put
2746 something like @code{(dummy-variable (ding))} in the parameters of that
2747 group. @code{dummy-variable} will be set to the result of the
2748 @code{(ding)} form, but who cares?
2752 Use the @kbd{G p} or the @kbd{G c} command to edit group parameters of a
2753 group. (@kbd{G p} presents you with a Lisp-based interface, @kbd{G c}
2754 presents you with a Customize-like interface. The latter helps avoid
2755 silly Lisp errors.) You might also be interested in reading about topic
2756 parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}).
2759 @node Listing Groups
2760 @section Listing Groups
2761 @cindex group listing
2763 These commands all list various slices of the groups available.
2771 @findex gnus-group-list-groups
2772 List all groups that have unread articles
2773 (@code{gnus-group-list-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used, this
2774 command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default, it
2775 only lists groups of level five (i. e.,
2776 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level}) or lower (i.e., just subscribed
2783 @findex gnus-group-list-all-groups
2784 List all groups, whether they have unread articles or not
2785 (@code{gnus-group-list-all-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used,
2786 this command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default,
2787 it lists groups of level seven or lower (i.e., just subscribed and
2788 unsubscribed groups).
2792 @findex gnus-group-list-level
2793 List all unread groups on a specific level
2794 (@code{gnus-group-list-level}). If given a prefix, also list the groups
2795 with no unread articles.
2799 @findex gnus-group-list-killed
2800 List all killed groups (@code{gnus-group-list-killed}). If given a
2801 prefix argument, really list all groups that are available, but aren't
2802 currently (un)subscribed. This could entail reading the active file
2807 @findex gnus-group-list-zombies
2808 List all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-list-zombies}).
2812 @findex gnus-group-list-matching
2813 List all unread, subscribed groups with names that match a regexp
2814 (@code{gnus-group-list-matching}).
2818 @findex gnus-group-list-all-matching
2819 List groups that match a regexp (@code{gnus-group-list-all-matching}).
2823 @findex gnus-group-list-active
2824 List absolutely all groups in the active file(s) of the
2825 server(s) you are connected to (@code{gnus-group-list-active}). This
2826 might very well take quite a while. It might actually be a better idea
2827 to do a @kbd{A M} to list all matching, and just give @samp{.} as the
2828 thing to match on. Also note that this command may list groups that
2829 don't exist (yet)---these will be listed as if they were killed groups.
2830 Take the output with some grains of salt.
2834 @findex gnus-group-apropos
2835 List all groups that have names that match a regexp
2836 (@code{gnus-group-apropos}).
2840 @findex gnus-group-description-apropos
2841 List all groups that have names or descriptions that match a regexp
2842 (@code{gnus-group-description-apropos}).
2846 @findex gnus-group-list-cached
2847 List all groups with cached articles (@code{gnus-group-list-cached}).
2851 @findex gnus-group-list-dormant
2852 List all groups with dormant articles (@code{gnus-group-list-dormant}).
2856 @findex gnus-group-list-limit
2857 List groups limited within the current selection
2858 (@code{gnus-group-list-limit}).
2862 @findex gnus-group-list-flush
2863 Flush groups from the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-flush}).
2867 @findex gnus-group-list-plus
2868 List groups plus the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-plus}).
2872 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
2873 @cindex visible group parameter
2874 Groups that match the @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} regexp will
2875 always be shown, whether they have unread articles or not. You can also
2876 add the @code{visible} element to the group parameters in question to
2877 get the same effect.
2879 @vindex gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles
2880 Groups that have just ticked articles in it are normally listed in the
2881 group buffer. If @code{gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles} is
2882 @code{nil}, these groups will be treated just like totally empty
2883 groups. It is @code{t} by default.
2886 @node Sorting Groups
2887 @section Sorting Groups
2888 @cindex sorting groups
2890 @kindex C-c C-s (Group)
2891 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups
2892 @vindex gnus-group-sort-function
2893 The @kbd{C-c C-s} (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups}) command sorts the
2894 group buffer according to the function(s) given by the
2895 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable. Available sorting functions
2900 @item gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
2901 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
2902 Sort the group names alphabetically. This is the default.
2904 @item gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
2905 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
2906 Sort the group alphabetically on the real (unprefixed) group names.
2908 @item gnus-group-sort-by-level
2909 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-level
2910 Sort by group level.
2912 @item gnus-group-sort-by-score
2913 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-score
2914 Sort by group score. @xref{Group Score}.
2916 @item gnus-group-sort-by-rank
2917 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-rank
2918 Sort by group score and then the group level. The level and the score
2919 are, when taken together, the group's @dfn{rank}. @xref{Group Score}.
2921 @item gnus-group-sort-by-unread
2922 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-unread
2923 Sort by number of unread articles.
2925 @item gnus-group-sort-by-method
2926 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-method
2927 Sort alphabetically on the select method.
2929 @item gnus-group-sort-by-server
2930 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-server
2931 Sort alphabetically on the Gnus server name.
2936 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} can also be a list of sorting
2937 functions. In that case, the most significant sort key function must be
2941 There are also a number of commands for sorting directly according to
2942 some sorting criteria:
2946 @kindex G S a (Group)
2947 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet
2948 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by group name
2949 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
2952 @kindex G S u (Group)
2953 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread
2954 Sort the group buffer by the number of unread articles
2955 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread}).
2958 @kindex G S l (Group)
2959 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level
2960 Sort the group buffer by group level
2961 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level}).
2964 @kindex G S v (Group)
2965 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score
2966 Sort the group buffer by group score
2967 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
2970 @kindex G S r (Group)
2971 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank
2972 Sort the group buffer by group rank
2973 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
2976 @kindex G S m (Group)
2977 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method
2978 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by backend name
2979 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method}).
2983 All the commands below obey the process/prefix convention
2984 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
2986 When given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), all these
2987 commands will sort in reverse order.
2989 You can also sort a subset of the groups:
2993 @kindex G P a (Group)
2994 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet
2995 Sort the groups alphabetically by group name
2996 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet}).
2999 @kindex G P u (Group)
3000 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread
3001 Sort the groups by the number of unread articles
3002 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread}).
3005 @kindex G P l (Group)
3006 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level
3007 Sort the groups by group level
3008 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level}).
3011 @kindex G P v (Group)
3012 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score
3013 Sort the groups by group score
3014 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3017 @kindex G P r (Group)
3018 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank
3019 Sort the groups by group rank
3020 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3023 @kindex G P m (Group)
3024 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method
3025 Sort the groups alphabetically by backend name
3026 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method}).
3030 And finally, note that you can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} to manually
3034 @node Group Maintenance
3035 @section Group Maintenance
3036 @cindex bogus groups
3041 @findex gnus-group-check-bogus-groups
3042 Find bogus groups and delete them
3043 (@code{gnus-group-check-bogus-groups}).
3047 @findex gnus-group-find-new-groups
3048 Find new groups and process them (@code{gnus-group-find-new-groups}).
3049 With 1 @kbd{C-u}, use the @code{ask-server} method to query the server
3050 for new groups. With 2 @kbd{C-u}'s, use most complete method possible
3051 to query the server for new groups, and subscribe the new groups as
3055 @kindex C-c C-x (Group)
3056 @findex gnus-group-expire-articles
3057 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
3058 process (if any) (@code{gnus-group-expire-articles}). That is, delete
3059 all expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
3060 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3063 @kindex C-c M-C-x (Group)
3064 @findex gnus-group-expire-all-groups
3065 Run all expirable articles in all groups through the expiry process
3066 (@code{gnus-group-expire-all-groups}).
3071 @node Browse Foreign Server
3072 @section Browse Foreign Server
3073 @cindex foreign servers
3074 @cindex browsing servers
3079 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
3080 You will be queried for a select method and a server name. Gnus will
3081 then attempt to contact this server and let you browse the groups there
3082 (@code{gnus-group-browse-foreign-server}).
3085 @findex gnus-browse-mode
3086 A new buffer with a list of available groups will appear. This buffer
3087 will use the @code{gnus-browse-mode}. This buffer looks a bit (well,
3088 a lot) like a normal group buffer.
3090 Here's a list of keystrokes available in the browse mode:
3095 @findex gnus-group-next-group
3096 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
3100 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
3101 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
3104 @kindex SPACE (Browse)
3105 @findex gnus-browse-read-group
3106 Enter the current group and display the first article
3107 (@code{gnus-browse-read-group}).
3110 @kindex RET (Browse)
3111 @findex gnus-browse-select-group
3112 Enter the current group (@code{gnus-browse-select-group}).
3116 @findex gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group
3117 Unsubscribe to the current group, or, as will be the case here,
3118 subscribe to it (@code{gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group}).
3124 @findex gnus-browse-exit
3125 Exit browse mode (@code{gnus-browse-exit}).
3129 @findex gnus-browse-describe-briefly
3130 Describe browse mode briefly (well, there's not much to describe, is
3131 there) (@code{gnus-browse-describe-briefly}).
3136 @section Exiting Gnus
3137 @cindex exiting Gnus
3139 Yes, Gnus is ex(c)iting.
3144 @findex gnus-group-suspend
3145 Suspend Gnus (@code{gnus-group-suspend}). This doesn't really exit Gnus,
3146 but it kills all buffers except the Group buffer. I'm not sure why this
3147 is a gain, but then who am I to judge?
3151 @findex gnus-group-exit
3152 @c @icon{gnus-group-exit}
3153 Quit Gnus (@code{gnus-group-exit}).
3157 @findex gnus-group-quit
3158 Quit Gnus without saving the @file{.newsrc} files (@code{gnus-group-quit}).
3159 The dribble file will be saved, though (@pxref{Auto Save}).
3162 @vindex gnus-exit-gnus-hook
3163 @vindex gnus-suspend-gnus-hook
3164 @code{gnus-suspend-gnus-hook} is called when you suspend Gnus and
3165 @code{gnus-exit-gnus-hook} is called when you quit Gnus, while
3166 @code{gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook} is called as the final item when
3171 If you wish to completely unload Gnus and all its adherents, you can use
3172 the @code{gnus-unload} command. This command is also very handy when
3173 trying to customize meta-variables.
3178 Miss Lisa Cannifax, while sitting in English class, felt her feet go
3179 numbly heavy and herself fall into a hazy trance as the boy sitting
3180 behind her drew repeated lines with his pencil across the back of her
3186 @section Group Topics
3189 If you read lots and lots of groups, it might be convenient to group
3190 them hierarchically according to topics. You put your Emacs groups over
3191 here, your sex groups over there, and the rest (what, two groups or so?)
3192 you put in some misc section that you never bother with anyway. You can
3193 even group the Emacs sex groups as a sub-topic to either the Emacs
3194 groups or the sex groups---or both! Go wild!
3198 \gnusfigure{Group Topics}{400}{
3199 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=tmp/group-topic.ps,height=9cm}}
3210 2: alt.religion.emacs
3213 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3215 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3216 13: comp.sources.unix
3219 @findex gnus-topic-mode
3221 To get this @emph{fab} functionality you simply turn on (ooh!) the
3222 @code{gnus-topic} minor mode---type @kbd{t} in the group buffer. (This
3223 is a toggling command.)
3225 Go ahead, just try it. I'll still be here when you get back. La de
3226 dum... Nice tune, that... la la la... What, you're back? Yes, and now
3227 press @kbd{l}. There. All your groups are now listed under
3228 @samp{misc}. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy? Hot and
3231 If you want this permanently enabled, you should add that minor mode to
3232 the hook for the group mode:
3235 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
3239 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
3240 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
3241 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
3242 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
3243 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
3247 @node Topic Variables
3248 @subsection Topic Variables
3249 @cindex topic variables
3251 Now, if you select a topic, it will fold/unfold that topic, which is
3252 really neat, I think.
3254 @vindex gnus-topic-line-format
3255 The topic lines themselves are created according to the
3256 @code{gnus-topic-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
3269 Number of groups in the topic.
3271 Number of unread articles in the topic.
3273 Number of unread articles in the topic and all its subtopics.
3276 @vindex gnus-topic-indent-level
3277 Each sub-topic (and the groups in the sub-topics) will be indented with
3278 @code{gnus-topic-indent-level} times the topic level number of spaces.
3281 @vindex gnus-topic-mode-hook
3282 @code{gnus-topic-mode-hook} is called in topic minor mode buffers.
3284 @vindex gnus-topic-display-empty-topics
3285 The @code{gnus-topic-display-empty-topics} says whether to display even
3286 topics that have no unread articles in them. The default is @code{t}.
3289 @node Topic Commands
3290 @subsection Topic Commands
3291 @cindex topic commands
3293 When the topic minor mode is turned on, a new @kbd{T} submap will be
3294 available. In addition, a few of the standard keys change their
3295 definitions slightly.
3301 @findex gnus-topic-create-topic
3302 Prompt for a new topic name and create it
3303 (@code{gnus-topic-create-topic}).
3307 @findex gnus-topic-move-group
3308 Move the current group to some other topic
3309 (@code{gnus-topic-move-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3310 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3314 @findex gnus-topic-jump-to-topic
3315 Go to a topic (@code{gnus-topic-jump-to-topic}).
3319 @findex gnus-topic-copy-group
3320 Copy the current group to some other topic
3321 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3322 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3326 @findex gnus-topic-hide-topic
3327 Hide the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-hide-topic}). If given
3328 a prefix, hide the topic permanently.
3332 @findex gnus-topic-show-topic
3333 Show the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-show-topic}). If given
3334 a prefix, show the topic permanently.
3338 @findex gnus-topic-remove-group
3339 Remove a group from the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-remove-group}).
3340 This command is mainly useful if you have the same group in several
3341 topics and wish to remove it from one of the topics. You may also
3342 remove a group from all topics, but in that case, Gnus will add it to
3343 the root topic the next time you start Gnus. In fact, all new groups
3344 (which, naturally, don't belong to any topic) will show up in the root
3347 This command uses the process/prefix convention
3348 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3352 @findex gnus-topic-move-matching
3353 Move all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3354 (@code{gnus-topic-move-matching}).
3358 @findex gnus-topic-copy-matching
3359 Copy all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3360 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-matching}).
3364 @findex gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics
3365 Toggle hiding empty topics
3366 (@code{gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics}).
3370 @findex gnus-topic-mark-topic
3371 Mark all groups in the current topic with the process mark
3372 (@code{gnus-topic-mark-topic}).
3375 @kindex T M-# (Topic)
3376 @findex gnus-topic-unmark-topic
3377 Remove the process mark from all groups in the current topic
3378 (@code{gnus-topic-unmark-topic}).
3382 @kindex T TAB (Topic)
3384 @findex gnus-topic-indent
3385 ``Indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3386 previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-indent}). If given a prefix,
3387 ``un-indent'' the topic instead.
3390 @kindex M-TAB (Topic)
3391 @findex gnus-topic-unindent
3392 ``Un-indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3393 parent of its current parent (@code{gnus-topic-unindent}).
3397 @findex gnus-topic-select-group
3399 Either select a group or fold a topic (@code{gnus-topic-select-group}).
3400 When you perform this command on a group, you'll enter the group, as
3401 usual. When done on a topic line, the topic will be folded (if it was
3402 visible) or unfolded (if it was folded already). So it's basically a
3403 toggling command on topics. In addition, if you give a numerical
3404 prefix, group on that level (and lower) will be displayed.
3407 @kindex C-c C-x (Topic)
3408 @findex gnus-topic-expire-articles
3409 Run all expirable articles in the current group or topic through the
3410 expiry process (if any)
3411 (@code{gnus-topic-expire-articles}). (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3415 @findex gnus-topic-kill-group
3416 Kill a group or topic (@code{gnus-topic-kill-group}). All groups in the
3417 topic will be removed along with the topic.
3421 @findex gnus-topic-yank-group
3422 Yank the previously killed group or topic
3423 (@code{gnus-topic-yank-group}). Note that all topics will be yanked
3428 @findex gnus-topic-rename
3429 Rename a topic (@code{gnus-topic-rename}).
3432 @kindex T DEL (Topic)
3433 @findex gnus-topic-delete
3434 Delete an empty topic (@code{gnus-topic-delete}).
3438 @findex gnus-topic-list-active
3439 List all groups that Gnus knows about in a topics-ified way
3440 (@code{gnus-topic-list-active}).
3444 @findex gnus-topic-edit-parameters
3445 @cindex group parameters
3446 @cindex topic parameters
3448 Edit the topic parameters (@code{gnus-topic-edit-parameters}).
3449 @xref{Topic Parameters}.
3455 @subsection Topic Sorting
3456 @cindex topic sorting
3458 You can sort the groups in each topic individually with the following
3464 @kindex T S a (Topic)
3465 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3466 Sort the current topic alphabetically by group name
3467 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3470 @kindex T S u (Topic)
3471 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread
3472 Sort the current topic by the number of unread articles
3473 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3476 @kindex T S l (Topic)
3477 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level
3478 Sort the current topic by group level
3479 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level}).
3482 @kindex T S v (Topic)
3483 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score
3484 Sort the current topic by group score
3485 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3488 @kindex T S r (Topic)
3489 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank
3490 Sort the current topic by group rank
3491 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3494 @kindex T S m (Topic)
3495 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method
3496 Sort the current topic alphabetically by backend name
3497 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method}).
3501 @xref{Sorting Groups}, for more information about group sorting.
3504 @node Topic Topology
3505 @subsection Topic Topology
3506 @cindex topic topology
3509 So, let's have a look at an example group buffer:
3515 2: alt.religion.emacs
3518 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3520 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3521 13: comp.sources.unix
3524 So, here we have one top-level topic (@samp{Gnus}), two topics under
3525 that, and one sub-topic under one of the sub-topics. (There is always
3526 just one (1) top-level topic). This topology can be expressed as
3531 (("Emacs -- I wuw it!" visible)
3532 (("Naughty Emacs" visible)))
3536 @vindex gnus-topic-topology
3537 This is in fact how the variable @code{gnus-topic-topology} would look
3538 for the display above. That variable is saved in the @file{.newsrc.eld}
3539 file, and shouldn't be messed with manually---unless you really want
3540 to. Since this variable is read from the @file{.newsrc.eld} file,
3541 setting it in any other startup files will have no effect.
3543 This topology shows what topics are sub-topics of what topics (right),
3544 and which topics are visible. Two settings are currently
3545 allowed---@code{visible} and @code{invisible}.
3548 @node Topic Parameters
3549 @subsection Topic Parameters
3550 @cindex topic parameters
3552 All groups in a topic will inherit group parameters from the parent (and
3553 ancestor) topic parameters. All valid group parameters are valid topic
3554 parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
3556 In addition, the following parameters are only valid as topic
3561 When subscribing new groups by topic (@pxref{Subscription Methods}), the
3562 @code{subscribe} topic parameter says what groups go in what topic. Its
3563 value should be a regexp to match the groups that should go in that
3568 Group parameters (of course) override topic parameters, and topic
3569 parameters in sub-topics override topic parameters in super-topics. You
3570 know. Normal inheritance rules. (@dfn{Rules} is here a noun, not a
3571 verb, although you may feel free to disagree with me here.)
3577 2: alt.religion.emacs
3581 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3583 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3584 13: comp.sources.unix
3588 The @samp{Emacs} topic has the topic parameter @code{(score-file
3589 . "emacs.SCORE")}; the @samp{Relief} topic has the topic parameter
3590 @code{(score-file . "relief.SCORE")}; and the @samp{Misc} topic has the
3591 topic parameter @code{(score-file . "emacs.SCORE")}. In addition,
3592 @* @samp{alt.religion.emacs} has the group parameter @code{(score-file
3593 . "religion.SCORE")}.
3595 Now, when you enter @samp{alt.sex.emacs} in the @samp{Relief} topic, you
3596 will get the @file{relief.SCORE} home score file. If you enter the same
3597 group in the @samp{Emacs} topic, you'll get the @file{emacs.SCORE} home
3598 score file. If you enter the group @samp{alt.religion.emacs}, you'll
3599 get the @file{religion.SCORE} home score file.
3601 This seems rather simple and self-evident, doesn't it? Well, yes. But
3602 there are some problems, especially with the @code{total-expiry}
3603 parameter. Say you have a mail group in two topics; one with
3604 @code{total-expiry} and one without. What happens when you do @kbd{M-x
3605 gnus-expire-all-expirable-groups}? Gnus has no way of telling which one
3606 of these topics you mean to expire articles from, so anything may
3607 happen. In fact, I hereby declare that it is @dfn{undefined} what
3608 happens. You just have to be careful if you do stuff like that.
3611 @node Misc Group Stuff
3612 @section Misc Group Stuff
3615 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
3616 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
3617 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
3618 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
3625 @findex gnus-group-enter-server-mode
3626 Enter the server buffer (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}).
3627 @xref{Server Buffer}.
3631 @findex gnus-group-post-news
3632 Post an article to a group (@code{gnus-group-post-news}). If given a
3633 prefix, the current group name will be used as the default.
3637 @findex gnus-group-mail
3638 Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}).
3642 Variables for the group buffer:
3646 @item gnus-group-mode-hook
3647 @vindex gnus-group-mode-hook
3648 is called after the group buffer has been
3651 @item gnus-group-prepare-hook
3652 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
3653 is called after the group buffer is
3654 generated. It may be used to modify the buffer in some strange,
3657 @item gnus-group-prepared-hook
3658 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
3659 is called as the very last thing after the group buffer has been
3660 generated. It may be used to move point around, for instance.
3662 @item gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3663 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3664 Groups matching this regexp will always be listed in the group buffer,
3665 whether they are empty or not.
3667 @item gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
3668 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
3669 An alist of method and the charset for group names. It is used to show
3670 non-ASCII group names.
3674 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
3675 '(((nntp "news.com.cn") . cn-gb-2312)))
3678 @item gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
3679 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
3680 An alist of regexp of group name and the charset for group names.
3681 It is used to show non-ASCII group names.
3685 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
3686 '(("\\.com\\.cn:" . cn-gb-2312)))
3691 @node Scanning New Messages
3692 @subsection Scanning New Messages
3693 @cindex new messages
3694 @cindex scanning new news
3700 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news
3701 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news}
3702 Check the server(s) for new articles. If the numerical prefix is used,
3703 this command will check only groups of level @var{arg} and lower
3704 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news}). If given a non-numerical prefix, this
3705 command will force a total re-reading of the active file(s) from the
3710 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group
3711 @vindex gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating
3712 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}
3713 Check whether new articles have arrived in the current group
3714 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}).
3715 @code{gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating} says whether this command is
3716 to move point to the next group or not. It is @code{t} by default.
3718 @findex gnus-activate-all-groups
3719 @cindex activating groups
3721 @kindex C-c M-g (Group)
3722 Activate absolutely all groups (@code{gnus-activate-all-groups}).
3727 @findex gnus-group-restart
3728 Restart Gnus (@code{gnus-group-restart}). This saves the @file{.newsrc}
3729 file(s), closes the connection to all servers, clears up all run-time
3730 Gnus variables, and then starts Gnus all over again.
3734 @vindex gnus-get-new-news-hook
3735 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is run just before checking for new news.
3737 @vindex gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook
3738 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook} is run after checking for new
3742 @node Group Information
3743 @subsection Group Information
3744 @cindex group information
3745 @cindex information on groups
3752 @findex gnus-group-fetch-faq
3753 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
3756 Try to fetch the FAQ for the current group
3757 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the FAQ from
3758 @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory on a
3759 remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories. In
3760 that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
3761 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} (or @code{efs}) will be used
3762 for fetching the file.
3764 If fetching from the first site is unsuccessful, Gnus will attempt to go
3765 through @code{gnus-group-faq-directory} and try to open them one by one.
3769 @c @icon{gnus-group-describe-group}
3771 @kindex C-c C-d (Group)
3772 @cindex describing groups
3773 @cindex group description
3774 @findex gnus-group-describe-group
3775 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-group-describe-group}). If given
3776 a prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description from the server.
3780 @findex gnus-group-describe-all-groups
3781 Describe all groups (@code{gnus-group-describe-all-groups}). If given a
3782 prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description file from the server.
3789 @findex gnus-version
3790 Display current Gnus version numbers (@code{gnus-version}).
3794 @findex gnus-group-describe-briefly
3795 Give a very short help message (@code{gnus-group-describe-briefly}).
3798 @kindex C-c C-i (Group)
3801 @findex gnus-info-find-node
3802 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
3806 @node Group Timestamp
3807 @subsection Group Timestamp
3809 @cindex group timestamps
3811 It can be convenient to let Gnus keep track of when you last read a
3812 group. To set the ball rolling, you should add
3813 @code{gnus-group-set-timestamp} to @code{gnus-select-group-hook}:
3816 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook 'gnus-group-set-timestamp)
3819 After doing this, each time you enter a group, it'll be recorded.
3821 This information can be displayed in various ways---the easiest is to
3822 use the @samp{%d} spec in the group line format:
3825 (setq gnus-group-line-format
3826 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %d\n")
3829 This will result in lines looking like:
3832 * 0: mail.ding 19961002T012943
3833 0: custom 19961002T012713
3836 As you can see, the date is displayed in compact ISO 8601 format. This
3837 may be a bit too much, so to just display the date, you could say
3841 (setq gnus-group-line-format
3842 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %6,6~(cut 2)d\n")
3847 @subsection File Commands
3848 @cindex file commands
3854 @findex gnus-group-read-init-file
3855 @vindex gnus-init-file
3856 @cindex reading init file
3857 Re-read the init file (@code{gnus-init-file}, which defaults to
3858 @file{~/.gnus}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
3862 @findex gnus-group-save-newsrc
3863 @cindex saving .newsrc
3864 Save the @file{.newsrc.eld} file (and @file{.newsrc} if wanted)
3865 (@code{gnus-group-save-newsrc}). If given a prefix, force saving the
3866 file(s) whether Gnus thinks it is necessary or not.
3869 @c @kindex Z (Group)
3870 @c @findex gnus-group-clear-dribble
3871 @c Clear the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-group-clear-dribble}).
3876 @node Summary Buffer
3877 @chapter Summary Buffer
3878 @cindex summary buffer
3880 A line for each article is displayed in the summary buffer. You can
3881 move around, read articles, post articles and reply to articles.
3883 The most common way to a summary buffer is to select a group from the
3884 group buffer (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
3886 You can have as many summary buffers open as you wish.
3889 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
3890 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
3891 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
3892 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
3893 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
3894 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
3895 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
3896 * Threading:: How threads are made.
3897 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
3898 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
3899 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
3900 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
3901 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
3902 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
3903 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
3904 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
3905 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
3906 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
3907 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
3908 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
3909 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
3910 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
3911 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
3912 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
3913 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
3914 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
3915 or reselecting the current group.
3916 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
3917 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
3918 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
3922 @node Summary Buffer Format
3923 @section Summary Buffer Format
3924 @cindex summary buffer format
3928 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{180}{
3929 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary.ps,width=7.5cm}}
3930 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-article.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
3936 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
3937 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
3938 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
3939 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
3942 @findex mail-extract-address-components
3943 @findex gnus-extract-address-components
3944 @vindex gnus-extract-address-components
3945 Gnus will use the value of the @code{gnus-extract-address-components}
3946 variable as a function for getting the name and address parts of a
3947 @code{From} header. Two pre-defined functions exist:
3948 @code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is the default, quite
3949 fast, and too simplistic solution; and
3950 @code{mail-extract-address-components}, which works very nicely, but is
3951 slower. The default function will return the wrong answer in 5% of the
3952 cases. If this is unacceptable to you, use the other function instead:
3955 (setq gnus-extract-address-components
3956 'mail-extract-address-components)
3959 @vindex gnus-summary-same-subject
3960 @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} is a string indicating that the current
3961 article has the same subject as the previous. This string will be used
3962 with those specs that require it. The default is @code{""}.
3965 @node Summary Buffer Lines
3966 @subsection Summary Buffer Lines
3968 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
3969 You can change the format of the lines in the summary buffer by changing
3970 the @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable. It works along the same
3971 lines as a normal @code{format} string, with some extensions
3972 (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
3974 There should always be a colon on the line; the cursor always moves to
3975 the colon after performing an operation.
3977 The default string is @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-20,20n%]%) %s\n}.
3979 The following format specification characters are understood:
3985 Subject string. List identifiers stripped,
3986 @code{gnus-list-identifies}. @xref{Article Hiding}.
3988 Subject if the article is the root of the thread or the previous article
3989 had a different subject, @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} otherwise.
3990 (@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} defaults to @code{""}.)
3992 Full @code{From} header.
3994 The name (from the @code{From} header).
3996 The name, code @code{To} header or the @code{Newsgroups} header
3997 (@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
3999 The name (from the @code{From} header). This differs from the @code{n}
4000 spec in that it uses the function designated by the
4001 @code{gnus-extract-address-components} variable, which is slower, but
4002 may be more thorough.
4004 The address (from the @code{From} header). This works the same way as
4007 Number of lines in the article.
4009 Number of characters in the article. This specifier is not supported in some
4010 methods (like nnfolder).
4012 Indentation based on thread level (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4014 Nothing if the article is a root and lots of spaces if it isn't (it
4015 pushes everything after it off the screen).
4017 Opening bracket, which is normally @samp{[}, but can also be @samp{<}
4018 for adopted articles (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4020 Closing bracket, which is normally @samp{]}, but can also be @samp{>}
4021 for adopted articles.
4023 One space for each thread level.
4025 Twenty minus thread level spaces.
4030 This misleadingly named specifier is the @dfn{secondary mark}. This
4031 mark will say whether the article has been replied to, has been cached,
4035 Score as a number (@pxref{Scoring}).
4037 @vindex gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz
4038 Zcore, @samp{+} if above the default level and @samp{-} if below the
4039 default level. If the difference between
4040 @code{gnus-summary-default-score} and the score is less than
4041 @code{gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz}, this spec will not be used.
4049 The @code{Date} in @code{DD-MMM} format.
4051 The @code{Date} in @var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS} format.
4057 Number of articles in the current sub-thread. Using this spec will slow
4058 down summary buffer generation somewhat.
4060 An @samp{=} (@code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark}) will be displayed if the
4061 article has any children.
4067 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
4068 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
4069 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
4070 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current header as
4071 argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
4072 into the summary just like information from any other summary specifier.
4075 The @samp{%U} (status), @samp{%R} (replied) and @samp{%z} (zcore) specs
4076 have to be handled with care. For reasons of efficiency, Gnus will
4077 compute what column these characters will end up in, and ``hard-code''
4078 that. This means that it is invalid to have these specs after a
4079 variable-length spec. Well, you might not be arrested, but your summary
4080 buffer will look strange, which is bad enough.
4082 The smart choice is to have these specs as far to the left as possible.
4083 (Isn't that the case with everything, though? But I digress.)
4085 This restriction may disappear in later versions of Gnus.
4088 @node To From Newsgroups
4089 @subsection To From Newsgroups
4093 In some groups (particularly in archive groups), the @code{From} header
4094 isn't very interesting, since all the articles there are written by
4095 you. To display the information in the @code{To} or @code{Newsgroups}
4096 headers instead, you need to decide three things: What information to
4097 gather; where to display it; and when to display it.
4101 @vindex gnus-extra-headers
4102 The reading of extra header information is controlled by the
4103 @code{gnus-extra-headers}. This is a list of header symbols. For
4107 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4108 '(To Newsgroups X-Newsreader))
4111 This will result in Gnus trying to obtain these three headers, and
4112 storing it in header structures for later easy retrieval.
4115 @findex gnus-extra-header
4116 The value of these extra headers can be accessed via the
4117 @code{gnus-extra-header} function. Here's a format line spec that will
4118 access the @code{X-Newsreader} header:
4121 "%~(form (gnus-extra-header 'X-Newsreader))@@"
4125 @vindex gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4126 The @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses} variable says when the @samp{%f}
4127 summary line spec returns the @code{To}, @code{Newsreader} or
4128 @code{From} header. If this regexp matches the contents of the
4129 @code{From} header, the value of the @code{To} or @code{Newsreader}
4130 headers are used instead.
4134 @vindex nnmail-extra-headers
4135 A related variable is @code{nnmail-extra-headers}, which controls when
4136 to include extra headers when generating overview (@sc{nov}) files. If
4137 you have old overview files, you should regenerate them after changing
4140 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4141 You also have to instruct Gnus to display the data by changing the
4142 @code{%n} spec to the @code{%f} spec in the
4143 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable.
4145 In summary, you'd typically put something like the following in
4149 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4151 (setq nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
4152 (setq gnus-summary-line-format
4153 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-20,20f%]%) %s\n")
4154 (setq gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4158 Now, this is mostly useful for mail groups, where you have control over
4159 the @sc{nov} files that are created. However, if you can persuade your
4166 to the end of her @file{overview.fmt} file, then you can use that just
4167 as you would the extra headers from the mail groups.
4170 @node Summary Buffer Mode Line
4171 @subsection Summary Buffer Mode Line
4173 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-line-format
4174 You can also change the format of the summary mode bar (@pxref{Mode Line
4175 Formatting}). Set @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} to whatever you
4176 like. The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}.
4178 Here are the elements you can play with:
4184 Unprefixed group name.
4186 Current article number.
4188 Current article score.
4192 Number of unread articles in this group.
4194 Number of unread articles in this group that aren't displayed in the
4197 A string with the number of unread and unselected articles represented
4198 either as @samp{<%U(+%e) more>} if there are both unread and unselected
4199 articles, and just as @samp{<%U more>} if there are just unread articles
4200 and no unselected ones.
4202 Shortish group name. For instance, @samp{rec.arts.anime} will be
4203 shortened to @samp{r.a.anime}.
4205 Subject of the current article.
4207 User-defined spec (@pxref{User-Defined Specs}).
4209 Name of the current score file (@pxref{Scoring}).
4211 Number of dormant articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4213 Number of ticked articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4215 Number of articles that have been marked as read in this session.
4217 Number of articles expunged by the score files.
4221 @node Summary Highlighting
4222 @subsection Summary Highlighting
4226 @item gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4227 @vindex gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4228 This hook is run after selecting an article. It is meant to be used for
4229 highlighting the article in some way. It is not run if
4230 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4232 @item gnus-summary-update-hook
4233 @vindex gnus-summary-update-hook
4234 This hook is called when a summary line is changed. It is not run if
4235 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4237 @item gnus-summary-selected-face
4238 @vindex gnus-summary-selected-face
4239 This is the face (or @dfn{font} as some people call it) used to
4240 highlight the current article in the summary buffer.
4242 @item gnus-summary-highlight
4243 @vindex gnus-summary-highlight
4244 Summary lines are highlighted according to this variable, which is a
4245 list where the elements are of the format @code{(@var{form}
4246 . @var{face})}. If you would, for instance, like ticked articles to be
4247 italic and high-scored articles to be bold, you could set this variable
4250 (((eq mark gnus-ticked-mark) . italic)
4251 ((> score default) . bold))
4253 As you may have guessed, if @var{form} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
4254 @var{face} will be applied to the line.
4258 @node Summary Maneuvering
4259 @section Summary Maneuvering
4260 @cindex summary movement
4262 All the straight movement commands understand the numeric prefix and
4263 behave pretty much as you'd expect.
4265 None of these commands select articles.
4270 @kindex M-n (Summary)
4271 @kindex G M-n (Summary)
4272 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-subject
4273 Go to the next summary line of an unread article
4274 (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-subject}).
4278 @kindex M-p (Summary)
4279 @kindex G M-p (Summary)
4280 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject
4281 Go to the previous summary line of an unread article
4282 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject}).
4285 @kindex G g (Summary)
4286 @findex gnus-summary-goto-subject
4287 Ask for an article number and then go to the summary line of that article
4288 without displaying the article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-subject}).
4291 If Gnus asks you to press a key to confirm going to the next group, you
4292 can use the @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} keys to move around the group
4293 buffer, searching for the next group to read without actually returning
4294 to the group buffer.
4296 Variables related to summary movement:
4300 @vindex gnus-auto-select-next
4301 @item gnus-auto-select-next
4302 If you issue one of the movement commands (like @kbd{n}) and there are
4303 no more unread articles after the current one, Gnus will offer to go to
4304 the next group. If this variable is @code{t} and the next group is
4305 empty, Gnus will exit summary mode and return to the group buffer. If
4306 this variable is neither @code{t} nor @code{nil}, Gnus will select the
4307 next group, no matter whether it has any unread articles or not. As a
4308 special case, if this variable is @code{quietly}, Gnus will select the
4309 next group without asking for confirmation. If this variable is
4310 @code{almost-quietly}, the same will happen only if you are located on
4311 the last article in the group. Finally, if this variable is
4312 @code{slightly-quietly}, the @kbd{Z n} command will go to the next group
4313 without confirmation. Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
4315 @item gnus-auto-select-same
4316 @vindex gnus-auto-select-same
4317 If non-@code{nil}, all the movement commands will try to go to the next
4318 article with the same subject as the current. (@dfn{Same} here might
4319 mean @dfn{roughly equal}. See @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}
4320 for details (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).) If there are no more
4321 articles with the same subject, go to the first unread article.
4323 This variable is not particularly useful if you use a threaded display.
4325 @item gnus-summary-check-current
4326 @vindex gnus-summary-check-current
4327 If non-@code{nil}, all the ``unread'' movement commands will not proceed
4328 to the next (or previous) article if the current article is unread.
4329 Instead, they will choose the current article.
4331 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
4332 @vindex gnus-auto-center-summary
4333 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will keep the point in the summary buffer
4334 centered at all times. This makes things quite tidy, but if you have a
4335 slow network connection, or simply do not like this un-Emacsism, you can
4336 set this variable to @code{nil} to get the normal Emacs scrolling
4337 action. This will also inhibit horizontal re-centering of the summary
4338 buffer, which might make it more inconvenient to read extremely long
4341 This variable can also be a number. In that case, center the window at
4342 the given number of lines from the top.
4347 @node Choosing Articles
4348 @section Choosing Articles
4349 @cindex selecting articles
4352 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
4353 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
4357 @node Choosing Commands
4358 @subsection Choosing Commands
4360 None of the following movement commands understand the numeric prefix,
4361 and they all select and display an article.
4363 If you want to fetch new articles or redisplay the group, see
4364 @ref{Exiting the Summary Buffer}.
4368 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
4369 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
4370 Select the current article, or, if that one's read already, the next
4371 unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
4376 @kindex G n (Summary)
4377 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-article
4378 @c @icon{gnus-summary-next-unread}
4379 Go to next unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-article}).
4384 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-article
4385 @c @icon{gnus-summary-prev-unread}
4386 Go to previous unread article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-article}).
4391 @kindex G N (Summary)
4392 @findex gnus-summary-next-article
4393 Go to the next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-article}).
4398 @kindex G P (Summary)
4399 @findex gnus-summary-prev-article
4400 Go to the previous article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-article}).
4403 @kindex G C-n (Summary)
4404 @findex gnus-summary-next-same-subject
4405 Go to the next article with the same subject
4406 (@code{gnus-summary-next-same-subject}).
4409 @kindex G C-p (Summary)
4410 @findex gnus-summary-prev-same-subject
4411 Go to the previous article with the same subject
4412 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-same-subject}).
4416 @kindex G f (Summary)
4418 @findex gnus-summary-first-unread-article
4419 Go to the first unread article
4420 (@code{gnus-summary-first-unread-article}).
4424 @kindex G b (Summary)
4426 @findex gnus-summary-best-unread-article
4427 Go to the article with the highest score
4428 (@code{gnus-summary-best-unread-article}).
4433 @kindex G l (Summary)
4434 @findex gnus-summary-goto-last-article
4435 Go to the previous article read (@code{gnus-summary-goto-last-article}).
4438 @kindex G o (Summary)
4439 @findex gnus-summary-pop-article
4441 @cindex article history
4442 Pop an article off the summary history and go to this article
4443 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-article}). This command differs from the
4444 command above in that you can pop as many previous articles off the
4445 history as you like, while @kbd{l} toggles the two last read articles.
4446 For a somewhat related issue (if you use these commands a lot),
4447 @pxref{Article Backlog}.
4452 @kindex G j (Summary)
4453 @findex gnus-summary-goto-article
4454 Ask for an article number or @code{Message-ID}, and then go to that
4455 article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-article}).
4460 @node Choosing Variables
4461 @subsection Choosing Variables
4463 Some variables relevant for moving and selecting articles:
4466 @item gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
4467 @vindex gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
4468 All the movement commands will try to go to the previous (or next)
4469 article, even if that article isn't displayed in the Summary buffer if
4470 this variable is non-@code{nil}. Gnus will then fetch the article from
4471 the server and display it in the article buffer.
4473 @item gnus-select-article-hook
4474 @vindex gnus-select-article-hook
4475 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. By default it
4476 exposes any threads hidden under the selected article.
4478 @item gnus-mark-article-hook
4479 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
4480 @findex gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read
4481 @findex gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read
4482 @findex gnus-unread-mark
4483 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. It is intended to
4484 be used for marking articles as read. The default value is
4485 @code{gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read}, and will change the
4486 mark of almost any article you read to @code{gnus-unread-mark}. The
4487 only articles not affected by this function are ticked, dormant, and
4488 expirable articles. If you'd instead like to just have unread articles
4489 marked as read, you can use @code{gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read}
4490 instead. It will leave marks like @code{gnus-low-score-mark},
4491 @code{gnus-del-mark} (and so on) alone.
4496 @node Paging the Article
4497 @section Scrolling the Article
4498 @cindex article scrolling
4503 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
4504 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
4505 Pressing @kbd{SPACE} will scroll the current article forward one page,
4506 or, if you have come to the end of the current article, will choose the
4507 next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
4510 @kindex DEL (Summary)
4511 @findex gnus-summary-prev-page
4512 Scroll the current article back one page (@code{gnus-summary-prev-page}).
4515 @kindex RET (Summary)
4516 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-up
4517 Scroll the current article one line forward
4518 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-up}).
4521 @kindex M-RET (Summary)
4522 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-down
4523 Scroll the current article one line backward
4524 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-down}).
4528 @kindex A g (Summary)
4530 @findex gnus-summary-show-article
4531 @vindex gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
4532 (Re)fetch the current article (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). If
4533 given a prefix, fetch the current article, but don't run any of the
4534 article treatment functions. This will give you a ``raw'' article, just
4535 the way it came from the server.
4537 If given a numerical prefix, you can do semi-manual charset stuff.
4538 @kbd{C-u 0 g cn-gb-2312 RET} will decode the message as if it were
4539 encoded in the @code{cn-gb-2312} charset. If you have
4542 (setq gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
4547 then you can say @kbd{C-u 1 g} to get the same effect.
4552 @kindex A < (Summary)
4553 @findex gnus-summary-beginning-of-article
4554 Scroll to the beginning of the article
4555 (@code{gnus-summary-beginning-of-article}).
4560 @kindex A > (Summary)
4561 @findex gnus-summary-end-of-article
4562 Scroll to the end of the article (@code{gnus-summary-end-of-article}).
4566 @kindex A s (Summary)
4568 @findex gnus-summary-isearch-article
4569 Perform an isearch in the article buffer
4570 (@code{gnus-summary-isearch-article}).
4574 @findex gnus-summary-select-article-buffer
4575 Select the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-select-article-buffer}).
4580 @node Reply Followup and Post
4581 @section Reply, Followup and Post
4584 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
4585 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
4586 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
4587 * Canceling and Superseding:: ``Whoops, I shouldn't have called him that.''
4591 @node Summary Mail Commands
4592 @subsection Summary Mail Commands
4594 @cindex composing mail
4596 Commands for composing a mail message:
4602 @kindex S r (Summary)
4604 @findex gnus-summary-reply
4605 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-reply}
4606 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply}
4607 Mail a reply to the author of the current article
4608 (@code{gnus-summary-reply}).
4613 @kindex S R (Summary)
4614 @findex gnus-summary-reply-with-original
4615 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}
4616 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
4617 original message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This
4618 command uses the process/prefix convention.
4621 @kindex S w (Summary)
4622 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply
4623 Mail a wide reply to the author of the current article
4624 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{wide reply} is a reply that
4625 goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
4626 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers.
4629 @kindex S W (Summary)
4630 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original
4631 Mail a wide reply to the current article and include the original
4632 message (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original}). This command uses
4633 the process/prefix convention.
4636 @kindex S v (Summary)
4637 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply
4638 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article
4639 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{very wide reply} is a reply
4640 that goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
4641 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers in all the process/prefixed
4642 articles. This command uses the process/prefix convention.
4645 @kindex S W (Summary)
4646 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original
4647 Mail a very wide reply to the current article and include the original
4648 message (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original}). This command uses
4649 the process/prefix convention.
4653 @kindex S o m (Summary)
4654 @kindex C-c C-f (Summary)
4655 @findex gnus-summary-mail-forward
4656 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-forward}
4657 Forward the current article to some other person
4658 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-forward}). If no prefix is given, the message
4659 is forwarded according to the value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime})
4660 and (@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
4661 message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
4662 as an rfc822 MIME section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
4663 forward as an rfc822 MIME section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
4664 directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
4665 but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
4666 default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 MIME section.
4671 @kindex S m (Summary)
4672 @findex gnus-summary-mail-other-window
4673 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-originate}
4674 Send a mail to some other person
4675 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}).
4678 @kindex S D b (Summary)
4679 @findex gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail
4680 @cindex bouncing mail
4681 If you have sent a mail, but the mail was bounced back to you for some
4682 reason (wrong address, transient failure), you can use this command to
4683 resend that bounced mail (@code{gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail}). You
4684 will be popped into a mail buffer where you can edit the headers before
4685 sending the mail off again. If you give a prefix to this command, and
4686 the bounced mail is a reply to some other mail, Gnus will try to fetch
4687 that mail and display it for easy perusal of its headers. This might
4688 very well fail, though.
4691 @kindex S D r (Summary)
4692 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message
4693 Not to be confused with the previous command,
4694 @code{gnus-summary-resend-message} will prompt you for an address to
4695 send the current message off to, and then send it to that place. The
4696 headers of the message won't be altered---but lots of headers that say
4697 @code{Resent-To}, @code{Resent-From} and so on will be added. This
4698 means that you actually send a mail to someone that has a @code{To}
4699 header that (probably) points to yourself. This will confuse people.
4700 So, natcherly you'll only do that if you're really eVIl.
4702 This command is mainly used if you have several accounts and want to
4703 ship a mail to a different account of yours. (If you're both
4704 @code{root} and @code{postmaster} and get a mail for @code{postmaster}
4705 to the @code{root} account, you may want to resend it to
4706 @code{postmaster}. Ordnung muß sein!
4708 This command understands the process/prefix convention
4709 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
4712 @kindex S O m (Summary)
4713 @findex gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward
4714 Digest the current series (@pxref{Decoding Articles}) and forward the
4715 result using mail (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command
4716 uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
4719 @kindex S M-c (Summary)
4720 @findex gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint
4721 @cindex crossposting
4722 @cindex excessive crossposting
4723 Send a complaint about excessive crossposting to the author of the
4724 current article (@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint}).
4726 @findex gnus-crosspost-complaint
4727 This command is provided as a way to fight back against the current
4728 crossposting pandemic that's sweeping Usenet. It will compose a reply
4729 using the @code{gnus-crosspost-complaint} variable as a preamble. This
4730 command understands the process/prefix convention
4731 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) and will prompt you before sending each mail.
4735 Also @pxref{(message)Header Commands} for more information.
4738 @node Summary Post Commands
4739 @subsection Summary Post Commands
4741 @cindex composing news
4743 Commands for posting a news article:
4749 @kindex S p (Summary)
4750 @findex gnus-summary-post-news
4751 @c @icon{gnus-summary-post-news}
4752 Post an article to the current group
4753 (@code{gnus-summary-post-news}).
4758 @kindex S f (Summary)
4759 @findex gnus-summary-followup
4760 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup}
4761 Post a followup to the current article (@code{gnus-summary-followup}).
4765 @kindex S F (Summary)
4767 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}
4768 @findex gnus-summary-followup-with-original
4769 Post a followup to the current article and include the original message
4770 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}). This command uses the
4771 process/prefix convention.
4774 @kindex S n (Summary)
4775 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail
4776 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
4777 message through mail (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail}).
4780 @kindex S N (Summary)
4781 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original
4782 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
4783 message through mail and include the original message
4784 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original}). This command uses
4785 the process/prefix convention.
4788 @kindex S o p (Summary)
4789 @findex gnus-summary-post-forward
4790 Forward the current article to a newsgroup
4791 (@code{gnus-summary-post-forward}).
4792 If no prefix is given, the message is forwarded according to the value
4793 of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}) and
4794 (@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
4795 message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
4796 as an rfc822 MIME section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
4797 forward as an rfc822 MIME section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
4798 directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
4799 but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
4800 default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 MIME section.
4803 @kindex S O p (Summary)
4804 @findex gnus-uu-digest-post-forward
4806 @cindex making digests
4807 Digest the current series and forward the result to a newsgroup
4808 (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command uses the
4809 process/prefix convention.
4812 @kindex S u (Summary)
4813 @findex gnus-uu-post-news
4814 @c @icon{gnus-uu-post-news}
4815 Uuencode a file, split it into parts, and post it as a series
4816 (@code{gnus-uu-post-news}). (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
4819 Also @pxref{(message)Header Commands} for more information.
4822 @node Summary Message Commands
4823 @subsection Summary Message Commands
4827 @kindex S y (Summary)
4828 @findex gnus-summary-yank-message
4829 Yank the current article into an already existing Message composition
4830 buffer (@code{gnus-summary-yank-message}). This command prompts for
4831 what message buffer you want to yank into, and understands the
4832 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
4837 @node Canceling and Superseding
4838 @subsection Canceling Articles
4839 @cindex canceling articles
4840 @cindex superseding articles
4842 Have you ever written something, and then decided that you really,
4843 really, really wish you hadn't posted that?
4845 Well, you can't cancel mail, but you can cancel posts.
4847 @findex gnus-summary-cancel-article
4849 @c @icon{gnus-summary-cancel-article}
4850 Find the article you wish to cancel (you can only cancel your own
4851 articles, so don't try any funny stuff). Then press @kbd{C} or @kbd{S
4852 c} (@code{gnus-summary-cancel-article}). Your article will be
4853 canceled---machines all over the world will be deleting your article.
4854 This command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
4856 Be aware, however, that not all sites honor cancels, so your article may
4857 live on here and there, while most sites will delete the article in
4860 Gnus will use the ``current'' select method when canceling. If you
4861 want to use the standard posting method, use the @samp{a} symbolic
4862 prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}).
4864 If you discover that you have made some mistakes and want to do some
4865 corrections, you can post a @dfn{superseding} article that will replace
4866 your original article.
4868 @findex gnus-summary-supersede-article
4870 Go to the original article and press @kbd{S s}
4871 (@code{gnus-summary-supersede-article}). You will be put in a buffer
4872 where you can edit the article all you want before sending it off the
4875 The same goes for superseding as for canceling, only more so: Some
4876 sites do not honor superseding. On those sites, it will appear that you
4877 have posted almost the same article twice.
4879 If you have just posted the article, and change your mind right away,
4880 there is a trick you can use to cancel/supersede the article without
4881 waiting for the article to appear on your site first. You simply return
4882 to the post buffer (which is called @code{*sent ...*}). There you will
4883 find the article you just posted, with all the headers intact. Change
4884 the @code{Message-ID} header to a @code{Cancel} or @code{Supersedes}
4885 header by substituting one of those words for the word
4886 @code{Message-ID}. Then just press @kbd{C-c C-c} to send the article as
4887 you would do normally. The previous article will be
4888 canceled/superseded.
4890 Just remember, kids: There is no 'c' in 'supersede'.
4893 @node Marking Articles
4894 @section Marking Articles
4895 @cindex article marking
4896 @cindex article ticking
4899 There are several marks you can set on an article.
4901 You have marks that decide the @dfn{readedness} (whoo, neato-keano
4902 neologism ohoy!) of the article. Alphabetic marks generally mean
4903 @dfn{read}, while non-alphabetic characters generally mean @dfn{unread}.
4905 In addition, you also have marks that do not affect readedness.
4908 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
4909 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
4910 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
4914 There's a plethora of commands for manipulating these marks:
4918 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
4919 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
4920 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
4924 @node Unread Articles
4925 @subsection Unread Articles
4927 The following marks mark articles as (kinda) unread, in one form or
4932 @vindex gnus-ticked-mark
4933 Marked as ticked (@code{gnus-ticked-mark}).
4935 @dfn{Ticked articles} are articles that will remain visible always. If
4936 you see an article that you find interesting, or you want to put off
4937 reading it, or replying to it, until sometime later, you'd typically
4938 tick it. However, articles can be expired (from news servers by the
4939 news server software, Gnus itself never expires ticked messages), so if
4940 you want to keep an article forever, you'll have to make it persistent
4941 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
4944 @vindex gnus-dormant-mark
4945 Marked as dormant (@code{gnus-dormant-mark}).
4947 @dfn{Dormant articles} will only appear in the summary buffer if there
4948 are followups to it. If you want to see them even if they don't have
4949 followups, you can use the @kbd{/ D} command (@pxref{Limiting}).
4950 Otherwise (except for the visibility issue), they are just like ticked
4954 @vindex gnus-unread-mark
4955 Marked as unread (@code{gnus-unread-mark}).
4957 @dfn{Unread articles} are articles that haven't been read at all yet.
4962 @subsection Read Articles
4963 @cindex expirable mark
4965 All the following marks mark articles as read.
4970 @vindex gnus-del-mark
4971 These are articles that the user has marked as read with the @kbd{d}
4972 command manually, more or less (@code{gnus-del-mark}).
4975 @vindex gnus-read-mark
4976 Articles that have actually been read (@code{gnus-read-mark}).
4979 @vindex gnus-ancient-mark
4980 Articles that were marked as read in previous sessions and are now
4981 @dfn{old} (@code{gnus-ancient-mark}).
4984 @vindex gnus-killed-mark
4985 Marked as killed (@code{gnus-killed-mark}).
4988 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mark
4989 Marked as killed by kill files (@code{gnus-kill-file-mark}).
4992 @vindex gnus-low-score-mark
4993 Marked as read by having too low a score (@code{gnus-low-score-mark}).
4996 @vindex gnus-catchup-mark
4997 Marked as read by a catchup (@code{gnus-catchup-mark}).
5000 @vindex gnus-canceled-mark
5001 Canceled article (@code{gnus-canceled-mark})
5004 @vindex gnus-souped-mark
5005 @sc{soup}ed article (@code{gnus-souped-mark}). @xref{SOUP}.
5008 @vindex gnus-sparse-mark
5009 Sparsely reffed article (@code{gnus-sparse-mark}). @xref{Customizing
5013 @vindex gnus-duplicate-mark
5014 Article marked as read by duplicate suppression
5015 (@code{gnus-duplicated-mark}). @xref{Duplicate Suppression}.
5019 All these marks just mean that the article is marked as read, really.
5020 They are interpreted differently when doing adaptive scoring, though.
5022 One more special mark, though:
5026 @vindex gnus-expirable-mark
5027 Marked as expirable (@code{gnus-expirable-mark}).
5029 Marking articles as @dfn{expirable} (or have them marked as such
5030 automatically) doesn't make much sense in normal groups---a user doesn't
5031 control expiring of news articles, but in mail groups, for instance,
5032 articles marked as @dfn{expirable} can be deleted by Gnus at
5038 @subsection Other Marks
5039 @cindex process mark
5042 There are some marks that have nothing to do with whether the article is
5048 You can set a bookmark in the current article. Say you are reading a
5049 long thesis on cats' urinary tracts, and have to go home for dinner
5050 before you've finished reading the thesis. You can then set a bookmark
5051 in the article, and Gnus will jump to this bookmark the next time it
5052 encounters the article. @xref{Setting Marks}.
5055 @vindex gnus-replied-mark
5056 All articles that you have replied to or made a followup to (i.e., have
5057 answered) will be marked with an @samp{A} in the second column
5058 (@code{gnus-replied-mark}).
5060 @vindex gnus-forwarded-mark
5061 All articles that you have forwarded will be marked with an @samp{O} in
5062 the second column (@code{gnus-forwarded-mark}).
5065 @vindex gnus-cached-mark
5066 Articles stored in the article cache will be marked with an @samp{*} in
5067 the second column (@code{gnus-cached-mark}). @xref{Article Caching}.
5070 @vindex gnus-saved-mark
5071 Articles ``saved'' (in some manner or other; not necessarily
5072 religiously) are marked with an @samp{S} in the second column
5073 (@code{gnus-saved-mark}).
5076 @vindex gnus-not-empty-thread-mark
5077 @vindex gnus-empty-thread-mark
5078 If the @samp{%e} spec is used, the presence of threads or not will be
5079 marked with @code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark} and
5080 @code{gnus-empty-thread-mark} in the third column, respectively.
5083 @vindex gnus-process-mark
5084 Finally we have the @dfn{process mark} (@code{gnus-process-mark}). A
5085 variety of commands react to the presence of the process mark. For
5086 instance, @kbd{X u} (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}) will uudecode and view
5087 all articles that have been marked with the process mark. Articles
5088 marked with the process mark have a @samp{#} in the second column.
5092 You might have noticed that most of these ``non-readedness'' marks
5093 appear in the second column by default. So if you have a cached, saved,
5094 replied article that you have process-marked, what will that look like?
5096 Nothing much. The precedence rules go as follows: process -> cache ->
5097 replied -> saved. So if the article is in the cache and is replied,
5098 you'll only see the cache mark and not the replied mark.
5102 @subsection Setting Marks
5103 @cindex setting marks
5105 All the marking commands understand the numeric prefix.
5110 @kindex M c (Summary)
5111 @kindex M-u (Summary)
5112 @findex gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward
5113 @cindex mark as unread
5114 Clear all readedness-marks from the current article
5115 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward}). In other words, mark the
5121 @kindex M t (Summary)
5122 @findex gnus-summary-tick-article-forward
5123 Tick the current article (@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}).
5124 @xref{Article Caching}.
5129 @kindex M ? (Summary)
5130 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant
5131 Mark the current article as dormant
5132 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant}). @xref{Article Caching}.
5136 @kindex M d (Summary)
5138 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward
5139 Mark the current article as read
5140 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward}).
5144 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward
5145 Mark the current article as read and move point to the previous line
5146 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward}).
5151 @kindex M k (Summary)
5152 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select
5153 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read,
5154 and then select the next unread article
5155 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select}).
5159 @kindex M K (Summary)
5160 @kindex C-k (Summary)
5161 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject
5162 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read
5163 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject}).
5166 @kindex M C (Summary)
5167 @findex gnus-summary-catchup
5168 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup}
5169 Mark all unread articles as read (@code{gnus-summary-catchup}).
5172 @kindex M C-c (Summary)
5173 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all
5174 Mark all articles in the group as read---even the ticked and dormant
5175 articles (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all}).
5178 @kindex M H (Summary)
5179 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-to-here
5180 Catchup the current group to point (before the point)
5181 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-to-here}).
5184 @kindex M h (Summary)
5185 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-from-here
5186 Catchup the current group from point (after the point)
5187 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-from-here}).
5190 @kindex C-w (Summary)
5191 @findex gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read
5192 Mark all articles between point and mark as read
5193 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read}).
5196 @kindex M V k (Summary)
5197 @findex gnus-summary-kill-below
5198 Kill all articles with scores below the default score (or below the
5199 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-kill-below}).
5203 @kindex M e (Summary)
5205 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable
5206 Mark the current article as expirable
5207 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable}).
5210 @kindex M b (Summary)
5211 @findex gnus-summary-set-bookmark
5212 Set a bookmark in the current article
5213 (@code{gnus-summary-set-bookmark}).
5216 @kindex M B (Summary)
5217 @findex gnus-summary-remove-bookmark
5218 Remove the bookmark from the current article
5219 (@code{gnus-summary-remove-bookmark}).
5222 @kindex M V c (Summary)
5223 @findex gnus-summary-clear-above
5224 Clear all marks from articles with scores over the default score (or
5225 over the numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
5228 @kindex M V u (Summary)
5229 @findex gnus-summary-tick-above
5230 Tick all articles with scores over the default score (or over the
5231 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-tick-above}).
5234 @kindex M V m (Summary)
5235 @findex gnus-summary-mark-above
5236 Prompt for a mark, and mark all articles with scores over the default
5237 score (or over the numeric prefix) with this mark
5238 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
5241 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
5242 The @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} variable controls what action should
5243 be taken after setting a mark. If non-@code{nil}, point will move to
5244 the next/previous unread article. If @code{nil}, point will just move
5245 one line up or down. As a special case, if this variable is
5246 @code{never}, all the marking commands as well as other commands (like
5247 @kbd{SPACE}) will move to the next article, whether it is unread or not.
5248 The default is @code{t}.
5251 @node Generic Marking Commands
5252 @subsection Generic Marking Commands
5254 Some people would like the command that ticks an article (@kbd{!}) go to
5255 the next article. Others would like it to go to the next unread
5256 article. Yet others would like it to stay on the current article. And
5257 even though I haven't heard of anybody wanting it to go to the
5258 previous (unread) article, I'm sure there are people that want that as
5261 Multiply these five behaviors with five different marking commands, and
5262 you get a potentially complex set of variable to control what each
5265 To sidestep that mess, Gnus provides commands that do all these
5266 different things. They can be found on the @kbd{M M} map in the summary
5267 buffer. Type @kbd{M M C-h} to see them all---there are too many of them
5268 to list in this manual.
5270 While you can use these commands directly, most users would prefer
5271 altering the summary mode keymap. For instance, if you would like the
5272 @kbd{!} command to go to the next article instead of the next unread
5273 article, you could say something like:
5276 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'my-alter-summary-map)
5277 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
5278 (local-set-key "!" 'gnus-summary-put-mark-as-ticked-next))
5284 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
5285 (local-set-key "!" "MM!n"))
5289 @node Setting Process Marks
5290 @subsection Setting Process Marks
5291 @cindex setting process marks
5298 @kindex M P p (Summary)
5299 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
5300 Mark the current article with the process mark
5301 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}).
5302 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
5306 @kindex M P u (Summary)
5307 @kindex M-# (Summary)
5308 Remove the process mark, if any, from the current article
5309 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
5312 @kindex M P U (Summary)
5313 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
5314 Remove the process mark from all articles
5315 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
5318 @kindex M P i (Summary)
5319 @findex gnus-uu-invert-processable
5320 Invert the list of process marked articles
5321 (@code{gnus-uu-invert-processable}).
5324 @kindex M P R (Summary)
5325 @findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
5326 Mark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
5327 expression (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
5330 @kindex M P G (Summary)
5331 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp
5332 Unmark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
5333 expression (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp}).
5336 @kindex M P r (Summary)
5337 @findex gnus-uu-mark-region
5338 Mark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
5341 @kindex M P t (Summary)
5342 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
5343 Mark all articles in the current (sub)thread
5344 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
5347 @kindex M P T (Summary)
5348 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
5349 Unmark all articles in the current (sub)thread
5350 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
5353 @kindex M P v (Summary)
5354 @findex gnus-uu-mark-over
5355 Mark all articles that have a score above the prefix argument
5356 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-over}).
5359 @kindex M P s (Summary)
5360 @findex gnus-uu-mark-series
5361 Mark all articles in the current series (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
5364 @kindex M P S (Summary)
5365 @findex gnus-uu-mark-sparse
5366 Mark all series that have already had some articles marked
5367 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-sparse}).
5370 @kindex M P a (Summary)
5371 @findex gnus-uu-mark-all
5372 Mark all articles in series order (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
5375 @kindex M P b (Summary)
5376 @findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
5377 Mark all articles in the buffer in the order they appear
5378 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
5381 @kindex M P k (Summary)
5382 @findex gnus-summary-kill-process-mark
5383 Push the current process mark set onto the stack and unmark all articles
5384 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-process-mark}).
5387 @kindex M P y (Summary)
5388 @findex gnus-summary-yank-process-mark
5389 Pop the previous process mark set from the stack and restore it
5390 (@code{gnus-summary-yank-process-mark}).
5393 @kindex M P w (Summary)
5394 @findex gnus-summary-save-process-mark
5395 Push the current process mark set onto the stack
5396 (@code{gnus-summary-save-process-mark}).
5400 Also see the @kbd{&} command in @pxref{Searching for Articles} for how to
5401 set process marks based on article body contents.
5408 It can be convenient to limit the summary buffer to just show some
5409 subset of the articles currently in the group. The effect most limit
5410 commands have is to remove a few (or many) articles from the summary
5413 All limiting commands work on subsets of the articles already fetched
5414 from the servers. None of these commands query the server for
5415 additional articles.
5421 @kindex / / (Summary)
5422 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-subject
5423 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some subject
5424 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-subject}).
5427 @kindex / a (Summary)
5428 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-author
5429 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some author
5430 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-author}).
5433 @kindex / x (Summary)
5434 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-extra
5435 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match one of the ``extra''
5436 headers (@pxref{To From Newsgroups})
5437 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-extra}).
5441 @kindex / u (Summary)
5443 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unread
5444 Limit the summary buffer to articles not marked as read
5445 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unread}). If given a prefix, limit the
5446 buffer to articles strictly unread. This means that ticked and
5447 dormant articles will also be excluded.
5450 @kindex / m (Summary)
5451 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-marks
5452 Ask for a mark and then limit to all articles that have been marked
5453 with that mark (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}).
5456 @kindex / t (Summary)
5457 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-age
5458 Ask for a number and then limit the summary buffer to articles older than (or equal to) that number of days
5459 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-age}). If given a prefix, limit to
5460 articles younger than that number of days.
5463 @kindex / n (Summary)
5464 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-articles
5465 Limit the summary buffer to the current article
5466 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-articles}). Uses the process/prefix
5467 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5470 @kindex / w (Summary)
5471 @findex gnus-summary-pop-limit
5472 Pop the previous limit off the stack and restore it
5473 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-limit}). If given a prefix, pop all limits off
5477 @kindex / v (Summary)
5478 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-score
5479 Limit the summary buffer to articles that have a score at or above some
5480 score (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-score}).
5484 @kindex M S (Summary)
5485 @kindex / E (Summary)
5486 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged
5487 Include all expunged articles in the limit
5488 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged}).
5491 @kindex / D (Summary)
5492 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant
5493 Include all dormant articles in the limit
5494 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant}).
5497 @kindex / * (Summary)
5498 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-cached
5499 Include all cached articles in the limit
5500 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}).
5503 @kindex / d (Summary)
5504 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant
5505 Exclude all dormant articles from the limit
5506 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant}).
5509 @kindex / M (Summary)
5510 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks
5511 Exclude all marked articles (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks}).
5514 @kindex / T (Summary)
5515 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-thread
5516 Include all the articles in the current thread in the limit.
5519 @kindex / c (Summary)
5520 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant
5521 Exclude all dormant articles that have no children from the limit
5522 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant}).
5525 @kindex / C (Summary)
5526 @findex gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read
5527 Mark all excluded unread articles as read
5528 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read}). If given a prefix,
5529 also mark excluded ticked and dormant articles as read.
5537 @cindex article threading
5539 Gnus threads articles by default. @dfn{To thread} is to put responses
5540 to articles directly after the articles they respond to---in a
5541 hierarchical fashion.
5543 Threading is done by looking at the @code{References} headers of the
5544 articles. In a perfect world, this would be enough to build pretty
5545 trees, but unfortunately, the @code{References} header is often broken
5546 or simply missing. Weird news propagation exacerbates the problem,
5547 so one has to employ other heuristics to get pleasing results. A
5548 plethora of approaches exists, as detailed in horrible detail in
5549 @pxref{Customizing Threading}.
5551 First, a quick overview of the concepts:
5555 The top-most article in a thread; the first article in the thread.
5558 A tree-like article structure.
5561 A small(er) section of this tree-like structure.
5564 Threads often lose their roots due to article expiry, or due to the root
5565 already having been read in a previous session, and not displayed in the
5566 summary buffer. We then typically have many sub-threads that really
5567 belong to one thread, but are without connecting roots. These are
5568 called loose threads.
5570 @item thread gathering
5571 An attempt to gather loose threads into bigger threads.
5573 @item sparse threads
5574 A thread where the missing articles have been ``guessed'' at, and are
5575 displayed as empty lines in the summary buffer.
5581 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
5582 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
5586 @node Customizing Threading
5587 @subsection Customizing Threading
5588 @cindex customizing threading
5591 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
5592 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
5593 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
5594 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over... but you were wrong!
5599 @subsubsection Loose Threads
5602 @cindex loose threads
5605 @item gnus-summary-make-false-root
5606 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root
5607 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will gather all loose subtrees into one big tree
5608 and create a dummy root at the top. (Wait a minute. Root at the top?
5609 Yup.) Loose subtrees occur when the real root has expired, or you've
5610 read or killed the root in a previous session.
5612 When there is no real root of a thread, Gnus will have to fudge
5613 something. This variable says what fudging method Gnus should use.
5614 There are four possible values:
5618 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{390}{
5619 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-adopt.ps,width=7.5cm}}
5620 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-empty.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
5621 \put(0,400){\makebox(0,0)[tl]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-none.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
5622 \put(445,400){\makebox(0,0)[tr]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-dummy.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
5627 @cindex adopting articles
5632 Gnus will make the first of the orphaned articles the parent. This
5633 parent will adopt all the other articles. The adopted articles will be
5634 marked as such by pointy brackets (@samp{<>}) instead of the standard
5635 square brackets (@samp{[]}). This is the default method.
5638 @vindex gnus-summary-dummy-line-format
5639 Gnus will create a dummy summary line that will pretend to be the
5640 parent. This dummy line does not correspond to any real article, so
5641 selecting it will just select the first real article after the dummy
5642 article. @code{gnus-summary-dummy-line-format} is used to specify the
5643 format of the dummy roots. It accepts only one format spec: @samp{S},
5644 which is the subject of the article. @xref{Formatting Variables}.
5647 Gnus won't actually make any article the parent, but simply leave the
5648 subject field of all orphans except the first empty. (Actually, it will
5649 use @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} as the subject (@pxref{Summary
5653 Don't make any article parent at all. Just gather the threads and
5654 display them after one another.
5657 Don't gather loose threads.
5660 @item gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
5661 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
5662 Loose threads are gathered by comparing subjects of articles. If this
5663 variable is @code{nil}, Gnus requires an exact match between the
5664 subjects of the loose threads before gathering them into one big
5665 super-thread. This might be too strict a requirement, what with the
5666 presence of stupid newsreaders that chop off long subject lines. If
5667 you think so, set this variable to, say, 20 to require that only the
5668 first 20 characters of the subjects have to match. If you set this
5669 variable to a really low number, you'll find that Gnus will gather
5670 everything in sight into one thread, which isn't very helpful.
5672 @cindex fuzzy article gathering
5673 If you set this variable to the special value @code{fuzzy}, Gnus will
5674 use a fuzzy string comparison algorithm on the subjects (@pxref{Fuzzy
5677 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
5678 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
5679 This can either be a regular expression or list of regular expressions
5680 that match strings that will be removed from subjects if fuzzy subject
5681 simplification is used.
5683 @item gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
5684 @vindex gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
5685 If you set @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit} to something as low
5686 as 10, you might consider setting this variable to something sensible:
5688 @c Written by Michael Ernst <mernst@cs.rice.edu>
5690 (setq gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
5696 "wanted" "followup" "summary\\( of\\)?"
5697 "help" "query" "problem" "question"
5698 "answer" "reference" "announce"
5699 "How can I" "How to" "Comparison of"
5704 (mapconcat 'identity
5705 '("for" "for reference" "with" "about")
5707 "\\)?\\]?:?[ \t]*"))
5710 All words that match this regexp will be removed before comparing two
5713 @item gnus-simplify-subject-functions
5714 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-functions
5715 If non-@code{nil}, this variable overrides
5716 @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}. This variable should be a
5717 list of functions to apply to the @code{Subject} string iteratively to
5718 arrive at the simplified version of the string.
5720 Useful functions to put in this list include:
5723 @item gnus-simplify-subject-re
5724 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-re
5725 Strip the leading @samp{Re:}.
5727 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
5728 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
5731 @item gnus-simplify-whitespace
5732 @findex gnus-simplify-whitespace
5733 Remove excessive whitespace.
5736 You may also write your own functions, of course.
5739 @item gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
5740 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
5741 Since loose thread gathering is done on subjects only, that might lead
5742 to many false hits, especially with certain common subjects like
5743 @samp{} and @samp{(none)}. To make the situation slightly better,
5744 you can use the regexp @code{gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject} to say
5745 what subjects should be excluded from the gathering process.@*
5746 The default is @samp{^ *$\\|^(none)$}.
5748 @item gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
5749 @vindex gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
5750 Gnus gathers threads by looking at @code{Subject} headers. This means
5751 that totally unrelated articles may end up in the same ``thread'', which
5752 is confusing. An alternate approach is to look at all the
5753 @code{Message-ID}s in all the @code{References} headers to find matches.
5754 This will ensure that no gathered threads ever include unrelated
5755 articles, but it also means that people who have posted with broken
5756 newsreaders won't be gathered properly. The choice is yours---plague or
5760 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
5761 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
5762 This function is the default gathering function and looks at
5763 @code{Subject}s exclusively.
5765 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-references
5766 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-references
5767 This function looks at @code{References} headers exclusively.
5770 If you want to test gathering by @code{References}, you could say
5774 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
5775 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
5781 @node Filling In Threads
5782 @subsubsection Filling In Threads
5785 @item gnus-fetch-old-headers
5786 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-headers
5787 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will attempt to build old threads by fetching
5788 more old headers---headers to articles marked as read. If you
5789 would like to display as few summary lines as possible, but still
5790 connect as many loose threads as possible, you should set this variable
5791 to @code{some} or a number. If you set it to a number, no more than
5792 that number of extra old headers will be fetched. In either case,
5793 fetching old headers only works if the backend you are using carries
5794 overview files---this would normally be @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and
5795 @code{nnml}. Also remember that if the root of the thread has been
5796 expired by the server, there's not much Gnus can do about that.
5798 This variable can also be set to @code{invisible}. This won't have any
5799 visible effects, but is useful if you use the @kbd{A T} command a lot
5800 (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
5802 @item gnus-build-sparse-threads
5803 @vindex gnus-build-sparse-threads
5804 Fetching old headers can be slow. A low-rent similar effect can be
5805 gotten by setting this variable to @code{some}. Gnus will then look at
5806 the complete @code{References} headers of all articles and try to string
5807 together articles that belong in the same thread. This will leave
5808 @dfn{gaps} in the threading display where Gnus guesses that an article
5809 is missing from the thread. (These gaps appear like normal summary
5810 lines. If you select a gap, Gnus will try to fetch the article in
5811 question.) If this variable is @code{t}, Gnus will display all these
5812 ``gaps'' without regard for whether they are useful for completing the
5813 thread or not. Finally, if this variable is @code{more}, Gnus won't cut
5814 off sparse leaf nodes that don't lead anywhere. This variable is
5815 @code{nil} by default.
5817 @item gnus-read-all-available-headers
5818 @vindex gnus-read-all-available-headers
5819 This is a rather obscure variable that few will find useful. It's
5820 intended for those non-news newsgroups where the backend has to fetch
5821 quite a lot to present the summary buffer, and where it's impossible to
5822 go back to parents of articles. This is mostly the case in the
5823 web-based groups, like the @code{nnultimate} groups.
5825 If you don't use those, then it's safe to leave this as the default
5826 @code{nil}. If you want to use this variable, it should be a regexp
5827 that matches the group name, or @code{t} for all groups.
5832 @node More Threading
5833 @subsubsection More Threading
5836 @item gnus-show-threads
5837 @vindex gnus-show-threads
5838 If this variable is @code{nil}, no threading will be done, and all of
5839 the rest of the variables here will have no effect. Turning threading
5840 off will speed group selection up a bit, but it is sure to make reading
5841 slower and more awkward.
5843 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
5844 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-subtree
5845 If non-@code{nil}, all threads will be hidden when the summary buffer is
5848 @item gnus-thread-expunge-below
5849 @vindex gnus-thread-expunge-below
5850 All threads that have a total score (as defined by
5851 @code{gnus-thread-score-function}) less than this number will be
5852 expunged. This variable is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
5853 threads are expunged.
5855 @item gnus-thread-hide-killed
5856 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-killed
5857 if you kill a thread and this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subtree
5860 @item gnus-thread-ignore-subject
5861 @vindex gnus-thread-ignore-subject
5862 Sometimes somebody changes the subject in the middle of a thread. If
5863 this variable is non-@code{nil}, which is the default, the subject
5864 change is ignored. If it is @code{nil}, a change in the subject will
5865 result in a new thread.
5867 @item gnus-thread-indent-level
5868 @vindex gnus-thread-indent-level
5869 This is a number that says how much each sub-thread should be indented.
5872 @item gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
5873 @vindex gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
5874 Sometimes, particularly with mailing lists, the order in which mails
5875 arrive locally is not necessarily the same as the order in which they
5876 arrived on the mailing list. Consequently, when sorting sub-threads
5877 using the default @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number}, responses can end
5878 up appearing before the article to which they are responding to.
5879 Setting this variable to an alternate value
5880 (e.g. @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}), in a group's parameters or in an
5881 appropriate hook (e.g. @code{gnus-summary-generate-hook}) can produce a
5882 more logical sub-thread ordering in such instances.
5887 @node Low-Level Threading
5888 @subsubsection Low-Level Threading
5892 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
5893 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
5894 Hook run before parsing any headers.
5896 @item gnus-alter-header-function
5897 @vindex gnus-alter-header-function
5898 If non-@code{nil}, this function will be called to allow alteration of
5899 article header structures. The function is called with one parameter,
5900 the article header vector, which it may alter in any way. For instance,
5901 if you have a mail-to-news gateway which alters the @code{Message-ID}s
5902 in systematic ways (by adding prefixes and such), you can use this
5903 variable to un-scramble the @code{Message-ID}s so that they are more
5904 meaningful. Here's one example:
5907 (setq gnus-alter-header-function 'my-alter-message-id)
5909 (defun my-alter-message-id (header)
5910 (let ((id (mail-header-id header)))
5912 "\\(<[^<>@@]*\\)\\.?cygnus\\..*@@\\([^<>@@]*>\\)" id)
5914 (concat (match-string 1 id) "@@" (match-string 2 id))
5921 @node Thread Commands
5922 @subsection Thread Commands
5923 @cindex thread commands
5929 @kindex T k (Summary)
5930 @kindex M-C-k (Summary)
5931 @findex gnus-summary-kill-thread
5932 Mark all articles in the current (sub-)thread as read
5933 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}). If the prefix argument is positive,
5934 remove all marks instead. If the prefix argument is negative, tick
5939 @kindex T l (Summary)
5940 @kindex M-C-l (Summary)
5941 @findex gnus-summary-lower-thread
5942 Lower the score of the current (sub-)thread
5943 (@code{gnus-summary-lower-thread}).
5946 @kindex T i (Summary)
5947 @findex gnus-summary-raise-thread
5948 Increase the score of the current (sub-)thread
5949 (@code{gnus-summary-raise-thread}).
5952 @kindex T # (Summary)
5953 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
5954 Set the process mark on the current (sub-)thread
5955 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
5958 @kindex T M-# (Summary)
5959 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
5960 Remove the process mark from the current (sub-)thread
5961 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
5964 @kindex T T (Summary)
5965 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-threads
5966 Toggle threading (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-threads}).
5969 @kindex T s (Summary)
5970 @findex gnus-summary-show-thread
5971 Expose the (sub-)thread hidden under the current article, if any
5972 (@code{gnus-summary-show-thread}).
5975 @kindex T h (Summary)
5976 @findex gnus-summary-hide-thread
5977 Hide the current (sub-)thread (@code{gnus-summary-hide-thread}).
5980 @kindex T S (Summary)
5981 @findex gnus-summary-show-all-threads
5982 Expose all hidden threads (@code{gnus-summary-show-all-threads}).
5985 @kindex T H (Summary)
5986 @findex gnus-summary-hide-all-threads
5987 Hide all threads (@code{gnus-summary-hide-all-threads}).
5990 @kindex T t (Summary)
5991 @findex gnus-summary-rethread-current
5992 Re-thread the current article's thread
5993 (@code{gnus-summary-rethread-current}). This works even when the
5994 summary buffer is otherwise unthreaded.
5997 @kindex T ^ (Summary)
5998 @findex gnus-summary-reparent-thread
5999 Make the current article the child of the marked (or previous) article
6000 (@code{gnus-summary-reparent-thread}).
6004 The following commands are thread movement commands. They all
6005 understand the numeric prefix.
6010 @kindex T n (Summary)
6012 @kindex M-C-n (Summary)
6014 @kindex M-down (Summary)
6015 @findex gnus-summary-next-thread
6016 Go to the next thread (@code{gnus-summary-next-thread}).
6019 @kindex T p (Summary)
6021 @kindex M-C-p (Summary)
6023 @kindex M-up (Summary)
6024 @findex gnus-summary-prev-thread
6025 Go to the previous thread (@code{gnus-summary-prev-thread}).
6028 @kindex T d (Summary)
6029 @findex gnus-summary-down-thread
6030 Descend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-down-thread}).
6033 @kindex T u (Summary)
6034 @findex gnus-summary-up-thread
6035 Ascend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-up-thread}).
6038 @kindex T o (Summary)
6039 @findex gnus-summary-top-thread
6040 Go to the top of the thread (@code{gnus-summary-top-thread}).
6043 @vindex gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject
6044 If you ignore subject while threading, you'll naturally end up with
6045 threads that have several different subjects in them. If you then issue
6046 a command like `T k' (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}) you might not
6047 wish to kill the entire thread, but just those parts of the thread that
6048 have the same subject as the current article. If you like this idea,
6049 you can fiddle with @code{gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject}. If it
6050 is non-@code{nil} (which it is by default), subjects will be ignored
6051 when doing thread commands. If this variable is @code{nil}, articles in
6052 the same thread with different subjects will not be included in the
6053 operation in question. If this variable is @code{fuzzy}, only articles
6054 that have subjects fuzzily equal will be included (@pxref{Fuzzy
6058 @node Sorting the Summary Buffer
6059 @section Sorting the Summary Buffer
6061 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score
6062 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date
6063 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-score
6064 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
6065 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-author
6066 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-number
6067 @vindex gnus-thread-sort-functions
6068 If you are using a threaded summary display, you can sort the threads by
6069 setting @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, which can be either a single
6070 function, a list of functions, or a list containing functions and
6071 @code{(not some-function)} elements.
6073 By default, sorting is done on article numbers. Ready-made sorting
6074 predicate functions include @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number},
6075 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-subject},
6076 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-score}, and
6077 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score}.
6079 Each function takes two threads and returns non-@code{nil} if the first
6080 thread should be sorted before the other. Note that sorting really is
6081 normally done by looking only at the roots of each thread.
6083 If you use more than one function, the primary sort key should be the
6084 last function in the list. You should probably always include
6085 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number} in the list of sorting
6086 functions---preferably first. This will ensure that threads that are
6087 equal with respect to the other sort criteria will be displayed in
6088 ascending article order.
6090 If you would like to sort by reverse score, then by subject, and finally
6091 by number, you could do something like:
6094 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
6095 '(gnus-thread-sort-by-number
6096 gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
6097 (not gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score)))
6100 The threads that have highest score will be displayed first in the
6101 summary buffer. When threads have the same score, they will be sorted
6102 alphabetically. The threads that have the same score and the same
6103 subject will be sorted by number, which is (normally) the sequence in
6104 which the articles arrived.
6106 If you want to sort by score and then reverse arrival order, you could
6110 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
6112 (not (gnus-thread-sort-by-number t1 t2)))
6113 gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
6116 @vindex gnus-thread-score-function
6117 The function in the @code{gnus-thread-score-function} variable (default
6118 @code{+}) is used for calculating the total score of a thread. Useful
6119 functions might be @code{max}, @code{min}, or squared means, or whatever
6122 @findex gnus-article-sort-functions
6123 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-date
6124 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-score
6125 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-subject
6126 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-author
6127 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-number
6128 If you are using an unthreaded display for some strange reason or other,
6129 you have to fiddle with the @code{gnus-article-sort-functions} variable.
6130 It is very similar to the @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, except that
6131 it uses slightly different functions for article comparison. Available
6132 sorting predicate functions are @code{gnus-article-sort-by-number},
6133 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-article-sort-by-subject},
6134 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-date}, and @code{gnus-article-sort-by-score}.
6136 If you want to sort an unthreaded summary display by subject, you could
6140 (setq gnus-article-sort-functions
6141 '(gnus-article-sort-by-number
6142 gnus-article-sort-by-subject))
6147 @node Asynchronous Fetching
6148 @section Asynchronous Article Fetching
6149 @cindex asynchronous article fetching
6150 @cindex article pre-fetch
6153 If you read your news from an @sc{nntp} server that's far away, the
6154 network latencies may make reading articles a chore. You have to wait
6155 for a while after pressing @kbd{n} to go to the next article before the
6156 article appears. Why can't Gnus just go ahead and fetch the article
6157 while you are reading the previous one? Why not, indeed.
6159 First, some caveats. There are some pitfalls to using asynchronous
6160 article fetching, especially the way Gnus does it.
6162 Let's say you are reading article 1, which is short, and article 2 is
6163 quite long, and you are not interested in reading that. Gnus does not
6164 know this, so it goes ahead and fetches article 2. You decide to read
6165 article 3, but since Gnus is in the process of fetching article 2, the
6166 connection is blocked.
6168 To avoid these situations, Gnus will open two (count 'em two)
6169 connections to the server. Some people may think this isn't a very nice
6170 thing to do, but I don't see any real alternatives. Setting up that
6171 extra connection takes some time, so Gnus startup will be slower.
6173 Gnus will fetch more articles than you will read. This will mean that
6174 the link between your machine and the @sc{nntp} server will become more
6175 loaded than if you didn't use article pre-fetch. The server itself will
6176 also become more loaded---both with the extra article requests, and the
6179 Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing... unless
6182 @vindex gnus-asynchronous
6183 Here's how: Set @code{gnus-asynchronous} to @code{t}. The rest should
6184 happen automatically.
6186 @vindex gnus-use-article-prefetch
6187 You can control how many articles are to be pre-fetched by setting
6188 @code{gnus-use-article-prefetch}. This is 30 by default, which means
6189 that when you read an article in the group, the backend will pre-fetch
6190 the next 30 articles. If this variable is @code{t}, the backend will
6191 pre-fetch all the articles it can without bound. If it is
6192 @code{nil}, no pre-fetching will be done.
6194 @vindex gnus-async-prefetch-article-p
6195 @findex gnus-async-read-p
6196 There are probably some articles that you don't want to pre-fetch---read
6197 articles, for instance. The @code{gnus-async-prefetch-article-p} variable controls whether an article is to be pre-fetched. This function should
6198 return non-@code{nil} when the article in question is to be
6199 pre-fetched. The default is @code{gnus-async-read-p}, which returns
6200 @code{nil} on read articles. The function is called with an article
6201 data structure as the only parameter.
6203 If, for instance, you wish to pre-fetch only unread articles shorter than 100 lines, you could say something like:
6206 (defun my-async-short-unread-p (data)
6207 "Return non-nil for short, unread articles."
6208 (and (gnus-data-unread-p data)
6209 (< (mail-header-lines (gnus-data-header data))
6212 (setq gnus-async-prefetch-article-p 'my-async-short-unread-p)
6215 These functions will be called many, many times, so they should
6216 preferably be short and sweet to avoid slowing down Gnus too much.
6217 It's probably a good idea to byte-compile things like this.
6219 @vindex gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy
6220 Articles have to be removed from the asynch buffer sooner or later. The
6221 @code{gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy} says when to remove
6222 articles. This is a list that may contain the following elements:
6226 Remove articles when they are read.
6229 Remove articles when exiting the group.
6232 The default value is @code{(read exit)}.
6234 @c @vindex gnus-use-header-prefetch
6235 @c If @code{gnus-use-header-prefetch} is non-@code{nil}, prefetch articles
6236 @c from the next group.
6239 @node Article Caching
6240 @section Article Caching
6241 @cindex article caching
6244 If you have an @emph{extremely} slow @sc{nntp} connection, you may
6245 consider turning article caching on. Each article will then be stored
6246 locally under your home directory. As you may surmise, this could
6247 potentially use @emph{huge} amounts of disk space, as well as eat up all
6248 your inodes so fast it will make your head swim. In vodka.
6250 Used carefully, though, it could be just an easier way to save articles.
6252 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
6253 @vindex gnus-cache-directory
6254 @vindex gnus-use-cache
6255 To turn caching on, set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{t}. By default,
6256 all articles ticked or marked as dormant will then be copied
6257 over to your local cache (@code{gnus-cache-directory}). Whether this
6258 cache is flat or hierarchical is controlled by the
6259 @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable, as usual.
6261 When re-selecting a ticked or dormant article, it will be fetched from the
6262 cache instead of from the server. As articles in your cache will never
6263 expire, this might serve as a method of saving articles while still
6264 keeping them where they belong. Just mark all articles you want to save
6265 as dormant, and don't worry.
6267 When an article is marked as read, is it removed from the cache.
6269 @vindex gnus-cache-remove-articles
6270 @vindex gnus-cache-enter-articles
6271 The entering/removal of articles from the cache is controlled by the
6272 @code{gnus-cache-enter-articles} and @code{gnus-cache-remove-articles}
6273 variables. Both are lists of symbols. The first is @code{(ticked
6274 dormant)} by default, meaning that ticked and dormant articles will be
6275 put in the cache. The latter is @code{(read)} by default, meaning that
6276 articles marked as read are removed from the cache. Possibly
6277 symbols in these two lists are @code{ticked}, @code{dormant},
6278 @code{unread} and @code{read}.
6280 @findex gnus-jog-cache
6281 So where does the massive article-fetching and storing come into the
6282 picture? The @code{gnus-jog-cache} command will go through all
6283 subscribed newsgroups, request all unread articles, score them, and
6284 store them in the cache. You should only ever, ever ever ever, use this
6285 command if 1) your connection to the @sc{nntp} server is really, really,
6286 really slow and 2) you have a really, really, really huge disk.
6287 Seriously. One way to cut down on the number of articles downloaded is
6288 to score unwanted articles down and have them marked as read. They will
6289 not then be downloaded by this command.
6291 @vindex gnus-uncacheable-groups
6292 @vindex gnus-cacheable-groups
6293 It is likely that you do not want caching on all groups. For instance,
6294 if your @code{nnml} mail is located under your home directory, it makes no
6295 sense to cache it somewhere else under your home directory. Unless you
6296 feel that it's neat to use twice as much space.
6298 To limit the caching, you could set @code{gnus-cacheable-groups} to a
6299 regexp of groups to cache, @samp{^nntp} for instance, or set the
6300 @code{gnus-uncacheable-groups} regexp to @samp{^nnml}, for instance.
6301 Both variables are @code{nil} by default. If a group matches both
6302 variables, the group is not cached.
6304 @findex gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases
6305 @findex gnus-cache-generate-active
6306 @vindex gnus-cache-active-file
6307 The cache stores information on what articles it contains in its active
6308 file (@code{gnus-cache-active-file}). If this file (or any other parts
6309 of the cache) becomes all messed up for some reason or other, Gnus
6310 offers two functions that will try to set things right. @kbd{M-x
6311 gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases} will (re)build all the @sc{nov}
6312 files, and @kbd{gnus-cache-generate-active} will (re)generate the active
6316 @node Persistent Articles
6317 @section Persistent Articles
6318 @cindex persistent articles
6320 Closely related to article caching, we have @dfn{persistent articles}.
6321 In fact, it's just a different way of looking at caching, and much more
6322 useful in my opinion.
6324 Say you're reading a newsgroup, and you happen on to some valuable gem
6325 that you want to keep and treasure forever. You'd normally just save it
6326 (using one of the many saving commands) in some file. The problem with
6327 that is that it's just, well, yucky. Ideally you'd prefer just having
6328 the article remain in the group where you found it forever; untouched by
6329 the expiry going on at the news server.
6331 This is what a @dfn{persistent article} is---an article that just won't
6332 be deleted. It's implemented using the normal cache functions, but
6333 you use two explicit commands for managing persistent articles:
6339 @findex gnus-cache-enter-article
6340 Make the current article persistent (@code{gnus-cache-enter-article}).
6343 @kindex M-* (Summary)
6344 @findex gnus-cache-remove-article
6345 Remove the current article from the persistent articles
6346 (@code{gnus-cache-remove-article}). This will normally delete the
6350 Both these commands understand the process/prefix convention.
6352 To avoid having all ticked articles (and stuff) entered into the cache,
6353 you should set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{passive} if you're just
6354 interested in persistent articles:
6357 (setq gnus-use-cache 'passive)
6361 @node Article Backlog
6362 @section Article Backlog
6364 @cindex article backlog
6366 If you have a slow connection, but the idea of using caching seems
6367 unappealing to you (and it is, really), you can help the situation some
6368 by switching on the @dfn{backlog}. This is where Gnus will buffer
6369 already read articles so that it doesn't have to re-fetch articles
6370 you've already read. This only helps if you are in the habit of
6371 re-selecting articles you've recently read, of course. If you never do
6372 that, turning the backlog on will slow Gnus down a little bit, and
6373 increase memory usage some.
6375 @vindex gnus-keep-backlog
6376 If you set @code{gnus-keep-backlog} to a number @var{n}, Gnus will store
6377 at most @var{n} old articles in a buffer for later re-fetching. If this
6378 variable is non-@code{nil} and is not a number, Gnus will store
6379 @emph{all} read articles, which means that your Emacs will grow without
6380 bound before exploding and taking your machine down with you. I put
6381 that in there just to keep y'all on your toes.
6383 This variable is @code{nil} by default.
6386 @node Saving Articles
6387 @section Saving Articles
6388 @cindex saving articles
6390 Gnus can save articles in a number of ways. Below is the documentation
6391 for saving articles in a fairly straight-forward fashion (i.e., little
6392 processing of the article is done before it is saved). For a different
6393 approach (uudecoding, unsharing) you should use @code{gnus-uu}
6394 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
6396 @vindex gnus-save-all-headers
6397 If @code{gnus-save-all-headers} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will not delete
6398 unwanted headers before saving the article.
6400 @vindex gnus-saved-headers
6401 If the preceding variable is @code{nil}, all headers that match the
6402 @code{gnus-saved-headers} regexp will be kept, while the rest will be
6403 deleted before saving.
6409 @kindex O o (Summary)
6411 @findex gnus-summary-save-article
6412 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article}
6413 Save the current article using the default article saver
6414 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article}).
6417 @kindex O m (Summary)
6418 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-mail
6419 Save the current article in mail format
6420 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-mail}).
6423 @kindex O r (Summary)
6424 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-rmail
6425 Save the current article in rmail format
6426 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-rmail}).
6429 @kindex O f (Summary)
6430 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-file
6431 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article-file}
6432 Save the current article in plain file format
6433 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-file}).
6436 @kindex O F (Summary)
6437 @findex gnus-summary-write-article-file
6438 Write the current article in plain file format, overwriting any previous
6439 file contents (@code{gnus-summary-write-article-file}).
6442 @kindex O b (Summary)
6443 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-body-file
6444 Save the current article body in plain file format
6445 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-body-file}).
6448 @kindex O h (Summary)
6449 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-folder
6450 Save the current article in mh folder format
6451 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-folder}).
6454 @kindex O v (Summary)
6455 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-vm
6456 Save the current article in a VM folder
6457 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-vm}).
6460 @kindex O p (Summary)
6461 @findex gnus-summary-pipe-output
6462 Save the current article in a pipe. Uhm, like, what I mean is---Pipe
6463 the current article to a process (@code{gnus-summary-pipe-output}).
6466 @vindex gnus-prompt-before-saving
6467 All these commands use the process/prefix convention
6468 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). If you save bunches of articles using these
6469 functions, you might get tired of being prompted for files to save each
6470 and every article in. The prompting action is controlled by
6471 the @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} variable, which is @code{always} by
6472 default, giving you that excessive prompting action you know and
6473 loathe. If you set this variable to @code{t} instead, you'll be prompted
6474 just once for each series of articles you save. If you like to really
6475 have Gnus do all your thinking for you, you can even set this variable
6476 to @code{nil}, which means that you will never be prompted for files to
6477 save articles in. Gnus will simply save all the articles in the default
6481 @vindex gnus-default-article-saver
6482 You can customize the @code{gnus-default-article-saver} variable to make
6483 Gnus do what you want it to. You can use any of the six ready-made
6484 functions below, or you can create your own.
6488 @item gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
6489 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
6490 @vindex gnus-rmail-save-name
6491 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
6492 This is the default format, @dfn{babyl}. Uses the function in the
6493 @code{gnus-rmail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
6494 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
6496 @item gnus-summary-save-in-mail
6497 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-mail
6498 @vindex gnus-mail-save-name
6499 Save in a Unix mail (mbox) file. Uses the function in the
6500 @code{gnus-mail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
6501 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
6503 @item gnus-summary-save-in-file
6504 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-file
6505 @vindex gnus-file-save-name
6506 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
6507 Append the article straight to an ordinary file. Uses the function in
6508 the @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
6509 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
6511 @item gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
6512 @findex gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
6513 Append the article body to an ordinary file. Uses the function in the
6514 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
6515 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
6517 @item gnus-summary-save-in-folder
6518 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-folder
6519 @findex gnus-folder-save-name
6520 @findex gnus-Folder-save-name
6521 @vindex gnus-folder-save-name
6524 Save the article to an MH folder using @code{rcvstore} from the MH
6525 library. Uses the function in the @code{gnus-folder-save-name} variable
6526 to get a file name to save the article in. The default is
6527 @code{gnus-folder-save-name}, but you can also use
6528 @code{gnus-Folder-save-name}, which creates capitalized names.
6530 @item gnus-summary-save-in-vm
6531 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-vm
6532 Save the article in a VM folder. You have to have the VM mail
6533 reader to use this setting.
6536 @vindex gnus-article-save-directory
6537 All of these functions, except for the last one, will save the article
6538 in the @code{gnus-article-save-directory}, which is initialized from the
6539 @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable. This is @file{~/News/} by
6542 As you can see above, the functions use different functions to find a
6543 suitable name of a file to save the article in. Below is a list of
6544 available functions that generate names:
6548 @item gnus-Numeric-save-name
6549 @findex gnus-Numeric-save-name
6550 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
6552 @item gnus-numeric-save-name
6553 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
6554 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
6556 @item gnus-Plain-save-name
6557 @findex gnus-Plain-save-name
6558 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin}.
6560 @item gnus-plain-save-name
6561 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
6562 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.
6564 @item gnus-sender-save-name
6565 @findex gnus-sender-save-name
6566 File names like @file{~/News/larsi}.
6569 @vindex gnus-split-methods
6570 You can have Gnus suggest where to save articles by plonking a regexp into
6571 the @code{gnus-split-methods} alist. For instance, if you would like to
6572 save articles related to Gnus in the file @file{gnus-stuff}, and articles
6573 related to VM in @code{vm-stuff}, you could set this variable to something
6577 (("^Subject:.*gnus\\|^Newsgroups:.*gnus" "gnus-stuff")
6578 ("^Subject:.*vm\\|^Xref:.*vm" "vm-stuff")
6579 (my-choosing-function "../other-dir/my-stuff")
6580 ((equal gnus-newsgroup-name "mail.misc") "mail-stuff"))
6583 We see that this is a list where each element is a list that has two
6584 elements---the @dfn{match} and the @dfn{file}. The match can either be
6585 a string (in which case it is used as a regexp to match on the article
6586 head); it can be a symbol (which will be called as a function with the
6587 group name as a parameter); or it can be a list (which will be
6588 @code{eval}ed). If any of these actions have a non-@code{nil} result,
6589 the @dfn{file} will be used as a default prompt. In addition, the
6590 result of the operation itself will be used if the function or form
6591 called returns a string or a list of strings.
6593 You basically end up with a list of file names that might be used when
6594 saving the current article. (All ``matches'' will be used.) You will
6595 then be prompted for what you really want to use as a name, with file
6596 name completion over the results from applying this variable.
6598 This variable is @code{((gnus-article-archive-name))} by default, which
6599 means that Gnus will look at the articles it saves for an
6600 @code{Archive-name} line and use that as a suggestion for the file
6603 Here's an example function to clean up file names somewhat. If you have
6604 lots of mail groups called things like
6605 @samp{nnml:mail.whatever}, you may want to chop off the beginning of
6606 these group names before creating the file name to save to. The
6607 following will do just that:
6610 (defun my-save-name (group)
6611 (when (string-match "^nnml:mail." group)
6612 (substring group (match-end 0))))
6614 (setq gnus-split-methods
6615 '((gnus-article-archive-name)
6620 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
6621 Finally, you have the @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable. If it is
6622 @code{nil}, all the preceding functions will replace all periods
6623 (@samp{.}) in the group names with slashes (@samp{/})---which means that
6624 the functions will generate hierarchies of directories instead of having
6625 all the files in the top level directory
6626 (@file{~/News/alt/andrea-dworkin} instead of
6627 @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.) This variable is @code{t} by default
6628 on most systems. However, for historical reasons, this is @code{nil} on
6629 Xenix and usg-unix-v machines by default.
6631 This function also affects kill and score file names. If this variable
6632 is a list, and the list contains the element @code{not-score}, long file
6633 names will not be used for score files, if it contains the element
6634 @code{not-save}, long file names will not be used for saving, and if it
6635 contains the element @code{not-kill}, long file names will not be used
6638 If you'd like to save articles in a hierarchy that looks something like
6642 (setq gnus-use-long-file-name '(not-save)) ; to get a hierarchy
6643 (setq gnus-default-article-saver
6644 'gnus-summary-save-in-file) ; no encoding
6647 Then just save with @kbd{o}. You'd then read this hierarchy with
6648 ephemeral @code{nneething} groups---@kbd{G D} in the group buffer, and
6649 the top level directory as the argument (@file{~/News/}). Then just walk
6650 around to the groups/directories with @code{nneething}.
6653 @node Decoding Articles
6654 @section Decoding Articles
6655 @cindex decoding articles
6657 Sometime users post articles (or series of articles) that have been
6658 encoded in some way or other. Gnus can decode them for you.
6661 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
6662 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
6663 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
6664 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
6665 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
6666 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
6670 @cindex article series
6671 All these functions use the process/prefix convention
6672 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) for finding out what articles to work on, with
6673 the extension that a ``single article'' means ``a single series''. Gnus
6674 can find out by itself what articles belong to a series, decode all the
6675 articles and unpack/view/save the resulting file(s).
6677 Gnus guesses what articles are in the series according to the following
6678 simplish rule: The subjects must be (nearly) identical, except for the
6679 last two numbers of the line. (Spaces are largely ignored, however.)
6681 For example: If you choose a subject called @samp{cat.gif (2/3)}, Gnus
6682 will find all the articles that match the regexp @samp{^cat.gif
6683 ([0-9]+/[0-9]+).*$}.
6685 Subjects that are non-standard, like @samp{cat.gif (2/3) Part 6 of a
6686 series}, will not be properly recognized by any of the automatic viewing
6687 commands, and you have to mark the articles manually with @kbd{#}.
6690 @node Uuencoded Articles
6691 @subsection Uuencoded Articles
6693 @cindex uuencoded articles
6698 @kindex X u (Summary)
6699 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu
6700 @c @icon{gnus-uu-decode-uu}
6701 Uudecodes the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}).
6704 @kindex X U (Summary)
6705 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save
6706 Uudecodes and saves the current series
6707 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
6710 @kindex X v u (Summary)
6711 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-view
6712 Uudecodes and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-view}).
6715 @kindex X v U (Summary)
6716 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view
6717 Uudecodes, views and saves the current series
6718 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view}).
6722 Remember that these all react to the presence of articles marked with
6723 the process mark. If, for instance, you'd like to decode and save an
6724 entire newsgroup, you'd typically do @kbd{M P a}
6725 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}) and then @kbd{X U}
6726 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
6728 All this is very much different from how @code{gnus-uu} worked with
6729 @sc{gnus 4.1}, where you had explicit keystrokes for everything under
6730 the sun. This version of @code{gnus-uu} generally assumes that you mark
6731 articles in some way (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}) and then press
6734 @vindex gnus-uu-notify-files
6735 Note: When trying to decode articles that have names matching
6736 @code{gnus-uu-notify-files}, which is hard-coded to
6737 @samp{[Cc][Ii][Nn][Dd][Yy][0-9]+.\\(gif\\|jpg\\)}, @code{gnus-uu} will
6738 automatically post an article on @samp{comp.unix.wizards} saying that
6739 you have just viewed the file in question. This feature can't be turned
6743 @node Shell Archives
6744 @subsection Shell Archives
6746 @cindex shell archives
6747 @cindex shared articles
6749 Shell archives (``shar files'') used to be a popular way to distribute
6750 sources, but it isn't used all that much today. In any case, we have
6751 some commands to deal with these:
6756 @kindex X s (Summary)
6757 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar
6758 Unshars the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar}).
6761 @kindex X S (Summary)
6762 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save
6763 Unshars and saves the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save}).
6766 @kindex X v s (Summary)
6767 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view
6768 Unshars and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view}).
6771 @kindex X v S (Summary)
6772 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view
6773 Unshars, views and saves the current series
6774 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view}).
6778 @node PostScript Files
6779 @subsection PostScript Files
6785 @kindex X p (Summary)
6786 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript
6787 Unpack the current PostScript series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript}).
6790 @kindex X P (Summary)
6791 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save
6792 Unpack and save the current PostScript series
6793 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save}).
6796 @kindex X v p (Summary)
6797 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view
6798 View the current PostScript series
6799 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view}).
6802 @kindex X v P (Summary)
6803 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view
6804 View and save the current PostScript series
6805 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view}).
6810 @subsection Other Files
6814 @kindex X o (Summary)
6815 @findex gnus-uu-decode-save
6816 Save the current series
6817 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-save}).
6820 @kindex X b (Summary)
6821 @findex gnus-uu-decode-binhex
6822 Unbinhex the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-binhex}). This
6823 doesn't really work yet.
6827 @node Decoding Variables
6828 @subsection Decoding Variables
6830 Adjective, not verb.
6833 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
6834 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
6835 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
6839 @node Rule Variables
6840 @subsubsection Rule Variables
6841 @cindex rule variables
6843 Gnus uses @dfn{rule variables} to decide how to view a file. All these
6844 variables are of the form
6847 (list '(regexp1 command2)
6854 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules
6855 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules
6857 This variable is consulted first when viewing files. If you wish to use,
6858 for instance, @code{sox} to convert an @samp{.au} sound file, you could
6861 (setq gnus-uu-user-view-rules
6862 (list '("\\\\.au$" "sox %s -t .aiff > /dev/audio")))
6865 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
6866 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
6867 This variable is consulted if Gnus couldn't make any matches from the
6868 user and default view rules.
6870 @item gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
6871 @vindex gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
6872 This variable can be used to say what commands should be used to unpack
6877 @node Other Decode Variables
6878 @subsubsection Other Decode Variables
6881 @vindex gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
6883 @item gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
6884 All functions in this list will be called right after each file has been
6885 successfully decoded---so that you can move or view files right away,
6886 and don't have to wait for all files to be decoded before you can do
6887 anything. Ready-made functions you can put in this list are:
6891 @item gnus-uu-grab-view
6892 @findex gnus-uu-grab-view
6895 @item gnus-uu-grab-move
6896 @findex gnus-uu-grab-move
6897 Move the file (if you're using a saving function.)
6900 @item gnus-uu-be-dangerous
6901 @vindex gnus-uu-be-dangerous
6902 Specifies what to do if unusual situations arise during decoding. If
6903 @code{nil}, be as conservative as possible. If @code{t}, ignore things
6904 that didn't work, and overwrite existing files. Otherwise, ask each
6907 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
6908 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
6909 Files with name matching this regular expression won't be viewed.
6911 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
6912 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
6913 Files with a @sc{mime} type matching this variable won't be viewed.
6914 Note that Gnus tries to guess what type the file is based on the name.
6915 @code{gnus-uu} is not a @sc{mime} package (yet), so this is slightly
6918 @item gnus-uu-tmp-dir
6919 @vindex gnus-uu-tmp-dir
6920 Where @code{gnus-uu} does its work.
6922 @item gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
6923 @vindex gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
6924 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} won't peek inside archives
6925 looking for files to display.
6927 @item gnus-uu-view-and-save
6928 @vindex gnus-uu-view-and-save
6929 Non-@code{nil} means that the user will always be asked to save a file
6932 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
6933 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
6934 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default viewing
6937 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
6938 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
6939 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default archive
6942 @item gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
6943 @vindex gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
6944 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will strip all carriage returns
6947 @item gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
6948 @vindex gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
6949 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will mark unsuccessfully
6950 decoded articles as unread.
6952 @item gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
6953 @vindex gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
6954 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will @emph{try} to fix
6955 uuencoded files that have had trailing spaces deleted.
6957 @item gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
6958 @vindex gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
6959 Hook run before sending a message to @code{uudecode}.
6961 @item gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
6962 @vindex gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
6964 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the viewing
6965 commands defined by the rule variables and just fudge a @sc{mime}
6966 content type based on the file name. The result will be fed to
6967 @code{metamail} for viewing.
6969 @item gnus-uu-save-in-digest
6970 @vindex gnus-uu-save-in-digest
6971 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu}, when asked to save without
6972 decoding, will save in digests. If this variable is @code{nil},
6973 @code{gnus-uu} will just save everything in a file without any
6974 embellishments. The digesting almost conforms to RFC 1153---no easy way
6975 to specify any meaningful volume and issue numbers were found, so I
6976 simply dropped them.
6981 @node Uuencoding and Posting
6982 @subsubsection Uuencoding and Posting
6986 @item gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
6987 @vindex gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
6988 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ask for a file to encode
6989 before you compose the article. If this variable is @code{t}, you can
6990 either include an encoded file with @kbd{C-c C-i} or have one included
6991 for you when you post the article.
6993 @item gnus-uu-post-length
6994 @vindex gnus-uu-post-length
6995 Maximum length of an article. The encoded file will be split into how
6996 many articles it takes to post the entire file.
6998 @item gnus-uu-post-threaded
6999 @vindex gnus-uu-post-threaded
7000 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will post the encoded file in a
7001 thread. This may not be smart, as no other decoder I have seen is able
7002 to follow threads when collecting uuencoded articles. (Well, I have
7003 seen one package that does that---@code{gnus-uu}, but somehow, I don't
7004 think that counts...) Default is @code{nil}.
7006 @item gnus-uu-post-separate-description
7007 @vindex gnus-uu-post-separate-description
7008 Non-@code{nil} means that the description will be posted in a separate
7009 article. The first article will typically be numbered (0/x). If this
7010 variable is @code{nil}, the description the user enters will be included
7011 at the beginning of the first article, which will be numbered (1/x).
7012 Default is @code{t}.
7018 @subsection Viewing Files
7019 @cindex viewing files
7020 @cindex pseudo-articles
7022 After decoding, if the file is some sort of archive, Gnus will attempt
7023 to unpack the archive and see if any of the files in the archive can be
7024 viewed. For instance, if you have a gzipped tar file @file{pics.tar.gz}
7025 containing the files @file{pic1.jpg} and @file{pic2.gif}, Gnus will
7026 uncompress and de-tar the main file, and then view the two pictures.
7027 This unpacking process is recursive, so if the archive contains archives
7028 of archives, it'll all be unpacked.
7030 Finally, Gnus will normally insert a @dfn{pseudo-article} for each
7031 extracted file into the summary buffer. If you go to these
7032 ``articles'', you will be prompted for a command to run (usually Gnus
7033 will make a suggestion), and then the command will be run.
7035 @vindex gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously
7036 If @code{gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously} is @code{nil}, Emacs will wait
7037 until the viewing is done before proceeding.
7039 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos
7040 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos} is @code{automatic}, Gnus will not insert
7041 the pseudo-articles into the summary buffer, but view them
7042 immediately. If this variable is @code{not-confirm}, the user won't even
7043 be asked for a confirmation before viewing is done.
7045 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos-separately
7046 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos-separately} is non-@code{nil}, one
7047 pseudo-article will be created for each file to be viewed. If
7048 @code{nil}, all files that use the same viewing command will be given as
7049 a list of parameters to that command.
7051 @vindex gnus-insert-pseudo-articles
7052 If @code{gnus-insert-pseudo-articles} is non-@code{nil}, insert
7053 pseudo-articles when decoding. It is @code{t} by default.
7055 So; there you are, reading your @emph{pseudo-articles} in your
7056 @emph{virtual newsgroup} from the @emph{virtual server}; and you think:
7057 Why isn't anything real anymore? How did we get here?
7060 @node Article Treatment
7061 @section Article Treatment
7063 Reading through this huge manual, you may have quite forgotten that the
7064 object of newsreaders is to actually, like, read what people have
7065 written. Reading articles. Unfortunately, people are quite bad at
7066 writing, so there are tons of functions and variables to make reading
7067 these articles easier.
7070 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
7071 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
7072 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
7073 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
7074 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
7075 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
7076 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
7077 * Article Miscellania:: Various other stuff.
7081 @node Article Highlighting
7082 @subsection Article Highlighting
7083 @cindex highlighting
7085 Not only do you want your article buffer to look like fruit salad, but
7086 you want it to look like technicolor fruit salad.
7091 @kindex W H a (Summary)
7092 @findex gnus-article-highlight
7093 @findex gnus-article-maybe-highlight
7094 Do much highlighting of the current article
7095 (@code{gnus-article-highlight}). This function highlights header, cited
7096 text, the signature, and adds buttons to the body and the head.
7099 @kindex W H h (Summary)
7100 @findex gnus-article-highlight-headers
7101 @vindex gnus-header-face-alist
7102 Highlight the headers (@code{gnus-article-highlight-headers}). The
7103 highlighting will be done according to the @code{gnus-header-face-alist}
7104 variable, which is a list where each element has the form
7105 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{name} @var{content})}.
7106 @var{regexp} is a regular expression for matching the
7107 header, @var{name} is the face used for highlighting the header name
7108 (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}) and @var{content} is the face for highlighting
7109 the header value. The first match made will be used. Note that
7110 @var{regexp} shouldn't have @samp{^} prepended---Gnus will add one.
7113 @kindex W H c (Summary)
7114 @findex gnus-article-highlight-citation
7115 Highlight cited text (@code{gnus-article-highlight-citation}).
7117 Some variables to customize the citation highlights:
7120 @vindex gnus-cite-parse-max-size
7122 @item gnus-cite-parse-max-size
7123 If the article size if bigger than this variable (which is 25000 by
7124 default), no citation highlighting will be performed.
7126 @item gnus-cite-max-prefix
7127 @vindex gnus-cite-max-prefix
7128 Maximum possible length for a citation prefix (default 20).
7130 @item gnus-cite-face-list
7131 @vindex gnus-cite-face-list
7132 List of faces used for highlighting citations (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}).
7133 When there are citations from multiple articles in the same message,
7134 Gnus will try to give each citation from each article its own face.
7135 This should make it easier to see who wrote what.
7137 @item gnus-supercite-regexp
7138 @vindex gnus-supercite-regexp
7139 Regexp matching normal Supercite attribution lines.
7141 @item gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
7142 @vindex gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
7143 Regexp matching mangled Supercite attribution lines.
7145 @item gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
7146 @vindex gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
7147 Minimum number of identical prefixes we have to see before we believe
7148 that it's a citation.
7150 @item gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
7151 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
7152 Regexp matching the beginning of an attribution line.
7154 @item gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
7155 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
7156 Regexp matching the end of an attribution line.
7158 @item gnus-cite-attribution-face
7159 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-face
7160 Face used for attribution lines. It is merged with the face for the
7161 cited text belonging to the attribution.
7167 @kindex W H s (Summary)
7168 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
7169 @vindex gnus-signature-face
7170 @findex gnus-article-highlight-signature
7171 Highlight the signature (@code{gnus-article-highlight-signature}).
7172 Everything after @code{gnus-signature-separator} (@pxref{Article
7173 Signature}) in an article will be considered a signature and will be
7174 highlighted with @code{gnus-signature-face}, which is @code{italic} by
7179 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to highlight articles automatically.
7182 @node Article Fontisizing
7183 @subsection Article Fontisizing
7185 @cindex article emphasis
7187 @findex gnus-article-emphasize
7188 @kindex W e (Summary)
7189 People commonly add emphasis to words in news articles by writing things
7190 like @samp{_this_} or @samp{*this*} or @samp{/this/}. Gnus can make
7191 this look nicer by running the article through the @kbd{W e}
7192 (@code{gnus-article-emphasize}) command.
7194 @vindex gnus-emphasis-alist
7195 How the emphasis is computed is controlled by the
7196 @code{gnus-emphasis-alist} variable. This is an alist where the first
7197 element is a regular expression to be matched. The second is a number
7198 that says what regular expression grouping is used to find the entire
7199 emphasized word. The third is a number that says what regexp grouping
7200 should be displayed and highlighted. (The text between these two
7201 groupings will be hidden.) The fourth is the face used for
7205 (setq gnus-emphasis-alist
7206 '(("_\\(\\w+\\)_" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-underline)
7207 ("\\*\\(\\w+\\)\\*" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-bold)))
7216 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline
7217 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold
7218 @vindex gnus-emphasis-italic
7219 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold
7220 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-italic
7221 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold-italic
7222 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic
7223 By default, there are seven rules, and they use the following faces:
7224 @code{gnus-emphasis-bold}, @code{gnus-emphasis-italic},
7225 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline}, @code{gnus-emphasis-bold-italic},
7226 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-italic},
7227 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold}, and
7228 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic}.
7230 If you want to change these faces, you can either use @kbd{M-x
7231 customize}, or you can use @code{copy-face}. For instance, if you want
7232 to make @code{gnus-emphasis-italic} use a red face instead, you could
7236 (copy-face 'red 'gnus-emphasis-italic)
7239 @vindex gnus-group-highlight-words-alist
7241 If you want to highlight arbitrary words, you can use the
7242 @code{gnus-group-highlight-words-alist} variable, which uses the same
7243 syntax as @code{gnus-emphasis-alist}. The @code{highlight-words} group
7244 parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) can also be used.
7246 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to fontize articles automatically.
7249 @node Article Hiding
7250 @subsection Article Hiding
7251 @cindex article hiding
7253 Or rather, hiding certain things in each article. There usually is much
7254 too much cruft in most articles.
7259 @kindex W W a (Summary)
7260 @findex gnus-article-hide
7261 Do quite a lot of hiding on the article buffer
7262 (@kbd{gnus-article-hide}). In particular, this function will hide
7263 headers, PGP, cited text and the signature.
7266 @kindex W W h (Summary)
7267 @findex gnus-article-hide-headers
7268 Hide headers (@code{gnus-article-hide-headers}). @xref{Hiding
7272 @kindex W W b (Summary)
7273 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
7274 Hide headers that aren't particularly interesting
7275 (@code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers}). @xref{Hiding Headers}.
7278 @kindex W W s (Summary)
7279 @findex gnus-article-hide-signature
7280 Hide signature (@code{gnus-article-hide-signature}). @xref{Article
7284 @kindex W W l (Summary)
7285 @findex gnus-article-hide-list-identifiers
7286 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
7287 Strip list identifiers specified in @code{gnus-list-identifiers}. These
7288 are strings some mailing list servers add to the beginning of all
7289 @code{Subject} headers---for example, @samp{[zebra 4711]}. Any leading
7290 @samp{Re: } is skipped before stripping. @code{gnus-list-identifiers}
7291 may not contain @code{\\(..\\)}.
7295 @item gnus-list-identifiers
7296 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
7297 A regular expression that matches list identifiers to be removed from
7298 subject. This can also be a list of regular expressions.
7303 @kindex W W p (Summary)
7304 @findex gnus-article-hide-pgp
7305 @vindex gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook
7306 Hide @sc{pgp} signatures (@code{gnus-article-hide-pgp}). The
7307 @code{gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook} hook will be run after a @sc{pgp}
7308 signature has been hidden. For example, to automatically verify
7309 articles that have signatures in them do:
7311 ;;; Hide pgp cruft if any.
7313 (setq gnus-treat-strip-pgp t)
7315 ;;; After hiding pgp, verify the message;
7316 ;;; only happens if pgp signature is found.
7318 (add-hook 'gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook
7321 (set-buffer gnus-original-article-buffer)
7326 @kindex W W P (Summary)
7327 @findex gnus-article-hide-pem
7328 Hide @sc{pem} (privacy enhanced messages) cruft
7329 (@code{gnus-article-hide-pem}).
7332 @kindex W W B (Summary)
7333 @findex gnus-article-strip-banner
7336 @cindex stripping advertisements
7337 @cindex advertisements
7338 Strip the banner specified by the @code{banner} group parameter
7339 (@code{gnus-article-strip-banner}). This is mainly used to hide those
7340 annoying banners and/or signatures that some mailing lists and moderated
7341 groups adds to all the messages. The way to use this function is to add
7342 the @code{banner} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to the
7343 group you want banners stripped from. The parameter either be a string,
7344 which will be interpreted as a regular expression matching text to be
7345 removed, or the symbol @code{signature}, meaning that the (last)
7346 signature should be removed, or other symbol, meaning that the
7347 corresponding regular expression in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist} is
7351 @kindex W W c (Summary)
7352 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation
7353 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation}). Some variables for
7354 customizing the hiding:
7358 @item gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
7359 @itemx gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
7360 @vindex gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
7361 @vindex gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
7362 Gnus adds buttons to show where the cited text has been hidden, and to
7363 allow toggle hiding the text. The format of the variable is specified
7364 by these format-like variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). These
7369 Starting point of the hidden text.
7371 Ending point of the hidden text.
7373 Number of characters in the hidden region.
7375 Number of lines of hidden text.
7378 @item gnus-cited-lines-visible
7379 @vindex gnus-cited-lines-visible
7380 The number of lines at the beginning of the cited text to leave
7381 shown. This can also be a cons cell with the number of lines at the top
7382 and bottom of the text, respectively, to remain visible.
7387 @kindex W W C-c (Summary)
7388 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe
7390 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe}) depending on the
7391 following two variables:
7394 @item gnus-cite-hide-percentage
7395 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-percentage
7396 If the cited text is of a bigger percentage than this variable (default
7397 50), hide the cited text.
7399 @item gnus-cite-hide-absolute
7400 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-absolute
7401 The cited text must have at least this length (default 10) before it
7406 @kindex W W C (Summary)
7407 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups
7408 Hide cited text in articles that aren't roots
7409 (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups}). This isn't very
7410 useful as an interactive command, but might be a handy function to stick
7411 have happen automatically (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
7415 All these ``hiding'' commands are toggles, but if you give a negative
7416 prefix to these commands, they will show what they have previously
7417 hidden. If you give a positive prefix, they will always hide.
7419 Also @pxref{Article Highlighting} for further variables for
7420 citation customization.
7422 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to hide article elements
7426 @node Article Washing
7427 @subsection Article Washing
7429 @cindex article washing
7431 We call this ``article washing'' for a really good reason. Namely, the
7432 @kbd{A} key was taken, so we had to use the @kbd{W} key instead.
7434 @dfn{Washing} is defined by us as ``changing something from something to
7435 something else'', but normally results in something looking better.
7438 @xref{Customizing Articles}, if you want to change how Gnus displays
7439 articles by default.
7444 This is not really washing, it's sort of the opposite of washing. If
7445 you type this, you see the article exactly as it exists on disk or on
7449 @kindex W l (Summary)
7450 @findex gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking
7451 Remove page breaks from the current article
7452 (@code{gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking}). @xref{Misc Article}, for page
7456 @kindex W r (Summary)
7457 @findex gnus-summary-caesar-message
7458 @c @icon{gnus-summary-caesar-message}
7459 Do a Caesar rotate (rot13) on the article buffer
7460 (@code{gnus-summary-caesar-message}).
7461 Unreadable articles that tell you to read them with Caesar rotate or rot13.
7462 (Typically offensive jokes and such.)
7464 It's commonly called ``rot13'' because each letter is rotated 13
7465 positions in the alphabet, e. g. @samp{B} (letter #2) -> @samp{O} (letter
7466 #15). It is sometimes referred to as ``Caesar rotate'' because Caesar
7467 is rumored to have employed this form of, uh, somewhat weak encryption.
7471 @kindex W t (Summary)
7473 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-header
7474 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer
7475 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-header}).
7478 @kindex W v (Summary)
7479 @findex gnus-summary-verbose-header
7480 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer permanently
7481 (@code{gnus-summary-verbose-header}).
7484 @kindex W o (Summary)
7485 @findex gnus-article-treat-overstrike
7486 Treat overstrike (@code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}).
7489 @kindex W d (Summary)
7490 @findex gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes
7491 @vindex gnus-article-dumbquotes-map
7493 @cindex M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s
7495 Treat M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s according to
7496 @code{gnus-article-dumbquotes-map}
7497 (@code{gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes}). Note that this function guesses
7498 whether a character is a sm*rtq**t* or not, so it should only be used
7501 Sm*rtq**t*s are M****s***'s unilateral extension to the character map in
7502 an attempt to provide more quoting characters. If you see something
7503 like @code{\222} or @code{\264} where you're expecting some kind of
7504 apostrophe or quotation mark, then try this wash.
7507 @kindex W w (Summary)
7508 @findex gnus-article-fill-cited-article
7509 Do word wrap (@code{gnus-article-fill-cited-article}).
7511 You can give the command a numerical prefix to specify the width to use
7515 @kindex W Q (Summary)
7516 @findex gnus-article-fill-long-lines
7517 Fill long lines (@code{gnus-article-fill-long-lines}).
7520 @kindex W C (Summary)
7521 @findex gnus-article-capitalize-sentences
7522 Capitalize the first word in each sentence
7523 (@code{gnus-article-capitalize-sentences}).
7526 @kindex W c (Summary)
7527 @findex gnus-article-remove-cr
7528 Translate CRLF pairs (i. e., @samp{^M}s on the end of the lines) into LF
7529 (this takes care of DOS line endings), and then translate any remaining
7530 CRs into LF (this takes care of Mac line endings)
7531 (@code{gnus-article-remove-cr}).
7534 @kindex W q (Summary)
7535 @findex gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable
7536 Treat quoted-printable (@code{gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable}).
7537 Quoted-Printable is one common @sc{mime} encoding employed when sending
7538 non-ASCII (i. e., 8-bit) articles. It typically makes strings like
7539 @samp{déjà vu} look like @samp{d=E9j=E0 vu}, which doesn't look very
7540 readable to me. Note that the this is usually done automatically by
7541 Gnus if the message in question has a @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding}
7542 header that says that this encoding has been done.
7543 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
7546 @kindex W 6 (Summary)
7547 @findex gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable
7548 Treat base64 (@code{gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable}).
7549 Base64 is one common @sc{mime} encoding employed when sending non-ASCII
7550 (i. e., 8-bit) articles. Note that the this is usually done
7551 automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
7552 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding has
7554 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
7557 @kindex W Z (Summary)
7558 @findex gnus-article-decode-HZ
7559 Treat HZ or HZP (@code{gnus-article-decode-HZ}). HZ (or HZP) is one
7560 common encoding employed when sending Chinese articles. It typically
7561 makes strings look like @samp{~@{<:Ky2;S@{#,NpJ)l6HK!#~@}}.
7564 @kindex W h (Summary)
7565 @findex gnus-article-wash-html
7566 Treat HTML (@code{gnus-article-wash-html}).
7567 Note that the this is usually done automatically by Gnus if the message
7568 in question has a @code{Content-Type} header that says that this type
7570 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
7573 @kindex W f (Summary)
7575 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
7576 @findex gnus-article-x-face-command
7577 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-command
7578 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly
7585 Look for and display any X-Face headers
7586 (@code{gnus-article-display-x-face}). The command executed by this
7587 function is given by the @code{gnus-article-x-face-command} variable.
7588 If this variable is a string, this string will be executed in a
7589 sub-shell. If it is a function, this function will be called with the
7590 face as the argument. If the @code{gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly} (which
7591 is a regexp) matches the @code{From} header, the face will not be shown.
7592 The default action under Emacs is to fork off the @code{display}
7593 program@footnote{@code{display} is from the ImageMagick package. For the
7594 @code{uncompface} and @code{icontopbm} programs look for a package
7595 like `compface' or `faces-xface' on a GNU/Linux system.}
7596 to view the face. Under XEmacs or Emacs 21+ with suitable image
7597 support, the default action is to display the face before the
7598 @code{From} header. (It's nicer if XEmacs has been compiled with X-Face
7599 support---that will make display somewhat faster. If there's no native
7600 X-Face support, Gnus will try to convert the @code{X-Face} header using
7601 external programs from the @code{pbmplus} package and
7602 friends.@footnote{On a GNU/Linux system look for packages with names
7603 like @code{netpbm} or @code{libgr-progs}.}) If you
7604 want to have this function in the display hook, it should probably come
7608 @kindex W b (Summary)
7609 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons
7610 Add clickable buttons to the article (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons}).
7611 @xref{Article Buttons}.
7614 @kindex W B (Summary)
7615 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head
7616 Add clickable buttons to the article headers
7617 (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head}).
7620 @kindex W p (Summary)
7621 @findex gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig
7622 Verify a signed control message (@code{gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig}).
7623 Control messages such as @code{newgroup} and @code{checkgroups} are
7624 usually signed by the hierarchy maintainer. You need to add the PGP
7625 public key of the maintainer to your keyring to verify the
7626 message.@footnote{PGP keys for many hierarchies are available at
7627 @uref{ftp://ftp.isc.org/pub/pgpcontrol/README.html}}
7630 @kindex W W H (Summary)
7631 @findex gnus-article-strip-headers-from-body
7632 Strip headers like the @code{X-No-Archive} header from the beginning of
7633 article bodies (@code{gnus-article-strip-headers-from-body}).
7636 @kindex W E l (Summary)
7637 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines
7638 Remove all blank lines from the beginning of the article
7639 (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines}).
7642 @kindex W E m (Summary)
7643 @findex gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines
7644 Replace all blank lines with empty lines and then all multiple empty
7645 lines with a single empty line.
7646 (@code{gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines}).
7649 @kindex W E t (Summary)
7650 @findex gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines
7651 Remove all blank lines at the end of the article
7652 (@code{gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines}).
7655 @kindex W E a (Summary)
7656 @findex gnus-article-strip-blank-lines
7657 Do all the three commands above
7658 (@code{gnus-article-strip-blank-lines}).
7661 @kindex W E A (Summary)
7662 @findex gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines
7663 Remove all blank lines
7664 (@code{gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines}).
7667 @kindex W E s (Summary)
7668 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-space
7669 Remove all white space from the beginning of all lines of the article
7670 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-space}).
7673 @kindex W E e (Summary)
7674 @findex gnus-article-strip-trailing-space
7675 Remove all white space from the end of all lines of the article
7676 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-trailing-space}).
7680 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to wash articles automatically.
7683 @node Article Buttons
7684 @subsection Article Buttons
7687 People often include references to other stuff in articles, and it would
7688 be nice if Gnus could just fetch whatever it is that people talk about
7689 with the minimum of fuzz when you hit @kbd{RET} or use the middle mouse
7690 button on these references.
7692 Gnus adds @dfn{buttons} to certain standard references by default:
7693 Well-formed URLs, mail addresses and Message-IDs. This is controlled by
7694 two variables, one that handles article bodies and one that handles
7699 @item gnus-button-alist
7700 @vindex gnus-button-alist
7701 This is an alist where each entry has this form:
7704 (REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
7710 All text that match this regular expression will be considered an
7711 external reference. Here's a typical regexp that matches embedded URLs:
7712 @samp{<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>}.
7715 Gnus has to know which parts of the matches is to be highlighted. This
7716 is a number that says what sub-expression of the regexp is to be
7717 highlighted. If you want it all highlighted, you use 0 here.
7720 This form will be @code{eval}ed, and if the result is non-@code{nil},
7721 this is considered a match. This is useful if you want extra sifting to
7722 avoid false matches.
7725 This function will be called when you click on this button.
7728 As with @var{button-par}, this is a sub-expression number, but this one
7729 says which part of the match is to be sent as data to @var{function}.
7733 So the full entry for buttonizing URLs is then
7736 ("<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>" 0 t gnus-button-url 1)
7739 @item gnus-header-button-alist
7740 @vindex gnus-header-button-alist
7741 This is just like the other alist, except that it is applied to the
7742 article head only, and that each entry has an additional element that is
7743 used to say what headers to apply the buttonize coding to:
7746 (HEADER REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
7749 @var{header} is a regular expression.
7751 @item gnus-button-url-regexp
7752 @vindex gnus-button-url-regexp
7753 A regular expression that matches embedded URLs. It is used in the
7754 default values of the variables above.
7756 @item gnus-article-button-face
7757 @vindex gnus-article-button-face
7758 Face used on buttons.
7760 @item gnus-article-mouse-face
7761 @vindex gnus-article-mouse-face
7762 Face used when the mouse cursor is over a button.
7766 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to buttonize articles automatically.
7770 @subsection Article Date
7772 The date is most likely generated in some obscure timezone you've never
7773 heard of, so it's quite nice to be able to find out what the time was
7774 when the article was sent.
7779 @kindex W T u (Summary)
7780 @findex gnus-article-date-ut
7781 Display the date in UT (aka. GMT, aka ZULU)
7782 (@code{gnus-article-date-ut}).
7785 @kindex W T i (Summary)
7786 @findex gnus-article-date-iso8601
7788 Display the date in international format, aka. ISO 8601
7789 (@code{gnus-article-date-iso8601}).
7792 @kindex W T l (Summary)
7793 @findex gnus-article-date-local
7794 Display the date in the local timezone (@code{gnus-article-date-local}).
7797 @kindex W T p (Summary)
7798 @findex gnus-article-date-english
7799 Display the date in a format that's easily pronounceable in English
7800 (@code{gnus-article-date-english}).
7803 @kindex W T s (Summary)
7804 @vindex gnus-article-time-format
7805 @findex gnus-article-date-user
7806 @findex format-time-string
7807 Display the date using a user-defined format
7808 (@code{gnus-article-date-user}). The format is specified by the
7809 @code{gnus-article-time-format} variable, and is a string that's passed
7810 to @code{format-time-string}. See the documentation of that variable
7811 for a list of possible format specs.
7814 @kindex W T e (Summary)
7815 @findex gnus-article-date-lapsed
7816 @findex gnus-start-date-timer
7817 @findex gnus-stop-date-timer
7818 Say how much time has elapsed between the article was posted and now
7819 (@code{gnus-article-date-lapsed}). It looks something like:
7822 X-Sent: 6 weeks, 4 days, 1 hour, 3 minutes, 8 seconds ago
7825 The value of @code{gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header} determines
7826 whether this header will just be added below the old Date one, or will
7829 An advantage of using Gnus to read mail is that it converts simple bugs
7830 into wonderful absurdities.
7832 If you want to have this line updated continually, you can put
7835 (gnus-start-date-timer)
7838 in your @file{.gnus.el} file, or you can run it off of some hook. If
7839 you want to stop the timer, you can use the @code{gnus-stop-date-timer}
7843 @kindex W T o (Summary)
7844 @findex gnus-article-date-original
7845 Display the original date (@code{gnus-article-date-original}). This can
7846 be useful if you normally use some other conversion function and are
7847 worried that it might be doing something totally wrong. Say, claiming
7848 that the article was posted in 1854. Although something like that is
7849 @emph{totally} impossible. Don't you trust me? *titter*
7853 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to display the date in your
7854 preferred format automatically.
7857 @node Article Signature
7858 @subsection Article Signature
7860 @cindex article signature
7862 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
7863 Each article is divided into two parts---the head and the body. The
7864 body can be divided into a signature part and a text part. The variable
7865 that says what is to be considered a signature is
7866 @code{gnus-signature-separator}. This is normally the standard
7867 @samp{^-- $} as mandated by son-of-RFC 1036. However, many people use
7868 non-standard signature separators, so this variable can also be a list
7869 of regular expressions to be tested, one by one. (Searches are done
7870 from the end of the body towards the beginning.) One likely value is:
7873 (setq gnus-signature-separator
7874 '("^-- $" ; The standard
7875 "^-- *$" ; A common mangling
7876 "^-------*$" ; Many people just use a looong
7877 ; line of dashes. Shame!
7878 "^ *--------*$" ; Double-shame!
7879 "^________*$" ; Underscores are also popular
7880 "^========*$")) ; Pervert!
7883 The more permissive you are, the more likely it is that you'll get false
7886 @vindex gnus-signature-limit
7887 @code{gnus-signature-limit} provides a limit to what is considered a
7888 signature when displaying articles.
7892 If it is an integer, no signature may be longer (in characters) than
7895 If it is a floating point number, no signature may be longer (in lines)
7898 If it is a function, the function will be called without any parameters,
7899 and if it returns @code{nil}, there is no signature in the buffer.
7901 If it is a string, it will be used as a regexp. If it matches, the text
7902 in question is not a signature.
7905 This variable can also be a list where the elements may be of the types
7906 listed above. Here's an example:
7909 (setq gnus-signature-limit
7910 '(200.0 "^---*Forwarded article"))
7913 This means that if there are more than 200 lines after the signature
7914 separator, or the text after the signature separator is matched by
7915 the regular expression @samp{^---*Forwarded article}, then it isn't a
7916 signature after all.
7919 @node Article Miscellania
7920 @subsection Article Miscellania
7924 @kindex A t (Summary)
7925 @findex gnus-article-babel
7926 Translate the article from one language to another
7927 (@code{gnus-article-babel}).
7933 @section @sc{mime} Commands
7934 @cindex MIME decoding
7936 @cindex viewing attachments
7938 The following commands all understand the numerical prefix. For
7939 instance, @kbd{3 b} means ``view the third @sc{mime} part''.
7945 @kindex K v (Summary)
7946 View the @sc{mime} part.
7949 @kindex K o (Summary)
7950 Save the @sc{mime} part.
7953 @kindex K c (Summary)
7954 Copy the @sc{mime} part.
7957 @kindex K e (Summary)
7958 View the @sc{mime} part externally.
7961 @kindex K i (Summary)
7962 View the @sc{mime} part internally.
7965 @kindex K | (Summary)
7966 Pipe the @sc{mime} part to an external command.
7969 The rest of these @sc{mime} commands do not use the numerical prefix in
7974 @kindex K b (Summary)
7975 Make all the @sc{mime} parts have buttons in front of them. This is
7976 mostly useful if you wish to save (or perform other actions) on inlined
7980 @kindex K m (Summary)
7981 @findex gnus-summary-repair-multipart
7982 Some multipart messages are transmitted with missing or faulty headers.
7983 This command will attempt to ``repair'' these messages so that they can
7984 be viewed in a more pleasant manner
7985 (@code{gnus-summary-repair-multipart}).
7988 @kindex X m (Summary)
7989 @findex gnus-summary-save-parts
7990 Save all parts matching a @sc{mime} type to a directory
7991 (@code{gnus-summary-save-parts}). Understands the process/prefix
7992 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
7995 @kindex M-t (Summary)
7996 @findex gnus-summary-display-buttonized
7997 Toggle the buttonized display of the article buffer
7998 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized}).
8001 @kindex W M w (Summary)
8002 Decode RFC 2047-encoded words in the article headers
8003 (@code{gnus-article-decode-mime-words}).
8006 @kindex W M c (Summary)
8007 Decode encoded article bodies as well as charsets
8008 (@code{gnus-article-decode-charset}).
8010 This command looks in the @code{Content-Type} header to determine the
8011 charset. If there is no such header in the article, you can give it a
8012 prefix, which will prompt for the charset to decode as. In regional
8013 groups where people post using some common encoding (but do not include
8014 MIME headers), you can set the @code{charset} group/topic parameter to
8015 the required charset (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
8018 @kindex W M v (Summary)
8019 View all the @sc{mime} parts in the current article
8020 (@code{gnus-mime-view-all-parts}).
8027 @item gnus-ignored-mime-types
8028 @vindex gnus-ignored-mime-types
8029 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
8030 this list will be completely ignored by Gnus. The default value is
8033 To have all Vcards be ignored, you'd say something like this:
8036 (setq gnus-ignored-mime-types
8040 @item gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
8041 @vindex gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
8042 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
8043 this list won't have @sc{mime} buttons inserted unless they aren't
8044 displayed. The default value is @code{(".*/.*")}.
8046 @item gnus-article-mime-part-function
8047 @vindex gnus-article-mime-part-function
8048 For each @sc{mime} part, this function will be called with the @sc{mime}
8049 handle as the parameter. The function is meant to be used to allow
8050 users to gather information from the article (e. g., add Vcard info to
8051 the bbdb database) or to do actions based on parts (e. g., automatically
8052 save all jpegs into some directory).
8054 Here's an example function the does the latter:
8057 (defun my-save-all-jpeg-parts (handle)
8058 (when (equal (car (mm-handle-type handle)) "image/jpeg")
8060 (insert (mm-get-part handle))
8061 (write-region (point-min) (point-max)
8062 (read-file-name "Save jpeg to: ")))))
8063 (setq gnus-article-mime-part-function
8064 'my-save-all-jpeg-parts)
8067 @vindex gnus-mime-multipart-functions
8068 @item gnus-mime-multipart-functions
8069 Alist of @sc{mime} multipart types and functions to handle them.
8078 People use different charsets, and we have @sc{mime} to let us know what
8079 charsets they use. Or rather, we wish we had. Many people use
8080 newsreaders and mailers that do not understand or use @sc{mime}, and
8081 just send out messages without saying what character sets they use. To
8082 help a bit with this, some local news hierarchies have policies that say
8083 what character set is the default. For instance, the @samp{fj}
8084 hierarchy uses @code{iso-2022-jp-2}.
8086 @vindex gnus-group-charset-alist
8087 This knowledge is encoded in the @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}
8088 variable, which is an alist of regexps (to match full group names) and
8089 default charsets to be used when reading these groups.
8091 In addition, some people do use soi-disant @sc{mime}-aware agents that
8092 aren't. These blithely mark messages as being in @code{iso-8859-1} even
8093 if they really are in @code{koi-8}. To help here, the
8094 @code{gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets} variable can be used. The
8095 charsets that are listed here will be ignored. The variable can be set
8096 on a group-by-group basis using the group parameters (@pxref{Group
8097 Parameters}). The default value is @code{(unknown-8bit)}, which is
8098 something some agents insist on having in there.
8100 @vindex gnus-group-posting-charset-alist
8101 When posting, @code{gnus-group-posting-charset-alist} is used to
8102 determine which charsets should not be encoded using the @sc{mime}
8103 encodings. For instance, some hierarchies discourage using
8104 quoted-printable header encoding.
8106 This variable is an alist of regexps and permitted unencoded charsets
8107 for posting. Each element of the alist has the form @code{(}@var{test
8108 header body-list}@code{)}, where:
8112 is either a regular expression matching the newsgroup header or a
8115 is the charset which may be left unencoded in the header (@code{nil}
8116 means encode all charsets),
8118 is a list of charsets which may be encoded using 8bit content-transfer
8119 encoding in the body, or one of the special values @code{nil} (always
8120 encode using quoted-printable) or @code{t} (always use 8bit).
8127 @cindex coding system aliases
8128 @cindex preferred charset
8130 Other charset tricks that may be useful, although not Gnus-specific:
8132 If there are several @sc{mime} charsets that encode the same Emacs
8133 charset, you can choose what charset to use by saying the following:
8136 (put-charset-property 'cyrillic-iso8859-5
8137 'preferred-coding-system 'koi8-r)
8140 This means that Russian will be encoded using @code{koi8-r} instead of
8141 the default @code{iso-8859-5} @sc{mime} charset.
8143 If you want to read messages in @code{koi8-u}, you can cheat and say
8146 (define-coding-system-alias 'koi8-u 'koi8-r)
8149 This will almost do the right thing.
8151 And finally, to read charsets like @code{windows-1251}, you can say
8155 (codepage-setup 1251)
8156 (define-coding-system-alias 'windows-1251 'cp1251)
8160 @node Article Commands
8161 @section Article Commands
8168 @kindex A P (Summary)
8169 @vindex gnus-ps-print-hook
8170 @findex gnus-summary-print-article
8171 Generate and print a PostScript image of the article buffer
8172 (@code{gnus-summary-print-article}). @code{gnus-ps-print-hook} will be
8173 run just before printing the buffer.
8178 @node Summary Sorting
8179 @section Summary Sorting
8180 @cindex summary sorting
8182 You can have the summary buffer sorted in various ways, even though I
8183 can't really see why you'd want that.
8188 @kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
8189 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-number
8190 Sort by article number (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-number}).
8193 @kindex C-c C-s C-a (Summary)
8194 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-author
8195 Sort by author (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-author}).
8198 @kindex C-c C-s C-s (Summary)
8199 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-subject
8200 Sort by subject (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-subject}).
8203 @kindex C-c C-s C-d (Summary)
8204 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-date
8205 Sort by date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-date}).
8208 @kindex C-c C-s C-l (Summary)
8209 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-lines
8210 Sort by lines (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-lines}).
8213 @kindex C-c C-s C-c (Summary)
8214 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-chars
8215 Sort by article length (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-chars}).
8218 @kindex C-c C-s C-i (Summary)
8219 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-score
8220 Sort by score (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-score}).
8223 @kindex C-c C-s C-o (Summary)
8224 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-original
8225 Sort using the default sorting method
8226 (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-original}).
8229 These functions will work both when you use threading and when you don't
8230 use threading. In the latter case, all summary lines will be sorted,
8231 line by line. In the former case, sorting will be done on a
8232 root-by-root basis, which might not be what you were looking for. To
8233 toggle whether to use threading, type @kbd{T T} (@pxref{Thread
8237 @node Finding the Parent
8238 @section Finding the Parent
8239 @cindex parent articles
8240 @cindex referring articles
8245 @findex gnus-summary-refer-parent-article
8246 If you'd like to read the parent of the current article, and it is not
8247 displayed in the summary buffer, you might still be able to. That is,
8248 if the current group is fetched by @sc{nntp}, the parent hasn't expired
8249 and the @code{References} in the current article are not mangled, you
8250 can just press @kbd{^} or @kbd{A r}
8251 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article}). If everything goes well,
8252 you'll get the parent. If the parent is already displayed in the
8253 summary buffer, point will just move to this article.
8255 If given a positive numerical prefix, fetch that many articles back into
8256 the ancestry. If given a negative numerical prefix, fetch just that
8257 ancestor. So if you say @kbd{3 ^}, Gnus will fetch the parent, the
8258 grandparent and the grandgrandparent of the current article. If you say
8259 @kbd{-3 ^}, Gnus will only fetch the grandgrandparent of the current
8263 @findex gnus-summary-refer-references
8264 @kindex A R (Summary)
8265 Fetch all articles mentioned in the @code{References} header of the
8266 article (@code{gnus-summary-refer-references}).
8269 @findex gnus-summary-refer-thread
8270 @kindex A T (Summary)
8271 Display the full thread where the current article appears
8272 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-thread}). This command has to fetch all the
8273 headers in the current group to work, so it usually takes a while. If
8274 you do it often, you may consider setting @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}
8275 to @code{invisible} (@pxref{Filling In Threads}). This won't have any
8276 visible effects normally, but it'll make this command work a whole lot
8277 faster. Of course, it'll make group entry somewhat slow.
8279 @vindex gnus-refer-thread-limit
8280 The @code{gnus-refer-thread-limit} variable says how many old (i. e.,
8281 articles before the first displayed in the current group) headers to
8282 fetch when doing this command. The default is 200. If @code{t}, all
8283 the available headers will be fetched. This variable can be overridden
8284 by giving the @kbd{A T} command a numerical prefix.
8287 @findex gnus-summary-refer-article
8288 @kindex M-^ (Summary)
8290 @cindex fetching by Message-ID
8291 You can also ask the @sc{nntp} server for an arbitrary article, no
8292 matter what group it belongs to. @kbd{M-^}
8293 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-article}) will ask you for a
8294 @code{Message-ID}, which is one of those long, hard-to-read thingies
8295 that look something like @samp{<38o6up$6f2@@hymir.ifi.uio.no>}. You
8296 have to get it all exactly right. No fuzzy searches, I'm afraid.
8299 The current select method will be used when fetching by
8300 @code{Message-ID} from non-news select method, but you can override this
8301 by giving this command a prefix.
8303 @vindex gnus-refer-article-method
8304 If the group you are reading is located on a backend that does not
8305 support fetching by @code{Message-ID} very well (like @code{nnspool}),
8306 you can set @code{gnus-refer-article-method} to an @sc{nntp} method. It
8307 would, perhaps, be best if the @sc{nntp} server you consult is the one
8308 updating the spool you are reading from, but that's not really
8311 It can also be a list of select methods, as well as the special symbol
8312 @code{current}, which means to use the current select method. If it
8313 is a list, Gnus will try all the methods in the list until it finds a
8316 Here's an example setting that will first try the current method, and
8317 then ask Deja if that fails:
8320 (setq gnus-refer-article-method
8322 (nnweb "refer" (nnweb-type dejanews))))
8325 Most of the mail backends support fetching by @code{Message-ID}, but do
8326 not do a particularly excellent job at it. That is, @code{nnmbox} and
8327 @code{nnbabyl} are able to locate articles from any groups, while
8328 @code{nnml} and @code{nnfolder} are only able to locate articles that
8329 have been posted to the current group. (Anything else would be too time
8330 consuming.) @code{nnmh} does not support this at all.
8333 @node Alternative Approaches
8334 @section Alternative Approaches
8336 Different people like to read news using different methods. This being
8337 Gnus, we offer a small selection of minor modes for the summary buffers.
8340 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
8341 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
8346 @subsection Pick and Read
8347 @cindex pick and read
8349 Some newsreaders (like @code{nn} and, uhm, @code{Netnews} on VM/CMS) use
8350 a two-phased reading interface. The user first marks in a summary
8351 buffer the articles she wants to read. Then she starts reading the
8352 articles with just an article buffer displayed.
8354 @findex gnus-pick-mode
8355 @kindex M-x gnus-pick-mode
8356 Gnus provides a summary buffer minor mode that allows
8357 this---@code{gnus-pick-mode}. This basically means that a few process
8358 mark commands become one-keystroke commands to allow easy marking, and
8359 it provides one additional command for switching to the summary buffer.
8361 Here are the available keystrokes when using pick mode:
8366 @findex gnus-pick-article-or-thread
8367 Pick the article or thread on the current line
8368 (@code{gnus-pick-article-or-thread}). If the variable
8369 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key selects the
8370 entire thread when used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise,
8371 it selects just the article. If given a numerical prefix, go to that
8372 thread or article and pick it. (The line number is normally displayed
8373 at the beginning of the summary pick lines.)
8376 @kindex SPACE (Pick)
8377 @findex gnus-pick-next-page
8378 Scroll the summary buffer up one page (@code{gnus-pick-next-page}). If
8379 at the end of the buffer, start reading the picked articles.
8383 @findex gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread.
8384 Unpick the thread or article
8385 (@code{gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread}). If the variable
8386 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key unpicks the
8387 thread if used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise it unpicks
8388 just the article. You can give this key a numerical prefix to unpick
8389 the thread or article at that line.
8393 @findex gnus-pick-start-reading
8394 @vindex gnus-pick-display-summary
8395 Start reading the picked articles (@code{gnus-pick-start-reading}). If
8396 given a prefix, mark all unpicked articles as read first. If
8397 @code{gnus-pick-display-summary} is non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer
8398 will still be visible when you are reading.
8402 All the normal summary mode commands are still available in the
8403 pick-mode, with the exception of @kbd{u}. However @kbd{!} is available
8404 which is mapped to the same function
8405 @code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}.
8407 If this sounds like a good idea to you, you could say:
8410 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
8413 @vindex gnus-pick-mode-hook
8414 @code{gnus-pick-mode-hook} is run in pick minor mode buffers.
8416 @vindex gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read
8417 If @code{gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read} is non-@code{nil}, mark
8418 all unpicked articles as read. The default is @code{nil}.
8420 @vindex gnus-summary-pick-line-format
8421 The summary line format in pick mode is slightly different from the
8422 standard format. At the beginning of each line the line number is
8423 displayed. The pick mode line format is controlled by the
8424 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting
8425 Variables}). It accepts the same format specs that
8426 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} does (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}).
8430 @subsection Binary Groups
8431 @cindex binary groups
8433 @findex gnus-binary-mode
8434 @kindex M-x gnus-binary-mode
8435 If you spend much time in binary groups, you may grow tired of hitting
8436 @kbd{X u}, @kbd{n}, @kbd{RET} all the time. @kbd{M-x gnus-binary-mode}
8437 is a minor mode for summary buffers that makes all ordinary Gnus article
8438 selection functions uudecode series of articles and display the result
8439 instead of just displaying the articles the normal way.
8442 @findex gnus-binary-show-article
8443 The only way, in fact, to see the actual articles is the @kbd{g}
8444 command, when you have turned on this mode
8445 (@code{gnus-binary-show-article}).
8447 @vindex gnus-binary-mode-hook
8448 @code{gnus-binary-mode-hook} is called in binary minor mode buffers.
8452 @section Tree Display
8455 @vindex gnus-use-trees
8456 If you don't like the normal Gnus summary display, you might try setting
8457 @code{gnus-use-trees} to @code{t}. This will create (by default) an
8458 additional @dfn{tree buffer}. You can execute all summary mode commands
8461 There are a few variables to customize the tree display, of course:
8464 @item gnus-tree-mode-hook
8465 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-hook
8466 A hook called in all tree mode buffers.
8468 @item gnus-tree-mode-line-format
8469 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-line-format
8470 A format string for the mode bar in the tree mode buffers (@pxref{Mode
8471 Line Formatting}). The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b %S %Z}. For a list
8472 of valid specs, @pxref{Summary Buffer Mode Line}.
8474 @item gnus-selected-tree-face
8475 @vindex gnus-selected-tree-face
8476 Face used for highlighting the selected article in the tree buffer. The
8477 default is @code{modeline}.
8479 @item gnus-tree-line-format
8480 @vindex gnus-tree-line-format
8481 A format string for the tree nodes. The name is a bit of a misnomer,
8482 though---it doesn't define a line, but just the node. The default value
8483 is @samp{%(%[%3,3n%]%)}, which displays the first three characters of
8484 the name of the poster. It is vital that all nodes are of the same
8485 length, so you @emph{must} use @samp{%4,4n}-like specifiers.
8491 The name of the poster.
8493 The @code{From} header.
8495 The number of the article.
8497 The opening bracket.
8499 The closing bracket.
8504 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
8506 Variables related to the display are:
8509 @item gnus-tree-brackets
8510 @vindex gnus-tree-brackets
8511 This is used for differentiating between ``real'' articles and
8512 ``sparse'' articles. The format is @code{((@var{real-open} . @var{real-close})
8513 (@var{sparse-open} . @var{sparse-close}) (@var{dummy-open} . @var{dummy-close}))}, and the
8514 default is @code{((?[ . ?]) (?( . ?)) (?@{ . ?@}) (?< . ?>))}.
8516 @item gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
8517 @vindex gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
8518 This is a list that contains the characters used for connecting parent
8519 nodes to their children. The default is @code{(?- ?\\ ?|)}.
8523 @item gnus-tree-minimize-window
8524 @vindex gnus-tree-minimize-window
8525 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will try to keep the tree
8526 buffer as small as possible to allow more room for the other Gnus
8527 windows. If this variable is a number, the tree buffer will never be
8528 higher than that number. The default is @code{t}. Note that if you
8529 have several windows displayed side-by-side in a frame and the tree
8530 buffer is one of these, minimizing the tree window will also resize all
8531 other windows displayed next to it.
8533 @item gnus-generate-tree-function
8534 @vindex gnus-generate-tree-function
8535 @findex gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
8536 @findex gnus-generate-vertical-tree
8537 The function that actually generates the thread tree. Two predefined
8538 functions are available: @code{gnus-generate-horizontal-tree} and
8539 @code{gnus-generate-vertical-tree} (which is the default).
8543 Here's an example from a horizontal tree buffer:
8546 @{***@}-(***)-[odd]-[Gun]
8556 Here's the same thread displayed in a vertical tree buffer:
8560 |--------------------------\-----\-----\
8561 (***) [Bjo] [Gun] [Gun]
8563 [odd] [Jan] [odd] (***) [Jor]
8565 [Gun] [Eri] [Eri] [odd]
8570 If you're using horizontal trees, it might be nice to display the trees
8571 side-by-side with the summary buffer. You could add something like the
8572 following to your @file{.gnus.el} file:
8575 (setq gnus-use-trees t
8576 gnus-generate-tree-function 'gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
8577 gnus-tree-minimize-window nil)
8578 (gnus-add-configuration
8582 (summary 0.75 point)
8587 @xref{Windows Configuration}.
8590 @node Mail Group Commands
8591 @section Mail Group Commands
8592 @cindex mail group commands
8594 Some commands only make sense in mail groups. If these commands are
8595 invalid in the current group, they will raise a hell and let you know.
8597 All these commands (except the expiry and edit commands) use the
8598 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
8603 @kindex B e (Summary)
8604 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles
8605 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
8606 process (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles}). That is, delete all
8607 expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
8608 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
8611 @kindex B M-C-e (Summary)
8612 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles-now
8613 Delete all the expirable articles in the group
8614 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles-now}). This means that @strong{all}
8615 articles eligible for expiry in the current group will
8616 disappear forever into that big @file{/dev/null} in the sky.
8619 @kindex B DEL (Summary)
8620 @findex gnus-summary-delete-article
8621 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-delete}
8622 Delete the mail article. This is ``delete'' as in ``delete it from your
8623 disk forever and ever, never to return again.'' Use with caution.
8624 (@code{gnus-summary-delete-article}).
8627 @kindex B m (Summary)
8629 @findex gnus-summary-move-article
8630 @vindex gnus-preserve-marks
8631 Move the article from one mail group to another
8632 (@code{gnus-summary-move-article}). Marks will be preserved if
8633 @var{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
8636 @kindex B c (Summary)
8638 @findex gnus-summary-copy-article
8639 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-copy}
8640 Copy the article from one group (mail group or not) to a mail group
8641 (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}). Marks will be preserved if
8642 @var{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
8645 @kindex B B (Summary)
8646 @cindex crosspost mail
8647 @findex gnus-summary-crosspost-article
8648 Crosspost the current article to some other group
8649 (@code{gnus-summary-crosspost-article}). This will create a new copy of
8650 the article in the other group, and the Xref headers of the article will
8651 be properly updated.
8654 @kindex B i (Summary)
8655 @findex gnus-summary-import-article
8656 Import an arbitrary file into the current mail newsgroup
8657 (@code{gnus-summary-import-article}). You will be prompted for a file
8658 name, a @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
8661 @kindex B r (Summary)
8662 @findex gnus-summary-respool-article
8663 Respool the mail article (@code{gnus-summary-respool-article}).
8664 @code{gnus-summary-respool-default-method} will be used as the default
8665 select method when respooling. This variable is @code{nil} by default,
8666 which means that the current group select method will be used instead.
8667 Marks will be preserved if @var{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil}
8668 (which is the default).
8672 @kindex B w (Summary)
8674 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article
8675 @kindex C-c C-c (Article)
8676 Edit the current article (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article}). To finish
8677 editing and make the changes permanent, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
8678 (@kbd{gnus-summary-edit-article-done}). If you give a prefix to the
8679 @kbd{C-c C-c} command, Gnus won't re-highlight the article.
8682 @kindex B q (Summary)
8683 @findex gnus-summary-respool-query
8684 If you want to re-spool an article, you might be curious as to what group
8685 the article will end up in before you do the re-spooling. This command
8686 will tell you (@code{gnus-summary-respool-query}).
8689 @kindex B t (Summary)
8690 @findex gnus-summary-respool-trace
8691 Similarly, this command will display all fancy splitting patterns used
8692 when repooling, if any (@code{gnus-summary-respool-trace}).
8695 @kindex B p (Summary)
8696 @findex gnus-summary-article-posted-p
8697 Some people have a tendency to send you "courtesy" copies when they
8698 follow up to articles you have posted. These usually have a
8699 @code{Newsgroups} header in them, but not always. This command
8700 (@code{gnus-summary-article-posted-p}) will try to fetch the current
8701 article from your news server (or rather, from
8702 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} or @code{gnus-select-method}) and will
8703 report back whether it found the article or not. Even if it says that
8704 it didn't find the article, it may have been posted anyway---mail
8705 propagation is much faster than news propagation, and the news copy may
8706 just not have arrived yet.
8710 @vindex gnus-move-split-methods
8711 @cindex moving articles
8712 If you move (or copy) articles regularly, you might wish to have Gnus
8713 suggest where to put the articles. @code{gnus-move-split-methods} is a
8714 variable that uses the same syntax as @code{gnus-split-methods}
8715 (@pxref{Saving Articles}). You may customize that variable to create
8716 suggestions you find reasonable. (Note that
8717 @code{gnus-move-split-methods} uses group names where
8718 @code{gnus-split-methods} uses file names.)
8721 (setq gnus-move-split-methods
8722 '(("^From:.*Lars Magne" "nnml:junk")
8723 ("^Subject:.*gnus" "nnfolder:important")
8724 (".*" "nnml:misc")))
8728 @node Various Summary Stuff
8729 @section Various Summary Stuff
8732 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
8733 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
8734 * Summary Generation Commands:: (Re)generating the summary buffer.
8735 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
8739 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-hook
8740 @item gnus-summary-mode-hook
8741 This hook is called when creating a summary mode buffer.
8743 @vindex gnus-summary-generate-hook
8744 @item gnus-summary-generate-hook
8745 This is called as the last thing before doing the threading and the
8746 generation of the summary buffer. It's quite convenient for customizing
8747 the threading variables based on what data the newsgroup has. This hook
8748 is called from the summary buffer after most summary buffer variables
8751 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-hook
8752 @item gnus-summary-prepare-hook
8753 It is called after the summary buffer has been generated. You might use
8754 it to, for instance, highlight lines or modify the look of the buffer in
8755 some other ungodly manner. I don't care.
8757 @vindex gnus-summary-prepared-hook
8758 @item gnus-summary-prepared-hook
8759 A hook called as the very last thing after the summary buffer has been
8762 @vindex gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
8763 @item gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
8764 When Gnus discovers two articles that have the same @code{Message-ID},
8765 it has to do something drastic. No articles are allowed to have the
8766 same @code{Message-ID}, but this may happen when reading mail from some
8767 sources. Gnus allows you to customize what happens with this variable.
8768 If it is @code{nil} (which is the default), Gnus will rename the
8769 @code{Message-ID} (for display purposes only) and display the article as
8770 any other article. If this variable is @code{t}, it won't display the
8771 article---it'll be as if it never existed.
8773 @vindex gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
8774 @item gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
8775 This function, which takes two parameters (the group name and the list
8776 of articles to be selected), is called to allow the user to alter the
8777 list of articles to be selected.
8779 For instance, the following function adds the list of cached articles to
8780 the list in one particular group:
8783 (defun my-add-cached-articles (group articles)
8784 (if (string= group "some.group")
8785 (append gnus-newsgroup-cached articles)
8792 @node Summary Group Information
8793 @subsection Summary Group Information
8798 @kindex H f (Summary)
8799 @findex gnus-summary-fetch-faq
8800 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
8801 Try to fetch the FAQ (list of frequently asked questions) for the
8802 current group (@code{gnus-summary-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the
8803 FAQ from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory
8804 on a remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories.
8805 In that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
8806 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will probably
8807 be used for fetching the file.
8810 @kindex H d (Summary)
8811 @findex gnus-summary-describe-group
8812 Give a brief description of the current group
8813 (@code{gnus-summary-describe-group}). If given a prefix, force
8814 rereading the description from the server.
8817 @kindex H h (Summary)
8818 @findex gnus-summary-describe-briefly
8819 Give an extremely brief description of the most important summary
8820 keystrokes (@code{gnus-summary-describe-briefly}).
8823 @kindex H i (Summary)
8824 @findex gnus-info-find-node
8825 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
8829 @node Searching for Articles
8830 @subsection Searching for Articles
8835 @kindex M-s (Summary)
8836 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
8837 Search through all subsequent articles for a regexp
8838 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-forward}).
8841 @kindex M-r (Summary)
8842 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-backward
8843 Search through all previous articles for a regexp
8844 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-backward}).
8848 @findex gnus-summary-execute-command
8849 This command will prompt you for a header, a regular expression to match
8850 on this field, and a command to be executed if the match is made
8851 (@code{gnus-summary-execute-command}). If the header is an empty
8852 string, the match is done on the entire article. If given a prefix,
8853 search backward instead.
8855 For instance, @kbd{& RET some.*string #} will put the process mark on
8856 all articles that have heads or bodies that match @samp{some.*string}.
8859 @kindex M-& (Summary)
8860 @findex gnus-summary-universal-argument
8861 Perform any operation on all articles that have been marked with
8862 the process mark (@code{gnus-summary-universal-argument}).
8865 @node Summary Generation Commands
8866 @subsection Summary Generation Commands
8871 @kindex Y g (Summary)
8872 @findex gnus-summary-prepare
8873 Regenerate the current summary buffer (@code{gnus-summary-prepare}).
8876 @kindex Y c (Summary)
8877 @findex gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles
8878 Pull all cached articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
8879 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}).
8884 @node Really Various Summary Commands
8885 @subsection Really Various Summary Commands
8891 @kindex C-d (Summary)
8892 @kindex A D (Summary)
8893 @findex gnus-summary-enter-digest-group
8894 If the current article is a collection of other articles (for instance,
8895 a digest), you might use this command to enter a group based on the that
8896 article (@code{gnus-summary-enter-digest-group}). Gnus will try to
8897 guess what article type is currently displayed unless you give a prefix
8898 to this command, which forces a ``digest'' interpretation. Basically,
8899 whenever you see a message that is a collection of other messages of
8900 some format, you @kbd{C-d} and read these messages in a more convenient
8904 @kindex M-C-d (Summary)
8905 @findex gnus-summary-read-document
8906 This command is very similar to the one above, but lets you gather
8907 several documents into one biiig group
8908 (@code{gnus-summary-read-document}). It does this by opening several
8909 @code{nndoc} groups for each document, and then opening an
8910 @code{nnvirtual} group on top of these @code{nndoc} groups. This
8911 command understands the process/prefix convention
8912 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
8915 @kindex C-t (Summary)
8916 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-truncation
8917 Toggle truncation of summary lines
8918 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-truncation}). This will probably confuse the
8919 line centering function in the summary buffer, so it's not a good idea
8920 to have truncation switched off while reading articles.
8924 @findex gnus-summary-expand-window
8925 Expand the summary buffer window (@code{gnus-summary-expand-window}).
8926 If given a prefix, force an @code{article} window configuration.
8929 @kindex M-C-e (Summary)
8930 @findex gnus-summary-edit-parameters
8931 Edit the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
8932 group (@code{gnus-summary-edit-parameters}).
8935 @kindex M-C-a (Summary)
8936 @findex gnus-summary-customize-parameters
8937 Customize the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
8938 group (@code{gnus-summary-customize-parameters}).
8943 @node Exiting the Summary Buffer
8944 @section Exiting the Summary Buffer
8945 @cindex summary exit
8946 @cindex exiting groups
8948 Exiting from the summary buffer will normally update all info on the
8949 group and return you to the group buffer.
8955 @kindex Z Z (Summary)
8957 @findex gnus-summary-exit
8958 @vindex gnus-summary-exit-hook
8959 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook
8960 @c @icon{gnus-summary-exit}
8961 Exit the current group and update all information on the group
8962 (@code{gnus-summary-exit}). @code{gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook} is
8963 called before doing much of the exiting, which calls
8964 @code{gnus-summary-expire-articles} by default.
8965 @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} is called after finishing the exit
8966 process. @code{gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook} is run when returning to
8967 group mode having no more (unread) groups.
8971 @kindex Z E (Summary)
8973 @findex gnus-summary-exit-no-update
8974 Exit the current group without updating any information on the group
8975 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}).
8979 @kindex Z c (Summary)
8981 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit
8982 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}
8983 Mark all unticked articles in the group as read and then exit
8984 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}).
8987 @kindex Z C (Summary)
8988 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit
8989 Mark all articles, even the ticked ones, as read and then exit
8990 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit}).
8993 @kindex Z n (Summary)
8994 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group
8995 Mark all articles as read and go to the next group
8996 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group}).
8999 @kindex Z R (Summary)
9000 @findex gnus-summary-reselect-current-group
9001 Exit this group, and then enter it again
9002 (@code{gnus-summary-reselect-current-group}). If given a prefix, select
9003 all articles, both read and unread.
9007 @kindex Z G (Summary)
9008 @kindex M-g (Summary)
9009 @findex gnus-summary-rescan-group
9010 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-get}
9011 Exit the group, check for new articles in the group, and select the
9012 group (@code{gnus-summary-rescan-group}). If given a prefix, select all
9013 articles, both read and unread.
9016 @kindex Z N (Summary)
9017 @findex gnus-summary-next-group
9018 Exit the group and go to the next group
9019 (@code{gnus-summary-next-group}).
9022 @kindex Z P (Summary)
9023 @findex gnus-summary-prev-group
9024 Exit the group and go to the previous group
9025 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-group}).
9028 @kindex Z s (Summary)
9029 @findex gnus-summary-save-newsrc
9030 Save the current number of read/marked articles in the dribble buffer
9031 and then save the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-summary-save-newsrc}). If
9032 given a prefix, also save the @file{.newsrc} file(s). Using this
9033 command will make exit without updating (the @kbd{Q} command) worthless.
9036 @vindex gnus-exit-group-hook
9037 @code{gnus-exit-group-hook} is called when you exit the current group
9038 with an ``updating'' exit. For instance @kbd{Q}
9039 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}) does not call this hook.
9041 @findex gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead
9042 @findex gnus-dead-summary-mode
9043 @vindex gnus-kill-summary-on-exit
9044 If you're in the habit of exiting groups, and then changing your mind
9045 about it, you might set @code{gnus-kill-summary-on-exit} to @code{nil}.
9046 If you do that, Gnus won't kill the summary buffer when you exit it.
9047 (Quelle surprise!) Instead it will change the name of the buffer to
9048 something like @samp{*Dead Summary ... *} and install a minor mode
9049 called @code{gnus-dead-summary-mode}. Now, if you switch back to this
9050 buffer, you'll find that all keys are mapped to a function called
9051 @code{gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead}. So tapping any keys in a dead
9052 summary buffer will result in a live, normal summary buffer.
9054 There will never be more than one dead summary buffer at any one time.
9056 @vindex gnus-use-cross-reference
9057 The data on the current group will be updated (which articles you have
9058 read, which articles you have replied to, etc.) when you exit the
9059 summary buffer. If the @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} variable is
9060 @code{t} (which is the default), articles that are cross-referenced to
9061 this group and are marked as read, will also be marked as read in the
9062 other subscribed groups they were cross-posted to. If this variable is
9063 neither @code{nil} nor @code{t}, the article will be marked as read in
9064 both subscribed and unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}).
9067 @node Crosspost Handling
9068 @section Crosspost Handling
9072 Marking cross-posted articles as read ensures that you'll never have to
9073 read the same article more than once. Unless, of course, somebody has
9074 posted it to several groups separately. Posting the same article to
9075 several groups (not cross-posting) is called @dfn{spamming}, and you are
9076 by law required to send nasty-grams to anyone who perpetrates such a
9077 heinous crime. You may want to try NoCeM handling to filter out spam
9080 Remember: Cross-posting is kinda ok, but posting the same article
9081 separately to several groups is not. Massive cross-posting (aka.
9082 @dfn{velveeta}) is to be avoided at all costs, and you can even use the
9083 @code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint} command to complain about
9084 excessive crossposting (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
9086 @cindex cross-posting
9089 One thing that may cause Gnus to not do the cross-posting thing
9090 correctly is if you use an @sc{nntp} server that supports @sc{xover}
9091 (which is very nice, because it speeds things up considerably) which
9092 does not include the @code{Xref} header in its @sc{nov} lines. This is
9093 Evil, but all too common, alas, alack. Gnus tries to Do The Right Thing
9094 even with @sc{xover} by registering the @code{Xref} lines of all
9095 articles you actually read, but if you kill the articles, or just mark
9096 them as read without reading them, Gnus will not get a chance to snoop
9097 the @code{Xref} lines out of these articles, and will be unable to use
9098 the cross reference mechanism.
9100 @cindex LIST overview.fmt
9101 @cindex overview.fmt
9102 To check whether your @sc{nntp} server includes the @code{Xref} header
9103 in its overview files, try @samp{telnet your.nntp.server nntp},
9104 @samp{MODE READER} on @code{inn} servers, and then say @samp{LIST
9105 overview.fmt}. This may not work, but if it does, and the last line you
9106 get does not read @samp{Xref:full}, then you should shout and whine at
9107 your news admin until she includes the @code{Xref} header in the
9110 @vindex gnus-nov-is-evil
9111 If you want Gnus to get the @code{Xref}s right all the time, you have to
9112 set @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{t}, which slows things down
9117 For an alternative approach, @pxref{Duplicate Suppression}.
9120 @node Duplicate Suppression
9121 @section Duplicate Suppression
9123 By default, Gnus tries to make sure that you don't have to read the same
9124 article more than once by utilizing the crossposting mechanism
9125 (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}). However, that simple and efficient
9126 approach may not work satisfactory for some users for various
9131 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to generate the @code{Xref} header. This
9132 is evil and not very common.
9135 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to include the @code{Xref} header in the
9136 @file{.overview} data bases. This is evil and all too common, alas.
9139 You may be reading the same group (or several related groups) from
9140 different @sc{nntp} servers.
9143 You may be getting mail that duplicates articles posted to groups.
9146 I'm sure there are other situations where @code{Xref} handling fails as
9147 well, but these four are the most common situations.
9149 If, and only if, @code{Xref} handling fails for you, then you may
9150 consider switching on @dfn{duplicate suppression}. If you do so, Gnus
9151 will remember the @code{Message-ID}s of all articles you have read or
9152 otherwise marked as read, and then, as if by magic, mark them as read
9153 all subsequent times you see them---in @emph{all} groups. Using this
9154 mechanism is quite likely to be somewhat inefficient, but not overly
9155 so. It's certainly preferable to reading the same articles more than
9158 Duplicate suppression is not a very subtle instrument. It's more like a
9159 sledge hammer than anything else. It works in a very simple
9160 fashion---if you have marked an article as read, it adds this Message-ID
9161 to a cache. The next time it sees this Message-ID, it will mark the
9162 article as read with the @samp{M} mark. It doesn't care what group it
9166 @item gnus-suppress-duplicates
9167 @vindex gnus-suppress-duplicates
9168 If non-@code{nil}, suppress duplicates.
9170 @item gnus-save-duplicate-list
9171 @vindex gnus-save-duplicate-list
9172 If non-@code{nil}, save the list of duplicates to a file. This will
9173 make startup and shutdown take longer, so the default is @code{nil}.
9174 However, this means that only duplicate articles read in a single Gnus
9175 session are suppressed.
9177 @item gnus-duplicate-list-length
9178 @vindex gnus-duplicate-list-length
9179 This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the duplicate
9180 suppression list. The default is 10000.
9182 @item gnus-duplicate-file
9183 @vindex gnus-duplicate-file
9184 The name of the file to store the duplicate suppression list in. The
9185 default is @file{~/News/suppression}.
9188 If you have a tendency to stop and start Gnus often, setting
9189 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{t} is probably a good idea. If
9190 you leave Gnus running for weeks on end, you may have it @code{nil}. On
9191 the other hand, saving the list makes startup and shutdown much slower,
9192 so that means that if you stop and start Gnus often, you should set
9193 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{nil}. Uhm. I'll leave this up
9194 to you to figure out, I think.
9199 Gnus is able to verify PGP or S/MIME signed messages or decrypt PGP
9204 To verify or decrypt PGP messages, you have to install mailcrypt or
9210 @item mm-verify-option
9211 @vindex mm-verify-option
9212 Option of verifying signed parts. @code{never}, not verify;
9213 @code{always}, always verify; @code{known}, only verify known
9214 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
9216 @item mm-decrypt-option
9217 @vindex mm-decrypt-option
9218 Option of decrypting encrypted parts. @code{never}, no decryption;
9219 @code{always}, always decrypt @code{known}, only decrypt known
9220 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
9224 @node Article Buffer
9225 @chapter Article Buffer
9226 @cindex article buffer
9228 The articles are displayed in the article buffer, of which there is only
9229 one. All the summary buffers share the same article buffer unless you
9230 tell Gnus otherwise.
9233 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
9234 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @sc{mime} before reading them.
9235 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
9236 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
9237 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
9241 @node Hiding Headers
9242 @section Hiding Headers
9243 @cindex hiding headers
9244 @cindex deleting headers
9246 The top section of each article is the @dfn{head}. (The rest is the
9247 @dfn{body}, but you may have guessed that already.)
9249 @vindex gnus-show-all-headers
9250 There is a lot of useful information in the head: the name of the person
9251 who wrote the article, the date it was written and the subject of the
9252 article. That's well and nice, but there's also lots of information
9253 most people do not want to see---what systems the article has passed
9254 through before reaching you, the @code{Message-ID}, the
9255 @code{References}, etc. ad nauseum---and you'll probably want to get rid
9256 of some of those lines. If you want to keep all those lines in the
9257 article buffer, you can set @code{gnus-show-all-headers} to @code{t}.
9259 Gnus provides you with two variables for sifting headers:
9263 @item gnus-visible-headers
9264 @vindex gnus-visible-headers
9265 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a regular expression
9266 that says what headers you wish to keep in the article buffer. All
9267 headers that do not match this variable will be hidden.
9269 For instance, if you only want to see the name of the person who wrote
9270 the article and the subject, you'd say:
9273 (setq gnus-visible-headers "^From:\\|^Subject:")
9276 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
9279 @item gnus-ignored-headers
9280 @vindex gnus-ignored-headers
9281 This variable is the reverse of @code{gnus-visible-headers}. If this
9282 variable is set (and @code{gnus-visible-headers} is @code{nil}), it
9283 should be a regular expression that matches all lines that you want to
9284 hide. All lines that do not match this variable will remain visible.
9286 For instance, if you just want to get rid of the @code{References} line
9287 and the @code{Xref} line, you might say:
9290 (setq gnus-ignored-headers "^References:\\|^Xref:")
9293 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
9296 Note that if @code{gnus-visible-headers} is non-@code{nil}, this
9297 variable will have no effect.
9301 @vindex gnus-sorted-header-list
9302 Gnus can also sort the headers for you. (It does this by default.) You
9303 can control the sorting by setting the @code{gnus-sorted-header-list}
9304 variable. It is a list of regular expressions that says in what order
9305 the headers are to be displayed.
9307 For instance, if you want the name of the author of the article first,
9308 and then the subject, you might say something like:
9311 (setq gnus-sorted-header-list '("^From:" "^Subject:"))
9314 Any headers that are to remain visible, but are not listed in this
9315 variable, will be displayed in random order after all the headers listed in this variable.
9317 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
9318 @vindex gnus-boring-article-headers
9319 You can hide further boring headers by setting
9320 @code{gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers} to @code{head}. What this function
9321 does depends on the @code{gnus-boring-article-headers} variable. It's a
9322 list, but this list doesn't actually contain header names. Instead is
9323 lists various @dfn{boring conditions} that Gnus can check and remove
9326 These conditions are:
9329 Remove all empty headers.
9331 Remove the @code{Followup-To} header if it is identical to the
9332 @code{Newsgroups} header.
9334 Remove the @code{Reply-To} header if it lists the same address as the
9337 Remove the @code{Newsgroups} header if it only contains the current group
9340 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
9341 the current groups's @code{to-address} parameter.
9343 Remove the @code{Date} header if the article is less than three days
9346 Remove the @code{To} header if it is very long.
9348 Remove all @code{To} headers if there are more than one.
9351 To include these three elements, you could say something like;
9354 (setq gnus-boring-article-headers
9355 '(empty followup-to reply-to))
9358 This is also the default value for this variable.
9362 @section Using @sc{mime}
9365 Mime is a standard for waving your hands through the air, aimlessly,
9366 while people stand around yawning.
9368 @sc{mime}, however, is a standard for encoding your articles, aimlessly,
9369 while all newsreaders die of fear.
9371 @sc{mime} may specify what character set the article uses, the encoding
9372 of the characters, and it also makes it possible to embed pictures and
9373 other naughty stuff in innocent-looking articles.
9375 @vindex gnus-display-mime-function
9376 @findex gnus-display-mime
9377 Gnus pushes @sc{mime} articles through @code{gnus-display-mime-function}
9378 to display the @sc{mime} parts. This is @code{gnus-display-mime} by
9379 default, which creates a bundle of clickable buttons that can be used to
9380 display, save and manipulate the @sc{mime} objects.
9382 The following commands are available when you have placed point over a
9386 @findex gnus-article-press-button
9388 @itemx BUTTON-2 (Article)
9389 Toggle displaying of the @sc{mime} object
9390 (@code{gnus-article-press-button}).
9392 @findex gnus-mime-view-part
9393 @item M-RET (Article)
9395 Prompt for a method, and then view the @sc{mime} object using this
9396 method (@code{gnus-mime-view-part}).
9398 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-type
9400 View the @sc{mime} object as if it were a different @sc{mime} media type
9401 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-type}).
9403 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-charset
9405 Prompt for a charset, and then view the @sc{mime} object using this
9406 charset (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-charset}).
9408 @findex gnus-mime-save-part
9410 Prompt for a file name, and then save the @sc{mime} object
9411 (@code{gnus-mime-save-part}).
9413 @findex gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip
9415 Prompt for a file name, then save the @sc{mime} object and strip it from
9416 the article. Then proceed to article editing, where a reasonable
9417 suggestion is being made on how the altered article should look
9418 like. The stripped @sc{mime} object will be referred via the
9419 message/external-body @sc{mime} type.
9420 (@code{gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip}).
9422 @findex gnus-mime-copy-part
9424 Copy the @sc{mime} object to a fresh buffer and display this buffer
9425 (@code{gnus-mime-copy-part}).
9427 @findex gnus-mime-inline-part
9429 Insert the contents of the @sc{mime} object into the buffer
9430 (@code{gnus-mime-inline-part}) as text/plain. If given a prefix, insert
9431 the raw contents without decoding. If given a numerical prefix, you can
9432 do semi-manual charset stuff (see
9433 @code{gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist} in @pxref{Paging the
9436 @findex gnus-mime-internalize-part
9438 View the @sc{mime} object with an internal viewer. If no internal
9439 viewer is available, use an external viewer
9440 (@code{gnus-mime-internalize-part}).
9442 @findex gnus-mime-externalize-part
9444 View the @sc{mime} object with an external viewer.
9445 (@code{gnus-mime-externalize-part}).
9447 @findex gnus-mime-pipe-part
9449 Output the @sc{mime} object to a process (@code{gnus-mime-pipe-part}).
9451 @findex gnus-mime-action-on-part
9453 Interactively run an action on the @sc{mime} object
9454 (@code{gnus-mime-action-on-part}).
9458 Gnus will display some @sc{mime} objects automatically. The way Gnus
9459 determines which parts to do this with is described in the Emacs MIME
9462 It might be best to just use the toggling functions from the article
9463 buffer to avoid getting nasty surprises. (For instance, you enter the
9464 group @samp{alt.sing-a-long} and, before you know it, @sc{mime} has
9465 decoded the sound file in the article and some horrible sing-a-long song
9466 comes screaming out your speakers, and you can't find the volume button,
9467 because there isn't one, and people are starting to look at you, and you
9468 try to stop the program, but you can't, and you can't find the program
9469 to control the volume, and everybody else in the room suddenly decides
9470 to look at you disdainfully, and you'll feel rather stupid.)
9472 Any similarity to real events and people is purely coincidental. Ahem.
9474 Also see @pxref{MIME Commands}.
9477 @node Customizing Articles
9478 @section Customizing Articles
9479 @cindex article customization
9481 A slew of functions for customizing how the articles are to look like
9482 exist. You can call these functions interactively, or you can have them
9483 called automatically when you select the articles.
9485 To have them called automatically, you should set the corresponding
9486 ``treatment'' variable. For instance, to have headers hidden, you'd set
9487 @code{gnus-treat-hide-headers}. Below is a list of variables that can
9488 be set, but first we discuss the values these variables can have.
9490 Note: Some values, while valid, make little sense. Check the list below
9491 for sensible values.
9495 @code{nil}: Don't do this treatment.
9498 @code{t}: Do this treatment on all body parts.
9501 @code{head}: Do the treatment on the headers.
9504 @code{last}: Do this treatment on the last part.
9507 An integer: Do this treatment on all body parts that have a length less
9511 A list of strings: Do this treatment on all body parts that are in
9512 articles that are read in groups that have names that match one of the
9513 regexps in the list.
9516 A list where the first element is not a string:
9518 The list is evaluated recursively. The first element of the list is a
9519 predicate. The following predicates are recognized: @code{or},
9520 @code{and}, @code{not} and @code{typep}. Here's an example:
9524 (typep "text/x-vcard"))
9529 You may have noticed that the word @dfn{part} is used here. This refers
9530 to the fact that some messages are @sc{mime} multipart articles that may
9531 be divided into several parts. Articles that are not multiparts are
9532 considered to contain just a single part.
9534 @vindex gnus-article-treat-types
9535 Are the treatments applied to all sorts of multipart parts? Yes, if you
9536 want to, but by default, only @samp{text/plain} parts are given the
9537 treatment. This is controlled by the @code{gnus-article-treat-types}
9538 variable, which is a list of regular expressions that are matched to the
9539 type of the part. This variable is ignored if the value of the
9540 controlling variable is a predicate list, as described above.
9542 The following treatment options are available. The easiest way to
9543 customize this is to examine the @code{gnus-article-treat} customization
9544 group. Values in parenthesis are suggested sensible values. Others are
9545 possible but those listed are probably sufficient for most people.
9548 @item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last)
9549 @item gnus-treat-buttonize (t, integer)
9550 @item gnus-treat-buttonize-head (head)
9551 @item gnus-treat-emphasize (t, head, integer)
9552 @item gnus-treat-fill-article (t, integer)
9553 @item gnus-treat-strip-cr (t, integer)
9554 @item gnus-treat-hide-headers (head)
9555 @item gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers (head)
9556 @item gnus-treat-hide-signature (t, last)
9557 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation (t, integer)
9558 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe (t, integer)
9559 @item gnus-treat-strip-pgp (t, last, integer)
9560 @item gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig (head)
9561 @item gnus-treat-strip-pem (t, last, integer)
9562 @item gnus-treat-highlight-headers (head)
9563 @item gnus-treat-highlight-citation (t, integer)
9564 @item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last, integer)
9565 @item gnus-treat-date-ut (head)
9566 @item gnus-treat-date-local (head)
9567 @item gnus-treat-date-english (head)
9568 @item gnus-treat-date-lapsed (head)
9569 @item gnus-treat-date-original (head)
9570 @item gnus-treat-date-iso8601 (head)
9571 @item gnus-treat-date-user-defined (head)
9572 @item gnus-treat-strip-headers-in-body (t, integer)
9573 @item gnus-treat-strip-trailing-blank-lines (t, last, integer)
9574 @item gnus-treat-strip-leading-blank-lines (t, integer)
9575 @item gnus-treat-strip-multiple-blank-lines (t, integer)
9576 @item gnus-treat-overstrike (t, integer)
9577 @item gnus-treat-display-xface (head)
9578 @item gnus-treat-display-smileys (t, integer)
9579 @item gnus-treat-display-picons (head)
9580 @item gnus-treat-capitalize-sentences (t, integer)
9581 @item gnus-treat-fill-long-lines (t, integer)
9582 @item gnus-treat-play-sounds
9583 @item gnus-treat-translate
9586 @vindex gnus-part-display-hook
9587 You can, of course, write your own functions to be called from
9588 @code{gnus-part-display-hook}. The functions are called narrowed to the
9589 part, and you can do anything you like, pretty much. There is no
9590 information that you have to keep in the buffer---you can change
9594 @node Article Keymap
9595 @section Article Keymap
9597 Most of the keystrokes in the summary buffer can also be used in the
9598 article buffer. They should behave as if you typed them in the summary
9599 buffer, which means that you don't actually have to have a summary
9600 buffer displayed while reading. You can do it all from the article
9603 A few additional keystrokes are available:
9608 @kindex SPACE (Article)
9609 @findex gnus-article-next-page
9610 Scroll forwards one page (@code{gnus-article-next-page}).
9613 @kindex DEL (Article)
9614 @findex gnus-article-prev-page
9615 Scroll backwards one page (@code{gnus-article-prev-page}).
9618 @kindex C-c ^ (Article)
9619 @findex gnus-article-refer-article
9620 If point is in the neighborhood of a @code{Message-ID} and you press
9621 @kbd{C-c ^}, Gnus will try to get that article from the server
9622 (@code{gnus-article-refer-article}).
9625 @kindex C-c C-m (Article)
9626 @findex gnus-article-mail
9627 Send a reply to the address near point (@code{gnus-article-mail}). If
9628 given a prefix, include the mail.
9632 @findex gnus-article-show-summary
9633 Reconfigure the buffers so that the summary buffer becomes visible
9634 (@code{gnus-article-show-summary}).
9638 @findex gnus-article-describe-briefly
9639 Give a very brief description of the available keystrokes
9640 (@code{gnus-article-describe-briefly}).
9643 @kindex TAB (Article)
9644 @findex gnus-article-next-button
9645 Go to the next button, if any (@code{gnus-article-next-button}). This
9646 only makes sense if you have buttonizing turned on.
9649 @kindex M-TAB (Article)
9650 @findex gnus-article-prev-button
9651 Go to the previous button, if any (@code{gnus-article-prev-button}).
9657 @section Misc Article
9661 @item gnus-single-article-buffer
9662 @vindex gnus-single-article-buffer
9663 If non-@code{nil}, use the same article buffer for all the groups.
9664 (This is the default.) If @code{nil}, each group will have its own
9667 @vindex gnus-article-decode-hook
9668 @item gnus-article-decode-hook
9670 Hook used to decode @sc{mime} articles. The default value is
9671 @code{(article-decode-charset article-decode-encoded-words)}
9673 @vindex gnus-article-prepare-hook
9674 @item gnus-article-prepare-hook
9675 This hook is called right after the article has been inserted into the
9676 article buffer. It is mainly intended for functions that do something
9677 depending on the contents; it should probably not be used for changing
9678 the contents of the article buffer.
9680 @item gnus-article-mode-hook
9681 @vindex gnus-article-mode-hook
9682 Hook called in article mode buffers.
9684 @item gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
9685 @vindex gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
9686 Syntax table used in article buffers. It is initialized from
9687 @code{text-mode-syntax-table}.
9689 @vindex gnus-article-mode-line-format
9690 @item gnus-article-mode-line-format
9691 This variable is a format string along the same lines as
9692 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
9693 accepts the same format specifications as that variable, with two
9698 The @dfn{wash status} of the article. This is a short string with one
9699 character for each possible article wash operation that may have been
9702 The number of @sc{mime} parts in the article.
9705 @vindex gnus-break-pages
9707 @item gnus-break-pages
9708 Controls whether @dfn{page breaking} is to take place. If this variable
9709 is non-@code{nil}, the articles will be divided into pages whenever a
9710 page delimiter appears in the article. If this variable is @code{nil},
9711 paging will not be done.
9713 @item gnus-page-delimiter
9714 @vindex gnus-page-delimiter
9715 This is the delimiter mentioned above. By default, it is @samp{^L}
9720 @node Composing Messages
9721 @chapter Composing Messages
9722 @cindex composing messages
9725 @cindex sending mail
9731 @kindex C-c C-c (Post)
9732 All commands for posting and mailing will put you in a message buffer
9733 where you can edit the article all you like, before you send the
9734 article by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}. @xref{Top, , Top, message, The
9735 Message Manual}. Where the message will be posted/mailed to depends
9736 on your setup (@pxref{Posting Server}).
9739 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
9740 * Posting Server:: What server should you post via?
9741 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
9742 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
9743 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
9744 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
9745 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
9746 * Using GPG:: How to use GPG and MML to sign and encrypt messages
9749 Also see @pxref{Canceling and Superseding} for information on how to
9750 remove articles you shouldn't have posted.
9756 Variables for customizing outgoing mail:
9759 @item gnus-uu-digest-headers
9760 @vindex gnus-uu-digest-headers
9761 List of regexps to match headers included in digested messages. The
9762 headers will be included in the sequence they are matched.
9764 @item gnus-add-to-list
9765 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
9766 If non-@code{nil}, add a @code{to-list} group parameter to mail groups
9767 that have none when you do a @kbd{a}.
9772 @node Posting Server
9773 @section Posting Server
9775 When you press those magical @kbd{C-c C-c} keys to ship off your latest
9776 (extremely intelligent, of course) article, where does it go?
9778 Thank you for asking. I hate you.
9780 @vindex gnus-post-method
9782 It can be quite complicated. Normally, Gnus will post using the same
9783 select method as you're reading from (which might be convenient if
9784 you're reading lots of groups from different private servers).
9785 However. If the server you're reading from doesn't allow posting,
9786 just reading, you probably want to use some other server to post your
9787 (extremely intelligent and fabulously interesting) articles. You can
9788 then set the @code{gnus-post-method} to some other method:
9791 (setq gnus-post-method '(nnspool ""))
9794 Now, if you've done this, and then this server rejects your article, or
9795 this server is down, what do you do then? To override this variable you
9796 can use a non-zero prefix to the @kbd{C-c C-c} command to force using
9797 the ``current'' server, to get back the default behavior, for posting.
9799 If you give a zero prefix (i.e., @kbd{C-u 0 C-c C-c}) to that command,
9800 Gnus will prompt you for what method to use for posting.
9802 You can also set @code{gnus-post-method} to a list of select methods.
9803 If that's the case, Gnus will always prompt you for what method to use
9806 Finally, if you want to always post using the native select method,
9807 you can set this variable to @code{nil}.
9811 @section Mail and Post
9813 Here's a list of variables relevant to both mailing and
9817 @item gnus-mailing-list-groups
9818 @findex gnus-mailing-list-groups
9819 @cindex mailing lists
9821 If your news server offers groups that are really mailing lists
9822 gatewayed to the @sc{nntp} server, you can read those groups without
9823 problems, but you can't post/followup to them without some difficulty.
9824 One solution is to add a @code{to-address} to the group parameters
9825 (@pxref{Group Parameters}). An easier thing to do is set the
9826 @code{gnus-mailing-list-groups} to a regexp that matches the groups that
9827 really are mailing lists. Then, at least, followups to the mailing
9828 lists will work most of the time. Posting to these groups (@kbd{a}) is
9829 still a pain, though.
9833 You may want to do spell-checking on messages that you send out. Or, if
9834 you don't want to spell-check by hand, you could add automatic
9835 spell-checking via the @code{ispell} package:
9838 @findex ispell-message
9840 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'ispell-message)
9843 If you want to change the @code{ispell} dictionary based on what group
9844 you're in, you could say something like the following:
9847 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook
9851 "^de\\." (gnus-group-real-name gnus-newsgroup-name))
9852 (ispell-change-dictionary "deutsch"))
9854 (ispell-change-dictionary "english")))))
9857 Modify to suit your needs.
9860 @node Archived Messages
9861 @section Archived Messages
9862 @cindex archived messages
9863 @cindex sent messages
9865 Gnus provides a few different methods for storing the mail and news you
9866 send. The default method is to use the @dfn{archive virtual server} to
9867 store the messages. If you want to disable this completely, the
9868 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable should be @code{nil}, which
9871 @vindex gnus-message-archive-method
9872 @code{gnus-message-archive-method} says what virtual server Gnus is to
9873 use to store sent messages. The default is:
9877 (nnfolder-directory "~/Mail/archive")
9878 (nnfolder-active-file "~/Mail/archive/active")
9879 (nnfolder-get-new-mail nil)
9880 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t))
9883 You can, however, use any mail select method (@code{nnml},
9884 @code{nnmbox}, etc.). @code{nnfolder} is a quite likable select method
9885 for doing this sort of thing, though. If you don't like the default
9886 directory chosen, you could say something like:
9889 (setq gnus-message-archive-method
9890 '(nnfolder "archive"
9891 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t)
9892 (nnfolder-active-file "~/News/sent-mail/active")
9893 (nnfolder-directory "~/News/sent-mail/")))
9896 @vindex gnus-message-archive-group
9898 Gnus will insert @code{Gcc} headers in all outgoing messages that point
9899 to one or more group(s) on that server. Which group to use is
9900 determined by the @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable.
9902 This variable can be used to do the following:
9906 Messages will be saved in that group.
9908 Note that you can include a select method in the group name, then the
9909 message will not be stored in the select method given by
9910 @code{gnus-message-archive-method}, but in the select method specified
9911 by the group name, instead. Suppose @code{gnus-message-archive-method}
9912 has the default value shown above. Then setting
9913 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{"foo"} means that outgoing
9914 messages are stored in @samp{nnfolder+archive:foo}, but if you use the
9915 value @code{"nnml:foo"}, then outgoing messages will be stored in
9917 @item a list of strings
9918 Messages will be saved in all those groups.
9919 @item an alist of regexps, functions and forms
9920 When a key ``matches'', the result is used.
9922 No message archiving will take place. This is the default.
9927 Just saving to a single group called @samp{MisK}:
9929 (setq gnus-message-archive-group "MisK")
9932 Saving to two groups, @samp{MisK} and @samp{safe}:
9934 (setq gnus-message-archive-group '("MisK" "safe"))
9937 Save to different groups based on what group you are in:
9939 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
9940 '(("^alt" "sent-to-alt")
9941 ("mail" "sent-to-mail")
9942 (".*" "sent-to-misc")))
9947 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
9948 '((if (message-news-p)
9953 How about storing all news messages in one file, but storing all mail
9954 messages in one file per month:
9957 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
9958 '((if (message-news-p)
9960 (concat "mail." (format-time-string "%Y-%m")))))
9963 (XEmacs 19.13 doesn't have @code{format-time-string}, so you'll have to
9964 use a different value for @code{gnus-message-archive-group} there.)
9966 Now, when you send a message off, it will be stored in the appropriate
9967 group. (If you want to disable storing for just one particular message,
9968 you can just remove the @code{Gcc} header that has been inserted.) The
9969 archive group will appear in the group buffer the next time you start
9970 Gnus, or the next time you press @kbd{F} in the group buffer. You can
9971 enter it and read the articles in it just like you'd read any other
9972 group. If the group gets really big and annoying, you can simply rename
9973 if (using @kbd{G r} in the group buffer) to something
9974 nice---@samp{misc-mail-september-1995}, or whatever. New messages will
9975 continue to be stored in the old (now empty) group.
9977 That's the default method of archiving sent messages. Gnus offers a
9978 different way for the people who don't like the default method. In that
9979 case you should set @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{nil};
9980 this will disable archiving.
9983 @item gnus-outgoing-message-group
9984 @vindex gnus-outgoing-message-group
9985 All outgoing messages will be put in this group. If you want to store
9986 all your outgoing mail and articles in the group @samp{nnml:archive},
9987 you set this variable to that value. This variable can also be a list of
9990 If you want to have greater control over what group to put each
9991 message in, you can set this variable to a function that checks the
9992 current newsgroup name and then returns a suitable group name (or list
9995 This variable can be used instead of @code{gnus-message-archive-group},
9996 but the latter is the preferred method.
9998 @item gnus-inews-mark-gcc-as-read
9999 @vindex gnus-inews-mark-gcc-as-read
10000 If non-@code{nil}, automatically mark @code{Gcc} articles as read.
10005 @node Posting Styles
10006 @section Posting Styles
10007 @cindex posting styles
10010 All them variables, they make my head swim.
10012 So what if you want a different @code{Organization} and signature based
10013 on what groups you post to? And you post both from your home machine
10014 and your work machine, and you want different @code{From} lines, and so
10017 @vindex gnus-posting-styles
10018 One way to do stuff like that is to write clever hooks that change the
10019 variables you need to have changed. That's a bit boring, so somebody
10020 came up with the bright idea of letting the user specify these things in
10021 a handy alist. Here's an example of a @code{gnus-posting-styles}
10026 (signature "Peace and happiness")
10027 (organization "What me?"))
10029 (signature "Death to everybody"))
10030 ("comp.emacs.i-love-it"
10031 (organization "Emacs is it")))
10034 As you might surmise from this example, this alist consists of several
10035 @dfn{styles}. Each style will be applicable if the first element
10036 ``matches'', in some form or other. The entire alist will be iterated
10037 over, from the beginning towards the end, and each match will be
10038 applied, which means that attributes in later styles that match override
10039 the same attributes in earlier matching styles. So
10040 @samp{comp.programming.literate} will have the @samp{Death to everybody}
10041 signature and the @samp{What me?} @code{Organization} header.
10043 The first element in each style is called the @code{match}. If it's a
10044 string, then Gnus will try to regexp match it against the group name.
10045 If it is the symbol @code{header}, then Gnus will look for header (the
10046 next element in the match) in the original article , and compare that to
10047 the last regexp in the match. If it's a function symbol, that function
10048 will be called with no arguments. If it's a variable symbol, then the
10049 variable will be referenced. If it's a list, then that list will be
10050 @code{eval}ed. In any case, if this returns a non-@code{nil} value,
10051 then the style is said to @dfn{match}.
10053 Each style may contain a arbitrary amount of @dfn{attributes}. Each
10054 attribute consists of a @code{(@var{name} @var{value})} pair. The
10055 attribute name can be one of @code{signature}, @code{signature-file},
10056 @code{organization}, @code{address}, @code{name} or @code{body}. The
10057 attribute name can also be a string. In that case, this will be used as
10058 a header name, and the value will be inserted in the headers of the
10059 article; if the value is @code{nil}, the header name will be removed.
10060 If the attribute name is @code{eval}, the form is evaluated, and the
10061 result is thrown away.
10063 The attribute value can be a string (used verbatim), a function with
10064 zero arguments (the return value will be used), a variable (its value
10065 will be used) or a list (it will be @code{eval}ed and the return value
10066 will be used). The functions and sexps are called/@code{eval}ed in the
10067 message buffer that is being set up. The headers of the current article
10068 are available through the @code{message-reply-headers} variable.
10070 If you wish to check whether the message you are about to compose is
10071 meant to be a news article or a mail message, you can check the values
10072 of the @code{message-news-p} and @code{message-mail-p} functions.
10074 @findex message-mail-p
10075 @findex message-news-p
10077 So here's a new example:
10080 (setq gnus-posting-styles
10082 (signature-file "~/.signature")
10084 ("X-Home-Page" (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
10085 (organization "People's Front Against MWM"))
10087 (signature my-funny-signature-randomizer))
10088 ((equal (system-name) "gnarly")
10089 (signature my-quote-randomizer))
10091 (signature my-news-signature))
10092 (header "to" "larsi.*org"
10093 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
10094 ((posting-from-work-p)
10095 (signature-file "~/.work-signature")
10096 (address "user@@bar.foo")
10097 (body "You are fired.\n\nSincerely, your boss.")
10098 (organization "Important Work, Inc"))
10100 (From (save-excursion
10101 (set-buffer gnus-article-buffer)
10102 (message-fetch-field "to"))))
10104 (signature-file "~/.mail-signature"))))
10107 The @samp{nnml:.*} rule means that you use the @code{To} address as the
10108 @code{From} address in all your outgoing replies, which might be handy
10109 if you fill many roles.
10116 If you are writing a message (mail or news) and suddenly remember that
10117 you have a steak in the oven (or some pesto in the food processor, you
10118 craaazy vegetarians), you'll probably wish there was a method to save
10119 the message you are writing so that you can continue editing it some
10120 other day, and send it when you feel its finished.
10122 Well, don't worry about it. Whenever you start composing a message of
10123 some sort using the Gnus mail and post commands, the buffer you get will
10124 automatically associate to an article in a special @dfn{draft} group.
10125 If you save the buffer the normal way (@kbd{C-x C-s}, for instance), the
10126 article will be saved there. (Auto-save files also go to the draft
10130 @vindex nndraft-directory
10131 The draft group is a special group (which is implemented as an
10132 @code{nndraft} group, if you absolutely have to know) called
10133 @samp{nndraft:drafts}. The variable @code{nndraft-directory} says where
10134 @code{nndraft} is to store its files. What makes this group special is
10135 that you can't tick any articles in it or mark any articles as
10136 read---all articles in the group are permanently unread.
10138 If the group doesn't exist, it will be created and you'll be subscribed
10139 to it. The only way to make it disappear from the Group buffer is to
10142 @c @findex gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft
10143 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Mail)
10144 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Post)
10145 @c @findex gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft
10146 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Mail)
10147 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Post)
10148 @c If you're writing some super-secret message that you later want to
10149 @c encode with PGP before sending, you may wish to turn the auto-saving
10150 @c (and association with the draft group) off. You never know who might be
10151 @c interested in reading all your extremely valuable and terribly horrible
10152 @c and interesting secrets. The @kbd{C-c M-d}
10153 @c (@code{gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft}) command does that for you.
10154 @c If you change your mind and want to turn the auto-saving back on again,
10155 @c @kbd{C-c C-d} (@code{gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft} does that.
10157 @c @vindex gnus-use-draft
10158 @c To leave association with the draft group off by default, set
10159 @c @code{gnus-use-draft} to @code{nil}. It is @code{t} by default.
10161 @findex gnus-draft-edit-message
10162 @kindex D e (Draft)
10163 When you want to continue editing the article, you simply enter the
10164 draft group and push @kbd{D e} (@code{gnus-draft-edit-message}) to do
10165 that. You will be placed in a buffer where you left off.
10167 Rejected articles will also be put in this draft group (@pxref{Rejected
10170 @findex gnus-draft-send-all-messages
10171 @findex gnus-draft-send-message
10172 If you have lots of rejected messages you want to post (or mail) without
10173 doing further editing, you can use the @kbd{D s} command
10174 (@code{gnus-draft-send-message}). This command understands the
10175 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). The @kbd{D S}
10176 command (@code{gnus-draft-send-all-messages}) will ship off all messages
10179 If you have some messages that you wish not to send, you can use the
10180 @kbd{D t} (@code{gnus-draft-toggle-sending}) command to mark the message
10181 as unsendable. This is a toggling command.
10184 @node Rejected Articles
10185 @section Rejected Articles
10186 @cindex rejected articles
10188 Sometimes a news server will reject an article. Perhaps the server
10189 doesn't like your face. Perhaps it just feels miserable. Perhaps
10190 @emph{there be demons}. Perhaps you have included too much cited text.
10191 Perhaps the disk is full. Perhaps the server is down.
10193 These situations are, of course, totally beyond the control of Gnus.
10194 (Gnus, of course, loves the way you look, always feels great, has angels
10195 fluttering around inside of it, doesn't care about how much cited text
10196 you include, never runs full and never goes down.) So Gnus saves these
10197 articles until some later time when the server feels better.
10199 The rejected articles will automatically be put in a special draft group
10200 (@pxref{Drafts}). When the server comes back up again, you'd then
10201 typically enter that group and send all the articles off.
10207 Gnus has an ALPHA support to GPG that's provided by @file{gpg.el}. See
10208 @code{mm-verify-option} and @code{mm-decrypt-option} to enable Gnus to
10209 verify or decrypt messages accordingly.
10211 To use this correctly with GPG, you'll need the following lisp code in your
10212 @file{~/.emacs} or @file{~/.gnus}:
10216 (setq mml2015-use 'gpg)
10217 (setq gpg-temp-directory (expand-file-name "~/.gnupg/tmp"))
10220 The @code{gpg-temp-directory} need to point to a directory with permissions set
10221 to 700, for your own safety.
10223 If you want to benefit of PGP2.6 compatibility, you might create a script named
10224 @file{gpg-2comp} with these instructions:
10228 exec gpg --rfc1991 "$@@"
10231 If you don't want to use such compatibility, you can add the following line to
10232 your @file{~/.emacs} or @file{~/.gnus}:
10235 (setq gpg-command-default-alist (quote ((gpg . "gpg") (gpg-2comp . "gpg"))))
10238 To sign or encrypt your message you may choose to use the MML Security
10239 menu or @kbd{C-c C-m s p} to sign your message using PGP/MIME, @kbd{C-c
10240 C-m s s} to sign your message using S/MIME. There's also @kbd{C-c C-m c
10241 p} to encrypt your message with PGP/MIME and @kbd{C-c C-m c s} to
10242 encrypt using S/MIME.
10244 Gnus will ask for your passphrase and then it will send your message, if
10245 you've typed it correctly.
10247 @node Select Methods
10248 @chapter Select Methods
10249 @cindex foreign groups
10250 @cindex select methods
10252 A @dfn{foreign group} is a group not read by the usual (or
10253 default) means. It could be, for instance, a group from a different
10254 @sc{nntp} server, it could be a virtual group, or it could be your own
10255 personal mail group.
10257 A foreign group (or any group, really) is specified by a @dfn{name} and
10258 a @dfn{select method}. To take the latter first, a select method is a
10259 list where the first element says what backend to use (e.g. @code{nntp},
10260 @code{nnspool}, @code{nnml}) and the second element is the @dfn{server
10261 name}. There may be additional elements in the select method, where the
10262 value may have special meaning for the backend in question.
10264 One could say that a select method defines a @dfn{virtual server}---so
10265 we do just that (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
10267 The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the backend will recognize the
10270 For instance, the group @samp{soc.motss} on the @sc{nntp} server
10271 @samp{some.where.edu} will have the name @samp{soc.motss} and select
10272 method @code{(nntp "some.where.edu")}. Gnus will call this group
10273 @samp{nntp+some.where.edu:soc.motss}, even though the @code{nntp}
10274 backend just knows this group as @samp{soc.motss}.
10276 The different methods all have their peculiarities, of course.
10279 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
10280 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
10281 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
10282 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
10283 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
10284 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
10285 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
10289 @node Server Buffer
10290 @section Server Buffer
10292 Traditionally, a @dfn{server} is a machine or a piece of software that
10293 one connects to, and then requests information from. Gnus does not
10294 connect directly to any real servers, but does all transactions through
10295 one backend or other. But that's just putting one layer more between
10296 the actual media and Gnus, so we might just as well say that each
10297 backend represents a virtual server.
10299 For instance, the @code{nntp} backend may be used to connect to several
10300 different actual @sc{nntp} servers, or, perhaps, to many different ports
10301 on the same actual @sc{nntp} server. You tell Gnus which backend to
10302 use, and what parameters to set by specifying a @dfn{select method}.
10304 These select method specifications can sometimes become quite
10305 complicated---say, for instance, that you want to read from the
10306 @sc{nntp} server @samp{news.funet.fi} on port number 13, which
10307 hangs if queried for @sc{nov} headers and has a buggy select. Ahem.
10308 Anyway, if you had to specify that for each group that used this
10309 server, that would be too much work, so Gnus offers a way of naming
10310 select methods, which is what you do in the server buffer.
10312 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
10313 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
10316 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
10317 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
10318 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
10319 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
10320 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
10321 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
10322 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
10325 @vindex gnus-server-mode-hook
10326 @code{gnus-server-mode-hook} is run when creating the server buffer.
10329 @node Server Buffer Format
10330 @subsection Server Buffer Format
10331 @cindex server buffer format
10333 @vindex gnus-server-line-format
10334 You can change the look of the server buffer lines by changing the
10335 @code{gnus-server-line-format} variable. This is a @code{format}-like
10336 variable, with some simple extensions:
10341 How the news is fetched---the backend name.
10344 The name of this server.
10347 Where the news is to be fetched from---the address.
10350 The opened/closed/denied status of the server.
10353 @vindex gnus-server-mode-line-format
10354 The mode line can also be customized by using the
10355 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format} variable (@pxref{Mode Line
10356 Formatting}). The following specs are understood:
10366 Also @pxref{Formatting Variables}.
10369 @node Server Commands
10370 @subsection Server Commands
10371 @cindex server commands
10377 @findex gnus-server-add-server
10378 Add a new server (@code{gnus-server-add-server}).
10382 @findex gnus-server-edit-server
10383 Edit a server (@code{gnus-server-edit-server}).
10386 @kindex SPACE (Server)
10387 @findex gnus-server-read-server
10388 Browse the current server (@code{gnus-server-read-server}).
10392 @findex gnus-server-exit
10393 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-server-exit}).
10397 @findex gnus-server-kill-server
10398 Kill the current server (@code{gnus-server-kill-server}).
10402 @findex gnus-server-yank-server
10403 Yank the previously killed server (@code{gnus-server-yank-server}).
10407 @findex gnus-server-copy-server
10408 Copy the current server (@code{gnus-server-copy-server}).
10412 @findex gnus-server-list-servers
10413 List all servers (@code{gnus-server-list-servers}).
10417 @findex gnus-server-scan-server
10418 Request that the server scan its sources for new articles
10419 (@code{gnus-server-scan-server}). This is mainly sensible with mail
10424 @findex gnus-server-regenerate-server
10425 Request that the server regenerate all its data structures
10426 (@code{gnus-server-regenerate-server}). This can be useful if you have
10427 a mail backend that has gotten out of sync.
10432 @node Example Methods
10433 @subsection Example Methods
10435 Most select methods are pretty simple and self-explanatory:
10438 (nntp "news.funet.fi")
10441 Reading directly from the spool is even simpler:
10447 As you can see, the first element in a select method is the name of the
10448 backend, and the second is the @dfn{address}, or @dfn{name}, if you
10451 After these two elements, there may be an arbitrary number of
10452 @code{(@var{variable} @var{form})} pairs.
10454 To go back to the first example---imagine that you want to read from
10455 port 15 on that machine. This is what the select method should
10459 (nntp "news.funet.fi" (nntp-port-number 15))
10462 You should read the documentation to each backend to find out what
10463 variables are relevant, but here's an @code{nnmh} example:
10465 @code{nnmh} is a mail backend that reads a spool-like structure. Say
10466 you have two structures that you wish to access: One is your private
10467 mail spool, and the other is a public one. Here's the possible spec for
10471 (nnmh "private" (nnmh-directory "~/private/mail/"))
10474 (This server is then called @samp{private}, but you may have guessed
10477 Here's the method for a public spool:
10481 (nnmh-directory "/usr/information/spool/")
10482 (nnmh-get-new-mail nil))
10488 If you are behind a firewall and only have access to the @sc{nntp}
10489 server from the firewall machine, you can instruct Gnus to @code{rlogin}
10490 on the firewall machine and telnet from there to the @sc{nntp} server.
10491 Doing this can be rather fiddly, but your virtual server definition
10492 should probably look something like this:
10496 (nntp-address "the.firewall.machine")
10497 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-rlogin)
10498 (nntp-end-of-line "\n")
10499 (nntp-rlogin-parameters
10500 ("telnet" "the.real.nntp.host" "nntp")))
10503 If you want to use the wonderful @code{ssh} program to provide a
10504 compressed connection over the modem line, you could create a virtual
10505 server that would look something like this:
10509 (nntp-address "copper.uio.no")
10510 (nntp-rlogin-program "ssh")
10511 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-rlogin)
10512 (nntp-end-of-line "\n")
10513 (nntp-rlogin-parameters
10514 ("telnet" "news.uio.no" "nntp")))
10517 This means that you have to have set up @code{ssh-agent} correctly to
10518 provide automatic authorization, of course. And to get a compressed
10519 connection, you have to have the @samp{Compression} option in the
10520 @code{ssh} @file{config} file.
10523 @node Creating a Virtual Server
10524 @subsection Creating a Virtual Server
10526 If you're saving lots of articles in the cache by using persistent
10527 articles, you may want to create a virtual server to read the cache.
10529 First you need to add a new server. The @kbd{a} command does that. It
10530 would probably be best to use @code{nnspool} to read the cache. You
10531 could also use @code{nnml} or @code{nnmh}, though.
10533 Type @kbd{a nnspool RET cache RET}.
10535 You should now have a brand new @code{nnspool} virtual server called
10536 @samp{cache}. You now need to edit it to have the right definitions.
10537 Type @kbd{e} to edit the server. You'll be entered into a buffer that
10538 will contain the following:
10548 (nnspool-spool-directory "~/News/cache/")
10549 (nnspool-nov-directory "~/News/cache/")
10550 (nnspool-active-file "~/News/cache/active"))
10553 Type @kbd{C-c C-c} to return to the server buffer. If you now press
10554 @kbd{RET} over this virtual server, you should be entered into a browse
10555 buffer, and you should be able to enter any of the groups displayed.
10558 @node Server Variables
10559 @subsection Server Variables
10561 One sticky point when defining variables (both on backends and in Emacs
10562 in general) is that some variables are typically initialized from other
10563 variables when the definition of the variables is being loaded. If you
10564 change the "base" variable after the variables have been loaded, you
10565 won't change the "derived" variables.
10567 This typically affects directory and file variables. For instance,
10568 @code{nnml-directory} is @file{~/Mail/} by default, and all @code{nnml}
10569 directory variables are initialized from that variable, so
10570 @code{nnml-active-file} will be @file{~/Mail/active}. If you define a
10571 new virtual @code{nnml} server, it will @emph{not} suffice to set just
10572 @code{nnml-directory}---you have to explicitly set all the file
10573 variables to be what you want them to be. For a complete list of
10574 variables for each backend, see each backend's section later in this
10575 manual, but here's an example @code{nnml} definition:
10579 (nnml-directory "~/my-mail/")
10580 (nnml-active-file "~/my-mail/active")
10581 (nnml-newsgroups-file "~/my-mail/newsgroups"))
10585 @node Servers and Methods
10586 @subsection Servers and Methods
10588 Wherever you would normally use a select method
10589 (e.g. @code{gnus-secondary-select-method}, in the group select method,
10590 when browsing a foreign server) you can use a virtual server name
10591 instead. This could potentially save lots of typing. And it's nice all
10595 @node Unavailable Servers
10596 @subsection Unavailable Servers
10598 If a server seems to be unreachable, Gnus will mark that server as
10599 @code{denied}. That means that any subsequent attempt to make contact
10600 with that server will just be ignored. ``It can't be opened,'' Gnus
10601 will tell you, without making the least effort to see whether that is
10602 actually the case or not.
10604 That might seem quite naughty, but it does make sense most of the time.
10605 Let's say you have 10 groups subscribed to on server
10606 @samp{nephelococcygia.com}. This server is located somewhere quite far
10607 away from you and the machine is quite slow, so it takes 1 minute just
10608 to find out that it refuses connection to you today. If Gnus were to
10609 attempt to do that 10 times, you'd be quite annoyed, so Gnus won't
10610 attempt to do that. Once it has gotten a single ``connection refused'',
10611 it will regard that server as ``down''.
10613 So, what happens if the machine was only feeling unwell temporarily?
10614 How do you test to see whether the machine has come up again?
10616 You jump to the server buffer (@pxref{Server Buffer}) and poke it
10617 with the following commands:
10623 @findex gnus-server-open-server
10624 Try to establish connection to the server on the current line
10625 (@code{gnus-server-open-server}).
10629 @findex gnus-server-close-server
10630 Close the connection (if any) to the server
10631 (@code{gnus-server-close-server}).
10635 @findex gnus-server-deny-server
10636 Mark the current server as unreachable
10637 (@code{gnus-server-deny-server}).
10640 @kindex M-o (Server)
10641 @findex gnus-server-open-all-servers
10642 Open the connections to all servers in the buffer
10643 (@code{gnus-server-open-all-servers}).
10646 @kindex M-c (Server)
10647 @findex gnus-server-close-all-servers
10648 Close the connections to all servers in the buffer
10649 (@code{gnus-server-close-all-servers}).
10653 @findex gnus-server-remove-denials
10654 Remove all marks to whether Gnus was denied connection from any servers
10655 (@code{gnus-server-remove-denials}).
10661 @section Getting News
10662 @cindex reading news
10663 @cindex news backends
10665 A newsreader is normally used for reading news. Gnus currently provides
10666 only two methods of getting news---it can read from an @sc{nntp} server,
10667 or it can read from a local spool.
10670 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
10671 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
10676 @subsection @sc{nntp}
10679 Subscribing to a foreign group from an @sc{nntp} server is rather easy.
10680 You just specify @code{nntp} as method and the address of the @sc{nntp}
10681 server as the, uhm, address.
10683 If the @sc{nntp} server is located at a non-standard port, setting the
10684 third element of the select method to this port number should allow you
10685 to connect to the right port. You'll have to edit the group info for
10686 that (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
10688 The name of the foreign group can be the same as a native group. In
10689 fact, you can subscribe to the same group from as many different servers
10690 you feel like. There will be no name collisions.
10692 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nntp}
10697 @item nntp-server-opened-hook
10698 @vindex nntp-server-opened-hook
10699 @cindex @sc{mode reader}
10701 @cindex authentification
10702 @cindex nntp authentification
10703 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
10704 @findex nntp-send-mode-reader
10705 is run after a connection has been made. It can be used to send
10706 commands to the @sc{nntp} server after it has been contacted. By
10707 default it sends the command @code{MODE READER} to the server with the
10708 @code{nntp-send-mode-reader} function. This function should always be
10709 present in this hook.
10711 @item nntp-authinfo-function
10712 @vindex nntp-authinfo-function
10713 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
10714 @vindex nntp-authinfo-file
10715 This function will be used to send @samp{AUTHINFO} to the @sc{nntp}
10716 server. The default function is @code{nntp-send-authinfo}, which looks
10717 through your @file{~/.authinfo} (or whatever you've set the
10718 @code{nntp-authinfo-file} variable to) for applicable entries. If none
10719 are found, it will prompt you for a login name and a password. The
10720 format of the @file{~/.authinfo} file is (almost) the same as the
10721 @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file, which is defined in the @code{ftp}
10722 manual page, but here are the salient facts:
10726 The file contains one or more line, each of which define one server.
10729 Each line may contain an arbitrary number of token/value pairs.
10731 The valid tokens include @samp{machine}, @samp{login}, @samp{password},
10732 @samp{default}. In addition Gnus introduces two new tokens, not present
10733 in the original @file{.netrc}/@code{ftp} syntax, namely @samp{port} and
10734 @samp{force}. (This is the only way the @file{.authinfo} file format
10735 deviates from the @file{.netrc} file format.) @samp{port} is used to
10736 indicate what port on the server the credentials apply to and
10737 @samp{force} is explained below.
10741 Here's an example file:
10744 machine news.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis
10745 machine nntp.ifi.uio.no login larsi force yes
10748 The token/value pairs may appear in any order; @samp{machine} doesn't
10749 have to be first, for instance.
10751 In this example, both login name and password have been supplied for the
10752 former server, while the latter has only the login name listed, and the
10753 user will be prompted for the password. The latter also has the
10754 @samp{force} tag, which means that the authinfo will be sent to the
10755 @var{nntp} server upon connection; the default (i.e., when there is not
10756 @samp{force} tag) is to not send authinfo to the @var{nntp} server
10757 until the @var{nntp} server asks for it.
10759 You can also add @samp{default} lines that will apply to all servers
10760 that don't have matching @samp{machine} lines.
10766 This will force sending @samp{AUTHINFO} commands to all servers not
10767 previously mentioned.
10769 Remember to not leave the @file{~/.authinfo} file world-readable.
10771 @item nntp-server-action-alist
10772 @vindex nntp-server-action-alist
10773 This is a list of regexps to match on server types and actions to be
10774 taken when matches are made. For instance, if you want Gnus to beep
10775 every time you connect to innd, you could say something like:
10778 (setq nntp-server-action-alist
10779 '(("innd" (ding))))
10782 You probably don't want to do that, though.
10784 The default value is
10787 '(("nntpd 1\\.5\\.11t"
10788 (remove-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook
10789 'nntp-send-mode-reader)))
10792 This ensures that Gnus doesn't send the @code{MODE READER} command to
10793 nntpd 1.5.11t, since that command chokes that server, I've been told.
10795 @item nntp-maximum-request
10796 @vindex nntp-maximum-request
10797 If the @sc{nntp} server doesn't support @sc{nov} headers, this backend
10798 will collect headers by sending a series of @code{head} commands. To
10799 speed things up, the backend sends lots of these commands without
10800 waiting for reply, and then reads all the replies. This is controlled
10801 by the @code{nntp-maximum-request} variable, and is 400 by default. If
10802 your network is buggy, you should set this to 1.
10804 @item nntp-connection-timeout
10805 @vindex nntp-connection-timeout
10806 If you have lots of foreign @code{nntp} groups that you connect to
10807 regularly, you're sure to have problems with @sc{nntp} servers not
10808 responding properly, or being too loaded to reply within reasonable
10809 time. This is can lead to awkward problems, which can be helped
10810 somewhat by setting @code{nntp-connection-timeout}. This is an integer
10811 that says how many seconds the @code{nntp} backend should wait for a
10812 connection before giving up. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default,
10813 no timeouts are done.
10815 @c @item nntp-command-timeout
10816 @c @vindex nntp-command-timeout
10817 @c @cindex PPP connections
10818 @c @cindex dynamic IP addresses
10819 @c If you're running Gnus on a machine that has a dynamically assigned
10820 @c address, Gnus may become confused. If the address of your machine
10821 @c changes after connecting to the @sc{nntp} server, Gnus will simply sit
10822 @c waiting forever for replies from the server. To help with this
10823 @c unfortunate problem, you can set this command to a number. Gnus will
10824 @c then, if it sits waiting for a reply from the server longer than that
10825 @c number of seconds, shut down the connection, start a new one, and resend
10826 @c the command. This should hopefully be transparent to the user. A
10827 @c likely number is 30 seconds.
10829 @c @item nntp-retry-on-break
10830 @c @vindex nntp-retry-on-break
10831 @c If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you can also @kbd{C-g} if Gnus
10832 @c hangs. This will have much the same effect as the command timeout
10833 @c described above.
10835 @item nntp-server-hook
10836 @vindex nntp-server-hook
10837 This hook is run as the last step when connecting to an @sc{nntp}
10840 @findex nntp-open-rlogin
10841 @findex nntp-open-telnet
10842 @findex nntp-open-network-stream
10843 @item nntp-open-connection-function
10844 @vindex nntp-open-connection-function
10845 This function is used to connect to the remote system. Four pre-made
10846 functions are supplied:
10849 @item nntp-open-network-stream
10850 This is the default, and simply connects to some port or other on the
10853 @item nntp-open-rlogin
10854 Does an @samp{rlogin} on the
10855 remote system, and then does a @samp{telnet} to the @sc{nntp} server
10858 @code{nntp-open-rlogin}-related variables:
10862 @item nntp-rlogin-program
10863 @vindex nntp-rlogin-program
10864 Program used to log in on remote machines. The default is @samp{rsh},
10865 but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
10867 @item nntp-rlogin-parameters
10868 @vindex nntp-rlogin-parameters
10869 This list will be used as the parameter list given to @code{rsh}.
10871 @item nntp-rlogin-user-name
10872 @vindex nntp-rlogin-user-name
10873 User name on the remote system.
10877 @item nntp-open-telnet
10878 Does a @samp{telnet} to the remote system and then another @samp{telnet}
10879 to get to the @sc{nntp} server.
10881 @code{nntp-open-telnet}-related variables:
10884 @item nntp-telnet-command
10885 @vindex nntp-telnet-command
10886 Command used to start @code{telnet}.
10888 @item nntp-telnet-switches
10889 @vindex nntp-telnet-switches
10890 List of strings to be used as the switches to the @code{telnet} command.
10892 @item nntp-telnet-user-name
10893 @vindex nntp-telnet-user-name
10894 User name for log in on the remote system.
10896 @item nntp-telnet-passwd
10897 @vindex nntp-telnet-passwd
10898 Password to use when logging in.
10900 @item nntp-telnet-parameters
10901 @vindex nntp-telnet-parameters
10902 A list of strings executed as a command after logging in
10905 @item nntp-telnet-shell-prompt
10906 @vindex nntp-telnet-shell-prompt
10907 Regexp matching the shell prompt on the remote machine. The default is
10908 @samp{bash\\|\$ *\r?$\\|> *\r?}.
10910 @item nntp-open-telnet-envuser
10911 @vindex nntp-open-telnet-envuser
10912 If non-@code{nil}, the @code{telnet} session (client and server both)
10913 will support the @code{ENVIRON} option and not prompt for login name.
10914 This works for Solaris @code{telnet}, for instance.
10918 @findex nntp-open-ssl-stream
10919 @item nntp-open-ssl-stream
10920 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use this
10921 you must have SSLay installed
10922 (@uref{ftp://ftp.psy.uq.oz.au/pub/Crypto/SSL}, and you also need
10923 @file{ssl.el} (from the W3 distribution, for instance). You then
10924 define a server as follows:
10927 ;; Type `C-c C-c' after you've finished editing.
10929 ;; "snews" is port 563 and is predefined
10930 ;; in our /etc/services
10932 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
10933 (nntp-open-connection-function
10934 nntp-open-ssl-stream)
10935 (nntp-port-number "snews")
10936 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
10941 @item nntp-end-of-line
10942 @vindex nntp-end-of-line
10943 String to use as end-of-line marker when talking to the @sc{nntp}
10944 server. This is @samp{\r\n} by default, but should be @samp{\n} when
10945 using @code{rlogin} to talk to the server.
10947 @item nntp-rlogin-user-name
10948 @vindex nntp-rlogin-user-name
10949 User name on the remote system when using the @code{rlogin} connect
10953 @vindex nntp-address
10954 The address of the remote system running the @sc{nntp} server.
10956 @item nntp-port-number
10957 @vindex nntp-port-number
10958 Port number to connect to when using the @code{nntp-open-network-stream}
10961 @item nntp-buggy-select
10962 @vindex nntp-buggy-select
10963 Set this to non-@code{nil} if your select routine is buggy.
10965 @item nntp-nov-is-evil
10966 @vindex nntp-nov-is-evil
10967 If the @sc{nntp} server does not support @sc{nov}, you could set this
10968 variable to @code{t}, but @code{nntp} usually checks automatically whether @sc{nov}
10971 @item nntp-xover-commands
10972 @vindex nntp-xover-commands
10975 List of strings used as commands to fetch @sc{nov} lines from a
10976 server. The default value of this variable is @code{("XOVER"
10980 @vindex nntp-nov-gap
10981 @code{nntp} normally sends just one big request for @sc{nov} lines to
10982 the server. The server responds with one huge list of lines. However,
10983 if you have read articles 2-5000 in the group, and only want to read
10984 article 1 and 5001, that means that @code{nntp} will fetch 4999 @sc{nov}
10985 lines that you will not need. This variable says how
10986 big a gap between two consecutive articles is allowed to be before the
10987 @code{XOVER} request is split into several request. Note that if your
10988 network is fast, setting this variable to a really small number means
10989 that fetching will probably be slower. If this variable is @code{nil},
10990 @code{nntp} will never split requests. The default is 5.
10992 @item nntp-prepare-server-hook
10993 @vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
10994 A hook run before attempting to connect to an @sc{nntp} server.
10996 @item nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
10997 @vindex nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
10998 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, some noise will be made when a
10999 server closes connection.
11001 @item nntp-record-commands
11002 @vindex nntp-record-commands
11003 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nntp} will log all commands it sends to the
11004 @sc{nntp} server (along with a timestamp) in the @samp{*nntp-log*}
11005 buffer. This is useful if you are debugging a Gnus/@sc{nntp} connection
11006 that doesn't seem to work.
11012 @subsection News Spool
11016 Subscribing to a foreign group from the local spool is extremely easy,
11017 and might be useful, for instance, to speed up reading groups that
11018 contain very big articles---@samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}, for
11021 Anyway, you just specify @code{nnspool} as the method and @code{""} (or
11022 anything else) as the address.
11024 If you have access to a local spool, you should probably use that as the
11025 native select method (@pxref{Finding the News}). It is normally faster
11026 than using an @code{nntp} select method, but might not be. It depends.
11027 You just have to try to find out what's best at your site.
11031 @item nnspool-inews-program
11032 @vindex nnspool-inews-program
11033 Program used to post an article.
11035 @item nnspool-inews-switches
11036 @vindex nnspool-inews-switches
11037 Parameters given to the inews program when posting an article.
11039 @item nnspool-spool-directory
11040 @vindex nnspool-spool-directory
11041 Where @code{nnspool} looks for the articles. This is normally
11042 @file{/usr/spool/news/}.
11044 @item nnspool-nov-directory
11045 @vindex nnspool-nov-directory
11046 Where @code{nnspool} will look for @sc{nov} files. This is normally
11047 @file{/usr/spool/news/over.view/}.
11049 @item nnspool-lib-dir
11050 @vindex nnspool-lib-dir
11051 Where the news lib dir is (@file{/usr/lib/news/} by default).
11053 @item nnspool-active-file
11054 @vindex nnspool-active-file
11055 The path to the active file.
11057 @item nnspool-newsgroups-file
11058 @vindex nnspool-newsgroups-file
11059 The path to the group descriptions file.
11061 @item nnspool-history-file
11062 @vindex nnspool-history-file
11063 The path to the news history file.
11065 @item nnspool-active-times-file
11066 @vindex nnspool-active-times-file
11067 The path to the active date file.
11069 @item nnspool-nov-is-evil
11070 @vindex nnspool-nov-is-evil
11071 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnspool} won't try to use any @sc{nov} files
11074 @item nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
11075 @vindex nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
11077 If non-@code{nil}, which is the default, use @code{sed} to get the
11078 relevant portion from the overview file. If nil, @code{nnspool} will
11079 load the entire file into a buffer and process it there.
11085 @section Getting Mail
11086 @cindex reading mail
11089 Reading mail with a newsreader---isn't that just plain WeIrD? But of
11093 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
11094 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
11095 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
11096 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
11097 * Mail Backend Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
11098 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
11099 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
11100 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
11101 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
11102 * Washing Mail:: Removing gruft from the mail you get.
11103 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
11104 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail backends for reading other files.
11105 * Choosing a Mail Backend:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
11109 @node Mail in a Newsreader
11110 @subsection Mail in a Newsreader
11112 If you are used to traditional mail readers, but have decided to switch
11113 to reading mail with Gnus, you may find yourself experiencing something
11114 of a culture shock.
11116 Gnus does not behave like traditional mail readers. If you want to make
11117 it behave that way, you can, but it's an uphill battle.
11119 Gnus, by default, handles all its groups using the same approach. This
11120 approach is very newsreaderly---you enter a group, see the new/unread
11121 messages, and when you read the messages, they get marked as read, and
11122 you don't see them any more. (Unless you explicitly ask for them.)
11124 In particular, you do not do anything explicitly to delete messages.
11126 Does this mean that all the messages that have been marked as read are
11127 deleted? How awful!
11129 But, no, it means that old messages are @dfn{expired} according to some
11130 scheme or other. For news messages, the expire process is controlled by
11131 the news administrator; for mail, the expire process is controlled by
11132 you. The expire process for mail is covered in depth in @pxref{Expiring
11135 What many Gnus users find, after using it a while for both news and
11136 mail, is that the transport mechanism has very little to do with how
11137 they want to treat a message.
11139 Many people subscribe to several mailing lists. These are transported
11140 via SMTP, and are therefore mail. But we might go for weeks without
11141 answering, or even reading these messages very carefully. We may not
11142 need to save them because if we should need to read one again, they are
11143 archived somewhere else.
11145 Some people have local news groups which have only a handful of readers.
11146 These are transported via @sc{nntp}, and are therefore news. But we may need
11147 to read and answer a large fraction of the messages very carefully in
11148 order to do our work. And there may not be an archive, so we may need
11149 to save the interesting messages the same way we would personal mail.
11151 The important distinction turns out to be not the transport mechanism,
11152 but other factors such as how interested we are in the subject matter,
11153 or how easy it is to retrieve the message if we need to read it again.
11155 Gnus provides many options for sorting mail into ``groups'' which behave
11156 like newsgroups, and for treating each group (whether mail or news)
11159 Some users never get comfortable using the Gnus (ahem) paradigm and wish
11160 that Gnus should grow up and be a male, er, mail reader. It is possible
11161 to whip Gnus into a more mailreaderly being, but, as said before, it's
11162 not easy. People who prefer proper mail readers should try @sc{vm}
11163 instead, which is an excellent, and proper, mail reader.
11165 I don't mean to scare anybody off, but I want to make it clear that you
11166 may be required to learn a new way of thinking about messages. After
11167 you've been subjected to The Gnus Way, you will come to love it. I can
11168 guarantee it. (At least the guy who sold me the Emacs Subliminal
11169 Brain-Washing Functions that I've put into Gnus did guarantee it. You
11170 Will Be Assimilated. You Love Gnus. You Love The Gnus Mail Way.
11174 @node Getting Started Reading Mail
11175 @subsection Getting Started Reading Mail
11177 It's quite easy to use Gnus to read your new mail. You just plonk the
11178 mail backend of your choice into @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods},
11179 and things will happen automatically.
11181 For instance, if you want to use @code{nnml} (which is a "one file per
11182 mail" backend), you could put the following in your @file{.gnus} file:
11185 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
11186 '((nnml "private")))
11189 Now, the next time you start Gnus, this backend will be queried for new
11190 articles, and it will move all the messages in your spool file to its
11191 directory, which is @code{~/Mail/} by default. The new group that will
11192 be created (@samp{mail.misc}) will be subscribed, and you can read it
11193 like any other group.
11195 You will probably want to split the mail into several groups, though:
11198 (setq nnmail-split-methods
11199 '(("junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
11200 ("crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
11204 This will result in three new @code{nnml} mail groups being created:
11205 @samp{nnml:junk}, @samp{nnml:crazy}, and @samp{nnml:other}. All the
11206 mail that doesn't fit into the first two groups will be placed in the
11209 This should be sufficient for reading mail with Gnus. You might want to
11210 give the other sections in this part of the manual a perusal, though.
11211 Especially @pxref{Choosing a Mail Backend} and @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
11214 @node Splitting Mail
11215 @subsection Splitting Mail
11216 @cindex splitting mail
11217 @cindex mail splitting
11219 @vindex nnmail-split-methods
11220 The @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable says how the incoming mail is
11221 to be split into groups.
11224 (setq nnmail-split-methods
11225 '(("mail.junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
11226 ("mail.crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
11227 ("mail.other" "")))
11230 This variable is a list of lists, where the first element of each of
11231 these lists is the name of the mail group (they do not have to be called
11232 something beginning with @samp{mail}, by the way), and the second
11233 element is a regular expression used on the header of each mail to
11234 determine if it belongs in this mail group. The first string may
11235 contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by @code{replace-match} to
11236 insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For instance:
11239 ("list.\\1" "From:.* \\(.*\\)-list@@majordomo.com")
11242 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
11243 called narrowed to the headers with the first element of the rule as the
11244 argument. It should return a non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the
11245 mail belongs in that group.
11247 The last of these groups should always be a general one, and the regular
11248 expression should @emph{always} be @samp{} so that it matches any mails
11249 that haven't been matched by any of the other regexps. (These rules are
11250 processed from the beginning of the alist toward the end. The first
11251 rule to make a match will "win", unless you have crossposting enabled.
11252 In that case, all matching rules will "win".)
11254 If you like to tinker with this yourself, you can set this variable to a
11255 function of your choice. This function will be called without any
11256 arguments in a buffer narrowed to the headers of an incoming mail
11257 message. The function should return a list of group names that it
11258 thinks should carry this mail message.
11260 Note that the mail backends are free to maul the poor, innocent,
11261 incoming headers all they want to. They all add @code{Lines} headers;
11262 some add @code{X-Gnus-Group} headers; most rename the Unix mbox
11263 @code{From<SPACE>} line to something else.
11265 @vindex nnmail-crosspost
11266 The mail backends all support cross-posting. If several regexps match,
11267 the mail will be ``cross-posted'' to all those groups.
11268 @code{nnmail-crosspost} says whether to use this mechanism or not. Note
11269 that no articles are crossposted to the general (@samp{}) group.
11271 @vindex nnmail-crosspost-link-function
11274 @code{nnmh} and @code{nnml} makes crossposts by creating hard links to
11275 the crossposted articles. However, not all file systems support hard
11276 links. If that's the case for you, set
11277 @code{nnmail-crosspost-link-function} to @code{copy-file}. (This
11278 variable is @code{add-name-to-file} by default.)
11280 @kindex M-x nnmail-split-history
11281 @kindex nnmail-split-history
11282 If you wish to see where the previous mail split put the messages, you
11283 can use the @kbd{M-x nnmail-split-history} command. If you wish to see
11284 where re-spooling messages would put the messages, you can use
11285 @code{gnus-summary-respool-trace} and related commands (@pxref{Mail
11288 Gnus gives you all the opportunity you could possibly want for shooting
11289 yourself in the foot. Let's say you create a group that will contain
11290 all the mail you get from your boss. And then you accidentally
11291 unsubscribe from the group. Gnus will still put all the mail from your
11292 boss in the unsubscribed group, and so, when your boss mails you ``Have
11293 that report ready by Monday or you're fired!'', you'll never see it and,
11294 come Tuesday, you'll still believe that you're gainfully employed while
11295 you really should be out collecting empty bottles to save up for next
11296 month's rent money.
11300 @subsection Mail Sources
11302 Mail can be gotten from many different sources---the mail spool, from a
11303 POP mail server, from a procmail directory, or from a maildir, for
11307 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
11308 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
11309 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
11313 @node Mail Source Specifiers
11314 @subsubsection Mail Source Specifiers
11316 @cindex mail server
11319 @cindex mail source
11321 You tell Gnus how to fetch mail by setting @code{mail-sources}
11322 (@pxref{Fetching Mail}) to a @dfn{mail source specifier}.
11327 (pop :server "pop3.mailserver.com" :user "myname")
11330 As can be observed, a mail source specifier is a list where the first
11331 element is a @dfn{mail source type}, followed by an arbitrary number of
11332 @dfn{keywords}. Keywords that are not explicitly specified are given
11335 The following mail source types are available:
11339 Get mail from a single file; typically from the mail spool.
11345 The path of the file. Defaults to the value of the @code{MAIL}
11346 environment variable or @file{/usr/mail/spool/user-name}.
11349 An example file mail source:
11352 (file :path "/usr/spool/mail/user-name")
11355 Or using the default path:
11361 If the mail spool file is not located on the local machine, it's best to
11362 use POP or @sc{imap} or the like to fetch the mail. You can not use ange-ftp
11363 file names here---it has no way to lock the mail spool while moving the
11366 If it's impossible to set up a proper server, you can use ssh instead.
11370 '((file :prescript "ssh host bin/getmail >%t")))
11373 The @samp{getmail} script would look something like the following:
11377 # getmail - move mail from spool to stdout
11380 MOVEMAIL=/usr/lib/emacs/20.3/i386-redhat-linux/movemail
11382 rm -f $TMP; $MOVEMAIL $MAIL $TMP >/dev/null && cat $TMP
11385 Alter this script to fit find the @samp{movemail} you want to use.
11389 Get mail from several files in a directory. This is typically used when
11390 you have procmail split the incoming mail into several files. Setting
11391 @code{nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once} to non-nil forces Gnus to
11392 scan the mail source only once. This is particularly useful if you want
11393 to scan mail groups at a specified level.
11399 The path of the directory where the files are. There is no default
11403 Only files ending with this suffix are used. The default is
11407 Only files that have this predicate return non-@code{nil} are returned.
11408 The default is @code{identity}. This is used as an additional
11409 filter---only files that have the right suffix @emph{and} satisfy this
11410 predicate are considered.
11414 Script run before/after fetching mail.
11418 An example directory mail source:
11421 (directory :path "/home/user-name/procmail-dir/"
11426 Get mail from a POP server.
11432 The name of the POP server. The default is taken from the
11433 @code{MAILHOST} environment variable.
11436 The port number of the POP server. This can be a number (eg,
11437 @samp{:port 1234}) or a string (eg, @samp{:port "pop3"}). If it is a
11438 string, it should be a service name as listed in @file{/etc/services} on
11439 Unix systems. The default is @samp{"pop3"}. On some systems you might
11440 need to specify it as @samp{"pop-3"} instead.
11443 The user name to give to the POP server. The default is the login
11447 The password to give to the POP server. If not specified, the user is
11451 The program to use to fetch mail from the POP server. This should be
11452 a @code{format}-like string. Here's an example:
11455 fetchmail %u@@%s -P %p %t
11458 The valid format specifier characters are:
11462 The name of the file the mail is to be moved to. This must always be
11463 included in this string.
11466 The name of the server.
11469 The port number of the server.
11472 The user name to use.
11475 The password to use.
11478 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
11479 corresponding keywords.
11482 A script to be run before fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
11483 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
11486 A script to be run after fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
11487 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
11490 The function to use to fetch mail from the POP server. The function is
11491 called with one parameter---the name of the file where the mail should
11494 @item :authentication
11495 This can be either the symbol @code{password} or the symbol @code{apop}
11496 and says what authentication scheme to use. The default is
11501 If the @code{:program} and @code{:function} keywords aren't specified,
11502 @code{pop3-movemail} will be used.
11504 Here are some examples. Fetch from the default POP server, using the
11505 default user name, and default fetcher:
11511 Fetch from a named server with a named user and password:
11514 (pop :server "my.pop.server"
11515 :user "user-name" :password "secret")
11518 Use @samp{movemail} to move the mail:
11521 (pop :program "movemail po:%u %t %p")
11525 Get mail from a maildir. This is a type of mailbox that is supported by
11526 at least qmail and postfix, where each file in a special directory
11527 contains exactly one mail.
11533 The path of the directory where the mails are stored. The default is
11534 taken from the @code{MAILDIR} environment variable or
11537 The subdirectories of the Maildir. The default is
11538 @samp{("new" "cur")}.
11540 @c If you sometimes look at your mail through a pop3 daemon before fetching
11541 @c them with Gnus, you may also have to fetch your mails from the
11542 @c @code{cur} directory inside the maildir, like in the first example
11545 You can also get mails from remote hosts (because maildirs don't suffer
11546 from locking problems).
11550 Two example maildir mail sources:
11553 (maildir :path "/home/user-name/Maildir/"
11554 :subdirs ("cur" "new"))
11558 (maildir :path "/user@@remotehost.org:~/Maildir/"
11563 Get mail from a @sc{imap} server. If you don't want to use @sc{imap}
11564 as intended, as a network mail reading protocol (ie with nnimap), for
11565 some reason or other, Gnus let you treat it similar to a POP server
11566 and fetches articles from a given @sc{imap} mailbox. @xref{IMAP}, for
11573 The name of the @sc{imap} server. The default is taken from the
11574 @code{MAILHOST} environment variable.
11577 The port number of the @sc{imap} server. The default is @samp{143}, or
11578 @samp{993} for SSL connections.
11581 The user name to give to the @sc{imap} server. The default is the login
11585 The password to give to the @sc{imap} server. If not specified, the user is
11589 What stream to use for connecting to the server, this is one of the
11590 symbols in @code{imap-stream-alist}. Right now, this means
11591 @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{ssl} or the default @samp{network}.
11593 @item :authentication
11594 Which authenticator to use for authenticating to the server, this is one
11595 of the symbols in @code{imap-authenticator-alist}. Right now, this
11596 means @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{cram-md5}, @samp{anonymous} or the default
11600 When using the `shell' :stream, the contents of this variable is
11601 mapped into the `imap-shell-program' variable. This should be a
11602 @code{format}-like string (or list of strings). Here's an example:
11608 The valid format specifier characters are:
11612 The name of the server.
11615 User name from `imap-default-user'.
11618 The port number of the server.
11621 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
11622 corresponding keywords.
11625 The name of the mailbox to get mail from. The default is @samp{INBOX}
11626 which normally is the mailbox which receive incoming mail.
11629 The predicate used to find articles to fetch. The default, @samp{UNSEEN
11630 UNDELETED}, is probably the best choice for most people, but if you
11631 sometimes peek in your mailbox with a @sc{imap} client and mark some
11632 articles as read (or; SEEN) you might want to set this to @samp{nil}.
11633 Then all articles in the mailbox is fetched, no matter what. For a
11634 complete list of predicates, see RFC 2060 §6.4.4.
11637 How to flag fetched articles on the server, the default @samp{\Deleted}
11638 will mark them as deleted, an alternative would be @samp{\Seen} which
11639 would simply mark them as read. These are the two most likely choices,
11640 but more flags are defined in RFC 2060 §2.3.2.
11643 If non-nil, don't remove all articles marked as deleted in the mailbox
11644 after finishing the fetch.
11648 An example @sc{imap} mail source:
11651 (imap :server "mail.mycorp.com"
11653 :fetchflag "\\Seen")
11657 Get mail from a webmail server, such as www.hotmail.com,
11658 webmail.netscape.com, www.netaddress.com, www.my-deja.com.
11660 NOTE: Now mail.yahoo.com provides POP3 service, so @sc{pop} mail source
11663 NOTE: Webmail largely depends cookies. A "one-line-cookie" patch is
11664 required for url "4.0pre.46".
11666 WARNING: Mails may lost. NO WARRANTY.
11672 The type of the webmail server. The default is @code{hotmail}. The
11673 alternatives are @code{netscape}, @code{netaddress}, @code{my-deja}.
11676 The user name to give to the webmail server. The default is the login
11680 The password to give to the webmail server. If not specified, the user is
11684 If non-nil, only fetch unread articles and don't move them to trash
11685 folder after finishing the fetch.
11689 An example webmail source:
11692 (webmail :subtype 'hotmail
11694 :password "secret")
11699 @item Common Keywords
11700 Common keywords can be used in any type of mail source.
11706 If non-nil, fetch the mail even when Gnus is unplugged. If you use
11707 directory source to get mail, you can specify it as in this example:
11711 '((directory :path "/home/pavel/.Spool/"
11716 Gnus will then fetch your mail even when you are unplugged. This is
11717 useful when you use local mail and news.
11722 @subsubsection Function Interface
11724 Some of the above keywords specify a Lisp function to be executed.
11725 For each keyword @code{:foo}, the Lisp variable @code{foo} is bound to
11726 the value of the keyword while the function is executing. For example,
11727 consider the following mail-source setting:
11730 (setq mail-sources '((pop :user "jrl"
11731 :server "pophost" :function fetchfunc)))
11734 While the function @code{fetchfunc} is executing, the symbol @code{user}
11735 is bound to @code{"jrl"}, and the symbol @code{server} is bound to
11736 @code{"pophost"}. The symbols @code{port}, @code{password},
11737 @code{program}, @code{prescript}, @code{postscript}, @code{function},
11738 and @code{authentication} are also bound (to their default values).
11740 See above for a list of keywords for each type of mail source.
11743 @node Mail Source Customization
11744 @subsubsection Mail Source Customization
11746 The following is a list of variables that influence how the mail is
11747 fetched. You would normally not need to set or change any of these
11751 @item mail-source-crash-box
11752 @vindex mail-source-crash-box
11753 File where mail will be stored while processing it. The default is
11754 @file{~/.emacs-mail-crash-box}.
11756 @item mail-source-delete-incoming
11757 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
11758 If non-@code{nil}, delete incoming files after handling them.
11760 @item mail-source-directory
11761 @vindex mail-source-directory
11762 Directory where files (if any) will be stored. The default is
11763 @file{~/Mail/}. At present, the only thing this is used for is to say
11764 where the incoming files will be stored if the previous variable is
11767 @item mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
11768 @vindex mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
11769 Prefix for file name for storing incoming mail. The default is
11770 @file{Incoming}, in which case files will end up with names like
11771 @file{Incoming30630D_} or @file{Incoming298602ZD}. This is really only
11772 relevant if @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is @code{nil}.
11774 @item mail-source-default-file-modes
11775 @vindex mail-source-default-file-modes
11776 All new mail files will get this file mode. The default is 384.
11781 @node Fetching Mail
11782 @subsubsection Fetching Mail
11784 @vindex mail-sources
11785 @vindex nnmail-spool-file
11786 The way to actually tell Gnus where to get new mail from is to set
11787 @code{mail-sources} to a list of mail source specifiers
11788 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}).
11790 If this variable (and the obsolescent @code{nnmail-spool-file}) is
11791 @code{nil}, the mail backends will never attempt to fetch mail by
11794 If you want to fetch mail both from your local spool as well as a POP
11795 mail server, you'd say something like:
11800 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
11801 :password "secret")))
11804 Or, if you don't want to use any of the keyword defaults:
11808 '((file :path "/var/spool/mail/user-name")
11809 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
11812 :password "secret")))
11816 When you use a mail backend, Gnus will slurp all your mail from your
11817 inbox and plonk it down in your home directory. Gnus doesn't move any
11818 mail if you're not using a mail backend---you have to do a lot of magic
11819 invocations first. At the time when you have finished drawing the
11820 pentagram, lightened the candles, and sacrificed the goat, you really
11821 shouldn't be too surprised when Gnus moves your mail.
11825 @node Mail Backend Variables
11826 @subsection Mail Backend Variables
11828 These variables are (for the most part) pertinent to all the various
11832 @vindex nnmail-read-incoming-hook
11833 @item nnmail-read-incoming-hook
11834 The mail backends all call this hook after reading new mail. You can
11835 use this hook to notify any mail watch programs, if you want to.
11837 @vindex nnmail-split-hook
11838 @item nnmail-split-hook
11839 @findex article-decode-encoded-words
11840 @findex RFC 1522 decoding
11841 @findex RFC 2047 decoding
11842 Hook run in the buffer where the mail headers of each message is kept
11843 just before the splitting based on these headers is done. The hook is
11844 free to modify the buffer contents in any way it sees fit---the buffer
11845 is discarded after the splitting has been done, and no changes performed
11846 in the buffer will show up in any files.
11847 @code{gnus-article-decode-encoded-words} is one likely function to add
11850 @vindex nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
11851 @vindex nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
11852 @item nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
11853 @itemx nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
11854 These are two useful hooks executed when treating new incoming
11855 mail---@code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook} (is called just before
11856 starting to handle the new mail) and
11857 @code{nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook} (is called when the mail handling
11858 is done). Here's and example of using these two hooks to change the
11859 default file modes the new mail files get:
11862 (add-hook 'gnus-pre-get-new-mail-hook
11863 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 511)))
11865 (add-hook 'gnus-post-get-new-mail-hook
11866 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 551)))
11869 @item nnmail-use-long-file-names
11870 @vindex nnmail-use-long-file-names
11871 If non-@code{nil}, the mail backends will use long file and directory
11872 names. Groups like @samp{mail.misc} will end up in directories
11873 (assuming use of @code{nnml} backend) or files (assuming use of
11874 @code{nnfolder} backend) like @file{mail.misc}. If it is @code{nil},
11875 the same group will end up in @file{mail/misc}.
11877 @item nnmail-delete-file-function
11878 @vindex nnmail-delete-file-function
11879 @findex delete-file
11880 Function called to delete files. It is @code{delete-file} by default.
11882 @item nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
11883 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
11884 If non-@code{nil}, put the @code{Message-ID}s of articles imported into
11885 the backend (via @code{Gcc}, for instance) into the mail duplication
11886 discovery cache. The default is @code{nil}.
11891 @node Fancy Mail Splitting
11892 @subsection Fancy Mail Splitting
11893 @cindex mail splitting
11894 @cindex fancy mail splitting
11896 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy
11897 @findex nnmail-split-fancy
11898 If the rather simple, standard method for specifying how to split mail
11899 doesn't allow you to do what you want, you can set
11900 @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. Then you can
11901 play with the @code{nnmail-split-fancy} variable.
11903 Let's look at an example value of this variable first:
11906 ;; Messages from the mailer daemon are not crossposted to any of
11907 ;; the ordinary groups. Warnings are put in a separate group
11908 ;; from real errors.
11909 (| ("from" mail (| ("subject" "warn.*" "mail.warning")
11911 ;; Non-error messages are crossposted to all relevant
11912 ;; groups, but we don't crosspost between the group for the
11913 ;; (ding) list and the group for other (ding) related mail.
11914 (& (| (any "ding@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "ding.list")
11915 ("subject" "ding" "ding.misc"))
11916 ;; Other mailing lists...
11917 (any "procmail@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "procmail.list")
11918 (any "SmartList@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "SmartList.list")
11919 ;; Both lists below have the same suffix, so prevent
11920 ;; cross-posting to mkpkg.list of messages posted only to
11921 ;; the bugs- list, but allow cross-posting when the
11922 ;; message was really cross-posted.
11923 (any "bugs-mypackage@@somewhere" "mypkg.bugs")
11924 (any "mypackage@@somewhere\" - "bugs-mypackage" "mypkg.list")
11926 (any "larsi@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "people.Lars_Magne_Ingebrigtsen"))
11927 ;; Unmatched mail goes to the catch all group.
11931 This variable has the format of a @dfn{split}. A split is a (possibly)
11932 recursive structure where each split may contain other splits. Here are
11933 the five possible split syntaxes:
11938 @samp{group}: If the split is a string, that will be taken as a group
11939 name. Normal regexp match expansion will be done. See below for
11943 @code{(@var{field} @var{value} @code{[-} @var{restrict}
11944 @code{[@dots{}]}@code{]} @var{split})}: If the split is a list, the
11945 first element of which is a string, then store the message as
11946 specified by @var{split}, if header @var{field} (a regexp) contains
11947 @var{value} (also a regexp). If @var{restrict} (yet another regexp)
11948 matches some string after @var{field} and before the end of the
11949 matched @var{value}, the @var{split} is ignored. If none of the
11950 @var{restrict} clauses match, @var{split} is processed.
11953 @code{(| @var{split}@dots{})}: If the split is a list, and the first
11954 element is @code{|} (vertical bar), then process each @var{split} until
11955 one of them matches. A @var{split} is said to match if it will cause
11956 the mail message to be stored in one or more groups.
11959 @code{(& @var{split}@dots{})}: If the split is a list, and the first
11960 element is @code{&}, then process all @var{split}s in the list.
11963 @code{junk}: If the split is the symbol @code{junk}, then don't save
11964 this message. Use with extreme caution.
11967 @code{(: @var{function} @var{arg1} @var{arg2} @dots{})}: If the split is
11968 a list, and the first element is @code{:}, then the second element will
11969 be called as a function with @var{args} given as arguments. The
11970 function should return a @var{split}.
11973 For instance, the following function could be used to split based on the
11974 body of the messages:
11977 (defun split-on-body ()
11979 (set-buffer " *nnmail incoming*")
11980 (goto-char (point-min))
11981 (when (re-search-forward "Some.*string" nil t)
11985 The @samp{" *nnmail incoming*"} is narrowed to the message in question
11986 when the @code{:} function is run.
11989 @code{(! @var{func} @var{split})}: If the split is a list, and the first
11990 element is @code{!}, then SPLIT will be processed, and FUNC will be
11991 called as a function with the result of SPLIT as argument. FUNC should
11995 @code{nil}: If the split is @code{nil}, it is ignored.
11999 In these splits, @var{field} must match a complete field name.
12000 @var{value} must match a complete word according to the fundamental mode
12001 syntax table. You can use @code{.*} in the regexps to match partial
12002 field names or words. In other words, all @var{value}'s are wrapped in
12003 @samp{\<} and @samp{\>} pairs.
12005 @vindex nnmail-split-abbrev-alist
12006 @var{field} and @var{value} can also be lisp symbols, in that case they
12007 are expanded as specified by the variable
12008 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist}. This is an alist of cons cells, where
12009 the @code{car} of a cell contains the key, and the @code{cdr} contains the associated
12012 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table
12013 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table} is the syntax table in effect
12014 when all this splitting is performed.
12016 If you want to have Gnus create groups dynamically based on some
12017 information in the headers (i.e., do @code{replace-match}-like
12018 substitutions in the group names), you can say things like:
12021 (any "debian-\\b\\(\\w+\\)@@lists.debian.org" "mail.debian.\\1")
12024 In this example, messages sent to @samp{debian-foo@@lists.debian.org}
12025 will be filed in @samp{mail.debian.foo}.
12027 If the string contains the element @samp{\&}, then the previously
12028 matched string will be substituted. Similarly, the elements @samp{\\1}
12029 up to @samp{\\9} will be substituted with the text matched by the
12030 groupings 1 through 9.
12032 @findex nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent
12033 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} is a function which allows you to
12034 split followups into the same groups their parents are in. Sometimes
12035 you can't make splitting rules for all your mail. For example, your
12036 boss might send you personal mail regarding different projects you are
12037 working on, and as you can't tell your boss to put a distinguishing
12038 string into the subject line, you have to resort to manually moving the
12039 messages into the right group. With this function, you only have to do
12040 it once per thread.
12042 To use this feature, you have to set @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to a
12043 non-nil value. And then you can include
12044 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} using the colon feature, like so:
12046 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
12047 '(| (: nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent)
12048 ;; other splits go here
12052 This feature works as follows: when @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} is
12053 non-nil, Gnus records the message id of every message it sees in the
12054 file specified by the variable @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file},
12055 together with the group it is in (the group is omitted for non-mail
12056 messages). When mail splitting is invoked, the function
12057 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} then looks at the References (and
12058 In-Reply-To) header of each message to split and searches the file
12059 specified by @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file} for the message ids.
12060 When it has found a parent, it returns the corresponding group name. It
12061 is recommended that you set @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length} to a
12062 somewhat higher number than the default so that the message ids are
12063 still in the cache. (A value of 5000 appears to create a file some 300
12065 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
12066 When @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus
12067 also records the message ids of moved articles, so that the followup
12068 messages goes into the new group.
12071 @node Group Mail Splitting
12072 @subsection Group Mail Splitting
12073 @cindex mail splitting
12074 @cindex group mail splitting
12076 @findex gnus-group-split
12077 If you subscribe to dozens of mailing lists but you don't want to
12078 maintain mail splitting rules manually, group mail splitting is for you.
12079 You just have to set @var{to-list} and/or @var{to-address} in group
12080 parameters or group customization and set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to
12081 @code{gnus-group-split}. This splitting function will scan all groups
12082 for those parameters and split mail accordingly, i.e., messages posted
12083 from or to the addresses specified in the parameters @var{to-list} or
12084 @var{to-address} of a mail group will be stored in that group.
12086 Sometimes, mailing lists have multiple addresses, and you may want mail
12087 splitting to recognize them all: just set the @var{extra-aliases} group
12088 parameter to the list of additional addresses and it's done. If you'd
12089 rather use a regular expression, set @var{split-regexp}.
12091 All these parameters in a group will be used to create an
12092 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split, in which the @var{field} is @samp{any},
12093 the @var{value} is a single regular expression that matches
12094 @var{to-list}, @var{to-address}, all of @var{extra-aliases} and all
12095 matches of @var{split-regexp}, and the @var{split} is the name of the
12096 group. @var{restrict}s are also supported: just set the
12097 @var{split-exclude} parameter to a list of regular expressions.
12099 If you can't get the right split to be generated using all these
12100 parameters, or you just need something fancier, you can set the
12101 parameter @var{split-spec} to an @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split. In
12102 this case, all other aforementioned parameters will be ignored by
12103 @code{gnus-group-split}. In particular, @var{split-spec} may be set to
12104 @code{nil}, in which case the group will be ignored by
12105 @code{gnus-group-split}.
12107 @vindex gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group
12108 @code{gnus-group-split} will do cross-posting on all groups that match,
12109 by defining a single @code{&} fancy split containing one split for each
12110 group. If a message doesn't match any split, it will be stored in the
12111 group named in @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}, unless
12112 some group has @var{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all}, in which case
12113 that group is used as the catch-all group. Even though this variable is
12114 often used just to name a group, it may also be set to an arbitrarily
12115 complex fancy split (after all, a group name is a fancy split), and this
12116 may be useful to split mail that doesn't go to any mailing list to
12117 personal mail folders. Note that this fancy split is added as the last
12118 element of a @code{|} split list that also contains a @code{&} split
12119 with the rules extracted from group parameters.
12121 It's time for an example. Assume the following group parameters have
12126 ((to-address . "bar@@femail.com")
12127 (split-regexp . ".*@@femail\\.com"))
12129 ((to-list . "foo@@nowhere.gov")
12130 (extra-aliases "foo@@localhost" "foo-redist@@home")
12131 (split-exclude "bugs-foo" "rambling-foo")
12132 (admin-address . "foo-request@@nowhere.gov"))
12134 ((split-spec . catch-all))
12137 Setting @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{gnus-group-split} will
12138 behave as if @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been selected and variable
12139 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been set as follows:
12142 (| (& (any "\\(bar@@femail\\.com\\|.*@@femail\\.com\\)" "mail.bar")
12143 (any "\\(foo@@nowhere\\.gov\\|foo@@localhost\\|foo-redist@@home\\)"
12144 - "bugs-foo" - "rambling-foo" "mail.foo"))
12148 @findex gnus-group-split-fancy
12149 If you'd rather not use group splitting for all your mail groups, you
12150 may use it for only some of them, by using @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
12154 (: gnus-mlsplt-fancy GROUPS NO-CROSSPOST CATCH-ALL)
12157 @var{groups} may be a regular expression or a list of group names whose
12158 parameters will be scanned to generate the output split.
12159 @var{no-crosspost} can be used to disable cross-posting; in this case, a
12160 single @code{|} split will be output. @var{catch-all} is the fallback
12161 fancy split, used like @var{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}.
12162 If @var{catch-all} is @code{nil}, or if @var{split-regexp} matches the
12163 empty string in any selected group, no catch-all split will be issued.
12164 Otherwise, if some group has @var{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all},
12165 this group will override the value of the @var{catch-all} argument.
12167 @findex gnus-group-split-setup
12168 Unfortunately, scanning all groups and their parameters can be quite
12169 slow, especially considering that it has to be done for every message.
12170 But don't despair! The function @code{gnus-group-split-setup} can be
12171 used to enable @code{gnus-group-split} in a much more efficient way. It
12172 sets @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy} and sets
12173 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} to the split produced by
12174 @code{gnus-group-split-fancy}. Thus, the group parameters are only
12175 scanned once, no matter how many messages are split.
12177 @findex gnus-group-split-update
12178 However, if you change group parameters, you'd have to update
12179 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} manually. You can do it by running
12180 @code{gnus-group-split-update}. If you'd rather have it updated
12181 automatically, just tell @code{gnus-group-split-setup} to do it for
12182 you. For example, add to your @file{.gnus}:
12185 (gnus-group-split-setup AUTO-UPDATE CATCH-ALL)
12188 If @var{auto-update} is non-@code{nil}, @code{gnus-group-split-update}
12189 will be added to @code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook}, so you won't ever
12190 have to worry about updating @code{nnmail-split-fancy} again. If you
12191 don't omit @var{catch-all} (it's optional, equivalent to @code{nil}),
12192 @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group} will be set to its
12195 @vindex gnus-group-split-updated-hook
12196 Because you may want to change @code{nnmail-split-fancy} after it is set
12197 by @code{gnus-group-split-update}, this function will run
12198 @code{gnus-group-split-updated-hook} just before finishing.
12200 @node Incorporating Old Mail
12201 @subsection Incorporating Old Mail
12203 Most people have lots of old mail stored in various file formats. If
12204 you have set up Gnus to read mail using one of the spiffy Gnus mail
12205 backends, you'll probably wish to have that old mail incorporated into
12208 Doing so can be quite easy.
12210 To take an example: You're reading mail using @code{nnml}
12211 (@pxref{Mail Spool}), and have set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to a
12212 satisfactory value (@pxref{Splitting Mail}). You have an old Unix mbox
12213 file filled with important, but old, mail. You want to move it into
12214 your @code{nnml} groups.
12220 Go to the group buffer.
12223 Type `G f' and give the path to the mbox file when prompted to create an
12224 @code{nndoc} group from the mbox file (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
12227 Type `SPACE' to enter the newly created group.
12230 Type `M P b' to process-mark all articles in this group's buffer
12231 (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
12234 Type `B r' to respool all the process-marked articles, and answer
12235 @samp{nnml} when prompted (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
12238 All the mail messages in the mbox file will now also be spread out over
12239 all your @code{nnml} groups. Try entering them and check whether things
12240 have gone without a glitch. If things look ok, you may consider
12241 deleting the mbox file, but I wouldn't do that unless I was absolutely
12242 sure that all the mail has ended up where it should be.
12244 Respooling is also a handy thing to do if you're switching from one mail
12245 backend to another. Just respool all the mail in the old mail groups
12246 using the new mail backend.
12249 @node Expiring Mail
12250 @subsection Expiring Mail
12251 @cindex article expiry
12253 Traditional mail readers have a tendency to remove mail articles when
12254 you mark them as read, in some way. Gnus takes a fundamentally
12255 different approach to mail reading.
12257 Gnus basically considers mail just to be news that has been received in
12258 a rather peculiar manner. It does not think that it has the power to
12259 actually change the mail, or delete any mail messages. If you enter a
12260 mail group, and mark articles as ``read'', or kill them in some other
12261 fashion, the mail articles will still exist on the system. I repeat:
12262 Gnus will not delete your old, read mail. Unless you ask it to, of
12265 To make Gnus get rid of your unwanted mail, you have to mark the
12266 articles as @dfn{expirable}. This does not mean that the articles will
12267 disappear right away, however. In general, a mail article will be
12268 deleted from your system if, 1) it is marked as expirable, AND 2) it is
12269 more than one week old. If you do not mark an article as expirable, it
12270 will remain on your system until hell freezes over. This bears
12271 repeating one more time, with some spurious capitalizations: IF you do
12272 NOT mark articles as EXPIRABLE, Gnus will NEVER delete those ARTICLES.
12274 @vindex gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
12275 You do not have to mark articles as expirable by hand. Groups that
12276 match the regular expression @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups} will
12277 have all articles that you read marked as expirable automatically. All
12278 articles marked as expirable have an @samp{E} in the first
12279 column in the summary buffer.
12281 By default, if you have auto expiry switched on, Gnus will mark all the
12282 articles you read as expirable, no matter if they were read or unread
12283 before. To avoid having articles marked as read marked as expirable
12284 automatically, you can put something like the following in your
12287 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
12289 (remove-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook
12290 'gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read)
12291 (add-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook 'gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read)
12294 Note that making a group auto-expirable doesn't mean that all read
12295 articles are expired---only the articles marked as expirable
12296 will be expired. Also note that using the @kbd{d} command won't make
12297 articles expirable---only semi-automatic marking of articles as read will
12298 mark the articles as expirable in auto-expirable groups.
12300 Let's say you subscribe to a couple of mailing lists, and you want the
12301 articles you have read to disappear after a while:
12304 (setq gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
12305 "mail.nonsense-list\\|mail.nice-list")
12308 Another way to have auto-expiry happen is to have the element
12309 @code{auto-expire} in the group parameters of the group.
12311 If you use adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}) and
12312 auto-expiring, you'll have problems. Auto-expiring and adaptive scoring
12313 don't really mix very well.
12315 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait
12316 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable supplies the default time an
12317 expirable article has to live. Gnus starts counting days from when the
12318 message @emph{arrived}, not from when it was sent. The default is seven
12321 Gnus also supplies a function that lets you fine-tune how long articles
12322 are to live, based on what group they are in. Let's say you want to
12323 have one month expiry period in the @samp{mail.private} group, a one day
12324 expiry period in the @samp{mail.junk} group, and a six day expiry period
12327 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
12329 (setq nnmail-expiry-wait-function
12331 (cond ((string= group "mail.private")
12333 ((string= group "mail.junk")
12335 ((string= group "important")
12341 The group names this function is fed are ``unadorned'' group
12342 names---no @samp{nnml:} prefixes and the like.
12344 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable and
12345 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} function can either be a number (not
12346 necessarily an integer) or one of the symbols @code{immediate} or
12349 You can also use the @code{expiry-wait} group parameter to selectively
12350 change the expiry period (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
12352 @vindex nnmail-expiry-target
12353 The normal action taken when expiring articles is to delete them.
12354 However, in some circumstances it might make more sense to move them to
12355 other groups instead of deleting them. The variable @code{nnmail-expiry-target}
12356 (and the @code{expiry-target} group parameter) controls this. The
12357 variable supplies a default value for all groups, which can be
12358 overridden for specific groups by the group parameter.
12359 default value is @code{delete}, but this can also be a string (which
12360 should be the name of the group the message should be moved to), or a
12361 function (which will be called in a buffer narrowed to the message in
12362 question, and with the name of the group being moved from as its
12363 parameter) which should return a target -- either a group name or
12366 Here's an example for specifying a group name:
12368 (setq nnmail-expiry-target "nnml:expired")
12372 @vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
12373 If @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will never
12374 expire the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is to make life
12375 easier for procmail users.
12377 @vindex gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups
12378 By the way: That line up there, about Gnus never expiring non-expirable
12379 articles, is a lie. If you put @code{total-expire} in the group
12380 parameters, articles will not be marked as expirable, but all read
12381 articles will be put through the expiry process. Use with extreme
12382 caution. Even more dangerous is the
12383 @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups} variable. All groups that match
12384 this regexp will have all read articles put through the expiry process,
12385 which means that @emph{all} old mail articles in the groups in question
12386 will be deleted after a while. Use with extreme caution, and don't come
12387 crying to me when you discover that the regexp you used matched the
12388 wrong group and all your important mail has disappeared. Be a
12389 @emph{man}! Or a @emph{woman}! Whatever you feel more comfortable
12392 Most people make most of their mail groups total-expirable, though.
12394 @vindex gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire
12395 If @code{gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire} is non-@code{nil}, user marking
12396 commands will not mark an article as expirable, even if the group has
12397 auto-expire turned on.
12401 @subsection Washing Mail
12402 @cindex mail washing
12403 @cindex list server brain damage
12404 @cindex incoming mail treatment
12406 Mailers and list servers are notorious for doing all sorts of really,
12407 really stupid things with mail. ``Hey, RFC 822 doesn't explicitly
12408 prohibit us from adding the string @code{wE aRe ElItE!!!!!1!!} to the
12409 end of all lines passing through our server, so let's do that!!!!1!''
12410 Yes, but RFC 822 wasn't designed to be read by morons. Things that were
12411 considered to be self-evident were not discussed. So. Here we are.
12413 Case in point: The German version of Microsoft Exchange adds @samp{AW:
12414 } to the subjects of replies instead of @samp{Re: }. I could pretend to
12415 be shocked and dismayed by this, but I haven't got the energy. It is to
12418 Gnus provides a plethora of functions for washing articles while
12419 displaying them, but it might be nicer to do the filtering before
12420 storing the mail to disc. For that purpose, we have three hooks and
12421 various functions that can be put in these hooks.
12424 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
12425 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
12426 This hook is called before doing anything with the mail and is meant for
12427 grand, sweeping gestures. It is called in a buffer that contains all
12428 the new, incoming mail. Functions to be used include:
12431 @item nnheader-ms-strip-cr
12432 @findex nnheader-ms-strip-cr
12433 Remove trailing carriage returns from each line. This is default on
12434 Emacs running on MS machines.
12438 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
12439 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
12440 This hook is called narrowed to each header. It can be used when
12441 cleaning up the headers. Functions that can be used include:
12444 @item nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
12445 @findex nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
12446 Clear leading white space that ``helpful'' listservs have added to the
12447 headers to make them look nice. Aaah.
12449 @item nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
12450 @findex nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
12451 Some list servers add an identifier---for example, @samp{(idm)}---to the
12452 beginning of all @code{Subject} headers. I'm sure that's nice for
12453 people who use stone age mail readers. This function will remove
12454 strings that match the @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} regexp, which can
12455 also be a list of regexp. @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} may not contain
12458 For instance, if you want to remove the @samp{(idm)} and the
12459 @samp{nagnagnag} identifiers:
12462 (setq nnmail-list-identifiers
12463 '("(idm)" "nagnagnag"))
12466 This can also be done non-destructively with
12467 @code{gnus-list-identifiers}, @xref{Article Hiding}.
12469 @item nnmail-remove-tabs
12470 @findex nnmail-remove-tabs
12471 Translate all @samp{TAB} characters into @samp{SPACE} characters.
12473 @item nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
12474 @findex nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
12476 Eudora produces broken @code{References} headers, but OK
12477 @code{In-Reply-To} headers. This function will get rid of the
12478 @code{References} headers.
12482 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
12483 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
12484 This hook is called narrowed to each message. Functions to be used
12488 @item article-de-quoted-unreadable
12489 @findex article-de-quoted-unreadable
12490 Decode Quoted Readable encoding.
12497 @subsection Duplicates
12499 @vindex nnmail-treat-duplicates
12500 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-length
12501 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-file
12502 @cindex duplicate mails
12503 If you are a member of a couple of mailing lists, you will sometimes
12504 receive two copies of the same mail. This can be quite annoying, so
12505 @code{nnmail} checks for and treats any duplicates it might find. To do
12506 this, it keeps a cache of old @code{Message-ID}s---
12507 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, which is @file{~/.nnmail-cache} by
12508 default. The approximate maximum number of @code{Message-ID}s stored
12509 there is controlled by the @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length}
12510 variable, which is 1000 by default. (So 1000 @code{Message-ID}s will be
12511 stored.) If all this sounds scary to you, you can set
12512 @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to @code{warn} (which is what it is by
12513 default), and @code{nnmail} won't delete duplicate mails. Instead it
12514 will insert a warning into the head of the mail saying that it thinks
12515 that this is a duplicate of a different message.
12517 This variable can also be a function. If that's the case, the function
12518 will be called from a buffer narrowed to the message in question with
12519 the @code{Message-ID} as a parameter. The function must return either
12520 @code{nil}, @code{warn}, or @code{delete}.
12522 You can turn this feature off completely by setting the variable to
12525 If you want all the duplicate mails to be put into a special
12526 @dfn{duplicates} group, you could do that using the normal mail split
12530 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
12531 '(| ;; Messages duplicates go to a separate group.
12532 ("gnus-warning" "duplication of message" "duplicate")
12533 ;; Message from daemons, postmaster, and the like to another.
12534 (any mail "mail.misc")
12541 (setq nnmail-split-methods
12542 '(("duplicates" "^Gnus-Warning:")
12547 Here's a neat feature: If you know that the recipient reads her mail
12548 with Gnus, and that she has @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} set to
12549 @code{delete}, you can send her as many insults as you like, just by
12550 using a @code{Message-ID} of a mail that you know that she's already
12551 received. Think of all the fun! She'll never see any of it! Whee!
12554 @node Not Reading Mail
12555 @subsection Not Reading Mail
12557 If you start using any of the mail backends, they have the annoying
12558 habit of assuming that you want to read mail with them. This might not
12559 be unreasonable, but it might not be what you want.
12561 If you set @code{mail-sources} and @code{nnmail-spool-file} to
12562 @code{nil}, none of the backends will ever attempt to read incoming
12563 mail, which should help.
12565 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
12566 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
12567 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
12568 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
12569 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
12570 This might be too much, if, for instance, you are reading mail quite
12571 happily with @code{nnml} and just want to peek at some old @sc{rmail}
12572 file you have stashed away with @code{nnbabyl}. All backends have
12573 variables called backend-@code{get-new-mail}. If you want to disable
12574 the @code{nnbabyl} mail reading, you edit the virtual server for the
12575 group to have a setting where @code{nnbabyl-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}.
12577 All the mail backends will call @code{nn}*@code{-prepare-save-mail-hook}
12578 narrowed to the article to be saved before saving it when reading
12582 @node Choosing a Mail Backend
12583 @subsection Choosing a Mail Backend
12585 Gnus will read the mail spool when you activate a mail group. The mail
12586 file is first copied to your home directory. What happens after that
12587 depends on what format you want to store your mail in.
12589 There are five different mail backends in the standard Gnus, and more
12590 backends are available separately. The mail backend most people use
12591 (because it is the fastest and most flexible) is @code{nnml}
12592 (@pxref{Mail Spool}).
12595 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
12596 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
12597 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
12598 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like backend.
12599 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
12600 * Comparing Mail Backends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
12604 @node Unix Mail Box
12605 @subsubsection Unix Mail Box
12607 @cindex unix mail box
12609 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
12610 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
12611 The @dfn{nnmbox} backend will use the standard Un*x mbox file to store
12612 mail. @code{nnmbox} will add extra headers to each mail article to say
12613 which group it belongs in.
12615 Virtual server settings:
12618 @item nnmbox-mbox-file
12619 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
12620 The name of the mail box in the user's home directory. Default is
12623 @item nnmbox-active-file
12624 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
12625 The name of the active file for the mail box. Default is
12626 @file{~/.mbox-active}.
12628 @item nnmbox-get-new-mail
12629 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
12630 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmbox} will read incoming mail and split it
12631 into groups. Default is @code{t}.
12636 @subsubsection Rmail Babyl
12640 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
12641 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
12642 The @dfn{nnbabyl} backend will use a babyl mail box (aka. @dfn{rmail
12643 mbox}) to store mail. @code{nnbabyl} will add extra headers to each
12644 mail article to say which group it belongs in.
12646 Virtual server settings:
12649 @item nnbabyl-mbox-file
12650 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
12651 The name of the rmail mbox file. The default is @file{~/RMAIL}
12653 @item nnbabyl-active-file
12654 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
12655 The name of the active file for the rmail box. The default is
12656 @file{~/.rmail-active}
12658 @item nnbabyl-get-new-mail
12659 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
12660 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnbabyl} will read incoming mail. Default is
12666 @subsubsection Mail Spool
12668 @cindex mail @sc{nov} spool
12670 The @dfn{nnml} spool mail format isn't compatible with any other known
12671 format. It should be used with some caution.
12673 @vindex nnml-directory
12674 If you use this backend, Gnus will split all incoming mail into files,
12675 one file for each mail, and put the articles into the corresponding
12676 directories under the directory specified by the @code{nnml-directory}
12677 variable. The default value is @file{~/Mail/}.
12679 You do not have to create any directories beforehand; Gnus will take
12682 If you have a strict limit as to how many files you are allowed to store
12683 in your account, you should not use this backend. As each mail gets its
12684 own file, you might very well occupy thousands of inodes within a few
12685 weeks. If this is no problem for you, and it isn't a problem for you
12686 having your friendly systems administrator walking around, madly,
12687 shouting ``Who is eating all my inodes?! Who? Who!?!'', then you should
12688 know that this is probably the fastest format to use. You do not have
12689 to trudge through a big mbox file just to read your new mail.
12691 @code{nnml} is probably the slowest backend when it comes to article
12692 splitting. It has to create lots of files, and it also generates
12693 @sc{nov} databases for the incoming mails. This makes it the fastest
12694 backend when it comes to reading mail.
12696 Virtual server settings:
12699 @item nnml-directory
12700 @vindex nnml-directory
12701 All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory.
12702 The default is the value of `message-directory' (whose default value is
12705 @item nnml-active-file
12706 @vindex nnml-active-file
12707 The active file for the @code{nnml} server. The default is
12708 @file{~/Mail/active"}.
12710 @item nnml-newsgroups-file
12711 @vindex nnml-newsgroups-file
12712 The @code{nnml} group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
12713 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups"}.
12715 @item nnml-get-new-mail
12716 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
12717 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail. The default is
12720 @item nnml-nov-is-evil
12721 @vindex nnml-nov-is-evil
12722 If non-@code{nil}, this backend will ignore any @sc{nov} files. The
12723 default is @code{nil}
12725 @item nnml-nov-file-name
12726 @vindex nnml-nov-file-name
12727 The name of the @sc{nov} files. The default is @file{.overview}.
12729 @item nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
12730 @vindex nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
12731 Hook run narrowed to an article before saving.
12735 @findex nnml-generate-nov-databases
12736 If your @code{nnml} groups and @sc{nov} files get totally out of whack,
12737 you can do a complete update by typing @kbd{M-x
12738 nnml-generate-nov-databases}. This command will trawl through the
12739 entire @code{nnml} hierarchy, looking at each and every article, so it
12740 might take a while to complete. A better interface to this
12741 functionality can be found in the server buffer (@pxref{Server
12746 @subsubsection MH Spool
12748 @cindex mh-e mail spool
12750 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, except that is doesn't generate
12751 @sc{nov} databases and it doesn't keep an active file. This makes
12752 @code{nnmh} a @emph{much} slower backend than @code{nnml}, but it also
12753 makes it easier to write procmail scripts for.
12755 Virtual server settings:
12758 @item nnmh-directory
12759 @vindex nnmh-directory
12760 All @code{nnmh} directories will be located under this directory. The
12761 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
12764 @item nnmh-get-new-mail
12765 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
12766 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail. The default is
12770 @vindex nnmh-be-safe
12771 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will go to ridiculous lengths to make
12772 sure that the articles in the folder are actually what Gnus thinks they
12773 are. It will check date stamps and stat everything in sight, so
12774 setting this to @code{t} will mean a serious slow-down. If you never
12775 use anything but Gnus to read the @code{nnmh} articles, you do not have
12776 to set this variable to @code{t}. The default is @code{nil}.
12781 @subsubsection Mail Folders
12783 @cindex mbox folders
12784 @cindex mail folders
12786 @code{nnfolder} is a backend for storing each mail group in a separate
12787 file. Each file is in the standard Un*x mbox format. @code{nnfolder}
12788 will add extra headers to keep track of article numbers and arrival
12791 Virtual server settings:
12794 @item nnfolder-directory
12795 @vindex nnfolder-directory
12796 All the @code{nnfolder} mail boxes will be stored under this directory.
12797 The default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
12800 @item nnfolder-active-file
12801 @vindex nnfolder-active-file
12802 The name of the active file. The default is @file{~/Mail/active}.
12804 @item nnfolder-newsgroups-file
12805 @vindex nnfolder-newsgroups-file
12806 The name of the group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
12807 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups"}
12809 @item nnfolder-get-new-mail
12810 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
12811 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail. The default
12814 @item nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
12815 @vindex nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
12816 @cindex backup files
12817 Hook run before saving the folders. Note that Emacs does the normal
12818 backup renaming of files even with the @code{nnfolder} buffers. If you
12819 wish to switch this off, you could say something like the following in
12820 your @file{.emacs} file:
12823 (defun turn-off-backup ()
12824 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
12826 (add-hook 'nnfolder-save-buffer-hook 'turn-off-backup)
12829 @item nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
12830 @vindex nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
12831 Hook run in a buffer narrowed to the message that is to be deleted.
12832 This function can be used to copy the message to somewhere else, or to
12833 extract some information from it before removing it.
12835 @item nnfolder-nov-is-evil
12836 @vindex nnfolder-nov-is-evil
12837 If non-@code{nil}, this backend will ignore any @sc{nov} files. The
12838 default is @code{nil}.
12843 @findex nnfolder-generate-active-file
12844 @kindex M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file
12845 If you have lots of @code{nnfolder}-like files you'd like to read with
12846 @code{nnfolder}, you can use the @kbd{M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file}
12847 command to make @code{nnfolder} aware of all likely files in
12848 @code{nnfolder-directory}. This only works if you use long file names,
12851 @node Comparing Mail Backends
12852 @subsubsection Comparing Mail Backends
12854 First, just for terminology, the @dfn{backend} is the common word for a
12855 low-level access method---a transport, if you will, by which something
12856 is acquired. The sense is that one's mail has to come from somewhere,
12857 and so selection of a suitable backend is required in order to get that
12858 mail within spitting distance of Gnus.
12860 The same concept exists for Usenet itself: Though access to articles is
12861 typically done by @sc{nntp} these days, once upon a midnight dreary, everyone
12862 in the world got at Usenet by running a reader on the machine where the
12863 articles lay (the machine which today we call an @sc{nntp} server), and
12864 access was by the reader stepping into the articles' directory spool
12865 area directly. One can still select between either the @code{nntp} or
12866 @code{nnspool} backends, to select between these methods, if one happens
12867 actually to live on the server (or can see its spool directly, anyway,
12870 The goal in selecting a mail backend is to pick one which
12871 simultaneously represents a suitable way of dealing with the original
12872 format plus leaving mail in a form that is convenient to use in the
12873 future. Here are some high and low points on each:
12878 UNIX systems have historically had a single, very common, and well-
12879 defined format. All messages arrive in a single @dfn{spool file}, and
12880 they are delineated by a line whose regular expression matches
12881 @samp{^From_}. (My notational use of @samp{_} is to indicate a space,
12882 to make it clear in this instance that this is not the RFC-specified
12883 @samp{From:} header.) Because Emacs and therefore Gnus emanate
12884 historically from the Unix environment, it is simplest if one does not
12885 mess a great deal with the original mailbox format, so if one chooses
12886 this backend, Gnus' primary activity in getting mail from the real spool
12887 area to Gnus' preferred directory is simply to copy it, with no
12888 (appreciable) format change in the process. It is the ``dumbest'' way
12889 to move mail into availability in the Gnus environment. This makes it
12890 fast to move into place, but slow to parse, when Gnus has to look at
12895 Once upon a time, there was the DEC-10 and DEC-20, running operating
12896 systems called TOPS and related things, and the usual (only?) mail
12897 reading environment was a thing called Babyl. I don't know what format
12898 was used for mail landing on the system, but Babyl had its own internal
12899 format to which mail was converted, primarily involving creating a
12900 spool-file-like entity with a scheme for inserting Babyl-specific
12901 headers and status bits above the top of each message in the file.
12902 RMAIL was Emacs' first mail reader, it was written by Richard Stallman,
12903 and Stallman came out of that TOPS/Babyl environment, so he wrote RMAIL
12904 to understand the mail files folks already had in existence. Gnus (and
12905 VM, for that matter) continue to support this format because it's
12906 perceived as having some good qualities in those mailer-specific
12907 headers/status bits stuff. RMAIL itself still exists as well, of
12908 course, and is still maintained by Stallman.
12910 Both of the above forms leave your mail in a single file on your
12911 filesystem, and they must parse that entire file each time you take a
12916 @code{nnml} is the backend which smells the most as though you were
12917 actually operating with an @code{nnspool}-accessed Usenet system. (In
12918 fact, I believe @code{nnml} actually derived from @code{nnspool} code,
12919 lo these years ago.) One's mail is taken from the original spool file,
12920 and is then cut up into individual message files, 1:1. It maintains a
12921 Usenet-style active file (analogous to what one finds in an INN- or
12922 CNews-based news system in (for instance) @file{/var/lib/news/active},
12923 or what is returned via the @samp{NNTP LIST} verb) and also creates
12924 @dfn{overview} files for efficient group entry, as has been defined for
12925 @sc{nntp} servers for some years now. It is slower in mail-splitting,
12926 due to the creation of lots of files, updates to the @code{nnml} active
12927 file, and additions to overview files on a per-message basis, but it is
12928 extremely fast on access because of what amounts to the indexing support
12929 provided by the active file and overviews.
12931 @code{nnml} costs @dfn{inodes} in a big way; that is, it soaks up the
12932 resource which defines available places in the filesystem to put new
12933 files. Sysadmins take a dim view of heavy inode occupation within
12934 tight, shared filesystems. But if you live on a personal machine where
12935 the filesystem is your own and space is not at a premium, @code{nnml}
12938 It is also problematic using this backend if you are living in a
12939 FAT16-based Windows world, since much space will be wasted on all these
12944 The Rand MH mail-reading system has been around UNIX systems for a very
12945 long time; it operates by splitting one's spool file of messages into
12946 individual files, but with little or no indexing support -- @code{nnmh}
12947 is considered to be semantically equivalent to ``@code{nnml} without
12948 active file or overviews''. This is arguably the worst choice, because
12949 one gets the slowness of individual file creation married to the
12950 slowness of access parsing when learning what's new in one's groups.
12954 Basically the effect of @code{nnfolder} is @code{nnmbox} (the first
12955 method described above) on a per-group basis. That is, @code{nnmbox}
12956 itself puts *all* one's mail in one file; @code{nnfolder} provides a
12957 little bit of optimization to this so that each of one's mail groups has
12958 a Unix mail box file. It's faster than @code{nnmbox} because each group
12959 can be parsed separately, and still provides the simple Unix mail box
12960 format requiring minimal effort in moving the mail around. In addition,
12961 it maintains an ``active'' file making it much faster for Gnus to figure
12962 out how many messages there are in each separate group.
12964 If you have groups that are expected to have a massive amount of
12965 messages, @code{nnfolder} is not the best choice, but if you receive
12966 only a moderate amount of mail, @code{nnfolder} is probably the most
12967 friendly mail backend all over.
12972 @node Browsing the Web
12973 @section Browsing the Web
12975 @cindex browsing the web
12979 Web-based discussion forums are getting more and more popular. On many
12980 subjects, the web-based forums have become the most important forums,
12981 eclipsing the importance of mailing lists and news groups. The reason
12982 is easy to understand---they are friendly to new users; you just point
12983 and click, and there's the discussion. With mailing lists, you have to
12984 go through a cumbersome subscription procedure, and most people don't
12985 even know what a news group is.
12987 The problem with this scenario is that web browsers are not very good at
12988 being newsreaders. They do not keep track of what articles you've read;
12989 they do not allow you to score on subjects you're interested in; they do
12990 not allow off-line browsing; they require you to click around and drive
12991 you mad in the end.
12993 So---if web browsers suck at reading discussion forums, why not use Gnus
12996 Gnus has been getting a bit of a collection of backends for providing
12997 interfaces to these sources.
13000 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
13001 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
13002 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
13003 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
13004 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
13005 * Customizing w3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/w3 from Gnus.
13008 All the web sources require Emacs/w3 and the url library to work.
13010 The main caveat with all these web sources is that they probably won't
13011 work for a very long time. Gleaning information from the @sc{html} data
13012 is guesswork at best, and when the layout is altered, the Gnus backend
13013 will fail. If you have reasonably new versions of these backends,
13014 though, you should be ok.
13016 One thing all these Web methods have in common is that the Web sources
13017 are often down, unavailable or just plain too slow to be fun. In those
13018 cases, it makes a lot of sense to let the Gnus Agent (@pxref{Gnus
13019 Unplugged}) handle downloading articles, and then you can read them at
13020 leisure from your local disk. No more World Wide Wait for you.
13024 @subsection Web Searches
13028 @cindex InReference
13029 @cindex Usenet searches
13030 @cindex searching the Usenet
13032 It's, like, too neat to search the Usenet for articles that match a
13033 string, but it, like, totally @emph{sucks}, like, totally, to use one of
13034 those, like, Web browsers, and you, like, have to, rilly, like, look at
13035 the commercials, so, like, with Gnus you can do @emph{rad}, rilly,
13036 searches without having to use a browser.
13038 The @code{nnweb} backend allows an easy interface to the mighty search
13039 engine. You create an @code{nnweb} group, enter a search pattern, and
13040 then enter the group and read the articles like you would any normal
13041 group. The @kbd{G w} command in the group buffer (@pxref{Foreign
13042 Groups}) will do this in an easy-to-use fashion.
13044 @code{nnweb} groups don't really lend themselves to being solid
13045 groups---they have a very fleeting idea of article numbers. In fact,
13046 each time you enter an @code{nnweb} group (not even changing the search
13047 pattern), you are likely to get the articles ordered in a different
13048 manner. Not even using duplicate suppression (@pxref{Duplicate
13049 Suppression}) will help, since @code{nnweb} doesn't even know the
13050 @code{Message-ID} of the articles before reading them using some search
13051 engines (DejaNews, for instance). The only possible way to keep track
13052 of which articles you've read is by scoring on the @code{Date}
13053 header---mark all articles posted before the last date you read the
13056 If the search engine changes its output substantially, @code{nnweb}
13057 won't be able to parse it and will fail. One could hardly fault the Web
13058 providers if they were to do this---their @emph{raison d'être} is to
13059 make money off of advertisements, not to provide services to the
13060 community. Since @code{nnweb} washes the ads off all the articles, one
13061 might think that the providers might be somewhat miffed. We'll see.
13063 You must have the @code{url} and @code{w3} package installed to be able
13064 to use @code{nnweb}.
13066 Virtual server variables:
13071 What search engine type is being used. The currently supported types
13072 are @code{dejanews}, @code{dejanewsold}, @code{altavista} and
13076 @vindex nnweb-search
13077 The search string to feed to the search engine.
13079 @item nnweb-max-hits
13080 @vindex nnweb-max-hits
13081 Advisory maximum number of hits per search to display. The default is
13084 @item nnweb-type-definition
13085 @vindex nnweb-type-definition
13086 Type-to-definition alist. This alist says what @code{nnweb} should do
13087 with the various search engine types. The following elements must be
13092 Function to decode the article and provide something that Gnus
13096 Function to create an article number to message header and URL alist.
13099 Function to send the search string to the search engine.
13102 The address the aforementioned function should send the search string
13106 Format string URL to fetch an article by @code{Message-ID}.
13113 @subsection Slashdot
13117 Slashdot (@uref{http://slashdot.org/}) is a popular news site, with
13118 lively discussion following the news articles. @code{nnslashdot} will
13119 let you read this forum in a convenient manner.
13121 The easiest way to read this source is to put something like the
13122 following in your @file{.gnus.el} file:
13125 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
13126 '((nnslashdot "")))
13129 This will make Gnus query the @code{nnslashdot} backend for new comments
13130 and groups. The @kbd{F} command will subscribe each new news article as
13131 a new Gnus group, and you can read the comments by entering these
13132 groups. (Note that the default subscription method is to subscribe new
13133 groups as zombies. Other methods are available (@pxref{Subscription
13136 If you want to remove an old @code{nnslashdot} group, the @kbd{G DEL}
13137 command is the most handy tool (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
13139 When following up to @code{nnslashdot} comments (or posting new
13140 comments), some light @sc{html}izations will be performed. In
13141 particular, text quoted with @samp{> } will be quoted with
13142 @code{blockquote} instead, and signatures will have @code{br} added to
13143 the end of each line. Other than that, you can just write @sc{html}
13144 directly into the message buffer. Note that Slashdot filters out some
13147 The following variables can be altered to change its behavior:
13150 @item nnslashdot-threaded
13151 Whether @code{nnslashdot} should display threaded groups or not. The
13152 default is @code{t}. To be able to display threads, @code{nnslashdot}
13153 has to retrieve absolutely all comments in a group upon entry. If a
13154 threaded display is not required, @code{nnslashdot} will only retrieve
13155 the comments that are actually wanted by the user. Threading is nicer,
13156 but much, much slower than untreaded.
13158 @item nnslashdot-login-name
13159 @vindex nnslashdot-login-name
13160 The login name to use when posting.
13162 @item nnslashdot-password
13163 @vindex nnslashdot-password
13164 The password to use when posting.
13166 @item nnslashdot-directory
13167 @vindex nnslashdot-directory
13168 Where @code{nnslashdot} will store its files. The default is
13169 @samp{~/News/slashdot/}.
13171 @item nnslashdot-active-url
13172 @vindex nnslashdot-active-url
13173 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch the information on
13174 news articles and comments. Default:
13175 @samp{http://slashdot.org/search.pl?section=&min=%d}.
13177 @item nnslashdot-comments-url
13178 @vindex nnslashdot-comments-url
13179 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch comments. The
13181 @samp{http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=%s&threshold=%d&commentsort=%d&mode=flat&startat=%d}.
13183 @item nnslashdot-article-url
13184 @vindex nnslashdot-article-url
13185 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch the news article. The
13187 @samp{http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=%s&mode=nocomment}.
13189 @item nnslashdot-threshold
13190 @vindex nnslashdot-threshold
13191 The score threshold. The default is -1.
13193 @item nnslashdot-group-number
13194 @vindex nnslashdot-group-number
13195 The number of old groups, in addition to the ten latest, to keep
13196 updated. The default is 0.
13203 @subsection Ultimate
13205 @cindex Ultimate Bulletin Board
13207 The Ultimate Bulletin Board (@uref{http://www.ultimatebb.com/}) is
13208 probably the most popular Web bulletin board system used. It has a
13209 quite regular and nice interface, and it's possible to get the
13210 information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
13212 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnultimate} is to say
13213 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnultimate RET
13214 http://www.tcj.com/messboard/ubbcgi/ RET}. (Substitute the @sc{url}
13215 (not including @samp{Ultimate.cgi} or the like at the end) for a forum
13216 you're interested in; there's quite a list of them on the Ultimate web
13217 site.) Then subscribe to the groups you're interested in from the
13218 server buffer, and read them from the group buffer.
13220 The following @code{nnultimate} variables can be altered:
13223 @item nnultimate-directory
13224 @vindex nnultimate-directory
13225 The directory where @code{nnultimate} stores its files. The default is
13226 @samp{~/News/ultimate/}.
13231 @subsection Web Archive
13233 @cindex Web Archive
13235 Some mailing lists only have archives on Web servers, such as
13236 @uref{http://www.egroups.com/} and
13237 @uref{http://www.mail-archive.com/}. It has a quite regular and nice
13238 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
13241 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnwarchive} is to say
13242 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{M-x
13243 gnus-group-make-warchive-group RET an_egroup RET egroups RET
13244 www.egroups.com RET your@@email.address RET}. (Substitute the
13245 @sc{an_egroup} with the mailing list you subscribed, the
13246 @sc{your@@email.address} with your email address.), or to browse the
13247 backend by @kbd{B nnwarchive RET mail-archive RET}.
13249 The following @code{nnwarchive} variables can be altered:
13252 @item nnwarchive-directory
13253 @vindex nnwarchive-directory
13254 The directory where @code{nnwarchive} stores its files. The default is
13255 @samp{~/News/warchive/}.
13257 @item nnwarchive-login
13258 @vindex nnwarchive-login
13259 The account name on the web server.
13261 @item nnwarchive-passwd
13262 @vindex nnwarchive-passwd
13263 The password for your account on the web server.
13271 Some sites have RDF site summary (RSS)
13272 @uref{http://purl.org/rss/1.0/spec}. It has a quite regular and nice
13273 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
13276 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnrss} is to say something
13277 like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnrss RET RET}, then
13280 The following @code{nnrss} variables can be altered:
13283 @item nnrss-directory
13284 @vindex nnrss-directory
13285 The directory where @code{nnrss} stores its files. The default is
13286 @samp{~/News/rss/}.
13290 The following code may be helpful, if you want to show the description in
13291 the summary buffer.
13294 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-description-field)
13295 (setq gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-15,15f%]%) %s%uX\n")
13297 (defun gnus-user-format-function-X (header)
13299 (assq nnrss-description-field (mail-header-extra header))))
13300 (if descr (concat "\n\t" (cdr descr)) "")))
13303 @node Customizing w3
13304 @subsection Customizing w3
13310 Gnus uses the url library to fetch web pages and Emacs/w3 to display web
13311 pages. Emacs/w3 is documented in its own manual, but there are some
13312 things that may be more relevant for Gnus users.
13314 For instance, a common question is how to make Emacs/w3 follow links
13315 using the @code{browse-url} functions (which will call some external web
13316 browser like Netscape). Here's one way:
13319 (eval-after-load "w3"
13321 (fset 'w3-fetch-orig (symbol-function 'w3-fetch))
13322 (defun w3-fetch (&optional url target)
13323 (interactive (list (w3-read-url-with-default)))
13324 (if (eq major-mode 'gnus-article-mode)
13326 (w3-fetch-orig url target)))))
13329 Put that in your @file{.emacs} file, and hitting links in w3-rendered
13330 @sc{html} in the Gnus article buffers will use @code{browse-url} to
13334 @node Other Sources
13335 @section Other Sources
13337 Gnus can do more than just read news or mail. The methods described
13338 below allow Gnus to view directories and files as if they were
13342 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
13343 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
13344 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
13345 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
13346 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
13347 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @sc{imap} client.
13351 @node Directory Groups
13352 @subsection Directory Groups
13354 @cindex directory groups
13356 If you have a directory that has lots of articles in separate files in
13357 it, you might treat it as a newsgroup. The files have to have numerical
13360 This might be an opportune moment to mention @code{ange-ftp} (and its
13361 successor @code{efs}), that most wonderful of all wonderful Emacs
13362 packages. When I wrote @code{nndir}, I didn't think much about it---a
13363 backend to read directories. Big deal.
13365 @code{ange-ftp} changes that picture dramatically. For instance, if you
13366 enter the @code{ange-ftp} file name
13367 @file{/ftp.hpc.uh.edu:/pub/emacs/ding-list/} as the directory name,
13368 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will actually allow you to read this
13369 directory over at @samp{sina} as a newsgroup. Distributed news ahoy!
13371 @code{nndir} will use @sc{nov} files if they are present.
13373 @code{nndir} is a ``read-only'' backend---you can't delete or expire
13374 articles with this method. You can use @code{nnmh} or @code{nnml} for
13375 whatever you use @code{nndir} for, so you could switch to any of those
13376 methods if you feel the need to have a non-read-only @code{nndir}.
13379 @node Anything Groups
13380 @subsection Anything Groups
13383 From the @code{nndir} backend (which reads a single spool-like
13384 directory), it's just a hop and a skip to @code{nneething}, which
13385 pretends that any arbitrary directory is a newsgroup. Strange, but
13388 When @code{nneething} is presented with a directory, it will scan this
13389 directory and assign article numbers to each file. When you enter such
13390 a group, @code{nneething} must create ``headers'' that Gnus can use.
13391 After all, Gnus is a newsreader, in case you're forgetting.
13392 @code{nneething} does this in a two-step process. First, it snoops each
13393 file in question. If the file looks like an article (i.e., the first
13394 few lines look like headers), it will use this as the head. If this is
13395 just some arbitrary file without a head (e.g. a C source file),
13396 @code{nneething} will cobble up a header out of thin air. It will use
13397 file ownership, name and date and do whatever it can with these
13400 All this should happen automatically for you, and you will be presented
13401 with something that looks very much like a newsgroup. Totally like a
13402 newsgroup, to be precise. If you select an article, it will be displayed
13403 in the article buffer, just as usual.
13405 If you select a line that represents a directory, Gnus will pop you into
13406 a new summary buffer for this @code{nneething} group. And so on. You can
13407 traverse the entire disk this way, if you feel like, but remember that
13408 Gnus is not dired, really, and does not intend to be, either.
13410 There are two overall modes to this action---ephemeral or solid. When
13411 doing the ephemeral thing (i.e., @kbd{G D} from the group buffer), Gnus
13412 will not store information on what files you have read, and what files
13413 are new, and so on. If you create a solid @code{nneething} group the
13414 normal way with @kbd{G m}, Gnus will store a mapping table between
13415 article numbers and file names, and you can treat this group like any
13416 other groups. When you activate a solid @code{nneething} group, you will
13417 be told how many unread articles it contains, etc., etc.
13422 @item nneething-map-file-directory
13423 @vindex nneething-map-file-directory
13424 All the mapping files for solid @code{nneething} groups will be stored
13425 in this directory, which defaults to @file{~/.nneething/}.
13427 @item nneething-exclude-files
13428 @vindex nneething-exclude-files
13429 All files that match this regexp will be ignored. Nice to use to exclude
13430 auto-save files and the like, which is what it does by default.
13432 @item nneething-include-files
13433 @vindex nneething-include-files
13434 Regexp saying what files to include in the group. If this variable is
13435 non-@code{nil}, only files matching this regexp will be included.
13437 @item nneething-map-file
13438 @vindex nneething-map-file
13439 Name of the map files.
13443 @node Document Groups
13444 @subsection Document Groups
13446 @cindex documentation group
13449 @code{nndoc} is a cute little thing that will let you read a single file
13450 as a newsgroup. Several files types are supported:
13457 The babyl (rmail) mail box.
13462 The standard Unix mbox file.
13464 @cindex MMDF mail box
13466 The MMDF mail box format.
13469 Several news articles appended into a file.
13472 @cindex rnews batch files
13473 The rnews batch transport format.
13474 @cindex forwarded messages
13477 Forwarded articles.
13480 Netscape mail boxes.
13483 MIME multipart messages.
13485 @item standard-digest
13486 The standard (RFC 1153) digest format.
13489 Non-standard digest format---matches most things, but does it badly.
13492 You can also use the special ``file type'' @code{guess}, which means
13493 that @code{nndoc} will try to guess what file type it is looking at.
13494 @code{digest} means that @code{nndoc} should guess what digest type the
13497 @code{nndoc} will not try to change the file or insert any extra headers into
13498 it---it will simply, like, let you use the file as the basis for a
13499 group. And that's it.
13501 If you have some old archived articles that you want to insert into your
13502 new & spiffy Gnus mail backend, @code{nndoc} can probably help you with
13503 that. Say you have an old @file{RMAIL} file with mail that you now want
13504 to split into your new @code{nnml} groups. You look at that file using
13505 @code{nndoc} (using the @kbd{G f} command in the group buffer
13506 (@pxref{Foreign Groups})), set the process mark on all the articles in
13507 the buffer (@kbd{M P b}, for instance), and then re-spool (@kbd{B r})
13508 using @code{nnml}. If all goes well, all the mail in the @file{RMAIL}
13509 file is now also stored in lots of @code{nnml} directories, and you can
13510 delete that pesky @file{RMAIL} file. If you have the guts!
13512 Virtual server variables:
13515 @item nndoc-article-type
13516 @vindex nndoc-article-type
13517 This should be one of @code{mbox}, @code{babyl}, @code{digest},
13518 @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward}, @code{rfc934},
13519 @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts}, @code{standard-digest},
13520 @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs}, @code{nsmail} or @code{guess}.
13522 @item nndoc-post-type
13523 @vindex nndoc-post-type
13524 This variable says whether Gnus is to consider the group a news group or
13525 a mail group. There are two valid values: @code{mail} (the default)
13530 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
13534 @node Document Server Internals
13535 @subsubsection Document Server Internals
13537 Adding new document types to be recognized by @code{nndoc} isn't
13538 difficult. You just have to whip up a definition of what the document
13539 looks like, write a predicate function to recognize that document type,
13540 and then hook into @code{nndoc}.
13542 First, here's an example document type definition:
13546 (article-begin . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n")
13547 (body-end . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n"))
13550 The definition is simply a unique @dfn{name} followed by a series of
13551 regexp pseudo-variable settings. Below are the possible
13552 variables---don't be daunted by the number of variables; most document
13553 types can be defined with very few settings:
13556 @item first-article
13557 If present, @code{nndoc} will skip past all text until it finds
13558 something that match this regexp. All text before this will be
13561 @item article-begin
13562 This setting has to be present in all document type definitions. It
13563 says what the beginning of each article looks like.
13565 @item head-begin-function
13566 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the head of
13569 @item nndoc-head-begin
13570 If present, this should be a regexp that matches the head of the
13573 @item nndoc-head-end
13574 This should match the end of the head of the article. It defaults to
13575 @samp{^$}---the empty line.
13577 @item body-begin-function
13578 If present, this function should move point to the beginning of the body
13582 This should match the beginning of the body of the article. It defaults
13585 @item body-end-function
13586 If present, this function should move point to the end of the body of
13590 If present, this should match the end of the body of the article.
13593 If present, this should match the end of the file. All text after this
13594 regexp will be totally ignored.
13598 So, using these variables @code{nndoc} is able to dissect a document
13599 file into a series of articles, each with a head and a body. However, a
13600 few more variables are needed since not all document types are all that
13601 news-like---variables needed to transform the head or the body into
13602 something that's palatable for Gnus:
13605 @item prepare-body-function
13606 If present, this function will be called when requesting an article. It
13607 will be called with point at the start of the body, and is useful if the
13608 document has encoded some parts of its contents.
13610 @item article-transform-function
13611 If present, this function is called when requesting an article. It's
13612 meant to be used for more wide-ranging transformation of both head and
13613 body of the article.
13615 @item generate-head-function
13616 If present, this function is called to generate a head that Gnus can
13617 understand. It is called with the article number as a parameter, and is
13618 expected to generate a nice head for the article in question. It is
13619 called when requesting the headers of all articles.
13623 Let's look at the most complicated example I can come up with---standard
13628 (first-article . ,(concat "^" (make-string 70 ?-) "\n\n+"))
13629 (article-begin . ,(concat "\n\n" (make-string 30 ?-) "\n\n+"))
13630 (prepare-body-function . nndoc-unquote-dashes)
13631 (body-end-function . nndoc-digest-body-end)
13632 (head-end . "^ ?$")
13633 (body-begin . "^ ?\n")
13634 (file-end . "^End of .*digest.*[0-9].*\n\\*\\*\\|^End of.*Digest *$")
13635 (subtype digest guess))
13638 We see that all text before a 70-width line of dashes is ignored; all
13639 text after a line that starts with that @samp{^End of} is also ignored;
13640 each article begins with a 30-width line of dashes; the line separating
13641 the head from the body may contain a single space; and that the body is
13642 run through @code{nndoc-unquote-dashes} before being delivered.
13644 To hook your own document definition into @code{nndoc}, use the
13645 @code{nndoc-add-type} function. It takes two parameters---the first is
13646 the definition itself and the second (optional) parameter says where in
13647 the document type definition alist to put this definition. The alist is
13648 traversed sequentially, and @code{nndoc-TYPE-type-p} is called for a given type @code{TYPE}. So @code{nndoc-mmdf-type-p} is called to see whether a document
13649 is of @code{mmdf} type, and so on. These type predicates should return
13650 @code{nil} if the document is not of the correct type; @code{t} if it is
13651 of the correct type; and a number if the document might be of the
13652 correct type. A high number means high probability; a low number means
13653 low probability with @samp{0} being the lowest valid number.
13661 In the PC world people often talk about ``offline'' newsreaders. These
13662 are thingies that are combined reader/news transport monstrosities.
13663 With built-in modem programs. Yecchh!
13665 Of course, us Unix Weenie types of human beans use things like
13666 @code{uucp} and, like, @code{nntpd} and set up proper news and mail
13667 transport things like Ghod intended. And then we just use normal
13670 However, it can sometimes be convenient to do something that's a bit
13671 easier on the brain if you have a very slow modem, and you're not really
13672 that interested in doing things properly.
13674 A file format called @sc{soup} has been developed for transporting news
13675 and mail from servers to home machines and back again. It can be a bit
13678 First some terminology:
13683 This is the machine that is connected to the outside world and where you
13684 get news and/or mail from.
13687 This is the machine that you want to do the actual reading and responding
13688 on. It is typically not connected to the rest of the world in any way.
13691 Something that contains messages and/or commands. There are two kinds
13695 @item message packets
13696 These are packets made at the server, and typically contain lots of
13697 messages for you to read. These are called @file{SoupoutX.tgz} by
13698 default, where @var{x} is a number.
13700 @item response packets
13701 These are packets made at the home machine, and typically contains
13702 replies that you've written. These are called @file{SoupinX.tgz} by
13703 default, where @var{x} is a number.
13713 You log in on the server and create a @sc{soup} packet. You can either
13714 use a dedicated @sc{soup} thingie (like the @code{awk} program), or you
13715 can use Gnus to create the packet with its @sc{soup} commands (@kbd{O
13716 s} and/or @kbd{G s b}; and then @kbd{G s p}) (@pxref{SOUP Commands}).
13719 You transfer the packet home. Rail, boat, car or modem will do fine.
13722 You put the packet in your home directory.
13725 You fire up Gnus on your home machine using the @code{nnsoup} backend as
13726 the native or secondary server.
13729 You read articles and mail and answer and followup to the things you
13730 want (@pxref{SOUP Replies}).
13733 You do the @kbd{G s r} command to pack these replies into a @sc{soup}
13737 You transfer this packet to the server.
13740 You use Gnus to mail this packet out with the @kbd{G s s} command.
13743 You then repeat until you die.
13747 So you basically have a bipartite system---you use @code{nnsoup} for
13748 reading and Gnus for packing/sending these @sc{soup} packets.
13751 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
13752 * SOUP Groups:: A backend for reading @sc{soup} packets.
13753 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
13757 @node SOUP Commands
13758 @subsubsection SOUP Commands
13760 These are commands for creating and manipulating @sc{soup} packets.
13764 @kindex G s b (Group)
13765 @findex gnus-group-brew-soup
13766 Pack all unread articles in the current group
13767 (@code{gnus-group-brew-soup}). This command understands the
13768 process/prefix convention.
13771 @kindex G s w (Group)
13772 @findex gnus-soup-save-areas
13773 Save all @sc{soup} data files (@code{gnus-soup-save-areas}).
13776 @kindex G s s (Group)
13777 @findex gnus-soup-send-replies
13778 Send all replies from the replies packet
13779 (@code{gnus-soup-send-replies}).
13782 @kindex G s p (Group)
13783 @findex gnus-soup-pack-packet
13784 Pack all files into a @sc{soup} packet (@code{gnus-soup-pack-packet}).
13787 @kindex G s r (Group)
13788 @findex nnsoup-pack-replies
13789 Pack all replies into a replies packet (@code{nnsoup-pack-replies}).
13792 @kindex O s (Summary)
13793 @findex gnus-soup-add-article
13794 This summary-mode command adds the current article to a @sc{soup} packet
13795 (@code{gnus-soup-add-article}). It understands the process/prefix
13796 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
13801 There are a few variables to customize where Gnus will put all these
13806 @item gnus-soup-directory
13807 @vindex gnus-soup-directory
13808 Directory where Gnus will save intermediate files while composing
13809 @sc{soup} packets. The default is @file{~/SoupBrew/}.
13811 @item gnus-soup-replies-directory
13812 @vindex gnus-soup-replies-directory
13813 This is what Gnus will use as a temporary directory while sending our
13814 reply packets. @file{~/SoupBrew/SoupReplies/} is the default.
13816 @item gnus-soup-prefix-file
13817 @vindex gnus-soup-prefix-file
13818 Name of the file where Gnus stores the last used prefix. The default is
13819 @samp{gnus-prefix}.
13821 @item gnus-soup-packer
13822 @vindex gnus-soup-packer
13823 A format string command for packing a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
13824 @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupout%d.tgz}.
13826 @item gnus-soup-unpacker
13827 @vindex gnus-soup-unpacker
13828 Format string command for unpacking a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
13829 @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
13831 @item gnus-soup-packet-directory
13832 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-directory
13833 Where Gnus will look for reply packets. The default is @file{~/}.
13835 @item gnus-soup-packet-regexp
13836 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-regexp
13837 Regular expression matching @sc{soup} reply packets in
13838 @code{gnus-soup-packet-directory}.
13844 @subsubsection @sc{soup} Groups
13847 @code{nnsoup} is the backend for reading @sc{soup} packets. It will
13848 read incoming packets, unpack them, and put them in a directory where
13849 you can read them at leisure.
13851 These are the variables you can use to customize its behavior:
13855 @item nnsoup-tmp-directory
13856 @vindex nnsoup-tmp-directory
13857 When @code{nnsoup} unpacks a @sc{soup} packet, it does it in this
13858 directory. (@file{/tmp/} by default.)
13860 @item nnsoup-directory
13861 @vindex nnsoup-directory
13862 @code{nnsoup} then moves each message and index file to this directory.
13863 The default is @file{~/SOUP/}.
13865 @item nnsoup-replies-directory
13866 @vindex nnsoup-replies-directory
13867 All replies will be stored in this directory before being packed into a
13868 reply packet. The default is @file{~/SOUP/replies/"}.
13870 @item nnsoup-replies-format-type
13871 @vindex nnsoup-replies-format-type
13872 The @sc{soup} format of the replies packets. The default is @samp{?n}
13873 (rnews), and I don't think you should touch that variable. I probably
13874 shouldn't even have documented it. Drats! Too late!
13876 @item nnsoup-replies-index-type
13877 @vindex nnsoup-replies-index-type
13878 The index type of the replies packet. The default is @samp{?n}, which
13879 means ``none''. Don't fiddle with this one either!
13881 @item nnsoup-active-file
13882 @vindex nnsoup-active-file
13883 Where @code{nnsoup} stores lots of information. This is not an ``active
13884 file'' in the @code{nntp} sense; it's an Emacs Lisp file. If you lose
13885 this file or mess it up in any way, you're dead. The default is
13886 @file{~/SOUP/active}.
13888 @item nnsoup-packer
13889 @vindex nnsoup-packer
13890 Format string command for packing a reply @sc{soup} packet. The default
13891 is @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupin%d.tgz}.
13893 @item nnsoup-unpacker
13894 @vindex nnsoup-unpacker
13895 Format string command for unpacking incoming @sc{soup} packets. The
13896 default is @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
13898 @item nnsoup-packet-directory
13899 @vindex nnsoup-packet-directory
13900 Where @code{nnsoup} will look for incoming packets. The default is
13903 @item nnsoup-packet-regexp
13904 @vindex nnsoup-packet-regexp
13905 Regular expression matching incoming @sc{soup} packets. The default is
13908 @item nnsoup-always-save
13909 @vindex nnsoup-always-save
13910 If non-@code{nil}, save the replies buffer after each posted message.
13916 @subsubsection SOUP Replies
13918 Just using @code{nnsoup} won't mean that your postings and mailings end
13919 up in @sc{soup} reply packets automagically. You have to work a bit
13920 more for that to happen.
13922 @findex nnsoup-set-variables
13923 The @code{nnsoup-set-variables} command will set the appropriate
13924 variables to ensure that all your followups and replies end up in the
13927 In specific, this is what it does:
13930 (setq message-send-news-function 'nnsoup-request-post)
13931 (setq message-send-mail-function 'nnsoup-request-mail)
13934 And that's it, really. If you only want news to go into the @sc{soup}
13935 system you just use the first line. If you only want mail to be
13936 @sc{soup}ed you use the second.
13939 @node Mail-To-News Gateways
13940 @subsection Mail-To-News Gateways
13941 @cindex mail-to-news gateways
13944 If your local @code{nntp} server doesn't allow posting, for some reason
13945 or other, you can post using one of the numerous mail-to-news gateways.
13946 The @code{nngateway} backend provides the interface.
13948 Note that you can't read anything from this backend---it can only be
13954 @item nngateway-address
13955 @vindex nngateway-address
13956 This is the address of the mail-to-news gateway.
13958 @item nngateway-header-transformation
13959 @vindex nngateway-header-transformation
13960 News headers often have to be transformed in some odd way or other
13961 for the mail-to-news gateway to accept it. This variable says what
13962 transformation should be called, and defaults to
13963 @code{nngateway-simple-header-transformation}. The function is called
13964 narrowed to the headers to be transformed and with one parameter---the
13967 This default function just inserts a new @code{To} header based on the
13968 @code{Newsgroups} header and the gateway address.
13969 For instance, an article with this @code{Newsgroups} header:
13972 Newsgroups: alt.religion.emacs
13975 will get this @code{From} header inserted:
13978 To: alt-religion-emacs@@GATEWAY
13981 The following pre-defined functions exist:
13983 @findex nngateway-simple-header-transformation
13986 @item nngateway-simple-header-transformation
13987 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
13988 @var{newsgroup}@@@code{nngateway-address}.
13990 @findex nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
13992 @item nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
13993 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
13994 @code{nngateway-address}.
13999 (setq gnus-post-method
14001 "mail2news@@replay.com"
14002 (nngateway-header-transformation
14003 nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation)))
14011 So, to use this, simply say something like:
14014 (setq gnus-post-method '(nngateway "GATEWAY.ADDRESS"))
14020 @subsection @sc{imap}
14024 @sc{imap} is a network protocol for reading mail (or news, or ...),
14025 think of it as a modernized @sc{nntp}. Connecting to a @sc{imap}
14026 server is much similar to connecting to a news server, you just
14027 specify the network address of the server.
14029 @sc{imap} has two properties. First, @sc{imap} can do everything that
14030 POP can, it can hence be viewed as POP++. Secondly, @sc{imap} is a
14031 mail storage protocol, similar to @sc{nntp} being a news storage
14032 protocol. (@sc{imap} offers more features than @sc{nntp} because news
14033 is more or less read-only whereas mail is read-write.)
14035 If you want to use @sc{imap} as POP++, use an imap entry in
14036 mail-sources. With this, Gnus will fetch mails from the @sc{imap}
14037 server and store them on the local disk. This is not the usage
14038 described in this section. @xref{Mail Sources}.
14040 If you want to use @sc{imap} as a mail storage protocol, use an nnimap
14041 entry in gnus-secondary-select-methods. With this, Gnus will
14042 manipulate mails stored on the @sc{imap} server. This is the kind of
14043 usage explained in this section.
14045 A server configuration in @code{~/.gnus} with a few @sc{imap} servers
14046 might look something like this:
14049 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
14050 '((nnimap "simpleserver") ; no special configuration
14051 ; perhaps a ssh port forwarded server:
14053 (nnimap-address "localhost")
14054 (nnimap-server-port 1430))
14055 ; a UW server running on localhost
14057 (nnimap-server-port 143)
14058 (nnimap-address "localhost")
14059 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "mail/*")))
14060 ; anonymous public cyrus server:
14061 (nnimap "cyrus.andrew.cmu.edu"
14062 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous)
14063 (nnimap-list-pattern "archive.*")
14064 (nnimap-stream network))
14065 ; a ssl server on a non-standard port:
14067 (nnimap-address "vic20.somewhere.com")
14068 (nnimap-server-port 9930)
14069 (nnimap-stream ssl))))
14072 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nnimap}
14077 @item nnimap-address
14078 @vindex nnimap-address
14080 The address of the remote @sc{imap} server. Defaults to the virtual
14081 server name if not specified.
14083 @item nnimap-server-port
14084 @vindex nnimap-server-port
14085 Port on server to contact. Defaults to port 143, or 993 for SSL.
14087 Note that this should be a integer, example server specification:
14090 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
14091 (nnimap-server-port 4711))
14094 @item nnimap-list-pattern
14095 @vindex nnimap-list-pattern
14096 String or list of strings of mailboxes to limit available groups to.
14097 This is used when the server has very many mailboxes and you're only
14098 interested in a few -- some servers export your home directory via
14099 @sc{imap}, you'll probably want to limit the mailboxes to those in
14100 @file{~/Mail/*} then.
14102 The string can also be a cons of REFERENCE and the string as above, what
14103 REFERENCE is used for is server specific, but on the University of
14104 Washington server it's a directory that will be concatenated with the
14107 Example server specification:
14110 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
14111 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "Mail/*" "alt.sex.*"
14112 ("~friend/Mail/" . "list/*"))))
14115 @item nnimap-stream
14116 @vindex nnimap-stream
14117 The type of stream used to connect to your server. By default, nnimap
14118 will detect and automatically use all of the below, with the exception
14119 of SSL. (SSL is being replaced by STARTTLS, which can be automatically
14120 detected, but it's not widely deployed yet).
14122 Example server specification:
14125 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
14126 (nnimap-stream ssl))
14129 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-stream} is a symbol!
14133 @dfn{gssapi:} Connect with GSSAPI (usually kerberos 5). Require the
14134 @samp{imtest} program.
14136 @dfn{kerberos4:} Connect with kerberos 4. Require the @samp{imtest} program.
14138 @dfn{starttls:} Connect via the STARTTLS extension (similar to
14139 SSL). Require the external library @samp{starttls.el} and program
14142 @dfn{ssl:} Connect through SSL. Require OpenSSL (the
14143 program @samp{openssl}) or SSLeay (@samp{s_client}).
14145 @dfn{shell:} Use a shell command to start @sc{imap} connection.
14147 @dfn{network:} Plain, TCP/IP network connection.
14150 @vindex imap-kerberos4-program
14151 The @samp{imtest} program is shipped with Cyrus IMAPD, nnimap support
14152 both @samp{imtest} version 1.5.x and version 1.6.x. The variable
14153 @code{imap-kerberos4-program} contain parameters to pass to the imtest
14156 @vindex imap-ssl-program
14157 For SSL connections, the OpenSSL program is available from
14158 @uref{http://www.openssl.org/}. OpenSSL was formerly known as SSLeay,
14159 and nnimap support it too - altough the most recent versions of
14160 SSLeay, 0.9.x, are known to have serious bugs making it
14161 useless. Earlier versions, especially 0.8.x, of SSLeay are known to
14162 work. The variable @code{imap-ssl-program} contain parameters to pass
14165 @vindex imap-shell-program
14166 @vindex imap-shell-host
14167 For @sc{imap} connections using the @code{shell} stream, the variable
14168 @code{imap-shell-program} specify what program to call.
14170 @item nnimap-authenticator
14171 @vindex nnimap-authenticator
14173 The authenticator used to connect to the server. By default, nnimap
14174 will use the most secure authenticator your server is capable of.
14176 Example server specification:
14179 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
14180 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous))
14183 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-authenticator} is a symbol!
14187 @dfn{gssapi:} GSSAPI (usually kerberos 5) authentication. Require
14188 external program @code{imtest}.
14190 @dfn{kerberos4:} Kerberos authentication. Require external program
14193 @dfn{digest-md5:} Encrypted username/password via DIGEST-MD5. Require
14194 external library @code{digest-md5.el}.
14196 @dfn{cram-md5:} Encrypted username/password via CRAM-MD5.
14198 @dfn{login:} Plain-text username/password via LOGIN.
14200 @dfn{anonymous:} Login as `anonymous', supplying your emailadress as password.
14203 @item nnimap-expunge-on-close
14205 @vindex nnimap-expunge-on-close
14206 Unlike Parmenides the @sc{imap} designers has decided that things that
14207 doesn't exist actually does exist. More specifically, @sc{imap} has
14208 this concept of marking articles @code{Deleted} which doesn't actually
14209 delete them, and this (marking them @code{Deleted}, that is) is what
14210 nnimap does when you delete a article in Gnus (with @kbd{G DEL} or
14213 Since the articles aren't really removed when we mark them with the
14214 @code{Deleted} flag we'll need a way to actually delete them. Feel like
14215 running in circles yet?
14217 Traditionally, nnimap has removed all articles marked as @code{Deleted}
14218 when closing a mailbox but this is now configurable by this server
14221 The possible options are:
14226 The default behavior, delete all articles marked as "Deleted" when
14229 Never actually delete articles. Currently there is no way of showing
14230 the articles marked for deletion in nnimap, but other @sc{imap} clients
14231 may allow you to do this. If you ever want to run the EXPUNGE command
14232 manually, @xref{Expunging mailboxes}.
14234 When closing mailboxes, nnimap will ask if you wish to expunge deleted
14239 @item nnimap-authinfo-file
14240 @vindex nnimap-authinfo-file
14242 A file containing credentials used to log in on servers. The format is
14243 (almost) the same as the @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file. See the
14244 variable @code{nntp-authinfo-file} for exact syntax; also see
14250 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
14251 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
14252 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a "compress mailbox" button.
14257 @node Splitting in IMAP
14258 @subsubsection Splitting in @sc{imap}
14259 @cindex splitting imap mail
14261 Splitting is something Gnus users has loved and used for years, and now
14262 the rest of the world is catching up. Yeah, dream on, not many
14263 @sc{imap} server has server side splitting and those that have splitting
14264 seem to use some non-standard protocol. This means that @sc{imap}
14265 support for Gnus has to do it's own splitting.
14269 Here are the variables of interest:
14273 @item nnimap-split-crosspost
14274 @cindex splitting, crosspost
14276 @vindex nnimap-split-crosspost
14278 If non-nil, do crossposting if several split methods match the mail. If
14279 nil, the first match in @code{nnimap-split-rule} found will be used.
14281 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-crosspost}.
14283 @item nnimap-split-inbox
14284 @cindex splitting, inbox
14286 @vindex nnimap-split-inbox
14288 A string or a list of strings that gives the name(s) of @sc{imap}
14289 mailboxes to split from. Defaults to nil, which means that splitting is
14293 (setq nnimap-split-inbox
14294 '("INBOX" ("~/friend/Mail" . "lists/*") "lists.imap"))
14297 No nnmail equivalent.
14299 @item nnimap-split-rule
14300 @cindex Splitting, rules
14301 @vindex nnimap-split-rule
14303 New mail found in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be split according to
14306 This variable contains a list of lists, where the first element in the
14307 sublist gives the name of the @sc{imap} mailbox to move articles
14308 matching the regexp in the second element in the sublist. Got that?
14309 Neither did I, we need examples.
14312 (setq nnimap-split-rule
14314 "^Sender: owner-nnimap@@vic20.globalcom.se")
14315 ("INBOX.junk" "^Subject:.*MAKE MONEY")
14316 ("INBOX.private" "")))
14319 This will put all articles from the nnimap mailing list into mailbox
14320 INBOX.nnimap, all articles containing MAKE MONEY in the Subject: line
14321 into INBOX.junk and everything else in INBOX.private.
14323 The first string may contain `\\1' forms, like the ones used by
14324 replace-match to insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For
14328 ("INBOX.lists.\\1" "^Sender: owner-\\([a-z-]+\\)@@")
14331 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
14332 called with the first element of the rule as the argument, in a buffer
14333 containing the headers of the article. It should return a non-nil value
14334 if it thinks that the mail belongs in that group.
14336 Nnmail users might recollect that the last regexp had to be empty to
14337 match all articles (like in the example above). This is not required in
14338 nnimap. Articles not matching any of the regexps will not be moved out
14339 of your inbox. (This might affect performance if you keep lots of
14340 unread articles in your inbox, since the splitting code would go over
14341 them every time you fetch new mail.)
14343 These rules are processed from the beginning of the alist toward the
14344 end. The first rule to make a match will "win", unless you have
14345 crossposting enabled. In that case, all matching rules will "win".
14347 This variable can also have a function as its value, the function will
14348 be called with the headers narrowed and should return a group where it
14349 thinks the article should be split to. See @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
14351 The splitting code tries to create mailboxes if it need too.
14353 To allow for different split rules on different virtual servers, and
14354 even different split rules in different inboxes on the same server,
14355 the syntax of this variable have been extended along the lines of:
14358 (setq nnimap-split-rule
14359 '(("my1server" (".*" (("ding" "ding@@gnus.org")
14360 ("junk" "From:.*Simon")))
14361 ("my2server" ("INBOX" nnimap-split-fancy))
14362 ("my[34]server" (".*" (("private" "To:.*Simon")
14363 ("junk" my-junk-func)))))
14366 The virtual server name is in fact a regexp, so that the same rules
14367 may apply to several servers. In the example, the servers
14368 @code{my3server} and @code{my4server} both use the same rules.
14369 Similarly, the inbox string is also a regexp. The actual splitting
14370 rules are as before, either a function, or a list with group/regexp or
14371 group/function elements.
14373 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
14375 @item nnimap-split-predicate
14377 @vindex nnimap-split-predicate
14379 Mail matching this predicate in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be
14380 split, it is a string and the default is @samp{UNSEEN UNDELETED}.
14382 This might be useful if you use another @sc{imap} client to read mail in
14383 your inbox but would like Gnus to split all articles in the inbox
14384 regardless of readedness. Then you might change this to
14387 @item nnimap-split-fancy
14388 @cindex splitting, fancy
14389 @findex nnimap-split-fancy
14390 @vindex nnimap-split-fancy
14392 It's possible to set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
14393 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} if you want to use fancy
14394 splitting. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
14396 However, to be able to have different fancy split rules for nnmail and
14397 nnimap backends you can set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
14398 @code{nnimap-split-fancy} and define the nnimap specific fancy split
14399 rule in @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
14404 (setq nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
14405 nnimap-split-fancy ...)
14408 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
14412 @node Editing IMAP ACLs
14413 @subsubsection Editing @sc{imap} ACLs
14414 @cindex editing imap acls
14415 @cindex Access Control Lists
14416 @cindex Editing @sc{imap} ACLs
14418 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-edit-acl
14420 ACL stands for Access Control List. ACLs are used in @sc{imap} for
14421 limiting (or enabling) other users access to your mail boxes. Not all
14422 @sc{imap} servers support this, this function will give an error if it
14425 To edit a ACL for a mailbox, type @kbd{G l}
14426 (@code{gnus-group-edit-nnimap-acl}) and you'll be presented with a ACL
14427 editing window with detailed instructions.
14429 Some possible uses:
14433 Giving "anyone" the "lrs" rights (lookup, read, keep seen/unseen flags)
14434 on your mailing list mailboxes enables other users on the same server to
14435 follow the list without subscribing to it.
14437 At least with the Cyrus server, you are required to give the user
14438 "anyone" posting ("p") capabilities to have "plussing" work (that is,
14439 mail sent to user+mailbox@@domain ending up in the @sc{imap} mailbox
14443 @node Expunging mailboxes
14444 @subsubsection Expunging mailboxes
14448 @cindex Manual expunging
14450 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-expunge
14452 If you're using the @code{never} setting of @code{nnimap-expunge-on-close},
14453 you may want the option of expunging all deleted articles in a mailbox
14454 manually. This is exactly what @kbd{G x} does.
14456 Currently there is no way of showing deleted articles, you can just
14461 @node Combined Groups
14462 @section Combined Groups
14464 Gnus allows combining a mixture of all the other group types into bigger
14468 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
14469 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
14473 @node Virtual Groups
14474 @subsection Virtual Groups
14476 @cindex virtual groups
14477 @cindex merging groups
14479 An @dfn{nnvirtual group} is really nothing more than a collection of
14482 For instance, if you are tired of reading many small groups, you can
14483 put them all in one big group, and then grow tired of reading one
14484 big, unwieldy group. The joys of computing!
14486 You specify @code{nnvirtual} as the method. The address should be a
14487 regexp to match component groups.
14489 All marks in the virtual group will stick to the articles in the
14490 component groups. So if you tick an article in a virtual group, the
14491 article will also be ticked in the component group from whence it came.
14492 (And vice versa---marks from the component groups will also be shown in
14493 the virtual group.)
14495 Here's an example @code{nnvirtual} method that collects all Andrea Dworkin
14496 newsgroups into one, big, happy newsgroup:
14499 (nnvirtual "^alt\\.fan\\.andrea-dworkin$\\|^rec\\.dworkin.*")
14502 The component groups can be native or foreign; everything should work
14503 smoothly, but if your computer explodes, it was probably my fault.
14505 Collecting the same group from several servers might actually be a good
14506 idea if users have set the Distribution header to limit distribution.
14507 If you would like to read @samp{soc.motss} both from a server in Japan
14508 and a server in Norway, you could use the following as the group regexp:
14511 "^nntp\\+server\\.jp:soc\\.motss$\\|^nntp\\+server\\.no:soc\\.motss$"
14514 (Remember, though, that if you're creating the group with @kbd{G m}, you
14515 shouldn't double the backslashes, and you should leave off the quote
14516 characters at the beginning and the end of the string.)
14518 This should work kinda smoothly---all articles from both groups should
14519 end up in this one, and there should be no duplicates. Threading (and
14520 the rest) will still work as usual, but there might be problems with the
14521 sequence of articles. Sorting on date might be an option here
14522 (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
14524 One limitation, however---all groups included in a virtual
14525 group have to be alive (i.e., subscribed or unsubscribed). Killed or
14526 zombie groups can't be component groups for @code{nnvirtual} groups.
14528 @vindex nnvirtual-always-rescan
14529 If the @code{nnvirtual-always-rescan} is non-@code{nil},
14530 @code{nnvirtual} will always scan groups for unread articles when
14531 entering a virtual group. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
14532 default) and you read articles in a component group after the virtual
14533 group has been activated, the read articles from the component group
14534 will show up when you enter the virtual group. You'll also see this
14535 effect if you have two virtual groups that have a component group in
14536 common. If that's the case, you should set this variable to @code{t}.
14537 Or you can just tap @code{M-g} on the virtual group every time before
14538 you enter it---it'll have much the same effect.
14540 @code{nnvirtual} can have both mail and news groups as component groups.
14541 When responding to articles in @code{nnvirtual} groups, @code{nnvirtual}
14542 has to ask the backend of the component group the article comes from
14543 whether it is a news or mail backend. However, when you do a @kbd{^},
14544 there is typically no sure way for the component backend to know this,
14545 and in that case @code{nnvirtual} tells Gnus that the article came from a
14546 not-news backend. (Just to be on the safe side.)
14548 @kbd{C-c C-t} in the message buffer will insert the @code{Newsgroups}
14549 line from the article you respond to in these cases.
14553 @node Kibozed Groups
14554 @subsection Kibozed Groups
14558 @dfn{Kibozing} is defined by @sc{oed} as ``grepping through (parts of)
14559 the news feed''. @code{nnkiboze} is a backend that will do this for
14560 you. Oh joy! Now you can grind any @sc{nntp} server down to a halt
14561 with useless requests! Oh happiness!
14563 @kindex G k (Group)
14564 To create a kibozed group, use the @kbd{G k} command in the group
14567 The address field of the @code{nnkiboze} method is, as with
14568 @code{nnvirtual}, a regexp to match groups to be ``included'' in the
14569 @code{nnkiboze} group. That's where most similarities between @code{nnkiboze}
14570 and @code{nnvirtual} end.
14572 In addition to this regexp detailing component groups, an @code{nnkiboze} group
14573 must have a score file to say what articles are to be included in
14574 the group (@pxref{Scoring}).
14576 @kindex M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups
14577 @findex nnkiboze-generate-groups
14578 You must run @kbd{M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups} after creating the
14579 @code{nnkiboze} groups you want to have. This command will take time. Lots of
14580 time. Oodles and oodles of time. Gnus has to fetch the headers from
14581 all the articles in all the component groups and run them through the
14582 scoring process to determine if there are any articles in the groups
14583 that are to be part of the @code{nnkiboze} groups.
14585 Please limit the number of component groups by using restrictive
14586 regexps. Otherwise your sysadmin may become annoyed with you, and the
14587 @sc{nntp} site may throw you off and never let you back in again.
14588 Stranger things have happened.
14590 @code{nnkiboze} component groups do not have to be alive---they can be dead,
14591 and they can be foreign. No restrictions.
14593 @vindex nnkiboze-directory
14594 The generation of an @code{nnkiboze} group means writing two files in
14595 @code{nnkiboze-directory}, which is @file{~/News/} by default. One
14596 contains the @sc{nov} header lines for all the articles in the group,
14597 and the other is an additional @file{.newsrc} file to store information
14598 on what groups have been searched through to find component articles.
14600 Articles marked as read in the @code{nnkiboze} group will have
14601 their @sc{nov} lines removed from the @sc{nov} file.
14604 @node Gnus Unplugged
14605 @section Gnus Unplugged
14610 @cindex Gnus Unplugged
14612 In olden times (ca. February '88), people used to run their newsreaders
14613 on big machines with permanent connections to the net. News transport
14614 was dealt with by news servers, and all the newsreaders had to do was to
14615 read news. Believe it or not.
14617 Nowadays most people read news and mail at home, and use some sort of
14618 modem to connect to the net. To avoid running up huge phone bills, it
14619 would be nice to have a way to slurp down all the news and mail, hang up
14620 the phone, read for several hours, and then upload any responses you
14621 have to make. And then you repeat the procedure.
14623 Of course, you can use news servers for doing this as well. I've used
14624 @code{inn} together with @code{slurp}, @code{pop} and @code{sendmail}
14625 for some years, but doing that's a bore. Moving the news server
14626 functionality up to the newsreader makes sense if you're the only person
14627 reading news on a machine.
14629 Using Gnus as an ``offline'' newsreader is quite simple.
14633 First, set up Gnus as you would do if you were running it on a machine
14634 that has full connection to the net. Go ahead. I'll still be waiting
14638 Then, put the following magical incantation at the end of your
14639 @file{.gnus.el} file:
14646 That's it. Gnus is now an ``offline'' newsreader.
14648 Of course, to use it as such, you have to learn a few new commands.
14651 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
14652 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
14653 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
14654 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
14655 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with IMAP.
14656 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
14657 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
14658 * Example Setup:: An example @file{.gnus.el} file for offline people.
14659 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
14660 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
14665 @subsection Agent Basics
14667 First, let's get some terminology out of the way.
14669 The Gnus Agent is said to be @dfn{unplugged} when you have severed the
14670 connection to the net (and notified the Agent that this is the case).
14671 When the connection to the net is up again (and Gnus knows this), the
14672 Agent is @dfn{plugged}.
14674 The @dfn{local} machine is the one you're running on, and which isn't
14675 connected to the net continuously.
14677 @dfn{Downloading} means fetching things from the net to your local
14678 machine. @dfn{Uploading} is doing the opposite.
14680 Let's take a typical Gnus session using the Agent.
14685 You start Gnus with @code{gnus-unplugged}. This brings up the Gnus
14686 Agent in a disconnected state. You can read all the news that you have
14687 already fetched while in this mode.
14690 You then decide to see whether any new news has arrived. You connect
14691 your machine to the net (using PPP or whatever), and then hit @kbd{J j}
14692 to make Gnus become @dfn{plugged} and use @kbd{g} to check for new mail
14693 as usual. To check for new mail in unplugged mode, see (@pxref{Mail
14694 Source Specifiers}).
14697 You can then read the new news immediately, or you can download the news
14698 onto your local machine. If you want to do the latter, you press @kbd{g}
14699 to check if there are any new news and then @kbd{J
14700 s} to fetch all the eligible articles in all the groups. (To let Gnus
14701 know which articles you want to download, @pxref{Agent Categories}.)
14704 After fetching the articles, you press @kbd{J j} to make Gnus become
14705 unplugged again, and you shut down the PPP thing (or whatever). And
14706 then you read the news offline.
14709 And then you go to step 2.
14712 Here are some things you should do the first time (or so) that you use
14718 Decide which servers should be covered by the Agent. If you have a mail
14719 backend, it would probably be nonsensical to have it covered by the
14720 Agent. Go to the server buffer (@kbd{^} in the group buffer) and press
14721 @kbd{J a} the server (or servers) that you wish to have covered by the
14722 Agent (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}). This will typically be only the
14723 primary select method, which is listed on the bottom in the buffer.
14726 Decide on download policy. @xref{Agent Categories}.
14733 @node Agent Categories
14734 @subsection Agent Categories
14736 One of the main reasons to integrate the news transport layer into the
14737 newsreader is to allow greater control over what articles to download.
14738 There's not much point in downloading huge amounts of articles, just to
14739 find out that you're not interested in reading any of them. It's better
14740 to be somewhat more conservative in choosing what to download, and then
14741 mark the articles for downloading manually if it should turn out that
14742 you're interested in the articles anyway.
14744 The main way to control what is to be downloaded is to create a
14745 @dfn{category} and then assign some (or all) groups to this category.
14746 Groups that do not belong in any other category belong to the
14747 @code{default} category. Gnus has its own buffer for creating and
14748 managing categories.
14751 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
14752 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
14753 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
14757 @node Category Syntax
14758 @subsubsection Category Syntax
14760 A category consists of two things.
14764 A predicate which (generally) gives a rough outline of which articles
14765 are eligible for downloading; and
14768 a score rule which (generally) gives you a finer granularity when
14769 deciding what articles to download. (Note that this @dfn{download
14770 score} is not necessarily related to normal scores.)
14773 A predicate in its simplest form can be a single predicate such as
14774 @code{true} or @code{false}. These two will download every available
14775 article or nothing respectively. In the case of these two special
14776 predicates an additional score rule is superfluous.
14778 Predicates of @code{high} or @code{low} download articles in respect of
14779 their scores in relationship to @code{gnus-agent-high-score} and
14780 @code{gnus-agent-low-score} as described below.
14782 To gain even finer control of what is to be regarded eligible for
14783 download a predicate can consist of a number of predicates with logical
14784 operators sprinkled in between.
14786 Perhaps some examples are in order.
14788 Here's a simple predicate. (It's the default predicate, in fact, used
14789 for all groups that don't belong to any other category.)
14795 Quite simple, eh? This predicate is true if and only if the article is
14796 short (for some value of ``short'').
14798 Here's a more complex predicate:
14807 This means that an article should be downloaded if it has a high score,
14808 or if the score is not low and the article is not long. You get the
14811 The available logical operators are @code{or}, @code{and} and
14812 @code{not}. (If you prefer, you can use the more ``C''-ish operators
14813 @samp{|}, @code{&} and @code{!} instead.)
14815 The following predicates are pre-defined, but if none of these fit what
14816 you want to do, you can write your own.
14820 True iff the article is shorter than @code{gnus-agent-short-article}
14821 lines; default 100.
14824 True iff the article is longer than @code{gnus-agent-long-article}
14825 lines; default 200.
14828 True iff the article has a download score less than
14829 @code{gnus-agent-low-score}; default 0.
14832 True iff the article has a download score greater than
14833 @code{gnus-agent-high-score}; default 0.
14836 True iff the Gnus Agent guesses that the article is spam. The
14837 heuristics may change over time, but at present it just computes a
14838 checksum and sees whether articles match.
14847 If you want to create your own predicate function, here's what you have
14848 to know: The functions are called with no parameters, but the
14849 @code{gnus-headers} and @code{gnus-score} dynamic variables are bound to
14852 For example, you could decide that you don't want to download articles
14853 that were posted more than a certain number of days ago (e.g. posted
14854 more than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} ago) you might write a function
14855 something along the lines of the following:
14858 (defun my-article-old-p ()
14859 "Say whether an article is old."
14860 (< (time-to-days (date-to-time (mail-header-date gnus-headers)))
14861 (- (time-to-days (current-time)) gnus-agent-expire-days)))
14864 with the predicate then defined as:
14867 (not my-article-old-p)
14870 or you could append your predicate to the predefined
14871 @code{gnus-category-predicate-alist} in your @file{~/.gnus.el} or
14872 wherever. (Note: this would have to be at a point *after*
14873 @code{gnus-agent} has been loaded via @code{(gnus-agentize)})
14876 (setq gnus-category-predicate-alist
14877 (append gnus-category-predicate-alist
14878 '((old . my-article-old-p))))
14881 and simply specify your predicate as:
14887 If/when using something like the above, be aware that there are many
14888 misconfigured systems/mailers out there and so an article's date is not
14889 always a reliable indication of when it was posted. Hell, some people
14890 just don't give a damn.
14892 The above predicates apply to *all* the groups which belong to the
14893 category. However, if you wish to have a specific predicate for an
14894 individual group within a category, or you're just too lazy to set up a
14895 new category, you can enter a group's individual predicate in it's group
14896 parameters like so:
14899 (agent-predicate . short)
14902 This is the group parameter equivalent of the agent category default.
14903 Note that when specifying a single word predicate like this, the
14904 @code{agent-predicate} specification must be in dotted pair notation.
14906 The equivalent of the longer example from above would be:
14909 (agent-predicate or high (and (not low) (not long)))
14912 The outer parenthesis required in the category specification are not
14913 entered here as, not being in dotted pair notation, the value of the
14914 predicate is assumed to be a list.
14917 Now, the syntax of the download score is the same as the syntax of
14918 normal score files, except that all elements that require actually
14919 seeing the article itself are verboten. This means that only the
14920 following headers can be scored on: @code{Subject}, @code{From},
14921 @code{Date}, @code{Message-ID}, @code{References}, @code{Chars},
14922 @code{Lines}, and @code{Xref}.
14924 As with predicates, the specification of the @code{download score rule}
14925 to use in respect of a group can be in either the category definition if
14926 it's to be applicable to all groups in therein, or a group's parameters
14927 if it's to be specific to that group.
14929 In both of these places the @code{download score rule} can take one of
14936 This has the same syntax as a normal gnus score file except only a
14937 subset of scoring keywords are available as mentioned above.
14943 Category specification
14947 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
14953 Group Parameter specification
14956 (agent-score ("from"
14957 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
14962 Again, note the omission of the outermost parenthesis here.
14968 These score files must *only* contain the permitted scoring keywords
14975 Category specification
14978 ("~/News/agent.SCORE")
14984 ("~/News/agent.SCORE" "~/News/agent.group.SCORE")
14988 Group Parameter specification
14991 (agent-score "~/News/agent.SCORE")
14994 Additional score files can be specified as above. Need I say anything
14999 Use @code{normal} score files
15001 If you don't want to maintain two sets of scoring rules for a group, and
15002 your desired @code{downloading} criteria for a group are the same as your
15003 @code{reading} criteria then you can tell the agent to refer to your
15004 @code{normal} score files when deciding what to download.
15006 These directives in either the category definition or a group's
15007 parameters will cause the agent to read in all the applicable score
15008 files for a group, *filtering out* those sections that do not
15009 relate to one of the permitted subset of scoring keywords.
15013 Category Specification
15020 Group Parameter specification
15023 (agent-score . file)
15028 @node Category Buffer
15029 @subsubsection Category Buffer
15031 You'd normally do all category maintenance from the category buffer.
15032 When you enter it for the first time (with the @kbd{J c} command from
15033 the group buffer), you'll only see the @code{default} category.
15035 The following commands are available in this buffer:
15039 @kindex q (Category)
15040 @findex gnus-category-exit
15041 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-category-exit}).
15044 @kindex k (Category)
15045 @findex gnus-category-kill
15046 Kill the current category (@code{gnus-category-kill}).
15049 @kindex c (Category)
15050 @findex gnus-category-copy
15051 Copy the current category (@code{gnus-category-copy}).
15054 @kindex a (Category)
15055 @findex gnus-category-add
15056 Add a new category (@code{gnus-category-add}).
15059 @kindex p (Category)
15060 @findex gnus-category-edit-predicate
15061 Edit the predicate of the current category
15062 (@code{gnus-category-edit-predicate}).
15065 @kindex g (Category)
15066 @findex gnus-category-edit-groups
15067 Edit the list of groups belonging to the current category
15068 (@code{gnus-category-edit-groups}).
15071 @kindex s (Category)
15072 @findex gnus-category-edit-score
15073 Edit the download score rule of the current category
15074 (@code{gnus-category-edit-score}).
15077 @kindex l (Category)
15078 @findex gnus-category-list
15079 List all the categories (@code{gnus-category-list}).
15083 @node Category Variables
15084 @subsubsection Category Variables
15087 @item gnus-category-mode-hook
15088 @vindex gnus-category-mode-hook
15089 Hook run in category buffers.
15091 @item gnus-category-line-format
15092 @vindex gnus-category-line-format
15093 Format of the lines in the category buffer (@pxref{Formatting
15094 Variables}). Valid elements are:
15098 The name of the category.
15101 The number of groups in the category.
15104 @item gnus-category-mode-line-format
15105 @vindex gnus-category-mode-line-format
15106 Format of the category mode line (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}).
15108 @item gnus-agent-short-article
15109 @vindex gnus-agent-short-article
15110 Articles that have fewer lines than this are short. Default 100.
15112 @item gnus-agent-long-article
15113 @vindex gnus-agent-long-article
15114 Articles that have more lines than this are long. Default 200.
15116 @item gnus-agent-low-score
15117 @vindex gnus-agent-low-score
15118 Articles that have a score lower than this have a low score. Default
15121 @item gnus-agent-high-score
15122 @vindex gnus-agent-high-score
15123 Articles that have a score higher than this have a high score. Default
15129 @node Agent Commands
15130 @subsection Agent Commands
15132 All the Gnus Agent commands are on the @kbd{J} submap. The @kbd{J j}
15133 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-plugged} command works in all modes, and
15134 toggles the plugged/unplugged state of the Gnus Agent.
15138 * Group Agent Commands::
15139 * Summary Agent Commands::
15140 * Server Agent Commands::
15143 You can run a complete batch fetch from the command line with the
15144 following incantation:
15146 @cindex gnus-agent-batch-fetch
15148 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-agent-batch-fetch
15153 @node Group Agent Commands
15154 @subsubsection Group Agent Commands
15158 @kindex J u (Agent Group)
15159 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-groups
15160 Fetch all eligible articles in the current group
15161 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-groups}).
15164 @kindex J c (Agent Group)
15165 @findex gnus-enter-category-buffer
15166 Enter the Agent category buffer (@code{gnus-enter-category-buffer}).
15169 @kindex J s (Agent Group)
15170 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-session
15171 Fetch all eligible articles in all groups
15172 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-session}).
15175 @kindex J S (Agent Group)
15176 @findex gnus-group-send-drafts
15177 Send all sendable messages in the draft group
15178 (@code{gnus-group-send-drafts}). @xref{Drafts}.
15181 @kindex J a (Agent Group)
15182 @findex gnus-agent-add-group
15183 Add the current group to an Agent category
15184 (@code{gnus-agent-add-group}). This command understands the
15185 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
15188 @kindex J r (Agent Group)
15189 @findex gnus-agent-remove-group
15190 Remove the current group from its category, if any
15191 (@code{gnus-agent-remove-group}). This command understands the
15192 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
15195 @kindex J Y (Agent Group)
15196 @findex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
15197 Synchronize flags changed while unplugged with remote server, if any.
15203 @node Summary Agent Commands
15204 @subsubsection Summary Agent Commands
15208 @kindex J # (Agent Summary)
15209 @findex gnus-agent-mark-article
15210 Mark the article for downloading (@code{gnus-agent-mark-article}).
15213 @kindex J M-# (Agent Summary)
15214 @findex gnus-agent-unmark-article
15215 Remove the downloading mark from the article
15216 (@code{gnus-agent-unmark-article}).
15219 @kindex @@ (Agent Summary)
15220 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-mark
15221 Toggle whether to download the article (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-mark}).
15224 @kindex J c (Agent Summary)
15225 @findex gnus-agent-catchup
15226 Mark all undownloaded articles as read (@code{gnus-agent-catchup}).
15231 @node Server Agent Commands
15232 @subsubsection Server Agent Commands
15236 @kindex J a (Agent Server)
15237 @findex gnus-agent-add-server
15238 Add the current server to the list of servers covered by the Gnus Agent
15239 (@code{gnus-agent-add-server}).
15242 @kindex J r (Agent Server)
15243 @findex gnus-agent-remove-server
15244 Remove the current server from the list of servers covered by the Gnus
15245 Agent (@code{gnus-agent-remove-server}).
15251 @subsection Agent Expiry
15253 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
15254 @findex gnus-agent-expire
15255 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire
15256 @cindex Agent expiry
15257 @cindex Gnus Agent expiry
15260 @code{nnagent} doesn't handle expiry. Instead, there's a special
15261 @code{gnus-agent-expire} command that will expire all read articles that
15262 are older than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} days. It can be run
15263 whenever you feel that you're running out of space. It's not
15264 particularly fast or efficient, and it's not a particularly good idea to
15265 interrupt it (with @kbd{C-g} or anything else) once you've started it.
15267 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-all
15268 if @code{gnus-agent-expire-all} is non-@code{nil}, this command will
15269 expire all articles---unread, read, ticked and dormant. If @code{nil}
15270 (which is the default), only read articles are eligible for expiry, and
15271 unread, ticked and dormant articles will be kept indefinitely.
15274 @node Agent and IMAP
15275 @subsection Agent and IMAP
15277 The Agent work with any Gnus backend, including nnimap. However,
15278 since there are some conceptual differences between @sc{nntp} and
15279 @sc{imap}, this section (should) provide you with some information to
15280 make Gnus Agent work smoother as a @sc{imap} Disconnected Mode client.
15282 The first thing to keep in mind is that all flags (read, ticked, etc)
15283 are kept on the @sc{imap} server, rather than in @code{.newsrc} as is the
15284 case for nntp. Thus Gnus need to remember flag changes when
15285 disconnected, and synchronize these flags when you plug back in.
15287 Gnus keep track of flag changes when reading nnimap groups under the
15288 Agent by default. When you plug back in, by default Gnus will check if
15289 you have any changed any flags and ask if you wish to synchronize these
15290 with the server. This behavior is customizable with
15291 @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags}.
15293 @vindex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
15294 If @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} is @code{nil}, the Agent will
15295 never automatically synchronize flags. If it is @code{ask}, the
15296 default, the Agent will check if you made any changes and if so ask if
15297 you wish to synchronize these when you re-connect. If it has any other
15298 value, all flags will be synchronized automatically.
15300 If you do not wish to automatically synchronize flags when you
15301 re-connect, this can be done manually with the
15302 @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} command that is bound to @kbd{J Y}
15303 in the group buffer by default.
15305 Some things are currently not implemented in the Agent that you'd might
15306 expect from a disconnected @sc{imap} client, including:
15311 Copying/moving articles into nnimap groups when unplugged.
15314 Creating/deleting nnimap groups when unplugged.
15318 Technical note: the synchronization algorithm does not work by "pushing"
15319 all local flags to the server, but rather incrementally update the
15320 server view of flags by changing only those flags that were changed by
15321 the user. Thus, if you set one flag on a article, quit the group and
15322 re-select the group and remove the flag; the flag will be set and
15323 removed from the server when you "synchronize". The queued flag
15324 operations can be found in the per-server @code{flags} file in the Agent
15325 directory. It's emptied when you synchronize flags.
15328 @node Outgoing Messages
15329 @subsection Outgoing Messages
15331 When Gnus is unplugged, all outgoing messages (both mail and news) are
15332 stored in the draft groups (@pxref{Drafts}). You can view them there
15333 after posting, and edit them at will.
15335 When Gnus is plugged again, you can send the messages either from the
15336 draft group with the special commands available there, or you can use
15337 the @kbd{J S} command in the group buffer to send all the sendable
15338 messages in the draft group.
15342 @node Agent Variables
15343 @subsection Agent Variables
15346 @item gnus-agent-directory
15347 @vindex gnus-agent-directory
15348 Where the Gnus Agent will store its files. The default is
15349 @file{~/News/agent/}.
15351 @item gnus-agent-handle-level
15352 @vindex gnus-agent-handle-level
15353 Groups on levels (@pxref{Group Levels}) higher than this variable will
15354 be ignored by the Agent. The default is @code{gnus-level-subscribed},
15355 which means that only subscribed group will be considered by the Agent
15358 @item gnus-agent-plugged-hook
15359 @vindex gnus-agent-plugged-hook
15360 Hook run when connecting to the network.
15362 @item gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
15363 @vindex gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
15364 Hook run when disconnecting from the network.
15369 @node Example Setup
15370 @subsection Example Setup
15372 If you don't want to read this manual, and you have a fairly standard
15373 setup, you may be able to use something like the following as your
15374 @file{.gnus.el} file to get started.
15377 ;;; Define how Gnus is to fetch news. We do this over @sc{nntp}
15378 ;;; from your ISP's server.
15379 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.your-isp.com"))
15381 ;;; Define how Gnus is to read your mail. We read mail from
15382 ;;; your ISP's POP server.
15383 (setq mail-sources '((pop :server "pop.your-isp.com")))
15385 ;;; Say how Gnus is to store the mail. We use nnml groups.
15386 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
15388 ;;; Make Gnus into an offline newsreader.
15392 That should be it, basically. Put that in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file,
15393 edit to suit your needs, start up PPP (or whatever), and type @kbd{M-x
15396 If this is the first time you've run Gnus, you will be subscribed
15397 automatically to a few default newsgroups. You'll probably want to
15398 subscribe to more groups, and to do that, you have to query the
15399 @sc{nntp} server for a complete list of groups with the @kbd{A A}
15400 command. This usually takes quite a while, but you only have to do it
15403 After reading and parsing a while, you'll be presented with a list of
15404 groups. Subscribe to the ones you want to read with the @kbd{u}
15405 command. @kbd{l} to make all the killed groups disappear after you've
15406 subscribe to all the groups you want to read. (@kbd{A k} will bring
15407 back all the killed groups.)
15409 You can now read the groups at once, or you can download the articles
15410 with the @kbd{J s} command. And then read the rest of this manual to
15411 find out which of the other gazillion things you want to customize.
15414 @node Batching Agents
15415 @subsection Batching Agents
15417 Having the Gnus Agent fetch articles (and post whatever messages you've
15418 written) is quite easy once you've gotten things set up properly. The
15419 following shell script will do everything that is necessary:
15423 emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -f gnus-agent-batch >/dev/null
15427 @node Agent Caveats
15428 @subsection Agent Caveats
15430 The Gnus Agent doesn't seem to work like most other offline
15431 newsreaders. Here are some common questions that some imaginary people
15435 @item If I read an article while plugged, do they get entered into the
15440 @item If I read an article while plugged, and the article already exists
15441 in the Agent, will it get downloaded once more?
15447 In short, when Gnus is unplugged, it only looks into the locally stored
15448 articles; when it's plugged, it only talks to your ISP.
15455 Other people use @dfn{kill files}, but we here at Gnus Towers like
15456 scoring better than killing, so we'd rather switch than fight. They do
15457 something completely different as well, so sit up straight and pay
15460 @vindex gnus-summary-mark-below
15461 All articles have a default score (@code{gnus-summary-default-score}),
15462 which is 0 by default. This score may be raised or lowered either
15463 interactively or by score files. Articles that have a score lower than
15464 @code{gnus-summary-mark-below} are marked as read.
15466 Gnus will read any @dfn{score files} that apply to the current group
15467 before generating the summary buffer.
15469 There are several commands in the summary buffer that insert score
15470 entries based on the current article. You can, for instance, ask Gnus to
15471 lower or increase the score of all articles with a certain subject.
15473 There are two sorts of scoring entries: Permanent and temporary.
15474 Temporary score entries are self-expiring entries. Any entries that are
15475 temporary and have not been used for, say, a week, will be removed
15476 silently to help keep the sizes of the score files down.
15479 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
15480 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
15481 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
15482 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
15483 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
15484 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
15485 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
15486 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
15487 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
15488 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
15489 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
15490 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
15491 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
15492 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
15493 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
15494 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
15498 @node Summary Score Commands
15499 @section Summary Score Commands
15500 @cindex score commands
15502 The score commands that alter score entries do not actually modify real
15503 score files. That would be too inefficient. Gnus maintains a cache of
15504 previously loaded score files, one of which is considered the
15505 @dfn{current score file alist}. The score commands simply insert
15506 entries into this list, and upon group exit, this list is saved.
15508 The current score file is by default the group's local score file, even
15509 if no such score file actually exists. To insert score commands into
15510 some other score file (e.g. @file{all.SCORE}), you must first make this
15511 score file the current one.
15513 General score commands that don't actually change the score file:
15518 @kindex V s (Summary)
15519 @findex gnus-summary-set-score
15520 Set the score of the current article (@code{gnus-summary-set-score}).
15523 @kindex V S (Summary)
15524 @findex gnus-summary-current-score
15525 Display the score of the current article
15526 (@code{gnus-summary-current-score}).
15529 @kindex V t (Summary)
15530 @findex gnus-score-find-trace
15531 Display all score rules that have been used on the current article
15532 (@code{gnus-score-find-trace}).
15535 @kindex V R (Summary)
15536 @findex gnus-summary-rescore
15537 Run the current summary through the scoring process
15538 (@code{gnus-summary-rescore}). This might be useful if you're playing
15539 around with your score files behind Gnus' back and want to see the
15540 effect you're having.
15543 @kindex V c (Summary)
15544 @findex gnus-score-change-score-file
15545 Make a different score file the current
15546 (@code{gnus-score-change-score-file}).
15549 @kindex V e (Summary)
15550 @findex gnus-score-edit-current-scores
15551 Edit the current score file (@code{gnus-score-edit-current-scores}).
15552 You will be popped into a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score
15556 @kindex V f (Summary)
15557 @findex gnus-score-edit-file
15558 Edit a score file and make this score file the current one
15559 (@code{gnus-score-edit-file}).
15562 @kindex V F (Summary)
15563 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
15564 Flush the score cache (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}). This is useful
15565 after editing score files.
15568 @kindex V C (Summary)
15569 @findex gnus-score-customize
15570 Customize a score file in a visually pleasing manner
15571 (@code{gnus-score-customize}).
15575 The rest of these commands modify the local score file.
15580 @kindex V m (Summary)
15581 @findex gnus-score-set-mark-below
15582 Prompt for a score, and mark all articles with a score below this as
15583 read (@code{gnus-score-set-mark-below}).
15586 @kindex V x (Summary)
15587 @findex gnus-score-set-expunge-below
15588 Prompt for a score, and add a score rule to the current score file to
15589 expunge all articles below this score
15590 (@code{gnus-score-set-expunge-below}).
15593 The keystrokes for actually making score entries follow a very regular
15594 pattern, so there's no need to list all the commands. (Hundreds of
15597 @findex gnus-summary-increase-score
15598 @findex gnus-summary-lower-score
15602 The first key is either @kbd{I} (upper case i) for increasing the score
15603 or @kbd{L} for lowering the score.
15605 The second key says what header you want to score on. The following
15606 keys are available:
15610 Score on the author name.
15613 Score on the subject line.
15616 Score on the @code{Xref} line---i.e., the cross-posting line.
15619 Score on the @code{References} line.
15625 Score on the number of lines.
15628 Score on the @code{Message-ID} header.
15631 Score on followups---this matches the author name, and adds scores to
15632 the followups to this author.
15646 The third key is the match type. Which match types are valid depends on
15647 what headers you are scoring on.
15659 Substring matching.
15662 Fuzzy matching (@pxref{Fuzzy Matching}).
15691 Greater than number.
15696 The fourth and final key says whether this is a temporary (i.e., expiring)
15697 score entry, or a permanent (i.e., non-expiring) score entry, or whether
15698 it is to be done immediately, without adding to the score file.
15702 Temporary score entry.
15705 Permanent score entry.
15708 Immediately scoring.
15713 So, let's say you want to increase the score on the current author with
15714 exact matching permanently: @kbd{I a e p}. If you want to lower the
15715 score based on the subject line, using substring matching, and make a
15716 temporary score entry: @kbd{L s s t}. Pretty easy.
15718 To make things a bit more complicated, there are shortcuts. If you use
15719 a capital letter on either the second or third keys, Gnus will use
15720 defaults for the remaining one or two keystrokes. The defaults are
15721 ``substring'' and ``temporary''. So @kbd{I A} is the same as @kbd{I a s
15722 t}, and @kbd{I a R} is the same as @kbd{I a r t}.
15724 These functions take both the numerical prefix and the symbolic prefix
15725 (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}). A numerical prefix says how much to lower
15726 (or increase) the score of the article. A symbolic prefix of @code{a}
15727 says to use the @file{all.SCORE} file for the command instead of the
15728 current score file.
15730 @vindex gnus-score-mimic-keymap
15731 The @code{gnus-score-mimic-keymap} says whether these commands will
15732 pretend they are keymaps or not.
15735 @node Group Score Commands
15736 @section Group Score Commands
15737 @cindex group score commands
15739 There aren't many of these as yet, I'm afraid.
15744 @kindex W f (Group)
15745 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
15746 Gnus maintains a cache of score alists to avoid having to reload them
15747 all the time. This command will flush the cache
15748 (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}).
15752 You can do scoring from the command line by saying something like:
15754 @findex gnus-batch-score
15755 @cindex batch scoring
15757 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-batch-score
15761 @node Score Variables
15762 @section Score Variables
15763 @cindex score variables
15767 @item gnus-use-scoring
15768 @vindex gnus-use-scoring
15769 If @code{nil}, Gnus will not check for score files, and will not, in
15770 general, do any score-related work. This is @code{t} by default.
15772 @item gnus-kill-killed
15773 @vindex gnus-kill-killed
15774 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will never apply score files to
15775 articles that have already been through the kill process. While this
15776 may save you lots of time, it also means that if you apply a kill file
15777 to a group, and then change the kill file and want to run it over you
15778 group again to kill more articles, it won't work. You have to set this
15779 variable to @code{t} to do that. (It is @code{t} by default.)
15781 @item gnus-kill-files-directory
15782 @vindex gnus-kill-files-directory
15783 All kill and score files will be stored in this directory, which is
15784 initialized from the @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable by default.
15785 This is @file{~/News/} by default.
15787 @item gnus-score-file-suffix
15788 @vindex gnus-score-file-suffix
15789 Suffix to add to the group name to arrive at the score file name
15790 (@samp{SCORE} by default.)
15792 @item gnus-score-uncacheable-files
15793 @vindex gnus-score-uncacheable-files
15794 @cindex score cache
15795 All score files are normally cached to avoid excessive re-loading of
15796 score files. However, if this might make your Emacs grow big and
15797 bloated, so this regexp can be used to weed out score files unlikely to be needed again. It would be a bad idea to deny caching of
15798 @file{all.SCORE}, while it might be a good idea to not cache
15799 @file{comp.infosystems.www.authoring.misc.ADAPT}. In fact, this
15800 variable is @samp{ADAPT$} by default, so no adaptive score files will
15803 @item gnus-save-score
15804 @vindex gnus-save-score
15805 If you have really complicated score files, and do lots of batch
15806 scoring, then you might set this variable to @code{t}. This will make
15807 Gnus save the scores into the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
15809 If you do not set this to @code{t}, then manual scores (like those set
15810 with @kbd{V s} (@code{gnus-summary-set-score})) will not be preserved
15811 across group visits.
15813 @item gnus-score-interactive-default-score
15814 @vindex gnus-score-interactive-default-score
15815 Score used by all the interactive raise/lower commands to raise/lower
15816 score with. Default is 1000, which may seem excessive, but this is to
15817 ensure that the adaptive scoring scheme gets enough room to play with.
15818 We don't want the small changes from the adaptive scoring to overwrite
15819 manually entered data.
15821 @item gnus-summary-default-score
15822 @vindex gnus-summary-default-score
15823 Default score of an article, which is 0 by default.
15825 @item gnus-summary-expunge-below
15826 @vindex gnus-summary-expunge-below
15827 Don't display the summary lines of articles that have scores lower than
15828 this variable. This is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
15829 articles will be hidden. This variable is local to the summary buffers,
15830 and has to be set from @code{gnus-summary-mode-hook}.
15832 @item gnus-score-over-mark
15833 @vindex gnus-score-over-mark
15834 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score over the
15835 default. Default is @samp{+}.
15837 @item gnus-score-below-mark
15838 @vindex gnus-score-below-mark
15839 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score below the
15840 default. Default is @samp{-}.
15842 @item gnus-score-find-score-files-function
15843 @vindex gnus-score-find-score-files-function
15844 Function used to find score files for the current group. This function
15845 is called with the name of the group as the argument.
15847 Predefined functions available are:
15850 @item gnus-score-find-single
15851 @findex gnus-score-find-single
15852 Only apply the group's own score file.
15854 @item gnus-score-find-bnews
15855 @findex gnus-score-find-bnews
15856 Apply all score files that match, using bnews syntax. This is the
15857 default. If the current group is @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}, for instance,
15858 @file{all.emacs.all.SCORE}, @file{not.alt.all.SCORE} and
15859 @file{gnu.all.SCORE} would all apply. In short, the instances of
15860 @samp{all} in the score file names are translated into @samp{.*}, and
15861 then a regexp match is done.
15863 This means that if you have some score entries that you want to apply to
15864 all groups, then you put those entries in the @file{all.SCORE} file.
15866 The score files are applied in a semi-random order, although Gnus will
15867 try to apply the more general score files before the more specific score
15868 files. It does this by looking at the number of elements in the score
15869 file names---discarding the @samp{all} elements.
15871 @item gnus-score-find-hierarchical
15872 @findex gnus-score-find-hierarchical
15873 Apply all score files from all the parent groups. This means that you
15874 can't have score files like @file{all.SCORE}, but you can have
15875 @file{SCORE}, @file{comp.SCORE} and @file{comp.emacs.SCORE} for each
15879 This variable can also be a list of functions. In that case, all these
15880 functions will be called with the group name as argument, and all the
15881 returned lists of score files will be applied. These functions can also
15882 return lists of score alists directly. In that case, the functions that
15883 return these non-file score alists should probably be placed before the
15884 ``real'' score file functions, to ensure that the last score file
15885 returned is the local score file. Phu.
15887 For example, to do hierarchical scoring but use a non-server-specific
15888 overall score file, you could use the value
15890 (list (lambda (group) ("all.SCORE"))
15891 'gnus-score-find-hierarchical)
15894 @item gnus-score-expiry-days
15895 @vindex gnus-score-expiry-days
15896 This variable says how many days should pass before an unused score file
15897 entry is expired. If this variable is @code{nil}, no score file entries
15898 are expired. It's 7 by default.
15900 @item gnus-update-score-entry-dates
15901 @vindex gnus-update-score-entry-dates
15902 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, matching score entries will have
15903 their dates updated. (This is how Gnus controls expiry---all
15904 non-matching entries will become too old while matching entries will
15905 stay fresh and young.) However, if you set this variable to @code{nil},
15906 even matching entries will grow old and will have to face that oh-so
15909 @item gnus-score-after-write-file-function
15910 @vindex gnus-score-after-write-file-function
15911 Function called with the name of the score file just written.
15913 @item gnus-score-thread-simplify
15914 @vindex gnus-score-thread-simplify
15915 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, article subjects will be simplified
15916 for subject scoring purposes in the same manner as with
15917 threading---according to the current value of
15918 gnus-simplify-subject-functions. If the scoring entry uses
15919 @code{substring} or @code{exact} matching, the match will also be
15920 simplified in this manner.
15925 @node Score File Format
15926 @section Score File Format
15927 @cindex score file format
15929 A score file is an @code{emacs-lisp} file that normally contains just a
15930 single form. Casual users are not expected to edit these files;
15931 everything can be changed from the summary buffer.
15933 Anyway, if you'd like to dig into it yourself, here's an example:
15937 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" -10000)
15939 ("larsi\\|lmi" -50000 nil R))
15941 ("Ding is Badd" nil 728373))
15943 ("alt.politics" -1000 728372 s))
15948 (mark-and-expunge -10)
15952 (files "/hom/larsi/News/gnu.SCORE")
15953 (exclude-files "all.SCORE")
15954 (local (gnus-newsgroup-auto-expire t)
15955 (gnus-summary-make-false-root empty))
15959 This example demonstrates most score file elements. For a different
15960 approach, see @pxref{Advanced Scoring}.
15962 Even though this looks much like lisp code, nothing here is actually
15963 @code{eval}ed. The lisp reader is used to read this form, though, so it
15964 has to be valid syntactically, if not semantically.
15966 Six keys are supported by this alist:
15971 If the key is a string, it is the name of the header to perform the
15972 match on. Scoring can only be performed on these eight headers:
15973 @code{From}, @code{Subject}, @code{References}, @code{Message-ID},
15974 @code{Xref}, @code{Lines}, @code{Chars} and @code{Date}. In addition to
15975 these headers, there are three strings to tell Gnus to fetch the entire
15976 article and do the match on larger parts of the article: @code{Body}
15977 will perform the match on the body of the article, @code{Head} will
15978 perform the match on the head of the article, and @code{All} will
15979 perform the match on the entire article. Note that using any of these
15980 last three keys will slow down group entry @emph{considerably}. The
15981 final ``header'' you can score on is @code{Followup}. These score
15982 entries will result in new score entries being added for all follow-ups
15983 to articles that matches these score entries.
15985 Following this key is a arbitrary number of score entries, where each
15986 score entry has one to four elements.
15990 The first element is the @dfn{match element}. On most headers this will
15991 be a string, but on the Lines and Chars headers, this must be an
15995 If the second element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{score
15996 element}. This number should be an integer in the neginf to posinf
15997 interval. This number is added to the score of the article if the match
15998 is successful. If this element is not present, the
15999 @code{gnus-score-interactive-default-score} number will be used
16000 instead. This is 1000 by default.
16003 If the third element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{date
16004 element}. This date says when the last time this score entry matched,
16005 which provides a mechanism for expiring the score entries. It this
16006 element is not present, the score entry is permanent. The date is
16007 represented by the number of days since December 31, 1 BCE.
16010 If the fourth element is present, it should be a symbol---the @dfn{type
16011 element}. This element specifies what function should be used to see
16012 whether this score entry matches the article. What match types that can
16013 be used depends on what header you wish to perform the match on.
16016 @item From, Subject, References, Xref, Message-ID
16017 For most header types, there are the @code{r} and @code{R} (regexp), as
16018 well as @code{s} and @code{S} (substring) types, and @code{e} and
16019 @code{E} (exact match), and @code{w} (word match) types. If this
16020 element is not present, Gnus will assume that substring matching should
16021 be used. @code{R}, @code{S}, and @code{E} differ from the others in
16022 that the matches will be done in a case-sensitive manner. All these
16023 one-letter types are really just abbreviations for the @code{regexp},
16024 @code{string}, @code{exact}, and @code{word} types, which you can use
16025 instead, if you feel like.
16028 These two headers use different match types: @code{<}, @code{>},
16029 @code{=}, @code{>=} and @code{<=}.
16031 These predicates are true if
16034 (PREDICATE HEADER MATCH)
16037 evaluates to non-@code{nil}. For instance, the advanced match
16038 @code{("lines" 4 <)} (@pxref{Advanced Scoring}) will result in the
16045 Or to put it another way: When using @code{<} on @code{Lines} with 4 as
16046 the match, we get the score added if the article has less than 4 lines.
16047 (It's easy to get confused and think it's the other way around. But
16048 it's not. I think.)
16050 When matching on @code{Lines}, be careful because some backends (like
16051 @code{nndir}) do not generate @code{Lines} header, so every article ends
16052 up being marked as having 0 lines. This can lead to strange results if
16053 you happen to lower score of the articles with few lines.
16056 For the Date header we have three kinda silly match types:
16057 @code{before}, @code{at} and @code{after}. I can't really imagine this
16058 ever being useful, but, like, it would feel kinda silly not to provide
16059 this function. Just in case. You never know. Better safe than sorry.
16060 Once burnt, twice shy. Don't judge a book by its cover. Never not have
16061 sex on a first date. (I have been told that at least one person, and I
16062 quote, ``found this function indispensable'', however.)
16066 A more useful match type is @code{regexp}. With it, you can match the
16067 date string using a regular expression. The date is normalized to
16068 ISO8601 compact format first---@var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS}. If
16069 you want to match all articles that have been posted on April 1st in
16070 every year, you could use @samp{....0401.........} as a match string,
16071 for instance. (Note that the date is kept in its original time zone, so
16072 this will match articles that were posted when it was April 1st where
16073 the article was posted from. Time zones are such wholesome fun for the
16076 @item Head, Body, All
16077 These three match keys use the same match types as the @code{From} (etc)
16081 This match key is somewhat special, in that it will match the
16082 @code{From} header, and affect the score of not only the matching
16083 articles, but also all followups to the matching articles. This allows
16084 you e.g. increase the score of followups to your own articles, or
16085 decrease the score of followups to the articles of some known
16086 trouble-maker. Uses the same match types as the @code{From} header
16087 uses. (Using this match key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT}
16091 This match key works along the same lines as the @code{Followup} match
16092 key. If you say that you want to score on a (sub-)thread started by an
16093 article with a @code{Message-ID} @var{x}, then you add a @samp{thread}
16094 match. This will add a new @samp{thread} match for each article that
16095 has @var{x} in its @code{References} header. (These new @samp{thread}
16096 matches will use the @code{Message-ID}s of these matching articles.)
16097 This will ensure that you can raise/lower the score of an entire thread,
16098 even though some articles in the thread may not have complete
16099 @code{References} headers. Note that using this may lead to
16100 undeterministic scores of the articles in the thread. (Using this match
16101 key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT} files.)
16105 @cindex Score File Atoms
16107 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
16108 lower than this number will be marked as read.
16111 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
16112 lower than this number will be removed from the summary buffer.
16114 @item mark-and-expunge
16115 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
16116 lower than this number will be marked as read and removed from the
16119 @item thread-mark-and-expunge
16120 The value of this entry should be a number. All articles that belong to
16121 a thread that has a total score below this number will be marked as read
16122 and removed from the summary buffer. @code{gnus-thread-score-function}
16123 says how to compute the total score for a thread.
16126 The value of this entry should be any number of file names. These files
16127 are assumed to be score files as well, and will be loaded the same way
16130 @item exclude-files
16131 The clue of this entry should be any number of files. These files will
16132 not be loaded, even though they would normally be so, for some reason or
16136 The value of this entry will be @code{eval}el. This element will be
16137 ignored when handling global score files.
16140 Read-only score files will not be updated or saved. Global score files
16141 should feature this atom (@pxref{Global Score Files}). (Note:
16142 @dfn{Global} here really means @dfn{global}; not your personal
16143 apply-to-all-groups score files.)
16146 The value of this entry should be a number. Articles that do not have
16147 parents will get this number added to their scores. Imagine you follow
16148 some high-volume newsgroup, like @samp{comp.lang.c}. Most likely you
16149 will only follow a few of the threads, also want to see any new threads.
16151 You can do this with the following two score file entries:
16155 (mark-and-expunge -100)
16158 When you enter the group the first time, you will only see the new
16159 threads. You then raise the score of the threads that you find
16160 interesting (with @kbd{I T} or @kbd{I S}), and ignore (@kbd{C y}) the
16161 rest. Next time you enter the group, you will see new articles in the
16162 interesting threads, plus any new threads.
16164 I.e.---the orphan score atom is for high-volume groups where a few
16165 interesting threads which can't be found automatically by ordinary
16166 scoring rules exist.
16169 This entry controls the adaptive scoring. If it is @code{t}, the
16170 default adaptive scoring rules will be used. If it is @code{ignore}, no
16171 adaptive scoring will be performed on this group. If it is a list, this
16172 list will be used as the adaptive scoring rules. If it isn't present,
16173 or is something other than @code{t} or @code{ignore}, the default
16174 adaptive scoring rules will be used. If you want to use adaptive
16175 scoring on most groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
16176 @code{t}, and insert an @code{(adapt ignore)} in the groups where you do
16177 not want adaptive scoring. If you only want adaptive scoring in a few
16178 groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to @code{nil}, and
16179 insert @code{(adapt t)} in the score files of the groups where you want
16183 All adaptive score entries will go to the file named by this entry. It
16184 will also be applied when entering the group. This atom might be handy
16185 if you want to adapt on several groups at once, using the same adaptive
16186 file for a number of groups.
16189 @cindex local variables
16190 The value of this entry should be a list of @code{(VAR VALUE)} pairs.
16191 Each @var{var} will be made buffer-local to the current summary buffer,
16192 and set to the value specified. This is a convenient, if somewhat
16193 strange, way of setting variables in some groups if you don't like hooks
16194 much. Note that the @var{value} won't be evaluated.
16198 @node Score File Editing
16199 @section Score File Editing
16201 You normally enter all scoring commands from the summary buffer, but you
16202 might feel the urge to edit them by hand as well, so we've supplied you
16203 with a mode for that.
16205 It's simply a slightly customized @code{emacs-lisp} mode, with these
16206 additional commands:
16211 @kindex C-c C-c (Score)
16212 @findex gnus-score-edit-done
16213 Save the changes you have made and return to the summary buffer
16214 (@code{gnus-score-edit-done}).
16217 @kindex C-c C-d (Score)
16218 @findex gnus-score-edit-insert-date
16219 Insert the current date in numerical format
16220 (@code{gnus-score-edit-insert-date}). This is really the day number, if
16221 you were wondering.
16224 @kindex C-c C-p (Score)
16225 @findex gnus-score-pretty-print
16226 The adaptive score files are saved in an unformatted fashion. If you
16227 intend to read one of these files, you want to @dfn{pretty print} it
16228 first. This command (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) does that for
16233 Type @kbd{M-x gnus-score-mode} to use this mode.
16235 @vindex gnus-score-mode-hook
16236 @code{gnus-score-menu-hook} is run in score mode buffers.
16238 In the summary buffer you can use commands like @kbd{V f} and @kbd{V
16239 e} to begin editing score files.
16242 @node Adaptive Scoring
16243 @section Adaptive Scoring
16244 @cindex adaptive scoring
16246 If all this scoring is getting you down, Gnus has a way of making it all
16247 happen automatically---as if by magic. Or rather, as if by artificial
16248 stupidity, to be precise.
16250 @vindex gnus-use-adaptive-scoring
16251 When you read an article, or mark an article as read, or kill an
16252 article, you leave marks behind. On exit from the group, Gnus can sniff
16253 these marks and add score elements depending on what marks it finds.
16254 You turn on this ability by setting @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
16255 @code{t} or @code{(line)}. If you want score adaptively on separate
16256 words appearing in the subjects, you should set this variable to
16257 @code{(word)}. If you want to use both adaptive methods, set this
16258 variable to @code{(word line)}.
16260 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
16261 To give you complete control over the scoring process, you can customize
16262 the @code{gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist} variable. For instance, it
16263 might look something like this:
16266 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
16267 '((gnus-unread-mark)
16268 (gnus-ticked-mark (from 4))
16269 (gnus-dormant-mark (from 5))
16270 (gnus-del-mark (from -4) (subject -1))
16271 (gnus-read-mark (from 4) (subject 2))
16272 (gnus-expirable-mark (from -1) (subject -1))
16273 (gnus-killed-mark (from -1) (subject -3))
16274 (gnus-kill-file-mark)
16275 (gnus-ancient-mark)
16276 (gnus-low-score-mark)
16277 (gnus-catchup-mark (from -1) (subject -1))))
16280 As you see, each element in this alist has a mark as a key (either a
16281 variable name or a ``real'' mark---a character). Following this key is
16282 a arbitrary number of header/score pairs. If there are no header/score
16283 pairs following the key, no adaptive scoring will be done on articles
16284 that have that key as the article mark. For instance, articles with
16285 @code{gnus-unread-mark} in the example above will not get adaptive score
16288 Each article can have only one mark, so just a single of these rules
16289 will be applied to each article.
16291 To take @code{gnus-del-mark} as an example---this alist says that all
16292 articles that have that mark (i.e., are marked with @samp{D}) will have a
16293 score entry added to lower based on the @code{From} header by -4, and
16294 lowered by @code{Subject} by -1. Change this to fit your prejudices.
16296 If you have marked 10 articles with the same subject with
16297 @code{gnus-del-mark}, the rule for that mark will be applied ten times.
16298 That means that that subject will get a score of ten times -1, which
16299 should be, unless I'm much mistaken, -10.
16301 If you have auto-expirable (mail) groups (@pxref{Expiring Mail}), all
16302 the read articles will be marked with the @samp{E} mark. This'll
16303 probably make adaptive scoring slightly impossible, so auto-expiring and
16304 adaptive scoring doesn't really mix very well.
16306 The headers you can score on are @code{from}, @code{subject},
16307 @code{message-id}, @code{references}, @code{xref}, @code{lines},
16308 @code{chars} and @code{date}. In addition, you can score on
16309 @code{followup}, which will create an adaptive score entry that matches
16310 on the @code{References} header using the @code{Message-ID} of the
16311 current article, thereby matching the following thread.
16313 You can also score on @code{thread}, which will try to score all
16314 articles that appear in a thread. @code{thread} matches uses a
16315 @code{Message-ID} to match on the @code{References} header of the
16316 article. If the match is made, the @code{Message-ID} of the article is
16317 added to the @code{thread} rule. (Think about it. I'd recommend two
16318 aspirins afterwards.)
16320 If you use this scheme, you should set the score file atom @code{mark}
16321 to something small---like -300, perhaps, to avoid having small random
16322 changes result in articles getting marked as read.
16324 After using adaptive scoring for a week or so, Gnus should start to
16325 become properly trained and enhance the authors you like best, and kill
16326 the authors you like least, without you having to say so explicitly.
16328 You can control what groups the adaptive scoring is to be performed on
16329 by using the score files (@pxref{Score File Format}). This will also
16330 let you use different rules in different groups.
16332 @vindex gnus-adaptive-file-suffix
16333 The adaptive score entries will be put into a file where the name is the
16334 group name with @code{gnus-adaptive-file-suffix} appended. The default
16337 @vindex gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit
16338 When doing adaptive scoring, substring or fuzzy matching would probably
16339 give you the best results in most cases. However, if the header one
16340 matches is short, the possibility for false positives is great, so if
16341 the length of the match is less than
16342 @code{gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit}, exact matching will be used. If
16343 this variable is @code{nil}, exact matching will always be used to avoid
16346 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
16347 As mentioned above, you can adapt either on individual words or entire
16348 headers. If you adapt on words, the
16349 @code{gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist} variable says what score
16350 each instance of a word should add given a mark.
16353 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
16354 `((,gnus-read-mark . 30)
16355 (,gnus-catchup-mark . -10)
16356 (,gnus-killed-mark . -20)
16357 (,gnus-del-mark . -15)))
16360 This is the default value. If you have adaption on words enabled, every
16361 word that appears in subjects of articles marked with
16362 @code{gnus-read-mark} will result in a score rule that increase the
16363 score with 30 points.
16365 @vindex gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words
16366 @vindex gnus-ignored-adaptive-words
16367 Words that appear in the @code{gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words} list
16368 will be ignored. If you wish to add more words to be ignored, use the
16369 @code{gnus-ignored-adaptive-words} list instead.
16371 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit
16372 Some may feel that short words shouldn't count when doing adaptive
16373 scoring. If so, you may set @code{gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit} to
16374 an integer. Words shorter than this number will be ignored. This
16375 variable defaults til @code{nil}.
16377 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table
16378 When the scoring is done, @code{gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table} is the
16379 syntax table in effect. It is similar to the standard syntax table, but
16380 it considers numbers to be non-word-constituent characters.
16382 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-minimum
16383 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} is set to a number, the adaptive
16384 word scoring process will never bring down the score of an article to
16385 below this number. The default is @code{nil}.
16387 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words
16388 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words} is set to @code{t}, gnus
16389 won't adaptively word score any of the words in the group name. Useful
16390 for groups like @samp{comp.editors.emacs}, where most of the subject
16391 lines contain the word @samp{emacs}.
16393 After using this scheme for a while, it might be nice to write a
16394 @code{gnus-psychoanalyze-user} command to go through the rules and see
16395 what words you like and what words you don't like. Or perhaps not.
16397 Note that the adaptive word scoring thing is highly experimental and is
16398 likely to change in the future. Initial impressions seem to indicate
16399 that it's totally useless as it stands. Some more work (involving more
16400 rigorous statistical methods) will have to be done to make this useful.
16403 @node Home Score File
16404 @section Home Score File
16406 The score file where new score file entries will go is called the
16407 @dfn{home score file}. This is normally (and by default) the score file
16408 for the group itself. For instance, the home score file for
16409 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} is @file{gnu.emacs.gnus.SCORE}.
16411 However, this may not be what you want. It is often convenient to share
16412 a common home score file among many groups---all @samp{emacs} groups
16413 could perhaps use the same home score file.
16415 @vindex gnus-home-score-file
16416 The variable that controls this is @code{gnus-home-score-file}. It can
16421 A string. Then this file will be used as the home score file for all
16425 A function. The result of this function will be used as the home score
16426 file. The function will be called with the name of the group as the
16430 A list. The elements in this list can be:
16434 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{file-name})}. If the @var{regexp} matches the
16435 group name, the @var{file-name} will be used as the home score file.
16438 A function. If the function returns non-nil, the result will be used as
16439 the home score file.
16442 A string. Use the string as the home score file.
16445 The list will be traversed from the beginning towards the end looking
16450 So, if you want to use just a single score file, you could say:
16453 (setq gnus-home-score-file
16454 "my-total-score-file.SCORE")
16457 If you want to use @file{gnu.SCORE} for all @samp{gnu} groups and
16458 @file{rec.SCORE} for all @samp{rec} groups (and so on), you can say:
16460 @findex gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file
16462 (setq gnus-home-score-file
16463 'gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file)
16466 This is a ready-made function provided for your convenience.
16467 Other functions include
16470 @item gnus-current-home-score-file
16471 @findex gnus-current-home-score-file
16472 Return the ``current'' regular score file. This will make scoring
16473 commands add entry to the ``innermost'' matching score file.
16477 If you want to have one score file for the @samp{emacs} groups and
16478 another for the @samp{comp} groups, while letting all other groups use
16479 their own home score files:
16482 (setq gnus-home-score-file
16483 ;; All groups that match the regexp "\\.emacs"
16484 '(("\\.emacs" "emacs.SCORE")
16485 ;; All the comp groups in one score file
16486 ("^comp" "comp.SCORE")))
16489 @vindex gnus-home-adapt-file
16490 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file} works exactly the same way as
16491 @code{gnus-home-score-file}, but says what the home adaptive score file
16492 is instead. All new adaptive file entries will go into the file
16493 specified by this variable, and the same syntax is allowed.
16495 In addition to using @code{gnus-home-score-file} and
16496 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file}, you can also use group parameters
16497 (@pxref{Group Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
16498 Parameters}) to achieve much the same. Group and topic parameters take
16499 precedence over this variable.
16502 @node Followups To Yourself
16503 @section Followups To Yourself
16505 Gnus offers two commands for picking out the @code{Message-ID} header in
16506 the current buffer. Gnus will then add a score rule that scores using
16507 this @code{Message-ID} on the @code{References} header of other
16508 articles. This will, in effect, increase the score of all articles that
16509 respond to the article in the current buffer. Quite useful if you want
16510 to easily note when people answer what you've said.
16514 @item gnus-score-followup-article
16515 @findex gnus-score-followup-article
16516 This will add a score to articles that directly follow up your own
16519 @item gnus-score-followup-thread
16520 @findex gnus-score-followup-thread
16521 This will add a score to all articles that appear in a thread ``below''
16525 @vindex message-sent-hook
16526 These two functions are both primarily meant to be used in hooks like
16527 @code{message-sent-hook}, like this:
16529 (add-hook 'message-sent-hook 'gnus-score-followup-thread)
16533 If you look closely at your own @code{Message-ID}, you'll notice that
16534 the first two or three characters are always the same. Here's two of
16538 <x6u3u47icf.fsf@@eyesore.no>
16539 <x6sp9o7ibw.fsf@@eyesore.no>
16542 So ``my'' ident on this machine is @samp{x6}. This can be
16543 exploited---the following rule will raise the score on all followups to
16548 ("<x6[0-9a-z]+\\.fsf\\(_-_\\)?@@.*eyesore\\.no>"
16552 Whether it's the first two or first three characters that are ``yours''
16553 is system-dependent.
16557 @section Scoring Tips
16558 @cindex scoring tips
16564 @cindex scoring crossposts
16565 If you want to lower the score of crossposts, the line to match on is
16566 the @code{Xref} header.
16568 ("xref" (" talk.politics.misc:" -1000))
16571 @item Multiple crossposts
16572 If you want to lower the score of articles that have been crossposted to
16573 more than, say, 3 groups:
16576 ("[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+"
16580 @item Matching on the body
16581 This is generally not a very good idea---it takes a very long time.
16582 Gnus actually has to fetch each individual article from the server. But
16583 you might want to anyway, I guess. Even though there are three match
16584 keys (@code{Head}, @code{Body} and @code{All}), you should choose one
16585 and stick with it in each score file. If you use any two, each article
16586 will be fetched @emph{twice}. If you want to match a bit on the
16587 @code{Head} and a bit on the @code{Body}, just use @code{All} for all
16590 @item Marking as read
16591 You will probably want to mark articles that have scores below a certain
16592 number as read. This is most easily achieved by putting the following
16593 in your @file{all.SCORE} file:
16597 You may also consider doing something similar with @code{expunge}.
16599 @item Negated character classes
16600 If you say stuff like @code{[^abcd]*}, you may get unexpected results.
16601 That will match newlines, which might lead to, well, The Unknown. Say
16602 @code{[^abcd\n]*} instead.
16606 @node Reverse Scoring
16607 @section Reverse Scoring
16608 @cindex reverse scoring
16610 If you want to keep just articles that have @samp{Sex with Emacs} in the
16611 subject header, and expunge all other articles, you could put something
16612 like this in your score file:
16616 ("Sex with Emacs" 2))
16621 So, you raise all articles that match @samp{Sex with Emacs} and mark the
16622 rest as read, and expunge them to boot.
16625 @node Global Score Files
16626 @section Global Score Files
16627 @cindex global score files
16629 Sure, other newsreaders have ``global kill files''. These are usually
16630 nothing more than a single kill file that applies to all groups, stored
16631 in the user's home directory. Bah! Puny, weak newsreaders!
16633 What I'm talking about here are Global Score Files. Score files from
16634 all over the world, from users everywhere, uniting all nations in one
16635 big, happy score file union! Ange-score! New and untested!
16637 @vindex gnus-global-score-files
16638 All you have to do to use other people's score files is to set the
16639 @code{gnus-global-score-files} variable. One entry for each score file,
16640 or each score file directory. Gnus will decide by itself what score
16641 files are applicable to which group.
16643 To use the score file
16644 @file{/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE} and
16645 all score files in the @file{/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score} directory,
16649 (setq gnus-global-score-files
16650 '("/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE"
16651 "/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score/"))
16654 @findex gnus-score-search-global-directories
16656 Simple, eh? Directory names must end with a @samp{/}. These
16657 directories are typically scanned only once during each Gnus session.
16658 If you feel the need to manually re-scan the remote directories, you can
16659 use the @code{gnus-score-search-global-directories} command.
16661 Note that, at present, using this option will slow down group entry
16662 somewhat. (That is---a lot.)
16664 If you want to start maintaining score files for other people to use,
16665 just put your score file up for anonymous ftp and announce it to the
16666 world. Become a retro-moderator! Participate in the retro-moderator
16667 wars sure to ensue, where retro-moderators battle it out for the
16668 sympathy of the people, luring them to use their score files on false
16669 premises! Yay! The net is saved!
16671 Here are some tips for the would-be retro-moderator, off the top of my
16677 Articles heavily crossposted are probably junk.
16679 To lower a single inappropriate article, lower by @code{Message-ID}.
16681 Particularly brilliant authors can be raised on a permanent basis.
16683 Authors that repeatedly post off-charter for the group can safely be
16684 lowered out of existence.
16686 Set the @code{mark} and @code{expunge} atoms to obliterate the nastiest
16687 articles completely.
16690 Use expiring score entries to keep the size of the file down. You
16691 should probably have a long expiry period, though, as some sites keep
16692 old articles for a long time.
16695 ... I wonder whether other newsreaders will support global score files
16696 in the future. @emph{Snicker}. Yup, any day now, newsreaders like Blue
16697 Wave, xrn and 1stReader are bound to implement scoring. Should we start
16698 holding our breath yet?
16702 @section Kill Files
16705 Gnus still supports those pesky old kill files. In fact, the kill file
16706 entries can now be expiring, which is something I wrote before Daniel
16707 Quinlan thought of doing score files, so I've left the code in there.
16709 In short, kill processing is a lot slower (and I do mean @emph{a lot})
16710 than score processing, so it might be a good idea to rewrite your kill
16711 files into score files.
16713 Anyway, a kill file is a normal @code{emacs-lisp} file. You can put any
16714 forms into this file, which means that you can use kill files as some
16715 sort of primitive hook function to be run on group entry, even though
16716 that isn't a very good idea.
16718 Normal kill files look like this:
16721 (gnus-kill "From" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
16722 (gnus-kill "Subject" "ding")
16726 This will mark every article written by me as read, and remove the
16727 marked articles from the summary buffer. Very useful, you'll agree.
16729 Other programs use a totally different kill file syntax. If Gnus
16730 encounters what looks like a @code{rn} kill file, it will take a stab at
16733 Two summary functions for editing a GNUS kill file:
16738 @kindex M-k (Summary)
16739 @findex gnus-summary-edit-local-kill
16740 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-local-kill}).
16743 @kindex M-K (Summary)
16744 @findex gnus-summary-edit-global-kill
16745 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-global-kill}).
16748 Two group mode functions for editing the kill files:
16753 @kindex M-k (Group)
16754 @findex gnus-group-edit-local-kill
16755 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-local-kill}).
16758 @kindex M-K (Group)
16759 @findex gnus-group-edit-global-kill
16760 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-global-kill}).
16763 Kill file variables:
16766 @item gnus-kill-file-name
16767 @vindex gnus-kill-file-name
16768 A kill file for the group @samp{soc.motss} is normally called
16769 @file{soc.motss.KILL}. The suffix appended to the group name to get
16770 this file name is detailed by the @code{gnus-kill-file-name} variable.
16771 The ``global'' kill file (not in the score file sense of ``global'', of
16772 course) is just called @file{KILL}.
16774 @vindex gnus-kill-save-kill-file
16775 @item gnus-kill-save-kill-file
16776 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will save the
16777 kill file after processing, which is necessary if you use expiring
16780 @item gnus-apply-kill-hook
16781 @vindex gnus-apply-kill-hook
16782 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored
16783 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file
16784 A hook called to apply kill files to a group. It is
16785 @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file)} by default. If you want to ignore the
16786 kill file if you have a score file for the same group, you can set this
16787 hook to @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored)}. If you don't want
16788 kill files to be processed, you should set this variable to @code{nil}.
16790 @item gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
16791 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
16792 A hook called in kill-file mode buffers.
16797 @node Converting Kill Files
16798 @section Converting Kill Files
16800 @cindex converting kill files
16802 If you have loads of old kill files, you may want to convert them into
16803 score files. If they are ``regular'', you can use
16804 the @file{gnus-kill-to-score.el} package; if not, you'll have to do it
16807 The kill to score conversion package isn't included in Gnus by default.
16808 You can fetch it from
16809 @uref{http://www.stud.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/ding-various/gnus-kill-to-score.el}.
16811 If your old kill files are very complex---if they contain more
16812 non-@code{gnus-kill} forms than not, you'll have to convert them by
16813 hand. Or just let them be as they are. Gnus will still use them as
16821 GroupLens is a collaborative filtering system that helps you work
16822 together with other people to find the quality news articles out of the
16823 huge volume of news articles generated every day.
16825 To accomplish this the GroupLens system combines your opinions about
16826 articles you have already read with the opinions of others who have done
16827 likewise and gives you a personalized prediction for each unread news
16828 article. Think of GroupLens as a matchmaker. GroupLens watches how you
16829 rate articles, and finds other people that rate articles the same way.
16830 Once it has found some people you agree with it tells you, in the form
16831 of a prediction, what they thought of the article. You can use this
16832 prediction to help you decide whether or not you want to read the
16836 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
16837 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
16838 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
16839 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
16843 @node Using GroupLens
16844 @subsection Using GroupLens
16846 To use GroupLens you must register a pseudonym with your local Better
16848 @uref{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/bbb.html} is the only
16849 better bit in town at the moment.
16851 Once you have registered you'll need to set a couple of variables.
16855 @item gnus-use-grouplens
16856 @vindex gnus-use-grouplens
16857 Setting this variable to a non-@code{nil} value will make Gnus hook into
16858 all the relevant GroupLens functions.
16860 @item grouplens-pseudonym
16861 @vindex grouplens-pseudonym
16862 This variable should be set to the pseudonym you got when registering
16863 with the Better Bit Bureau.
16865 @item grouplens-newsgroups
16866 @vindex grouplens-newsgroups
16867 A list of groups that you want to get GroupLens predictions for.
16871 That's the minimum of what you need to get up and running with GroupLens.
16872 Once you've registered, GroupLens will start giving you scores for
16873 articles based on the average of what other people think. But, to get
16874 the real benefit of GroupLens you need to start rating articles
16875 yourself. Then the scores GroupLens gives you will be personalized for
16876 you, based on how the people you usually agree with have already rated.
16879 @node Rating Articles
16880 @subsection Rating Articles
16882 In GroupLens, an article is rated on a scale from 1 to 5, inclusive.
16883 Where 1 means something like this article is a waste of bandwidth and 5
16884 means that the article was really good. The basic question to ask
16885 yourself is, "on a scale from 1 to 5 would I like to see more articles
16888 There are four ways to enter a rating for an article in GroupLens.
16893 @kindex r (GroupLens)
16894 @findex bbb-summary-rate-article
16895 This function will prompt you for a rating on a scale of one to five.
16898 @kindex k (GroupLens)
16899 @findex grouplens-score-thread
16900 This function will prompt you for a rating, and rate all the articles in
16901 the thread. This is really useful for some of those long running giant
16902 threads in rec.humor.
16906 The next two commands, @kbd{n} and @kbd{,} take a numerical prefix to be
16907 the score of the article you're reading.
16912 @kindex n (GroupLens)
16913 @findex grouplens-next-unread-article
16914 Rate the article and go to the next unread article.
16917 @kindex , (GroupLens)
16918 @findex grouplens-best-unread-article
16919 Rate the article and go to the next unread article with the highest score.
16923 If you want to give the current article a score of 4 and then go to the
16924 next article, just type @kbd{4 n}.
16927 @node Displaying Predictions
16928 @subsection Displaying Predictions
16930 GroupLens makes a prediction for you about how much you will like a
16931 news article. The predictions from GroupLens are on a scale from 1 to
16932 5, where 1 is the worst and 5 is the best. You can use the predictions
16933 from GroupLens in one of three ways controlled by the variable
16934 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring}.
16936 @vindex gnus-grouplens-override-scoring
16937 There are three ways to display predictions in grouplens. You may
16938 choose to have the GroupLens scores contribute to, or override the
16939 regular gnus scoring mechanism. override is the default; however, some
16940 people prefer to see the Gnus scores plus the grouplens scores. To get
16941 the separate scoring behavior you need to set
16942 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'separate}. To have the
16943 GroupLens predictions combined with the grouplens scores set it to
16944 @code{'override} and to combine the scores set
16945 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'combine}. When you use
16946 the combine option you will also want to set the values for
16947 @code{grouplens-prediction-offset} and
16948 @code{grouplens-score-scale-factor}.
16950 @vindex grouplens-prediction-display
16951 In either case, GroupLens gives you a few choices for how you would like
16952 to see your predictions displayed. The display of predictions is
16953 controlled by the @code{grouplens-prediction-display} variable.
16955 The following are valid values for that variable.
16958 @item prediction-spot
16959 The higher the prediction, the further to the right an @samp{*} is
16962 @item confidence-interval
16963 A numeric confidence interval.
16965 @item prediction-bar
16966 The higher the prediction, the longer the bar.
16968 @item confidence-bar
16969 Numerical confidence.
16971 @item confidence-spot
16972 The spot gets bigger with more confidence.
16974 @item prediction-num
16975 Plain-old numeric value.
16977 @item confidence-plus-minus
16978 Prediction +/- confidence.
16983 @node GroupLens Variables
16984 @subsection GroupLens Variables
16988 @item gnus-summary-grouplens-line-format
16989 The summary line format used in GroupLens-enhanced summary buffers. It
16990 accepts the same specs as the normal summary line format (@pxref{Summary
16991 Buffer Lines}). The default is @samp{%U%R%z%l%I%(%[%4L: %-20,20n%]%)
16994 @item grouplens-bbb-host
16995 Host running the bbbd server. @samp{grouplens.cs.umn.edu} is the
16998 @item grouplens-bbb-port
16999 Port of the host running the bbbd server. The default is 9000.
17001 @item grouplens-score-offset
17002 Offset the prediction by this value. In other words, subtract the
17003 prediction value by this number to arrive at the effective score. The
17006 @item grouplens-score-scale-factor
17007 This variable allows the user to magnify the effect of GroupLens scores.
17008 The scale factor is applied after the offset. The default is 1.
17013 @node Advanced Scoring
17014 @section Advanced Scoring
17016 Scoring on Subjects and From headers is nice enough, but what if you're
17017 really interested in what a person has to say only when she's talking
17018 about a particular subject? Or what if you really don't want to
17019 read what person A has to say when she's following up to person B, but
17020 want to read what she says when she's following up to person C?
17022 By using advanced scoring rules you may create arbitrarily complex
17026 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
17027 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
17028 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
17032 @node Advanced Scoring Syntax
17033 @subsection Advanced Scoring Syntax
17035 Ordinary scoring rules have a string as the first element in the rule.
17036 Advanced scoring rules have a list as the first element. The second
17037 element is the score to be applied if the first element evaluated to a
17038 non-@code{nil} value.
17040 These lists may consist of three logical operators, one redirection
17041 operator, and various match operators.
17048 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
17049 one that evaluates to @code{false}, and then it'll stop. If all arguments
17050 evaluate to @code{true} values, then this operator will return
17055 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
17056 one that evaluates to @code{true}. If no arguments are @code{true},
17057 then this operator will return @code{false}.
17062 This logical operator only takes a single argument. It returns the
17063 logical negation of the value of its argument.
17067 There is an @dfn{indirection operator} that will make its arguments
17068 apply to the ancestors of the current article being scored. For
17069 instance, @code{1-} will make score rules apply to the parent of the
17070 current article. @code{2-} will make score rules apply to the
17071 grandparent of the current article. Alternatively, you can write
17072 @code{^^}, where the number of @code{^}s (carets) says how far back into
17073 the ancestry you want to go.
17075 Finally, we have the match operators. These are the ones that do the
17076 real work. Match operators are header name strings followed by a match
17077 and a match type. A typical match operator looks like @samp{("from"
17078 "Lars Ingebrigtsen" s)}. The header names are the same as when using
17079 simple scoring, and the match types are also the same.
17082 @node Advanced Scoring Examples
17083 @subsection Advanced Scoring Examples
17085 Let's say you want to increase the score of articles written by Lars
17086 when he's talking about Gnus:
17090 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
17091 ("subject" "Gnus"))
17097 When he writes long articles, he sometimes has something nice to say:
17101 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
17108 However, when he responds to things written by Reig Eigil Logge, you
17109 really don't want to read what he's written:
17113 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
17114 (1- ("from" "Reig Eigir Logge")))
17118 Everybody that follows up Redmondo when he writes about disappearing
17119 socks should have their scores raised, but only when they talk about
17120 white socks. However, when Lars talks about socks, it's usually not
17127 ("from" "redmondo@@.*no" r)
17128 ("body" "disappearing.*socks" t)))
17129 (! ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen"))
17130 ("body" "white.*socks"))
17134 The possibilities are endless.
17137 @node Advanced Scoring Tips
17138 @subsection Advanced Scoring Tips
17140 The @code{&} and @code{|} logical operators do short-circuit logic.
17141 That is, they stop processing their arguments when it's clear what the
17142 result of the operation will be. For instance, if one of the arguments
17143 of an @code{&} evaluates to @code{false}, there's no point in evaluating
17144 the rest of the arguments. This means that you should put slow matches
17145 (@samp{body}, @samp{header}) last and quick matches (@samp{from},
17146 @samp{subject}) first.
17148 The indirection arguments (@code{1-} and so on) will make their
17149 arguments work on previous generations of the thread. If you say
17160 Then that means "score on the from header of the grandparent of the
17161 current article". An indirection is quite fast, but it's better to say:
17167 ("subject" "Gnus")))
17174 (1- ("from" "Lars"))
17175 (1- ("subject" "Gnus")))
17180 @section Score Decays
17181 @cindex score decays
17184 You may find that your scores have a tendency to grow without
17185 bounds, especially if you're using adaptive scoring. If scores get too
17186 big, they lose all meaning---they simply max out and it's difficult to
17187 use them in any sensible way.
17189 @vindex gnus-decay-scores
17190 @findex gnus-decay-score
17191 @vindex gnus-decay-score-function
17192 Gnus provides a mechanism for decaying scores to help with this problem.
17193 When score files are loaded and @code{gnus-decay-scores} is
17194 non-@code{nil}, Gnus will run the score files through the decaying
17195 mechanism thereby lowering the scores of all non-permanent score rules.
17196 The decay itself if performed by the @code{gnus-decay-score-function}
17197 function, which is @code{gnus-decay-score} by default. Here's the
17198 definition of that function:
17201 (defun gnus-decay-score (score)
17203 This is done according to `gnus-score-decay-constant'
17204 and `gnus-score-decay-scale'."
17207 (* (if (< score 0) 1 -1)
17209 (max gnus-score-decay-constant
17211 gnus-score-decay-scale)))))))
17214 @vindex gnus-score-decay-scale
17215 @vindex gnus-score-decay-constant
17216 @code{gnus-score-decay-constant} is 3 by default and
17217 @code{gnus-score-decay-scale} is 0.05. This should cause the following:
17221 Scores between -3 and 3 will be set to 0 when this function is called.
17224 Scores with magnitudes between 3 and 60 will be shrunk by 3.
17227 Scores with magnitudes greater than 60 will be shrunk by 5% of the
17231 If you don't like this decay function, write your own. It is called
17232 with the score to be decayed as its only parameter, and it should return
17233 the new score, which should be an integer.
17235 Gnus will try to decay scores once a day. If you haven't run Gnus for
17236 four days, Gnus will decay the scores four times, for instance.
17243 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
17244 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
17245 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
17246 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
17247 * Windows Configuration:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
17248 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
17249 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
17250 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
17251 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
17252 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
17253 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
17254 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
17255 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
17256 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
17257 * XEmacs Enhancements:: There are more pictures and stuff under XEmacs.
17258 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
17259 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
17260 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
17264 @node Process/Prefix
17265 @section Process/Prefix
17266 @cindex process/prefix convention
17268 Many functions, among them functions for moving, decoding and saving
17269 articles, use what is known as the @dfn{Process/Prefix convention}.
17271 This is a method for figuring out what articles the user wants the
17272 command to be performed on.
17276 If the numeric prefix is N, perform the operation on the next N
17277 articles, starting with the current one. If the numeric prefix is
17278 negative, perform the operation on the previous N articles, starting
17279 with the current one.
17281 @vindex transient-mark-mode
17282 If @code{transient-mark-mode} in non-@code{nil} and the region is
17283 active, all articles in the region will be worked upon.
17285 If there is no numeric prefix, but some articles are marked with the
17286 process mark, perform the operation on the articles marked with
17289 If there is neither a numeric prefix nor any articles marked with the
17290 process mark, just perform the operation on the current article.
17292 Quite simple, really, but it needs to be made clear so that surprises
17295 Commands that react to the process mark will push the current list of
17296 process marked articles onto a stack and will then clear all process
17297 marked articles. You can restore the previous configuration with the
17298 @kbd{M P y} command (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
17300 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
17301 One thing that seems to shock & horrify lots of people is that, for
17302 instance, @kbd{3 d} does exactly the same as @kbd{d} @kbd{d} @kbd{d}.
17303 Since each @kbd{d} (which marks the current article as read) by default
17304 goes to the next unread article after marking, this means that @kbd{3 d}
17305 will mark the next three unread articles as read, no matter what the
17306 summary buffer looks like. Set @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} to
17307 @code{nil} for a more straightforward action.
17309 Many commands do not use the process/prefix convention. All commands
17310 that do explicitly say so in this manual. To apply the process/prefix
17311 convention to commands that do not use it, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
17312 command. For instance, to mark all the articles in the group as
17313 expirable, you could say `M P b M-& E'.
17317 @section Interactive
17318 @cindex interaction
17322 @item gnus-novice-user
17323 @vindex gnus-novice-user
17324 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you are either a newcomer to the
17325 World of Usenet, or you are very cautious, which is a nice thing to be,
17326 really. You will be given questions of the type ``Are you sure you want
17327 to do this?'' before doing anything dangerous. This is @code{t} by
17330 @item gnus-expert-user
17331 @vindex gnus-expert-user
17332 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you will seldom be asked any
17333 questions by Gnus. It will simply assume you know what you're doing, no
17334 matter how strange.
17336 @item gnus-interactive-catchup
17337 @vindex gnus-interactive-catchup
17338 Require confirmation before catching up a group if non-@code{nil}. It
17339 is @code{t} by default.
17341 @item gnus-interactive-exit
17342 @vindex gnus-interactive-exit
17343 Require confirmation before exiting Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
17348 @node Symbolic Prefixes
17349 @section Symbolic Prefixes
17350 @cindex symbolic prefixes
17352 Quite a lot of Emacs commands react to the (numeric) prefix. For
17353 instance, @kbd{C-u 4 C-f} moves point four characters forward, and
17354 @kbd{C-u 9 0 0 I s s p} adds a permanent @code{Subject} substring score
17355 rule of 900 to the current article.
17357 This is all nice and well, but what if you want to give a command some
17358 additional information? Well, what most commands do is interpret the
17359 ``raw'' prefix in some special way. @kbd{C-u 0 C-x C-s} means that one
17360 doesn't want a backup file to be created when saving the current buffer,
17361 for instance. But what if you want to save without making a backup
17362 file, and you want Emacs to flash lights and play a nice tune at the
17363 same time? You can't, and you're probably perfectly happy that way.
17365 @kindex M-i (Summary)
17366 @findex gnus-symbolic-argument
17367 I'm not, so I've added a second prefix---the @dfn{symbolic prefix}. The
17368 prefix key is @kbd{M-i} (@code{gnus-symbolic-argument}), and the next
17369 character typed in is the value. You can stack as many @kbd{M-i}
17370 prefixes as you want. @kbd{M-i a M-C-u} means ``feed the @kbd{M-C-u}
17371 command the symbolic prefix @code{a}''. @kbd{M-i a M-i b M-C-u} means
17372 ``feed the @kbd{M-C-u} command the symbolic prefixes @code{a} and
17373 @code{b}''. You get the drift.
17375 Typing in symbolic prefixes to commands that don't accept them doesn't
17376 hurt, but it doesn't do any good either. Currently not many Gnus
17377 functions make use of the symbolic prefix.
17379 If you're interested in how Gnus implements this, @pxref{Extended
17383 @node Formatting Variables
17384 @section Formatting Variables
17385 @cindex formatting variables
17387 Throughout this manual you've probably noticed lots of variables called
17388 things like @code{gnus-group-line-format} and
17389 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. These control how Gnus is to
17390 output lines in the various buffers. There's quite a lot of them.
17391 Fortunately, they all use the same syntax, so there's not that much to
17394 Here's an example format spec (from the group buffer): @samp{%M%S%5y:
17395 %(%g%)\n}. We see that it is indeed extremely ugly, and that there are
17396 lots of percentages everywhere.
17399 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
17400 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
17401 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
17402 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
17403 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
17406 Currently Gnus uses the following formatting variables:
17407 @code{gnus-group-line-format}, @code{gnus-summary-line-format},
17408 @code{gnus-server-line-format}, @code{gnus-topic-line-format},
17409 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format},
17410 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format},
17411 @code{gnus-article-mode-line-format},
17412 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format}, and
17413 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format}.
17415 All these format variables can also be arbitrary elisp forms. In that
17416 case, they will be @code{eval}ed to insert the required lines.
17418 @kindex M-x gnus-update-format
17419 @findex gnus-update-format
17420 Gnus includes a command to help you while creating your own format
17421 specs. @kbd{M-x gnus-update-format} will @code{eval} the current form,
17422 update the spec in question and pop you to a buffer where you can
17423 examine the resulting lisp code to be run to generate the line.
17427 @node Formatting Basics
17428 @subsection Formatting Basics
17430 Each @samp{%} element will be replaced by some string or other when the
17431 buffer in question is generated. @samp{%5y} means ``insert the @samp{y}
17432 spec, and pad with spaces to get a 5-character field''.
17434 As with normal C and Emacs Lisp formatting strings, the numerical
17435 modifier between the @samp{%} and the formatting type character will
17436 @dfn{pad} the output so that it is always at least that long.
17437 @samp{%5y} will make the field always (at least) five characters wide by
17438 padding with spaces to the left. If you say @samp{%-5y}, it will pad to
17441 You may also wish to limit the length of the field to protect against
17442 particularly wide values. For that you can say @samp{%4,6y}, which
17443 means that the field will never be more than 6 characters wide and never
17444 less than 4 characters wide.
17447 @node Mode Line Formatting
17448 @subsection Mode Line Formatting
17450 Mode line formatting variables (e.g.,
17451 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}) follow the same rules as other,
17452 buffer line oriented formatting variables (@pxref{Formatting Basics})
17453 with the following two differences:
17458 There must be no newline (@samp{\n}) at the end.
17461 The special @samp{%%b} spec can be used to display the buffer name.
17462 Well, it's no spec at all, really---@samp{%%} is just a way to quote
17463 @samp{%} to allow it to pass through the formatting machinery unmangled,
17464 so that Emacs receives @samp{%b}, which is something the Emacs mode line
17465 display interprets to mean ``show the buffer name''. For a full list of
17466 mode line specs Emacs understands, see the documentation of the
17467 @code{mode-line-format} variable.
17472 @node Advanced Formatting
17473 @subsection Advanced Formatting
17475 It is frequently useful to post-process the fields in some way.
17476 Padding, limiting, cutting off parts and suppressing certain values can
17477 be achieved by using @dfn{tilde modifiers}. A typical tilde spec might
17478 look like @samp{%~(cut 3)~(ignore "0")y}.
17480 These are the valid modifiers:
17485 Pad the field to the left with spaces until it reaches the required
17489 Pad the field to the right with spaces until it reaches the required
17494 Cut off characters from the left until it reaches the specified length.
17497 Cut off characters from the right until it reaches the specified
17502 Cut off the specified number of characters from the left.
17505 Cut off the specified number of characters from the right.
17508 Return an empty string if the field is equal to the specified value.
17511 Use the specified form as the field value when the @samp{@@} spec is
17515 Let's take an example. The @samp{%o} spec in the summary mode lines
17516 will return a date in compact ISO8601 format---@samp{19960809T230410}.
17517 This is quite a mouthful, so we want to shave off the century number and
17518 the time, leaving us with a six-character date. That would be
17519 @samp{%~(cut-left 2)~(max-right 6)~(pad 6)o}. (Cutting is done before
17520 maxing, and we need the padding to ensure that the date is never less
17521 than 6 characters to make it look nice in columns.)
17523 Ignoring is done first; then cutting; then maxing; and then as the very
17524 last operation, padding.
17526 If you use lots of these advanced thingies, you'll find that Gnus gets
17527 quite slow. This can be helped enormously by running @kbd{M-x
17528 gnus-compile} when you are satisfied with the look of your lines.
17529 @xref{Compilation}.
17532 @node User-Defined Specs
17533 @subsection User-Defined Specs
17535 All the specs allow for inserting user defined specifiers---@samp{u}.
17536 The next character in the format string should be a letter. Gnus
17537 will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where
17538 @samp{X} is the letter following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed
17539 a single parameter---what the parameter means depends on what buffer
17540 it's being called from. The function should return a string, which will
17541 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
17542 specifier. This function may also be called with dummy values, so it
17543 should protect against that.
17545 You can also use tilde modifiers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting} to achieve
17546 much the same without defining new functions. Here's an example:
17547 @samp{%~(form (count-lines (point-min) (point)))@@}. The form
17548 given here will be evaluated to yield the current line number, and then
17552 @node Formatting Fonts
17553 @subsection Formatting Fonts
17555 There are specs for highlighting, and these are shared by all the format
17556 variables. Text inside the @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} specifiers will get
17557 the special @code{mouse-face} property set, which means that it will be
17558 highlighted (with @code{gnus-mouse-face}) when you put the mouse pointer
17561 Text inside the @samp{%@{} and @samp{%@}} specifiers will have their
17562 normal faces set using @code{gnus-face-0}, which is @code{bold} by
17563 default. If you say @samp{%1@{}, you'll get @code{gnus-face-1} instead,
17564 and so on. Create as many faces as you wish. The same goes for the
17565 @code{mouse-face} specs---you can say @samp{%3(hello%)} to have
17566 @samp{hello} mouse-highlighted with @code{gnus-mouse-face-3}.
17568 Text inside the @samp{%<} and @samp{%>} specifiers will get the special
17569 @code{balloon-help} property set to @code{gnus-balloon-face-0}. If you
17570 say @samp{%1<}, you'll get @code{gnus-balloon-face-1} and so on. The
17571 @code{gnus-balloon-face-*} variables should be either strings or symbols
17572 naming functions that return a string. Under @code{balloon-help-mode},
17573 when the mouse passes over text with this property set, a balloon window
17574 will appear and display the string. Please refer to the doc string of
17575 @code{balloon-help-mode} for more information on this.
17577 Here's an alternative recipe for the group buffer:
17580 ;; Create three face types.
17581 (setq gnus-face-1 'bold)
17582 (setq gnus-face-3 'italic)
17584 ;; We want the article count to be in
17585 ;; a bold and green face. So we create
17586 ;; a new face called `my-green-bold'.
17587 (copy-face 'bold 'my-green-bold)
17589 (set-face-foreground 'my-green-bold "ForestGreen")
17590 (setq gnus-face-2 'my-green-bold)
17592 ;; Set the new & fancy format.
17593 (setq gnus-group-line-format
17594 "%M%S%3@{%5y%@}%2[:%] %(%1@{%g%@}%)\n")
17597 I'm sure you'll be able to use this scheme to create totally unreadable
17598 and extremely vulgar displays. Have fun!
17600 Note that the @samp{%(} specs (and friends) do not make any sense on the
17601 mode-line variables.
17604 @node Windows Configuration
17605 @section Windows Configuration
17606 @cindex windows configuration
17608 No, there's nothing here about X, so be quiet.
17610 @vindex gnus-use-full-window
17611 If @code{gnus-use-full-window} non-@code{nil}, Gnus will delete all
17612 other windows and occupy the entire Emacs screen by itself. It is
17613 @code{t} by default.
17615 Setting this variable to @code{nil} kinda works, but there are
17616 glitches. Use at your own peril.
17618 @vindex gnus-buffer-configuration
17619 @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} describes how much space each Gnus
17620 buffer should be given. Here's an excerpt of this variable:
17623 ((group (vertical 1.0 (group 1.0 point)
17624 (if gnus-carpal (group-carpal 4))))
17625 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
17629 This is an alist. The @dfn{key} is a symbol that names some action or
17630 other. For instance, when displaying the group buffer, the window
17631 configuration function will use @code{group} as the key. A full list of
17632 possible names is listed below.
17634 The @dfn{value} (i.e., the @dfn{split}) says how much space each buffer
17635 should occupy. To take the @code{article} split as an example -
17638 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
17642 This @dfn{split} says that the summary buffer should occupy 25% of upper
17643 half of the screen, and that it is placed over the article buffer. As
17644 you may have noticed, 100% + 25% is actually 125% (yup, I saw y'all
17645 reaching for that calculator there). However, the special number
17646 @code{1.0} is used to signal that this buffer should soak up all the
17647 rest of the space available after the rest of the buffers have taken
17648 whatever they need. There should be only one buffer with the @code{1.0}
17649 size spec per split.
17651 Point will be put in the buffer that has the optional third element
17652 @code{point}. In a @code{frame} split, the last subsplit having a leaf
17653 split where the tag @code{frame-focus} is a member (i.e. is the third or
17654 fourth element in the list, depending on whether the @code{point} tag is
17655 present) gets focus.
17657 Here's a more complicated example:
17660 (article (vertical 1.0 (group 4)
17661 (summary 0.25 point)
17662 (if gnus-carpal (summary-carpal 4))
17666 If the size spec is an integer instead of a floating point number,
17667 then that number will be used to say how many lines a buffer should
17668 occupy, not a percentage.
17670 If the @dfn{split} looks like something that can be @code{eval}ed (to be
17671 precise---if the @code{car} of the split is a function or a subr), this
17672 split will be @code{eval}ed. If the result is non-@code{nil}, it will
17673 be used as a split. This means that there will be three buffers if
17674 @code{gnus-carpal} is @code{nil}, and four buffers if @code{gnus-carpal}
17677 Not complicated enough for you? Well, try this on for size:
17680 (article (horizontal 1.0
17685 (summary 0.25 point)
17690 Whoops. Two buffers with the mystery 100% tag. And what's that
17691 @code{horizontal} thingie?
17693 If the first element in one of the split is @code{horizontal}, Gnus will
17694 split the window horizontally, giving you two windows side-by-side.
17695 Inside each of these strips you may carry on all you like in the normal
17696 fashion. The number following @code{horizontal} says what percentage of
17697 the screen is to be given to this strip.
17699 For each split, there @emph{must} be one element that has the 100% tag.
17700 The splitting is never accurate, and this buffer will eat any leftover
17701 lines from the splits.
17703 To be slightly more formal, here's a definition of what a valid split
17707 split = frame | horizontal | vertical | buffer | form
17708 frame = "(frame " size *split ")"
17709 horizontal = "(horizontal " size *split ")"
17710 vertical = "(vertical " size *split ")"
17711 buffer = "(" buf-name " " size *[ "point" ] *[ "frame-focus"] ")"
17712 size = number | frame-params
17713 buf-name = group | article | summary ...
17716 The limitations are that the @code{frame} split can only appear as the
17717 top-level split. @var{form} should be an Emacs Lisp form that should
17718 return a valid split. We see that each split is fully recursive, and
17719 may contain any number of @code{vertical} and @code{horizontal} splits.
17721 @vindex gnus-window-min-width
17722 @vindex gnus-window-min-height
17723 @cindex window height
17724 @cindex window width
17725 Finding the right sizes can be a bit complicated. No window may be less
17726 than @code{gnus-window-min-height} (default 1) characters high, and all
17727 windows must be at least @code{gnus-window-min-width} (default 1)
17728 characters wide. Gnus will try to enforce this before applying the
17729 splits. If you want to use the normal Emacs window width/height limit,
17730 you can just set these two variables to @code{nil}.
17732 If you're not familiar with Emacs terminology, @code{horizontal} and
17733 @code{vertical} splits may work the opposite way of what you'd expect.
17734 Windows inside a @code{horizontal} split are shown side-by-side, and
17735 windows within a @code{vertical} split are shown above each other.
17737 @findex gnus-configure-frame
17738 If you want to experiment with window placement, a good tip is to call
17739 @code{gnus-configure-frame} directly with a split. This is the function
17740 that does all the real work when splitting buffers. Below is a pretty
17741 nonsensical configuration with 5 windows; two for the group buffer and
17742 three for the article buffer. (I said it was nonsensical.) If you
17743 @code{eval} the statement below, you can get an idea of how that would
17744 look straight away, without going through the normal Gnus channels.
17745 Play with it until you're satisfied, and then use
17746 @code{gnus-add-configuration} to add your new creation to the buffer
17747 configuration list.
17750 (gnus-configure-frame
17754 (article 0.3 point))
17762 You might want to have several frames as well. No prob---just use the
17763 @code{frame} split:
17766 (gnus-configure-frame
17769 (summary 0.25 point frame-focus)
17771 (vertical ((height . 5) (width . 15)
17772 (user-position . t)
17773 (left . -1) (top . 1))
17778 This split will result in the familiar summary/article window
17779 configuration in the first (or ``main'') frame, while a small additional
17780 frame will be created where picons will be shown. As you can see,
17781 instead of the normal @code{1.0} top-level spec, each additional split
17782 should have a frame parameter alist as the size spec.
17783 @xref{Frame Parameters, , Frame Parameters, elisp, The GNU Emacs Lisp
17784 Reference Manual}. Under XEmacs, a frame property list will be
17785 accepted, too---for instance, @code{(height 5 width 15 left -1 top 1)}
17787 The list of all possible keys for @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} can
17788 be found in its default value.
17790 Note that the @code{message} key is used for both
17791 @code{gnus-group-mail} and @code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}. If
17792 it is desirable to distinguish between the two, something like this
17796 (message (horizontal 1.0
17797 (vertical 1.0 (message 1.0 point))
17799 (if (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer)
17804 One common desire for a multiple frame split is to have a separate frame
17805 for composing mail and news while leaving the original frame intact. To
17806 accomplish that, something like the following can be done:
17811 (if (not (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer))
17812 (car (cdr (assoc 'group gnus-buffer-configuration)))
17813 (car (cdr (assoc 'summary gnus-buffer-configuration))))
17814 (vertical ((user-position . t) (top . 1) (left . 1)
17815 (name . "Message"))
17816 (message 1.0 point))))
17819 @findex gnus-add-configuration
17820 Since the @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} variable is so long and
17821 complicated, there's a function you can use to ease changing the config
17822 of a single setting: @code{gnus-add-configuration}. If, for instance,
17823 you want to change the @code{article} setting, you could say:
17826 (gnus-add-configuration
17827 '(article (vertical 1.0
17829 (summary .25 point)
17833 You'd typically stick these @code{gnus-add-configuration} calls in your
17834 @file{.gnus.el} file or in some startup hook---they should be run after
17835 Gnus has been loaded.
17837 @vindex gnus-always-force-window-configuration
17838 If all windows mentioned in the configuration are already visible, Gnus
17839 won't change the window configuration. If you always want to force the
17840 ``right'' window configuration, you can set
17841 @code{gnus-always-force-window-configuration} to non-@code{nil}.
17843 If you're using tree displays (@pxref{Tree Display}), and the tree
17844 window is displayed vertically next to another window, you may also want
17845 to fiddle with @code{gnus-tree-minimize-window} to avoid having the
17848 @subsection Example Window Configurations
17852 Narrow left hand side occupied by group buffer. Right hand side split
17853 between summary buffer (top one-sixth) and article buffer (bottom).
17868 (gnus-add-configuration
17871 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
17873 (summary 0.16 point)
17876 (gnus-add-configuration
17879 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
17880 (vertical 1.0 (summary 1.0 point)))))
17886 @node Faces and Fonts
17887 @section Faces and Fonts
17892 Fiddling with fonts and faces used to be very difficult, but these days
17893 it is very simple. You simply say @kbd{M-x customize-face}, pick out
17894 the face you want to alter, and alter it via the standard Customize
17899 @section Compilation
17900 @cindex compilation
17901 @cindex byte-compilation
17903 @findex gnus-compile
17905 Remember all those line format specification variables?
17906 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}, @code{gnus-group-line-format}, and so
17907 on. Now, Gnus will of course heed whatever these variables are, but,
17908 unfortunately, changing them will mean a quite significant slow-down.
17909 (The default values of these variables have byte-compiled functions
17910 associated with them, while the user-generated versions do not, of
17913 To help with this, you can run @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} after you've
17914 fiddled around with the variables and feel that you're (kind of)
17915 satisfied. This will result in the new specs being byte-compiled, and
17916 you'll get top speed again. Gnus will save these compiled specs in the
17917 @file{.newsrc.eld} file. (User-defined functions aren't compiled by
17918 this function, though---you should compile them yourself by sticking
17919 them into the @code{.gnus.el} file and byte-compiling that file.)
17923 @section Mode Lines
17926 @vindex gnus-updated-mode-lines
17927 @code{gnus-updated-mode-lines} says what buffers should keep their mode
17928 lines updated. It is a list of symbols. Supported symbols include
17929 @code{group}, @code{article}, @code{summary}, @code{server},
17930 @code{browse}, and @code{tree}. If the corresponding symbol is present,
17931 Gnus will keep that mode line updated with information that may be
17932 pertinent. If this variable is @code{nil}, screen refresh may be
17935 @cindex display-time
17937 @vindex gnus-mode-non-string-length
17938 By default, Gnus displays information on the current article in the mode
17939 lines of the summary and article buffers. The information Gnus wishes
17940 to display (e.g. the subject of the article) is often longer than the
17941 mode lines, and therefore have to be cut off at some point. The
17942 @code{gnus-mode-non-string-length} variable says how long the other
17943 elements on the line is (i.e., the non-info part). If you put
17944 additional elements on the mode line (e.g. a clock), you should modify
17947 @c Hook written by Francesco Potorti` <pot@cnuce.cnr.it>
17949 (add-hook 'display-time-hook
17950 (lambda () (setq gnus-mode-non-string-length
17952 (if line-number-mode 5 0)
17953 (if column-number-mode 4 0)
17954 (length display-time-string)))))
17957 If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the default), the mode line
17958 strings won't be chopped off, and they won't be padded either. Note
17959 that the default is unlikely to be desirable, as even the percentage
17960 complete in the buffer may be crowded off the mode line; the user should
17961 configure this variable appropriately for her configuration.
17964 @node Highlighting and Menus
17965 @section Highlighting and Menus
17967 @cindex highlighting
17970 @vindex gnus-visual
17971 The @code{gnus-visual} variable controls most of the Gnus-prettifying
17972 aspects. If @code{nil}, Gnus won't attempt to create menus or use fancy
17973 colors or fonts. This will also inhibit loading the @file{gnus-vis.el}
17976 This variable can be a list of visual properties that are enabled. The
17977 following elements are valid, and are all included by default:
17980 @item group-highlight
17981 Do highlights in the group buffer.
17982 @item summary-highlight
17983 Do highlights in the summary buffer.
17984 @item article-highlight
17985 Do highlights in the article buffer.
17987 Turn on highlighting in all buffers.
17989 Create menus in the group buffer.
17991 Create menus in the summary buffers.
17993 Create menus in the article buffer.
17995 Create menus in the browse buffer.
17997 Create menus in the server buffer.
17999 Create menus in the score buffers.
18001 Create menus in all buffers.
18004 So if you only want highlighting in the article buffer and menus in all
18005 buffers, you could say something like:
18008 (setq gnus-visual '(article-highlight menu))
18011 If you want highlighting only and no menus whatsoever, you'd say:
18014 (setq gnus-visual '(highlight))
18017 If @code{gnus-visual} is @code{t}, highlighting and menus will be used
18018 in all Gnus buffers.
18020 Other general variables that influence the look of all buffers include:
18023 @item gnus-mouse-face
18024 @vindex gnus-mouse-face
18025 This is the face (i.e., font) used for mouse highlighting in Gnus. No
18026 mouse highlights will be done if @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
18030 There are hooks associated with the creation of all the different menus:
18034 @item gnus-article-menu-hook
18035 @vindex gnus-article-menu-hook
18036 Hook called after creating the article mode menu.
18038 @item gnus-group-menu-hook
18039 @vindex gnus-group-menu-hook
18040 Hook called after creating the group mode menu.
18042 @item gnus-summary-menu-hook
18043 @vindex gnus-summary-menu-hook
18044 Hook called after creating the summary mode menu.
18046 @item gnus-server-menu-hook
18047 @vindex gnus-server-menu-hook
18048 Hook called after creating the server mode menu.
18050 @item gnus-browse-menu-hook
18051 @vindex gnus-browse-menu-hook
18052 Hook called after creating the browse mode menu.
18054 @item gnus-score-menu-hook
18055 @vindex gnus-score-menu-hook
18056 Hook called after creating the score mode menu.
18067 Those new-fangled @dfn{mouse} contraptions is very popular with the
18068 young, hep kids who don't want to learn the proper way to do things
18069 these days. Why, I remember way back in the summer of '89, when I was
18070 using Emacs on a Tops 20 system. Three hundred users on one single
18071 machine, and every user was running Simula compilers. Bah!
18075 @vindex gnus-carpal
18076 Well, you can make Gnus display bufferfuls of buttons you can click to
18077 do anything by setting @code{gnus-carpal} to @code{t}. Pretty simple,
18078 really. Tell the chiropractor I sent you.
18083 @item gnus-carpal-mode-hook
18084 @vindex gnus-carpal-mode-hook
18085 Hook run in all carpal mode buffers.
18087 @item gnus-carpal-button-face
18088 @vindex gnus-carpal-button-face
18089 Face used on buttons.
18091 @item gnus-carpal-header-face
18092 @vindex gnus-carpal-header-face
18093 Face used on carpal buffer headers.
18095 @item gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
18096 @vindex gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
18097 Buttons in the group buffer.
18099 @item gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
18100 @vindex gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
18101 Buttons in the summary buffer.
18103 @item gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
18104 @vindex gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
18105 Buttons in the server buffer.
18107 @item gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
18108 @vindex gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
18109 Buttons in the browse buffer.
18112 All the @code{buttons} variables are lists. The elements in these list
18113 are either cons cells where the @code{car} contains a text to be displayed and
18114 the @code{cdr} contains a function symbol, or a simple string.
18122 Gnus, being larger than any program ever written (allegedly), does lots
18123 of strange stuff that you may wish to have done while you're not
18124 present. For instance, you may want it to check for new mail once in a
18125 while. Or you may want it to close down all connections to all servers
18126 when you leave Emacs idle. And stuff like that.
18128 Gnus will let you do stuff like that by defining various
18129 @dfn{handlers}. Each handler consists of three elements: A
18130 @var{function}, a @var{time}, and an @var{idle} parameter.
18132 Here's an example of a handler that closes connections when Emacs has
18133 been idle for thirty minutes:
18136 (gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
18139 Here's a handler that scans for PGP headers every hour when Emacs is
18143 (gnus-demon-scan-pgp 60 t)
18146 This @var{time} parameter and than @var{idle} parameter work together
18147 in a strange, but wonderful fashion. Basically, if @var{idle} is
18148 @code{nil}, then the function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
18150 If @var{idle} is @code{t}, then the function will be called after
18151 @var{time} minutes only if Emacs is idle. So if Emacs is never idle,
18152 the function will never be called. But once Emacs goes idle, the
18153 function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
18155 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is a number, the function will
18156 be called every @var{time} minutes only when Emacs has been idle for
18157 @var{idle} minutes.
18159 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is @code{nil}, the function
18160 will be called once every time Emacs has been idle for @var{idle}
18163 And if @var{time} is a string, it should look like @samp{07:31}, and
18164 the function will then be called once every day somewhere near that
18165 time. Modified by the @var{idle} parameter, of course.
18167 @vindex gnus-demon-timestep
18168 (When I say ``minute'' here, I really mean @code{gnus-demon-timestep}
18169 seconds. This is 60 by default. If you change that variable,
18170 all the timings in the handlers will be affected.)
18172 So, if you want to add a handler, you could put something like this in
18173 your @file{.gnus} file:
18175 @findex gnus-demon-add-handler
18177 (gnus-demon-add-handler 'gnus-demon-close-connections 30 t)
18180 @findex gnus-demon-add-nocem
18181 @findex gnus-demon-add-scanmail
18182 @findex gnus-demon-add-rescan
18183 @findex gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps
18184 @findex gnus-demon-add-disconnection
18185 Some ready-made functions to do this have been created:
18186 @code{gnus-demon-add-nocem}, @code{gnus-demon-add-disconnection},
18187 @code{gnus-demon-add-nntp-close-connection},
18188 @code{gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps}, @code{gnus-demon-add-rescan}, and
18189 @code{gnus-demon-add-scanmail}. Just put those functions in your
18190 @file{.gnus} if you want those abilities.
18192 @findex gnus-demon-init
18193 @findex gnus-demon-cancel
18194 @vindex gnus-demon-handlers
18195 If you add handlers to @code{gnus-demon-handlers} directly, you should
18196 run @code{gnus-demon-init} to make the changes take hold. To cancel all
18197 daemons, you can use the @code{gnus-demon-cancel} function.
18199 Note that adding daemons can be pretty naughty if you over do it. Adding
18200 functions that scan all news and mail from all servers every two seconds
18201 is a sure-fire way of getting booted off any respectable system. So
18210 @dfn{Spamming} is posting the same article lots and lots of times.
18211 Spamming is bad. Spamming is evil.
18213 Spamming is usually canceled within a day or so by various anti-spamming
18214 agencies. These agencies usually also send out @dfn{NoCeM} messages.
18215 NoCeM is pronounced ``no see-'em'', and means what the name
18216 implies---these are messages that make the offending articles, like, go
18219 What use are these NoCeM messages if the articles are canceled anyway?
18220 Some sites do not honor cancel messages and some sites just honor cancels
18221 from a select few people. Then you may wish to make use of the NoCeM
18222 messages, which are distributed in the @samp{alt.nocem.misc} newsgroup.
18224 Gnus can read and parse the messages in this group automatically, and
18225 this will make spam disappear.
18227 There are some variables to customize, of course:
18230 @item gnus-use-nocem
18231 @vindex gnus-use-nocem
18232 Set this variable to @code{t} to set the ball rolling. It is @code{nil}
18235 @item gnus-nocem-groups
18236 @vindex gnus-nocem-groups
18237 Gnus will look for NoCeM messages in the groups in this list. The
18238 default is @code{("news.lists.filters" "news.admin.net-abuse.bulletins"
18239 "alt.nocem.misc" "news.admin.net-abuse.announce")}.
18241 @item gnus-nocem-issuers
18242 @vindex gnus-nocem-issuers
18243 There are many people issuing NoCeM messages. This list says what
18244 people you want to listen to. The default is @code{("Automoose-1"
18245 "clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" "cosmo.roadkill" "SpamHippo"
18246 "hweede@@snafu.de")}; fine, upstanding citizens all of them.
18248 Known despammers that you can put in this list are listed at
18249 @uref{http://www.xs4all.nl/~rosalind/nocemreg/nocemreg.html}.
18251 You do not have to heed NoCeM messages from all these people---just the
18252 ones you want to listen to. You also don't have to accept all NoCeM
18253 messages from the people you like. Each NoCeM message has a @dfn{type}
18254 header that gives the message a (more or less, usually less) rigorous
18255 definition. Common types are @samp{spam}, @samp{spew}, @samp{mmf},
18256 @samp{binary}, and @samp{troll}. To specify this, you have to use
18257 @code{(@var{issuer} @var{conditions} @dots{})} elements in the list.
18258 Each condition is either a string (which is a regexp that matches types
18259 you want to use) or a list on the form @code{(not @var{string})}, where
18260 @var{string} is a regexp that matches types you don't want to use.
18262 For instance, if you want all NoCeM messages from Chris Lewis except his
18263 @samp{troll} messages, you'd say:
18266 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" ".*" (not "troll"))
18269 On the other hand, if you just want nothing but his @samp{spam} and
18270 @samp{spew} messages, you'd say:
18273 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" (not ".*") "spew" "spam")
18276 The specs are applied left-to-right.
18279 @item gnus-nocem-verifyer
18280 @vindex gnus-nocem-verifyer
18282 This should be a function for verifying that the NoCeM issuer is who she
18283 says she is. The default is @code{mc-verify}, which is a Mailcrypt
18284 function. If this is too slow and you don't care for verification
18285 (which may be dangerous), you can set this variable to @code{nil}.
18287 If you want signed NoCeM messages to be verified and unsigned messages
18288 not to be verified (but used anyway), you could do something like:
18291 (setq gnus-nocem-verifyer 'my-gnus-mc-verify)
18293 (defun my-gnus-mc-verify ()
18301 This might be dangerous, though.
18303 @item gnus-nocem-directory
18304 @vindex gnus-nocem-directory
18305 This is where Gnus will store its NoCeM cache files. The default is
18306 @file{~/News/NoCeM/}.
18308 @item gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
18309 @vindex gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
18310 The number of days before removing old NoCeM entries from the cache.
18311 The default is 15. If you make it shorter Gnus will be faster, but you
18312 might then see old spam.
18314 @item gnus-nocem-check-from
18315 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-from
18316 Non-@code{nil} means check for valid issuers in message bodies.
18317 Otherwise don't bother fetching articles unless their author matches a
18318 valid issuer; that is much faster if you are selective about the
18321 @item gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
18322 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
18323 If non-@code{nil}, the maximum number of articles to check in any NoCeM
18324 group. NoCeM groups can be huge and very slow to process.
18328 Using NoCeM could potentially be a memory hog. If you have many living
18329 (i. e., subscribed or unsubscribed groups), your Emacs process will grow
18330 big. If this is a problem, you should kill off all (or most) of your
18331 unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Subscription Commands}).
18338 It is very useful to be able to undo actions one has done. In normal
18339 Emacs buffers, it's easy enough---you just push the @code{undo} button.
18340 In Gnus buffers, however, it isn't that simple.
18342 The things Gnus displays in its buffer is of no value whatsoever to
18343 Gnus---it's all just data designed to look nice to the user.
18344 Killing a group in the group buffer with @kbd{C-k} makes the line
18345 disappear, but that's just a side-effect of the real action---the
18346 removal of the group in question from the internal Gnus structures.
18347 Undoing something like that can't be done by the normal Emacs
18348 @code{undo} function.
18350 Gnus tries to remedy this somewhat by keeping track of what the user
18351 does and coming up with actions that would reverse the actions the user
18352 takes. When the user then presses the @code{undo} key, Gnus will run
18353 the code to reverse the previous action, or the previous actions.
18354 However, not all actions are easily reversible, so Gnus currently offers
18355 a few key functions to be undoable. These include killing groups,
18356 yanking groups, and changing the list of read articles of groups.
18357 That's it, really. More functions may be added in the future, but each
18358 added function means an increase in data to be stored, so Gnus will
18359 never be totally undoable.
18361 @findex gnus-undo-mode
18362 @vindex gnus-use-undo
18364 The undoability is provided by the @code{gnus-undo-mode} minor mode. It
18365 is used if @code{gnus-use-undo} is non-@code{nil}, which is the
18366 default. The @kbd{M-C-_} key performs the @code{gnus-undo}
18367 command, which should feel kinda like the normal Emacs @code{undo}
18372 @section Moderation
18375 If you are a moderator, you can use the @file{gnus-mdrtn.el} package.
18376 It is not included in the standard Gnus package. Write a mail to
18377 @samp{larsi@@gnus.org} and state what group you moderate, and you'll
18380 The moderation package is implemented as a minor mode for summary
18384 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-moderate)
18387 in your @file{.gnus.el} file.
18389 If you are the moderator of @samp{rec.zoofle}, this is how it's
18394 You split your incoming mail by matching on
18395 @samp{Newsgroups:.*rec.zoofle}, which will put all the to-be-posted
18396 articles in some mail group---for instance, @samp{nnml:rec.zoofle}.
18399 You enter that group once in a while and post articles using the @kbd{e}
18400 (edit-and-post) or @kbd{s} (just send unedited) commands.
18403 If, while reading the @samp{rec.zoofle} newsgroup, you happen upon some
18404 articles that weren't approved by you, you can cancel them with the
18408 To use moderation mode in these two groups, say:
18411 (setq gnus-moderated-list
18412 "^nnml:rec.zoofle$\\|^rec.zoofle$")
18416 @node XEmacs Enhancements
18417 @section XEmacs Enhancements
18420 XEmacs is able to display pictures and stuff, so Gnus has taken
18424 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what your reading.
18425 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
18426 * Toolbar:: Click'n'drool.
18427 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
18440 So@dots{} You want to slow down your news reader even more! This is a
18441 good way to do so. Its also a great way to impress people staring
18442 over your shoulder as you read news.
18445 * Picon Basics:: What are picons and How do I get them.
18446 * Picon Requirements:: Don't go further if you aren't using XEmacs.
18447 * Easy Picons:: Displaying Picons---the easy way.
18448 * Hard Picons:: The way you should do it. You'll learn something.
18449 * Picon Useless Configuration:: Other variables you can trash/tweak/munge/play with.
18454 @subsubsection Picon Basics
18456 What are Picons? To quote directly from the Picons Web site:
18465 @dfn{Picons} is short for ``personal icons''. They're small,
18466 constrained images used to represent users and domains on the net,
18467 organized into databases so that the appropriate image for a given
18468 e-mail address can be found. Besides users and domains, there are picon
18469 databases for Usenet newsgroups and weather forecasts. The picons are
18470 in either monochrome @code{XBM} format or color @code{XPM} and
18471 @code{GIF} formats.
18474 @vindex gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
18475 If you have a permanent connection to the Internet you can use Steve
18476 Kinzler's Picons Search engine by setting
18477 @code{gnus-picons-piconsearch-url} to the string @*
18478 @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/search.html}.
18480 @vindex gnus-picons-database
18481 Otherwise you need a local copy of his database. For instructions on
18482 obtaining and installing the picons databases, point your Web browser at @*
18483 @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/ftp/index.html}. Gnus expects
18484 picons to be installed into a location pointed to by
18485 @code{gnus-picons-database}.
18488 @node Picon Requirements
18489 @subsubsection Picon Requirements
18491 To have Gnus display Picons for you, you must be running XEmacs
18492 19.13 or greater since all other versions of Emacs aren't yet able to
18495 Additionally, you must have @code{x} support compiled into XEmacs. To
18496 display color picons which are much nicer than the black & white one,
18497 you also need one of @code{xpm} or @code{gif} compiled into XEmacs.
18499 @vindex gnus-picons-convert-x-face
18500 If you want to display faces from @code{X-Face} headers, you should have
18501 the @code{xface} support compiled into XEmacs. Otherwise you must have
18502 the @code{netpbm} utilities installed, or munge the
18503 @code{gnus-picons-convert-x-face} variable to use something else.
18507 @subsubsection Easy Picons
18509 To enable displaying picons, simply put the following line in your
18510 @file{~/.gnus} file and start Gnus.
18513 (setq gnus-use-picons t)
18514 (setq gnus-treat-display-picons t)
18517 and make sure @code{gnus-picons-database} points to the directory
18518 containing the Picons databases.
18520 Alternatively if you want to use the web piconsearch engine add this:
18523 (setq gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
18524 "http://www.cs.indiana.edu:800/piconsearch")
18529 @subsubsection Hard Picons
18537 Gnus can display picons for you as you enter and leave groups and
18538 articles. It knows how to interact with three sections of the picons
18539 database. Namely, it can display the picons newsgroup pictures,
18540 author's face picture(s), and the authors domain. To enable this
18541 feature, you need to select where to get the picons from, and where to
18546 @item gnus-picons-database
18547 @vindex gnus-picons-database
18548 The location of the picons database. Should point to a directory
18549 containing the @file{news}, @file{domains}, @file{users} (and so on)
18550 subdirectories. This is only useful if
18551 @code{gnus-picons-piconsearch-url} is @code{nil}. Defaults to
18552 @file{/usr/local/faces/}.
18554 @item gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
18555 @vindex gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
18556 The URL for the web picons search engine. The only currently known
18557 engine is @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu:800/piconsearch}. To
18558 workaround network delays, icons will be fetched in the background. If
18559 this is @code{nil} 'the default), then picons are fetched from local
18560 database indicated by @code{gnus-picons-database}.
18562 @item gnus-picons-display-where
18563 @vindex gnus-picons-display-where
18564 Where the picon images should be displayed. It is @code{picons} by
18565 default (which by default maps to the buffer @samp{*Picons*}). Other
18566 valid places could be @code{article}, @code{summary}, or
18567 @samp{*scratch*} for all I care. Just make sure that you've made the
18568 buffer visible using the standard Gnus window configuration
18569 routines---@pxref{Windows Configuration}.
18571 @item gnus-picons-group-excluded-groups
18572 @vindex gnus-picons-group-excluded-groups
18573 Groups that are matched by this regexp won't have their group icons
18578 Note: If you set @code{gnus-use-picons} to @code{t}, it will set up your
18579 window configuration for you to include the @code{picons} buffer.
18581 Now that you've made those decision, you need to add the following
18582 functions to the appropriate hooks so these pictures will get displayed
18585 @vindex gnus-picons-display-where
18587 @item gnus-article-display-picons
18588 @findex gnus-article-display-picons
18589 Looks up and displays the picons for the author and the author's domain
18590 in the @code{gnus-picons-display-where} buffer.
18592 @item gnus-picons-article-display-x-face
18593 @findex gnus-article-display-picons
18594 Decodes and displays the X-Face header if present.
18600 @node Picon Useless Configuration
18601 @subsubsection Picon Useless Configuration
18609 The following variables offer further control over how things are
18610 done, where things are located, and other useless stuff you really
18611 don't need to worry about.
18615 @item gnus-picons-news-directories
18616 @vindex gnus-picons-news-directories
18617 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for
18618 newsgroups faces. @code{("news")} is the default.
18620 @item gnus-picons-user-directories
18621 @vindex gnus-picons-user-directories
18622 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for user
18623 faces. @code{("local" "users" "usenix" "misc")} is the default.
18625 @item gnus-picons-domain-directories
18626 @vindex gnus-picons-domain-directories
18627 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for
18628 domain name faces. Defaults to @code{("domains")}. Some people may
18629 want to add @samp{"unknown"} to this list.
18631 @item gnus-picons-convert-x-face
18632 @vindex gnus-picons-convert-x-face
18633 If you don't have @code{xface} support builtin XEmacs, this is the
18634 command to use to convert the @code{X-Face} header to an X bitmap
18635 (@code{xbm}). Defaults to @code{(format "@{ echo '/* Width=48,
18636 Height=48 */'; uncompface; @} | icontopbm | pbmtoxbm > %s"
18637 gnus-picons-x-face-file-name)}
18639 @item gnus-picons-x-face-file-name
18640 @vindex gnus-picons-x-face-file-name
18641 Names a temporary file to store the @code{X-Face} bitmap in. Defaults
18642 to @code{(format "/tmp/picon-xface.%s.xbm" (user-login-name))}.
18644 @item gnus-picons-has-modeline-p
18645 @vindex gnus-picons-has-modeline-p
18646 If you have set @code{gnus-picons-display-where} to @code{picons}, your
18647 XEmacs frame will become really cluttered. To alleviate this a bit you
18648 can set @code{gnus-picons-has-modeline-p} to @code{nil}; this will
18649 remove the mode line from the Picons buffer. This is only useful if
18650 @code{gnus-picons-display-where} is @code{picons}.
18652 @item gnus-picons-refresh-before-display
18653 @vindex gnus-picons-refresh-before-display
18654 If non-nil, display the article buffer before computing the picons.
18655 Defaults to @code{nil}.
18657 @item gnus-picons-display-as-address
18658 @vindex gnus-picons-display-as-address
18659 If @code{t} display textual email addresses along with pictures.
18660 Defaults to @code{t}.
18662 @item gnus-picons-file-suffixes
18663 @vindex gnus-picons-file-suffixes
18664 Ordered list of suffixes on picon file names to try. Defaults to
18665 @code{("xpm" "gif" "xbm")} minus those not builtin your XEmacs.
18667 @item gnus-picons-setup-hook
18668 @vindex gnus-picons-setup-hook
18669 Hook run in the picon buffer, if that is displayed.
18671 @item gnus-picons-display-article-move-p
18672 @vindex gnus-picons-display-article-move-p
18673 Whether to move point to first empty line when displaying picons. This
18674 has only an effect if `gnus-picons-display-where' has value `article'.
18676 If @code{nil}, display the picons in the @code{From} and
18677 @code{Newsgroups} lines. This is the default.
18679 @item gnus-picons-clear-cache-on-shutdown
18680 @vindex gnus-picons-clear-cache-on-shutdown
18681 Whether to clear the picons cache when exiting gnus. Gnus caches every
18682 picons it finds while it is running. This saves some time in the search
18683 process but eats some memory. If this variable is set to @code{nil},
18684 Gnus will never clear the cache itself; you will have to manually call
18685 @code{gnus-picons-clear-cache} to clear it. Otherwise the cache will be
18686 cleared every time you exit Gnus. Defaults to @code{t}.
18697 @subsection Smileys
18702 \gnusfig{-3cm}{0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=tmp/BigFace.ps,height=20cm}}
18707 @dfn{Smiley} is a package separate from Gnus, but since Gnus is
18708 currently the only package that uses Smiley, it is documented here.
18710 In short---to use Smiley in Gnus, put the following in your
18711 @file{.gnus.el} file:
18714 (setq gnus-treat-display-smileys t)
18717 Smiley maps text smiley faces---@samp{:-)}, @samp{:-=}, @samp{:-(} and
18718 the like---to pictures and displays those instead of the text smiley
18719 faces. The conversion is controlled by a list of regexps that matches
18720 text and maps that to file names.
18722 @vindex smiley-nosey-regexp-alist
18723 @vindex smiley-deformed-regexp-alist
18724 Smiley supplies two example conversion alists by default:
18725 @code{smiley-deformed-regexp-alist} (which matches @samp{:)}, @samp{:(}
18726 and so on), and @code{smiley-nosey-regexp-alist} (which matches
18727 @samp{:-)}, @samp{:-(} and so on).
18729 The alist used is specified by the @code{smiley-regexp-alist} variable,
18730 which defaults to the value of @code{smiley-deformed-regexp-alist}.
18732 The first item in each element is the regexp to be matched; the second
18733 element is the regexp match group that is to be replaced by the picture;
18734 and the third element is the name of the file to be displayed.
18736 The following variables customize where Smiley will look for these
18737 files, as well as the color to be used and stuff:
18741 @item smiley-data-directory
18742 @vindex smiley-data-directory
18743 Where Smiley will look for smiley faces files.
18745 @item smiley-flesh-color
18746 @vindex smiley-flesh-color
18747 Skin color. The default is @samp{yellow}, which is really racist.
18749 @item smiley-features-color
18750 @vindex smiley-features-color
18751 Color of the features of the face. The default is @samp{black}.
18753 @item smiley-tongue-color
18754 @vindex smiley-tongue-color
18755 Color of the tongue. The default is @samp{red}.
18757 @item smiley-circle-color
18758 @vindex smiley-circle-color
18759 Color of the circle around the face. The default is @samp{black}.
18761 @item smiley-mouse-face
18762 @vindex smiley-mouse-face
18763 Face used for mouse highlighting over the smiley face.
18769 @subsection Toolbar
18779 @item gnus-use-toolbar
18780 @vindex gnus-use-toolbar
18781 If @code{nil}, don't display toolbars. If non-@code{nil}, it should be
18782 one of @code{default-toolbar}, @code{top-toolbar}, @code{bottom-toolbar},
18783 @code{right-toolbar}, or @code{left-toolbar}.
18785 @item gnus-group-toolbar
18786 @vindex gnus-group-toolbar
18787 The toolbar in the group buffer.
18789 @item gnus-summary-toolbar
18790 @vindex gnus-summary-toolbar
18791 The toolbar in the summary buffer.
18793 @item gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
18794 @vindex gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
18795 The toolbar in the summary buffer of mail groups.
18801 @subsection Various XEmacs Variables
18804 @item gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
18805 @vindex gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
18806 This is where Gnus will look for pictures. Gnus will normally
18807 auto-detect this directory, but you may set it manually if you have an
18808 unusual directory structure.
18810 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
18811 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
18812 This is an alist where the key is a type symbol and the values are the
18813 foreground and background color of the splash page glyph.
18815 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
18816 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
18817 This is the key used to look up the color in the alist described above.
18818 Valid values include @code{flame}, @code{pine}, @code{moss},
18819 @code{irish}, @code{sky}, @code{tin}, @code{velvet}, @code{grape},
18820 @code{labia}, @code{berry}, @code{neutral}, and @code{september}.
18822 @item gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
18823 @vindex gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
18824 A glyph displayed in all Gnus mode lines. It is a tiny gnu head by
18838 @node Fuzzy Matching
18839 @section Fuzzy Matching
18840 @cindex fuzzy matching
18842 Gnus provides @dfn{fuzzy matching} of @code{Subject} lines when doing
18843 things like scoring, thread gathering and thread comparison.
18845 As opposed to regular expression matching, fuzzy matching is very fuzzy.
18846 It's so fuzzy that there's not even a definition of what @dfn{fuzziness}
18847 means, and the implementation has changed over time.
18849 Basically, it tries to remove all noise from lines before comparing.
18850 @samp{Re: }, parenthetical remarks, white space, and so on, are filtered
18851 out of the strings before comparing the results. This often leads to
18852 adequate results---even when faced with strings generated by text
18853 manglers masquerading as newsreaders.
18856 @node Thwarting Email Spam
18857 @section Thwarting Email Spam
18861 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
18863 In these last days of the Usenet, commercial vultures are hanging about
18864 and grepping through news like crazy to find email addresses they can
18865 foist off their scams and products to. As a reaction to this, many
18866 people have started putting nonsense addresses into their @code{From}
18867 lines. I think this is counterproductive---it makes it difficult for
18868 people to send you legitimate mail in response to things you write, as
18869 well as making it difficult to see who wrote what. This rewriting may
18870 perhaps be a bigger menace than the unsolicited commercial email itself
18873 The biggest problem I have with email spam is that it comes in under
18874 false pretenses. I press @kbd{g} and Gnus merrily informs me that I
18875 have 10 new emails. I say ``Golly gee! Happy is me!'' and select the
18876 mail group, only to find two pyramid schemes, seven advertisements
18877 (``New! Miracle tonic for growing full, lustrous hair on your toes!'')
18878 and one mail asking me to repent and find some god.
18882 The way to deal with this is having Gnus split out all spam into a
18883 @samp{spam} mail group (@pxref{Splitting Mail}).
18885 First, pick one (1) valid mail address that you can be reached at, and
18886 put it in your @code{From} header of all your news articles. (I've
18887 chosen @samp{larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no}, but for many addresses on the form
18888 @samp{larsi+usenet@@ifi.uio.no} will be a better choice. Ask your
18889 sysadmin whether your sendmail installation accepts keywords in the local
18890 part of the mail address.)
18893 (setq message-default-news-headers
18894 "From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no>\n")
18897 Then put the following split rule in @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
18898 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
18903 (to "larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no"
18904 (| ("subject" "re:.*" "misc")
18905 ("references" ".*@@.*" "misc")
18911 This says that all mail to this address is suspect, but if it has a
18912 @code{Subject} that starts with a @samp{Re:} or has a @code{References}
18913 header, it's probably ok. All the rest goes to the @samp{spam} group.
18914 (This idea probably comes from Tim Pierce.)
18916 In addition, many mail spammers talk directly to your @code{smtp} server
18917 and do not include your email address explicitly in the @code{To}
18918 header. Why they do this is unknown---perhaps it's to thwart this
18919 thwarting scheme? In any case, this is trivial to deal with---you just
18920 put anything not addressed to you in the @samp{spam} group by ending
18921 your fancy split rule in this way:
18926 (to "larsi" "misc")
18930 In my experience, this will sort virtually everything into the right
18931 group. You still have to check the @samp{spam} group from time to time to
18932 check for legitimate mail, though. If you feel like being a good net
18933 citizen, you can even send off complaints to the proper authorities on
18934 each unsolicited commercial email---at your leisure.
18936 If you are also a lazy net citizen, you will probably prefer complaining
18937 automatically with the @file{gnus-junk.el} package, available FOR FREE
18938 at @* @uref{http://stud2.tuwien.ac.at/~e9426626/gnus-junk.html}.
18939 Since most e-mail spam is sent automatically, this may reconcile the
18940 cosmic balance somewhat.
18942 This works for me. It allows people an easy way to contact me (they can
18943 just press @kbd{r} in the usual way), and I'm not bothered at all with
18944 spam. It's a win-win situation. Forging @code{From} headers to point
18945 to non-existent domains is yucky, in my opinion.
18948 @node Various Various
18949 @section Various Various
18955 @item gnus-home-directory
18956 All Gnus path variables will be initialized from this variable, which
18957 defaults to @file{~/}.
18959 @item gnus-directory
18960 @vindex gnus-directory
18961 Most Gnus storage path variables will be initialized from this variable,
18962 which defaults to the @samp{SAVEDIR} environment variable, or
18963 @file{~/News/} if that variable isn't set.
18965 Note that Gnus is mostly loaded when the @file{.gnus.el} file is read.
18966 This means that other directory variables that are initialized from this
18967 variable won't be set properly if you set this variable in
18968 @file{.gnus.el}. Set this variable in @file{.emacs} instead.
18970 @item gnus-default-directory
18971 @vindex gnus-default-directory
18972 Not related to the above variable at all---this variable says what the
18973 default directory of all Gnus buffers should be. If you issue commands
18974 like @kbd{C-x C-f}, the prompt you'll get starts in the current buffer's
18975 default directory. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
18976 default), the default directory will be the default directory of the
18977 buffer you were in when you started Gnus.
18980 @vindex gnus-verbose
18981 This variable is an integer between zero and ten. The higher the value,
18982 the more messages will be displayed. If this variable is zero, Gnus
18983 will never flash any messages, if it is seven (which is the default),
18984 most important messages will be shown, and if it is ten, Gnus won't ever
18985 shut up, but will flash so many messages it will make your head swim.
18987 @item gnus-verbose-backends
18988 @vindex gnus-verbose-backends
18989 This variable works the same way as @code{gnus-verbose}, but it applies
18990 to the Gnus backends instead of Gnus proper.
18992 @item nnheader-max-head-length
18993 @vindex nnheader-max-head-length
18994 When the backends read straight heads of articles, they all try to read
18995 as little as possible. This variable (default 4096) specifies
18996 the absolute max length the backends will try to read before giving up
18997 on finding a separator line between the head and the body. If this
18998 variable is @code{nil}, there is no upper read bound. If it is
18999 @code{t}, the backends won't try to read the articles piece by piece,
19000 but read the entire articles. This makes sense with some versions of
19001 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs}.
19003 @item nnheader-head-chop-length
19004 @vindex nnheader-head-chop-length
19005 This variable (default 2048) says how big a piece of each article to
19006 read when doing the operation described above.
19008 @item nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
19009 @vindex nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
19011 @cindex invalid characters in file names
19012 @cindex characters in file names
19013 This is an alist that says how to translate characters in file names.
19014 For instance, if @samp{:} is invalid as a file character in file names
19015 on your system (you OS/2 user you), you could say something like:
19018 (setq nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
19022 In fact, this is the default value for this variable on OS/2 and MS
19023 Windows (phooey) systems.
19025 @item gnus-hidden-properties
19026 @vindex gnus-hidden-properties
19027 This is a list of properties to use to hide ``invisible'' text. It is
19028 @code{(invisible t intangible t)} by default on most systems, which
19029 makes invisible text invisible and intangible.
19031 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
19032 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
19033 A hook called before parsing headers. It can be used, for instance, to
19034 gather statistics on the headers fetched, or perhaps you'd like to prune
19035 some headers. I don't see why you'd want that, though.
19037 @item gnus-shell-command-separator
19038 @vindex gnus-shell-command-separator
19039 String used to separate two shell commands. The default is @samp{;}.
19041 @item gnus-invalid-group-regexp
19042 @vindex gnus-invalid-group-regexp
19044 Regexp to match ``invalid'' group names when querying user for a group
19045 name. The default value catches some @strong{really} invalid group
19046 names who could possibly mess up Gnus internally (like allowing
19047 @samp{:} in a group name, which is normally used to delimit method and
19050 @sc{imap} users might want to allow @samp{/} in group names though.
19059 Well, that's the manual---you can get on with your life now. Keep in
19060 touch. Say hello to your cats from me.
19062 My @strong{ghod}---I just can't stand goodbyes. Sniffle.
19064 Ol' Charles Reznikoff said it pretty well, so I leave the floor to him:
19070 Not because of victories @*
19073 but for the common sunshine,@*
19075 the largess of the spring.
19079 but for the day's work done@*
19080 as well as I was able;@*
19081 not for a seat upon the dais@*
19082 but at the common table.@*
19087 @chapter Appendices
19090 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
19091 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
19092 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
19093 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
19094 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
19095 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
19096 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
19097 * Frequently Asked Questions:: A question-and-answer session.
19105 @sc{gnus} was written by Masanobu @sc{Umeda}. When autumn crept up in
19106 '94, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen grew bored and decided to rewrite Gnus.
19108 If you want to investigate the person responsible for this outrage,
19109 you can point your (feh!) web browser to
19110 @uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/}. This is also the primary
19111 distribution point for the new and spiffy versions of Gnus, and is
19112 known as The Site That Destroys Newsrcs And Drives People Mad.
19114 During the first extended alpha period of development, the new Gnus was
19115 called ``(ding) Gnus''. @dfn{(ding)} is, of course, short for
19116 @dfn{ding is not Gnus}, which is a total and utter lie, but who cares?
19117 (Besides, the ``Gnus'' in this abbreviation should probably be
19118 pronounced ``news'' as @sc{Umeda} intended, which makes it a more
19119 appropriate name, don't you think?)
19121 In any case, after spending all that energy on coming up with a new and
19122 spunky name, we decided that the name was @emph{too} spunky, so we
19123 renamed it back again to ``Gnus''. But in mixed case. ``Gnus'' vs.
19124 ``@sc{gnus}''. New vs. old.
19127 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
19128 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
19129 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
19130 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
19131 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
19132 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
19133 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
19134 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
19135 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
19139 @node Gnus Versions
19140 @subsection Gnus Versions
19141 @cindex Pterodactyl Gnus
19143 @cindex September Gnus
19144 @cindex Quassia Gnus
19146 The first ``proper'' release of Gnus 5 was done in November 1995 when it
19147 was included in the Emacs 19.30 distribution (132 (ding) Gnus releases
19148 plus 15 Gnus 5.0 releases).
19150 In May 1996 the next Gnus generation (aka. ``September Gnus'' (after 99
19151 releases)) was released under the name ``Gnus 5.2'' (40 releases).
19153 On July 28th 1996 work on Red Gnus was begun, and it was released on
19154 January 25th 1997 (after 84 releases) as ``Gnus 5.4'' (67 releases).
19156 On September 13th 1997, Quassia Gnus was started and lasted 37 releases.
19157 If was released as ``Gnus 5.6'' on March 8th 1998 (46 releases).
19159 Gnus 5.6 begat Pterodactyl Gnus on August 29th 1998 and was released as
19160 ``Gnus 5.8'' (after 99 releases and a CVS repository) on December 3rd
19163 On the 26th of October 2000, Oort Gnus was begun.
19165 If you happen upon a version of Gnus that has a prefixed name --
19166 ``(ding) Gnus'', ``September Gnus'', ``Red Gnus'', ``Quassia Gnus'',
19167 ``Pterodactyl Gnus'', ``Oort Gnus'' -- don't panic. Don't let it know
19168 that you're frightened. Back away. Slowly. Whatever you do, don't
19169 run. Walk away, calmly, until you're out of its reach. Find a proper
19170 released version of Gnus and snuggle up to that instead.
19173 @node Other Gnus Versions
19174 @subsection Other Gnus Versions
19177 In addition to the versions of Gnus which have had their releases
19178 coordinated by Lars, one major development has been Semi-gnus from
19179 Japan. It's based on a library called @sc{semi}, which provides
19180 @sc{mime} capabilities.
19182 These Gnusae are based mainly on Gnus 5.6 and Pterodactyl Gnus.
19183 Collectively, they are called ``Semi-gnus'', and different strains are
19184 called T-gnus, ET-gnus, Nana-gnus and Chaos. These provide powerful
19185 @sc{mime} and multilingualization things, especially important for
19192 What's the point of Gnus?
19194 I want to provide a ``rad'', ``happening'', ``way cool'' and ``hep''
19195 newsreader, that lets you do anything you can think of. That was my
19196 original motivation, but while working on Gnus, it has become clear to
19197 me that this generation of newsreaders really belong in the stone age.
19198 Newsreaders haven't developed much since the infancy of the net. If the
19199 volume continues to rise with the current rate of increase, all current
19200 newsreaders will be pretty much useless. How do you deal with
19201 newsgroups that have thousands of new articles each day? How do you
19202 keep track of millions of people who post?
19204 Gnus offers no real solutions to these questions, but I would very much
19205 like to see Gnus being used as a testing ground for new methods of
19206 reading and fetching news. Expanding on @sc{Umeda}-san's wise decision
19207 to separate the newsreader from the backends, Gnus now offers a simple
19208 interface for anybody who wants to write new backends for fetching mail
19209 and news from different sources. I have added hooks for customizations
19210 everywhere I could imagine it being useful. By doing so, I'm inviting
19211 every one of you to explore and invent.
19213 May Gnus never be complete. @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-emacs} and
19214 @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-xemacs}.
19217 @node Compatibility
19218 @subsection Compatibility
19220 @cindex compatibility
19221 Gnus was designed to be fully compatible with @sc{gnus}. Almost all key
19222 bindings have been kept. More key bindings have been added, of course,
19223 but only in one or two obscure cases have old bindings been changed.
19228 @center In a cloud bones of steel.
19232 All commands have kept their names. Some internal functions have changed
19235 The @code{gnus-uu} package has changed drastically. @xref{Decoding
19238 One major compatibility question is the presence of several summary
19239 buffers. All variables relevant while reading a group are
19240 buffer-local to the summary buffer they belong in. Although many
19241 important variables have their values copied into their global
19242 counterparts whenever a command is executed in the summary buffer, this
19243 change might lead to incorrect values being used unless you are careful.
19245 All code that relies on knowledge of @sc{gnus} internals will probably
19246 fail. To take two examples: Sorting @code{gnus-newsrc-alist} (or
19247 changing it in any way, as a matter of fact) is strictly verboten. Gnus
19248 maintains a hash table that points to the entries in this alist (which
19249 speeds up many functions), and changing the alist directly will lead to
19253 @cindex highlighting
19254 Old hilit19 code does not work at all. In fact, you should probably
19255 remove all hilit code from all Gnus hooks
19256 (@code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} and @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook}).
19257 Gnus provides various integrated functions for highlighting. These are
19258 faster and more accurate. To make life easier for everybody, Gnus will
19259 by default remove all hilit calls from all hilit hooks. Uncleanliness!
19262 Packages like @code{expire-kill} will no longer work. As a matter of
19263 fact, you should probably remove all old @sc{gnus} packages (and other
19264 code) when you start using Gnus. More likely than not, Gnus already
19265 does what you have written code to make @sc{gnus} do. (Snicker.)
19267 Even though old methods of doing things are still supported, only the
19268 new methods are documented in this manual. If you detect a new method of
19269 doing something while reading this manual, that does not mean you have
19270 to stop doing it the old way.
19272 Gnus understands all @sc{gnus} startup files.
19274 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
19276 @cindex reporting bugs
19278 Overall, a casual user who hasn't written much code that depends on
19279 @sc{gnus} internals should suffer no problems. If problems occur,
19280 please let me know by issuing that magic command @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}.
19282 @vindex gnus-bug-create-help-buffer
19283 If you are in the habit of sending bug reports @emph{very} often, you
19284 may find the helpful help buffer annoying after a while. If so, set
19285 @code{gnus-bug-create-help-buffer} to @code{nil} to avoid having it pop
19290 @subsection Conformity
19292 No rebels without a clue here, ma'am. We conform to all standards known
19293 to (wo)man. Except for those standards and/or conventions we disagree
19300 There are no known breaches of this standard.
19304 There are no known breaches of this standard, either.
19306 @item Son-of-RFC 1036
19307 @cindex Son-of-RFC 1036
19308 We do have some breaches to this one.
19314 These are considered to be ``vanity headers'', while I consider them
19315 to be consumer information. After seeing so many badly formatted
19316 articles coming from @code{tin} and @code{Netscape} I know not to use
19317 either of those for posting articles. I would not have known that if
19318 it wasn't for the @code{X-Newsreader} header.
19323 USEFOR is an IETF working group writing a successor to RFC 1036, based
19324 on Son-of-RFC 1036. They have produced a number of drafts proposing
19325 various changes to the format of news articles. The Gnus towers will
19326 look into implementing the changes when the draft is accepted as an RFC.
19330 If you ever notice Gnus acting non-compliant with regards to the texts
19331 mentioned above, don't hesitate to drop a note to Gnus Towers and let us
19336 @subsection Emacsen
19342 Gnus should work on :
19350 XEmacs 20.4 and up.
19354 This Gnus version will absolutely not work on any Emacsen older than
19355 that. Not reliably, at least. Older versions of Gnus may work on older
19358 There are some vague differences between Gnus on the various
19359 platforms---XEmacs features more graphics (a logo and a toolbar)---but
19360 other than that, things should look pretty much the same under all
19364 @node Gnus Development
19365 @subsection Gnus Development
19367 Gnus is developed in a two-phased cycle. The first phase involves much
19368 discussion on the @samp{ding@@gnus.org} mailing list, where people
19369 propose changes and new features, post patches and new backends. This
19370 phase is called the @dfn{alpha} phase, since the Gnusae released in this
19371 phase are @dfn{alpha releases}, or (perhaps more commonly in other
19372 circles) @dfn{snapshots}. During this phase, Gnus is assumed to be
19373 unstable and should not be used by casual users. Gnus alpha releases
19374 have names like ``Red Gnus'' and ``Quassia Gnus''.
19376 After futzing around for 50-100 alpha releases, Gnus is declared
19377 @dfn{frozen}, and only bug fixes are applied. Gnus loses the prefix,
19378 and is called things like ``Gnus 5.6.32'' instead. Normal people are
19379 supposed to be able to use these, and these are mostly discussed on the
19380 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} newsgroup.
19383 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
19384 Some variable defaults differ between alpha Gnusae and released Gnusae.
19385 In particular, @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} defaults to @code{nil} in
19386 alpha Gnusae and @code{t} in released Gnusae. This is to prevent
19387 lossage of mail if an alpha release hiccups while handling the mail.
19389 The division of discussion between the ding mailing list and the Gnus
19390 newsgroup is not purely based on publicity concerns. It's true that
19391 having people write about the horrible things that an alpha Gnus release
19392 can do (sometimes) in a public forum may scare people off, but more
19393 importantly, talking about new experimental features that have been
19394 introduced may confuse casual users. New features are frequently
19395 introduced, fiddled with, and judged to be found wanting, and then
19396 either discarded or totally rewritten. People reading the mailing list
19397 usually keep up with these rapid changes, while people on the newsgroup
19398 can't be assumed to do so.
19403 @subsection Contributors
19404 @cindex contributors
19406 The new Gnus version couldn't have been done without the help of all the
19407 people on the (ding) mailing list. Every day for over a year I have
19408 gotten billions of nice bug reports from them, filling me with joy,
19409 every single one of them. Smooches. The people on the list have been
19410 tried beyond endurance, what with my ``oh, that's a neat idea <type
19411 type>, yup, I'll release it right away <ship off> no wait, that doesn't
19412 work at all <type type>, yup, I'll ship that one off right away <ship
19413 off> no, wait, that absolutely does not work'' policy for releases.
19414 Micro$oft---bah. Amateurs. I'm @emph{much} worse. (Or is that
19415 ``worser''? ``much worser''? ``worsest''?)
19417 I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Academy for... oops,
19423 Masanobu @sc{Umeda}---the writer of the original @sc{gnus}.
19426 Shenghuo Zhu---uudecode.el, mm-uu.el, rfc1843.el, webmail.el,
19427 nnwarchive and many, many other things connected with @sc{mime} and
19428 other types of en/decoding, as well as general bug fixing, new
19429 functionality and stuff.
19432 Per Abrahamsen---custom, scoring, highlighting and @sc{soup} code (as
19433 well as numerous other things).
19436 Luis Fernandes---design and graphics.
19439 Justin Sheehy--the FAQ maintainer.
19442 Erik Naggum---help, ideas, support, code and stuff.
19445 Wes Hardaker---@file{gnus-picon.el} and the manual section on
19446 @dfn{picons} (@pxref{Picons}).
19449 Kim-Minh Kaplan---further work on the picon code.
19452 Brad Miller---@file{gnus-gl.el} and the GroupLens manual section
19453 (@pxref{GroupLens}).
19456 Sudish Joseph---innumerable bug fixes.
19459 Ilja Weis---@file{gnus-topic.el}.
19462 Steven L. Baur---lots and lots and lots of bugs detections and fixes.
19465 Vladimir Alexiev---the refcard and reference booklets.
19468 Felix Lee & Jamie Zawinski---I stole some pieces from the XGnus
19469 distribution by Felix Lee and JWZ.
19472 Scott Byer---@file{nnfolder.el} enhancements & rewrite.
19475 Peter Mutsaers---orphan article scoring code.
19478 Ken Raeburn---POP mail support.
19481 Hallvard B Furuseth---various bits and pieces, especially dealing with
19485 Brian Edmonds---@file{gnus-bbdb.el}.
19488 David Moore---rewrite of @file{nnvirtual.el} and many other things.
19491 Kevin Davidson---came up with the name @dfn{ding}, so blame him.
19494 François Pinard---many, many interesting and thorough bug reports, as
19495 well as autoconf support.
19499 This manual was proof-read by Adrian Aichner, with Ricardo Nassif, Mark
19500 Borges, and Jost Krieger proof-reading parts of the manual.
19502 The following people have contributed many patches and suggestions:
19511 Jason L. Tibbitts, III,
19515 Also thanks to the following for patches and stuff:
19525 Alexei V. Barantsev,
19540 Massimo Campostrini,
19545 Jae-you Chung, @c ?
19546 James H. Cloos, Jr.,
19550 Andrew J. Cosgriff,
19553 Geoffrey T. Dairiki,
19559 Michael Welsh Duggan,
19564 Enami Tsugutomo, @c Enami
19568 Nelson Jose dos Santos Ferreira,
19576 Arne Georg Gleditsch,
19578 Michelangelo Grigni,
19582 Kenichi Handa, @c Handa
19584 Yoshiki Hayashi, @c ?
19586 Hisashige Kenji, @c Hisashige
19593 François Felix Ingrand,
19594 Tatsuya Ichikawa, @c ?
19595 Ishikawa Ichiro, @c Ishikawa
19597 Iwamuro Motonori, @c Iwamuro
19608 Peter Skov Knudsen,
19609 Shuhei Kobayashi, @c Kobayashi
19611 Koseki Yoshinori, @c Koseki
19612 Thor Kristoffersen,
19615 Seokchan Lee, @c Lee
19633 Morioka Tomohiko, @c Morioka
19634 Erik Toubro Nielsen,
19641 Masaharu Onishi, @c Onishi
19646 Jens-Ulrik Holger Petersen,
19650 John McClary Prevost,
19656 Lars Balker Rasmussen,
19661 Christian von Roques,
19664 Wolfgang Rupprecht,
19671 Philippe Schnoebelen,
19673 Randal L. Schwartz,
19687 Kiyokazu Suto, @c Suto
19692 Tozawa Akihiko, @c Tozawa
19708 Katsumi Yamaoka @c Yamaoka
19713 For a full overview of what each person has done, the ChangeLogs
19714 included in the Gnus alpha distributions should give ample reading
19715 (550kB and counting).
19717 Apologies to everybody that I've forgotten, of which there are many, I'm
19720 Gee, that's quite a list of people. I guess that must mean that there
19721 actually are people who are using Gnus. Who'd'a thunk it!
19725 @subsection New Features
19726 @cindex new features
19729 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
19730 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
19731 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
19732 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
19733 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
19736 These lists are, of course, just @emph{short} overviews of the
19737 @emph{most} important new features. No, really. There are tons more.
19738 Yes, we have feeping creaturism in full effect.
19741 @subsubsection (ding) Gnus
19743 New features in Gnus 5.0/5.1:
19748 The look of all buffers can be changed by setting format-like variables
19749 (@pxref{Group Buffer Format} and @pxref{Summary Buffer Format}).
19752 Local spool and several @sc{nntp} servers can be used at once
19753 (@pxref{Select Methods}).
19756 You can combine groups into virtual groups (@pxref{Virtual Groups}).
19759 You can read a number of different mail formats (@pxref{Getting Mail}).
19760 All the mail backends implement a convenient mail expiry scheme
19761 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
19764 Gnus can use various strategies for gathering threads that have lost
19765 their roots (thereby gathering loose sub-threads into one thread) or it
19766 can go back and retrieve enough headers to build a complete thread
19767 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
19770 Killed groups can be displayed in the group buffer, and you can read
19771 them as well (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
19774 Gnus can do partial group updates---you do not have to retrieve the
19775 entire active file just to check for new articles in a few groups
19776 (@pxref{The Active File}).
19779 Gnus implements a sliding scale of subscribedness to groups
19780 (@pxref{Group Levels}).
19783 You can score articles according to any number of criteria
19784 (@pxref{Scoring}). You can even get Gnus to find out how to score
19785 articles for you (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
19788 Gnus maintains a dribble buffer that is auto-saved the normal Emacs
19789 manner, so it should be difficult to lose much data on what you have
19790 read if your machine should go down (@pxref{Auto Save}).
19793 Gnus now has its own startup file (@file{.gnus}) to avoid cluttering up
19794 the @file{.emacs} file.
19797 You can set the process mark on both groups and articles and perform
19798 operations on all the marked items (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
19801 You can grep through a subset of groups and create a group from the
19802 results (@pxref{Kibozed Groups}).
19805 You can list subsets of groups according to, well, anything
19806 (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
19809 You can browse foreign servers and subscribe to groups from those
19810 servers (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
19813 Gnus can fetch articles, asynchronously, on a second connection to the
19814 server (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
19817 You can cache articles locally (@pxref{Article Caching}).
19820 The uudecode functions have been expanded and generalized
19821 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
19824 You can still post uuencoded articles, which was a little-known feature
19825 of @sc{gnus}' past (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
19828 Fetching parents (and other articles) now actually works without
19829 glitches (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
19832 Gnus can fetch FAQs and group descriptions (@pxref{Group Information}).
19835 Digests (and other files) can be used as the basis for groups
19836 (@pxref{Document Groups}).
19839 Articles can be highlighted and customized (@pxref{Customizing
19843 URLs and other external references can be buttonized (@pxref{Article
19847 You can do lots of strange stuff with the Gnus window & frame
19848 configuration (@pxref{Windows Configuration}).
19851 You can click on buttons instead of using the keyboard
19857 @node September Gnus
19858 @subsubsection September Gnus
19862 \gnusfig{-28cm}{0cm}{\epsfig{figure=tmp/september.ps,height=20cm}}
19866 New features in Gnus 5.2/5.3:
19871 A new message composition mode is used. All old customization variables
19872 for @code{mail-mode}, @code{rnews-reply-mode} and @code{gnus-msg} are
19876 Gnus is now able to generate @dfn{sparse} threads---threads where
19877 missing articles are represented by empty nodes (@pxref{Customizing
19881 (setq gnus-build-sparse-threads 'some)
19885 Outgoing articles are stored on a special archive server
19886 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
19889 Partial thread regeneration now happens when articles are
19893 Gnus can make use of GroupLens predictions (@pxref{GroupLens}).
19896 Picons (personal icons) can be displayed under XEmacs (@pxref{Picons}).
19899 A @code{trn}-like tree buffer can be displayed (@pxref{Tree Display}).
19902 (setq gnus-use-trees t)
19906 An @code{nn}-like pick-and-read minor mode is available for the summary
19907 buffers (@pxref{Pick and Read}).
19910 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
19914 In binary groups you can use a special binary minor mode (@pxref{Binary
19918 Groups can be grouped in a folding topic hierarchy (@pxref{Group
19922 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
19926 Gnus can re-send and bounce mail (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
19929 Groups can now have a score, and bubbling based on entry frequency
19930 is possible (@pxref{Group Score}).
19933 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-exit-hook 'gnus-summary-bubble-group)
19937 Groups can be process-marked, and commands can be performed on
19938 groups of groups (@pxref{Marking Groups}).
19941 Caching is possible in virtual groups.
19944 @code{nndoc} now understands all kinds of digests, mail boxes, rnews
19945 news batches, ClariNet briefs collections, and just about everything
19946 else (@pxref{Document Groups}).
19949 Gnus has a new backend (@code{nnsoup}) to create/read SOUP packets
19953 The Gnus cache is much faster.
19956 Groups can be sorted according to many criteria (@pxref{Sorting
19960 New group parameters have been introduced to set list-addresses and
19961 expiry times (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
19964 All formatting specs allow specifying faces to be used
19965 (@pxref{Formatting Fonts}).
19968 There are several more commands for setting/removing/acting on process
19969 marked articles on the @kbd{M P} submap (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
19972 The summary buffer can be limited to show parts of the available
19973 articles based on a wide range of criteria. These commands have been
19974 bound to keys on the @kbd{/} submap (@pxref{Limiting}).
19977 Articles can be made persistent with the @kbd{*} command
19978 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
19981 All functions for hiding article elements are now toggles.
19984 Article headers can be buttonized (@pxref{Article Washing}).
19987 All mail backends support fetching articles by @code{Message-ID}.
19990 Duplicate mail can now be treated properly (@pxref{Duplicates}).
19993 All summary mode commands are available directly from the article
19994 buffer (@pxref{Article Keymap}).
19997 Frames can be part of @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} (@pxref{Windows
20001 Mail can be re-scanned by a daemonic process (@pxref{Daemons}).
20004 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=tmp/fseptember.ps,height=5cm}]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/fseptember.ps,height=5cm}}
20009 Gnus can make use of NoCeM files to weed out spam (@pxref{NoCeM}).
20012 (setq gnus-use-nocem t)
20016 Groups can be made permanently visible (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
20019 (setq gnus-permanently-visible-groups "^nnml:")
20023 Many new hooks have been introduced to make customizing easier.
20026 Gnus respects the @code{Mail-Copies-To} header.
20029 Threads can be gathered by looking at the @code{References} header
20030 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
20033 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
20034 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
20038 Read articles can be stored in a special backlog buffer to avoid
20039 refetching (@pxref{Article Backlog}).
20042 (setq gnus-keep-backlog 50)
20046 A clean copy of the current article is always stored in a separate
20047 buffer to allow easier treatment.
20050 Gnus can suggest where to save articles (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
20053 Gnus doesn't have to do as much prompting when saving (@pxref{Saving
20057 (setq gnus-prompt-before-saving t)
20061 @code{gnus-uu} can view decoded files asynchronously while fetching
20062 articles (@pxref{Other Decode Variables}).
20065 (setq gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions 'gnus-uu-grab-view)
20069 Filling in the article buffer now works properly on cited text
20070 (@pxref{Article Washing}).
20073 Hiding cited text adds buttons to toggle hiding, and how much
20074 cited text to hide is now customizable (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
20077 (setq gnus-cited-lines-visible 2)
20081 Boring headers can be hidden (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
20084 Default scoring values can now be set from the menu bar.
20087 Further syntax checking of outgoing articles have been added.
20093 @subsubsection Red Gnus
20095 New features in Gnus 5.4/5.5:
20099 \gnusfig{-5.5cm}{-4cm}{\epsfig{figure=tmp/red.ps,height=20cm}}
20106 @file{nntp.el} has been totally rewritten in an asynchronous fashion.
20109 Article prefetching functionality has been moved up into
20110 Gnus (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
20113 Scoring can now be performed with logical operators like @code{and},
20114 @code{or}, @code{not}, and parent redirection (@pxref{Advanced
20118 Article washing status can be displayed in the
20119 article mode line (@pxref{Misc Article}).
20122 @file{gnus.el} has been split into many smaller files.
20125 Suppression of duplicate articles based on Message-ID can be done
20126 (@pxref{Duplicate Suppression}).
20129 (setq gnus-suppress-duplicates t)
20133 New variables for specifying what score and adapt files are to be
20134 considered home score and adapt files (@pxref{Home Score File}) have
20138 @code{nndoc} was rewritten to be easily extendable (@pxref{Document
20139 Server Internals}).
20142 Groups can inherit group parameters from parent topics (@pxref{Topic
20146 Article editing has been revamped and is now actually usable.
20149 Signatures can be recognized in more intelligent fashions
20150 (@pxref{Article Signature}).
20153 Summary pick mode has been made to look more @code{nn}-like. Line
20154 numbers are displayed and the @kbd{.} command can be used to pick
20155 articles (@code{Pick and Read}).
20158 Commands for moving the @file{.newsrc.eld} from one server to
20159 another have been added (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
20162 There's a way now to specify that ``uninteresting'' fields be suppressed
20163 when generating lines in buffers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting}).
20166 Several commands in the group buffer can be undone with @kbd{M-C-_}
20170 Scoring can be done on words using the new score type @code{w}
20171 (@pxref{Score File Format}).
20174 Adaptive scoring can be done on a Subject word-by-word basis
20175 (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
20178 (setq gnus-use-adaptive-scoring '(word))
20182 Scores can be decayed (@pxref{Score Decays}).
20185 (setq gnus-decay-scores t)
20189 Scoring can be performed using a regexp on the Date header. The Date is
20190 normalized to compact ISO 8601 format first (@pxref{Score File Format}).
20193 A new command has been added to remove all data on articles from
20194 the native server (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
20197 A new command for reading collections of documents
20198 (@code{nndoc} with @code{nnvirtual} on top) has been added---@kbd{M-C-d}
20199 (@pxref{Really Various Summary Commands}).
20202 Process mark sets can be pushed and popped (@pxref{Setting Process
20206 A new mail-to-news backend makes it possible to post even when the @sc{nntp}
20207 server doesn't allow posting (@pxref{Mail-To-News Gateways}).
20210 A new backend for reading searches from Web search engines
20211 (@dfn{DejaNews}, @dfn{Alta Vista}, @dfn{InReference}) has been added
20212 (@pxref{Web Searches}).
20215 Groups inside topics can now be sorted using the standard sorting
20216 functions, and each topic can be sorted independently (@pxref{Topic
20220 Subsets of the groups can be sorted independently (@code{Sorting
20224 Cached articles can be pulled into the groups (@pxref{Summary Generation
20228 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=tmp/fred.ps,width=3cm}]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/fred.ps,width=3cm}}
20233 Score files are now applied in a more reliable order (@pxref{Score
20237 Reports on where mail messages end up can be generated (@pxref{Splitting
20241 More hooks and functions have been added to remove junk from incoming
20242 mail before saving the mail (@pxref{Washing Mail}).
20245 Emphasized text can be properly fontisized:
20251 @subsubsection Quassia Gnus
20253 New features in Gnus 5.6:
20258 New functionality for using Gnus as an offline newsreader has been
20259 added. A plethora of new commands and modes have been added. See
20260 @pxref{Gnus Unplugged} for the full story.
20263 The @code{nndraft} backend has returned, but works differently than
20264 before. All Message buffers are now also articles in the @code{nndraft}
20265 group, which is created automatically.
20268 @code{gnus-alter-header-function} can now be used to alter header
20272 @code{gnus-summary-goto-article} now accept Message-ID's.
20275 A new Message command for deleting text in the body of a message
20276 outside the region: @kbd{C-c C-v}.
20279 You can now post to component group in @code{nnvirtual} groups with
20283 @code{nntp-rlogin-program}---new variable to ease customization.
20286 @code{C-u C-c C-c} in @code{gnus-article-edit-mode} will now inhibit
20287 re-highlighting of the article buffer.
20290 New element in @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}---@code{long-to}.
20293 @kbd{M-i} symbolic prefix command. See the section "Symbolic
20294 Prefixes" in the Gnus manual for details.
20297 @kbd{L} and @kbd{I} in the summary buffer now take the symbolic prefix
20298 @kbd{a} to add the score rule to the "all.SCORE" file.
20301 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions} variable to allow greater
20302 control over simplification.
20305 @kbd{A T}---new command for fetching the current thread.
20308 @kbd{/ T}---new command for including the current thread in the
20312 @kbd{M-RET} is a new Message command for breaking cited text.
20315 @samp{\\1}-expressions are now valid in @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
20318 The @code{custom-face-lookup} function has been removed.
20319 If you used this function in your initialization files, you must
20320 rewrite them to use @code{face-spec-set} instead.
20323 Canceling now uses the current select method. Symbolic prefix
20324 @kbd{a} forces normal posting method.
20327 New command to translate M******** sm*rtq**t*s into proper
20331 For easier debugging of @code{nntp}, you can set
20332 @code{nntp-record-commands} to a non-@code{nil} value.
20335 @code{nntp} now uses @file{~/.authinfo}, a @file{.netrc}-like file, for
20336 controlling where and how to send @sc{authinfo} to @sc{nntp} servers.
20339 A command for editing group parameters from the summary buffer
20343 A history of where mails have been split is available.
20346 A new article date command has been added---@code{article-date-iso8601}.
20349 Subjects can be simplified when threading by setting
20350 @code{gnus-score-thread-simplify}.
20353 A new function for citing in Message has been
20354 added---@code{message-cite-original-without-signature}.
20357 @code{article-strip-all-blank-lines}---new article command.
20360 A new Message command to kill to the end of the article has
20364 A minimum adaptive score can be specified by using the
20365 @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} variable.
20368 The "lapsed date" article header can be kept continually
20369 updated by the @code{gnus-start-date-timer} command.
20372 Web listserv archives can be read with the @code{nnlistserv} backend.
20375 Old dejanews archives can now be read by @code{nnweb}.
20379 @node Pterodactyl Gnus
20380 @subsubsection Pterodactyl Gnus
20382 New features in Gnus 5.8:
20386 @item The mail-fetching functions have changed. See the manual for the
20387 many details. In particular, all procmail fetching variables are gone.
20389 If you used procmail like in
20392 (setq nnmail-use-procmail t)
20393 (setq nnmail-spool-file 'procmail)
20394 (setq nnmail-procmail-directory "~/mail/incoming/")
20395 (setq nnmail-procmail-suffix "\\.in")
20398 this now has changed to
20402 '((directory :path "~/mail/incoming/"
20406 More information is available in the info doc at Select Methods ->
20407 Getting Mail -> Mail Sources
20409 @item Gnus is now a MIME-capable reader. This affects many parts of
20410 Gnus, and adds a slew of new commands. See the manual for details.
20412 @item Gnus has also been multilingualized. This also affects too
20413 many parts of Gnus to summarize here, and adds many new variables.
20415 @item @code{gnus-auto-select-first} can now be a function to be
20416 called to position point.
20418 @item The user can now decide which extra headers should be included in
20419 summary buffers and NOV files.
20421 @item @code{gnus-article-display-hook} has been removed. Instead, a number
20422 of variables starting with @code{gnus-treat-} have been added.
20424 @item The Gnus posting styles have been redone again and now works in a
20425 subtly different manner.
20427 @item New web-based backends have been added: @code{nnslashdot},
20428 @code{nnwarchive} and @code{nnultimate}. nnweb has been revamped,
20429 again, to keep up with ever-changing layouts.
20431 @item Gnus can now read IMAP mail via @code{nnimap}.
20439 @section The Manual
20443 This manual was generated from a TeXinfo file and then run through
20444 either @code{texi2dvi}
20446 or my own home-brewed TeXinfo to \LaTeX\ transformer,
20447 and then run through @code{latex} and @code{dvips}
20449 to get what you hold in your hands now.
20451 The following conventions have been used:
20456 This is a @samp{string}
20459 This is a @kbd{keystroke}
20462 This is a @file{file}
20465 This is a @code{symbol}
20469 So if I were to say ``set @code{flargnoze} to @samp{yes}'', that would
20473 (setq flargnoze "yes")
20476 If I say ``set @code{flumphel} to @code{yes}'', that would mean:
20479 (setq flumphel 'yes)
20482 @samp{yes} and @code{yes} are two @emph{very} different things---don't
20483 ever get them confused.
20487 Of course, everything in this manual is of vital interest, so you should
20488 read it all. Several times. However, if you feel like skimming the
20489 manual, look for that gnu head you should see in the margin over
20490 there---it means that what's being discussed is of more importance than
20491 the rest of the stuff. (On the other hand, if everything is infinitely
20492 important, how can anything be more important than that? Just one more
20493 of the mysteries of this world, I guess.)
20499 @node On Writing Manuals
20500 @section On Writing Manuals
20502 I guess most manuals are written after-the-fact; documenting a program
20503 that's already there. This is not how this manual is written. When
20504 implementing something, I write the manual entry for that something
20505 straight away. I then see that it's difficult to explain the
20506 functionality, so I write how it's supposed to be, and then I change the
20507 implementation. Writing the documentation and writing the code goes
20510 This, of course, means that this manual has no, or little, flow. It
20511 documents absolutely everything in Gnus, but often not where you're
20512 looking for it. It is a reference manual, and not a guide to how to get
20515 That would be a totally different book, that should be written using the
20516 reference manual as source material. It would look quite differently.
20521 @section Terminology
20523 @cindex terminology
20528 This is what you are supposed to use this thing for---reading news.
20529 News is generally fetched from a nearby @sc{nntp} server, and is
20530 generally publicly available to everybody. If you post news, the entire
20531 world is likely to read just what you have written, and they'll all
20532 snigger mischievously. Behind your back.
20536 Everything that's delivered to you personally is mail. Some news/mail
20537 readers (like Gnus) blur the distinction between mail and news, but
20538 there is a difference. Mail is private. News is public. Mailing is
20539 not posting, and replying is not following up.
20543 Send a mail to the person who has written what you are reading.
20547 Post an article to the current newsgroup responding to the article you
20552 Gnus gets fed articles from a number of backends, both news and mail
20553 backends. Gnus does not handle the underlying media, so to speak---this
20554 is all done by the backends.
20558 Gnus will always use one method (and backend) as the @dfn{native}, or
20559 default, way of getting news.
20563 You can also have any number of foreign groups active at the same time.
20564 These are groups that use non-native non-secondary backends for getting
20569 Secondary backends are somewhere half-way between being native and being
20570 foreign, but they mostly act like they are native.
20574 A message that has been posted as news.
20577 @cindex mail message
20578 A message that has been mailed.
20582 A mail message or news article
20586 The top part of a message, where administrative information (etc.) is
20591 The rest of an article. Everything not in the head is in the
20596 A line from the head of an article.
20600 A collection of such lines, or a collection of heads. Or even a
20601 collection of @sc{nov} lines.
20605 When Gnus enters a group, it asks the backend for the headers of all
20606 unread articles in the group. Most servers support the News OverView
20607 format, which is more compact and much faster to read and parse than the
20608 normal @sc{head} format.
20612 Each group is subscribed at some @dfn{level} or other (1-9). The ones
20613 that have a lower level are ``more'' subscribed than the groups with a
20614 higher level. In fact, groups on levels 1-5 are considered
20615 @dfn{subscribed}; 6-7 are @dfn{unsubscribed}; 8 are @dfn{zombies}; and 9
20616 are @dfn{killed}. Commands for listing groups and scanning for new
20617 articles will all use the numeric prefix as @dfn{working level}.
20619 @item killed groups
20620 @cindex killed groups
20621 No information on killed groups is stored or updated, which makes killed
20622 groups much easier to handle than subscribed groups.
20624 @item zombie groups
20625 @cindex zombie groups
20626 Just like killed groups, only slightly less dead.
20629 @cindex active file
20630 The news server has to keep track of what articles it carries, and what
20631 groups exist. All this information in stored in the active file, which
20632 is rather large, as you might surmise.
20635 @cindex bogus groups
20636 A group that exists in the @file{.newsrc} file, but isn't known to the
20637 server (i.e., it isn't in the active file), is a @emph{bogus group}.
20638 This means that the group probably doesn't exist (any more).
20641 @cindex activating groups
20642 The act of asking the server for info on a group and computing the
20643 number of unread articles is called @dfn{activating the group}.
20644 Un-activated groups are listed with @samp{*} in the group buffer.
20648 A machine one can connect to and get news (or mail) from.
20650 @item select method
20651 @cindex select method
20652 A structure that specifies the backend, the server and the virtual
20655 @item virtual server
20656 @cindex virtual server
20657 A named select method. Since a select method defines all there is to
20658 know about connecting to a (physical) server, taking the thing as a
20659 whole is a virtual server.
20663 Taking a buffer and running it through a filter of some sort. The
20664 result will (more often than not) be cleaner and more pleasing than the
20667 @item ephemeral groups
20668 @cindex ephemeral groups
20669 Most groups store data on what articles you have read. @dfn{Ephemeral}
20670 groups are groups that will have no data stored---when you exit the
20671 group, it'll disappear into the aether.
20674 @cindex solid groups
20675 This is the opposite of ephemeral groups. All groups listed in the
20676 group buffer are solid groups.
20678 @item sparse articles
20679 @cindex sparse articles
20680 These are article placeholders shown in the summary buffer when
20681 @code{gnus-build-sparse-threads} has been switched on.
20685 To put responses to articles directly after the articles they respond
20686 to---in a hierarchical fashion.
20690 @cindex thread root
20691 The first article in a thread is the root. It is the ancestor of all
20692 articles in the thread.
20696 An article that has responses.
20700 An article that responds to a different article---its parent.
20704 A collection of messages in one file. The most common digest format is
20705 specified by RFC 1153.
20711 @node Customization
20712 @section Customization
20713 @cindex general customization
20715 All variables are properly documented elsewhere in this manual. This
20716 section is designed to give general pointers on how to customize Gnus
20717 for some quite common situations.
20720 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
20721 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
20722 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
20723 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
20727 @node Slow/Expensive Connection
20728 @subsection Slow/Expensive @sc{nntp} Connection
20730 If you run Emacs on a machine locally, and get your news from a machine
20731 over some very thin strings, you want to cut down on the amount of data
20732 Gnus has to get from the @sc{nntp} server.
20736 @item gnus-read-active-file
20737 Set this to @code{nil}, which will inhibit Gnus from requesting the
20738 entire active file from the server. This file is often v. large. You
20739 also have to set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
20740 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make sure that Gnus
20741 doesn't suddenly decide to fetch the active file anyway.
20743 @item gnus-nov-is-evil
20744 This one has to be @code{nil}. If not, grabbing article headers from
20745 the @sc{nntp} server will not be very fast. Not all @sc{nntp} servers
20746 support @sc{xover}; Gnus will detect this by itself.
20750 @node Slow Terminal Connection
20751 @subsection Slow Terminal Connection
20753 Let's say you use your home computer for dialing up the system that runs
20754 Emacs and Gnus. If your modem is slow, you want to reduce (as much as
20755 possible) the amount of data sent over the wires.
20759 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
20760 Set this to @code{nil} to inhibit Gnus from re-centering the summary
20761 buffer all the time. If it is @code{vertical}, do only vertical
20762 re-centering. If it is neither @code{nil} nor @code{vertical}, do both
20763 horizontal and vertical recentering.
20765 @item gnus-visible-headers
20766 Cut down on the headers included in the articles to the
20767 minimum. You can, in fact, make do without them altogether---most of the
20768 useful data is in the summary buffer, anyway. Set this variable to
20769 @samp{^NEVVVVER} or @samp{From:}, or whatever you feel you need.
20771 Set this hook to all the available hiding commands:
20773 (setq gnus-treat-hide-headers 'head
20774 gnus-treat-hide-signature t
20775 gnus-treat-hide-citation t)
20778 @item gnus-use-full-window
20779 By setting this to @code{nil}, you can make all the windows smaller.
20780 While this doesn't really cut down much generally, it means that you
20781 have to see smaller portions of articles before deciding that you didn't
20782 want to read them anyway.
20784 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
20785 If this is non-@code{nil}, all threads in the summary buffer will be
20788 @item gnus-updated-mode-lines
20789 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not put information in the buffer mode
20790 lines, which might save some time.
20794 @node Little Disk Space
20795 @subsection Little Disk Space
20798 The startup files can get rather large, so you may want to cut their
20799 sizes a bit if you are running out of space.
20803 @item gnus-save-newsrc-file
20804 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never save @file{.newsrc}---it will
20805 only save @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
20806 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
20809 @item gnus-read-newsrc-file
20810 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never read @file{.newsrc}---it will
20811 only read @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
20812 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
20815 @item gnus-save-killed-list
20816 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not save the list of dead groups. You
20817 should also set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{ask-server}
20818 and @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} if you set this
20819 variable to @code{nil}. This variable is @code{t} by default.
20825 @subsection Slow Machine
20826 @cindex slow machine
20828 If you have a slow machine, or are just really impatient, there are a
20829 few things you can do to make Gnus run faster.
20831 Set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
20832 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make startup faster.
20834 Set @code{gnus-show-threads}, @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} and
20835 @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{nil} to make entering and exiting the
20836 summary buffer faster.
20840 @node Troubleshooting
20841 @section Troubleshooting
20842 @cindex troubleshooting
20844 Gnus works @emph{so} well straight out of the box---I can't imagine any
20852 Make sure your computer is switched on.
20855 Make sure that you really load the current Gnus version. If you have
20856 been running @sc{gnus}, you need to exit Emacs and start it up again before
20860 Try doing an @kbd{M-x gnus-version}. If you get something that looks
20861 like @samp{Gnus v5.46; nntp 4.0} you have the right files loaded. If,
20862 on the other hand, you get something like @samp{NNTP 3.x} or @samp{nntp
20863 flee}, you have some old @file{.el} files lying around. Delete these.
20866 Read the help group (@kbd{G h} in the group buffer) for a FAQ and a
20870 @vindex max-lisp-eval-depth
20871 Gnus works on many recursive structures, and in some extreme (and very
20872 rare) cases Gnus may recurse down ``too deeply'' and Emacs will beep at
20873 you. If this happens to you, set @code{max-lisp-eval-depth} to 500 or
20874 something like that.
20877 If all else fails, report the problem as a bug.
20880 @cindex reporting bugs
20882 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
20884 If you find a bug in Gnus, you can report it with the @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}
20885 command. @kbd{M-x set-variable RET debug-on-error RET t RET}, and send
20886 me the backtrace. I will fix bugs, but I can only fix them if you send
20887 me a precise description as to how to reproduce the bug.
20889 You really can never be too detailed in a bug report. Always use the
20890 @kbd{M-x gnus-bug} command when you make bug reports, even if it creates
20891 a 10Kb mail each time you use it, and even if you have sent me your
20892 environment 500 times before. I don't care. I want the full info each
20895 It is also important to remember that I have no memory whatsoever. If
20896 you send a bug report, and I send you a reply, and then you just send
20897 back ``No, it's not! Moron!'', I will have no idea what you are
20898 insulting me about. Always over-explain everything. It's much easier
20899 for all of us---if I don't have all the information I need, I will just
20900 mail you and ask for more info, and everything takes more time.
20902 If the problem you're seeing is very visual, and you can't quite explain
20903 it, copy the Emacs window to a file (with @code{xwd}, for instance), put
20904 it somewhere it can be reached, and include the URL of the picture in
20907 If you just need help, you are better off asking on
20908 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}. I'm not very helpful.
20910 @cindex gnu.emacs.gnus
20911 @cindex ding mailing list
20912 You can also ask on the ding mailing list---@samp{ding@@gnus.org}.
20913 Write to @samp{ding-request@@gnus.org} to subscribe.
20917 @node Gnus Reference Guide
20918 @section Gnus Reference Guide
20920 It is my hope that other people will figure out smart stuff that Gnus
20921 can do, and that other people will write those smart things as well. To
20922 facilitate that I thought it would be a good idea to describe the inner
20923 workings of Gnus. And some of the not-so-inner workings, while I'm at
20926 You can never expect the internals of a program not to change, but I
20927 will be defining (in some details) the interface between Gnus and its
20928 backends (this is written in stone), the format of the score files
20929 (ditto), data structures (some are less likely to change than others)
20930 and general methods of operation.
20933 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
20934 * Backend Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
20935 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
20936 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
20937 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
20938 * Group Info:: The group info format.
20939 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
20940 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
20941 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
20945 @node Gnus Utility Functions
20946 @subsection Gnus Utility Functions
20947 @cindex Gnus utility functions
20948 @cindex utility functions
20950 @cindex internal variables
20952 When writing small functions to be run from hooks (and stuff), it's
20953 vital to have access to the Gnus internal functions and variables.
20954 Below is a list of the most common ones.
20958 @item gnus-newsgroup-name
20959 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-name
20960 This variable holds the name of the current newsgroup.
20962 @item gnus-find-method-for-group
20963 @findex gnus-find-method-for-group
20964 A function that returns the select method for @var{group}.
20966 @item gnus-group-real-name
20967 @findex gnus-group-real-name
20968 Takes a full (prefixed) Gnus group name, and returns the unprefixed
20971 @item gnus-group-prefixed-name
20972 @findex gnus-group-prefixed-name
20973 Takes an unprefixed group name and a select method, and returns the full
20974 (prefixed) Gnus group name.
20976 @item gnus-get-info
20977 @findex gnus-get-info
20978 Returns the group info list for @var{group}.
20980 @item gnus-group-unread
20981 @findex gnus-group-unread
20982 The number of unread articles in @var{group}, or @code{t} if that is
20986 @findex gnus-active
20987 The active entry for @var{group}.
20989 @item gnus-set-active
20990 @findex gnus-set-active
20991 Set the active entry for @var{group}.
20993 @item gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
20994 @findex gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
20995 Adds the current buffer to the list of buffers to be killed on Gnus
20998 @item gnus-continuum-version
20999 @findex gnus-continuum-version
21000 Takes a Gnus version string as a parameter and returns a floating point
21001 number. Earlier versions will always get a lower number than later
21004 @item gnus-group-read-only-p
21005 @findex gnus-group-read-only-p
21006 Says whether @var{group} is read-only or not.
21008 @item gnus-news-group-p
21009 @findex gnus-news-group-p
21010 Says whether @var{group} came from a news backend.
21012 @item gnus-ephemeral-group-p
21013 @findex gnus-ephemeral-group-p
21014 Says whether @var{group} is ephemeral or not.
21016 @item gnus-server-to-method
21017 @findex gnus-server-to-method
21018 Returns the select method corresponding to @var{server}.
21020 @item gnus-server-equal
21021 @findex gnus-server-equal
21022 Says whether two virtual servers are equal.
21024 @item gnus-group-native-p
21025 @findex gnus-group-native-p
21026 Says whether @var{group} is native or not.
21028 @item gnus-group-secondary-p
21029 @findex gnus-group-secondary-p
21030 Says whether @var{group} is secondary or not.
21032 @item gnus-group-foreign-p
21033 @findex gnus-group-foreign-p
21034 Says whether @var{group} is foreign or not.
21036 @item group-group-find-parameter
21037 @findex group-group-find-parameter
21038 Returns the parameter list of @var{group}. If given a second parameter,
21039 returns the value of that parameter for @var{group}.
21041 @item gnus-group-set-parameter
21042 @findex gnus-group-set-parameter
21043 Takes three parameters; @var{group}, @var{parameter} and @var{value}.
21045 @item gnus-narrow-to-body
21046 @findex gnus-narrow-to-body
21047 Narrows the current buffer to the body of the article.
21049 @item gnus-check-backend-function
21050 @findex gnus-check-backend-function
21051 Takes two parameters, @var{function} and @var{group}. If the backend
21052 @var{group} comes from supports @var{function}, return non-@code{nil}.
21055 (gnus-check-backend-function "request-scan" "nnml:misc")
21059 @item gnus-read-method
21060 @findex gnus-read-method
21061 Prompts the user for a select method.
21066 @node Backend Interface
21067 @subsection Backend Interface
21069 Gnus doesn't know anything about @sc{nntp}, spools, mail or virtual
21070 groups. It only knows how to talk to @dfn{virtual servers}. A virtual
21071 server is a @dfn{backend} and some @dfn{backend variables}. As examples
21072 of the first, we have @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and @code{nnmbox}. As
21073 examples of the latter we have @code{nntp-port-number} and
21074 @code{nnmbox-directory}.
21076 When Gnus asks for information from a backend---say @code{nntp}---on
21077 something, it will normally include a virtual server name in the
21078 function parameters. (If not, the backend should use the ``current''
21079 virtual server.) For instance, @code{nntp-request-list} takes a virtual
21080 server as its only (optional) parameter. If this virtual server hasn't
21081 been opened, the function should fail.
21083 Note that a virtual server name has no relation to some physical server
21084 name. Take this example:
21088 (nntp-address "ifi.uio.no")
21089 (nntp-port-number 4324))
21092 Here the virtual server name is @samp{odd-one} while the name of
21093 the physical server is @samp{ifi.uio.no}.
21095 The backends should be able to switch between several virtual servers.
21096 The standard backends implement this by keeping an alist of virtual
21097 server environments that they pull down/push up when needed.
21099 There are two groups of interface functions: @dfn{required functions},
21100 which must be present, and @dfn{optional functions}, which Gnus will
21101 always check for presence before attempting to call 'em.
21103 All these functions are expected to return data in the buffer
21104 @code{nntp-server-buffer} (@samp{ *nntpd*}), which is somewhat
21105 unfortunately named, but we'll have to live with it. When I talk about
21106 @dfn{resulting data}, I always refer to the data in that buffer. When I
21107 talk about @dfn{return value}, I talk about the function value returned by
21108 the function call. Functions that fail should return @code{nil} as the
21111 Some backends could be said to be @dfn{server-forming} backends, and
21112 some might be said not to be. The latter are backends that generally
21113 only operate on one group at a time, and have no concept of ``server''
21114 -- they have a group, and they deliver info on that group and nothing
21117 In the examples and definitions I will refer to the imaginary backend
21120 @cindex @code{nnchoke}
21123 * Required Backend Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
21124 * Optional Backend Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
21125 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
21126 * Writing New Backends:: Extending old backends.
21127 * Hooking New Backends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
21128 * Mail-like Backends:: Some tips on mail backends.
21132 @node Required Backend Functions
21133 @subsubsection Required Backend Functions
21137 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-headers ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FETCH-OLD)
21139 @var{articles} is either a range of article numbers or a list of
21140 @code{Message-ID}s. Current backends do not fully support either---only
21141 sequences (lists) of article numbers, and most backends do not support
21142 retrieval of @code{Message-ID}s. But they should try for both.
21144 The result data should either be HEADs or NOV lines, and the result
21145 value should either be @code{headers} or @code{nov} to reflect this.
21146 This might later be expanded to @code{various}, which will be a mixture
21147 of HEADs and NOV lines, but this is currently not supported by Gnus.
21149 If @var{fetch-old} is non-@code{nil} it says to try fetching "extra
21150 headers", in some meaning of the word. This is generally done by
21151 fetching (at most) @var{fetch-old} extra headers less than the smallest
21152 article number in @code{articles}, and filling the gaps as well. The
21153 presence of this parameter can be ignored if the backend finds it
21154 cumbersome to follow the request. If this is non-@code{nil} and not a
21155 number, do maximum fetches.
21157 Here's an example HEAD:
21160 221 1056 Article retrieved.
21161 Path: ifi.uio.no!sturles
21162 From: sturles@@ifi.uio.no (Sturle Sunde)
21163 Newsgroups: ifi.discussion
21164 Subject: Re: Something very droll
21165 Date: 27 Oct 1994 14:02:57 +0100
21166 Organization: Dept. of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway
21168 Message-ID: <38o8e1$a0o@@holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no>
21169 References: <38jdmq$4qu@@visbur.ifi.uio.no>
21170 NNTP-Posting-Host: holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no
21174 So a @code{headers} return value would imply that there's a number of
21175 these in the data buffer.
21177 Here's a BNF definition of such a buffer:
21181 head = error / valid-head
21182 error-message = [ "4" / "5" ] 2number " " <error message> eol
21183 valid-head = valid-message *header "." eol
21184 valid-message = "221 " <number> " Article retrieved." eol
21185 header = <text> eol
21188 If the return value is @code{nov}, the data buffer should contain
21189 @dfn{network overview database} lines. These are basically fields
21193 nov-buffer = *nov-line
21194 nov-line = 8*9 [ field <TAB> ] eol
21195 field = <text except TAB>
21198 For a closer look at what should be in those fields,
21202 @item (nnchoke-open-server SERVER &optional DEFINITIONS)
21204 @var{server} is here the virtual server name. @var{definitions} is a
21205 list of @code{(VARIABLE VALUE)} pairs that define this virtual server.
21207 If the server can't be opened, no error should be signaled. The backend
21208 may then choose to refuse further attempts at connecting to this
21209 server. In fact, it should do so.
21211 If the server is opened already, this function should return a
21212 non-@code{nil} value. There should be no data returned.
21215 @item (nnchoke-close-server &optional SERVER)
21217 Close connection to @var{server} and free all resources connected
21218 to it. Return @code{nil} if the server couldn't be closed for some
21221 There should be no data returned.
21224 @item (nnchoke-request-close)
21226 Close connection to all servers and free all resources that the backend
21227 have reserved. All buffers that have been created by that backend
21228 should be killed. (Not the @code{nntp-server-buffer}, though.) This
21229 function is generally only called when Gnus is shutting down.
21231 There should be no data returned.
21234 @item (nnchoke-server-opened &optional SERVER)
21236 If @var{server} is the current virtual server, and the connection to the
21237 physical server is alive, then this function should return a
21238 non-@code{nil} vlue. This function should under no circumstances
21239 attempt to reconnect to a server we have lost connection to.
21241 There should be no data returned.
21244 @item (nnchoke-status-message &optional SERVER)
21246 This function should return the last error message from @var{server}.
21248 There should be no data returned.
21251 @item (nnchoke-request-article ARTICLE &optional GROUP SERVER TO-BUFFER)
21253 The result data from this function should be the article specified by
21254 @var{article}. This might either be a @code{Message-ID} or a number.
21255 It is optional whether to implement retrieval by @code{Message-ID}, but
21256 it would be nice if that were possible.
21258 If @var{to-buffer} is non-@code{nil}, the result data should be returned
21259 in this buffer instead of the normal data buffer. This is to make it
21260 possible to avoid copying large amounts of data from one buffer to
21261 another, while Gnus mainly requests articles to be inserted directly
21262 into its article buffer.
21264 If it is at all possible, this function should return a cons cell where
21265 the @code{car} is the group name the article was fetched from, and the @code{cdr} is
21266 the article number. This will enable Gnus to find out what the real
21267 group and article numbers are when fetching articles by
21268 @code{Message-ID}. If this isn't possible, @code{t} should be returned
21269 on successful article retrieval.
21272 @item (nnchoke-request-group GROUP &optional SERVER FAST)
21274 Get data on @var{group}. This function also has the side effect of
21275 making @var{group} the current group.
21277 If @var{fast}, don't bother to return useful data, just make @var{group}
21280 Here's an example of some result data and a definition of the same:
21283 211 56 1000 1059 ifi.discussion
21286 The first number is the status, which should be 211. Next is the
21287 total number of articles in the group, the lowest article number, the
21288 highest article number, and finally the group name. Note that the total
21289 number of articles may be less than one might think while just
21290 considering the highest and lowest article numbers, but some articles
21291 may have been canceled. Gnus just discards the total-number, so
21292 whether one should take the bother to generate it properly (if that is a
21293 problem) is left as an exercise to the reader.
21296 group-status = [ error / info ] eol
21297 error = [ "4" / "5" ] 2<number> " " <Error message>
21298 info = "211 " 3* [ <number> " " ] <string>
21302 @item (nnchoke-close-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
21304 Close @var{group} and free any resources connected to it. This will be
21305 a no-op on most backends.
21307 There should be no data returned.
21310 @item (nnchoke-request-list &optional SERVER)
21312 Return a list of all groups available on @var{server}. And that means
21315 Here's an example from a server that only carries two groups:
21318 ifi.test 0000002200 0000002000 y
21319 ifi.discussion 3324 3300 n
21322 On each line we have a group name, then the highest article number in
21323 that group, the lowest article number, and finally a flag.
21326 active-file = *active-line
21327 active-line = name " " <number> " " <number> " " flags eol
21329 flags = "n" / "y" / "m" / "x" / "j" / "=" name
21332 The flag says whether the group is read-only (@samp{n}), is moderated
21333 (@samp{m}), is dead (@samp{x}), is aliased to some other group
21334 (@samp{=other-group}) or none of the above (@samp{y}).
21337 @item (nnchoke-request-post &optional SERVER)
21339 This function should post the current buffer. It might return whether
21340 the posting was successful or not, but that's not required. If, for
21341 instance, the posting is done asynchronously, it has generally not been
21342 completed by the time this function concludes. In that case, this
21343 function should set up some kind of sentinel to beep the user loud and
21344 clear if the posting could not be completed.
21346 There should be no result data from this function.
21351 @node Optional Backend Functions
21352 @subsubsection Optional Backend Functions
21356 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-groups GROUPS &optional SERVER)
21358 @var{groups} is a list of groups, and this function should request data
21359 on all those groups. How it does it is of no concern to Gnus, but it
21360 should attempt to do this in a speedy fashion.
21362 The return value of this function can be either @code{active} or
21363 @code{group}, which says what the format of the result data is. The
21364 former is in the same format as the data from
21365 @code{nnchoke-request-list}, while the latter is a buffer full of lines
21366 in the same format as @code{nnchoke-request-group} gives.
21369 group-buffer = *active-line / *group-status
21373 @item (nnchoke-request-update-info GROUP INFO &optional SERVER)
21375 A Gnus group info (@pxref{Group Info}) is handed to the backend for
21376 alterations. This comes in handy if the backend really carries all the
21377 information (as is the case with virtual and imap groups). This
21378 function should destructively alter the info to suit its needs, and
21379 should return the (altered) group info.
21381 There should be no result data from this function.
21384 @item (nnchoke-request-type GROUP &optional ARTICLE)
21386 When the user issues commands for ``sending news'' (@kbd{F} in the
21387 summary buffer, for instance), Gnus has to know whether the article the
21388 user is following up on is news or mail. This function should return
21389 @code{news} if @var{article} in @var{group} is news, @code{mail} if it
21390 is mail and @code{unknown} if the type can't be decided. (The
21391 @var{article} parameter is necessary in @code{nnvirtual} groups which
21392 might very well combine mail groups and news groups.) Both @var{group}
21393 and @var{article} may be @code{nil}.
21395 There should be no result data from this function.
21398 @item (nnchoke-request-set-mark GROUP ACTION &optional SERVER)
21400 Set/remove/add marks on articles. Normally Gnus handles the article
21401 marks (such as read, ticked, expired etc) internally, and store them in
21402 @code{~/.newsrc.eld}. Some backends (such as @sc{imap}) however carry
21403 all information about the articles on the server, so Gnus need to
21404 propagate the mark information to the server.
21406 ACTION is a list of mark setting requests, having this format:
21409 (RANGE ACTION MARK)
21412 RANGE is a range of articles you wish to update marks on. ACTION is
21413 @code{set}, @code{add} or @code{del}, respectively used for removing all
21414 existing marks and setting them as specified, adding (preserving the
21415 marks not mentioned) mark and removing (preserving the marks not
21416 mentioned) marks. MARK is a list of marks; where each mark is a symbol.
21417 Currently used marks are @code{read}, @code{tick}, @code{reply},
21418 @code{expire}, @code{killed}, @code{dormant}, @code{save},
21419 @code{download} and @code{unsend}, but your backend should, if possible,
21420 not limit itself to these.
21422 Given contradictory actions, the last action in the list should be the
21423 effective one. That is, if your action contains a request to add the
21424 @code{tick} mark on article 1 and, later in the list, a request to
21425 remove the mark on the same article, the mark should in fact be removed.
21427 An example action list:
21430 (((5 12 30) 'del '(tick))
21431 ((10 . 90) 'add '(read expire))
21432 ((92 94) 'del '(read)))
21435 The function should return a range of articles it wasn't able to set the
21436 mark on (currently not used for anything).
21438 There should be no result data from this function.
21440 @item (nnchoke-request-update-mark GROUP ARTICLE MARK)
21442 If the user tries to set a mark that the backend doesn't like, this
21443 function may change the mark. Gnus will use whatever this function
21444 returns as the mark for @var{article} instead of the original
21445 @var{mark}. If the backend doesn't care, it must return the original
21446 @var{mark}, and not @code{nil} or any other type of garbage.
21448 The only use for this I can see is what @code{nnvirtual} does with
21449 it---if a component group is auto-expirable, marking an article as read
21450 in the virtual group should result in the article being marked as
21453 There should be no result data from this function.
21456 @item (nnchoke-request-scan &optional GROUP SERVER)
21458 This function may be called at any time (by Gnus or anything else) to
21459 request that the backend check for incoming articles, in one way or
21460 another. A mail backend will typically read the spool file or query the
21461 POP server when this function is invoked. The @var{group} doesn't have
21462 to be heeded---if the backend decides that it is too much work just
21463 scanning for a single group, it may do a total scan of all groups. It
21464 would be nice, however, to keep things local if that's practical.
21466 There should be no result data from this function.
21469 @item (nnchoke-request-group-description GROUP &optional SERVER)
21471 The result data from this function should be a description of
21475 description-line = name <TAB> description eol
21477 description = <text>
21480 @item (nnchoke-request-list-newsgroups &optional SERVER)
21482 The result data from this function should be the description of all
21483 groups available on the server.
21486 description-buffer = *description-line
21490 @item (nnchoke-request-newgroups DATE &optional SERVER)
21492 The result data from this function should be all groups that were
21493 created after @samp{date}, which is in normal human-readable date
21494 format. The data should be in the active buffer format.
21497 @item (nnchoke-request-create-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
21499 This function should create an empty group with name @var{group}.
21501 There should be no return data.
21504 @item (nnchoke-request-expire-articles ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FORCE)
21506 This function should run the expiry process on all articles in the
21507 @var{articles} range (which is currently a simple list of article
21508 numbers.) It is left up to the backend to decide how old articles
21509 should be before they are removed by this function. If @var{force} is
21510 non-@code{nil}, all @var{articles} should be deleted, no matter how new
21513 This function should return a list of articles that it did not/was not
21516 There should be no result data returned.
21519 @item (nnchoke-request-move-article ARTICLE GROUP SERVER ACCEPT-FORM
21522 This function should move @var{article} (which is a number) from
21523 @var{group} by calling @var{accept-form}.
21525 This function should ready the article in question for moving by
21526 removing any header lines it has added to the article, and generally
21527 should ``tidy up'' the article. Then it should @code{eval}
21528 @var{accept-form} in the buffer where the ``tidy'' article is. This
21529 will do the actual copying. If this @code{eval} returns a
21530 non-@code{nil} value, the article should be removed.
21532 If @var{last} is @code{nil}, that means that there is a high likelihood
21533 that there will be more requests issued shortly, so that allows some
21536 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
21537 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
21539 There should be no data returned.
21542 @item (nnchoke-request-accept-article GROUP &optional SERVER LAST)
21544 This function takes the current buffer and inserts it into @var{group}.
21545 If @var{last} in @code{nil}, that means that there will be more calls to
21546 this function in short order.
21548 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
21549 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
21551 There should be no data returned.
21554 @item (nnchoke-request-replace-article ARTICLE GROUP BUFFER)
21556 This function should remove @var{article} (which is a number) from
21557 @var{group} and insert @var{buffer} there instead.
21559 There should be no data returned.
21562 @item (nnchoke-request-delete-group GROUP FORCE &optional SERVER)
21564 This function should delete @var{group}. If @var{force}, it should
21565 really delete all the articles in the group, and then delete the group
21566 itself. (If there is such a thing as ``the group itself''.)
21568 There should be no data returned.
21571 @item (nnchoke-request-rename-group GROUP NEW-NAME &optional SERVER)
21573 This function should rename @var{group} into @var{new-name}. All
21574 articles in @var{group} should move to @var{new-name}.
21576 There should be no data returned.
21581 @node Error Messaging
21582 @subsubsection Error Messaging
21584 @findex nnheader-report
21585 @findex nnheader-get-report
21586 The backends should use the function @code{nnheader-report} to report
21587 error conditions---they should not raise errors when they aren't able to
21588 perform a request. The first argument to this function is the backend
21589 symbol, and the rest are interpreted as arguments to @code{format} if
21590 there are multiple of them, or just a string if there is one of them.
21591 This function must always returns @code{nil}.
21594 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "You did something totally bogus")
21596 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "Could not request group %s" group)
21599 Gnus, in turn, will call @code{nnheader-get-report} when it gets a
21600 @code{nil} back from a server, and this function returns the most
21601 recently reported message for the backend in question. This function
21602 takes one argument---the server symbol.
21604 Internally, these functions access @var{backend}@code{-status-string},
21605 so the @code{nnchoke} backend will have its error message stored in
21606 @code{nnchoke-status-string}.
21609 @node Writing New Backends
21610 @subsubsection Writing New Backends
21612 Many backends are quite similar. @code{nnml} is just like
21613 @code{nnspool}, but it allows you to edit the articles on the server.
21614 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, but it doesn't use an active file,
21615 and it doesn't maintain overview databases. @code{nndir} is just like
21616 @code{nnml}, but it has no concept of ``groups'', and it doesn't allow
21619 It would make sense if it were possible to ``inherit'' functions from
21620 backends when writing new backends. And, indeed, you can do that if you
21621 want to. (You don't have to if you don't want to, of course.)
21623 All the backends declare their public variables and functions by using a
21624 package called @code{nnoo}.
21626 To inherit functions from other backends (and allow other backends to
21627 inherit functions from the current backend), you should use the
21633 This macro declares the first parameter to be a child of the subsequent
21634 parameters. For instance:
21637 (nnoo-declare nndir
21641 @code{nndir} has declared here that it intends to inherit functions from
21642 both @code{nnml} and @code{nnmh}.
21645 This macro is equivalent to @code{defvar}, but registers the variable as
21646 a public server variable. Most state-oriented variables should be
21647 declared with @code{defvoo} instead of @code{defvar}.
21649 In addition to the normal @code{defvar} parameters, it takes a list of
21650 variables in the parent backends to map the variable to when executing
21651 a function in those backends.
21654 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
21655 "Where nndir will look for groups."
21656 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
21659 This means that @code{nnml-current-directory} will be set to
21660 @code{nndir-directory} when an @code{nnml} function is called on behalf
21661 of @code{nndir}. (The same with @code{nnmh}.)
21663 @item nnoo-define-basics
21664 This macro defines some common functions that almost all backends should
21668 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
21672 This macro is just like @code{defun} and takes the same parameters. In
21673 addition to doing the normal @code{defun} things, it registers the
21674 function as being public so that other backends can inherit it.
21676 @item nnoo-map-functions
21677 This macro allows mapping of functions from the current backend to
21678 functions from the parent backends.
21681 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
21682 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
21683 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0))
21686 This means that when @code{nndir-retrieve-headers} is called, the first,
21687 third, and fourth parameters will be passed on to
21688 @code{nnml-retrieve-headers}, while the second parameter is set to the
21689 value of @code{nndir-current-group}.
21692 This macro allows importing functions from backends. It should be the
21693 last thing in the source file, since it will only define functions that
21694 haven't already been defined.
21700 nnmh-request-newgroups)
21704 This means that calls to @code{nndir-request-list} should just be passed
21705 on to @code{nnmh-request-list}, while all public functions from
21706 @code{nnml} that haven't been defined in @code{nndir} yet should be
21711 Below is a slightly shortened version of the @code{nndir} backend.
21714 ;;; nndir.el --- single directory newsgroup access for Gnus
21715 ;; Copyright (C) 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
21719 (require 'nnheader)
21723 (eval-when-compile (require 'cl))
21725 (nnoo-declare nndir
21728 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
21729 "Where nndir will look for groups."
21730 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
21732 (defvoo nndir-nov-is-evil nil
21733 "*Non-nil means that nndir will never retrieve NOV headers."
21736 (defvoo nndir-current-group ""
21738 nnml-current-group nnmh-current-group)
21739 (defvoo nndir-top-directory nil nil nnml-directory nnmh-directory)
21740 (defvoo nndir-get-new-mail nil nil nnml-get-new-mail nnmh-get-new-mail)
21742 (defvoo nndir-status-string "" nil nnmh-status-string)
21743 (defconst nndir-version "nndir 1.0")
21745 ;;; Interface functions.
21747 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
21749 (deffoo nndir-open-server (server &optional defs)
21750 (setq nndir-directory
21751 (or (cadr (assq 'nndir-directory defs))
21753 (unless (assq 'nndir-directory defs)
21754 (push `(nndir-directory ,server) defs))
21755 (push `(nndir-current-group
21756 ,(file-name-nondirectory
21757 (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
21759 (push `(nndir-top-directory
21760 ,(file-name-directory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
21762 (nnoo-change-server 'nndir server defs))
21764 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
21765 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
21766 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
21767 (nnmh-request-group nndir-current-group 0 0)
21768 (nnmh-close-group nndir-current-group 0))
21772 nnmh-status-message
21774 nnmh-request-newgroups))
21780 @node Hooking New Backends Into Gnus
21781 @subsubsection Hooking New Backends Into Gnus
21783 @vindex gnus-valid-select-methods
21784 Having Gnus start using your new backend is rather easy---you just
21785 declare it with the @code{gnus-declare-backend} functions. This will
21786 enter the backend into the @code{gnus-valid-select-methods} variable.
21788 @code{gnus-declare-backend} takes two parameters---the backend name and
21789 an arbitrary number of @dfn{abilities}.
21794 (gnus-declare-backend "nnchoke" 'mail 'respool 'address)
21797 The abilities can be:
21801 This is a mailish backend---followups should (probably) go via mail.
21803 This is a newsish backend---followups should (probably) go via news.
21805 This backend supports both mail and news.
21807 This is neither a post nor mail backend---it's something completely
21810 It supports respooling---or rather, it is able to modify its source
21811 articles and groups.
21813 The name of the server should be in the virtual server name. This is
21814 true for almost all backends.
21815 @item prompt-address
21816 The user should be prompted for an address when doing commands like
21817 @kbd{B} in the group buffer. This is true for backends like
21818 @code{nntp}, but not @code{nnmbox}, for instance.
21822 @node Mail-like Backends
21823 @subsubsection Mail-like Backends
21825 One of the things that separate the mail backends from the rest of the
21826 backends is the heavy dependence by the mail backends on common
21827 functions in @file{nnmail.el}. For instance, here's the definition of
21828 @code{nnml-request-scan}:
21831 (deffoo nnml-request-scan (&optional group server)
21832 (setq nnml-article-file-alist nil)
21833 (nnmail-get-new-mail 'nnml 'nnml-save-nov nnml-directory group))
21836 It simply calls @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} with a few parameters,
21837 and @code{nnmail} takes care of all the moving and splitting of the
21840 This function takes four parameters.
21844 This should be a symbol to designate which backend is responsible for
21847 @item exit-function
21848 This function should be called after the splitting has been performed.
21850 @item temp-directory
21851 Where the temporary files should be stored.
21854 This optional argument should be a group name if the splitting is to be
21855 performed for one group only.
21858 @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} will call @var{backend}@code{-save-mail} to
21859 save each article. @var{backend}@code{-active-number} will be called to
21860 find the article number assigned to this article.
21862 The function also uses the following variables:
21863 @var{backend}@code{-get-new-mail} (to see whether to get new mail for
21864 this backend); and @var{backend}@code{-group-alist} and
21865 @var{backend}@code{-active-file} to generate the new active file.
21866 @var{backend}@code{-group-alist} should be a group-active alist, like
21870 (("a-group" (1 . 10))
21871 ("some-group" (34 . 39)))
21875 @node Score File Syntax
21876 @subsection Score File Syntax
21878 Score files are meant to be easily parseable, but yet extremely
21879 mallable. It was decided that something that had the same read syntax
21880 as an Emacs Lisp list would fit that spec.
21882 Here's a typical score file:
21886 ("win95" -10000 nil s)
21893 BNF definition of a score file:
21896 score-file = "" / "(" *element ")"
21897 element = rule / atom
21898 rule = string-rule / number-rule / date-rule
21899 string-rule = "(" quote string-header quote space *string-match ")"
21900 number-rule = "(" quote number-header quote space *number-match ")"
21901 date-rule = "(" quote date-header quote space *date-match ")"
21903 string-header = "subject" / "from" / "references" / "message-id" /
21904 "xref" / "body" / "head" / "all" / "followup"
21905 number-header = "lines" / "chars"
21906 date-header = "date"
21907 string-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
21908 space date [ "" / [ space string-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
21909 score = "nil" / <integer>
21910 date = "nil" / <natural number>
21911 string-match-t = "nil" / "s" / "substring" / "S" / "Substring" /
21912 "r" / "regex" / "R" / "Regex" /
21913 "e" / "exact" / "E" / "Exact" /
21914 "f" / "fuzzy" / "F" / "Fuzzy"
21915 number-match = "(" <integer> [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
21916 space date [ "" / [ space number-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
21917 number-match-t = "nil" / "=" / "<" / ">" / ">=" / "<="
21918 date-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
21919 space date [ "" / [ space date-match-t ] ] ] ] ")"
21920 date-match-t = "nil" / "at" / "before" / "after"
21921 atom = "(" [ required-atom / optional-atom ] ")"
21922 required-atom = mark / expunge / mark-and-expunge / files /
21923 exclude-files / read-only / touched
21924 optional-atom = adapt / local / eval
21925 mark = "mark" space nil-or-number
21926 nil-or-number = "nil" / <integer>
21927 expunge = "expunge" space nil-or-number
21928 mark-and-expunge = "mark-and-expunge" space nil-or-number
21929 files = "files" *[ space <string> ]
21930 exclude-files = "exclude-files" *[ space <string> ]
21931 read-only = "read-only" [ space "nil" / space "t" ]
21932 adapt = "adapt" [ space "ignore" / space "t" / space adapt-rule ]
21933 adapt-rule = "(" *[ <string> *[ "(" <string> <integer> ")" ] ")"
21934 local = "local" *[ space "(" <string> space <form> ")" ]
21935 eval = "eval" space <form>
21936 space = *[ " " / <TAB> / <NEWLINE> ]
21939 Any unrecognized elements in a score file should be ignored, but not
21942 As you can see, white space is needed, but the type and amount of white
21943 space is irrelevant. This means that formatting of the score file is
21944 left up to the programmer---if it's simpler to just spew it all out on
21945 one looong line, then that's ok.
21947 The meaning of the various atoms are explained elsewhere in this
21948 manual (@pxref{Score File Format}).
21952 @subsection Headers
21954 Internally Gnus uses a format for storing article headers that
21955 corresponds to the @sc{nov} format in a mysterious fashion. One could
21956 almost suspect that the author looked at the @sc{nov} specification and
21957 just shamelessly @emph{stole} the entire thing, and one would be right.
21959 @dfn{Header} is a severely overloaded term. ``Header'' is used in
21960 RFC 1036 to talk about lines in the head of an article (e.g.,
21961 @code{From}). It is used by many people as a synonym for
21962 ``head''---``the header and the body''. (That should be avoided, in my
21963 opinion.) And Gnus uses a format internally that it calls ``header'',
21964 which is what I'm talking about here. This is a 9-element vector,
21965 basically, with each header (ouch) having one slot.
21967 These slots are, in order: @code{number}, @code{subject}, @code{from},
21968 @code{date}, @code{id}, @code{references}, @code{chars}, @code{lines},
21969 @code{xref}, and @code{extra}. There are macros for accessing and
21970 setting these slots---they all have predictable names beginning with
21971 @code{mail-header-} and @code{mail-header-set-}, respectively.
21973 All these slots contain strings, except the @code{extra} slot, which
21974 contains an alist of header/value pairs (@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
21980 @sc{gnus} introduced a concept that I found so useful that I've started
21981 using it a lot and have elaborated on it greatly.
21983 The question is simple: If you have a large amount of objects that are
21984 identified by numbers (say, articles, to take a @emph{wild} example)
21985 that you want to qualify as being ``included'', a normal sequence isn't
21986 very useful. (A 200,000 length sequence is a bit long-winded.)
21988 The solution is as simple as the question: You just collapse the
21992 (1 2 3 4 5 6 10 11 12)
21995 is transformed into
21998 ((1 . 6) (10 . 12))
22001 To avoid having those nasty @samp{(13 . 13)} elements to denote a
22002 lonesome object, a @samp{13} is a valid element:
22005 ((1 . 6) 7 (10 . 12))
22008 This means that comparing two ranges to find out whether they are equal
22009 is slightly tricky:
22012 ((1 . 5) 7 8 (10 . 12))
22018 ((1 . 5) (7 . 8) (10 . 12))
22021 are equal. In fact, any non-descending list is a range:
22027 is a perfectly valid range, although a pretty long-winded one. This is
22034 and is equal to the previous range.
22036 Here's a BNF definition of ranges. Of course, one must remember the
22037 semantic requirement that the numbers are non-descending. (Any number
22038 of repetition of the same number is allowed, but apt to disappear in
22042 range = simple-range / normal-range
22043 simple-range = "(" number " . " number ")"
22044 normal-range = "(" start-contents ")"
22045 contents = "" / simple-range *[ " " contents ] /
22046 number *[ " " contents ]
22049 Gnus currently uses ranges to keep track of read articles and article
22050 marks. I plan on implementing a number of range operators in C if The
22051 Powers That Be are willing to let me. (I haven't asked yet, because I
22052 need to do some more thinking on what operators I need to make life
22053 totally range-based without ever having to convert back to normal
22058 @subsection Group Info
22060 Gnus stores all permanent info on groups in a @dfn{group info} list.
22061 This list is from three to six elements (or more) long and exhaustively
22062 describes the group.
22064 Here are two example group infos; one is a very simple group while the
22065 second is a more complex one:
22068 ("no.group" 5 ((1 . 54324)))
22070 ("nnml:my.mail" 3 ((1 . 5) 9 (20 . 55))
22071 ((tick (15 . 19)) (replied 3 6 (19 . 3)))
22073 ((auto-expire . t) (to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")))
22076 The first element is the @dfn{group name}---as Gnus knows the group,
22077 anyway. The second element is the @dfn{subscription level}, which
22078 normally is a small integer. (It can also be the @dfn{rank}, which is a
22079 cons cell where the @code{car} is the level and the @code{cdr} is the
22080 score.) The third element is a list of ranges of read articles. The
22081 fourth element is a list of lists of article marks of various kinds.
22082 The fifth element is the select method (or virtual server, if you like).
22083 The sixth element is a list of @dfn{group parameters}, which is what
22084 this section is about.
22086 Any of the last three elements may be missing if they are not required.
22087 In fact, the vast majority of groups will normally only have the first
22088 three elements, which saves quite a lot of cons cells.
22090 Here's a BNF definition of the group info format:
22093 info = "(" group space ralevel space read
22094 [ "" / [ space marks-list [ "" / [ space method [ "" /
22095 space parameters ] ] ] ] ] ")"
22096 group = quote <string> quote
22097 ralevel = rank / level
22098 level = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
22099 rank = "(" level "." score ")"
22100 score = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
22102 marks-lists = nil / "(" *marks ")"
22103 marks = "(" <string> range ")"
22104 method = "(" <string> *elisp-forms ")"
22105 parameters = "(" *elisp-forms ")"
22108 Actually that @samp{marks} rule is a fib. A @samp{marks} is a
22109 @samp{<string>} consed on to a @samp{range}, but that's a bitch to say
22112 If you have a Gnus info and want to access the elements, Gnus offers a
22113 series of macros for getting/setting these elements.
22116 @item gnus-info-group
22117 @itemx gnus-info-set-group
22118 @findex gnus-info-group
22119 @findex gnus-info-set-group
22120 Get/set the group name.
22122 @item gnus-info-rank
22123 @itemx gnus-info-set-rank
22124 @findex gnus-info-rank
22125 @findex gnus-info-set-rank
22126 Get/set the group rank (@pxref{Group Score}).
22128 @item gnus-info-level
22129 @itemx gnus-info-set-level
22130 @findex gnus-info-level
22131 @findex gnus-info-set-level
22132 Get/set the group level.
22134 @item gnus-info-score
22135 @itemx gnus-info-set-score
22136 @findex gnus-info-score
22137 @findex gnus-info-set-score
22138 Get/set the group score (@pxref{Group Score}).
22140 @item gnus-info-read
22141 @itemx gnus-info-set-read
22142 @findex gnus-info-read
22143 @findex gnus-info-set-read
22144 Get/set the ranges of read articles.
22146 @item gnus-info-marks
22147 @itemx gnus-info-set-marks
22148 @findex gnus-info-marks
22149 @findex gnus-info-set-marks
22150 Get/set the lists of ranges of marked articles.
22152 @item gnus-info-method
22153 @itemx gnus-info-set-method
22154 @findex gnus-info-method
22155 @findex gnus-info-set-method
22156 Get/set the group select method.
22158 @item gnus-info-params
22159 @itemx gnus-info-set-params
22160 @findex gnus-info-params
22161 @findex gnus-info-set-params
22162 Get/set the group parameters.
22165 All the getter functions take one parameter---the info list. The setter
22166 functions take two parameters---the info list and the new value.
22168 The last three elements in the group info aren't mandatory, so it may be
22169 necessary to extend the group info before setting the element. If this
22170 is necessary, you can just pass on a non-@code{nil} third parameter to
22171 the three final setter functions to have this happen automatically.
22174 @node Extended Interactive
22175 @subsection Extended Interactive
22176 @cindex interactive
22177 @findex gnus-interactive
22179 Gnus extends the standard Emacs @code{interactive} specification
22180 slightly to allow easy use of the symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic
22181 Prefixes}). Here's an example of how this is used:
22184 (defun gnus-summary-increase-score (&optional score symp)
22185 (interactive (gnus-interactive "P\ny"))
22190 The best thing to do would have been to implement
22191 @code{gnus-interactive} as a macro which would have returned an
22192 @code{interactive} form, but this isn't possible since Emacs checks
22193 whether a function is interactive or not by simply doing an @code{assq}
22194 on the lambda form. So, instead we have @code{gnus-interactive}
22195 function that takes a string and returns values that are usable to
22196 @code{interactive}.
22198 This function accepts (almost) all normal @code{interactive} specs, but
22203 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbol
22204 The current symbolic prefix---the @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol}
22208 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbols
22209 A list of the current symbolic prefixes---the
22210 @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol} variable.
22213 The current article number---the @code{gnus-summary-article-number}
22217 The current article header---the @code{gnus-summary-article-header}
22221 The current group name---the @code{gnus-group-group-name}
22227 @node Emacs/XEmacs Code
22228 @subsection Emacs/XEmacs Code
22232 While Gnus runs under Emacs, XEmacs and Mule, I decided that one of the
22233 platforms must be the primary one. I chose Emacs. Not because I don't
22234 like XEmacs or Mule, but because it comes first alphabetically.
22236 This means that Gnus will byte-compile under Emacs with nary a warning,
22237 while XEmacs will pump out gigabytes of warnings while byte-compiling.
22238 As I use byte-compilation warnings to help me root out trivial errors in
22239 Gnus, that's very useful.
22241 I've also consistently used Emacs function interfaces, but have used
22242 Gnusey aliases for the functions. To take an example: Emacs defines a
22243 @code{run-at-time} function while XEmacs defines a @code{start-itimer}
22244 function. I then define a function called @code{gnus-run-at-time} that
22245 takes the same parameters as the Emacs @code{run-at-time}. When running
22246 Gnus under Emacs, the former function is just an alias for the latter.
22247 However, when running under XEmacs, the former is an alias for the
22248 following function:
22251 (defun gnus-xmas-run-at-time (time repeat function &rest args)
22255 (,function ,@@args))
22259 This sort of thing has been done for bunches of functions. Gnus does
22260 not redefine any native Emacs functions while running under XEmacs---it
22261 does this @code{defalias} thing with Gnus equivalents instead. Cleaner
22264 In the cases where the XEmacs function interface was obviously cleaner,
22265 I used it instead. For example @code{gnus-region-active-p} is an alias
22266 for @code{region-active-p} in XEmacs, whereas in Emacs it is a function.
22268 Of course, I could have chosen XEmacs as my native platform and done
22269 mapping functions the other way around. But I didn't. The performance
22270 hit these indirections impose on Gnus under XEmacs should be slight.
22273 @node Various File Formats
22274 @subsection Various File Formats
22277 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
22278 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
22282 @node Active File Format
22283 @subsubsection Active File Format
22285 The active file lists all groups available on the server in
22286 question. It also lists the highest and lowest current article numbers
22289 Here's an excerpt from a typical active file:
22292 soc.motss 296030 293865 y
22293 alt.binaries.pictures.fractals 3922 3913 n
22294 comp.sources.unix 1605 1593 m
22295 comp.binaries.ibm.pc 5097 5089 y
22296 no.general 1000 900 y
22299 Here's a pseudo-BNF definition of this file:
22302 active = *group-line
22303 group-line = group spc high-number spc low-number spc flag <NEWLINE>
22304 group = <non-white-space string>
22306 high-number = <non-negative integer>
22307 low-number = <positive integer>
22308 flag = "y" / "n" / "m" / "j" / "x" / "=" group
22311 For a full description of this file, see the manual pages for
22312 @samp{innd}, in particular @samp{active(5)}.
22315 @node Newsgroups File Format
22316 @subsubsection Newsgroups File Format
22318 The newsgroups file lists groups along with their descriptions. Not all
22319 groups on the server have to be listed, and not all groups in the file
22320 have to exist on the server. The file is meant purely as information to
22323 The format is quite simple; a group name, a tab, and the description.
22324 Here's the definition:
22328 line = group tab description <NEWLINE>
22329 group = <non-white-space string>
22331 description = <string>
22336 @node Emacs for Heathens
22337 @section Emacs for Heathens
22339 Believe it or not, but some people who use Gnus haven't really used
22340 Emacs much before they embarked on their journey on the Gnus Love Boat.
22341 If you are one of those unfortunates whom ``@kbd{M-C-a}'', ``kill the
22342 region'', and ``set @code{gnus-flargblossen} to an alist where the key
22343 is a regexp that is used for matching on the group name'' are magical
22344 phrases with little or no meaning, then this appendix is for you. If
22345 you are already familiar with Emacs, just ignore this and go fondle your
22349 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
22350 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
22355 @subsection Keystrokes
22359 Q: What is an experienced Emacs user?
22362 A: A person who wishes that the terminal had pedals.
22365 Yes, when you use Emacs, you are apt to use the control key, the shift
22366 key and the meta key a lot. This is very annoying to some people
22367 (notably @code{vi}le users), and the rest of us just love the hell out
22368 of it. Just give up and submit. Emacs really does stand for
22369 ``Escape-Meta-Alt-Control-Shift'', and not ``Editing Macros'', as you
22370 may have heard from other disreputable sources (like the Emacs author).
22372 The shift keys are normally located near your pinky fingers, and are
22373 normally used to get capital letters and stuff. You probably use it all
22374 the time. The control key is normally marked ``CTRL'' or something like
22375 that. The meta key is, funnily enough, never marked as such on any
22376 keyboard. The one I'm currently at has a key that's marked ``Alt'',
22377 which is the meta key on this keyboard. It's usually located somewhere
22378 to the left hand side of the keyboard, usually on the bottom row.
22380 Now, us Emacs people don't say ``press the meta-control-m key'',
22381 because that's just too inconvenient. We say ``press the @kbd{M-C-m}
22382 key''. @kbd{M-} is the prefix that means ``meta'' and ``C-'' is the
22383 prefix that means ``control''. So ``press @kbd{C-k}'' means ``press
22384 down the control key, and hold it down while you press @kbd{k}''.
22385 ``Press @kbd{M-C-k}'' means ``press down and hold down the meta key and
22386 the control key and then press @kbd{k}''. Simple, ay?
22388 This is somewhat complicated by the fact that not all keyboards have a
22389 meta key. In that case you can use the ``escape'' key. Then @kbd{M-k}
22390 means ``press escape, release escape, press @kbd{k}''. That's much more
22391 work than if you have a meta key, so if that's the case, I respectfully
22392 suggest you get a real keyboard with a meta key. You can't live without
22398 @subsection Emacs Lisp
22400 Emacs is the King of Editors because it's really a Lisp interpreter.
22401 Each and every key you tap runs some Emacs Lisp code snippet, and since
22402 Emacs Lisp is an interpreted language, that means that you can configure
22403 any key to run any arbitrary code. You just, like, do it.
22405 Gnus is written in Emacs Lisp, and is run as a bunch of interpreted
22406 functions. (These are byte-compiled for speed, but it's still
22407 interpreted.) If you decide that you don't like the way Gnus does
22408 certain things, it's trivial to have it do something a different way.
22409 (Well, at least if you know how to write Lisp code.) However, that's
22410 beyond the scope of this manual, so we are simply going to talk about
22411 some common constructs that you normally use in your @file{.emacs} file
22414 If you want to set the variable @code{gnus-florgbnize} to four (4), you
22415 write the following:
22418 (setq gnus-florgbnize 4)
22421 This function (really ``special form'') @code{setq} is the one that can
22422 set a variable to some value. This is really all you need to know. Now
22423 you can go and fill your @code{.emacs} file with lots of these to change
22426 If you have put that thing in your @code{.emacs} file, it will be read
22427 and @code{eval}ed (which is lisp-ese for ``run'') the next time you
22428 start Emacs. If you want to change the variable right away, simply say
22429 @kbd{C-x C-e} after the closing parenthesis. That will @code{eval} the
22430 previous ``form'', which is a simple @code{setq} statement here.
22432 Go ahead---just try it, if you're located at your Emacs. After you
22433 @kbd{C-x C-e}, you will see @samp{4} appear in the echo area, which
22434 is the return value of the form you @code{eval}ed.
22438 If the manual says ``set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{some}'',
22442 (setq gnus-read-active-file 'some)
22445 On the other hand, if the manual says ``set @code{gnus-nntp-server} to
22446 @samp{nntp.ifi.uio.no}'', that means:
22449 (setq gnus-nntp-server "nntp.ifi.uio.no")
22452 So be careful not to mix up strings (the latter) with symbols (the
22453 former). The manual is unambiguous, but it can be confusing.
22456 @include gnus-faq.texi
22477 % LocalWords: Backend BNF mucho Backends backends detailmenu cindex kindex kbd
22478 % LocalWords: findex Gnusae vindex dfn dfn samp nntp setq nnspool nntpserver
22479 % LocalWords: nnmbox backend newusers Blllrph NEWGROUPS dingnusdingnusdingnus
22480 % LocalWords: pre fab rec comp nnslashdot regex ga ga sci nnml nnbabyl nnmh
22481 % LocalWords: nnfolder emph looong eld newsreaders defun init elc pxref