10 * Gnus: (gnus). The newsreader Gnus.
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290 Copyright \copyright{} 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002
291 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
294 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
295 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
296 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
297 Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
298 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
299 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
300 License'' in the Emacs manual.
302 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
303 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
304 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
306 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
307 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
308 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
309 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
317 This file documents Gnus, the GNU Emacs newsreader.
319 Copyright (C) 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002
320 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
322 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
323 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
324 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with the
325 Invariant Sections being none, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
326 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
327 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
328 License'' in the Emacs manual.
330 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
331 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
332 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
334 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
335 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
336 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
337 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
345 @author by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen
348 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
349 Copyright @copyright{} 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002
350 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
352 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
353 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
354 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
355 Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
356 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
357 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
358 License'' in the Emacs manual.
360 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
361 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
362 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
364 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
365 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
366 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
367 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
376 @top The Gnus Newsreader
380 You can read news (and mail) from within Emacs by using Gnus. The news
381 can be gotten by any nefarious means you can think of---@sc{nntp}, local
382 spool or your mbox file. All at the same time, if you want to push your
385 This manual corresponds to Oort Gnus v0.07.
396 Gnus is the advanced, self-documenting, customizable, extensible
397 unreal-time newsreader for GNU Emacs.
399 Oops. That sounds oddly familiar, so let's start over again to avoid
400 being accused of plagiarism:
402 Gnus is a message-reading laboratory. It will let you look at just
403 about anything as if it were a newsgroup. You can read mail with it,
404 you can browse directories with it, you can @code{ftp} with it---you
405 can even read news with it!
407 Gnus tries to empower people who read news the same way Emacs empowers
408 people who edit text. Gnus sets no limits to what the user should be
409 allowed to do. Users are encouraged to extend Gnus to make it behave
410 like they want it to behave. A program should not control people;
411 people should be empowered to do what they want by using (or abusing)
417 * Starting Up:: Finding news can be a pain.
418 * Group Buffer:: Selecting, subscribing and killing groups.
419 * Summary Buffer:: Reading, saving and posting articles.
420 * Article Buffer:: Displaying and handling articles.
421 * Composing Messages:: Information on sending mail and news.
422 * Select Methods:: Gnus reads all messages from various select methods.
423 * Scoring:: Assigning values to articles.
424 * Various:: General purpose settings.
425 * The End:: Farewell and goodbye.
426 * Appendices:: Terminology, Emacs intro, FAQ, History, Internals.
427 * Index:: Variable, function and concept index.
428 * Key Index:: Key Index.
431 --- The Detailed Node Listing ---
435 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
436 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
437 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
438 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
439 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
440 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
441 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
442 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
443 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
444 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
445 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
449 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
450 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
451 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
455 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
456 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
457 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
458 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
459 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
460 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
461 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
462 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
463 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
464 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
465 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
466 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
467 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
468 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
469 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
470 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
471 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
475 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
476 * Group Modeline Specification:: The group buffer modeline.
477 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
481 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
482 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
483 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
484 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
485 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
489 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
490 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
491 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
492 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
493 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
497 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
498 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
499 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
500 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
501 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
503 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
504 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
505 * Threading:: How threads are made.
506 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
507 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
508 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
509 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
510 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
511 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
512 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
513 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
514 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
515 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
516 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
517 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
518 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
519 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
520 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
521 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
522 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
523 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
524 or reselecting the current group.
525 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
526 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
527 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
528 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
530 Summary Buffer Format
532 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
533 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
534 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
535 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
539 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
540 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
542 Reply, Followup and Post
544 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
545 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
546 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
547 * Canceling and Superseding::
551 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
552 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
553 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
555 * Generic Marking Commands::
556 * Setting Process Marks::
560 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
561 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
562 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
566 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
567 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
569 Customizing Threading
571 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
572 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
573 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
574 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over... but you were wrong!
578 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
579 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
580 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
581 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
582 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
583 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
587 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
588 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
589 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
593 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
594 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
595 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
596 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
597 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
598 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
599 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
600 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
601 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
602 * Article Miscellania:: Various other stuff.
604 Alternative Approaches
606 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
607 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
609 Various Summary Stuff
611 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
612 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
613 * Summary Generation Commands::
614 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
618 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
619 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @sc{mime} before reading them.
620 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
621 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
622 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
626 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
627 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
628 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
629 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
630 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
631 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
632 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
633 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
637 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
638 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
639 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
640 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
641 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @sc{imap} client.
642 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
643 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
644 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
648 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
649 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
650 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
651 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
652 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
653 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
654 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
658 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
659 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
663 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
664 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
665 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
669 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
670 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
671 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
672 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
673 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
674 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
675 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
676 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
677 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
678 * Washing Mail:: Removing gruft from the mail you get.
679 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
680 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
681 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
685 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
686 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
687 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
689 Choosing a Mail Back End
691 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
692 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
693 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
694 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
695 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
696 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
701 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
702 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
703 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
704 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
705 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
706 * Customizing w3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/w3 from Gnus.
710 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
711 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
712 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a "compress mailbox" button.
716 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
717 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
718 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
719 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
720 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
724 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
728 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
729 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
730 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
734 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
735 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
739 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
740 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
741 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
742 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
743 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with IMAP.
744 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
745 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
746 * Example Setup:: An example @file{.gnus.el} file for offline people.
747 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
748 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
752 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
753 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
754 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
758 * Group Agent Commands::
759 * Summary Agent Commands::
760 * Server Agent Commands::
764 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
765 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
766 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
767 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
768 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
769 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
770 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
771 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
772 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
773 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
774 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
775 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
776 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
777 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
778 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
779 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
780 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
784 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
785 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
786 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
787 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
791 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
792 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
793 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
797 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
798 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
799 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
800 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
801 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
802 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
803 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
804 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
805 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
806 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
807 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
808 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
809 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
810 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
811 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
812 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
813 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
814 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
815 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
819 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
820 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
821 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
822 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
823 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
824 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
825 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
826 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
830 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
831 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
832 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
833 * Toolbar:: Click'n'drool.
834 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
838 * Picon Basics:: What are picons and How do I get them.
839 * Picon Requirements:: Don't go further if you aren't using XEmacs.
840 * Easy Picons:: Displaying Picons---the easy way.
841 * Hard Picons:: The way you should do it. You'll learn something.
842 * Picon Useless Configuration:: Other variables you can trash/tweak/munge/play with.
846 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
847 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
848 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
852 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
853 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
854 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
855 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
856 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
857 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
858 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
859 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
860 * Frequently Asked Questions::
864 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
865 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
866 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
867 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
868 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
869 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
870 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
871 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
872 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
876 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
877 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
878 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
879 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
880 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
884 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
885 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
886 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
887 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
891 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
892 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
893 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
894 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
895 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
896 * Group Info:: The group info format.
897 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
898 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
899 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
903 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
904 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
905 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
906 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
907 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
908 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
912 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
913 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
917 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
918 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
924 @chapter Starting Gnus
929 If your system administrator has set things up properly, starting Gnus
930 and reading news is extremely easy---you just type @kbd{M-x gnus} in
933 @findex gnus-other-frame
934 @kindex M-x gnus-other-frame
935 If you want to start Gnus in a different frame, you can use the command
936 @kbd{M-x gnus-other-frame} instead.
938 If things do not go smoothly at startup, you have to twiddle some
939 variables in your @file{~/.gnus} file. This file is similar to
940 @file{~/.emacs}, but is read when gnus starts.
942 If you puzzle at any terms used in this manual, please refer to the
943 terminology section (@pxref{Terminology}).
946 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
947 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
948 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
949 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
950 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
951 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
952 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
953 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
954 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
955 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
956 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
960 @node Finding the News
961 @section Finding the News
964 @vindex gnus-select-method
966 The @code{gnus-select-method} variable says where Gnus should look for
967 news. This variable should be a list where the first element says
968 @dfn{how} and the second element says @dfn{where}. This method is your
969 native method. All groups not fetched with this method are
972 For instance, if the @samp{news.somewhere.edu} @sc{nntp} server is where
973 you want to get your daily dosage of news from, you'd say:
976 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"))
979 If you want to read directly from the local spool, say:
982 (setq gnus-select-method '(nnspool ""))
985 If you can use a local spool, you probably should, as it will almost
986 certainly be much faster. But do not use the local spool if your
987 server is running Leafnode; in this case, use @code{(nntp "localhost")}.
989 @vindex gnus-nntpserver-file
991 @cindex @sc{nntp} server
992 If this variable is not set, Gnus will take a look at the
993 @code{NNTPSERVER} environment variable. If that variable isn't set,
994 Gnus will see whether @code{gnus-nntpserver-file}
995 (@file{/etc/nntpserver} by default) has any opinions on the matter. If
996 that fails as well, Gnus will try to use the machine running Emacs as an @sc{nntp} server. That's a long shot, though.
998 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
999 If @code{gnus-nntp-server} is set, this variable will override
1000 @code{gnus-select-method}. You should therefore set
1001 @code{gnus-nntp-server} to @code{nil}, which is what it is by default.
1003 @vindex gnus-secondary-servers
1004 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
1005 You can also make Gnus prompt you interactively for the name of an
1006 @sc{nntp} server. If you give a non-numerical prefix to @code{gnus}
1007 (i.e., @kbd{C-u M-x gnus}), Gnus will let you choose between the servers
1008 in the @code{gnus-secondary-servers} list (if any). You can also just
1009 type in the name of any server you feel like visiting. (Note that this
1010 will set @code{gnus-nntp-server}, which means that if you then @kbd{M-x
1011 gnus} later in the same Emacs session, Gnus will contact the same
1014 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
1016 However, if you use one @sc{nntp} server regularly and are just
1017 interested in a couple of groups from a different server, you would be
1018 better served by using the @kbd{B} command in the group buffer. It will
1019 let you have a look at what groups are available, and you can subscribe
1020 to any of the groups you want to. This also makes @file{.newsrc}
1021 maintenance much tidier. @xref{Foreign Groups}.
1023 @vindex gnus-secondary-select-methods
1025 A slightly different approach to foreign groups is to set the
1026 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} variable. The select methods
1027 listed in this variable are in many ways just as native as the
1028 @code{gnus-select-method} server. They will also be queried for active
1029 files during startup (if that's required), and new newsgroups that
1030 appear on these servers will be subscribed (or not) just as native
1033 For instance, if you use the @code{nnmbox} back end to read your mail,
1034 you would typically set this variable to
1037 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnmbox "")))
1041 @node The First Time
1042 @section The First Time
1043 @cindex first time usage
1045 If no startup files exist, Gnus will try to determine what groups should
1046 be subscribed by default.
1048 @vindex gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups
1049 If the variable @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is set, Gnus
1050 will subscribe you to just those groups in that list, leaving the rest
1051 killed. Your system administrator should have set this variable to
1054 Since she hasn't, Gnus will just subscribe you to a few arbitrarily
1055 picked groups (i.e., @samp{*.newusers}). (@dfn{Arbitrary} is defined
1056 here as @dfn{whatever Lars thinks you should read}.)
1058 You'll also be subscribed to the Gnus documentation group, which should
1059 help you with most common problems.
1061 If @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is @code{t}, Gnus will just
1062 use the normal functions for handling new groups, and not do anything
1066 @node The Server is Down
1067 @section The Server is Down
1068 @cindex server errors
1070 If the default server is down, Gnus will understandably have some
1071 problems starting. However, if you have some mail groups in addition to
1072 the news groups, you may want to start Gnus anyway.
1074 Gnus, being the trusting sort of program, will ask whether to proceed
1075 without a native select method if that server can't be contacted. This
1076 will happen whether the server doesn't actually exist (i.e., you have
1077 given the wrong address) or the server has just momentarily taken ill
1078 for some reason or other. If you decide to continue and have no foreign
1079 groups, you'll find it difficult to actually do anything in the group
1080 buffer. But, hey, that's your problem. Blllrph!
1082 @findex gnus-no-server
1083 @kindex M-x gnus-no-server
1085 If you know that the server is definitely down, or you just want to read
1086 your mail without bothering with the server at all, you can use the
1087 @code{gnus-no-server} command to start Gnus. That might come in handy
1088 if you're in a hurry as well. This command will not attempt to contact
1089 your primary server---instead, it will just activate all groups on level
1090 1 and 2. (You should preferably keep no native groups on those two
1091 levels.) Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
1095 @section Slave Gnusae
1098 You might want to run more than one Emacs with more than one Gnus at the
1099 same time. If you are using different @file{.newsrc} files (e.g., if you
1100 are using the two different Gnusae to read from two different servers),
1101 that is no problem whatsoever. You just do it.
1103 The problem appears when you want to run two Gnusae that use the same
1104 @code{.newsrc} file.
1106 To work around that problem some, we here at the Think-Tank at the Gnus
1107 Towers have come up with a new concept: @dfn{Masters} and
1108 @dfn{slaves}. (We have applied for a patent on this concept, and have
1109 taken out a copyright on those words. If you wish to use those words in
1110 conjunction with each other, you have to send $1 per usage instance to
1111 me. Usage of the patent (@dfn{Master/Slave Relationships In Computer
1112 Applications}) will be much more expensive, of course.)
1114 Anyway, you start one Gnus up the normal way with @kbd{M-x gnus} (or
1115 however you do it). Each subsequent slave Gnusae should be started with
1116 @kbd{M-x gnus-slave}. These slaves won't save normal @file{.newsrc}
1117 files, but instead save @dfn{slave files} that contain information only
1118 on what groups have been read in the slave session. When a master Gnus
1119 starts, it will read (and delete) these slave files, incorporating all
1120 information from them. (The slave files will be read in the sequence
1121 they were created, so the latest changes will have precedence.)
1123 Information from the slave files has, of course, precedence over the
1124 information in the normal (i.e., master) @code{.newsrc} file.
1126 If the @code{.newsrc*} files have not been saved in the master when the
1127 slave starts, you may be prompted as to whether to read an auto-save
1128 file. If you answer "yes", the unsaved changes to the master will be
1129 incorporated into the slave. If you answer "no", the slave may see some
1130 messages as unread that have been read in the master.
1132 @node Fetching a Group
1133 @section Fetching a Group
1134 @cindex fetching a group
1136 @findex gnus-fetch-group
1137 It is sometimes convenient to be able to just say ``I want to read this
1138 group and I don't care whether Gnus has been started or not''. This is
1139 perhaps more useful for people who write code than for users, but the
1140 command @code{gnus-fetch-group} provides this functionality in any case.
1141 It takes the group name as a parameter.
1147 @cindex subscription
1149 @vindex gnus-check-new-newsgroups
1150 If you are satisfied that you really never want to see any new groups,
1151 you can set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil}. This will
1152 also save you some time at startup. Even if this variable is
1153 @code{nil}, you can always subscribe to the new groups just by pressing
1154 @kbd{U} in the group buffer (@pxref{Group Maintenance}). This variable
1155 is @code{ask-server} by default. If you set this variable to
1156 @code{always}, then Gnus will query the back ends for new groups even
1157 when you do the @kbd{g} command (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
1160 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
1161 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
1162 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
1166 @node Checking New Groups
1167 @subsection Checking New Groups
1169 Gnus normally determines whether a group is new or not by comparing the
1170 list of groups from the active file(s) with the lists of subscribed and
1171 dead groups. This isn't a particularly fast method. If
1172 @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} is @code{ask-server}, Gnus will ask the
1173 server for new groups since the last time. This is both faster and
1174 cheaper. This also means that you can get rid of the list of killed
1175 groups altogether, so you may set @code{gnus-save-killed-list} to
1176 @code{nil}, which will save time both at startup, at exit, and all over.
1177 Saves disk space, too. Why isn't this the default, then?
1178 Unfortunately, not all servers support this command.
1180 I bet I know what you're thinking now: How do I find out whether my
1181 server supports @code{ask-server}? No? Good, because I don't have a
1182 fail-safe answer. I would suggest just setting this variable to
1183 @code{ask-server} and see whether any new groups appear within the next
1184 few days. If any do, then it works. If none do, then it doesn't
1185 work. I could write a function to make Gnus guess whether the server
1186 supports @code{ask-server}, but it would just be a guess. So I won't.
1187 You could @code{telnet} to the server and say @code{HELP} and see
1188 whether it lists @samp{NEWGROUPS} among the commands it understands. If
1189 it does, then it might work. (But there are servers that lists
1190 @samp{NEWGROUPS} without supporting the function properly.)
1192 This variable can also be a list of select methods. If so, Gnus will
1193 issue an @code{ask-server} command to each of the select methods, and
1194 subscribe them (or not) using the normal methods. This might be handy
1195 if you are monitoring a few servers for new groups. A side effect is
1196 that startup will take much longer, so you can meditate while waiting.
1197 Use the mantra ``dingnusdingnusdingnus'' to achieve permanent bliss.
1200 @node Subscription Methods
1201 @subsection Subscription Methods
1203 @vindex gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method
1204 What Gnus does when it encounters a new group is determined by the
1205 @code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} variable.
1207 This variable should contain a function. This function will be called
1208 with the name of the new group as the only parameter.
1210 Some handy pre-fab functions are:
1214 @item gnus-subscribe-zombies
1215 @vindex gnus-subscribe-zombies
1216 Make all new groups zombies. This is the default. You can browse the
1217 zombies later (with @kbd{A z}) and either kill them all off properly
1218 (with @kbd{S z}), or subscribe to them (with @kbd{u}).
1220 @item gnus-subscribe-randomly
1221 @vindex gnus-subscribe-randomly
1222 Subscribe all new groups in arbitrary order. This really means that all
1223 new groups will be added at ``the top'' of the group buffer.
1225 @item gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1226 @vindex gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1227 Subscribe all new groups in alphabetical order.
1229 @item gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1230 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1231 Subscribe all new groups hierarchically. The difference between this
1232 function and @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} is slight.
1233 @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} will subscribe new groups in a strictly
1234 alphabetical fashion, while this function will enter groups into its
1235 hierarchy. So if you want to have the @samp{rec} hierarchy before the
1236 @samp{comp} hierarchy, this function will not mess that configuration
1237 up. Or something like that.
1239 @item gnus-subscribe-interactively
1240 @vindex gnus-subscribe-interactively
1241 Subscribe new groups interactively. This means that Gnus will ask
1242 you about @strong{all} new groups. The groups you choose to subscribe
1243 to will be subscribed hierarchically.
1245 @item gnus-subscribe-killed
1246 @vindex gnus-subscribe-killed
1247 Kill all new groups.
1249 @item gnus-subscribe-topics
1250 @vindex gnus-subscribe-topics
1251 Put the groups into the topic that has a matching @code{subscribe} topic
1252 parameter (@pxref{Topic Parameters}). For instance, a @code{subscribe}
1253 topic parameter that looks like
1259 will mean that all groups that match that regex will be subscribed under
1262 If no topics match the groups, the groups will be subscribed in the
1267 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive
1268 A closely related variable is
1269 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. (That's quite a
1270 mouthful.) If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will ask you in a
1271 hierarchical fashion whether to subscribe to new groups or not. Gnus
1272 will ask you for each sub-hierarchy whether you want to descend the
1275 One common mistake is to set the variable a few paragraphs above
1276 (@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method}) to
1277 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. This is an error. This
1278 will not work. This is ga-ga. So don't do it.
1281 @node Filtering New Groups
1282 @subsection Filtering New Groups
1284 A nice and portable way to control which new newsgroups should be
1285 subscribed (or ignored) is to put an @dfn{options} line at the start of
1286 the @file{.newsrc} file. Here's an example:
1289 options -n !alt.all !rec.all sci.all
1292 @vindex gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method
1293 This line obviously belongs to a serious-minded intellectual scientific
1294 person (or she may just be plain old boring), because it says that all
1295 groups that have names beginning with @samp{alt} and @samp{rec} should
1296 be ignored, and all groups with names beginning with @samp{sci} should
1297 be subscribed. Gnus will not use the normal subscription method for
1298 subscribing these groups.
1299 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method} is used instead. This
1300 variable defaults to @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically}.
1302 @vindex gnus-options-not-subscribe
1303 @vindex gnus-options-subscribe
1304 If you don't want to mess with your @file{.newsrc} file, you can just
1305 set the two variables @code{gnus-options-subscribe} and
1306 @code{gnus-options-not-subscribe}. These two variables do exactly the
1307 same as the @file{.newsrc} @samp{options -n} trick. Both are regexps,
1308 and if the new group matches the former, it will be unconditionally
1309 subscribed, and if it matches the latter, it will be ignored.
1311 @vindex gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
1312 Yet another variable that meddles here is
1313 @code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups}. It works exactly like
1314 @code{gnus-options-subscribe}, and is therefore really superfluous, but I
1315 thought it would be nice to have two of these. This variable is more
1316 meant for setting some ground rules, while the other variable is used
1317 more for user fiddling. By default this variable makes all new groups
1318 that come from mail back ends (@code{nnml}, @code{nnbabyl},
1319 @code{nnfolder}, @code{nnmbox}, @code{nnmh}, and @code{nnmaildir})
1320 subscribed. If you don't like that, just set this variable to
1323 New groups that match this regexp are subscribed using
1324 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method}.
1327 @node Changing Servers
1328 @section Changing Servers
1329 @cindex changing servers
1331 Sometimes it is necessary to move from one @sc{nntp} server to another.
1332 This happens very rarely, but perhaps you change jobs, or one server is
1333 very flaky and you want to use another.
1335 Changing the server is pretty easy, right? You just change
1336 @code{gnus-select-method} to point to the new server?
1340 Article numbers are not (in any way) kept synchronized between different
1341 @sc{nntp} servers, and the only way Gnus keeps track of what articles
1342 you have read is by keeping track of article numbers. So when you
1343 change @code{gnus-select-method}, your @file{.newsrc} file becomes
1346 Gnus provides a few functions to attempt to translate a @file{.newsrc}
1347 file from one server to another. They all have one thing in
1348 common---they take a looong time to run. You don't want to use these
1349 functions more than absolutely necessary.
1351 @kindex M-x gnus-change-server
1352 @findex gnus-change-server
1353 If you have access to both servers, Gnus can request the headers for all
1354 the articles you have read and compare @code{Message-ID}s and map the
1355 article numbers of the read articles and article marks. The @kbd{M-x
1356 gnus-change-server} command will do this for all your native groups. It
1357 will prompt for the method you want to move to.
1359 @kindex M-x gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1360 @findex gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1361 You can also move individual groups with the @kbd{M-x
1362 gnus-group-move-group-to-server} command. This is useful if you want to
1363 move a (foreign) group from one server to another.
1365 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1366 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1367 If you don't have access to both the old and new server, all your marks
1368 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use the @kbd{M-x
1369 gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} command to clear out all data
1370 that you have on your native groups. Use with caution.
1372 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data
1373 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
1374 Clear the data from the current group only---nix out marks and the
1375 list of read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
1377 After changing servers, you @strong{must} move the cache hierarchy away,
1378 since the cached articles will have wrong article numbers, which will
1379 affect which articles Gnus thinks are read.
1380 @code{gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} will ask you if you want
1381 to have it done automatically; for @code{gnus-group-clear-data}, you
1382 can use @kbd{M-x gnus-cache-move-cache} (but beware, it will move the
1383 cache for all groups).
1387 @section Startup Files
1388 @cindex startup files
1393 Now, you all know about the @file{.newsrc} file. All subscription
1394 information is traditionally stored in this file.
1396 Things got a bit more complicated with @sc{gnus}. In addition to
1397 keeping the @file{.newsrc} file updated, it also used a file called
1398 @file{.newsrc.el} for storing all the information that didn't fit into
1399 the @file{.newsrc} file. (Actually, it also duplicated everything in
1400 the @file{.newsrc} file.) @sc{gnus} would read whichever one of these
1401 files was the most recently saved, which enabled people to swap between
1402 @sc{gnus} and other newsreaders.
1404 That was kinda silly, so Gnus went one better: In addition to the
1405 @file{.newsrc} and @file{.newsrc.el} files, Gnus also has a file called
1406 @file{.newsrc.eld}. It will read whichever of these files that are most
1407 recent, but it will never write a @file{.newsrc.el} file. You should
1408 never delete the @file{.newsrc.eld} file---it contains much information
1409 not stored in the @file{.newsrc} file.
1411 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-file
1412 @vindex gnus-read-newsrc-file
1413 You can turn off writing the @file{.newsrc} file by setting
1414 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-file} to @code{nil}, which means you can delete
1415 the file and save some space, as well as exiting from Gnus faster.
1416 However, this will make it impossible to use other newsreaders than
1417 Gnus. But hey, who would want to, right? Similarly, setting
1418 @code{gnus-read-newsrc-file} to @code{nil} makes Gnus ignore the
1419 @file{.newsrc} file and any @file{.newsrc-SERVER} files, which is
1420 convenient if you have a tendency to use Netscape once in a while.
1422 @vindex gnus-save-killed-list
1423 If @code{gnus-save-killed-list} (default @code{t}) is @code{nil}, Gnus
1424 will not save the list of killed groups to the startup file. This will
1425 save both time (when starting and quitting) and space (on disk). It
1426 will also mean that Gnus has no record of what groups are new or old,
1427 so the automatic new groups subscription methods become meaningless.
1428 You should always set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil} or
1429 @code{ask-server} if you set this variable to @code{nil} (@pxref{New
1430 Groups}). This variable can also be a regular expression. If that's
1431 the case, remove all groups that do not match this regexp before
1432 saving. This can be useful in certain obscure situations that involve
1433 several servers where not all servers support @code{ask-server}.
1435 @vindex gnus-startup-file
1436 The @code{gnus-startup-file} variable says where the startup files are.
1437 The default value is @file{~/.newsrc}, with the Gnus (El Dingo) startup
1438 file being whatever that one is, with a @samp{.eld} appended.
1440 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-hook
1441 @vindex gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook
1442 @vindex gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook
1443 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-hook} is called before saving any of the newsrc
1444 files, while @code{gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook} is called just before
1445 saving the @file{.newsrc.eld} file, and
1446 @code{gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook} is called just before saving the
1447 @file{.newsrc} file. The latter two are commonly used to turn version
1448 control on or off. Version control is on by default when saving the
1449 startup files. If you want to turn backup creation off, say something like:
1452 (defun turn-off-backup ()
1453 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
1455 (add-hook 'gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1456 (add-hook 'gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1459 @vindex gnus-init-file
1460 When Gnus starts, it will read the @code{gnus-site-init-file}
1461 (@file{.../site-lisp/gnus} by default) and @code{gnus-init-file}
1462 (@file{~/.gnus} by default) files. These are normal Emacs Lisp files
1463 and can be used to avoid cluttering your @file{~/.emacs} and
1464 @file{site-init} files with Gnus stuff. Gnus will also check for files
1465 with the same names as these, but with @file{.elc} and @file{.el}
1466 suffixes. In other words, if you have set @code{gnus-init-file} to
1467 @file{~/.gnus}, it will look for @file{~/.gnus.elc}, @file{~/.gnus.el},
1468 and finally @file{~/.gnus} (in this order).
1474 @cindex dribble file
1477 Whenever you do something that changes the Gnus data (reading articles,
1478 catching up, killing/subscribing groups), the change is added to a
1479 special @dfn{dribble buffer}. This buffer is auto-saved the normal
1480 Emacs way. If your Emacs should crash before you have saved the
1481 @file{.newsrc} files, all changes you have made can be recovered from
1484 If Gnus detects this file at startup, it will ask the user whether to
1485 read it. The auto save file is deleted whenever the real startup file is
1488 @vindex gnus-use-dribble-file
1489 If @code{gnus-use-dribble-file} is @code{nil}, Gnus won't create and
1490 maintain a dribble buffer. The default is @code{t}.
1492 @vindex gnus-dribble-directory
1493 Gnus will put the dribble file(s) in @code{gnus-dribble-directory}. If
1494 this variable is @code{nil}, which it is by default, Gnus will dribble
1495 into the directory where the @file{.newsrc} file is located. (This is
1496 normally the user's home directory.) The dribble file will get the same
1497 file permissions as the @code{.newsrc} file.
1499 @vindex gnus-always-read-dribble-file
1500 If @code{gnus-always-read-dribble-file} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will
1501 read the dribble file on startup without querying the user.
1504 @node The Active File
1505 @section The Active File
1507 @cindex ignored groups
1509 When Gnus starts, or indeed whenever it tries to determine whether new
1510 articles have arrived, it reads the active file. This is a very large
1511 file that lists all the active groups and articles on the server.
1513 @vindex gnus-ignored-newsgroups
1514 Before examining the active file, Gnus deletes all lines that match the
1515 regexp @code{gnus-ignored-newsgroups}. This is done primarily to reject
1516 any groups with bogus names, but you can use this variable to make Gnus
1517 ignore hierarchies you aren't ever interested in. However, this is not
1518 recommended. In fact, it's highly discouraged. Instead, @pxref{New
1519 Groups} for an overview of other variables that can be used instead.
1522 @c @code{nil} by default, and will slow down active file handling somewhat
1523 @c if you set it to anything else.
1525 @vindex gnus-read-active-file
1527 The active file can be rather Huge, so if you have a slow network, you
1528 can set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{nil} to prevent Gnus from
1529 reading the active file. This variable is @code{some} by default.
1531 Gnus will try to make do by getting information just on the groups that
1532 you actually subscribe to.
1534 Note that if you subscribe to lots and lots of groups, setting this
1535 variable to @code{nil} will probably make Gnus slower, not faster. At
1536 present, having this variable @code{nil} will slow Gnus down
1537 considerably, unless you read news over a 2400 baud modem.
1539 This variable can also have the value @code{some}. Gnus will then
1540 attempt to read active info only on the subscribed groups. On some
1541 servers this is quite fast (on sparkling, brand new INN servers that
1542 support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command), on others this isn't fast
1543 at all. In any case, @code{some} should be faster than @code{nil}, and
1544 is certainly faster than @code{t} over slow lines.
1546 Some news servers (old versions of Leafnode and old versions of INN, for
1547 instance) do not support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group}. For these
1548 servers, @code{nil} is probably the most efficient value for this
1551 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will ask for group info in total
1552 lock-step, which isn't very fast. If it is @code{some} and you use an
1553 @sc{nntp} server, Gnus will pump out commands as fast as it can, and
1554 read all the replies in one swoop. This will normally result in better
1555 performance, but if the server does not support the aforementioned
1556 @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, this isn't very nice to the server.
1558 If you think that starting up Gnus takes too long, try all the three
1559 different values for this variable and see what works best for you.
1561 In any case, if you use @code{some} or @code{nil}, you should definitely
1562 kill all groups that you aren't interested in to speed things up.
1564 Note that this variable also affects active file retrieval from
1565 secondary select methods.
1568 @node Startup Variables
1569 @section Startup Variables
1573 @item gnus-load-hook
1574 @vindex gnus-load-hook
1575 A hook run while Gnus is being loaded. Note that this hook will
1576 normally be run just once in each Emacs session, no matter how many
1577 times you start Gnus.
1579 @item gnus-before-startup-hook
1580 @vindex gnus-before-startup-hook
1581 A hook run after starting up Gnus successfully.
1583 @item gnus-startup-hook
1584 @vindex gnus-startup-hook
1585 A hook run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1587 @item gnus-started-hook
1588 @vindex gnus-started-hook
1589 A hook that is run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1592 @item gnus-setup-news-hook
1593 @vindex gnus-setup-news-hook
1594 A hook that is run after reading the @file{.newsrc} file(s), but before
1595 generating the group buffer.
1597 @item gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1598 @vindex gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1599 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will check for and delete all bogus groups at
1600 startup. A @dfn{bogus group} is a group that you have in your
1601 @file{.newsrc} file, but doesn't exist on the news server. Checking for
1602 bogus groups can take quite a while, so to save time and resources it's
1603 best to leave this option off, and do the checking for bogus groups once
1604 in a while from the group buffer instead (@pxref{Group Maintenance}).
1606 @item gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1607 @vindex gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1608 If non-@code{nil}, the startup message won't be displayed. That way,
1609 your boss might not notice as easily that you are reading news instead
1610 of doing your job. Note that this variable is used before
1611 @file{.gnus.el} is loaded, so it should be set in @code{.emacs} instead.
1613 @item gnus-no-groups-message
1614 @vindex gnus-no-groups-message
1615 Message displayed by Gnus when no groups are available.
1617 @item gnus-play-startup-jingle
1618 @vindex gnus-play-startup-jingle
1619 If non-@code{nil}, play the Gnus jingle at startup.
1621 @item gnus-startup-jingle
1622 @vindex gnus-startup-jingle
1623 Jingle to be played if the above variable is non-@code{nil}. The
1624 default is @samp{Tuxedomoon.Jingle4.au}.
1630 @chapter Group Buffer
1631 @cindex group buffer
1633 @c Alex Schroeder suggests to rearrange this as follows:
1635 @c <kensanata> ok, just save it for reference. I'll go to bed in a minute.
1636 @c 1. Selecting a Group, 2. (new) Finding a Group, 3. Group Levels,
1637 @c 4. Subscription Commands, 5. Group Maneuvering, 6. Group Data,
1638 @c 7. Group Score, 8. Group Buffer Format
1639 @c <kensanata> Group Levels should have more information on levels 5 to 9. I
1640 @c suggest to split the 4th paragraph ("Gnus considers groups...") as follows:
1641 @c <kensanata> First, "Gnus considers groups... (default 9)."
1642 @c <kensanata> New, a table summarizing what levels 1 to 9 mean.
1643 @c <kensanata> Third, "Gnus treats subscribed ... reasons of efficiency"
1644 @c <kensanata> Then expand the next paragraph or add some more to it.
1645 @c This short one sentence explains levels 1 and 2, therefore I understand
1646 @c that I should keep important news at 3 and boring news at 4.
1647 @c Say so! Then go on to explain why I should bother with levels 6 to 9.
1648 @c Maybe keep those that you don't want to read temporarily at 6,
1649 @c those that you never want to read at 8, those that offend your
1650 @c human rights at 9...
1653 The @dfn{group buffer} lists all (or parts) of the available groups. It
1654 is the first buffer shown when Gnus starts, and will never be killed as
1655 long as Gnus is active.
1659 \gnusfigure{The Group Buffer}{320}{
1660 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group,height=9cm}}
1661 \put(120,37){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Buffer name}}
1662 \put(120,38){\vector(1,2){10}}
1663 \put(40,60){\makebox(0,0)[r]{Mode line}}
1664 \put(40,58){\vector(1,0){30}}
1665 \put(200,28){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Native select method}}
1666 \put(200,26){\vector(-1,2){15}}
1672 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
1673 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
1674 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
1675 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
1676 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
1677 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
1678 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
1679 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
1680 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
1681 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
1682 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
1683 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
1684 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
1685 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
1686 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
1687 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
1688 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
1692 @node Group Buffer Format
1693 @section Group Buffer Format
1696 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
1697 * Group Modeline Specification:: The group buffer modeline.
1698 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
1702 @node Group Line Specification
1703 @subsection Group Line Specification
1704 @cindex group buffer format
1706 The default format of the group buffer is nice and dull, but you can
1707 make it as exciting and ugly as you feel like.
1709 Here's a couple of example group lines:
1712 25: news.announce.newusers
1713 * 0: alt.fan.andrea-dworkin
1718 You can see that there are 25 unread articles in
1719 @samp{news.announce.newusers}. There are no unread articles, but some
1720 ticked articles, in @samp{alt.fan.andrea-dworkin} (see that little
1721 asterisk at the beginning of the line?).
1723 @vindex gnus-group-line-format
1724 You can change that format to whatever you want by fiddling with the
1725 @code{gnus-group-line-format} variable. This variable works along the
1726 lines of a @code{format} specification, which is pretty much the same as
1727 a @code{printf} specifications, for those of you who use (feh!) C.
1728 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
1730 @samp{%M%S%5y: %(%g%)\n} is the value that produced those lines above.
1732 There should always be a colon on the line; the cursor always moves to
1733 the colon after performing an operation. @xref{Positioning
1734 Point}. Nothing else is required---not even the group name. All
1735 displayed text is just window dressing, and is never examined by Gnus.
1736 Gnus stores all real information it needs using text properties.
1738 (Note that if you make a really strange, wonderful, spreadsheet-like
1739 layout, everybody will believe you are hard at work with the accounting
1740 instead of wasting time reading news.)
1742 Here's a list of all available format characters:
1747 An asterisk if the group only has marked articles.
1750 Whether the group is subscribed.
1753 Level of subscribedness.
1756 Number of unread articles.
1759 Number of dormant articles.
1762 Number of ticked articles.
1765 Number of read articles.
1768 Estimated total number of articles. (This is really @var{max-number}
1769 minus @var{min-number} plus 1.)
1771 Gnus uses this estimation because the @sc{nntp} protocol provides
1772 efficient access to @var{max-number} and @var{min-number} but getting
1773 the true unread message count is not possible efficiently. For
1774 hysterical raisins, even the mail back ends, where the true number of
1775 unread messages might be available efficiently, use the same limited
1776 interface. To remove this restriction from Gnus means that the back
1777 end interface has to be changed, which is not an easy job. If you
1778 want to work on this, please contact the Gnus mailing list.
1781 Number of unread, unticked, non-dormant articles.
1784 Number of ticked and dormant articles.
1793 Group comment (@pxref{Group Parameters}) or group name if there is no
1794 comment element in the group parameters.
1797 Newsgroup description.
1800 @samp{m} if moderated.
1803 @samp{(m)} if moderated.
1812 A string that looks like @samp{<%s:%n>} if a foreign select method is
1816 Indentation based on the level of the topic (@pxref{Group Topics}).
1819 @vindex gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels
1820 Short (collapsed) group name. The @code{gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels}
1821 variable says how many levels to leave at the end of the group name.
1822 The default is 1---this will mean that group names like
1823 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} will be shortened to @samp{g.e.gnus}.
1826 @vindex gnus-new-mail-mark
1828 @samp{%} (@code{gnus-new-mail-mark}) if there has arrived new mail to
1832 @samp{#} (@code{gnus-process-mark}) if the group is process marked.
1835 A string that says when you last read the group (@pxref{Group
1839 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
1840 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
1841 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
1842 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed a single dummy
1843 parameter as argument. The function should return a string, which will
1844 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
1849 All the ``number-of'' specs will be filled with an asterisk (@samp{*})
1850 if no info is available---for instance, if it is a non-activated foreign
1851 group, or a bogus native group.
1854 @node Group Modeline Specification
1855 @subsection Group Modeline Specification
1856 @cindex group modeline
1858 @vindex gnus-group-mode-line-format
1859 The mode line can be changed by setting
1860 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
1861 doesn't understand that many format specifiers:
1865 The native news server.
1867 The native select method.
1871 @node Group Highlighting
1872 @subsection Group Highlighting
1873 @cindex highlighting
1874 @cindex group highlighting
1876 @vindex gnus-group-highlight
1877 Highlighting in the group buffer is controlled by the
1878 @code{gnus-group-highlight} variable. This is an alist with elements
1879 that look like @code{(@var{form} . @var{face})}. If @var{form} evaluates to
1880 something non-@code{nil}, the @var{face} will be used on the line.
1882 Here's an example value for this variable that might look nice if the
1886 (cond (window-system
1887 (setq custom-background-mode 'light)
1888 (defface my-group-face-1
1889 '((t (:foreground "Red" :bold t))) "First group face")
1890 (defface my-group-face-2
1891 '((t (:foreground "DarkSeaGreen4" :bold t))) "Second group face")
1892 (defface my-group-face-3
1893 '((t (:foreground "Green4" :bold t))) "Third group face")
1894 (defface my-group-face-4
1895 '((t (:foreground "SteelBlue" :bold t))) "Fourth group face")
1896 (defface my-group-face-5
1897 '((t (:foreground "Blue" :bold t))) "Fifth group face")))
1899 (setq gnus-group-highlight
1900 '(((> unread 200) . my-group-face-1)
1901 ((and (< level 3) (zerop unread)) . my-group-face-2)
1902 ((< level 3) . my-group-face-3)
1903 ((zerop unread) . my-group-face-4)
1904 (t . my-group-face-5)))
1907 Also @pxref{Faces and Fonts}.
1909 Variables that are dynamically bound when the forms are evaluated
1916 The number of unread articles in the group.
1920 Whether the group is a mail group.
1922 The level of the group.
1924 The score of the group.
1926 The number of ticked articles in the group.
1928 The total number of articles in the group. Or rather, MAX-NUMBER minus
1929 MIN-NUMBER plus one.
1931 When using the topic minor mode, this variable is bound to the current
1932 topic being inserted.
1935 When the forms are @code{eval}ed, point is at the beginning of the line
1936 of the group in question, so you can use many of the normal Gnus
1937 functions for snarfing info on the group.
1939 @vindex gnus-group-update-hook
1940 @findex gnus-group-highlight-line
1941 @code{gnus-group-update-hook} is called when a group line is changed.
1942 It will not be called when @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}. This hook
1943 calls @code{gnus-group-highlight-line} by default.
1946 @node Group Maneuvering
1947 @section Group Maneuvering
1948 @cindex group movement
1950 All movement commands understand the numeric prefix and will behave as
1951 expected, hopefully.
1957 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group
1958 Go to the next group that has unread articles
1959 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group}).
1965 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group
1966 Go to the previous group that has unread articles
1967 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group}).
1971 @findex gnus-group-next-group
1972 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
1976 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
1977 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
1981 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level
1982 Go to the next unread group on the same (or lower) level
1983 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level}).
1987 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level
1988 Go to the previous unread group on the same (or lower) level
1989 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level}).
1992 Three commands for jumping to groups:
1998 @findex gnus-group-jump-to-group
1999 Jump to a group (and make it visible if it isn't already)
2000 (@code{gnus-group-jump-to-group}). Killed groups can be jumped to, just
2005 @findex gnus-group-best-unread-group
2006 Jump to the unread group with the lowest level
2007 (@code{gnus-group-best-unread-group}).
2011 @findex gnus-group-first-unread-group
2012 Jump to the first group with unread articles
2013 (@code{gnus-group-first-unread-group}).
2016 @vindex gnus-group-goto-unread
2017 If @code{gnus-group-goto-unread} is @code{nil}, all the movement
2018 commands will move to the next group, not the next unread group. Even
2019 the commands that say they move to the next unread group. The default
2023 @node Selecting a Group
2024 @section Selecting a Group
2025 @cindex group selection
2030 @kindex SPACE (Group)
2031 @findex gnus-group-read-group
2032 Select the current group, switch to the summary buffer and display the
2033 first unread article (@code{gnus-group-read-group}). If there are no
2034 unread articles in the group, or if you give a non-numerical prefix to
2035 this command, Gnus will offer to fetch all the old articles in this
2036 group from the server. If you give a numerical prefix @var{N}, @var{N}
2037 determines the number of articles Gnus will fetch. If @var{N} is
2038 positive, Gnus fetches the @var{N} newest articles, if @var{N} is
2039 negative, Gnus fetches the @code{abs(@var{N})} oldest articles.
2041 Thus, @kbd{SPC} enters the group normally, @kbd{C-u SPC} offers old
2042 articles, @kbd{C-u 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 newest articles, and @kbd{C-u
2043 - 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 oldest ones.
2045 When you are in the group (in the Summary buffer), you can type
2046 @kbd{M-g} to fetch new articles, or @kbd{C-u M-g} to also show the old
2051 @findex gnus-group-select-group
2052 Select the current group and switch to the summary buffer
2053 (@code{gnus-group-select-group}). Takes the same arguments as
2054 @code{gnus-group-read-group}---the only difference is that this command
2055 does not display the first unread article automatically upon group
2059 @kindex M-RET (Group)
2060 @findex gnus-group-quick-select-group
2061 This does the same as the command above, but tries to do it with the
2062 minimum amount of fuzz (@code{gnus-group-quick-select-group}). No
2063 scoring/killing will be performed, there will be no highlights and no
2064 expunging. This might be useful if you're in a real hurry and have to
2065 enter some humongous group. If you give a 0 prefix to this command
2066 (i.e., @kbd{0 M-RET}), Gnus won't even generate the summary buffer,
2067 which is useful if you want to toggle threading before generating the
2068 summary buffer (@pxref{Summary Generation Commands}).
2071 @kindex M-SPACE (Group)
2072 @findex gnus-group-visible-select-group
2073 This is yet one more command that does the same as the @kbd{RET}
2074 command, but this one does it without expunging and hiding dormants
2075 (@code{gnus-group-visible-select-group}).
2078 @kindex C-M-RET (Group)
2079 @findex gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally
2080 Finally, this command selects the current group ephemerally without
2081 doing any processing of its contents
2082 (@code{gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally}). Even threading has been
2083 turned off. Everything you do in the group after selecting it in this
2084 manner will have no permanent effects.
2088 @vindex gnus-large-newsgroup
2089 The @code{gnus-large-newsgroup} variable says what Gnus should consider
2090 to be a big group. This is 200 by default. If the group has more
2091 (unread and/or ticked) articles than this, Gnus will query the user
2092 before entering the group. The user can then specify how many articles
2093 should be fetched from the server. If the user specifies a negative
2094 number (@code{-n}), the @code{n} oldest articles will be fetched. If it
2095 is positive, the @code{n} articles that have arrived most recently will
2098 @vindex gnus-select-group-hook
2099 @vindex gnus-auto-select-first
2100 If @code{gnus-auto-select-first} is non-@code{nil}, select an article
2101 automatically when entering a group with the @kbd{SPACE} command.
2102 Which article this is is controlled by the
2103 @code{gnus-auto-select-subject} variable. Valid values for this
2109 Place point on the subject line of the first unread article.
2112 Place point on the subject line of the first article.
2115 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article.
2117 @item unseen-or-unread
2118 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article, and if
2119 there is no such article, place point on the subject line of the first
2123 Place point on the subject line of the highest-scored unread article.
2127 This variable can also be a function. In that case, that function
2128 will be called to place point on a subject line.
2130 If you want to prevent automatic selection in some group (say, in a
2131 binary group with Huge articles) you can set the
2132 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} variable to @code{nil} in
2133 @code{gnus-select-group-hook}, which is called when a group is
2137 @node Subscription Commands
2138 @section Subscription Commands
2139 @cindex subscription
2147 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group
2148 @c @icon{gnus-group-unsubscribe}
2149 Toggle subscription to the current group
2150 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group}).
2156 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-group
2157 Prompt for a group to subscribe, and then subscribe it. If it was
2158 subscribed already, unsubscribe it instead
2159 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-group}).
2165 @findex gnus-group-kill-group
2166 @c @icon{gnus-group-kill-group}
2167 Kill the current group (@code{gnus-group-kill-group}).
2173 @findex gnus-group-yank-group
2174 Yank the last killed group (@code{gnus-group-yank-group}).
2177 @kindex C-x C-t (Group)
2178 @findex gnus-group-transpose-groups
2179 Transpose two groups (@code{gnus-group-transpose-groups}). This isn't
2180 really a subscription command, but you can use it instead of a
2181 kill-and-yank sequence sometimes.
2187 @findex gnus-group-kill-region
2188 Kill all groups in the region (@code{gnus-group-kill-region}).
2192 @findex gnus-group-kill-all-zombies
2193 Kill all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-kill-all-zombies}).
2196 @kindex S C-k (Group)
2197 @findex gnus-group-kill-level
2198 Kill all groups on a certain level (@code{gnus-group-kill-level}).
2199 These groups can't be yanked back after killing, so this command should
2200 be used with some caution. The only time where this command comes in
2201 really handy is when you have a @file{.newsrc} with lots of unsubscribed
2202 groups that you want to get rid off. @kbd{S C-k} on level 7 will
2203 kill off all unsubscribed groups that do not have message numbers in the
2204 @file{.newsrc} file.
2208 Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
2218 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current
2219 @vindex gnus-group-catchup-group-hook
2220 @c @icon{gnus-group-catchup-current}
2221 Mark all unticked articles in this group as read
2222 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current}).
2223 @code{gnus-group-catchup-group-hook} is called when catching up a group from
2228 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current-all
2229 Mark all articles in this group, even the ticked ones, as read
2230 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current-all}).
2234 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
2235 Clear the data from the current group---nix out marks and the list of
2236 read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
2238 @item M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2239 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2240 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2241 If you have switched from one @sc{nntp} server to another, all your marks
2242 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use this command to
2243 clear out all data that you have on your native groups. Use with
2250 @section Group Levels
2254 All groups have a level of @dfn{subscribedness}. For instance, if a
2255 group is on level 2, it is more subscribed than a group on level 5. You
2256 can ask Gnus to just list groups on a given level or lower
2257 (@pxref{Listing Groups}), or to just check for new articles in groups on
2258 a given level or lower (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
2260 Remember: The higher the level of the group, the less important it is.
2266 @findex gnus-group-set-current-level
2267 Set the level of the current group. If a numeric prefix is given, the
2268 next @var{n} groups will have their levels set. The user will be
2269 prompted for a level.
2272 @vindex gnus-level-killed
2273 @vindex gnus-level-zombie
2274 @vindex gnus-level-unsubscribed
2275 @vindex gnus-level-subscribed
2276 Gnus considers groups from levels 1 to
2277 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (inclusive) (default 5) to be subscribed,
2278 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (exclusive) and
2279 @code{gnus-level-unsubscribed} (inclusive) (default 7) to be
2280 unsubscribed, @code{gnus-level-zombie} to be zombies (walking dead)
2281 (default 8) and @code{gnus-level-killed} to be killed (completely dead)
2282 (default 9). Gnus treats subscribed and unsubscribed groups exactly the
2283 same, but zombie and killed groups have no information on what articles
2284 you have read, etc, stored. This distinction between dead and living
2285 groups isn't done because it is nice or clever, it is done purely for
2286 reasons of efficiency.
2288 It is recommended that you keep all your mail groups (if any) on quite
2289 low levels (e.g. 1 or 2).
2291 Maybe the following description of the default behavior of Gnus helps to
2292 understand what these levels are all about. By default, Gnus shows you
2293 subscribed nonempty groups, but by hitting @kbd{L} you can have it show
2294 empty subscribed groups and unsubscribed groups, too. Type @kbd{l} to
2295 go back to showing nonempty subscribed groups again. Thus, unsubscribed
2296 groups are hidden, in a way.
2298 Zombie and killed groups are similar to unsubscribed groups in that they
2299 are hidden by default. But they are different from subscribed and
2300 unsubscribed groups in that Gnus doesn't ask the news server for
2301 information (number of messages, number of unread messages) on zombie
2302 and killed groups. Normally, you use @kbd{C-k} to kill the groups you
2303 aren't interested in. If most groups are killed, Gnus is faster.
2305 Why does Gnus distinguish between zombie and killed groups? Well, when
2306 a new group arrives on the server, Gnus by default makes it a zombie
2307 group. This means that you are normally not bothered with new groups,
2308 but you can type @kbd{A z} to get a list of all new groups. Subscribe
2309 the ones you like and kill the ones you don't want. (@kbd{A k} shows a
2310 list of killed groups.)
2312 If you want to play with the level variables, you should show some care.
2313 Set them once, and don't touch them ever again. Better yet, don't touch
2314 them at all unless you know exactly what you're doing.
2316 @vindex gnus-level-default-unsubscribed
2317 @vindex gnus-level-default-subscribed
2318 Two closely related variables are @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}
2319 (default 3) and @code{gnus-level-default-unsubscribed} (default 6),
2320 which are the levels that new groups will be put on if they are
2321 (un)subscribed. These two variables should, of course, be inside the
2322 relevant valid ranges.
2324 @vindex gnus-keep-same-level
2325 If @code{gnus-keep-same-level} is non-@code{nil}, some movement commands
2326 will only move to groups of the same level (or lower). In
2327 particular, going from the last article in one group to the next group
2328 will go to the next group of the same level (or lower). This might be
2329 handy if you want to read the most important groups before you read the
2332 If this variable is @code{best}, Gnus will make the next newsgroup the
2333 one with the best level.
2335 @vindex gnus-group-default-list-level
2336 All groups with a level less than or equal to
2337 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level} will be listed in the group buffer
2340 @vindex gnus-group-list-inactive-groups
2341 If @code{gnus-group-list-inactive-groups} is non-@code{nil}, non-active
2342 groups will be listed along with the unread groups. This variable is
2343 @code{t} by default. If it is @code{nil}, inactive groups won't be
2346 @vindex gnus-group-use-permanent-levels
2347 If @code{gnus-group-use-permanent-levels} is non-@code{nil}, once you
2348 give a level prefix to @kbd{g} or @kbd{l}, all subsequent commands will
2349 use this level as the ``work'' level.
2351 @vindex gnus-activate-level
2352 Gnus will normally just activate (i. e., query the server about) groups
2353 on level @code{gnus-activate-level} or less. If you don't want to
2354 activate unsubscribed groups, for instance, you might set this variable
2355 to 5. The default is 6.
2359 @section Group Score
2364 You would normally keep important groups on high levels, but that scheme
2365 is somewhat restrictive. Don't you wish you could have Gnus sort the
2366 group buffer according to how often you read groups, perhaps? Within
2369 This is what @dfn{group score} is for. You can have Gnus assign a score
2370 to each group through the mechanism described below. You can then sort
2371 the group buffer based on this score. Alternatively, you can sort on
2372 score and then level. (Taken together, the level and the score is
2373 called the @dfn{rank} of the group. A group that is on level 4 and has
2374 a score of 1 has a higher rank than a group on level 5 that has a score
2375 of 300. (The level is the most significant part and the score is the
2376 least significant part.))
2378 @findex gnus-summary-bubble-group
2379 If you want groups you read often to get higher scores than groups you
2380 read seldom you can add the @code{gnus-summary-bubble-group} function to
2381 the @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} hook. This will result (after
2382 sorting) in a bubbling sort of action. If you want to see that in
2383 action after each summary exit, you can add
2384 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank} or
2385 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score} to the same hook, but that will
2386 slow things down somewhat.
2389 @node Marking Groups
2390 @section Marking Groups
2391 @cindex marking groups
2393 If you want to perform some command on several groups, and they appear
2394 subsequently in the group buffer, you would normally just give a
2395 numerical prefix to the command. Most group commands will then do your
2396 bidding on those groups.
2398 However, if the groups are not in sequential order, you can still
2399 perform a command on several groups. You simply mark the groups first
2400 with the process mark and then execute the command.
2408 @findex gnus-group-mark-group
2409 Set the mark on the current group (@code{gnus-group-mark-group}).
2415 @findex gnus-group-unmark-group
2416 Remove the mark from the current group
2417 (@code{gnus-group-unmark-group}).
2421 @findex gnus-group-unmark-all-groups
2422 Remove the mark from all groups (@code{gnus-group-unmark-all-groups}).
2426 @findex gnus-group-mark-region
2427 Mark all groups between point and mark (@code{gnus-group-mark-region}).
2431 @findex gnus-group-mark-buffer
2432 Mark all groups in the buffer (@code{gnus-group-mark-buffer}).
2436 @findex gnus-group-mark-regexp
2437 Mark all groups that match some regular expression
2438 (@code{gnus-group-mark-regexp}).
2441 Also @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
2443 @findex gnus-group-universal-argument
2444 If you want to execute some command on all groups that have been marked
2445 with the process mark, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
2446 (@code{gnus-group-universal-argument}) command. It will prompt you for
2447 the command to be executed.
2450 @node Foreign Groups
2451 @section Foreign Groups
2452 @cindex foreign groups
2454 Below are some group mode commands for making and editing general foreign
2455 groups, as well as commands to ease the creation of a few
2456 special-purpose groups. All these commands insert the newly created
2457 groups under point---@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} is not
2464 @findex gnus-group-make-group
2465 @cindex making groups
2466 Make a new group (@code{gnus-group-make-group}). Gnus will prompt you
2467 for a name, a method and possibly an @dfn{address}. For an easier way
2468 to subscribe to @sc{nntp} groups, @pxref{Browse Foreign Server}.
2472 @findex gnus-group-rename-group
2473 @cindex renaming groups
2474 Rename the current group to something else
2475 (@code{gnus-group-rename-group}). This is valid only on some
2476 groups---mail groups mostly. This command might very well be quite slow
2482 @findex gnus-group-customize
2483 Customize the group parameters (@code{gnus-group-customize}).
2487 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-method
2488 @cindex renaming groups
2489 Enter a buffer where you can edit the select method of the current
2490 group (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method}).
2494 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-parameters
2495 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group parameters
2496 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-parameters}).
2500 @findex gnus-group-edit-group
2501 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group info
2502 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group}).
2506 @findex gnus-group-make-directory-group
2508 Make a directory group (@pxref{Directory Groups}). You will be prompted
2509 for a directory name (@code{gnus-group-make-directory-group}).
2514 @findex gnus-group-make-help-group
2515 Make the Gnus help group (@code{gnus-group-make-help-group}).
2519 @cindex (ding) archive
2520 @cindex archive group
2521 @findex gnus-group-make-archive-group
2522 @vindex gnus-group-archive-directory
2523 @vindex gnus-group-recent-archive-directory
2524 Make a Gnus archive group (@code{gnus-group-make-archive-group}). By
2525 default a group pointing to the most recent articles will be created
2526 (@code{gnus-group-recent-archive-directory}), but given a prefix, a full
2527 group will be created from @code{gnus-group-archive-directory}.
2531 @findex gnus-group-make-kiboze-group
2533 Make a kiboze group. You will be prompted for a name, for a regexp to
2534 match groups to be ``included'' in the kiboze group, and a series of
2535 strings to match on headers (@code{gnus-group-make-kiboze-group}).
2536 @xref{Kibozed Groups}.
2540 @findex gnus-group-enter-directory
2542 Read an arbitrary directory as if it were a newsgroup with the
2543 @code{nneething} back end (@code{gnus-group-enter-directory}).
2544 @xref{Anything Groups}.
2548 @findex gnus-group-make-doc-group
2549 @cindex ClariNet Briefs
2551 Make a group based on some file or other
2552 (@code{gnus-group-make-doc-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2553 command, you will be prompted for a file name and a file type.
2554 Currently supported types are @code{mbox}, @code{babyl},
2555 @code{digest}, @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward},
2556 @code{rfc934}, @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts},
2557 @code{standard-digest}, @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs},
2558 @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook}, @code{oe-dbx}, and @code{mailman}. If
2559 you run this command without a prefix, Gnus will guess at the file
2560 type. @xref{Document Groups}.
2564 @vindex gnus-useful-groups
2565 @findex gnus-group-make-useful-group
2566 Create one of the groups mentioned in @code{gnus-useful-groups}
2567 (@code{gnus-group-make-useful-group}).
2571 @findex gnus-group-make-web-group
2575 Make an ephemeral group based on a web search
2576 (@code{gnus-group-make-web-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2577 command, make a solid group instead. You will be prompted for the
2578 search engine type and the search string. Valid search engine types
2579 include @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}.
2580 @xref{Web Searches}.
2582 If you use the @code{google} search engine, you can limit the search
2583 to a particular group by using a match string like
2584 @samp{shaving group:alt.sysadmin.recovery}.
2587 @kindex G DEL (Group)
2588 @findex gnus-group-delete-group
2589 This function will delete the current group
2590 (@code{gnus-group-delete-group}). If given a prefix, this function will
2591 actually delete all the articles in the group, and forcibly remove the
2592 group itself from the face of the Earth. Use a prefix only if you are
2593 absolutely sure of what you are doing. This command can't be used on
2594 read-only groups (like @code{nntp} group), though.
2598 @findex gnus-group-make-empty-virtual
2599 Make a new, fresh, empty @code{nnvirtual} group
2600 (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}). @xref{Virtual Groups}.
2604 @findex gnus-group-add-to-virtual
2605 Add the current group to an @code{nnvirtual} group
2606 (@code{gnus-group-add-to-virtual}). Uses the process/prefix convention.
2609 @xref{Select Methods}, for more information on the various select
2612 @vindex gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups
2613 If @code{gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups} is a positive number,
2614 Gnus will check all foreign groups with this level or lower at startup.
2615 This might take quite a while, especially if you subscribe to lots of
2616 groups from different @sc{nntp} servers. Also @pxref{Group Levels};
2617 @code{gnus-activate-level} also affects activation of foreign
2621 @node Group Parameters
2622 @section Group Parameters
2623 @cindex group parameters
2625 The group parameters store information local to a particular group.
2626 Here's an example group parameter list:
2629 ((to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")
2633 We see that each element consists of a "dotted pair"---the thing before
2634 the dot is the key, while the thing after the dot is the value. All the
2635 parameters have this form @emph{except} local variable specs, which are
2636 not dotted pairs, but proper lists.
2638 Some parameters have correspondant customizable variables, each of which
2639 is an alist of regexps and values.
2641 The following group parameters can be used:
2646 Address used by when doing followups and new posts.
2649 (to-address . "some@@where.com")
2652 This is primarily useful in mail groups that represent closed mailing
2653 lists---mailing lists where it's expected that everybody that writes to
2654 the mailing list is subscribed to it. Since using this parameter
2655 ensures that the mail only goes to the mailing list itself, it means
2656 that members won't receive two copies of your followups.
2658 Using @code{to-address} will actually work whether the group is foreign
2659 or not. Let's say there's a group on the server that is called
2660 @samp{fa.4ad-l}. This is a real newsgroup, but the server has gotten
2661 the articles from a mail-to-news gateway. Posting directly to this
2662 group is therefore impossible---you have to send mail to the mailing
2663 list address instead.
2665 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-address-alist}.
2669 Address used when doing @kbd{a} in that group.
2672 (to-list . "some@@where.com")
2675 It is totally ignored
2676 when doing a followup---except that if it is present in a news group,
2677 you'll get mail group semantics when doing @kbd{f}.
2679 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you have neither a
2680 @code{to-list} group parameter nor a @code{to-address} group parameter,
2681 then a @code{to-list} group parameter will be added automatically upon
2682 sending the message if @code{gnus-add-to-list} is set to @code{t}.
2683 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
2685 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you don't have a
2686 @code{to-list} group parameter, one will be added automatically upon
2687 sending the message.
2689 @findex gnus-mailing-list-mode
2690 @cindex Mail List Groups
2691 If this variable is set, @code{gnus-mailing-list-mode} is turned on when
2692 entering summary buffer.
2694 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-list-alist}.
2699 If this parameter is set to @code{t}, Gnus will consider the
2700 to-address and to-list parameters for this group as addresses of
2701 mailing lists you are subscribed to. Giving Gnus this information is
2702 (only) a first step in getting it to generate correct Mail-Followup-To
2703 headers for your posts to these lists. Look here @pxref{(message)Mailing
2704 Lists} for a complete treatment of available MFT support.
2706 See also @code{gnus-find-subscribed-addresses}, the function that
2707 directly uses this group parameter.
2711 If the group parameter list has the element @code{(visible . t)},
2712 that group will always be visible in the Group buffer, regardless
2713 of whether it has any unread articles.
2715 @item broken-reply-to
2716 @cindex broken-reply-to
2717 Elements like @code{(broken-reply-to . t)} signals that @code{Reply-To}
2718 headers in this group are to be ignored. This can be useful if you're
2719 reading a mailing list group where the listserv has inserted
2720 @code{Reply-To} headers that point back to the listserv itself. This is
2721 broken behavior. So there!
2725 Elements like @code{(to-group . "some.group.name")} means that all
2726 posts in that group will be sent to @code{some.group.name}.
2730 If you have @code{(newsgroup . t)} in the group parameter list, Gnus
2731 will treat all responses as if they were responses to news articles.
2732 This can be useful if you have a mail group that's really a mirror of a
2737 If @code{(gcc-self . t)} is present in the group parameter list, newly
2738 composed messages will be @code{Gcc}'d to the current group. If
2739 @code{(gcc-self . none)} is present, no @code{Gcc:} header will be
2740 generated, if @code{(gcc-self . "string")} is present, this string will
2741 be inserted literally as a @code{gcc} header. This parameter takes
2742 precedence over any default @code{Gcc} rules as described later
2743 (@pxref{Archived Messages}). CAVEAT:: It yields an error putting
2744 @code{(gcc-self . t)} in groups of a @code{nntp} server or so, because
2745 a @code{nntp} server doesn't accept artciles.
2749 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(auto-expire
2750 . t)}, all articles read will be marked as expirable. For an
2751 alternative approach, @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
2753 See also @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups}.
2756 @cindex total-expire
2757 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2758 @code{(total-expire . t)}, all read articles will be put through the
2759 expiry process, even if they are not marked as expirable. Use with
2760 caution. Unread, ticked and dormant articles are not eligible for
2763 See also @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups}.
2767 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
2768 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(expiry-wait
2769 . 10)}, this value will override any @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} and
2770 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} when expiring expirable messages.
2771 The value can either be a number of days (not necessarily an integer) or
2772 the symbols @code{never} or @code{immediate}.
2775 @cindex score file group parameter
2776 Elements that look like @code{(score-file . "file")} will make
2777 @file{file} into the current score file for the group in question. All
2778 interactive score entries will be put into this file.
2781 @cindex adapt file group parameter
2782 Elements that look like @code{(adapt-file . "file")} will make
2783 @file{file} into the current adaptive file for the group in question.
2784 All adaptive score entries will be put into this file.
2787 @cindex admin-address
2788 When unsubscribing from a mailing list you should never send the
2789 unsubscription notice to the mailing list itself. Instead, you'd send
2790 messages to the administrative address. This parameter allows you to
2791 put the admin address somewhere convenient.
2795 Elements that look like @code{(display . MODE)} say which articles to
2796 display on entering the group. Valid values are:
2800 Display all articles, both read and unread.
2803 Display the last INTEGER articles in the group. This is the same as
2804 entering the group with C-u INTEGER.
2807 Display the default visible articles, which normally includes unread and
2811 Display articles that satisfy a predicate.
2813 Here are some examples:
2817 Display only unread articles.
2820 Display everything except expirable articles.
2822 @item [and (not reply) (not expire)]
2823 Display everything except expirable and articles you've already
2827 The available operators are @code{not}, @code{and} and @code{or}.
2828 Predicates include @code{tick}, @code{unsend}, @code{undownload},
2829 @code{unread}, @code{dormant}, @code{expire}, @code{reply},
2830 @code{killed}, @code{bookmark}, @code{score}, @code{save},
2831 @code{cache}, @code{forward}, @code{unseen} and @code{recent}.
2835 The @code{display} parameter works by limiting the summary buffer to
2836 the subset specified. You can pop the limit by using the @kbd{/ w}
2837 command (@pxref{Limiting}).
2841 Elements that look like @code{(comment . "This is a comment")} are
2842 arbitrary comments on the group. You can display comments in the
2843 group line (@pxref{Group Line Specification}).
2847 Elements that look like @code{(charset . iso-8859-1)} will make
2848 @code{iso-8859-1} the default charset; that is, the charset that will be
2849 used for all articles that do not specify a charset.
2851 See also @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}.
2853 @item ignored-charsets
2854 @cindex ignored-charset
2855 Elements that look like @code{(ignored-charsets x-unknown iso-8859-1)}
2856 will make @code{iso-8859-1} and @code{x-unknown} ignored; that is, the
2857 default charset will be used for decoding articles.
2859 See also @code{gnus-group-ignored-charsets-alist}.
2862 @cindex posting-style
2863 You can store additional posting style information for this group only
2864 here (@pxref{Posting Styles}). The format is that of an entry in the
2865 @code{gnus-posting-styles} alist, except that there's no regexp matching
2866 the group name (of course). Style elements in this group parameter will
2867 take precedence over the ones found in @code{gnus-posting-styles}.
2869 For instance, if you want a funky name and signature in this group only,
2870 instead of hacking @code{gnus-posting-styles}, you could put something
2871 like this in the group parameters:
2876 (signature "Funky Signature"))
2881 If it is set, the value is used as the method for posting message
2882 instead of @code{gnus-post-method}.
2886 An item like @code{(banner . "regex")} causes any part of an article
2887 that matches the regular expression "regex" to be stripped. Instead of
2888 "regex", you can also use the symbol @code{signature} which strips the
2889 last signature or any of the elements of the alist
2890 @code{gnus-article-banner-alist}.
2894 This parameter contains a Sieve test that should match incoming mail
2895 that should be placed in this group. From this group parameter, a
2896 Sieve @samp{IF} control structure is generated, having the test as the
2897 condition and @samp{fileinto "group.name";} as the body.
2899 For example, if the INBOX.list.sieve group has the @code{(sieve
2900 address "sender" "sieve-admin@@extundo.com")} group parameter, when
2901 translating the group parameter into a Sieve script (@pxref{Sieve
2902 Commands}) the following Sieve code is generated:
2905 if address \"sender\" \"sieve-admin@@extundo.com\" @{
2906 fileinto \"INBOX.list.sieve\";
2910 The Sieve language is described in RFC 3028. @xref{Top, , Top, sieve,
2913 @item (@var{variable} @var{form})
2914 You can use the group parameters to set variables local to the group you
2915 are entering. If you want to turn threading off in @samp{news.answers},
2916 you could put @code{(gnus-show-threads nil)} in the group parameters of
2917 that group. @code{gnus-show-threads} will be made into a local variable
2918 in the summary buffer you enter, and the form @code{nil} will be
2919 @code{eval}ed there.
2921 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
2922 A use for this feature, is to remove a mailing list identifier tag in
2923 the subject fields of articles. E.g. if the news group
2924 @samp{nntp+news.gnus.org:gmane.text.docbook.apps} has the tag
2925 @samp{DOC-BOOK-APPS:} in the subject of all articles, this tag can be
2926 removed from the article subjects in the summary buffer for the group by
2927 putting @code{(gnus-list-identifiers "DOCBOOK-APPS:")} into the group
2928 parameters for the group.
2931 This can also be used as a group-specific hook function, if you'd like.
2932 If you want to hear a beep when you enter a group, you could put
2933 something like @code{(dummy-variable (ding))} in the parameters of that
2934 group. @code{dummy-variable} will be set to the result of the
2935 @code{(ding)} form, but who cares?
2939 Use the @kbd{G p} or the @kbd{G c} command to edit group parameters of a
2940 group. (@kbd{G p} presents you with a Lisp-based interface, @kbd{G c}
2941 presents you with a Customize-like interface. The latter helps avoid
2942 silly Lisp errors.) You might also be interested in reading about topic
2943 parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}).
2945 Group parameters can be set via the @code{gnus-parameters} variable too.
2946 But some variables, such as @code{visible}, have no effect. For
2950 (setq gnus-parameters
2952 (gnus-show-threads nil)
2953 (gnus-use-scoring nil)
2954 (gnus-summary-line-format
2955 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%d:%ub%-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
2959 ("^nnimap:\\(foo.bar\\)$"
2963 (gnus-use-scoring t))
2967 (broken-reply-to . t))))
2970 String value of parameters will be subjected to regexp substitution, as
2971 the @code{to-group} example shows.
2974 @node Listing Groups
2975 @section Listing Groups
2976 @cindex group listing
2978 These commands all list various slices of the groups available.
2986 @findex gnus-group-list-groups
2987 List all groups that have unread articles
2988 (@code{gnus-group-list-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used, this
2989 command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default, it
2990 only lists groups of level five (i. e.,
2991 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level}) or lower (i.e., just subscribed
2998 @findex gnus-group-list-all-groups
2999 List all groups, whether they have unread articles or not
3000 (@code{gnus-group-list-all-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used,
3001 this command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default,
3002 it lists groups of level seven or lower (i.e., just subscribed and
3003 unsubscribed groups).
3007 @findex gnus-group-list-level
3008 List all unread groups on a specific level
3009 (@code{gnus-group-list-level}). If given a prefix, also list the groups
3010 with no unread articles.
3014 @findex gnus-group-list-killed
3015 List all killed groups (@code{gnus-group-list-killed}). If given a
3016 prefix argument, really list all groups that are available, but aren't
3017 currently (un)subscribed. This could entail reading the active file
3022 @findex gnus-group-list-zombies
3023 List all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-list-zombies}).
3027 @findex gnus-group-list-matching
3028 List all unread, subscribed groups with names that match a regexp
3029 (@code{gnus-group-list-matching}).
3033 @findex gnus-group-list-all-matching
3034 List groups that match a regexp (@code{gnus-group-list-all-matching}).
3038 @findex gnus-group-list-active
3039 List absolutely all groups in the active file(s) of the
3040 server(s) you are connected to (@code{gnus-group-list-active}). This
3041 might very well take quite a while. It might actually be a better idea
3042 to do a @kbd{A M} to list all matching, and just give @samp{.} as the
3043 thing to match on. Also note that this command may list groups that
3044 don't exist (yet)---these will be listed as if they were killed groups.
3045 Take the output with some grains of salt.
3049 @findex gnus-group-apropos
3050 List all groups that have names that match a regexp
3051 (@code{gnus-group-apropos}).
3055 @findex gnus-group-description-apropos
3056 List all groups that have names or descriptions that match a regexp
3057 (@code{gnus-group-description-apropos}).
3061 @findex gnus-group-list-cached
3062 List all groups with cached articles (@code{gnus-group-list-cached}).
3066 @findex gnus-group-list-dormant
3067 List all groups with dormant articles (@code{gnus-group-list-dormant}).
3071 @findex gnus-group-list-limit
3072 List groups limited within the current selection
3073 (@code{gnus-group-list-limit}).
3077 @findex gnus-group-list-flush
3078 Flush groups from the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-flush}).
3082 @findex gnus-group-list-plus
3083 List groups plus the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-plus}).
3087 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3088 @cindex visible group parameter
3089 Groups that match the @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} regexp will
3090 always be shown, whether they have unread articles or not. You can also
3091 add the @code{visible} element to the group parameters in question to
3092 get the same effect.
3094 @vindex gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles
3095 Groups that have just ticked articles in it are normally listed in the
3096 group buffer. If @code{gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles} is
3097 @code{nil}, these groups will be treated just like totally empty
3098 groups. It is @code{t} by default.
3101 @node Sorting Groups
3102 @section Sorting Groups
3103 @cindex sorting groups
3105 @kindex C-c C-s (Group)
3106 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups
3107 @vindex gnus-group-sort-function
3108 The @kbd{C-c C-s} (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups}) command sorts the
3109 group buffer according to the function(s) given by the
3110 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable. Available sorting functions
3115 @item gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3116 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3117 Sort the group names alphabetically. This is the default.
3119 @item gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3120 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3121 Sort the group alphabetically on the real (unprefixed) group names.
3123 @item gnus-group-sort-by-level
3124 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-level
3125 Sort by group level.
3127 @item gnus-group-sort-by-score
3128 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-score
3129 Sort by group score. @xref{Group Score}.
3131 @item gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3132 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3133 Sort by group score and then the group level. The level and the score
3134 are, when taken together, the group's @dfn{rank}. @xref{Group Score}.
3136 @item gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3137 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3138 Sort by number of unread articles.
3140 @item gnus-group-sort-by-method
3141 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-method
3142 Sort alphabetically on the select method.
3144 @item gnus-group-sort-by-server
3145 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-server
3146 Sort alphabetically on the Gnus server name.
3151 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} can also be a list of sorting
3152 functions. In that case, the most significant sort key function must be
3156 There are also a number of commands for sorting directly according to
3157 some sorting criteria:
3161 @kindex G S a (Group)
3162 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3163 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by group name
3164 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3167 @kindex G S u (Group)
3168 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread
3169 Sort the group buffer by the number of unread articles
3170 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3173 @kindex G S l (Group)
3174 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level
3175 Sort the group buffer by group level
3176 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level}).
3179 @kindex G S v (Group)
3180 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score
3181 Sort the group buffer by group score
3182 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3185 @kindex G S r (Group)
3186 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank
3187 Sort the group buffer by group rank
3188 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3191 @kindex G S m (Group)
3192 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method
3193 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by back end name
3194 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method}).
3198 All the commands below obey the process/prefix convention
3199 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3201 When given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), all these
3202 commands will sort in reverse order.
3204 You can also sort a subset of the groups:
3208 @kindex G P a (Group)
3209 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet
3210 Sort the groups alphabetically by group name
3211 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet}).
3214 @kindex G P u (Group)
3215 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread
3216 Sort the groups by the number of unread articles
3217 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread}).
3220 @kindex G P l (Group)
3221 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level
3222 Sort the groups by group level
3223 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level}).
3226 @kindex G P v (Group)
3227 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score
3228 Sort the groups by group score
3229 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3232 @kindex G P r (Group)
3233 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank
3234 Sort the groups by group rank
3235 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3238 @kindex G P m (Group)
3239 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method
3240 Sort the groups alphabetically by back end name
3241 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method}).
3244 @kindex G P s (Group)
3245 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups
3246 Sort the groups according to @code{gnus-group-sort-function}.
3250 And finally, note that you can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} to manually
3254 @node Group Maintenance
3255 @section Group Maintenance
3256 @cindex bogus groups
3261 @findex gnus-group-check-bogus-groups
3262 Find bogus groups and delete them
3263 (@code{gnus-group-check-bogus-groups}).
3267 @findex gnus-group-find-new-groups
3268 Find new groups and process them (@code{gnus-group-find-new-groups}).
3269 With 1 @kbd{C-u}, use the @code{ask-server} method to query the server
3270 for new groups. With 2 @kbd{C-u}'s, use most complete method possible
3271 to query the server for new groups, and subscribe the new groups as
3275 @kindex C-c C-x (Group)
3276 @findex gnus-group-expire-articles
3277 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
3278 process (if any) (@code{gnus-group-expire-articles}). That is, delete
3279 all expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
3280 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3283 @kindex C-c C-M-x (Group)
3284 @findex gnus-group-expire-all-groups
3285 Run all expirable articles in all groups through the expiry process
3286 (@code{gnus-group-expire-all-groups}).
3291 @node Browse Foreign Server
3292 @section Browse Foreign Server
3293 @cindex foreign servers
3294 @cindex browsing servers
3299 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
3300 You will be queried for a select method and a server name. Gnus will
3301 then attempt to contact this server and let you browse the groups there
3302 (@code{gnus-group-browse-foreign-server}).
3305 @findex gnus-browse-mode
3306 A new buffer with a list of available groups will appear. This buffer
3307 will use the @code{gnus-browse-mode}. This buffer looks a bit (well,
3308 a lot) like a normal group buffer.
3310 Here's a list of keystrokes available in the browse mode:
3315 @findex gnus-group-next-group
3316 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
3320 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
3321 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
3324 @kindex SPACE (Browse)
3325 @findex gnus-browse-read-group
3326 Enter the current group and display the first article
3327 (@code{gnus-browse-read-group}).
3330 @kindex RET (Browse)
3331 @findex gnus-browse-select-group
3332 Enter the current group (@code{gnus-browse-select-group}).
3336 @findex gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group
3337 Unsubscribe to the current group, or, as will be the case here,
3338 subscribe to it (@code{gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group}).
3344 @findex gnus-browse-exit
3345 Exit browse mode (@code{gnus-browse-exit}).
3349 @findex gnus-browse-describe-briefly
3350 Describe browse mode briefly (well, there's not much to describe, is
3351 there) (@code{gnus-browse-describe-briefly}).
3356 @section Exiting Gnus
3357 @cindex exiting Gnus
3359 Yes, Gnus is ex(c)iting.
3364 @findex gnus-group-suspend
3365 Suspend Gnus (@code{gnus-group-suspend}). This doesn't really exit Gnus,
3366 but it kills all buffers except the Group buffer. I'm not sure why this
3367 is a gain, but then who am I to judge?
3371 @findex gnus-group-exit
3372 @c @icon{gnus-group-exit}
3373 Quit Gnus (@code{gnus-group-exit}).
3377 @findex gnus-group-quit
3378 Quit Gnus without saving the @file{.newsrc} files (@code{gnus-group-quit}).
3379 The dribble file will be saved, though (@pxref{Auto Save}).
3382 @vindex gnus-exit-gnus-hook
3383 @vindex gnus-suspend-gnus-hook
3384 @code{gnus-suspend-gnus-hook} is called when you suspend Gnus and
3385 @code{gnus-exit-gnus-hook} is called when you quit Gnus, while
3386 @code{gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook} is called as the final item when
3391 If you wish to completely unload Gnus and all its adherents, you can use
3392 the @code{gnus-unload} command. This command is also very handy when
3393 trying to customize meta-variables.
3398 Miss Lisa Cannifax, while sitting in English class, felt her feet go
3399 numbly heavy and herself fall into a hazy trance as the boy sitting
3400 behind her drew repeated lines with his pencil across the back of her
3406 @section Group Topics
3409 If you read lots and lots of groups, it might be convenient to group
3410 them hierarchically according to topics. You put your Emacs groups over
3411 here, your sex groups over there, and the rest (what, two groups or so?)
3412 you put in some misc section that you never bother with anyway. You can
3413 even group the Emacs sex groups as a sub-topic to either the Emacs
3414 groups or the sex groups---or both! Go wild!
3418 \gnusfigure{Group Topics}{400}{
3419 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group-topic,height=9cm}}
3430 2: alt.religion.emacs
3433 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3435 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3436 13: comp.sources.unix
3439 @findex gnus-topic-mode
3441 To get this @emph{fab} functionality you simply turn on (ooh!) the
3442 @code{gnus-topic} minor mode---type @kbd{t} in the group buffer. (This
3443 is a toggling command.)
3445 Go ahead, just try it. I'll still be here when you get back. La de
3446 dum... Nice tune, that... la la la... What, you're back? Yes, and
3447 now press @kbd{l}. There. All your groups are now listed under
3448 @samp{misc}. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy? Hot and
3451 If you want this permanently enabled, you should add that minor mode to
3452 the hook for the group mode. Put the following line in your
3453 @file{~/.gnus} file:
3456 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
3460 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
3461 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
3462 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
3463 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
3464 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
3468 @node Topic Commands
3469 @subsection Topic Commands
3470 @cindex topic commands
3472 When the topic minor mode is turned on, a new @kbd{T} submap will be
3473 available. In addition, a few of the standard keys change their
3474 definitions slightly.
3476 In general, the following kinds of operations are possible on topics.
3477 First of all, you want to create topics. Secondly, you want to put
3478 groups in topics and to move them around until you have an order you
3479 like. The third kind of operation is to show/hide parts of the whole
3480 shebang. You might want to hide a topic including its subtopics and
3481 groups, to get a better overview of the other groups.
3483 Here is a list of the basic keys that you might need to set up topics
3490 @findex gnus-topic-create-topic
3491 Prompt for a new topic name and create it
3492 (@code{gnus-topic-create-topic}).
3496 @kindex T TAB (Topic)
3498 @findex gnus-topic-indent
3499 ``Indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3500 previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-indent}). If given a prefix,
3501 ``un-indent'' the topic instead.
3504 @kindex M-TAB (Topic)
3505 @findex gnus-topic-unindent
3506 ``Un-indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3507 parent of its current parent (@code{gnus-topic-unindent}).
3511 The following two keys can be used to move groups and topics around.
3512 They work like the well-known cut and paste. @kbd{C-k} is like cut and
3513 @kbd{C-y} is like paste. Of course, this being Emacs, we use the terms
3514 kill and yank rather than cut and paste.
3520 @findex gnus-topic-kill-group
3521 Kill a group or topic (@code{gnus-topic-kill-group}). All groups in the
3522 topic will be removed along with the topic.
3526 @findex gnus-topic-yank-group
3527 Yank the previously killed group or topic
3528 (@code{gnus-topic-yank-group}). Note that all topics will be yanked
3531 So, to move a topic to the beginning of the list of topics, just hit
3532 @kbd{C-k} on it. This is like the `cut' part of cut and paste. Then,
3533 move the cursor to the beginning of the buffer (just below the `Gnus'
3534 topic) and hit @kbd{C-y}. This is like the `paste' part of cut and
3535 paste. Like I said -- E-Z.
3537 You can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} on groups as well as on topics. So
3538 you can move topics around as well as groups.
3542 After setting up the topics the way you like them, you might wish to
3543 hide a topic, or to show it again. That's why we have the following
3550 @findex gnus-topic-select-group
3552 Either select a group or fold a topic (@code{gnus-topic-select-group}).
3553 When you perform this command on a group, you'll enter the group, as
3554 usual. When done on a topic line, the topic will be folded (if it was
3555 visible) or unfolded (if it was folded already). So it's basically a
3556 toggling command on topics. In addition, if you give a numerical
3557 prefix, group on that level (and lower) will be displayed.
3561 Now for a list of other commands, in no particular order.
3567 @findex gnus-topic-move-group
3568 Move the current group to some other topic
3569 (@code{gnus-topic-move-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3570 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3574 @findex gnus-topic-jump-to-topic
3575 Go to a topic (@code{gnus-topic-jump-to-topic}).
3579 @findex gnus-topic-copy-group
3580 Copy the current group to some other topic
3581 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3582 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3586 @findex gnus-topic-hide-topic
3587 Hide the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-hide-topic}). If given
3588 a prefix, hide the topic permanently.
3592 @findex gnus-topic-show-topic
3593 Show the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-show-topic}). If given
3594 a prefix, show the topic permanently.
3598 @findex gnus-topic-remove-group
3599 Remove a group from the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-remove-group}).
3600 This command is mainly useful if you have the same group in several
3601 topics and wish to remove it from one of the topics. You may also
3602 remove a group from all topics, but in that case, Gnus will add it to
3603 the root topic the next time you start Gnus. In fact, all new groups
3604 (which, naturally, don't belong to any topic) will show up in the root
3607 This command uses the process/prefix convention
3608 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3612 @findex gnus-topic-move-matching
3613 Move all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3614 (@code{gnus-topic-move-matching}).
3618 @findex gnus-topic-copy-matching
3619 Copy all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3620 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-matching}).
3624 @findex gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics
3625 Toggle hiding empty topics
3626 (@code{gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics}).
3630 @findex gnus-topic-mark-topic
3631 Mark all groups in the current topic with the process mark
3632 (@code{gnus-topic-mark-topic}).
3635 @kindex T M-# (Topic)
3636 @findex gnus-topic-unmark-topic
3637 Remove the process mark from all groups in the current topic
3638 (@code{gnus-topic-unmark-topic}).
3641 @kindex C-c C-x (Topic)
3642 @findex gnus-topic-expire-articles
3643 Run all expirable articles in the current group or topic through the
3644 expiry process (if any)
3645 (@code{gnus-topic-expire-articles}). (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3649 @findex gnus-topic-rename
3650 Rename a topic (@code{gnus-topic-rename}).
3653 @kindex T DEL (Topic)
3654 @findex gnus-topic-delete
3655 Delete an empty topic (@code{gnus-topic-delete}).
3659 @findex gnus-topic-list-active
3660 List all groups that Gnus knows about in a topics-ified way
3661 (@code{gnus-topic-list-active}).
3664 @kindex T M-n (Topic)
3665 @findex gnus-topic-goto-next-topic
3666 Go to the next topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-next-topic}).
3669 @kindex T M-p (Topic)
3670 @findex gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic
3671 Go to the next topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic}).
3675 @findex gnus-topic-edit-parameters
3676 @cindex group parameters
3677 @cindex topic parameters
3679 Edit the topic parameters (@code{gnus-topic-edit-parameters}).
3680 @xref{Topic Parameters}.
3685 @node Topic Variables
3686 @subsection Topic Variables
3687 @cindex topic variables
3689 The previous section told you how to tell Gnus which topics to display.
3690 This section explains how to tell Gnus what to display about each topic.
3692 @vindex gnus-topic-line-format
3693 The topic lines themselves are created according to the
3694 @code{gnus-topic-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
3707 Number of groups in the topic.
3709 Number of unread articles in the topic.
3711 Number of unread articles in the topic and all its subtopics.
3714 @vindex gnus-topic-indent-level
3715 Each sub-topic (and the groups in the sub-topics) will be indented with
3716 @code{gnus-topic-indent-level} times the topic level number of spaces.
3719 @vindex gnus-topic-mode-hook
3720 @code{gnus-topic-mode-hook} is called in topic minor mode buffers.
3722 @vindex gnus-topic-display-empty-topics
3723 The @code{gnus-topic-display-empty-topics} says whether to display even
3724 topics that have no unread articles in them. The default is @code{t}.
3728 @subsection Topic Sorting
3729 @cindex topic sorting
3731 You can sort the groups in each topic individually with the following
3737 @kindex T S a (Topic)
3738 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3739 Sort the current topic alphabetically by group name
3740 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3743 @kindex T S u (Topic)
3744 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread
3745 Sort the current topic by the number of unread articles
3746 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3749 @kindex T S l (Topic)
3750 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level
3751 Sort the current topic by group level
3752 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level}).
3755 @kindex T S v (Topic)
3756 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score
3757 Sort the current topic by group score
3758 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3761 @kindex T S r (Topic)
3762 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank
3763 Sort the current topic by group rank
3764 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3767 @kindex T S m (Topic)
3768 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method
3769 Sort the current topic alphabetically by back end name
3770 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method}).
3773 @kindex T S e (Topic)
3774 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server
3775 Sort the current topic alphabetically by server name
3776 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server}).
3780 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups
3781 Sort the current topic according to the function(s) given by the
3782 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable
3783 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups}).
3787 When given a prefix argument, all these commands will sort in reverse
3788 order. @xref{Sorting Groups}, for more information about group
3792 @node Topic Topology
3793 @subsection Topic Topology
3794 @cindex topic topology
3797 So, let's have a look at an example group buffer:
3803 2: alt.religion.emacs
3806 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3808 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3809 13: comp.sources.unix
3812 So, here we have one top-level topic (@samp{Gnus}), two topics under
3813 that, and one sub-topic under one of the sub-topics. (There is always
3814 just one (1) top-level topic). This topology can be expressed as
3819 (("Emacs -- I wuw it!" visible)
3820 (("Naughty Emacs" visible)))
3824 @vindex gnus-topic-topology
3825 This is in fact how the variable @code{gnus-topic-topology} would look
3826 for the display above. That variable is saved in the @file{.newsrc.eld}
3827 file, and shouldn't be messed with manually---unless you really want
3828 to. Since this variable is read from the @file{.newsrc.eld} file,
3829 setting it in any other startup files will have no effect.
3831 This topology shows what topics are sub-topics of what topics (right),
3832 and which topics are visible. Two settings are currently
3833 allowed---@code{visible} and @code{invisible}.
3836 @node Topic Parameters
3837 @subsection Topic Parameters
3838 @cindex topic parameters
3840 All groups in a topic will inherit group parameters from the parent (and
3841 ancestor) topic parameters. All valid group parameters are valid topic
3842 parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
3844 In addition, the following parameters are only valid as topic
3849 When subscribing new groups by topic (@pxref{Subscription Methods}), the
3850 @code{subscribe} topic parameter says what groups go in what topic. Its
3851 value should be a regexp to match the groups that should go in that
3854 @item subscribe-level
3855 When subscribing new groups by topic (see the @code{subscribe} parameter),
3856 the group will be subscribed with the level specified in the
3857 @code{subscribe-level} instead of @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}.
3861 Group parameters (of course) override topic parameters, and topic
3862 parameters in sub-topics override topic parameters in super-topics. You
3863 know. Normal inheritance rules. (@dfn{Rules} is here a noun, not a
3864 verb, although you may feel free to disagree with me here.)
3870 2: alt.religion.emacs
3874 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3876 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3877 13: comp.sources.unix
3881 The @samp{Emacs} topic has the topic parameter @code{(score-file
3882 . "emacs.SCORE")}; the @samp{Relief} topic has the topic parameter
3883 @code{(score-file . "relief.SCORE")}; and the @samp{Misc} topic has the
3884 topic parameter @code{(score-file . "emacs.SCORE")}. In addition,
3885 @* @samp{alt.religion.emacs} has the group parameter @code{(score-file
3886 . "religion.SCORE")}.
3888 Now, when you enter @samp{alt.sex.emacs} in the @samp{Relief} topic, you
3889 will get the @file{relief.SCORE} home score file. If you enter the same
3890 group in the @samp{Emacs} topic, you'll get the @file{emacs.SCORE} home
3891 score file. If you enter the group @samp{alt.religion.emacs}, you'll
3892 get the @file{religion.SCORE} home score file.
3894 This seems rather simple and self-evident, doesn't it? Well, yes. But
3895 there are some problems, especially with the @code{total-expiry}
3896 parameter. Say you have a mail group in two topics; one with
3897 @code{total-expiry} and one without. What happens when you do @kbd{M-x
3898 gnus-expire-all-expirable-groups}? Gnus has no way of telling which one
3899 of these topics you mean to expire articles from, so anything may
3900 happen. In fact, I hereby declare that it is @dfn{undefined} what
3901 happens. You just have to be careful if you do stuff like that.
3904 @node Misc Group Stuff
3905 @section Misc Group Stuff
3908 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
3909 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
3910 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
3911 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
3912 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
3919 @findex gnus-group-enter-server-mode
3920 Enter the server buffer (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}).
3921 @xref{Server Buffer}.
3925 @findex gnus-group-post-news
3926 Start composing a message (a news by default)
3927 (@code{gnus-group-post-news}). If given a prefix, post to the group
3928 under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
3929 Contrary to what the name of this function suggests, the prepared
3930 article might be a mail instead of a news, if a mail group is specified
3931 with the prefix argument. @xref{Composing Messages}.
3935 @findex gnus-group-mail
3936 Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}). If given a prefix,
3937 use the posting style of the group under the point. If the prefix is 1,
3938 prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
3939 @xref{Composing Messages}.
3943 @findex gnus-group-news
3944 Start composing a news (@code{gnus-group-news}). If given a prefix,
3945 post to the group under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt
3946 for group to post to. @xref{Composing Messages}.
3948 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
3949 This is useful for "posting" messages to mail groups without actually
3950 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
3951 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
3952 for this to work though.
3956 Variables for the group buffer:
3960 @item gnus-group-mode-hook
3961 @vindex gnus-group-mode-hook
3962 is called after the group buffer has been
3965 @item gnus-group-prepare-hook
3966 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
3967 is called after the group buffer is
3968 generated. It may be used to modify the buffer in some strange,
3971 @item gnus-group-prepared-hook
3972 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
3973 is called as the very last thing after the group buffer has been
3974 generated. It may be used to move point around, for instance.
3976 @item gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3977 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3978 Groups matching this regexp will always be listed in the group buffer,
3979 whether they are empty or not.
3981 @item gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
3982 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
3983 An alist of method and the charset for group names. It is used to show
3984 non-ASCII group names.
3988 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
3989 '(((nntp "news.com.cn") . cn-gb-2312)))
3992 @item gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
3993 @cindex UTF-8 group names
3994 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
3995 An alist of regexp of group name and the charset for group names. It
3996 is used to show non-ASCII group names. @code{((".*" utf-8))} is the
3997 default value if UTF-8 is supported, otherwise the default is nil.
4001 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4002 '(("\\.com\\.cn:" . cn-gb-2312)))
4007 @node Scanning New Messages
4008 @subsection Scanning New Messages
4009 @cindex new messages
4010 @cindex scanning new news
4016 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news
4017 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news}
4018 Check the server(s) for new articles. If the numerical prefix is used,
4019 this command will check only groups of level @var{arg} and lower
4020 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news}). If given a non-numerical prefix, this
4021 command will force a total re-reading of the active file(s) from the
4026 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group
4027 @vindex gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating
4028 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}
4029 Check whether new articles have arrived in the current group
4030 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}).
4031 @code{gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating} says whether this command is
4032 to move point to the next group or not. It is @code{t} by default.
4034 @findex gnus-activate-all-groups
4035 @cindex activating groups
4037 @kindex C-c M-g (Group)
4038 Activate absolutely all groups (@code{gnus-activate-all-groups}).
4043 @findex gnus-group-restart
4044 Restart Gnus (@code{gnus-group-restart}). This saves the @file{.newsrc}
4045 file(s), closes the connection to all servers, clears up all run-time
4046 Gnus variables, and then starts Gnus all over again.
4050 @vindex gnus-get-new-news-hook
4051 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is run just before checking for new news.
4053 @vindex gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook
4054 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook} is run after checking for new
4058 @node Group Information
4059 @subsection Group Information
4060 @cindex group information
4061 @cindex information on groups
4068 @findex gnus-group-fetch-faq
4069 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
4072 Try to fetch the FAQ for the current group
4073 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the FAQ from
4074 @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory on a
4075 remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories. In
4076 that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
4077 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} (or @code{efs}) will be used
4078 for fetching the file.
4080 If fetching from the first site is unsuccessful, Gnus will attempt to go
4081 through @code{gnus-group-faq-directory} and try to open them one by one.
4085 @c @icon{gnus-group-describe-group}
4087 @kindex C-c C-d (Group)
4088 @cindex describing groups
4089 @cindex group description
4090 @findex gnus-group-describe-group
4091 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-group-describe-group}). If given
4092 a prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description from the server.
4096 @findex gnus-group-describe-all-groups
4097 Describe all groups (@code{gnus-group-describe-all-groups}). If given a
4098 prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description file from the server.
4105 @findex gnus-version
4106 Display current Gnus version numbers (@code{gnus-version}).
4110 @findex gnus-group-describe-briefly
4111 Give a very short help message (@code{gnus-group-describe-briefly}).
4114 @kindex C-c C-i (Group)
4117 @findex gnus-info-find-node
4118 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
4122 @node Group Timestamp
4123 @subsection Group Timestamp
4125 @cindex group timestamps
4127 It can be convenient to let Gnus keep track of when you last read a
4128 group. To set the ball rolling, you should add
4129 @code{gnus-group-set-timestamp} to @code{gnus-select-group-hook}:
4132 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook 'gnus-group-set-timestamp)
4135 After doing this, each time you enter a group, it'll be recorded.
4137 This information can be displayed in various ways---the easiest is to
4138 use the @samp{%d} spec in the group line format:
4141 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4142 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %d\n")
4145 This will result in lines looking like:
4148 * 0: mail.ding 19961002T012943
4149 0: custom 19961002T012713
4152 As you can see, the date is displayed in compact ISO 8601 format. This
4153 may be a bit too much, so to just display the date, you could say
4157 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4158 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %6,6~(cut 2)d\n")
4161 If you would like greater control of the time format, you can use a
4162 user-defined format spec. Something like the following should do the
4166 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4167 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %ud\n")
4168 (defun gnus-user-format-function-d (headers)
4169 (let ((time (gnus-group-timestamp gnus-tmp-group)))
4171 (format-time-string "%b %d %H:%M" time)
4177 @subsection File Commands
4178 @cindex file commands
4184 @findex gnus-group-read-init-file
4185 @vindex gnus-init-file
4186 @cindex reading init file
4187 Re-read the init file (@code{gnus-init-file}, which defaults to
4188 @file{~/.gnus}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
4192 @findex gnus-group-save-newsrc
4193 @cindex saving .newsrc
4194 Save the @file{.newsrc.eld} file (and @file{.newsrc} if wanted)
4195 (@code{gnus-group-save-newsrc}). If given a prefix, force saving the
4196 file(s) whether Gnus thinks it is necessary or not.
4199 @c @kindex Z (Group)
4200 @c @findex gnus-group-clear-dribble
4201 @c Clear the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-group-clear-dribble}).
4206 @node Sieve Commands
4207 @subsection Sieve Commands
4208 @cindex group sieve commands
4210 Sieve is a server-side mail filtering language. In Gnus you can use
4211 the @code{sieve} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to specify
4212 sieve rules that should apply to each group. Gnus provides two
4213 commands to translate all these group parameters into a proper Sieve
4214 script that can be transfered to the server somehow.
4216 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4217 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-start
4218 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-end
4219 The generated Sieve script is placed in @code{gnus-sieve-file} (by
4220 default @file{~/.sieve}). The Sieve code that Gnus generate is placed
4221 between two delimiters, @code{gnus-sieve-region-start} and
4222 @code{gnus-sieve-region-end}, so you may write additional Sieve code
4223 outside these delimiters that will not be removed the next time you
4224 regenerate the Sieve script.
4226 @vindex gnus-sieve-crosspost
4227 The variable @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} controls how the Sieve script
4228 is generated. If it is non-nil (the default) articles is placed in
4229 all groups that have matching rules, otherwise the article is only
4230 placed in the group with the first matching rule. For example, the
4231 group parameter @samp{(sieve address "sender"
4232 "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu")} will generate the following piece of Sieve
4233 code if @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is nil. (When
4234 @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is non-nil, it looks the same except that
4235 the line containing the call to @code{stop} is removed.)
4238 if address "sender" "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu" @{
4239 fileinto "INBOX.ding";
4244 @xref{Top, ,Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
4250 @findex gnus-sieve-generate
4251 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4252 @cindex generating sieve script
4253 Regenerate a Sieve script from the @code{sieve} group parameters and
4254 put you into the @code{gnus-sieve-file} without saving it.
4258 @findex gnus-sieve-update
4259 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4260 @cindex updating sieve script
4261 Regenerates the Gnus managed part of @code{gnus-sieve-file} using the
4262 @code{sieve} group parameters, save the file and upload it to the
4263 server using the @code{sieveshell} program.
4268 @node Summary Buffer
4269 @chapter Summary Buffer
4270 @cindex summary buffer
4272 A line for each article is displayed in the summary buffer. You can
4273 move around, read articles, post articles and reply to articles.
4275 The most common way to a summary buffer is to select a group from the
4276 group buffer (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
4278 You can have as many summary buffers open as you wish.
4281 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
4282 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
4283 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
4284 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
4285 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
4286 * Delayed Articles::
4287 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
4288 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
4289 * Threading:: How threads are made.
4290 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
4291 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
4292 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
4293 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
4294 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
4295 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
4296 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
4297 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
4298 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
4299 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
4300 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
4301 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
4302 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
4303 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
4304 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
4305 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
4306 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
4307 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
4308 or reselecting the current group.
4309 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
4310 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
4311 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
4312 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
4316 @node Summary Buffer Format
4317 @section Summary Buffer Format
4318 @cindex summary buffer format
4322 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{180}{
4323 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary,width=7.5cm}}
4324 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-article,width=7.5cm}}}
4330 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
4331 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
4332 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
4333 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
4336 @findex mail-extract-address-components
4337 @findex gnus-extract-address-components
4338 @vindex gnus-extract-address-components
4339 Gnus will use the value of the @code{gnus-extract-address-components}
4340 variable as a function for getting the name and address parts of a
4341 @code{From} header. Two pre-defined functions exist:
4342 @code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is the default, quite
4343 fast, and too simplistic solution; and
4344 @code{mail-extract-address-components}, which works very nicely, but is
4345 slower. The default function will return the wrong answer in 5% of the
4346 cases. If this is unacceptable to you, use the other function instead:
4349 (setq gnus-extract-address-components
4350 'mail-extract-address-components)
4353 @vindex gnus-summary-same-subject
4354 @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} is a string indicating that the current
4355 article has the same subject as the previous. This string will be used
4356 with those specs that require it. The default is @code{""}.
4359 @node Summary Buffer Lines
4360 @subsection Summary Buffer Lines
4362 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4363 You can change the format of the lines in the summary buffer by changing
4364 the @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable. It works along the same
4365 lines as a normal @code{format} string, with some extensions
4366 (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
4368 There should always be a colon or a point position marker on the line;
4369 the cursor always moves to the point position marker or the colon after
4370 performing an operation. (Of course, Gnus wouldn't be Gnus if it wasn't
4371 possible to change this. Just write a new function
4372 @code{gnus-goto-colon} which does whatever you like with the cursor.)
4373 @xref{Positioning Point}.
4375 The default string is @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n}.
4377 The following format specification characters and extended format
4378 specification(s) are understood:
4384 Subject string. List identifiers stripped,
4385 @code{gnus-list-identifies}. @xref{Article Hiding}.
4387 Subject if the article is the root of the thread or the previous article
4388 had a different subject, @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} otherwise.
4389 (@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} defaults to @code{""}.)
4391 Full @code{From} header.
4393 The name (from the @code{From} header).
4395 The name, @code{To} header or the @code{Newsgroups} header (@pxref{To
4398 The name (from the @code{From} header). This differs from the @code{n}
4399 spec in that it uses the function designated by the
4400 @code{gnus-extract-address-components} variable, which is slower, but
4401 may be more thorough.
4403 The address (from the @code{From} header). This works the same way as
4406 Number of lines in the article.
4408 Number of characters in the article. This specifier is not supported
4409 in some methods (like nnfolder).
4411 Pretty-printed version of the number of characters in the article;
4412 for example, @samp{1.2k} or @samp{0.4M}.
4414 Indentation based on thread level (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4416 A complex trn-style thread tree, showing response-connecting trace
4419 Nothing if the article is a root and lots of spaces if it isn't (it
4420 pushes everything after it off the screen).
4422 Opening bracket, which is normally @samp{[}, but can also be @samp{<}
4423 for adopted articles (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4425 Closing bracket, which is normally @samp{]}, but can also be @samp{>}
4426 for adopted articles.
4428 One space for each thread level.
4430 Twenty minus thread level spaces.
4432 Unread. @xref{Read Articles}.
4435 This misleadingly named specifier is the @dfn{secondary mark}. This
4436 mark will say whether the article has been replied to, has been cached,
4437 or has been saved. @xref{Other Marks}.
4440 Score as a number (@pxref{Scoring}).
4442 @vindex gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz
4443 Zcore, @samp{+} if above the default level and @samp{-} if below the
4444 default level. If the difference between
4445 @code{gnus-summary-default-score} and the score is less than
4446 @code{gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz}, this spec will not be used.
4454 The @code{Date} in @code{DD-MMM} format.
4456 The @code{Date} in @var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS} format.
4462 Number of articles in the current sub-thread. Using this spec will slow
4463 down summary buffer generation somewhat.
4465 An @samp{=} (@code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark}) will be displayed if the
4466 article has any children.
4472 Age sensitive date format. Various date format is defined in
4473 @code{gnus-user-date-format-alist}.
4475 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
4476 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
4477 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
4478 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current header as
4479 argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
4480 into the summary just like information from any other summary specifier.
4483 Text between @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} will be highlighted with
4484 @code{gnus-mouse-face} when the mouse point is placed inside the area.
4485 There can only be one such area.
4487 The @samp{%U} (status), @samp{%R} (replied) and @samp{%z} (zcore) specs
4488 have to be handled with care. For reasons of efficiency, Gnus will
4489 compute what column these characters will end up in, and ``hard-code''
4490 that. This means that it is invalid to have these specs after a
4491 variable-length spec. Well, you might not be arrested, but your summary
4492 buffer will look strange, which is bad enough.
4494 The smart choice is to have these specs as far to the left as possible.
4495 (Isn't that the case with everything, though? But I digress.)
4497 This restriction may disappear in later versions of Gnus.
4500 @node To From Newsgroups
4501 @subsection To From Newsgroups
4505 In some groups (particularly in archive groups), the @code{From} header
4506 isn't very interesting, since all the articles there are written by
4507 you. To display the information in the @code{To} or @code{Newsgroups}
4508 headers instead, you need to decide three things: What information to
4509 gather; where to display it; and when to display it.
4513 @vindex gnus-extra-headers
4514 The reading of extra header information is controlled by the
4515 @code{gnus-extra-headers}. This is a list of header symbols. For
4519 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4520 '(To Newsgroups X-Newsreader))
4523 This will result in Gnus trying to obtain these three headers, and
4524 storing it in header structures for later easy retrieval.
4527 @findex gnus-extra-header
4528 The value of these extra headers can be accessed via the
4529 @code{gnus-extra-header} function. Here's a format line spec that will
4530 access the @code{X-Newsreader} header:
4533 "%~(form (gnus-extra-header 'X-Newsreader))@@"
4537 @vindex gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4538 The @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses} variable says when the @samp{%f}
4539 summary line spec returns the @code{To}, @code{Newsreader} or
4540 @code{From} header. If this regexp matches the contents of the
4541 @code{From} header, the value of the @code{To} or @code{Newsreader}
4542 headers are used instead.
4546 @vindex nnmail-extra-headers
4547 A related variable is @code{nnmail-extra-headers}, which controls when
4548 to include extra headers when generating overview (@sc{nov}) files. If
4549 you have old overview files, you should regenerate them after changing
4550 this variable, by entering the server buffer using `^', and then `g' on
4551 the appropriate mail server (e.g. nnml) to cause regeneration.
4553 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4554 You also have to instruct Gnus to display the data by changing the
4555 @code{%n} spec to the @code{%f} spec in the
4556 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable.
4558 In summary, you'd typically put something like the following in
4562 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4564 (setq nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
4565 (setq gnus-summary-line-format
4566 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
4567 (setq gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4571 (The values listed above are the default values in Gnus. Alter them
4574 A note for news server administrators, or for users who wish to try to
4575 convince their news server administrator to provide some additional
4578 The above is mostly useful for mail groups, where you have control over
4579 the @sc{nov} files that are created. However, if you can persuade your
4580 nntp admin to add (in the usual implementation, notably INN):
4586 to the end of her @file{overview.fmt} file, then you can use that just
4587 as you would the extra headers from the mail groups.
4590 @node Summary Buffer Mode Line
4591 @subsection Summary Buffer Mode Line
4593 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-line-format
4594 You can also change the format of the summary mode bar (@pxref{Mode Line
4595 Formatting}). Set @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} to whatever you
4596 like. The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}.
4598 Here are the elements you can play with:
4604 Unprefixed group name.
4606 Current article number.
4608 Current article score.
4612 Number of unread articles in this group.
4614 Number of unread articles in this group that aren't displayed in the
4617 A string with the number of unread and unselected articles represented
4618 either as @samp{<%U(+%e) more>} if there are both unread and unselected
4619 articles, and just as @samp{<%U more>} if there are just unread articles
4620 and no unselected ones.
4622 Shortish group name. For instance, @samp{rec.arts.anime} will be
4623 shortened to @samp{r.a.anime}.
4625 Subject of the current article.
4627 User-defined spec (@pxref{User-Defined Specs}).
4629 Name of the current score file (@pxref{Scoring}).
4631 Number of dormant articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4633 Number of ticked articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4635 Number of articles that have been marked as read in this session.
4637 Number of articles expunged by the score files.
4641 @node Summary Highlighting
4642 @subsection Summary Highlighting
4646 @item gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4647 @vindex gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4648 This hook is run after selecting an article. It is meant to be used for
4649 highlighting the article in some way. It is not run if
4650 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4652 @item gnus-summary-update-hook
4653 @vindex gnus-summary-update-hook
4654 This hook is called when a summary line is changed. It is not run if
4655 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4657 @item gnus-summary-selected-face
4658 @vindex gnus-summary-selected-face
4659 This is the face (or @dfn{font} as some people call it) used to
4660 highlight the current article in the summary buffer.
4662 @item gnus-summary-highlight
4663 @vindex gnus-summary-highlight
4664 Summary lines are highlighted according to this variable, which is a
4665 list where the elements are of the format @code{(@var{form}
4666 . @var{face})}. If you would, for instance, like ticked articles to be
4667 italic and high-scored articles to be bold, you could set this variable
4670 (((eq mark gnus-ticked-mark) . italic)
4671 ((> score default) . bold))
4673 As you may have guessed, if @var{form} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
4674 @var{face} will be applied to the line.
4678 @node Summary Maneuvering
4679 @section Summary Maneuvering
4680 @cindex summary movement
4682 All the straight movement commands understand the numeric prefix and
4683 behave pretty much as you'd expect.
4685 None of these commands select articles.
4690 @kindex M-n (Summary)
4691 @kindex G M-n (Summary)
4692 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-subject
4693 Go to the next summary line of an unread article
4694 (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-subject}).
4698 @kindex M-p (Summary)
4699 @kindex G M-p (Summary)
4700 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject
4701 Go to the previous summary line of an unread article
4702 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject}).
4705 @kindex G g (Summary)
4706 @findex gnus-summary-goto-subject
4707 Ask for an article number and then go to the summary line of that article
4708 without displaying the article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-subject}).
4711 If Gnus asks you to press a key to confirm going to the next group, you
4712 can use the @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} keys to move around the group
4713 buffer, searching for the next group to read without actually returning
4714 to the group buffer.
4716 Variables related to summary movement:
4720 @vindex gnus-auto-select-next
4721 @item gnus-auto-select-next
4722 If you issue one of the movement commands (like @kbd{n}) and there are
4723 no more unread articles after the current one, Gnus will offer to go to
4724 the next group. If this variable is @code{t} and the next group is
4725 empty, Gnus will exit summary mode and return to the group buffer. If
4726 this variable is neither @code{t} nor @code{nil}, Gnus will select the
4727 next group, no matter whether it has any unread articles or not. As a
4728 special case, if this variable is @code{quietly}, Gnus will select the
4729 next group without asking for confirmation. If this variable is
4730 @code{almost-quietly}, the same will happen only if you are located on
4731 the last article in the group. Finally, if this variable is
4732 @code{slightly-quietly}, the @kbd{Z n} command will go to the next group
4733 without confirmation. Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
4735 @item gnus-auto-select-same
4736 @vindex gnus-auto-select-same
4737 If non-@code{nil}, all the movement commands will try to go to the next
4738 article with the same subject as the current. (@dfn{Same} here might
4739 mean @dfn{roughly equal}. See @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}
4740 for details (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).) If there are no more
4741 articles with the same subject, go to the first unread article.
4743 This variable is not particularly useful if you use a threaded display.
4745 @item gnus-summary-check-current
4746 @vindex gnus-summary-check-current
4747 If non-@code{nil}, all the ``unread'' movement commands will not proceed
4748 to the next (or previous) article if the current article is unread.
4749 Instead, they will choose the current article.
4751 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
4752 @vindex gnus-auto-center-summary
4753 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will keep the point in the summary buffer
4754 centered at all times. This makes things quite tidy, but if you have a
4755 slow network connection, or simply do not like this un-Emacsism, you can
4756 set this variable to @code{nil} to get the normal Emacs scrolling
4757 action. This will also inhibit horizontal re-centering of the summary
4758 buffer, which might make it more inconvenient to read extremely long
4761 This variable can also be a number. In that case, center the window at
4762 the given number of lines from the top.
4767 @node Choosing Articles
4768 @section Choosing Articles
4769 @cindex selecting articles
4772 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
4773 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
4777 @node Choosing Commands
4778 @subsection Choosing Commands
4780 None of the following movement commands understand the numeric prefix,
4781 and they all select and display an article.
4783 If you want to fetch new articles or redisplay the group, see
4784 @ref{Exiting the Summary Buffer}.
4788 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
4789 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
4790 Select the current article, or, if that one's read already, the next
4791 unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
4796 @kindex G n (Summary)
4797 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-article
4798 @c @icon{gnus-summary-next-unread}
4799 Go to next unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-article}).
4804 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-article
4805 @c @icon{gnus-summary-prev-unread}
4806 Go to previous unread article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-article}).
4811 @kindex G N (Summary)
4812 @findex gnus-summary-next-article
4813 Go to the next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-article}).
4818 @kindex G P (Summary)
4819 @findex gnus-summary-prev-article
4820 Go to the previous article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-article}).
4823 @kindex G C-n (Summary)
4824 @findex gnus-summary-next-same-subject
4825 Go to the next article with the same subject
4826 (@code{gnus-summary-next-same-subject}).
4829 @kindex G C-p (Summary)
4830 @findex gnus-summary-prev-same-subject
4831 Go to the previous article with the same subject
4832 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-same-subject}).
4836 @kindex G f (Summary)
4838 @findex gnus-summary-first-unread-article
4839 Go to the first unread article
4840 (@code{gnus-summary-first-unread-article}).
4844 @kindex G b (Summary)
4846 @findex gnus-summary-best-unread-article
4847 Go to the unread article with the highest score
4848 (@code{gnus-summary-best-unread-article}). If given a prefix argument,
4849 go to the first unread article that has a score over the default score.
4854 @kindex G l (Summary)
4855 @findex gnus-summary-goto-last-article
4856 Go to the previous article read (@code{gnus-summary-goto-last-article}).
4859 @kindex G o (Summary)
4860 @findex gnus-summary-pop-article
4862 @cindex article history
4863 Pop an article off the summary history and go to this article
4864 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-article}). This command differs from the
4865 command above in that you can pop as many previous articles off the
4866 history as you like, while @kbd{l} toggles the two last read articles.
4867 For a somewhat related issue (if you use these commands a lot),
4868 @pxref{Article Backlog}.
4873 @kindex G j (Summary)
4874 @findex gnus-summary-goto-article
4875 Ask for an article number or @code{Message-ID}, and then go to that
4876 article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-article}).
4881 @node Choosing Variables
4882 @subsection Choosing Variables
4884 Some variables relevant for moving and selecting articles:
4887 @item gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
4888 @vindex gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
4889 All the movement commands will try to go to the previous (or next)
4890 article, even if that article isn't displayed in the Summary buffer if
4891 this variable is non-@code{nil}. Gnus will then fetch the article from
4892 the server and display it in the article buffer.
4894 @item gnus-select-article-hook
4895 @vindex gnus-select-article-hook
4896 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. By default it
4897 exposes any threads hidden under the selected article.
4899 @item gnus-mark-article-hook
4900 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
4901 @findex gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read
4902 @findex gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read
4903 @findex gnus-unread-mark
4904 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. It is intended to
4905 be used for marking articles as read. The default value is
4906 @code{gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read}, and will change the
4907 mark of almost any article you read to @code{gnus-unread-mark}. The
4908 only articles not affected by this function are ticked, dormant, and
4909 expirable articles. If you'd instead like to just have unread articles
4910 marked as read, you can use @code{gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read}
4911 instead. It will leave marks like @code{gnus-low-score-mark},
4912 @code{gnus-del-mark} (and so on) alone.
4917 @node Paging the Article
4918 @section Scrolling the Article
4919 @cindex article scrolling
4924 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
4925 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
4926 Pressing @kbd{SPACE} will scroll the current article forward one page,
4927 or, if you have come to the end of the current article, will choose the
4928 next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
4931 @kindex DEL (Summary)
4932 @findex gnus-summary-prev-page
4933 Scroll the current article back one page (@code{gnus-summary-prev-page}).
4936 @kindex RET (Summary)
4937 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-up
4938 Scroll the current article one line forward
4939 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-up}).
4942 @kindex M-RET (Summary)
4943 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-down
4944 Scroll the current article one line backward
4945 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-down}).
4949 @kindex A g (Summary)
4951 @findex gnus-summary-show-article
4952 @vindex gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
4953 (Re)fetch the current article (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). If
4954 given a prefix, fetch the current article, but don't run any of the
4955 article treatment functions. This will give you a ``raw'' article, just
4956 the way it came from the server.
4958 If given a numerical prefix, you can do semi-manual charset stuff.
4959 @kbd{C-u 0 g cn-gb-2312 RET} will decode the message as if it were
4960 encoded in the @code{cn-gb-2312} charset. If you have
4963 (setq gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
4968 then you can say @kbd{C-u 1 g} to get the same effect.
4973 @kindex A < (Summary)
4974 @findex gnus-summary-beginning-of-article
4975 Scroll to the beginning of the article
4976 (@code{gnus-summary-beginning-of-article}).
4981 @kindex A > (Summary)
4982 @findex gnus-summary-end-of-article
4983 Scroll to the end of the article (@code{gnus-summary-end-of-article}).
4987 @kindex A s (Summary)
4989 @findex gnus-summary-isearch-article
4990 Perform an isearch in the article buffer
4991 (@code{gnus-summary-isearch-article}).
4995 @findex gnus-summary-select-article-buffer
4996 Select the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-select-article-buffer}).
5001 @node Reply Followup and Post
5002 @section Reply, Followup and Post
5005 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
5006 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
5007 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
5008 * Canceling and Superseding::
5012 @node Summary Mail Commands
5013 @subsection Summary Mail Commands
5015 @cindex composing mail
5017 Commands for composing a mail message:
5023 @kindex S r (Summary)
5025 @findex gnus-summary-reply
5026 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-reply}
5027 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply}
5028 Mail a reply to the author of the current article
5029 (@code{gnus-summary-reply}).
5034 @kindex S R (Summary)
5035 @findex gnus-summary-reply-with-original
5036 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}
5037 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
5038 original message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This
5039 command uses the process/prefix convention.
5042 @kindex S w (Summary)
5043 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply
5044 Mail a wide reply to the author of the current article
5045 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{wide reply} is a reply that
5046 goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
5047 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers.
5050 @kindex S W (Summary)
5051 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original
5052 Mail a wide reply to the current article and include the original
5053 message (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original}). This command uses
5054 the process/prefix convention.
5057 @kindex S v (Summary)
5058 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply
5059 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article
5060 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{very wide reply} is a reply
5061 that goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
5062 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers in all the process/prefixed
5063 articles. This command uses the process/prefix convention.
5066 @kindex S V (Summary)
5067 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original
5068 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article and include the
5069 original message (@code{gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original}). This
5070 command uses the process/prefix convention.
5073 @kindex S B r (Summary)
5074 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to
5075 Mail a reply to the author of the current article but ignore the
5076 @code{Reply-To} field (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to}).
5079 @kindex S B R (Summary)
5080 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original
5081 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
5082 original message but ignore the @code{Reply-To} field
5083 (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original}).
5087 @kindex S o m (Summary)
5088 @kindex C-c C-f (Summary)
5089 @findex gnus-summary-mail-forward
5090 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-forward}
5091 Forward the current article to some other person
5092 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-forward}). If no prefix is given, the message
5093 is forwarded according to the value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime})
5094 and (@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
5095 message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
5096 as an rfc822 @sc{mime} section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
5097 forward as an rfc822 @sc{mime} section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
5098 directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
5099 but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
5100 default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 @sc{mime}
5106 @kindex S m (Summary)
5107 @findex gnus-summary-mail-other-window
5108 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-originate}
5109 Prepare a mail (@code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}). By default, use
5110 the posting style of the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
5111 If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
5116 @kindex S i (Summary)
5117 @findex gnus-summary-news-other-window
5118 Prepare a news (@code{gnus-summary-news-other-window}). By default,
5119 post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that. If the
5120 prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
5122 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
5123 This is useful for "posting" messages to mail groups without actually
5124 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
5125 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
5126 for this to work though.
5129 @kindex S D b (Summary)
5130 @findex gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail
5131 @cindex bouncing mail
5132 If you have sent a mail, but the mail was bounced back to you for some
5133 reason (wrong address, transient failure), you can use this command to
5134 resend that bounced mail (@code{gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail}). You
5135 will be popped into a mail buffer where you can edit the headers before
5136 sending the mail off again. If you give a prefix to this command, and
5137 the bounced mail is a reply to some other mail, Gnus will try to fetch
5138 that mail and display it for easy perusal of its headers. This might
5139 very well fail, though.
5142 @kindex S D r (Summary)
5143 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message
5144 Not to be confused with the previous command,
5145 @code{gnus-summary-resend-message} will prompt you for an address to
5146 send the current message off to, and then send it to that place. The
5147 headers of the message won't be altered---but lots of headers that say
5148 @code{Resent-To}, @code{Resent-From} and so on will be added. This
5149 means that you actually send a mail to someone that has a @code{To}
5150 header that (probably) points to yourself. This will confuse people.
5151 So, natcherly you'll only do that if you're really eVIl.
5153 This command is mainly used if you have several accounts and want to
5154 ship a mail to a different account of yours. (If you're both
5155 @code{root} and @code{postmaster} and get a mail for @code{postmaster}
5156 to the @code{root} account, you may want to resend it to
5157 @code{postmaster}. Ordnung muss sein!
5159 This command understands the process/prefix convention
5160 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5163 @kindex S O m (Summary)
5164 @findex gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward
5165 Digest the current series (@pxref{Decoding Articles}) and forward the
5166 result using mail (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command
5167 uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5170 @kindex S M-c (Summary)
5171 @findex gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint
5172 @cindex crossposting
5173 @cindex excessive crossposting
5174 Send a complaint about excessive crossposting to the author of the
5175 current article (@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint}).
5177 @findex gnus-crosspost-complaint
5178 This command is provided as a way to fight back against the current
5179 crossposting pandemic that's sweeping Usenet. It will compose a reply
5180 using the @code{gnus-crosspost-complaint} variable as a preamble. This
5181 command understands the process/prefix convention
5182 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) and will prompt you before sending each mail.
5186 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
5187 Manual}, for more information.
5190 @node Summary Post Commands
5191 @subsection Summary Post Commands
5193 @cindex composing news
5195 Commands for posting a news article:
5201 @kindex S p (Summary)
5202 @findex gnus-summary-post-news
5203 @c @icon{gnus-summary-post-news}
5204 Prepare for posting an article (@code{gnus-summary-post-news}). By
5205 default, post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
5206 If the prefix is 1, prompt for another group instead.
5211 @kindex S f (Summary)
5212 @findex gnus-summary-followup
5213 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup}
5214 Post a followup to the current article (@code{gnus-summary-followup}).
5218 @kindex S F (Summary)
5220 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}
5221 @findex gnus-summary-followup-with-original
5222 Post a followup to the current article and include the original message
5223 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}). This command uses the
5224 process/prefix convention.
5227 @kindex S n (Summary)
5228 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail
5229 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
5230 message through mail (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail}).
5233 @kindex S N (Summary)
5234 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original
5235 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
5236 message through mail and include the original message
5237 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original}). This command uses
5238 the process/prefix convention.
5241 @kindex S o p (Summary)
5242 @findex gnus-summary-post-forward
5243 Forward the current article to a newsgroup
5244 (@code{gnus-summary-post-forward}).
5245 If no prefix is given, the message is forwarded according to the value
5246 of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}) and
5247 (@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
5248 message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
5249 as an rfc822 @sc{mime} section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
5250 forward as an rfc822 @sc{mime} section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
5251 directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
5252 but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
5253 default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 @sc{mime} section.
5256 @kindex S O p (Summary)
5257 @findex gnus-uu-digest-post-forward
5259 @cindex making digests
5260 Digest the current series and forward the result to a newsgroup
5261 (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command uses the
5262 process/prefix convention.
5265 @kindex S u (Summary)
5266 @findex gnus-uu-post-news
5267 @c @icon{gnus-uu-post-news}
5268 Uuencode a file, split it into parts, and post it as a series
5269 (@code{gnus-uu-post-news}). (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
5272 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
5273 Manual}, for more information.
5276 @node Summary Message Commands
5277 @subsection Summary Message Commands
5281 @kindex S y (Summary)
5282 @findex gnus-summary-yank-message
5283 Yank the current article into an already existing Message composition
5284 buffer (@code{gnus-summary-yank-message}). This command prompts for
5285 what message buffer you want to yank into, and understands the
5286 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5291 @node Canceling and Superseding
5292 @subsection Canceling Articles
5293 @cindex canceling articles
5294 @cindex superseding articles
5296 Have you ever written something, and then decided that you really,
5297 really, really wish you hadn't posted that?
5299 Well, you can't cancel mail, but you can cancel posts.
5301 @findex gnus-summary-cancel-article
5303 @c @icon{gnus-summary-cancel-article}
5304 Find the article you wish to cancel (you can only cancel your own
5305 articles, so don't try any funny stuff). Then press @kbd{C} or @kbd{S
5306 c} (@code{gnus-summary-cancel-article}). Your article will be
5307 canceled---machines all over the world will be deleting your article.
5308 This command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5310 Be aware, however, that not all sites honor cancels, so your article may
5311 live on here and there, while most sites will delete the article in
5314 Gnus will use the ``current'' select method when canceling. If you
5315 want to use the standard posting method, use the @samp{a} symbolic
5316 prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}).
5318 If you discover that you have made some mistakes and want to do some
5319 corrections, you can post a @dfn{superseding} article that will replace
5320 your original article.
5322 @findex gnus-summary-supersede-article
5324 Go to the original article and press @kbd{S s}
5325 (@code{gnus-summary-supersede-article}). You will be put in a buffer
5326 where you can edit the article all you want before sending it off the
5329 The same goes for superseding as for canceling, only more so: Some
5330 sites do not honor superseding. On those sites, it will appear that you
5331 have posted almost the same article twice.
5333 If you have just posted the article, and change your mind right away,
5334 there is a trick you can use to cancel/supersede the article without
5335 waiting for the article to appear on your site first. You simply return
5336 to the post buffer (which is called @code{*sent ...*}). There you will
5337 find the article you just posted, with all the headers intact. Change
5338 the @code{Message-ID} header to a @code{Cancel} or @code{Supersedes}
5339 header by substituting one of those words for the word
5340 @code{Message-ID}. Then just press @kbd{C-c C-c} to send the article as
5341 you would do normally. The previous article will be
5342 canceled/superseded.
5344 Just remember, kids: There is no 'c' in 'supersede'.
5346 @node Delayed Articles
5347 @section Delayed Articles
5348 @cindex delayed sending
5349 @cindex send delayed
5351 Sometimes, you might wish to delay the sending of a message. For
5352 example, you might wish to arrange for a message to turn up just in time
5353 to remind your about the birthday of your Significant Other. For this,
5354 there is the @code{gnus-delay} package. Setup is simple:
5357 (gnus-delay-initialize)
5360 @findex gnus-delay-article
5361 Normally, to send a message you use the @kbd{C-c C-c} command from
5362 Message mode. To delay a message, use @kbd{C-c C-j}
5363 (@code{gnus-delay-article}) instead. This will ask you for how long the
5364 message should be delayed. Possible answers are:
5368 A time span. Consists of an integer and a letter. For example,
5369 @code{42d} means to delay for 42 days. Available letters are @code{m}
5370 (minutes), @code{h} (hours), @code{d} (days), @code{w} (weeks), @code{M}
5371 (months) and @code{Y} (years).
5374 A specific date. Looks like @code{YYYYY-MM-DD}. The message will be
5375 delayed until that day, at a specific time (eight o'clock by default).
5376 See also @code{gnus-delay-default-hour}.
5379 A specific time of day. Given in @code{hh:mm} format, 24h, no am/pm
5380 stuff. The deadline will be at that time today, except if that time has
5381 already passed, then it's at the given time tomorrow. So if it's ten
5382 o'clock in the morning and you specify @code{11:15}, then the deadline
5383 is one hour and fifteen minutes hence. But if you specify @code{9:20},
5384 that means a time tomorrow.
5387 The action of the @code{gnus-delay-article} command is influenced by a
5388 couple of variables:
5391 @item gnus-delay-default-hour
5392 @vindex gnus-delay-default-hour
5393 When you specify a specific date, the message will be due on that hour
5394 on the given date. Possible values are integers 0 through 23.
5396 @item gnus-delay-default-delay
5397 @vindex gnus-delay-default-delay
5398 This is a string and gives the default delay. It can be of any of the
5399 formats described above.
5401 @item gnus-delay-group
5402 @vindex gnus-delay-group
5403 Delayed articles will be kept in this group on the drafts server until
5404 they are due. You probably don't need to change this. The default
5405 value is @code{"delayed"}.
5407 @item gnus-delay-header
5408 @vindex gnus-delay-header
5409 The deadline for each article will be stored in a header. This variable
5410 is a string and gives the header name. You probably don't need to
5411 change this. The default value is @code{"X-Gnus-Delayed"}.
5414 The way delaying works is like this: when you use the
5415 @code{gnus-delay-article} command, you give a certain delay. Gnus
5416 calculates the deadline of the message and stores it in the
5417 @code{X-Gnus-Delayed} header and puts the message in the
5418 @code{nndraft:delayed} group.
5420 And whenever you get new news, Gnus looks through the group for articles
5421 which are due and sends them. It uses the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue}
5422 function for this. By default, this function is added to the hook
5423 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But of course, you can change this.
5424 Maybe you want to use the demon to send drafts? Just tell the demon to
5425 execute the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} function.
5428 @item gnus-delay-initialize
5429 @findex gnus-delay-initialize
5430 By default, this function installs the @kbd{C-c C-j} key binding in
5431 Message mode and @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} in
5432 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But it accepts two optional arguments,
5433 @code{no-keymap} and @code{no-check}. If @code{no-keymap} is non-nil,
5434 the @kbd{C-c C-j} binding is not intalled. If @code{no-check} is
5435 non-nil, @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is not changed.
5437 For example, @code{(gnus-delay-initialize nil t)} means to change the
5438 keymap but not to change @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. Presumably, you
5439 want to use the demon for sending due delayed articles. Just don't
5440 forget to set that up :-)
5444 @node Marking Articles
5445 @section Marking Articles
5446 @cindex article marking
5447 @cindex article ticking
5450 There are several marks you can set on an article.
5452 You have marks that decide the @dfn{readedness} (whoo, neato-keano
5453 neologism ohoy!) of the article. Alphabetic marks generally mean
5454 @dfn{read}, while non-alphabetic characters generally mean @dfn{unread}.
5456 In addition, you also have marks that do not affect readedness.
5459 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
5460 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
5461 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
5465 There's a plethora of commands for manipulating these marks:
5469 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
5470 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
5471 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
5475 @node Unread Articles
5476 @subsection Unread Articles
5478 The following marks mark articles as (kinda) unread, in one form or
5483 @vindex gnus-ticked-mark
5484 Marked as ticked (@code{gnus-ticked-mark}).
5486 @dfn{Ticked articles} are articles that will remain visible always. If
5487 you see an article that you find interesting, or you want to put off
5488 reading it, or replying to it, until sometime later, you'd typically
5489 tick it. However, articles can be expired (from news servers by the
5490 news server software, Gnus itself never expires ticked messages), so if
5491 you want to keep an article forever, you'll have to make it persistent
5492 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
5495 @vindex gnus-dormant-mark
5496 Marked as dormant (@code{gnus-dormant-mark}).
5498 @dfn{Dormant articles} will only appear in the summary buffer if there
5499 are followups to it. If you want to see them even if they don't have
5500 followups, you can use the @kbd{/ D} command (@pxref{Limiting}).
5501 Otherwise (except for the visibility issue), they are just like ticked
5505 @vindex gnus-unread-mark
5506 Marked as unread (@code{gnus-unread-mark}).
5508 @dfn{Unread articles} are articles that haven't been read at all yet.
5513 @subsection Read Articles
5514 @cindex expirable mark
5516 All the following marks mark articles as read.
5521 @vindex gnus-del-mark
5522 These are articles that the user has marked as read with the @kbd{d}
5523 command manually, more or less (@code{gnus-del-mark}).
5526 @vindex gnus-read-mark
5527 Articles that have actually been read (@code{gnus-read-mark}).
5530 @vindex gnus-ancient-mark
5531 Articles that were marked as read in previous sessions and are now
5532 @dfn{old} (@code{gnus-ancient-mark}).
5535 @vindex gnus-killed-mark
5536 Marked as killed (@code{gnus-killed-mark}).
5539 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mark
5540 Marked as killed by kill files (@code{gnus-kill-file-mark}).
5543 @vindex gnus-low-score-mark
5544 Marked as read by having too low a score (@code{gnus-low-score-mark}).
5547 @vindex gnus-catchup-mark
5548 Marked as read by a catchup (@code{gnus-catchup-mark}).
5551 @vindex gnus-canceled-mark
5552 Canceled article (@code{gnus-canceled-mark})
5555 @vindex gnus-souped-mark
5556 @sc{soup}ed article (@code{gnus-souped-mark}). @xref{SOUP}.
5559 @vindex gnus-sparse-mark
5560 Sparsely reffed article (@code{gnus-sparse-mark}). @xref{Customizing
5564 @vindex gnus-duplicate-mark
5565 Article marked as read by duplicate suppression
5566 (@code{gnus-duplicate-mark}). @xref{Duplicate Suppression}.
5570 All these marks just mean that the article is marked as read, really.
5571 They are interpreted differently when doing adaptive scoring, though.
5573 One more special mark, though:
5577 @vindex gnus-expirable-mark
5578 Marked as expirable (@code{gnus-expirable-mark}).
5580 Marking articles as @dfn{expirable} (or have them marked as such
5581 automatically) doesn't make much sense in normal groups---a user doesn't
5582 control expiring of news articles, but in mail groups, for instance,
5583 articles marked as @dfn{expirable} can be deleted by Gnus at
5589 @subsection Other Marks
5590 @cindex process mark
5593 There are some marks that have nothing to do with whether the article is
5599 You can set a bookmark in the current article. Say you are reading a
5600 long thesis on cats' urinary tracts, and have to go home for dinner
5601 before you've finished reading the thesis. You can then set a bookmark
5602 in the article, and Gnus will jump to this bookmark the next time it
5603 encounters the article. @xref{Setting Marks}.
5606 @vindex gnus-replied-mark
5607 All articles that you have replied to or made a followup to (i.e., have
5608 answered) will be marked with an @samp{A} in the second column
5609 (@code{gnus-replied-mark}).
5612 @vindex gnus-forwarded-mark
5613 All articles that you have forwarded will be marked with an @samp{F} in
5614 the second column (@code{gnus-forwarded-mark}).
5617 @vindex gnus-cached-mark
5618 Articles stored in the article cache will be marked with an @samp{*} in
5619 the second column (@code{gnus-cached-mark}). @xref{Article Caching}.
5622 @vindex gnus-saved-mark
5623 Articles ``saved'' (in some manner or other; not necessarily
5624 religiously) are marked with an @samp{S} in the second column
5625 (@code{gnus-saved-mark}).
5628 @vindex gnus-recent-mark
5629 Articles that according to the back end haven't been seen by the user
5630 before are marked with a @samp{N} in the second column
5631 (@code{gnus-recent-mark}). Note that not all back ends support this
5632 mark, in which case it simply never appears.
5635 @vindex gnus-unseen-mark
5636 Articles that haven't been seen by the user before are marked with a
5637 @samp{.} in the second column (@code{gnus-unseen-mark}).
5640 @vindex gnus-not-empty-thread-mark
5641 @vindex gnus-empty-thread-mark
5642 If the @samp{%e} spec is used, the presence of threads or not will be
5643 marked with @code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark} and
5644 @code{gnus-empty-thread-mark} in the third column, respectively.
5647 @vindex gnus-process-mark
5648 Finally we have the @dfn{process mark} (@code{gnus-process-mark}). A
5649 variety of commands react to the presence of the process mark. For
5650 instance, @kbd{X u} (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}) will uudecode and view
5651 all articles that have been marked with the process mark. Articles
5652 marked with the process mark have a @samp{#} in the second column.
5656 You might have noticed that most of these ``non-readedness'' marks
5657 appear in the second column by default. So if you have a cached, saved,
5658 replied article that you have process-marked, what will that look like?
5660 Nothing much. The precedence rules go as follows: process -> cache ->
5661 replied -> saved. So if the article is in the cache and is replied,
5662 you'll only see the cache mark and not the replied mark.
5666 @subsection Setting Marks
5667 @cindex setting marks
5669 All the marking commands understand the numeric prefix.
5674 @kindex M c (Summary)
5675 @kindex M-u (Summary)
5676 @findex gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward
5677 @cindex mark as unread
5678 Clear all readedness-marks from the current article
5679 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward}). In other words, mark the
5685 @kindex M t (Summary)
5686 @findex gnus-summary-tick-article-forward
5687 Tick the current article (@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}).
5688 @xref{Article Caching}.
5693 @kindex M ? (Summary)
5694 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant
5695 Mark the current article as dormant
5696 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant}). @xref{Article Caching}.
5700 @kindex M d (Summary)
5702 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward
5703 Mark the current article as read
5704 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward}).
5708 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward
5709 Mark the current article as read and move point to the previous line
5710 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward}).
5715 @kindex M k (Summary)
5716 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select
5717 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read,
5718 and then select the next unread article
5719 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select}).
5723 @kindex M K (Summary)
5724 @kindex C-k (Summary)
5725 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject
5726 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read
5727 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject}).
5730 @kindex M C (Summary)
5731 @findex gnus-summary-catchup
5732 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup}
5733 Mark all unread articles as read (@code{gnus-summary-catchup}).
5736 @kindex M C-c (Summary)
5737 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all
5738 Mark all articles in the group as read---even the ticked and dormant
5739 articles (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all}).
5742 @kindex M H (Summary)
5743 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-to-here
5744 Catchup the current group to point (before the point)
5745 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-to-here}).
5748 @kindex M h (Summary)
5749 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-from-here
5750 Catchup the current group from point (after the point)
5751 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-from-here}).
5754 @kindex C-w (Summary)
5755 @findex gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read
5756 Mark all articles between point and mark as read
5757 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read}).
5760 @kindex M V k (Summary)
5761 @findex gnus-summary-kill-below
5762 Kill all articles with scores below the default score (or below the
5763 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-kill-below}).
5767 @kindex M e (Summary)
5769 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable
5770 Mark the current article as expirable
5771 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable}).
5774 @kindex M b (Summary)
5775 @findex gnus-summary-set-bookmark
5776 Set a bookmark in the current article
5777 (@code{gnus-summary-set-bookmark}).
5780 @kindex M B (Summary)
5781 @findex gnus-summary-remove-bookmark
5782 Remove the bookmark from the current article
5783 (@code{gnus-summary-remove-bookmark}).
5786 @kindex M V c (Summary)
5787 @findex gnus-summary-clear-above
5788 Clear all marks from articles with scores over the default score (or
5789 over the numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
5792 @kindex M V u (Summary)
5793 @findex gnus-summary-tick-above
5794 Tick all articles with scores over the default score (or over the
5795 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-tick-above}).
5798 @kindex M V m (Summary)
5799 @findex gnus-summary-mark-above
5800 Prompt for a mark, and mark all articles with scores over the default
5801 score (or over the numeric prefix) with this mark
5802 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
5805 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
5806 The @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} variable controls what action should
5807 be taken after setting a mark. If non-@code{nil}, point will move to
5808 the next/previous unread article. If @code{nil}, point will just move
5809 one line up or down. As a special case, if this variable is
5810 @code{never}, all the marking commands as well as other commands (like
5811 @kbd{SPACE}) will move to the next article, whether it is unread or not.
5812 The default is @code{t}.
5815 @node Generic Marking Commands
5816 @subsection Generic Marking Commands
5818 Some people would like the command that ticks an article (@kbd{!}) go to
5819 the next article. Others would like it to go to the next unread
5820 article. Yet others would like it to stay on the current article. And
5821 even though I haven't heard of anybody wanting it to go to the
5822 previous (unread) article, I'm sure there are people that want that as
5825 Multiply these five behaviors with five different marking commands, and
5826 you get a potentially complex set of variable to control what each
5829 To sidestep that mess, Gnus provides commands that do all these
5830 different things. They can be found on the @kbd{M M} map in the summary
5831 buffer. Type @kbd{M M C-h} to see them all---there are too many of them
5832 to list in this manual.
5834 While you can use these commands directly, most users would prefer
5835 altering the summary mode keymap. For instance, if you would like the
5836 @kbd{!} command to go to the next article instead of the next unread
5837 article, you could say something like:
5840 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'my-alter-summary-map)
5841 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
5842 (local-set-key "!" 'gnus-summary-put-mark-as-ticked-next))
5848 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
5849 (local-set-key "!" "MM!n"))
5853 @node Setting Process Marks
5854 @subsection Setting Process Marks
5855 @cindex setting process marks
5862 @kindex M P p (Summary)
5863 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
5864 Mark the current article with the process mark
5865 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}).
5866 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
5870 @kindex M P u (Summary)
5871 @kindex M-# (Summary)
5872 Remove the process mark, if any, from the current article
5873 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
5876 @kindex M P U (Summary)
5877 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
5878 Remove the process mark from all articles
5879 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
5882 @kindex M P i (Summary)
5883 @findex gnus-uu-invert-processable
5884 Invert the list of process marked articles
5885 (@code{gnus-uu-invert-processable}).
5888 @kindex M P R (Summary)
5889 @findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
5890 Mark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
5891 expression (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
5894 @kindex M P G (Summary)
5895 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp
5896 Unmark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
5897 expression (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp}).
5900 @kindex M P r (Summary)
5901 @findex gnus-uu-mark-region
5902 Mark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
5906 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-region
5907 Unmark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-region}).
5910 @kindex M P t (Summary)
5911 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
5912 Mark all articles in the current (sub)thread
5913 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
5916 @kindex M P T (Summary)
5917 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
5918 Unmark all articles in the current (sub)thread
5919 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
5922 @kindex M P v (Summary)
5923 @findex gnus-uu-mark-over
5924 Mark all articles that have a score above the prefix argument
5925 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-over}).
5928 @kindex M P s (Summary)
5929 @findex gnus-uu-mark-series
5930 Mark all articles in the current series (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
5933 @kindex M P S (Summary)
5934 @findex gnus-uu-mark-sparse
5935 Mark all series that have already had some articles marked
5936 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-sparse}).
5939 @kindex M P a (Summary)
5940 @findex gnus-uu-mark-all
5941 Mark all articles in series order (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
5944 @kindex M P b (Summary)
5945 @findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
5946 Mark all articles in the buffer in the order they appear
5947 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
5950 @kindex M P k (Summary)
5951 @findex gnus-summary-kill-process-mark
5952 Push the current process mark set onto the stack and unmark all articles
5953 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-process-mark}).
5956 @kindex M P y (Summary)
5957 @findex gnus-summary-yank-process-mark
5958 Pop the previous process mark set from the stack and restore it
5959 (@code{gnus-summary-yank-process-mark}).
5962 @kindex M P w (Summary)
5963 @findex gnus-summary-save-process-mark
5964 Push the current process mark set onto the stack
5965 (@code{gnus-summary-save-process-mark}).
5969 Also see the @kbd{&} command in @pxref{Searching for Articles} for how to
5970 set process marks based on article body contents.
5977 It can be convenient to limit the summary buffer to just show some
5978 subset of the articles currently in the group. The effect most limit
5979 commands have is to remove a few (or many) articles from the summary
5982 All limiting commands work on subsets of the articles already fetched
5983 from the servers. None of these commands query the server for
5984 additional articles.
5990 @kindex / / (Summary)
5991 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-subject
5992 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some subject
5993 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-subject}). If given a prefix, exclude
5997 @kindex / a (Summary)
5998 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-author
5999 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some author
6000 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-author}). If given a prefix, exclude
6004 @kindex / x (Summary)
6005 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-extra
6006 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match one of the ``extra''
6007 headers (@pxref{To From Newsgroups})
6008 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-extra}). If given a prefix, exclude
6013 @kindex / u (Summary)
6015 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unread
6016 Limit the summary buffer to articles not marked as read
6017 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unread}). If given a prefix, limit the
6018 buffer to articles strictly unread. This means that ticked and
6019 dormant articles will also be excluded.
6022 @kindex / m (Summary)
6023 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-marks
6024 Ask for a mark and then limit to all articles that have been marked
6025 with that mark (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}).
6028 @kindex / t (Summary)
6029 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-age
6030 Ask for a number and then limit the summary buffer to articles older than (or equal to) that number of days
6031 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-age}). If given a prefix, limit to
6032 articles younger than that number of days.
6035 @kindex / n (Summary)
6036 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-articles
6037 Limit the summary buffer to the current article
6038 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-articles}). Uses the process/prefix
6039 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
6042 @kindex / w (Summary)
6043 @findex gnus-summary-pop-limit
6044 Pop the previous limit off the stack and restore it
6045 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-limit}). If given a prefix, pop all limits off
6049 @kindex / v (Summary)
6050 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-score
6051 Limit the summary buffer to articles that have a score at or above some
6052 score (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-score}).
6055 @kindex / p (Summary)
6056 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate
6057 Limit the summary buffer to articles that satisfy the @code{display}
6058 group parameter predicate
6059 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate}). See @pxref{Group
6060 Parameters} for more on this predicate.
6064 @kindex M S (Summary)
6065 @kindex / E (Summary)
6066 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged
6067 Include all expunged articles in the limit
6068 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged}).
6071 @kindex / D (Summary)
6072 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant
6073 Include all dormant articles in the limit
6074 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant}).
6077 @kindex / * (Summary)
6078 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-cached
6079 Include all cached articles in the limit
6080 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}).
6083 @kindex / d (Summary)
6084 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant
6085 Exclude all dormant articles from the limit
6086 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant}).
6089 @kindex / M (Summary)
6090 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks
6091 Exclude all marked articles (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks}).
6094 @kindex / T (Summary)
6095 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-thread
6096 Include all the articles in the current thread in the limit.
6099 @kindex / c (Summary)
6100 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant
6101 Exclude all dormant articles that have no children from the limit
6102 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant}).
6105 @kindex / C (Summary)
6106 @findex gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read
6107 Mark all excluded unread articles as read
6108 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read}). If given a prefix,
6109 also mark excluded ticked and dormant articles as read.
6112 @kindex / N (Summary)
6113 @findex gnus-summary-insert-new-articles
6114 Insert all new articles in the summary buffer. It scans for new emails
6115 if @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} is non-@code{nil}.
6118 @kindex / o (Summary)
6119 @findex gnus-summary-insert-old-articles
6120 Insert all old articles in the summary buffer. If given a numbered
6121 prefix, fetch this number of articles.
6129 @cindex article threading
6131 Gnus threads articles by default. @dfn{To thread} is to put responses
6132 to articles directly after the articles they respond to---in a
6133 hierarchical fashion.
6135 Threading is done by looking at the @code{References} headers of the
6136 articles. In a perfect world, this would be enough to build pretty
6137 trees, but unfortunately, the @code{References} header is often broken
6138 or simply missing. Weird news propagation exacerbates the problem,
6139 so one has to employ other heuristics to get pleasing results. A
6140 plethora of approaches exists, as detailed in horrible detail in
6141 @pxref{Customizing Threading}.
6143 First, a quick overview of the concepts:
6147 The top-most article in a thread; the first article in the thread.
6150 A tree-like article structure.
6153 A small(er) section of this tree-like structure.
6156 Threads often lose their roots due to article expiry, or due to the root
6157 already having been read in a previous session, and not displayed in the
6158 summary buffer. We then typically have many sub-threads that really
6159 belong to one thread, but are without connecting roots. These are
6160 called loose threads.
6162 @item thread gathering
6163 An attempt to gather loose threads into bigger threads.
6165 @item sparse threads
6166 A thread where the missing articles have been ``guessed'' at, and are
6167 displayed as empty lines in the summary buffer.
6173 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
6174 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
6178 @node Customizing Threading
6179 @subsection Customizing Threading
6180 @cindex customizing threading
6183 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
6184 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
6185 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
6186 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over... but you were wrong!
6191 @subsubsection Loose Threads
6194 @cindex loose threads
6197 @item gnus-summary-make-false-root
6198 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root
6199 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will gather all loose subtrees into one big tree
6200 and create a dummy root at the top. (Wait a minute. Root at the top?
6201 Yup.) Loose subtrees occur when the real root has expired, or you've
6202 read or killed the root in a previous session.
6204 When there is no real root of a thread, Gnus will have to fudge
6205 something. This variable says what fudging method Gnus should use.
6206 There are four possible values:
6210 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{390}{
6211 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-adopt,width=7.5cm}}
6212 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-empty,width=7.5cm}}}
6213 \put(0,400){\makebox(0,0)[tl]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-none,width=7.5cm}}}
6214 \put(445,400){\makebox(0,0)[tr]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-dummy,width=7.5cm}}}
6219 @cindex adopting articles
6224 Gnus will make the first of the orphaned articles the parent. This
6225 parent will adopt all the other articles. The adopted articles will be
6226 marked as such by pointy brackets (@samp{<>}) instead of the standard
6227 square brackets (@samp{[]}). This is the default method.
6230 @vindex gnus-summary-dummy-line-format
6231 Gnus will create a dummy summary line that will pretend to be the
6232 parent. This dummy line does not correspond to any real article, so
6233 selecting it will just select the first real article after the dummy
6234 article. @code{gnus-summary-dummy-line-format} is used to specify the
6235 format of the dummy roots. It accepts only one format spec: @samp{S},
6236 which is the subject of the article. @xref{Formatting Variables}.
6239 Gnus won't actually make any article the parent, but simply leave the
6240 subject field of all orphans except the first empty. (Actually, it will
6241 use @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} as the subject (@pxref{Summary
6245 Don't make any article parent at all. Just gather the threads and
6246 display them after one another.
6249 Don't gather loose threads.
6252 @item gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
6253 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
6254 Loose threads are gathered by comparing subjects of articles. If this
6255 variable is @code{nil}, Gnus requires an exact match between the
6256 subjects of the loose threads before gathering them into one big
6257 super-thread. This might be too strict a requirement, what with the
6258 presence of stupid newsreaders that chop off long subject lines. If
6259 you think so, set this variable to, say, 20 to require that only the
6260 first 20 characters of the subjects have to match. If you set this
6261 variable to a really low number, you'll find that Gnus will gather
6262 everything in sight into one thread, which isn't very helpful.
6264 @cindex fuzzy article gathering
6265 If you set this variable to the special value @code{fuzzy}, Gnus will
6266 use a fuzzy string comparison algorithm on the subjects (@pxref{Fuzzy
6269 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
6270 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
6271 This can either be a regular expression or list of regular expressions
6272 that match strings that will be removed from subjects if fuzzy subject
6273 simplification is used.
6275 @item gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6276 @vindex gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6277 If you set @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit} to something as low
6278 as 10, you might consider setting this variable to something sensible:
6280 @c Written by Michael Ernst <mernst@cs.rice.edu>
6282 (setq gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6288 "wanted" "followup" "summary\\( of\\)?"
6289 "help" "query" "problem" "question"
6290 "answer" "reference" "announce"
6291 "How can I" "How to" "Comparison of"
6296 (mapconcat 'identity
6297 '("for" "for reference" "with" "about")
6299 "\\)?\\]?:?[ \t]*"))
6302 All words that match this regexp will be removed before comparing two
6305 @item gnus-simplify-subject-functions
6306 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-functions
6307 If non-@code{nil}, this variable overrides
6308 @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}. This variable should be a
6309 list of functions to apply to the @code{Subject} string iteratively to
6310 arrive at the simplified version of the string.
6312 Useful functions to put in this list include:
6315 @item gnus-simplify-subject-re
6316 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-re
6317 Strip the leading @samp{Re:}.
6319 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
6320 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
6323 @item gnus-simplify-whitespace
6324 @findex gnus-simplify-whitespace
6325 Remove excessive whitespace.
6327 @item gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
6328 @findex gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
6329 Remove all whitespace.
6332 You may also write your own functions, of course.
6335 @item gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
6336 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
6337 Since loose thread gathering is done on subjects only, that might lead
6338 to many false hits, especially with certain common subjects like
6339 @samp{} and @samp{(none)}. To make the situation slightly better,
6340 you can use the regexp @code{gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject} to say
6341 what subjects should be excluded from the gathering process.@*
6342 The default is @samp{^ *$\\|^(none)$}.
6344 @item gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6345 @vindex gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6346 Gnus gathers threads by looking at @code{Subject} headers. This means
6347 that totally unrelated articles may end up in the same ``thread'', which
6348 is confusing. An alternate approach is to look at all the
6349 @code{Message-ID}s in all the @code{References} headers to find matches.
6350 This will ensure that no gathered threads ever include unrelated
6351 articles, but it also means that people who have posted with broken
6352 newsreaders won't be gathered properly. The choice is yours---plague or
6356 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
6357 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
6358 This function is the default gathering function and looks at
6359 @code{Subject}s exclusively.
6361 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-references
6362 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-references
6363 This function looks at @code{References} headers exclusively.
6366 If you want to test gathering by @code{References}, you could say
6370 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6371 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
6377 @node Filling In Threads
6378 @subsubsection Filling In Threads
6381 @item gnus-fetch-old-headers
6382 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-headers
6383 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will attempt to build old threads by fetching
6384 more old headers---headers to articles marked as read. If you
6385 would like to display as few summary lines as possible, but still
6386 connect as many loose threads as possible, you should set this variable
6387 to @code{some} or a number. If you set it to a number, no more than
6388 that number of extra old headers will be fetched. In either case,
6389 fetching old headers only works if the back end you are using carries
6390 overview files---this would normally be @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool},
6391 @code{nnml}, and @code{nnmaildir}. Also remember that if the root of
6392 the thread has been expired by the server, there's not much Gnus can do
6395 This variable can also be set to @code{invisible}. This won't have any
6396 visible effects, but is useful if you use the @kbd{A T} command a lot
6397 (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
6399 @item gnus-build-sparse-threads
6400 @vindex gnus-build-sparse-threads
6401 Fetching old headers can be slow. A low-rent similar effect can be
6402 gotten by setting this variable to @code{some}. Gnus will then look at
6403 the complete @code{References} headers of all articles and try to string
6404 together articles that belong in the same thread. This will leave
6405 @dfn{gaps} in the threading display where Gnus guesses that an article
6406 is missing from the thread. (These gaps appear like normal summary
6407 lines. If you select a gap, Gnus will try to fetch the article in
6408 question.) If this variable is @code{t}, Gnus will display all these
6409 ``gaps'' without regard for whether they are useful for completing the
6410 thread or not. Finally, if this variable is @code{more}, Gnus won't cut
6411 off sparse leaf nodes that don't lead anywhere. This variable is
6412 @code{nil} by default.
6414 @item gnus-read-all-available-headers
6415 @vindex gnus-read-all-available-headers
6416 This is a rather obscure variable that few will find useful. It's
6417 intended for those non-news newsgroups where the back end has to fetch
6418 quite a lot to present the summary buffer, and where it's impossible to
6419 go back to parents of articles. This is mostly the case in the
6420 web-based groups, like the @code{nnultimate} groups.
6422 If you don't use those, then it's safe to leave this as the default
6423 @code{nil}. If you want to use this variable, it should be a regexp
6424 that matches the group name, or @code{t} for all groups.
6429 @node More Threading
6430 @subsubsection More Threading
6433 @item gnus-show-threads
6434 @vindex gnus-show-threads
6435 If this variable is @code{nil}, no threading will be done, and all of
6436 the rest of the variables here will have no effect. Turning threading
6437 off will speed group selection up a bit, but it is sure to make reading
6438 slower and more awkward.
6440 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6441 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6442 If non-@code{nil}, all threads will be hidden when the summary buffer is
6445 This can also be a predicate specifier (@pxref{Predicate Specifiers}).
6446 Avaliable predicates are @code{gnus-article-unread-p} and
6447 @code{gnus-article-unseen-p}).
6452 (setq gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6453 '(or gnus-article-unread-p
6454 gnus-article-unseen-p))
6457 (It's a pretty nonsensical example, since all unseen articles are also
6458 unread, but you get my drift.)
6461 @item gnus-thread-expunge-below
6462 @vindex gnus-thread-expunge-below
6463 All threads that have a total score (as defined by
6464 @code{gnus-thread-score-function}) less than this number will be
6465 expunged. This variable is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
6466 threads are expunged.
6468 @item gnus-thread-hide-killed
6469 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-killed
6470 if you kill a thread and this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subtree
6473 @item gnus-thread-ignore-subject
6474 @vindex gnus-thread-ignore-subject
6475 Sometimes somebody changes the subject in the middle of a thread. If
6476 this variable is non-@code{nil}, which is the default, the subject
6477 change is ignored. If it is @code{nil}, a change in the subject will
6478 result in a new thread.
6480 @item gnus-thread-indent-level
6481 @vindex gnus-thread-indent-level
6482 This is a number that says how much each sub-thread should be indented.
6485 @item gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
6486 @vindex gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
6487 Sometimes, particularly with mailing lists, the order in which mails
6488 arrive locally is not necessarily the same as the order in which they
6489 arrived on the mailing list. Consequently, when sorting sub-threads
6490 using the default @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number}, responses can end
6491 up appearing before the article to which they are responding to.
6492 Setting this variable to an alternate value
6493 (e.g. @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}), in a group's parameters or in an
6494 appropriate hook (e.g. @code{gnus-summary-generate-hook}) can produce a
6495 more logical sub-thread ordering in such instances.
6500 @node Low-Level Threading
6501 @subsubsection Low-Level Threading
6505 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
6506 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
6507 Hook run before parsing any headers.
6509 @item gnus-alter-header-function
6510 @vindex gnus-alter-header-function
6511 If non-@code{nil}, this function will be called to allow alteration of
6512 article header structures. The function is called with one parameter,
6513 the article header vector, which it may alter in any way. For instance,
6514 if you have a mail-to-news gateway which alters the @code{Message-ID}s
6515 in systematic ways (by adding prefixes and such), you can use this
6516 variable to un-scramble the @code{Message-ID}s so that they are more
6517 meaningful. Here's one example:
6520 (setq gnus-alter-header-function 'my-alter-message-id)
6522 (defun my-alter-message-id (header)
6523 (let ((id (mail-header-id header)))
6525 "\\(<[^<>@@]*\\)\\.?cygnus\\..*@@\\([^<>@@]*>\\)" id)
6527 (concat (match-string 1 id) "@@" (match-string 2 id))
6534 @node Thread Commands
6535 @subsection Thread Commands
6536 @cindex thread commands
6542 @kindex T k (Summary)
6543 @kindex C-M-k (Summary)
6544 @findex gnus-summary-kill-thread
6545 Mark all articles in the current (sub-)thread as read
6546 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}). If the prefix argument is positive,
6547 remove all marks instead. If the prefix argument is negative, tick
6552 @kindex T l (Summary)
6553 @kindex C-M-l (Summary)
6554 @findex gnus-summary-lower-thread
6555 Lower the score of the current (sub-)thread
6556 (@code{gnus-summary-lower-thread}).
6559 @kindex T i (Summary)
6560 @findex gnus-summary-raise-thread
6561 Increase the score of the current (sub-)thread
6562 (@code{gnus-summary-raise-thread}).
6565 @kindex T # (Summary)
6566 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
6567 Set the process mark on the current (sub-)thread
6568 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
6571 @kindex T M-# (Summary)
6572 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
6573 Remove the process mark from the current (sub-)thread
6574 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
6577 @kindex T T (Summary)
6578 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-threads
6579 Toggle threading (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-threads}).
6582 @kindex T s (Summary)
6583 @findex gnus-summary-show-thread
6584 Expose the (sub-)thread hidden under the current article, if any
6585 (@code{gnus-summary-show-thread}).
6588 @kindex T h (Summary)
6589 @findex gnus-summary-hide-thread
6590 Hide the current (sub-)thread (@code{gnus-summary-hide-thread}).
6593 @kindex T S (Summary)
6594 @findex gnus-summary-show-all-threads
6595 Expose all hidden threads (@code{gnus-summary-show-all-threads}).
6598 @kindex T H (Summary)
6599 @findex gnus-summary-hide-all-threads
6600 Hide all threads (@code{gnus-summary-hide-all-threads}).
6603 @kindex T t (Summary)
6604 @findex gnus-summary-rethread-current
6605 Re-thread the current article's thread
6606 (@code{gnus-summary-rethread-current}). This works even when the
6607 summary buffer is otherwise unthreaded.
6610 @kindex T ^ (Summary)
6611 @findex gnus-summary-reparent-thread
6612 Make the current article the child of the marked (or previous) article
6613 (@code{gnus-summary-reparent-thread}).
6617 The following commands are thread movement commands. They all
6618 understand the numeric prefix.
6623 @kindex T n (Summary)
6625 @kindex C-M-n (Summary)
6627 @kindex M-down (Summary)
6628 @findex gnus-summary-next-thread
6629 Go to the next thread (@code{gnus-summary-next-thread}).
6632 @kindex T p (Summary)
6634 @kindex C-M-p (Summary)
6636 @kindex M-up (Summary)
6637 @findex gnus-summary-prev-thread
6638 Go to the previous thread (@code{gnus-summary-prev-thread}).
6641 @kindex T d (Summary)
6642 @findex gnus-summary-down-thread
6643 Descend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-down-thread}).
6646 @kindex T u (Summary)
6647 @findex gnus-summary-up-thread
6648 Ascend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-up-thread}).
6651 @kindex T o (Summary)
6652 @findex gnus-summary-top-thread
6653 Go to the top of the thread (@code{gnus-summary-top-thread}).
6656 @vindex gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject
6657 If you ignore subject while threading, you'll naturally end up with
6658 threads that have several different subjects in them. If you then issue
6659 a command like `T k' (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}) you might not
6660 wish to kill the entire thread, but just those parts of the thread that
6661 have the same subject as the current article. If you like this idea,
6662 you can fiddle with @code{gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject}. If it
6663 is non-@code{nil} (which it is by default), subjects will be ignored
6664 when doing thread commands. If this variable is @code{nil}, articles in
6665 the same thread with different subjects will not be included in the
6666 operation in question. If this variable is @code{fuzzy}, only articles
6667 that have subjects fuzzily equal will be included (@pxref{Fuzzy
6671 @node Sorting the Summary Buffer
6672 @section Sorting the Summary Buffer
6674 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score
6675 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date
6676 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-score
6677 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
6678 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-author
6679 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-number
6680 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-random
6681 @vindex gnus-thread-sort-functions
6682 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-thread
6683 If you are using a threaded summary display, you can sort the threads by
6684 setting @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, which can be either a single
6685 function, a list of functions, or a list containing functions and
6686 @code{(not some-function)} elements.
6688 By default, sorting is done on article numbers. Ready-made sorting
6689 predicate functions include @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number},
6690 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-subject},
6691 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-score},
6692 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-number},
6693 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-date},
6694 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-random} and
6695 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score}.
6697 Each function takes two threads and returns non-@code{nil} if the first
6698 thread should be sorted before the other. Note that sorting really is
6699 normally done by looking only at the roots of each thread.
6701 If you use more than one function, the primary sort key should be the
6702 last function in the list. You should probably always include
6703 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number} in the list of sorting
6704 functions---preferably first. This will ensure that threads that are
6705 equal with respect to the other sort criteria will be displayed in
6706 ascending article order.
6708 If you would like to sort by reverse score, then by subject, and finally
6709 by number, you could do something like:
6712 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
6713 '(gnus-thread-sort-by-number
6714 gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
6715 (not gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score)))
6718 The threads that have highest score will be displayed first in the
6719 summary buffer. When threads have the same score, they will be sorted
6720 alphabetically. The threads that have the same score and the same
6721 subject will be sorted by number, which is (normally) the sequence in
6722 which the articles arrived.
6724 If you want to sort by score and then reverse arrival order, you could
6728 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
6730 (not (gnus-thread-sort-by-number t1 t2)))
6731 gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
6734 @vindex gnus-thread-score-function
6735 The function in the @code{gnus-thread-score-function} variable (default
6736 @code{+}) is used for calculating the total score of a thread. Useful
6737 functions might be @code{max}, @code{min}, or squared means, or whatever
6740 @findex gnus-article-sort-functions
6741 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-date
6742 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-score
6743 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-subject
6744 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-author
6745 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-random
6746 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-number
6747 If you are using an unthreaded display for some strange reason or
6748 other, you have to fiddle with the @code{gnus-article-sort-functions}
6749 variable. It is very similar to the
6750 @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, except that it uses slightly
6751 different functions for article comparison. Available sorting
6752 predicate functions are @code{gnus-article-sort-by-number},
6753 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-author},
6754 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-subject}, @code{gnus-article-sort-by-date},
6755 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-random}, and
6756 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-score}.
6758 If you want to sort an unthreaded summary display by subject, you could
6762 (setq gnus-article-sort-functions
6763 '(gnus-article-sort-by-number
6764 gnus-article-sort-by-subject))
6769 @node Asynchronous Fetching
6770 @section Asynchronous Article Fetching
6771 @cindex asynchronous article fetching
6772 @cindex article pre-fetch
6775 If you read your news from an @sc{nntp} server that's far away, the
6776 network latencies may make reading articles a chore. You have to wait
6777 for a while after pressing @kbd{n} to go to the next article before the
6778 article appears. Why can't Gnus just go ahead and fetch the article
6779 while you are reading the previous one? Why not, indeed.
6781 First, some caveats. There are some pitfalls to using asynchronous
6782 article fetching, especially the way Gnus does it.
6784 Let's say you are reading article 1, which is short, and article 2 is
6785 quite long, and you are not interested in reading that. Gnus does not
6786 know this, so it goes ahead and fetches article 2. You decide to read
6787 article 3, but since Gnus is in the process of fetching article 2, the
6788 connection is blocked.
6790 To avoid these situations, Gnus will open two (count 'em two)
6791 connections to the server. Some people may think this isn't a very nice
6792 thing to do, but I don't see any real alternatives. Setting up that
6793 extra connection takes some time, so Gnus startup will be slower.
6795 Gnus will fetch more articles than you will read. This will mean that
6796 the link between your machine and the @sc{nntp} server will become more
6797 loaded than if you didn't use article pre-fetch. The server itself will
6798 also become more loaded---both with the extra article requests, and the
6801 Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing... unless
6804 @vindex gnus-asynchronous
6805 Here's how: Set @code{gnus-asynchronous} to @code{t}. The rest should
6806 happen automatically.
6808 @vindex gnus-use-article-prefetch
6809 You can control how many articles are to be pre-fetched by setting
6810 @code{gnus-use-article-prefetch}. This is 30 by default, which means
6811 that when you read an article in the group, the back end will pre-fetch
6812 the next 30 articles. If this variable is @code{t}, the back end will
6813 pre-fetch all the articles it can without bound. If it is
6814 @code{nil}, no pre-fetching will be done.
6816 @vindex gnus-async-prefetch-article-p
6817 @findex gnus-async-read-p
6818 There are probably some articles that you don't want to pre-fetch---read
6819 articles, for instance. The @code{gnus-async-prefetch-article-p} variable controls whether an article is to be pre-fetched. This function should
6820 return non-@code{nil} when the article in question is to be
6821 pre-fetched. The default is @code{gnus-async-read-p}, which returns
6822 @code{nil} on read articles. The function is called with an article
6823 data structure as the only parameter.
6825 If, for instance, you wish to pre-fetch only unread articles shorter than 100 lines, you could say something like:
6828 (defun my-async-short-unread-p (data)
6829 "Return non-nil for short, unread articles."
6830 (and (gnus-data-unread-p data)
6831 (< (mail-header-lines (gnus-data-header data))
6834 (setq gnus-async-prefetch-article-p 'my-async-short-unread-p)
6837 These functions will be called many, many times, so they should
6838 preferably be short and sweet to avoid slowing down Gnus too much.
6839 It's probably a good idea to byte-compile things like this.
6841 @vindex gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy
6842 Articles have to be removed from the asynch buffer sooner or later. The
6843 @code{gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy} says when to remove
6844 articles. This is a list that may contain the following elements:
6848 Remove articles when they are read.
6851 Remove articles when exiting the group.
6854 The default value is @code{(read exit)}.
6856 @c @vindex gnus-use-header-prefetch
6857 @c If @code{gnus-use-header-prefetch} is non-@code{nil}, prefetch articles
6858 @c from the next group.
6861 @node Article Caching
6862 @section Article Caching
6863 @cindex article caching
6866 If you have an @emph{extremely} slow @sc{nntp} connection, you may
6867 consider turning article caching on. Each article will then be stored
6868 locally under your home directory. As you may surmise, this could
6869 potentially use @emph{huge} amounts of disk space, as well as eat up all
6870 your inodes so fast it will make your head swim. In vodka.
6872 Used carefully, though, it could be just an easier way to save articles.
6874 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
6875 @vindex gnus-cache-directory
6876 @vindex gnus-use-cache
6877 To turn caching on, set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{t}. By default,
6878 all articles ticked or marked as dormant will then be copied
6879 over to your local cache (@code{gnus-cache-directory}). Whether this
6880 cache is flat or hierarchical is controlled by the
6881 @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable, as usual.
6883 When re-selecting a ticked or dormant article, it will be fetched from the
6884 cache instead of from the server. As articles in your cache will never
6885 expire, this might serve as a method of saving articles while still
6886 keeping them where they belong. Just mark all articles you want to save
6887 as dormant, and don't worry.
6889 When an article is marked as read, is it removed from the cache.
6891 @vindex gnus-cache-remove-articles
6892 @vindex gnus-cache-enter-articles
6893 The entering/removal of articles from the cache is controlled by the
6894 @code{gnus-cache-enter-articles} and @code{gnus-cache-remove-articles}
6895 variables. Both are lists of symbols. The first is @code{(ticked
6896 dormant)} by default, meaning that ticked and dormant articles will be
6897 put in the cache. The latter is @code{(read)} by default, meaning that
6898 articles marked as read are removed from the cache. Possibly
6899 symbols in these two lists are @code{ticked}, @code{dormant},
6900 @code{unread} and @code{read}.
6902 @findex gnus-jog-cache
6903 So where does the massive article-fetching and storing come into the
6904 picture? The @code{gnus-jog-cache} command will go through all
6905 subscribed newsgroups, request all unread articles, score them, and
6906 store them in the cache. You should only ever, ever ever ever, use this
6907 command if 1) your connection to the @sc{nntp} server is really, really,
6908 really slow and 2) you have a really, really, really huge disk.
6909 Seriously. One way to cut down on the number of articles downloaded is
6910 to score unwanted articles down and have them marked as read. They will
6911 not then be downloaded by this command.
6913 @vindex gnus-uncacheable-groups
6914 @vindex gnus-cacheable-groups
6915 It is likely that you do not want caching on all groups. For instance,
6916 if your @code{nnml} mail is located under your home directory, it makes no
6917 sense to cache it somewhere else under your home directory. Unless you
6918 feel that it's neat to use twice as much space.
6920 To limit the caching, you could set @code{gnus-cacheable-groups} to a
6921 regexp of groups to cache, @samp{^nntp} for instance, or set the
6922 @code{gnus-uncacheable-groups} regexp to @samp{^nnml}, for instance.
6923 Both variables are @code{nil} by default. If a group matches both
6924 variables, the group is not cached.
6926 @findex gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases
6927 @findex gnus-cache-generate-active
6928 @vindex gnus-cache-active-file
6929 The cache stores information on what articles it contains in its active
6930 file (@code{gnus-cache-active-file}). If this file (or any other parts
6931 of the cache) becomes all messed up for some reason or other, Gnus
6932 offers two functions that will try to set things right. @kbd{M-x
6933 gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases} will (re)build all the @sc{nov}
6934 files, and @kbd{gnus-cache-generate-active} will (re)generate the active
6937 @findex gnus-cache-move-cache
6938 @code{gnus-cache-move-cache} will move your whole
6939 @code{gnus-cache-directory} to some other location. You get asked to
6940 where, isn't that cool?
6942 @node Persistent Articles
6943 @section Persistent Articles
6944 @cindex persistent articles
6946 Closely related to article caching, we have @dfn{persistent articles}.
6947 In fact, it's just a different way of looking at caching, and much more
6948 useful in my opinion.
6950 Say you're reading a newsgroup, and you happen on to some valuable gem
6951 that you want to keep and treasure forever. You'd normally just save it
6952 (using one of the many saving commands) in some file. The problem with
6953 that is that it's just, well, yucky. Ideally you'd prefer just having
6954 the article remain in the group where you found it forever; untouched by
6955 the expiry going on at the news server.
6957 This is what a @dfn{persistent article} is---an article that just won't
6958 be deleted. It's implemented using the normal cache functions, but
6959 you use two explicit commands for managing persistent articles:
6965 @findex gnus-cache-enter-article
6966 Make the current article persistent (@code{gnus-cache-enter-article}).
6969 @kindex M-* (Summary)
6970 @findex gnus-cache-remove-article
6971 Remove the current article from the persistent articles
6972 (@code{gnus-cache-remove-article}). This will normally delete the
6976 Both these commands understand the process/prefix convention.
6978 To avoid having all ticked articles (and stuff) entered into the cache,
6979 you should set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{passive} if you're just
6980 interested in persistent articles:
6983 (setq gnus-use-cache 'passive)
6987 @node Article Backlog
6988 @section Article Backlog
6990 @cindex article backlog
6992 If you have a slow connection, but the idea of using caching seems
6993 unappealing to you (and it is, really), you can help the situation some
6994 by switching on the @dfn{backlog}. This is where Gnus will buffer
6995 already read articles so that it doesn't have to re-fetch articles
6996 you've already read. This only helps if you are in the habit of
6997 re-selecting articles you've recently read, of course. If you never do
6998 that, turning the backlog on will slow Gnus down a little bit, and
6999 increase memory usage some.
7001 @vindex gnus-keep-backlog
7002 If you set @code{gnus-keep-backlog} to a number @var{n}, Gnus will store
7003 at most @var{n} old articles in a buffer for later re-fetching. If this
7004 variable is non-@code{nil} and is not a number, Gnus will store
7005 @emph{all} read articles, which means that your Emacs will grow without
7006 bound before exploding and taking your machine down with you. I put
7007 that in there just to keep y'all on your toes.
7009 This variable is @code{nil} by default.
7012 @node Saving Articles
7013 @section Saving Articles
7014 @cindex saving articles
7016 Gnus can save articles in a number of ways. Below is the documentation
7017 for saving articles in a fairly straight-forward fashion (i.e., little
7018 processing of the article is done before it is saved). For a different
7019 approach (uudecoding, unsharing) you should use @code{gnus-uu}
7020 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
7022 For the commands listed here, the target is a file. If you want to
7023 save to a group, see the @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article})
7024 command (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
7026 @vindex gnus-save-all-headers
7027 If @code{gnus-save-all-headers} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will not delete
7028 unwanted headers before saving the article.
7030 @vindex gnus-saved-headers
7031 If the preceding variable is @code{nil}, all headers that match the
7032 @code{gnus-saved-headers} regexp will be kept, while the rest will be
7033 deleted before saving.
7039 @kindex O o (Summary)
7041 @findex gnus-summary-save-article
7042 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article}
7043 Save the current article using the default article saver
7044 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article}).
7047 @kindex O m (Summary)
7048 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-mail
7049 Save the current article in mail format
7050 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-mail}).
7053 @kindex O r (Summary)
7054 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-rmail
7055 Save the current article in rmail format
7056 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-rmail}).
7059 @kindex O f (Summary)
7060 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-file
7061 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article-file}
7062 Save the current article in plain file format
7063 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-file}).
7066 @kindex O F (Summary)
7067 @findex gnus-summary-write-article-file
7068 Write the current article in plain file format, overwriting any previous
7069 file contents (@code{gnus-summary-write-article-file}).
7072 @kindex O b (Summary)
7073 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-body-file
7074 Save the current article body in plain file format
7075 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-body-file}).
7078 @kindex O h (Summary)
7079 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-folder
7080 Save the current article in mh folder format
7081 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-folder}).
7084 @kindex O v (Summary)
7085 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-vm
7086 Save the current article in a VM folder
7087 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-vm}).
7091 @kindex O p (Summary)
7093 @findex gnus-summary-pipe-output
7094 Save the current article in a pipe. Uhm, like, what I mean is---Pipe
7095 the current article to a process (@code{gnus-summary-pipe-output}).
7098 @kindex O P (Summary)
7099 @findex gnus-summary-muttprint
7100 @vindex gnus-summary-muttprint-program
7101 Save the current article into muttprint. That is, print it using the
7102 external program Muttprint (see
7103 @uref{http://muttprint.sourceforge.net/}). The program name and
7104 options to use is controlled by the variable
7105 @code{gnus-summary-muttprint-program}. (@code{gnus-summary-muttprint}).
7109 @vindex gnus-prompt-before-saving
7110 All these commands use the process/prefix convention
7111 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). If you save bunches of articles using these
7112 functions, you might get tired of being prompted for files to save each
7113 and every article in. The prompting action is controlled by
7114 the @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} variable, which is @code{always} by
7115 default, giving you that excessive prompting action you know and
7116 loathe. If you set this variable to @code{t} instead, you'll be prompted
7117 just once for each series of articles you save. If you like to really
7118 have Gnus do all your thinking for you, you can even set this variable
7119 to @code{nil}, which means that you will never be prompted for files to
7120 save articles in. Gnus will simply save all the articles in the default
7124 @vindex gnus-default-article-saver
7125 You can customize the @code{gnus-default-article-saver} variable to make
7126 Gnus do what you want it to. You can use any of the six ready-made
7127 functions below, or you can create your own.
7131 @item gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
7132 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
7133 @vindex gnus-rmail-save-name
7134 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
7135 This is the default format, @dfn{babyl}. Uses the function in the
7136 @code{gnus-rmail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7137 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
7139 @item gnus-summary-save-in-mail
7140 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-mail
7141 @vindex gnus-mail-save-name
7142 Save in a Unix mail (mbox) file. Uses the function in the
7143 @code{gnus-mail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7144 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
7146 @item gnus-summary-save-in-file
7147 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-file
7148 @vindex gnus-file-save-name
7149 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
7150 Append the article straight to an ordinary file. Uses the function in
7151 the @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7152 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7154 @item gnus-summary-write-to-file
7155 @findex gnus-summary-write-to-file
7156 Write the article straight to an ordinary file. The file is
7157 overwritten if it exists. Uses the function in the
7158 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7159 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7161 @item gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
7162 @findex gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
7163 Append the article body to an ordinary file. Uses the function in the
7164 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7165 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7167 @item gnus-summary-save-in-folder
7168 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-folder
7169 @findex gnus-folder-save-name
7170 @findex gnus-Folder-save-name
7171 @vindex gnus-folder-save-name
7174 Save the article to an MH folder using @code{rcvstore} from the MH
7175 library. Uses the function in the @code{gnus-folder-save-name} variable
7176 to get a file name to save the article in. The default is
7177 @code{gnus-folder-save-name}, but you can also use
7178 @code{gnus-Folder-save-name}, which creates capitalized names.
7180 @item gnus-summary-save-in-vm
7181 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-vm
7182 Save the article in a VM folder. You have to have the VM mail
7183 reader to use this setting.
7186 @vindex gnus-article-save-directory
7187 All of these functions, except for the last one, will save the article
7188 in the @code{gnus-article-save-directory}, which is initialized from the
7189 @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable. This is @file{~/News/} by
7192 As you can see above, the functions use different functions to find a
7193 suitable name of a file to save the article in. Below is a list of
7194 available functions that generate names:
7198 @item gnus-Numeric-save-name
7199 @findex gnus-Numeric-save-name
7200 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
7202 @item gnus-numeric-save-name
7203 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
7204 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
7206 @item gnus-Plain-save-name
7207 @findex gnus-Plain-save-name
7208 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin}.
7210 @item gnus-plain-save-name
7211 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
7212 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.
7214 @item gnus-sender-save-name
7215 @findex gnus-sender-save-name
7216 File names like @file{~/News/larsi}.
7219 @vindex gnus-split-methods
7220 You can have Gnus suggest where to save articles by plonking a regexp into
7221 the @code{gnus-split-methods} alist. For instance, if you would like to
7222 save articles related to Gnus in the file @file{gnus-stuff}, and articles
7223 related to VM in @code{vm-stuff}, you could set this variable to something
7227 (("^Subject:.*gnus\\|^Newsgroups:.*gnus" "gnus-stuff")
7228 ("^Subject:.*vm\\|^Xref:.*vm" "vm-stuff")
7229 (my-choosing-function "../other-dir/my-stuff")
7230 ((equal gnus-newsgroup-name "mail.misc") "mail-stuff"))
7233 We see that this is a list where each element is a list that has two
7234 elements---the @dfn{match} and the @dfn{file}. The match can either be
7235 a string (in which case it is used as a regexp to match on the article
7236 head); it can be a symbol (which will be called as a function with the
7237 group name as a parameter); or it can be a list (which will be
7238 @code{eval}ed). If any of these actions have a non-@code{nil} result,
7239 the @dfn{file} will be used as a default prompt. In addition, the
7240 result of the operation itself will be used if the function or form
7241 called returns a string or a list of strings.
7243 You basically end up with a list of file names that might be used when
7244 saving the current article. (All ``matches'' will be used.) You will
7245 then be prompted for what you really want to use as a name, with file
7246 name completion over the results from applying this variable.
7248 This variable is @code{((gnus-article-archive-name))} by default, which
7249 means that Gnus will look at the articles it saves for an
7250 @code{Archive-name} line and use that as a suggestion for the file
7253 Here's an example function to clean up file names somewhat. If you have
7254 lots of mail groups called things like
7255 @samp{nnml:mail.whatever}, you may want to chop off the beginning of
7256 these group names before creating the file name to save to. The
7257 following will do just that:
7260 (defun my-save-name (group)
7261 (when (string-match "^nnml:mail." group)
7262 (substring group (match-end 0))))
7264 (setq gnus-split-methods
7265 '((gnus-article-archive-name)
7270 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
7271 Finally, you have the @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable. If it is
7272 @code{nil}, all the preceding functions will replace all periods
7273 (@samp{.}) in the group names with slashes (@samp{/})---which means that
7274 the functions will generate hierarchies of directories instead of having
7275 all the files in the top level directory
7276 (@file{~/News/alt/andrea-dworkin} instead of
7277 @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.) This variable is @code{t} by default
7278 on most systems. However, for historical reasons, this is @code{nil} on
7279 Xenix and usg-unix-v machines by default.
7281 This function also affects kill and score file names. If this variable
7282 is a list, and the list contains the element @code{not-score}, long file
7283 names will not be used for score files, if it contains the element
7284 @code{not-save}, long file names will not be used for saving, and if it
7285 contains the element @code{not-kill}, long file names will not be used
7288 If you'd like to save articles in a hierarchy that looks something like
7292 (setq gnus-use-long-file-name '(not-save)) ; to get a hierarchy
7293 (setq gnus-default-article-saver
7294 'gnus-summary-save-in-file) ; no encoding
7297 Then just save with @kbd{o}. You'd then read this hierarchy with
7298 ephemeral @code{nneething} groups---@kbd{G D} in the group buffer, and
7299 the top level directory as the argument (@file{~/News/}). Then just walk
7300 around to the groups/directories with @code{nneething}.
7303 @node Decoding Articles
7304 @section Decoding Articles
7305 @cindex decoding articles
7307 Sometime users post articles (or series of articles) that have been
7308 encoded in some way or other. Gnus can decode them for you.
7311 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
7312 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
7313 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
7314 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
7315 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
7316 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
7320 @cindex article series
7321 All these functions use the process/prefix convention
7322 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) for finding out what articles to work on, with
7323 the extension that a ``single article'' means ``a single series''. Gnus
7324 can find out by itself what articles belong to a series, decode all the
7325 articles and unpack/view/save the resulting file(s).
7327 Gnus guesses what articles are in the series according to the following
7328 simplish rule: The subjects must be (nearly) identical, except for the
7329 last two numbers of the line. (Spaces are largely ignored, however.)
7331 For example: If you choose a subject called @samp{cat.gif (2/3)}, Gnus
7332 will find all the articles that match the regexp @samp{^cat.gif
7333 ([0-9]+/[0-9]+).*$}.
7335 Subjects that are non-standard, like @samp{cat.gif (2/3) Part 6 of a
7336 series}, will not be properly recognized by any of the automatic viewing
7337 commands, and you have to mark the articles manually with @kbd{#}.
7340 @node Uuencoded Articles
7341 @subsection Uuencoded Articles
7343 @cindex uuencoded articles
7348 @kindex X u (Summary)
7349 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu
7350 @c @icon{gnus-uu-decode-uu}
7351 Uudecodes the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}).
7354 @kindex X U (Summary)
7355 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save
7356 Uudecodes and saves the current series
7357 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
7360 @kindex X v u (Summary)
7361 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-view
7362 Uudecodes and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-view}).
7365 @kindex X v U (Summary)
7366 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view
7367 Uudecodes, views and saves the current series
7368 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view}).
7372 Remember that these all react to the presence of articles marked with
7373 the process mark. If, for instance, you'd like to decode and save an
7374 entire newsgroup, you'd typically do @kbd{M P a}
7375 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}) and then @kbd{X U}
7376 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
7378 All this is very much different from how @code{gnus-uu} worked with
7379 @sc{gnus 4.1}, where you had explicit keystrokes for everything under
7380 the sun. This version of @code{gnus-uu} generally assumes that you mark
7381 articles in some way (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}) and then press
7384 @vindex gnus-uu-notify-files
7385 Note: When trying to decode articles that have names matching
7386 @code{gnus-uu-notify-files}, which is hard-coded to
7387 @samp{[Cc][Ii][Nn][Dd][Yy][0-9]+.\\(gif\\|jpg\\)}, @code{gnus-uu} will
7388 automatically post an article on @samp{comp.unix.wizards} saying that
7389 you have just viewed the file in question. This feature can't be turned
7393 @node Shell Archives
7394 @subsection Shell Archives
7396 @cindex shell archives
7397 @cindex shared articles
7399 Shell archives (``shar files'') used to be a popular way to distribute
7400 sources, but it isn't used all that much today. In any case, we have
7401 some commands to deal with these:
7406 @kindex X s (Summary)
7407 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar
7408 Unshars the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar}).
7411 @kindex X S (Summary)
7412 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save
7413 Unshars and saves the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save}).
7416 @kindex X v s (Summary)
7417 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view
7418 Unshars and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view}).
7421 @kindex X v S (Summary)
7422 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view
7423 Unshars, views and saves the current series
7424 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view}).
7428 @node PostScript Files
7429 @subsection PostScript Files
7435 @kindex X p (Summary)
7436 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript
7437 Unpack the current PostScript series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript}).
7440 @kindex X P (Summary)
7441 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save
7442 Unpack and save the current PostScript series
7443 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save}).
7446 @kindex X v p (Summary)
7447 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view
7448 View the current PostScript series
7449 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view}).
7452 @kindex X v P (Summary)
7453 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view
7454 View and save the current PostScript series
7455 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view}).
7460 @subsection Other Files
7464 @kindex X o (Summary)
7465 @findex gnus-uu-decode-save
7466 Save the current series
7467 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-save}).
7470 @kindex X b (Summary)
7471 @findex gnus-uu-decode-binhex
7472 Unbinhex the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-binhex}). This
7473 doesn't really work yet.
7477 @node Decoding Variables
7478 @subsection Decoding Variables
7480 Adjective, not verb.
7483 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
7484 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
7485 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
7489 @node Rule Variables
7490 @subsubsection Rule Variables
7491 @cindex rule variables
7493 Gnus uses @dfn{rule variables} to decide how to view a file. All these
7494 variables are of the form
7497 (list '(regexp1 command2)
7504 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7505 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7507 This variable is consulted first when viewing files. If you wish to use,
7508 for instance, @code{sox} to convert an @samp{.au} sound file, you could
7511 (setq gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7512 (list '("\\\\.au$" "sox %s -t .aiff > /dev/audio")))
7515 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
7516 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
7517 This variable is consulted if Gnus couldn't make any matches from the
7518 user and default view rules.
7520 @item gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
7521 @vindex gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
7522 This variable can be used to say what commands should be used to unpack
7527 @node Other Decode Variables
7528 @subsubsection Other Decode Variables
7531 @vindex gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
7533 @item gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
7534 All functions in this list will be called right after each file has been
7535 successfully decoded---so that you can move or view files right away,
7536 and don't have to wait for all files to be decoded before you can do
7537 anything. Ready-made functions you can put in this list are:
7541 @item gnus-uu-grab-view
7542 @findex gnus-uu-grab-view
7545 @item gnus-uu-grab-move
7546 @findex gnus-uu-grab-move
7547 Move the file (if you're using a saving function.)
7550 @item gnus-uu-be-dangerous
7551 @vindex gnus-uu-be-dangerous
7552 Specifies what to do if unusual situations arise during decoding. If
7553 @code{nil}, be as conservative as possible. If @code{t}, ignore things
7554 that didn't work, and overwrite existing files. Otherwise, ask each
7557 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
7558 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
7559 Files with name matching this regular expression won't be viewed.
7561 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
7562 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
7563 Files with a @sc{mime} type matching this variable won't be viewed.
7564 Note that Gnus tries to guess what type the file is based on the name.
7565 @code{gnus-uu} is not a @sc{mime} package (yet), so this is slightly
7568 @item gnus-uu-tmp-dir
7569 @vindex gnus-uu-tmp-dir
7570 Where @code{gnus-uu} does its work.
7572 @item gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
7573 @vindex gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
7574 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} won't peek inside archives
7575 looking for files to display.
7577 @item gnus-uu-view-and-save
7578 @vindex gnus-uu-view-and-save
7579 Non-@code{nil} means that the user will always be asked to save a file
7582 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
7583 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
7584 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default viewing
7587 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
7588 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
7589 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default archive
7592 @item gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
7593 @vindex gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
7594 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will strip all carriage returns
7597 @item gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
7598 @vindex gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
7599 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will mark unsuccessfully
7600 decoded articles as unread.
7602 @item gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
7603 @vindex gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
7604 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will @emph{try} to fix
7605 uuencoded files that have had trailing spaces deleted.
7607 @item gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
7608 @vindex gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
7609 Hook run before sending a message to @code{uudecode}.
7611 @item gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
7612 @vindex gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
7614 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the viewing
7615 commands defined by the rule variables and just fudge a @sc{mime}
7616 content type based on the file name. The result will be fed to
7617 @code{metamail} for viewing.
7619 @item gnus-uu-save-in-digest
7620 @vindex gnus-uu-save-in-digest
7621 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu}, when asked to save without
7622 decoding, will save in digests. If this variable is @code{nil},
7623 @code{gnus-uu} will just save everything in a file without any
7624 embellishments. The digesting almost conforms to RFC 1153---no easy way
7625 to specify any meaningful volume and issue numbers were found, so I
7626 simply dropped them.
7631 @node Uuencoding and Posting
7632 @subsubsection Uuencoding and Posting
7636 @item gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
7637 @vindex gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
7638 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ask for a file to encode
7639 before you compose the article. If this variable is @code{t}, you can
7640 either include an encoded file with @kbd{C-c C-i} or have one included
7641 for you when you post the article.
7643 @item gnus-uu-post-length
7644 @vindex gnus-uu-post-length
7645 Maximum length of an article. The encoded file will be split into how
7646 many articles it takes to post the entire file.
7648 @item gnus-uu-post-threaded
7649 @vindex gnus-uu-post-threaded
7650 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will post the encoded file in a
7651 thread. This may not be smart, as no other decoder I have seen is able
7652 to follow threads when collecting uuencoded articles. (Well, I have
7653 seen one package that does that---@code{gnus-uu}, but somehow, I don't
7654 think that counts...) Default is @code{nil}.
7656 @item gnus-uu-post-separate-description
7657 @vindex gnus-uu-post-separate-description
7658 Non-@code{nil} means that the description will be posted in a separate
7659 article. The first article will typically be numbered (0/x). If this
7660 variable is @code{nil}, the description the user enters will be included
7661 at the beginning of the first article, which will be numbered (1/x).
7662 Default is @code{t}.
7668 @subsection Viewing Files
7669 @cindex viewing files
7670 @cindex pseudo-articles
7672 After decoding, if the file is some sort of archive, Gnus will attempt
7673 to unpack the archive and see if any of the files in the archive can be
7674 viewed. For instance, if you have a gzipped tar file @file{pics.tar.gz}
7675 containing the files @file{pic1.jpg} and @file{pic2.gif}, Gnus will
7676 uncompress and de-tar the main file, and then view the two pictures.
7677 This unpacking process is recursive, so if the archive contains archives
7678 of archives, it'll all be unpacked.
7680 Finally, Gnus will normally insert a @dfn{pseudo-article} for each
7681 extracted file into the summary buffer. If you go to these
7682 ``articles'', you will be prompted for a command to run (usually Gnus
7683 will make a suggestion), and then the command will be run.
7685 @vindex gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously
7686 If @code{gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously} is @code{nil}, Emacs will wait
7687 until the viewing is done before proceeding.
7689 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos
7690 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos} is @code{automatic}, Gnus will not insert
7691 the pseudo-articles into the summary buffer, but view them
7692 immediately. If this variable is @code{not-confirm}, the user won't even
7693 be asked for a confirmation before viewing is done.
7695 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos-separately
7696 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos-separately} is non-@code{nil}, one
7697 pseudo-article will be created for each file to be viewed. If
7698 @code{nil}, all files that use the same viewing command will be given as
7699 a list of parameters to that command.
7701 @vindex gnus-insert-pseudo-articles
7702 If @code{gnus-insert-pseudo-articles} is non-@code{nil}, insert
7703 pseudo-articles when decoding. It is @code{t} by default.
7705 So; there you are, reading your @emph{pseudo-articles} in your
7706 @emph{virtual newsgroup} from the @emph{virtual server}; and you think:
7707 Why isn't anything real anymore? How did we get here?
7710 @node Article Treatment
7711 @section Article Treatment
7713 Reading through this huge manual, you may have quite forgotten that the
7714 object of newsreaders is to actually, like, read what people have
7715 written. Reading articles. Unfortunately, people are quite bad at
7716 writing, so there are tons of functions and variables to make reading
7717 these articles easier.
7720 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
7721 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
7722 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
7723 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
7724 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
7725 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
7726 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
7727 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
7728 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
7729 * Article Miscellania:: Various other stuff.
7733 @node Article Highlighting
7734 @subsection Article Highlighting
7735 @cindex highlighting
7737 Not only do you want your article buffer to look like fruit salad, but
7738 you want it to look like technicolor fruit salad.
7743 @kindex W H a (Summary)
7744 @findex gnus-article-highlight
7745 @findex gnus-article-maybe-highlight
7746 Do much highlighting of the current article
7747 (@code{gnus-article-highlight}). This function highlights header, cited
7748 text, the signature, and adds buttons to the body and the head.
7751 @kindex W H h (Summary)
7752 @findex gnus-article-highlight-headers
7753 @vindex gnus-header-face-alist
7754 Highlight the headers (@code{gnus-article-highlight-headers}). The
7755 highlighting will be done according to the @code{gnus-header-face-alist}
7756 variable, which is a list where each element has the form
7757 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{name} @var{content})}.
7758 @var{regexp} is a regular expression for matching the
7759 header, @var{name} is the face used for highlighting the header name
7760 (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}) and @var{content} is the face for highlighting
7761 the header value. The first match made will be used. Note that
7762 @var{regexp} shouldn't have @samp{^} prepended---Gnus will add one.
7765 @kindex W H c (Summary)
7766 @findex gnus-article-highlight-citation
7767 Highlight cited text (@code{gnus-article-highlight-citation}).
7769 Some variables to customize the citation highlights:
7772 @vindex gnus-cite-parse-max-size
7774 @item gnus-cite-parse-max-size
7775 If the article size if bigger than this variable (which is 25000 by
7776 default), no citation highlighting will be performed.
7778 @item gnus-cite-max-prefix
7779 @vindex gnus-cite-max-prefix
7780 Maximum possible length for a citation prefix (default 20).
7782 @item gnus-cite-face-list
7783 @vindex gnus-cite-face-list
7784 List of faces used for highlighting citations (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}).
7785 When there are citations from multiple articles in the same message,
7786 Gnus will try to give each citation from each article its own face.
7787 This should make it easier to see who wrote what.
7789 @item gnus-supercite-regexp
7790 @vindex gnus-supercite-regexp
7791 Regexp matching normal Supercite attribution lines.
7793 @item gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
7794 @vindex gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
7795 Regexp matching mangled Supercite attribution lines.
7797 @item gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
7798 @vindex gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
7799 Minimum number of identical prefixes we have to see before we believe
7800 that it's a citation.
7802 @item gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
7803 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
7804 Regexp matching the beginning of an attribution line.
7806 @item gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
7807 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
7808 Regexp matching the end of an attribution line.
7810 @item gnus-cite-attribution-face
7811 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-face
7812 Face used for attribution lines. It is merged with the face for the
7813 cited text belonging to the attribution.
7819 @kindex W H s (Summary)
7820 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
7821 @vindex gnus-signature-face
7822 @findex gnus-article-highlight-signature
7823 Highlight the signature (@code{gnus-article-highlight-signature}).
7824 Everything after @code{gnus-signature-separator} (@pxref{Article
7825 Signature}) in an article will be considered a signature and will be
7826 highlighted with @code{gnus-signature-face}, which is @code{italic} by
7831 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to highlight articles automatically.
7834 @node Article Fontisizing
7835 @subsection Article Fontisizing
7837 @cindex article emphasis
7839 @findex gnus-article-emphasize
7840 @kindex W e (Summary)
7841 People commonly add emphasis to words in news articles by writing things
7842 like @samp{_this_} or @samp{*this*} or @samp{/this/}. Gnus can make
7843 this look nicer by running the article through the @kbd{W e}
7844 (@code{gnus-article-emphasize}) command.
7846 @vindex gnus-emphasis-alist
7847 How the emphasis is computed is controlled by the
7848 @code{gnus-emphasis-alist} variable. This is an alist where the first
7849 element is a regular expression to be matched. The second is a number
7850 that says what regular expression grouping is used to find the entire
7851 emphasized word. The third is a number that says what regexp grouping
7852 should be displayed and highlighted. (The text between these two
7853 groupings will be hidden.) The fourth is the face used for
7857 (setq gnus-emphasis-alist
7858 '(("_\\(\\w+\\)_" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-underline)
7859 ("\\*\\(\\w+\\)\\*" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-bold)))
7868 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline
7869 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold
7870 @vindex gnus-emphasis-italic
7871 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold
7872 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-italic
7873 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold-italic
7874 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic
7875 By default, there are seven rules, and they use the following faces:
7876 @code{gnus-emphasis-bold}, @code{gnus-emphasis-italic},
7877 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline}, @code{gnus-emphasis-bold-italic},
7878 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-italic},
7879 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold}, and
7880 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic}.
7882 If you want to change these faces, you can either use @kbd{M-x
7883 customize}, or you can use @code{copy-face}. For instance, if you want
7884 to make @code{gnus-emphasis-italic} use a red face instead, you could
7888 (copy-face 'red 'gnus-emphasis-italic)
7891 @vindex gnus-group-highlight-words-alist
7893 If you want to highlight arbitrary words, you can use the
7894 @code{gnus-group-highlight-words-alist} variable, which uses the same
7895 syntax as @code{gnus-emphasis-alist}. The @code{highlight-words} group
7896 parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) can also be used.
7898 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to fontize articles automatically.
7901 @node Article Hiding
7902 @subsection Article Hiding
7903 @cindex article hiding
7905 Or rather, hiding certain things in each article. There usually is much
7906 too much cruft in most articles.
7911 @kindex W W a (Summary)
7912 @findex gnus-article-hide
7913 Do quite a lot of hiding on the article buffer
7914 (@kbd{gnus-article-hide}). In particular, this function will hide
7915 headers, PGP, cited text and the signature.
7918 @kindex W W h (Summary)
7919 @findex gnus-article-hide-headers
7920 Hide headers (@code{gnus-article-hide-headers}). @xref{Hiding
7924 @kindex W W b (Summary)
7925 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
7926 Hide headers that aren't particularly interesting
7927 (@code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers}). @xref{Hiding Headers}.
7930 @kindex W W s (Summary)
7931 @findex gnus-article-hide-signature
7932 Hide signature (@code{gnus-article-hide-signature}). @xref{Article
7936 @kindex W W l (Summary)
7937 @findex gnus-article-hide-list-identifiers
7938 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
7939 Strip list identifiers specified in @code{gnus-list-identifiers}. These
7940 are strings some mailing list servers add to the beginning of all
7941 @code{Subject} headers---for example, @samp{[zebra 4711]}. Any leading
7942 @samp{Re: } is skipped before stripping. @code{gnus-list-identifiers}
7943 may not contain @code{\\(..\\)}.
7947 @item gnus-list-identifiers
7948 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
7949 A regular expression that matches list identifiers to be removed from
7950 subject. This can also be a list of regular expressions.
7955 @kindex W W p (Summary)
7956 @findex gnus-article-hide-pgp
7957 @vindex gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook
7958 Hide @sc{pgp} signatures (@code{gnus-article-hide-pgp}). The
7959 @code{gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook} hook will be run after a @sc{pgp}
7960 signature has been hidden. For example, to automatically verify
7961 articles that have signatures in them do:
7963 ;;; Hide pgp cruft if any.
7965 (setq gnus-treat-strip-pgp t)
7967 ;;; After hiding pgp, verify the message;
7968 ;;; only happens if pgp signature is found.
7970 (add-hook 'gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook
7973 (set-buffer gnus-original-article-buffer)
7978 @kindex W W P (Summary)
7979 @findex gnus-article-hide-pem
7980 Hide @sc{pem} (privacy enhanced messages) cruft
7981 (@code{gnus-article-hide-pem}).
7984 @kindex W W B (Summary)
7985 @findex gnus-article-strip-banner
7988 @cindex stripping advertisements
7989 @cindex advertisements
7990 Strip the banner specified by the @code{banner} group parameter
7991 (@code{gnus-article-strip-banner}). This is mainly used to hide those
7992 annoying banners and/or signatures that some mailing lists and moderated
7993 groups adds to all the messages. The way to use this function is to add
7994 the @code{banner} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to the
7995 group you want banners stripped from. The parameter either be a string,
7996 which will be interpreted as a regular expression matching text to be
7997 removed, or the symbol @code{signature}, meaning that the (last)
7998 signature should be removed, or other symbol, meaning that the
7999 corresponding regular expression in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist} is
8003 @kindex W W c (Summary)
8004 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation
8005 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation}). Some variables for
8006 customizing the hiding:
8010 @item gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
8011 @itemx gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
8012 @vindex gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
8013 @vindex gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
8014 Gnus adds buttons to show where the cited text has been hidden, and to
8015 allow toggle hiding the text. The format of the variable is specified
8016 by these format-like variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). These
8021 Starting point of the hidden text.
8023 Ending point of the hidden text.
8025 Number of characters in the hidden region.
8027 Number of lines of hidden text.
8030 @item gnus-cited-lines-visible
8031 @vindex gnus-cited-lines-visible
8032 The number of lines at the beginning of the cited text to leave
8033 shown. This can also be a cons cell with the number of lines at the top
8034 and bottom of the text, respectively, to remain visible.
8039 @kindex W W C-c (Summary)
8040 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe
8042 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe}) depending on the
8043 following two variables:
8046 @item gnus-cite-hide-percentage
8047 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-percentage
8048 If the cited text is of a bigger percentage than this variable (default
8049 50), hide the cited text.
8051 @item gnus-cite-hide-absolute
8052 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-absolute
8053 The cited text must have at least this length (default 10) before it
8058 @kindex W W C (Summary)
8059 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups
8060 Hide cited text in articles that aren't roots
8061 (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups}). This isn't very
8062 useful as an interactive command, but might be a handy function to stick
8063 have happen automatically (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
8067 All these ``hiding'' commands are toggles, but if you give a negative
8068 prefix to these commands, they will show what they have previously
8069 hidden. If you give a positive prefix, they will always hide.
8071 Also @pxref{Article Highlighting} for further variables for
8072 citation customization.
8074 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to hide article elements
8078 @node Article Washing
8079 @subsection Article Washing
8081 @cindex article washing
8083 We call this ``article washing'' for a really good reason. Namely, the
8084 @kbd{A} key was taken, so we had to use the @kbd{W} key instead.
8086 @dfn{Washing} is defined by us as ``changing something from something to
8087 something else'', but normally results in something looking better.
8090 @xref{Customizing Articles}, if you want to change how Gnus displays
8091 articles by default.
8096 This is not really washing, it's sort of the opposite of washing. If
8097 you type this, you see the article exactly as it exists on disk or on
8101 @kindex W l (Summary)
8102 @findex gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking
8103 Remove page breaks from the current article
8104 (@code{gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking}). @xref{Misc Article}, for page
8108 @kindex W r (Summary)
8109 @findex gnus-summary-caesar-message
8110 @c @icon{gnus-summary-caesar-message}
8111 Do a Caesar rotate (rot13) on the article buffer
8112 (@code{gnus-summary-caesar-message}).
8113 Unreadable articles that tell you to read them with Caesar rotate or rot13.
8114 (Typically offensive jokes and such.)
8116 It's commonly called ``rot13'' because each letter is rotated 13
8117 positions in the alphabet, e. g. @samp{B} (letter #2) -> @samp{O} (letter
8118 #15). It is sometimes referred to as ``Caesar rotate'' because Caesar
8119 is rumored to have employed this form of, uh, somewhat weak encryption.
8123 @kindex W t (Summary)
8125 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-header
8126 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer
8127 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-header}).
8130 @kindex W v (Summary)
8131 @findex gnus-summary-verbose-headers
8132 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer permanently
8133 (@code{gnus-summary-verbose-headers}).
8136 @kindex W o (Summary)
8137 @findex gnus-article-treat-overstrike
8138 Treat overstrike (@code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}).
8141 @kindex W d (Summary)
8142 @findex gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes
8143 @vindex gnus-article-dumbquotes-map
8145 @cindex M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s
8147 Treat M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s according to
8148 @code{gnus-article-dumbquotes-map}
8149 (@code{gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes}). Note that this function guesses
8150 whether a character is a sm*rtq**t* or not, so it should only be used
8153 Sm*rtq**t*s are M****s***'s unilateral extension to the character map in
8154 an attempt to provide more quoting characters. If you see something
8155 like @code{\222} or @code{\264} where you're expecting some kind of
8156 apostrophe or quotation mark, then try this wash.
8159 @kindex W k (Summary)
8160 @findex gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article
8161 @cindex Outlook Express
8162 Deuglify broken Outlook (Express) articles and redisplay
8163 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article}).
8166 @kindex W w (Summary)
8167 @findex gnus-article-fill-cited-article
8168 Do word wrap (@code{gnus-article-fill-cited-article}).
8170 You can give the command a numerical prefix to specify the width to use
8174 @kindex W Q (Summary)
8175 @findex gnus-article-fill-long-lines
8176 Fill long lines (@code{gnus-article-fill-long-lines}).
8179 @kindex W C (Summary)
8180 @findex gnus-article-capitalize-sentences
8181 Capitalize the first word in each sentence
8182 (@code{gnus-article-capitalize-sentences}).
8185 @kindex W c (Summary)
8186 @findex gnus-article-remove-cr
8187 Translate CRLF pairs (i. e., @samp{^M}s on the end of the lines) into LF
8188 (this takes care of DOS line endings), and then translate any remaining
8189 CRs into LF (this takes care of Mac line endings)
8190 (@code{gnus-article-remove-cr}).
8193 @kindex W q (Summary)
8194 @findex gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable
8195 Treat quoted-printable (@code{gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable}).
8196 Quoted-Printable is one common @sc{mime} encoding employed when sending
8197 non-ASCII (i. e., 8-bit) articles. It typically makes strings like
8198 @samp{déjà vu} look like @samp{d=E9j=E0 vu}, which doesn't look very
8199 readable to me. Note that this is usually done automatically by
8200 Gnus if the message in question has a @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding}
8201 header that says that this encoding has been done.
8202 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8205 @kindex W 6 (Summary)
8206 @findex gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable
8207 Treat base64 (@code{gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable}).
8208 Base64 is one common @sc{mime} encoding employed when sending non-ASCII
8209 (i. e., 8-bit) articles. Note that this is usually done
8210 automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8211 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding has
8213 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8216 @kindex W Z (Summary)
8217 @findex gnus-article-decode-HZ
8218 Treat HZ or HZP (@code{gnus-article-decode-HZ}). HZ (or HZP) is one
8219 common encoding employed when sending Chinese articles. It typically
8220 makes strings look like @samp{~@{<:Ky2;S@{#,NpJ)l6HK!#~@}}.
8223 @kindex W u (Summary)
8224 @findex gnus-article-unsplit-urls
8225 Remove newlines from within URLs. Some mailers insert newlines into
8226 outgoing email messages to keep lines short. This reformatting can
8227 split long URLs onto multiple lines. Repair those URLs by removing
8228 the newlines (@code{gnus-article-unsplit-urls}).
8231 @kindex W h (Summary)
8232 @findex gnus-article-wash-html
8233 Treat @sc{html} (@code{gnus-article-wash-html}). Note that this is
8234 usually done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8235 @code{Content-Type} header that says that the message is @sc{html}.
8237 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8239 @vindex gnus-article-wash-function
8240 The default is to use the function specified by
8241 @code{mm-inline-text-html-renderer} (@pxref{Customization, , , emacs-mime})
8242 to convert the @sc{html}, but this is controlled by the
8243 @code{gnus-article-wash-function} variable. Pre-defined functions you
8251 Use emacs-w3m (see @uref{http://emacs-w3m.namazu.org/} for more
8255 Use Links (see @uref{http://artax.karlin.mff.cuni.cz/~mikulas/links/}).
8258 Use Lynx (see @uref{http://lynx.browser.org/}).
8261 Use html2text -- a simple @sc{html} converter included with Gnus.
8266 @kindex W b (Summary)
8267 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons
8268 Add clickable buttons to the article (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons}).
8269 @xref{Article Buttons}.
8272 @kindex W B (Summary)
8273 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head
8274 Add clickable buttons to the article headers
8275 (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head}).
8278 @kindex W p (Summary)
8279 @findex gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig
8280 Verify a signed control message (@code{gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig}).
8281 Control messages such as @code{newgroup} and @code{checkgroups} are
8282 usually signed by the hierarchy maintainer. You need to add the PGP
8283 public key of the maintainer to your keyring to verify the
8284 message.@footnote{PGP keys for many hierarchies are available at
8285 @uref{ftp://ftp.isc.org/pub/pgpcontrol/README.html}}
8288 @kindex W s (Summary)
8289 @findex gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt
8290 Verify a signed (PGP, @sc{pgp/mime} or @sc{s/mime}) message
8291 (@code{gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt}). @xref{Security}.
8294 @kindex W a (Summary)
8295 @findex gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body
8296 Strip headers like the @code{X-No-Archive} header from the beginning of
8297 article bodies (@code{gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body}).
8300 @kindex W E l (Summary)
8301 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines
8302 Remove all blank lines from the beginning of the article
8303 (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines}).
8306 @kindex W E m (Summary)
8307 @findex gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines
8308 Replace all blank lines with empty lines and then all multiple empty
8309 lines with a single empty line.
8310 (@code{gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines}).
8313 @kindex W E t (Summary)
8314 @findex gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines
8315 Remove all blank lines at the end of the article
8316 (@code{gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines}).
8319 @kindex W E a (Summary)
8320 @findex gnus-article-strip-blank-lines
8321 Do all the three commands above
8322 (@code{gnus-article-strip-blank-lines}).
8325 @kindex W E A (Summary)
8326 @findex gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines
8327 Remove all blank lines
8328 (@code{gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines}).
8331 @kindex W E s (Summary)
8332 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-space
8333 Remove all white space from the beginning of all lines of the article
8334 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-space}).
8337 @kindex W E e (Summary)
8338 @findex gnus-article-strip-trailing-space
8339 Remove all white space from the end of all lines of the article
8340 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-trailing-space}).
8344 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to wash articles automatically.
8347 @node Article Header
8348 @subsection Article Header
8350 These commands perform various transformations of article header.
8355 @kindex W G u (Summary)
8356 @findex gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers
8357 Unfold folded header lines (@code{gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers}).
8360 @kindex W G n (Summary)
8361 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups
8362 Fold the @code{Newsgroups} and @code{Followup-To} headers
8363 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups}).
8366 @kindex W G f (Summary)
8367 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-headers
8368 Fold all the message headers
8369 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-headers}).
8373 @findex gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace
8374 Remove excessive whitespace from all headers
8375 (@code{gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace}).
8380 @node Article Buttons
8381 @subsection Article Buttons
8384 People often include references to other stuff in articles, and it would
8385 be nice if Gnus could just fetch whatever it is that people talk about
8386 with the minimum of fuzz when you hit @kbd{RET} or use the middle mouse
8387 button on these references.
8389 Gnus adds @dfn{buttons} to certain standard references by default:
8390 Well-formed URLs, mail addresses and Message-IDs. This is controlled by
8391 two variables, one that handles article bodies and one that handles
8396 @item gnus-button-alist
8397 @vindex gnus-button-alist
8398 This is an alist where each entry has this form:
8401 (REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
8407 All text that match this regular expression will be considered an
8408 external reference. Here's a typical regexp that matches embedded URLs:
8409 @samp{<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>}. This can also be a variable containing a
8410 regexp, useful variables to use include @code{gnus-button-url-regexp}.
8413 Gnus has to know which parts of the matches is to be highlighted. This
8414 is a number that says what sub-expression of the regexp is to be
8415 highlighted. If you want it all highlighted, you use 0 here.
8418 This form will be @code{eval}ed, and if the result is non-@code{nil},
8419 this is considered a match. This is useful if you want extra sifting to
8420 avoid false matches.
8423 This function will be called when you click on this button.
8426 As with @var{button-par}, this is a sub-expression number, but this one
8427 says which part of the match is to be sent as data to @var{function}.
8431 So the full entry for buttonizing URLs is then
8434 ("<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>" 0 t gnus-button-url 1)
8437 @item gnus-header-button-alist
8438 @vindex gnus-header-button-alist
8439 This is just like the other alist, except that it is applied to the
8440 article head only, and that each entry has an additional element that is
8441 used to say what headers to apply the buttonize coding to:
8444 (HEADER REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
8447 @var{header} is a regular expression.
8449 @item gnus-button-url-regexp
8450 @vindex gnus-button-url-regexp
8451 A regular expression that matches embedded URLs. It is used in the
8452 default values of the variables above.
8454 @item gnus-article-button-face
8455 @vindex gnus-article-button-face
8456 Face used on buttons.
8458 @item gnus-article-mouse-face
8459 @vindex gnus-article-mouse-face
8460 Face used when the mouse cursor is over a button.
8464 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to buttonize articles automatically.
8468 @subsection Article Date
8470 The date is most likely generated in some obscure timezone you've never
8471 heard of, so it's quite nice to be able to find out what the time was
8472 when the article was sent.
8477 @kindex W T u (Summary)
8478 @findex gnus-article-date-ut
8479 Display the date in UT (aka. GMT, aka ZULU)
8480 (@code{gnus-article-date-ut}).
8483 @kindex W T i (Summary)
8484 @findex gnus-article-date-iso8601
8486 Display the date in international format, aka. ISO 8601
8487 (@code{gnus-article-date-iso8601}).
8490 @kindex W T l (Summary)
8491 @findex gnus-article-date-local
8492 Display the date in the local timezone (@code{gnus-article-date-local}).
8495 @kindex W T p (Summary)
8496 @findex gnus-article-date-english
8497 Display the date in a format that's easily pronounceable in English
8498 (@code{gnus-article-date-english}).
8501 @kindex W T s (Summary)
8502 @vindex gnus-article-time-format
8503 @findex gnus-article-date-user
8504 @findex format-time-string
8505 Display the date using a user-defined format
8506 (@code{gnus-article-date-user}). The format is specified by the
8507 @code{gnus-article-time-format} variable, and is a string that's passed
8508 to @code{format-time-string}. See the documentation of that variable
8509 for a list of possible format specs.
8512 @kindex W T e (Summary)
8513 @findex gnus-article-date-lapsed
8514 @findex gnus-start-date-timer
8515 @findex gnus-stop-date-timer
8516 Say how much time has elapsed between the article was posted and now
8517 (@code{gnus-article-date-lapsed}). It looks something like:
8520 X-Sent: 6 weeks, 4 days, 1 hour, 3 minutes, 8 seconds ago
8523 The value of @code{gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header} determines
8524 whether this header will just be added below the old Date one, or will
8527 An advantage of using Gnus to read mail is that it converts simple bugs
8528 into wonderful absurdities.
8530 If you want to have this line updated continually, you can put
8533 (gnus-start-date-timer)
8536 in your @file{.gnus.el} file, or you can run it off of some hook. If
8537 you want to stop the timer, you can use the @code{gnus-stop-date-timer}
8541 @kindex W T o (Summary)
8542 @findex gnus-article-date-original
8543 Display the original date (@code{gnus-article-date-original}). This can
8544 be useful if you normally use some other conversion function and are
8545 worried that it might be doing something totally wrong. Say, claiming
8546 that the article was posted in 1854. Although something like that is
8547 @emph{totally} impossible. Don't you trust me? *titter*
8551 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to display the date in your
8552 preferred format automatically.
8555 @node Article Display
8556 @subsection Article Display
8561 These commands add various frivolous display gimmics to the article
8562 buffer in Emacs versions that support them.
8564 @code{X-Face} headers are small black-and-white images supplied by the
8565 message headers (@pxref{X-Face}).
8567 Picons, on the other hand, reside on your own system, and Gnus will
8568 try to match the headers to what you have (@pxref{Picons}).
8570 Smileys are those little @samp{:-)} symbols that people like to litter
8571 their messages with (@pxref{Smileys}).
8573 All these functions are toggles--if the elements already exist,
8578 @kindex W D x (Summary)
8579 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
8580 Display an @code{X-Face} in the @code{From} header.
8581 (@code{gnus-article-display-x-face}).
8584 @kindex W D s (Summary)
8585 @findex gnus-treat-smiley
8586 Display smileys (@code{gnus-treat-smiley}).
8589 @kindex W D f (Summary)
8590 @findex gnus-treat-from-picon
8591 Piconify the @code{From} header (@code{gnus-treat-from-picon}).
8594 @kindex W D m (Summary)
8595 @findex gnus-treat-mail-picon
8596 Piconify all mail headers (i. e., @code{Cc}, @code{To})
8597 (@code{gnus-treat-mail-picon}).
8600 @kindex W D n (Summary)
8601 @findex gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon
8602 Piconify all news headers (i. e., @code{Newsgroups} and
8603 @code{Followup-To}) (@code{gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon}).
8606 @kindex W D D (Summary)
8607 @findex gnus-article-remove-images
8608 Remove all images from the article buffer
8609 (@code{gnus-article-remove-images}).
8615 @node Article Signature
8616 @subsection Article Signature
8618 @cindex article signature
8620 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
8621 Each article is divided into two parts---the head and the body. The
8622 body can be divided into a signature part and a text part. The variable
8623 that says what is to be considered a signature is
8624 @code{gnus-signature-separator}. This is normally the standard
8625 @samp{^-- $} as mandated by son-of-RFC 1036. However, many people use
8626 non-standard signature separators, so this variable can also be a list
8627 of regular expressions to be tested, one by one. (Searches are done
8628 from the end of the body towards the beginning.) One likely value is:
8631 (setq gnus-signature-separator
8632 '("^-- $" ; The standard
8633 "^-- *$" ; A common mangling
8634 "^-------*$" ; Many people just use a looong
8635 ; line of dashes. Shame!
8636 "^ *--------*$" ; Double-shame!
8637 "^________*$" ; Underscores are also popular
8638 "^========*$")) ; Pervert!
8641 The more permissive you are, the more likely it is that you'll get false
8644 @vindex gnus-signature-limit
8645 @code{gnus-signature-limit} provides a limit to what is considered a
8646 signature when displaying articles.
8650 If it is an integer, no signature may be longer (in characters) than
8653 If it is a floating point number, no signature may be longer (in lines)
8656 If it is a function, the function will be called without any parameters,
8657 and if it returns @code{nil}, there is no signature in the buffer.
8659 If it is a string, it will be used as a regexp. If it matches, the text
8660 in question is not a signature.
8663 This variable can also be a list where the elements may be of the types
8664 listed above. Here's an example:
8667 (setq gnus-signature-limit
8668 '(200.0 "^---*Forwarded article"))
8671 This means that if there are more than 200 lines after the signature
8672 separator, or the text after the signature separator is matched by
8673 the regular expression @samp{^---*Forwarded article}, then it isn't a
8674 signature after all.
8677 @node Article Miscellania
8678 @subsection Article Miscellania
8682 @kindex A t (Summary)
8683 @findex gnus-article-babel
8684 Translate the article from one language to another
8685 (@code{gnus-article-babel}).
8691 @section MIME Commands
8692 @cindex MIME decoding
8694 @cindex viewing attachments
8696 The following commands all understand the numerical prefix. For
8697 instance, @kbd{3 b} means ``view the third @sc{mime} part''.
8703 @kindex K v (Summary)
8704 View the @sc{mime} part.
8707 @kindex K o (Summary)
8708 Save the @sc{mime} part.
8711 @kindex K c (Summary)
8712 Copy the @sc{mime} part.
8715 @kindex K e (Summary)
8716 View the @sc{mime} part externally.
8719 @kindex K i (Summary)
8720 View the @sc{mime} part internally.
8723 @kindex K | (Summary)
8724 Pipe the @sc{mime} part to an external command.
8727 The rest of these @sc{mime} commands do not use the numerical prefix in
8732 @kindex K b (Summary)
8733 Make all the @sc{mime} parts have buttons in front of them. This is
8734 mostly useful if you wish to save (or perform other actions) on inlined
8738 @kindex K m (Summary)
8739 @findex gnus-summary-repair-multipart
8740 Some multipart messages are transmitted with missing or faulty headers.
8741 This command will attempt to ``repair'' these messages so that they can
8742 be viewed in a more pleasant manner
8743 (@code{gnus-summary-repair-multipart}).
8746 @kindex X m (Summary)
8747 @findex gnus-summary-save-parts
8748 Save all parts matching a @sc{mime} type to a directory
8749 (@code{gnus-summary-save-parts}). Understands the process/prefix
8750 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
8753 @kindex M-t (Summary)
8754 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized
8755 Toggle the buttonized display of the article buffer
8756 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized}).
8759 @kindex W M w (Summary)
8760 @findex gnus-article-decode-mime-words
8761 Decode RFC 2047-encoded words in the article headers
8762 (@code{gnus-article-decode-mime-words}).
8765 @kindex W M c (Summary)
8766 @findex gnus-article-decode-charset
8767 Decode encoded article bodies as well as charsets
8768 (@code{gnus-article-decode-charset}).
8770 This command looks in the @code{Content-Type} header to determine the
8771 charset. If there is no such header in the article, you can give it a
8772 prefix, which will prompt for the charset to decode as. In regional
8773 groups where people post using some common encoding (but do not
8774 include @sc{mime} headers), you can set the @code{charset} group/topic
8775 parameter to the required charset (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
8778 @kindex W M v (Summary)
8779 @findex gnus-mime-view-all-parts
8780 View all the @sc{mime} parts in the current article
8781 (@code{gnus-mime-view-all-parts}).
8788 @item gnus-ignored-mime-types
8789 @vindex gnus-ignored-mime-types
8790 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
8791 this list will be completely ignored by Gnus. The default value is
8794 To have all Vcards be ignored, you'd say something like this:
8797 (setq gnus-ignored-mime-types
8801 @item gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
8802 @vindex gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
8803 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
8804 this list won't have @sc{mime} buttons inserted unless they aren't
8805 displayed or this variable is overriden by
8806 @code{gnus-buttonized-mime-types}. The default value is
8809 @item gnus-buttonized-mime-types
8810 @vindex gnus-buttonized-mime-types
8811 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
8812 this list will have @sc{mime} buttons inserted unless they aren't
8813 displayed. This variable overrides
8814 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types}. The default value is @code{nil}.
8816 To see e.g. security buttons but no other buttons, you could set this
8817 variable to @code{("multipart/signed")} and leave
8818 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types} to the default value.
8820 @item gnus-article-mime-part-function
8821 @vindex gnus-article-mime-part-function
8822 For each @sc{mime} part, this function will be called with the @sc{mime}
8823 handle as the parameter. The function is meant to be used to allow
8824 users to gather information from the article (e. g., add Vcard info to
8825 the bbdb database) or to do actions based on parts (e. g., automatically
8826 save all jpegs into some directory).
8828 Here's an example function the does the latter:
8831 (defun my-save-all-jpeg-parts (handle)
8832 (when (equal (car (mm-handle-type handle)) "image/jpeg")
8834 (insert (mm-get-part handle))
8835 (write-region (point-min) (point-max)
8836 (read-file-name "Save jpeg to: ")))))
8837 (setq gnus-article-mime-part-function
8838 'my-save-all-jpeg-parts)
8841 @vindex gnus-mime-multipart-functions
8842 @item gnus-mime-multipart-functions
8843 Alist of @sc{mime} multipart types and functions to handle them.
8845 @vindex mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
8846 @item mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
8847 List of functions used for rewriting file names of @sc{mime} parts.
8848 Each function takes a file name as input and returns a file name.
8850 Ready-made functions include@*
8851 @code{mm-file-name-delete-whitespace},
8852 @code{mm-file-name-trim-whitespace},
8853 @code{mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace}, and
8854 @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace}. The later uses the value of
8855 the variable @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace} to replace each
8856 whitespace character in a file name with that string; default value
8857 is @code{"_"} (a single underscore).
8858 @findex mm-file-name-delete-whitespace
8859 @findex mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
8860 @findex mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
8861 @findex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
8862 @vindex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
8864 The standard functions @code{capitalize}, @code{downcase},
8865 @code{upcase}, and @code{upcase-initials} may be useful, too.
8867 Everybody knows that whitespace characters in file names are evil,
8868 except those who don't know. If you receive lots of attachments from
8869 such unenlightened users, you can make live easier by adding
8872 (setq mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
8873 '(mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
8874 mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
8875 mm-file-name-replace-whitespace))
8879 to your @file{.gnus} file.
8888 People use different charsets, and we have @sc{mime} to let us know what
8889 charsets they use. Or rather, we wish we had. Many people use
8890 newsreaders and mailers that do not understand or use @sc{mime}, and
8891 just send out messages without saying what character sets they use. To
8892 help a bit with this, some local news hierarchies have policies that say
8893 what character set is the default. For instance, the @samp{fj}
8894 hierarchy uses @code{iso-2022-jp-2}.
8896 @vindex gnus-group-charset-alist
8897 This knowledge is encoded in the @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}
8898 variable, which is an alist of regexps (use the first item to match full
8899 group names) and default charsets to be used when reading these groups.
8901 In addition, some people do use soi-disant @sc{mime}-aware agents that
8902 aren't. These blithely mark messages as being in @code{iso-8859-1}
8903 even if they really are in @code{koi-8}. To help here, the
8904 @code{gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets} variable can be used. The
8905 charsets that are listed here will be ignored. The variable can be
8906 set on a group-by-group basis using the group parameters (@pxref{Group
8907 Parameters}). The default value is @code{(unknown-8bit x-unknown)},
8908 which includes values some agents insist on having in there.
8910 @vindex gnus-group-posting-charset-alist
8911 When posting, @code{gnus-group-posting-charset-alist} is used to
8912 determine which charsets should not be encoded using the @sc{mime}
8913 encodings. For instance, some hierarchies discourage using
8914 quoted-printable header encoding.
8916 This variable is an alist of regexps and permitted unencoded charsets
8917 for posting. Each element of the alist has the form @code{(}@var{test
8918 header body-list}@code{)}, where:
8922 is either a regular expression matching the newsgroup header or a
8925 is the charset which may be left unencoded in the header (@code{nil}
8926 means encode all charsets),
8928 is a list of charsets which may be encoded using 8bit content-transfer
8929 encoding in the body, or one of the special values @code{nil} (always
8930 encode using quoted-printable) or @code{t} (always use 8bit).
8937 @cindex coding system aliases
8938 @cindex preferred charset
8940 Other charset tricks that may be useful, although not Gnus-specific:
8942 If there are several @sc{mime} charsets that encode the same Emacs
8943 charset, you can choose what charset to use by saying the following:
8946 (put-charset-property 'cyrillic-iso8859-5
8947 'preferred-coding-system 'koi8-r)
8950 This means that Russian will be encoded using @code{koi8-r} instead of
8951 the default @code{iso-8859-5} @sc{mime} charset.
8953 If you want to read messages in @code{koi8-u}, you can cheat and say
8956 (define-coding-system-alias 'koi8-u 'koi8-r)
8959 This will almost do the right thing.
8961 And finally, to read charsets like @code{windows-1251}, you can say
8965 (codepage-setup 1251)
8966 (define-coding-system-alias 'windows-1251 'cp1251)
8970 @node Article Commands
8971 @section Article Commands
8978 @kindex A P (Summary)
8979 @vindex gnus-ps-print-hook
8980 @findex gnus-summary-print-article
8981 Generate and print a PostScript image of the article buffer
8982 (@code{gnus-summary-print-article}). @code{gnus-ps-print-hook} will
8983 be run just before printing the buffer. An alternative way to print
8984 article is to use Muttprint (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
8989 @node Summary Sorting
8990 @section Summary Sorting
8991 @cindex summary sorting
8993 You can have the summary buffer sorted in various ways, even though I
8994 can't really see why you'd want that.
8999 @kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
9000 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-number
9001 Sort by article number (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-number}).
9004 @kindex C-c C-s C-a (Summary)
9005 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-author
9006 Sort by author (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-author}).
9009 @kindex C-c C-s C-s (Summary)
9010 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-subject
9011 Sort by subject (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-subject}).
9014 @kindex C-c C-s C-d (Summary)
9015 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-date
9016 Sort by date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-date}).
9019 @kindex C-c C-s C-l (Summary)
9020 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-lines
9021 Sort by lines (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-lines}).
9024 @kindex C-c C-s C-c (Summary)
9025 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-chars
9026 Sort by article length (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-chars}).
9029 @kindex C-c C-s C-i (Summary)
9030 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-score
9031 Sort by score (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-score}).
9034 @kindex C-c C-s C-r (Summary)
9035 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-random
9036 Randomize (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-random}).
9039 @kindex C-c C-s C-o (Summary)
9040 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-original
9041 Sort using the default sorting method
9042 (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-original}).
9045 These functions will work both when you use threading and when you don't
9046 use threading. In the latter case, all summary lines will be sorted,
9047 line by line. In the former case, sorting will be done on a
9048 root-by-root basis, which might not be what you were looking for. To
9049 toggle whether to use threading, type @kbd{T T} (@pxref{Thread
9053 @node Finding the Parent
9054 @section Finding the Parent
9055 @cindex parent articles
9056 @cindex referring articles
9061 @findex gnus-summary-refer-parent-article
9062 If you'd like to read the parent of the current article, and it is not
9063 displayed in the summary buffer, you might still be able to. That is,
9064 if the current group is fetched by @sc{nntp}, the parent hasn't expired
9065 and the @code{References} in the current article are not mangled, you
9066 can just press @kbd{^} or @kbd{A r}
9067 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article}). If everything goes well,
9068 you'll get the parent. If the parent is already displayed in the
9069 summary buffer, point will just move to this article.
9071 If given a positive numerical prefix, fetch that many articles back into
9072 the ancestry. If given a negative numerical prefix, fetch just that
9073 ancestor. So if you say @kbd{3 ^}, Gnus will fetch the parent, the
9074 grandparent and the grandgrandparent of the current article. If you say
9075 @kbd{-3 ^}, Gnus will only fetch the grandgrandparent of the current
9079 @findex gnus-summary-refer-references
9080 @kindex A R (Summary)
9081 Fetch all articles mentioned in the @code{References} header of the
9082 article (@code{gnus-summary-refer-references}).
9085 @findex gnus-summary-refer-thread
9086 @kindex A T (Summary)
9087 Display the full thread where the current article appears
9088 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-thread}). This command has to fetch all the
9089 headers in the current group to work, so it usually takes a while. If
9090 you do it often, you may consider setting @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}
9091 to @code{invisible} (@pxref{Filling In Threads}). This won't have any
9092 visible effects normally, but it'll make this command work a whole lot
9093 faster. Of course, it'll make group entry somewhat slow.
9095 @vindex gnus-refer-thread-limit
9096 The @code{gnus-refer-thread-limit} variable says how many old (i. e.,
9097 articles before the first displayed in the current group) headers to
9098 fetch when doing this command. The default is 200. If @code{t}, all
9099 the available headers will be fetched. This variable can be overridden
9100 by giving the @kbd{A T} command a numerical prefix.
9103 @findex gnus-summary-refer-article
9104 @kindex M-^ (Summary)
9106 @cindex fetching by Message-ID
9107 You can also ask the @sc{nntp} server for an arbitrary article, no
9108 matter what group it belongs to. @kbd{M-^}
9109 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-article}) will ask you for a
9110 @code{Message-ID}, which is one of those long, hard-to-read thingies
9111 that look something like @samp{<38o6up$6f2@@hymir.ifi.uio.no>}. You
9112 have to get it all exactly right. No fuzzy searches, I'm afraid.
9115 The current select method will be used when fetching by
9116 @code{Message-ID} from non-news select method, but you can override this
9117 by giving this command a prefix.
9119 @vindex gnus-refer-article-method
9120 If the group you are reading is located on a back end that does not
9121 support fetching by @code{Message-ID} very well (like @code{nnspool}),
9122 you can set @code{gnus-refer-article-method} to an @sc{nntp} method. It
9123 would, perhaps, be best if the @sc{nntp} server you consult is the one
9124 updating the spool you are reading from, but that's not really
9127 It can also be a list of select methods, as well as the special symbol
9128 @code{current}, which means to use the current select method. If it
9129 is a list, Gnus will try all the methods in the list until it finds a
9132 Here's an example setting that will first try the current method, and
9133 then ask Google if that fails:
9136 (setq gnus-refer-article-method
9138 (nnweb "refer" (nnweb-type google))))
9141 Most of the mail back ends support fetching by @code{Message-ID}, but
9142 do not do a particularly excellent job at it. That is, @code{nnmbox},
9143 @code{nnbabyl}, and @code{nnmaildir} are able to locate articles from
9144 any groups, while @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, and @code{nnimap} are
9145 only able to locate articles that have been posted to the current group.
9146 (Anything else would be too time consuming.) @code{nnmh} does not
9147 support this at all.
9150 @node Alternative Approaches
9151 @section Alternative Approaches
9153 Different people like to read news using different methods. This being
9154 Gnus, we offer a small selection of minor modes for the summary buffers.
9157 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
9158 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
9163 @subsection Pick and Read
9164 @cindex pick and read
9166 Some newsreaders (like @code{nn} and, uhm, @code{Netnews} on VM/CMS) use
9167 a two-phased reading interface. The user first marks in a summary
9168 buffer the articles she wants to read. Then she starts reading the
9169 articles with just an article buffer displayed.
9171 @findex gnus-pick-mode
9172 @kindex M-x gnus-pick-mode
9173 Gnus provides a summary buffer minor mode that allows
9174 this---@code{gnus-pick-mode}. This basically means that a few process
9175 mark commands become one-keystroke commands to allow easy marking, and
9176 it provides one additional command for switching to the summary buffer.
9178 Here are the available keystrokes when using pick mode:
9183 @findex gnus-pick-article-or-thread
9184 Pick the article or thread on the current line
9185 (@code{gnus-pick-article-or-thread}). If the variable
9186 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key selects the
9187 entire thread when used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise,
9188 it selects just the article. If given a numerical prefix, go to that
9189 thread or article and pick it. (The line number is normally displayed
9190 at the beginning of the summary pick lines.)
9193 @kindex SPACE (Pick)
9194 @findex gnus-pick-next-page
9195 Scroll the summary buffer up one page (@code{gnus-pick-next-page}). If
9196 at the end of the buffer, start reading the picked articles.
9200 @findex gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread.
9201 Unpick the thread or article
9202 (@code{gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread}). If the variable
9203 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key unpicks the
9204 thread if used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise it unpicks
9205 just the article. You can give this key a numerical prefix to unpick
9206 the thread or article at that line.
9210 @findex gnus-pick-start-reading
9211 @vindex gnus-pick-display-summary
9212 Start reading the picked articles (@code{gnus-pick-start-reading}). If
9213 given a prefix, mark all unpicked articles as read first. If
9214 @code{gnus-pick-display-summary} is non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer
9215 will still be visible when you are reading.
9219 All the normal summary mode commands are still available in the
9220 pick-mode, with the exception of @kbd{u}. However @kbd{!} is available
9221 which is mapped to the same function
9222 @code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}.
9224 If this sounds like a good idea to you, you could say:
9227 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
9230 @vindex gnus-pick-mode-hook
9231 @code{gnus-pick-mode-hook} is run in pick minor mode buffers.
9233 @vindex gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read
9234 If @code{gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read} is non-@code{nil}, mark
9235 all unpicked articles as read. The default is @code{nil}.
9237 @vindex gnus-summary-pick-line-format
9238 The summary line format in pick mode is slightly different from the
9239 standard format. At the beginning of each line the line number is
9240 displayed. The pick mode line format is controlled by the
9241 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting
9242 Variables}). It accepts the same format specs that
9243 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} does (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}).
9247 @subsection Binary Groups
9248 @cindex binary groups
9250 @findex gnus-binary-mode
9251 @kindex M-x gnus-binary-mode
9252 If you spend much time in binary groups, you may grow tired of hitting
9253 @kbd{X u}, @kbd{n}, @kbd{RET} all the time. @kbd{M-x gnus-binary-mode}
9254 is a minor mode for summary buffers that makes all ordinary Gnus article
9255 selection functions uudecode series of articles and display the result
9256 instead of just displaying the articles the normal way.
9259 @findex gnus-binary-show-article
9260 The only way, in fact, to see the actual articles is the @kbd{g}
9261 command, when you have turned on this mode
9262 (@code{gnus-binary-show-article}).
9264 @vindex gnus-binary-mode-hook
9265 @code{gnus-binary-mode-hook} is called in binary minor mode buffers.
9269 @section Tree Display
9272 @vindex gnus-use-trees
9273 If you don't like the normal Gnus summary display, you might try setting
9274 @code{gnus-use-trees} to @code{t}. This will create (by default) an
9275 additional @dfn{tree buffer}. You can execute all summary mode commands
9278 There are a few variables to customize the tree display, of course:
9281 @item gnus-tree-mode-hook
9282 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-hook
9283 A hook called in all tree mode buffers.
9285 @item gnus-tree-mode-line-format
9286 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-line-format
9287 A format string for the mode bar in the tree mode buffers (@pxref{Mode
9288 Line Formatting}). The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b %S %Z}. For a list
9289 of valid specs, @pxref{Summary Buffer Mode Line}.
9291 @item gnus-selected-tree-face
9292 @vindex gnus-selected-tree-face
9293 Face used for highlighting the selected article in the tree buffer. The
9294 default is @code{modeline}.
9296 @item gnus-tree-line-format
9297 @vindex gnus-tree-line-format
9298 A format string for the tree nodes. The name is a bit of a misnomer,
9299 though---it doesn't define a line, but just the node. The default value
9300 is @samp{%(%[%3,3n%]%)}, which displays the first three characters of
9301 the name of the poster. It is vital that all nodes are of the same
9302 length, so you @emph{must} use @samp{%4,4n}-like specifiers.
9308 The name of the poster.
9310 The @code{From} header.
9312 The number of the article.
9314 The opening bracket.
9316 The closing bracket.
9321 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
9323 Variables related to the display are:
9326 @item gnus-tree-brackets
9327 @vindex gnus-tree-brackets
9328 This is used for differentiating between ``real'' articles and
9329 ``sparse'' articles. The format is @code{((@var{real-open} . @var{real-close})
9330 (@var{sparse-open} . @var{sparse-close}) (@var{dummy-open} . @var{dummy-close}))}, and the
9331 default is @code{((?[ . ?]) (?( . ?)) (?@{ . ?@}) (?< . ?>))}.
9333 @item gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
9334 @vindex gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
9335 This is a list that contains the characters used for connecting parent
9336 nodes to their children. The default is @code{(?- ?\\ ?|)}.
9340 @item gnus-tree-minimize-window
9341 @vindex gnus-tree-minimize-window
9342 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will try to keep the tree
9343 buffer as small as possible to allow more room for the other Gnus
9344 windows. If this variable is a number, the tree buffer will never be
9345 higher than that number. The default is @code{t}. Note that if you
9346 have several windows displayed side-by-side in a frame and the tree
9347 buffer is one of these, minimizing the tree window will also resize all
9348 other windows displayed next to it.
9350 You may also wish to add the following hook to keep the window minimized
9354 (add-hook 'gnus-configure-windows-hook
9355 'gnus-tree-perhaps-minimize)
9358 @item gnus-generate-tree-function
9359 @vindex gnus-generate-tree-function
9360 @findex gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
9361 @findex gnus-generate-vertical-tree
9362 The function that actually generates the thread tree. Two predefined
9363 functions are available: @code{gnus-generate-horizontal-tree} and
9364 @code{gnus-generate-vertical-tree} (which is the default).
9368 Here's an example from a horizontal tree buffer:
9371 @{***@}-(***)-[odd]-[Gun]
9381 Here's the same thread displayed in a vertical tree buffer:
9385 |--------------------------\-----\-----\
9386 (***) [Bjo] [Gun] [Gun]
9388 [odd] [Jan] [odd] (***) [Jor]
9390 [Gun] [Eri] [Eri] [odd]
9395 If you're using horizontal trees, it might be nice to display the trees
9396 side-by-side with the summary buffer. You could add something like the
9397 following to your @file{.gnus.el} file:
9400 (setq gnus-use-trees t
9401 gnus-generate-tree-function 'gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
9402 gnus-tree-minimize-window nil)
9403 (gnus-add-configuration
9407 (summary 0.75 point)
9412 @xref{Window Layout}.
9415 @node Mail Group Commands
9416 @section Mail Group Commands
9417 @cindex mail group commands
9419 Some commands only make sense in mail groups. If these commands are
9420 invalid in the current group, they will raise a hell and let you know.
9422 All these commands (except the expiry and edit commands) use the
9423 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
9428 @kindex B e (Summary)
9429 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles
9430 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
9431 process (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles}). That is, delete all
9432 expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
9433 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
9436 @kindex B C-M-e (Summary)
9437 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles-now
9438 Delete all the expirable articles in the group
9439 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles-now}). This means that @strong{all}
9440 articles eligible for expiry in the current group will
9441 disappear forever into that big @file{/dev/null} in the sky.
9444 @kindex B DEL (Summary)
9445 @findex gnus-summary-delete-article
9446 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-delete}
9447 Delete the mail article. This is ``delete'' as in ``delete it from your
9448 disk forever and ever, never to return again.'' Use with caution.
9449 (@code{gnus-summary-delete-article}).
9452 @kindex B m (Summary)
9454 @findex gnus-summary-move-article
9455 @vindex gnus-preserve-marks
9456 Move the article from one mail group to another
9457 (@code{gnus-summary-move-article}). Marks will be preserved if
9458 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
9461 @kindex B c (Summary)
9463 @findex gnus-summary-copy-article
9464 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-copy}
9465 Copy the article from one group (mail group or not) to a mail group
9466 (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}). Marks will be preserved if
9467 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
9470 @kindex B B (Summary)
9471 @cindex crosspost mail
9472 @findex gnus-summary-crosspost-article
9473 Crosspost the current article to some other group
9474 (@code{gnus-summary-crosspost-article}). This will create a new copy of
9475 the article in the other group, and the Xref headers of the article will
9476 be properly updated.
9479 @kindex B i (Summary)
9480 @findex gnus-summary-import-article
9481 Import an arbitrary file into the current mail newsgroup
9482 (@code{gnus-summary-import-article}). You will be prompted for a file
9483 name, a @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
9486 @kindex B I (Summary)
9487 @findex gnus-summary-create-article
9488 Create an empty article in the current mail newsgroups
9489 (@code{gnus-summary-create-article}). You will be prompted for a
9490 @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
9493 @kindex B r (Summary)
9494 @findex gnus-summary-respool-article
9495 Respool the mail article (@code{gnus-summary-respool-article}).
9496 @code{gnus-summary-respool-default-method} will be used as the default
9497 select method when respooling. This variable is @code{nil} by default,
9498 which means that the current group select method will be used instead.
9499 Marks will be preserved if @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil}
9500 (which is the default).
9504 @kindex B w (Summary)
9506 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article
9507 @kindex C-c C-c (Article)
9508 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article-done
9509 Edit the current article (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article}). To finish
9510 editing and make the changes permanent, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
9511 (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article-done}). If you give a prefix to the
9512 @kbd{C-c C-c} command, Gnus won't re-highlight the article.
9515 @kindex B q (Summary)
9516 @findex gnus-summary-respool-query
9517 If you want to re-spool an article, you might be curious as to what group
9518 the article will end up in before you do the re-spooling. This command
9519 will tell you (@code{gnus-summary-respool-query}).
9522 @kindex B t (Summary)
9523 @findex gnus-summary-respool-trace
9524 Similarly, this command will display all fancy splitting patterns used
9525 when repooling, if any (@code{gnus-summary-respool-trace}).
9528 @kindex B p (Summary)
9529 @findex gnus-summary-article-posted-p
9530 Some people have a tendency to send you "courtesy" copies when they
9531 follow up to articles you have posted. These usually have a
9532 @code{Newsgroups} header in them, but not always. This command
9533 (@code{gnus-summary-article-posted-p}) will try to fetch the current
9534 article from your news server (or rather, from
9535 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} or @code{gnus-select-method}) and will
9536 report back whether it found the article or not. Even if it says that
9537 it didn't find the article, it may have been posted anyway---mail
9538 propagation is much faster than news propagation, and the news copy may
9539 just not have arrived yet.
9542 @kindex K E (Summary)
9543 @findex gnus-article-encrypt-body
9544 @vindex gnus-article-encrypt-protocol
9545 Encrypt the body of an article (@code{gnus-article-encrypt-body}).
9546 The body is encrypted with the encryption protocol specified by the
9547 variable @code{gnus-article-encrypt-protocol}.
9551 @vindex gnus-move-split-methods
9552 @cindex moving articles
9553 If you move (or copy) articles regularly, you might wish to have Gnus
9554 suggest where to put the articles. @code{gnus-move-split-methods} is a
9555 variable that uses the same syntax as @code{gnus-split-methods}
9556 (@pxref{Saving Articles}). You may customize that variable to create
9557 suggestions you find reasonable. (Note that
9558 @code{gnus-move-split-methods} uses group names where
9559 @code{gnus-split-methods} uses file names.)
9562 (setq gnus-move-split-methods
9563 '(("^From:.*Lars Magne" "nnml:junk")
9564 ("^Subject:.*gnus" "nnfolder:important")
9565 (".*" "nnml:misc")))
9569 @node Various Summary Stuff
9570 @section Various Summary Stuff
9573 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
9574 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
9575 * Summary Generation Commands::
9576 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
9580 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-hook
9581 @item gnus-summary-mode-hook
9582 This hook is called when creating a summary mode buffer.
9584 @vindex gnus-summary-generate-hook
9585 @item gnus-summary-generate-hook
9586 This is called as the last thing before doing the threading and the
9587 generation of the summary buffer. It's quite convenient for customizing
9588 the threading variables based on what data the newsgroup has. This hook
9589 is called from the summary buffer after most summary buffer variables
9592 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-hook
9593 @item gnus-summary-prepare-hook
9594 It is called after the summary buffer has been generated. You might use
9595 it to, for instance, highlight lines or modify the look of the buffer in
9596 some other ungodly manner. I don't care.
9598 @vindex gnus-summary-prepared-hook
9599 @item gnus-summary-prepared-hook
9600 A hook called as the very last thing after the summary buffer has been
9603 @vindex gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
9604 @item gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
9605 When Gnus discovers two articles that have the same @code{Message-ID},
9606 it has to do something drastic. No articles are allowed to have the
9607 same @code{Message-ID}, but this may happen when reading mail from some
9608 sources. Gnus allows you to customize what happens with this variable.
9609 If it is @code{nil} (which is the default), Gnus will rename the
9610 @code{Message-ID} (for display purposes only) and display the article as
9611 any other article. If this variable is @code{t}, it won't display the
9612 article---it'll be as if it never existed.
9614 @vindex gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
9615 @item gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
9616 This function, which takes two parameters (the group name and the list
9617 of articles to be selected), is called to allow the user to alter the
9618 list of articles to be selected.
9620 For instance, the following function adds the list of cached articles to
9621 the list in one particular group:
9624 (defun my-add-cached-articles (group articles)
9625 (if (string= group "some.group")
9626 (append gnus-newsgroup-cached articles)
9630 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-variables
9631 @item gnus-newsgroup-variables
9632 A list of newsgroup (summary buffer) local variables, or cons of
9633 variables and their default values (when the default values are not
9634 nil), that should be made global while the summary buffer is active.
9635 These variables can be used to set variables in the group parameters
9636 while still allowing them to affect operations done in other
9637 buffers. For example:
9640 (setq gnus-newsgroup-variables
9641 '(message-use-followup-to
9642 (gnus-visible-headers .
9643 "^From:\\|^Newsgroups:\\|^Subject:\\|^Date:\\|^To:")))
9649 @node Summary Group Information
9650 @subsection Summary Group Information
9655 @kindex H f (Summary)
9656 @findex gnus-summary-fetch-faq
9657 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
9658 Try to fetch the FAQ (list of frequently asked questions) for the
9659 current group (@code{gnus-summary-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the
9660 FAQ from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory
9661 on a remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories.
9662 In that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
9663 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will probably
9664 be used for fetching the file.
9667 @kindex H d (Summary)
9668 @findex gnus-summary-describe-group
9669 Give a brief description of the current group
9670 (@code{gnus-summary-describe-group}). If given a prefix, force
9671 rereading the description from the server.
9674 @kindex H h (Summary)
9675 @findex gnus-summary-describe-briefly
9676 Give an extremely brief description of the most important summary
9677 keystrokes (@code{gnus-summary-describe-briefly}).
9680 @kindex H i (Summary)
9681 @findex gnus-info-find-node
9682 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
9686 @node Searching for Articles
9687 @subsection Searching for Articles
9692 @kindex M-s (Summary)
9693 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
9694 Search through all subsequent (raw) articles for a regexp
9695 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-forward}).
9698 @kindex M-r (Summary)
9699 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-backward
9700 Search through all previous (raw) articles for a regexp
9701 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-backward}).
9705 @findex gnus-summary-execute-command
9706 This command will prompt you for a header, a regular expression to match
9707 on this field, and a command to be executed if the match is made
9708 (@code{gnus-summary-execute-command}). If the header is an empty
9709 string, the match is done on the entire article. If given a prefix,
9710 search backward instead.
9712 For instance, @kbd{& RET some.*string #} will put the process mark on
9713 all articles that have heads or bodies that match @samp{some.*string}.
9716 @kindex M-& (Summary)
9717 @findex gnus-summary-universal-argument
9718 Perform any operation on all articles that have been marked with
9719 the process mark (@code{gnus-summary-universal-argument}).
9722 @node Summary Generation Commands
9723 @subsection Summary Generation Commands
9728 @kindex Y g (Summary)
9729 @findex gnus-summary-prepare
9730 Regenerate the current summary buffer (@code{gnus-summary-prepare}).
9733 @kindex Y c (Summary)
9734 @findex gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles
9735 Pull all cached articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
9736 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}).
9741 @node Really Various Summary Commands
9742 @subsection Really Various Summary Commands
9748 @kindex C-d (Summary)
9749 @kindex A D (Summary)
9750 @findex gnus-summary-enter-digest-group
9751 If the current article is a collection of other articles (for instance,
9752 a digest), you might use this command to enter a group based on the that
9753 article (@code{gnus-summary-enter-digest-group}). Gnus will try to
9754 guess what article type is currently displayed unless you give a prefix
9755 to this command, which forces a ``digest'' interpretation. Basically,
9756 whenever you see a message that is a collection of other messages of
9757 some format, you @kbd{C-d} and read these messages in a more convenient
9761 @kindex C-M-d (Summary)
9762 @findex gnus-summary-read-document
9763 This command is very similar to the one above, but lets you gather
9764 several documents into one biiig group
9765 (@code{gnus-summary-read-document}). It does this by opening several
9766 @code{nndoc} groups for each document, and then opening an
9767 @code{nnvirtual} group on top of these @code{nndoc} groups. This
9768 command understands the process/prefix convention
9769 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
9772 @kindex C-t (Summary)
9773 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-truncation
9774 Toggle truncation of summary lines
9775 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-truncation}). This will probably confuse the
9776 line centering function in the summary buffer, so it's not a good idea
9777 to have truncation switched off while reading articles.
9781 @findex gnus-summary-expand-window
9782 Expand the summary buffer window (@code{gnus-summary-expand-window}).
9783 If given a prefix, force an @code{article} window configuration.
9786 @kindex C-M-e (Summary)
9787 @findex gnus-summary-edit-parameters
9788 Edit the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
9789 group (@code{gnus-summary-edit-parameters}).
9792 @kindex C-M-a (Summary)
9793 @findex gnus-summary-customize-parameters
9794 Customize the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
9795 group (@code{gnus-summary-customize-parameters}).
9800 @node Exiting the Summary Buffer
9801 @section Exiting the Summary Buffer
9802 @cindex summary exit
9803 @cindex exiting groups
9805 Exiting from the summary buffer will normally update all info on the
9806 group and return you to the group buffer.
9812 @kindex Z Z (Summary)
9814 @findex gnus-summary-exit
9815 @vindex gnus-summary-exit-hook
9816 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook
9817 @c @icon{gnus-summary-exit}
9818 Exit the current group and update all information on the group
9819 (@code{gnus-summary-exit}). @code{gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook} is
9820 called before doing much of the exiting, which calls
9821 @code{gnus-summary-expire-articles} by default.
9822 @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} is called after finishing the exit
9823 process. @code{gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook} is run when returning to
9824 group mode having no more (unread) groups.
9828 @kindex Z E (Summary)
9830 @findex gnus-summary-exit-no-update
9831 Exit the current group without updating any information on the group
9832 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}).
9836 @kindex Z c (Summary)
9838 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit
9839 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}
9840 Mark all unticked articles in the group as read and then exit
9841 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}).
9844 @kindex Z C (Summary)
9845 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit
9846 Mark all articles, even the ticked ones, as read and then exit
9847 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit}).
9850 @kindex Z n (Summary)
9851 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group
9852 Mark all articles as read and go to the next group
9853 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group}).
9856 @kindex Z R (Summary)
9857 @findex gnus-summary-reselect-current-group
9858 Exit this group, and then enter it again
9859 (@code{gnus-summary-reselect-current-group}). If given a prefix, select
9860 all articles, both read and unread.
9864 @kindex Z G (Summary)
9865 @kindex M-g (Summary)
9866 @findex gnus-summary-rescan-group
9867 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-get}
9868 Exit the group, check for new articles in the group, and select the
9869 group (@code{gnus-summary-rescan-group}). If given a prefix, select all
9870 articles, both read and unread.
9873 @kindex Z N (Summary)
9874 @findex gnus-summary-next-group
9875 Exit the group and go to the next group
9876 (@code{gnus-summary-next-group}).
9879 @kindex Z P (Summary)
9880 @findex gnus-summary-prev-group
9881 Exit the group and go to the previous group
9882 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-group}).
9885 @kindex Z s (Summary)
9886 @findex gnus-summary-save-newsrc
9887 Save the current number of read/marked articles in the dribble buffer
9888 and then save the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-summary-save-newsrc}). If
9889 given a prefix, also save the @file{.newsrc} file(s). Using this
9890 command will make exit without updating (the @kbd{Q} command) worthless.
9893 @vindex gnus-exit-group-hook
9894 @code{gnus-exit-group-hook} is called when you exit the current group
9895 with an ``updating'' exit. For instance @kbd{Q}
9896 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}) does not call this hook.
9898 @findex gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead
9899 @findex gnus-dead-summary-mode
9900 @vindex gnus-kill-summary-on-exit
9901 If you're in the habit of exiting groups, and then changing your mind
9902 about it, you might set @code{gnus-kill-summary-on-exit} to @code{nil}.
9903 If you do that, Gnus won't kill the summary buffer when you exit it.
9904 (Quelle surprise!) Instead it will change the name of the buffer to
9905 something like @samp{*Dead Summary ... *} and install a minor mode
9906 called @code{gnus-dead-summary-mode}. Now, if you switch back to this
9907 buffer, you'll find that all keys are mapped to a function called
9908 @code{gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead}. So tapping any keys in a dead
9909 summary buffer will result in a live, normal summary buffer.
9911 There will never be more than one dead summary buffer at any one time.
9913 @vindex gnus-use-cross-reference
9914 The data on the current group will be updated (which articles you have
9915 read, which articles you have replied to, etc.) when you exit the
9916 summary buffer. If the @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} variable is
9917 @code{t} (which is the default), articles that are cross-referenced to
9918 this group and are marked as read, will also be marked as read in the
9919 other subscribed groups they were cross-posted to. If this variable is
9920 neither @code{nil} nor @code{t}, the article will be marked as read in
9921 both subscribed and unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}).
9924 @node Crosspost Handling
9925 @section Crosspost Handling
9929 Marking cross-posted articles as read ensures that you'll never have to
9930 read the same article more than once. Unless, of course, somebody has
9931 posted it to several groups separately. Posting the same article to
9932 several groups (not cross-posting) is called @dfn{spamming}, and you are
9933 by law required to send nasty-grams to anyone who perpetrates such a
9934 heinous crime. You may want to try NoCeM handling to filter out spam
9937 Remember: Cross-posting is kinda ok, but posting the same article
9938 separately to several groups is not. Massive cross-posting (aka.
9939 @dfn{velveeta}) is to be avoided at all costs, and you can even use the
9940 @code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint} command to complain about
9941 excessive crossposting (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
9943 @cindex cross-posting
9946 One thing that may cause Gnus to not do the cross-posting thing
9947 correctly is if you use an @sc{nntp} server that supports @sc{xover}
9948 (which is very nice, because it speeds things up considerably) which
9949 does not include the @code{Xref} header in its @sc{nov} lines. This is
9950 Evil, but all too common, alas, alack. Gnus tries to Do The Right Thing
9951 even with @sc{xover} by registering the @code{Xref} lines of all
9952 articles you actually read, but if you kill the articles, or just mark
9953 them as read without reading them, Gnus will not get a chance to snoop
9954 the @code{Xref} lines out of these articles, and will be unable to use
9955 the cross reference mechanism.
9957 @cindex LIST overview.fmt
9958 @cindex overview.fmt
9959 To check whether your @sc{nntp} server includes the @code{Xref} header
9960 in its overview files, try @samp{telnet your.nntp.server nntp},
9961 @samp{MODE READER} on @code{inn} servers, and then say @samp{LIST
9962 overview.fmt}. This may not work, but if it does, and the last line you
9963 get does not read @samp{Xref:full}, then you should shout and whine at
9964 your news admin until she includes the @code{Xref} header in the
9967 @vindex gnus-nov-is-evil
9968 If you want Gnus to get the @code{Xref}s right all the time, you have to
9969 set @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{t}, which slows things down
9974 For an alternative approach, @pxref{Duplicate Suppression}.
9977 @node Duplicate Suppression
9978 @section Duplicate Suppression
9980 By default, Gnus tries to make sure that you don't have to read the same
9981 article more than once by utilizing the crossposting mechanism
9982 (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}). However, that simple and efficient
9983 approach may not work satisfactory for some users for various
9988 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to generate the @code{Xref} header. This
9989 is evil and not very common.
9992 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to include the @code{Xref} header in the
9993 @file{.overview} data bases. This is evil and all too common, alas.
9996 You may be reading the same group (or several related groups) from
9997 different @sc{nntp} servers.
10000 You may be getting mail that duplicates articles posted to groups.
10003 I'm sure there are other situations where @code{Xref} handling fails as
10004 well, but these four are the most common situations.
10006 If, and only if, @code{Xref} handling fails for you, then you may
10007 consider switching on @dfn{duplicate suppression}. If you do so, Gnus
10008 will remember the @code{Message-ID}s of all articles you have read or
10009 otherwise marked as read, and then, as if by magic, mark them as read
10010 all subsequent times you see them---in @emph{all} groups. Using this
10011 mechanism is quite likely to be somewhat inefficient, but not overly
10012 so. It's certainly preferable to reading the same articles more than
10015 Duplicate suppression is not a very subtle instrument. It's more like a
10016 sledge hammer than anything else. It works in a very simple
10017 fashion---if you have marked an article as read, it adds this Message-ID
10018 to a cache. The next time it sees this Message-ID, it will mark the
10019 article as read with the @samp{M} mark. It doesn't care what group it
10020 saw the article in.
10023 @item gnus-suppress-duplicates
10024 @vindex gnus-suppress-duplicates
10025 If non-@code{nil}, suppress duplicates.
10027 @item gnus-save-duplicate-list
10028 @vindex gnus-save-duplicate-list
10029 If non-@code{nil}, save the list of duplicates to a file. This will
10030 make startup and shutdown take longer, so the default is @code{nil}.
10031 However, this means that only duplicate articles read in a single Gnus
10032 session are suppressed.
10034 @item gnus-duplicate-list-length
10035 @vindex gnus-duplicate-list-length
10036 This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the duplicate
10037 suppression list. The default is 10000.
10039 @item gnus-duplicate-file
10040 @vindex gnus-duplicate-file
10041 The name of the file to store the duplicate suppression list in. The
10042 default is @file{~/News/suppression}.
10045 If you have a tendency to stop and start Gnus often, setting
10046 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{t} is probably a good idea. If
10047 you leave Gnus running for weeks on end, you may have it @code{nil}. On
10048 the other hand, saving the list makes startup and shutdown much slower,
10049 so that means that if you stop and start Gnus often, you should set
10050 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{nil}. Uhm. I'll leave this up
10051 to you to figure out, I think.
10056 Gnus is able to verify signed messages or decrypt encrypted messages.
10057 The formats that are supported are PGP, @sc{pgp/mime} and @sc{s/mime},
10058 however you need some external programs to get things to work:
10062 To handle PGP messages, you have to install mailcrypt or gpg.el as
10063 well as a OpenPGP implementation (such as GnuPG).
10066 To handle @sc{s/mime} message, you need to install OpenSSL. OpenSSL 0.9.6
10067 or newer is recommended.
10071 More information on how to set things up can be found in the message
10072 manual (@pxref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}).
10075 @item mm-verify-option
10076 @vindex mm-verify-option
10077 Option of verifying signed parts. @code{never}, not verify;
10078 @code{always}, always verify; @code{known}, only verify known
10079 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
10081 @item mm-decrypt-option
10082 @vindex mm-decrypt-option
10083 Option of decrypting encrypted parts. @code{never}, no decryption;
10084 @code{always}, always decrypt; @code{known}, only decrypt known
10085 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
10090 @section Mailing List
10092 @kindex A M (summary)
10093 @findex gnus-mailing-list-insinuate
10094 Gnus understands some mailing list fields of RFC 2369. To enable it,
10095 either add a `to-list' group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}),
10096 possibly using @kbd{A M} (@code{gnus-mailing-list-insinuate}) in the
10097 summary buffer, or say:
10100 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'turn-on-gnus-mailing-list-mode)
10103 That enables the following commands to the summary buffer:
10108 @kindex C-c C-n h (Summary)
10109 @findex gnus-mailing-list-help
10110 Send a message to fetch mailing list help, if List-Help field exists.
10113 @kindex C-c C-n s (Summary)
10114 @findex gnus-mailing-list-subscribe
10115 Send a message to subscribe the mailing list, if List-Subscribe field exists.
10118 @kindex C-c C-n u (Summary)
10119 @findex gnus-mailing-list-unsubscribe
10120 Send a message to unsubscribe the mailing list, if List-Unsubscribe
10124 @kindex C-c C-n p (Summary)
10125 @findex gnus-mailing-list-post
10126 Post to the mailing list, if List-Post field exists.
10129 @kindex C-c C-n o (Summary)
10130 @findex gnus-mailing-list-owner
10131 Send a message to the mailing list owner, if List-Owner field exists.
10134 @kindex C-c C-n a (Summary)
10135 @findex gnus-mailing-list-owner
10136 Browse the mailing list archive, if List-Archive field exists.
10140 @node Article Buffer
10141 @chapter Article Buffer
10142 @cindex article buffer
10144 The articles are displayed in the article buffer, of which there is only
10145 one. All the summary buffers share the same article buffer unless you
10146 tell Gnus otherwise.
10149 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
10150 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @sc{mime} before reading them.
10151 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
10152 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
10153 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
10157 @node Hiding Headers
10158 @section Hiding Headers
10159 @cindex hiding headers
10160 @cindex deleting headers
10162 The top section of each article is the @dfn{head}. (The rest is the
10163 @dfn{body}, but you may have guessed that already.)
10165 @vindex gnus-show-all-headers
10166 There is a lot of useful information in the head: the name of the person
10167 who wrote the article, the date it was written and the subject of the
10168 article. That's well and nice, but there's also lots of information
10169 most people do not want to see---what systems the article has passed
10170 through before reaching you, the @code{Message-ID}, the
10171 @code{References}, etc. ad nauseum---and you'll probably want to get rid
10172 of some of those lines. If you want to keep all those lines in the
10173 article buffer, you can set @code{gnus-show-all-headers} to @code{t}.
10175 Gnus provides you with two variables for sifting headers:
10179 @item gnus-visible-headers
10180 @vindex gnus-visible-headers
10181 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a regular expression
10182 that says what headers you wish to keep in the article buffer. All
10183 headers that do not match this variable will be hidden.
10185 For instance, if you only want to see the name of the person who wrote
10186 the article and the subject, you'd say:
10189 (setq gnus-visible-headers "^From:\\|^Subject:")
10192 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
10195 @item gnus-ignored-headers
10196 @vindex gnus-ignored-headers
10197 This variable is the reverse of @code{gnus-visible-headers}. If this
10198 variable is set (and @code{gnus-visible-headers} is @code{nil}), it
10199 should be a regular expression that matches all lines that you want to
10200 hide. All lines that do not match this variable will remain visible.
10202 For instance, if you just want to get rid of the @code{References} line
10203 and the @code{Xref} line, you might say:
10206 (setq gnus-ignored-headers "^References:\\|^Xref:")
10209 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
10212 Note that if @code{gnus-visible-headers} is non-@code{nil}, this
10213 variable will have no effect.
10217 @vindex gnus-sorted-header-list
10218 Gnus can also sort the headers for you. (It does this by default.) You
10219 can control the sorting by setting the @code{gnus-sorted-header-list}
10220 variable. It is a list of regular expressions that says in what order
10221 the headers are to be displayed.
10223 For instance, if you want the name of the author of the article first,
10224 and then the subject, you might say something like:
10227 (setq gnus-sorted-header-list '("^From:" "^Subject:"))
10230 Any headers that are to remain visible, but are not listed in this
10231 variable, will be displayed in random order after all the headers listed in this variable.
10233 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
10234 @vindex gnus-boring-article-headers
10235 You can hide further boring headers by setting
10236 @code{gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers} to @code{head}. What this function
10237 does depends on the @code{gnus-boring-article-headers} variable. It's a
10238 list, but this list doesn't actually contain header names. Instead is
10239 lists various @dfn{boring conditions} that Gnus can check and remove
10242 These conditions are:
10245 Remove all empty headers.
10247 Remove the @code{Followup-To} header if it is identical to the
10248 @code{Newsgroups} header.
10250 Remove the @code{Reply-To} header if it lists the same address as the
10251 @code{From} header.
10253 Remove the @code{Newsgroups} header if it only contains the current group
10256 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
10257 the current groups's @code{to-address} parameter.
10259 Remove the @code{Date} header if the article is less than three days
10262 Remove the @code{To} header if it is very long.
10264 Remove all @code{To} headers if there are more than one.
10267 To include these three elements, you could say something like:
10270 (setq gnus-boring-article-headers
10271 '(empty followup-to reply-to))
10274 This is also the default value for this variable.
10278 @section Using MIME
10281 Mime is a standard for waving your hands through the air, aimlessly,
10282 while people stand around yawning.
10284 @sc{mime}, however, is a standard for encoding your articles, aimlessly,
10285 while all newsreaders die of fear.
10287 @sc{mime} may specify what character set the article uses, the encoding
10288 of the characters, and it also makes it possible to embed pictures and
10289 other naughty stuff in innocent-looking articles.
10291 @vindex gnus-display-mime-function
10292 @findex gnus-display-mime
10293 Gnus pushes @sc{mime} articles through @code{gnus-display-mime-function}
10294 to display the @sc{mime} parts. This is @code{gnus-display-mime} by
10295 default, which creates a bundle of clickable buttons that can be used to
10296 display, save and manipulate the @sc{mime} objects.
10298 The following commands are available when you have placed point over a
10302 @findex gnus-article-press-button
10303 @item RET (Article)
10304 @kindex RET (Article)
10305 @itemx BUTTON-2 (Article)
10306 Toggle displaying of the @sc{mime} object
10307 (@code{gnus-article-press-button}). If builtin viewers can not display
10308 the object, Gnus resorts to external viewers in the @file{mailcap}
10309 files. If a viewer has the @samp{copiousoutput} specification, the
10310 object is displayed inline.
10312 @findex gnus-mime-view-part
10313 @item M-RET (Article)
10314 @kindex M-RET (Article)
10316 Prompt for a method, and then view the @sc{mime} object using this
10317 method (@code{gnus-mime-view-part}).
10319 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-type
10321 @kindex t (Article)
10322 View the @sc{mime} object as if it were a different @sc{mime} media type
10323 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-type}).
10325 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-charset
10327 @kindex C (Article)
10328 Prompt for a charset, and then view the @sc{mime} object using this
10329 charset (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-charset}).
10331 @findex gnus-mime-save-part
10333 @kindex o (Article)
10334 Prompt for a file name, and then save the @sc{mime} object
10335 (@code{gnus-mime-save-part}).
10337 @findex gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip
10338 @item C-o (Article)
10339 @kindex C-o (Article)
10340 Prompt for a file name, then save the @sc{mime} object and strip it from
10341 the article. Then proceed to article editing, where a reasonable
10342 suggestion is being made on how the altered article should look
10343 like. The stripped @sc{mime} object will be referred via the
10344 message/external-body @sc{mime} type.
10345 (@code{gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip}).
10347 @findex gnus-mime-copy-part
10349 @kindex c (Article)
10350 Copy the @sc{mime} object to a fresh buffer and display this buffer
10351 (@code{gnus-mime-copy-part}).
10353 @findex gnus-mime-print-part
10355 @kindex p (Article)
10356 Print the @sc{mime} object (@code{gnus-mime-print-part}). This
10357 command respects the @samp{print=} specifications in the
10358 @file{.mailcap} file.
10360 @findex gnus-mime-inline-part
10362 @kindex i (Article)
10363 Insert the contents of the @sc{mime} object into the buffer
10364 (@code{gnus-mime-inline-part}) as text/plain. If given a prefix, insert
10365 the raw contents without decoding. If given a numerical prefix, you can
10366 do semi-manual charset stuff (see
10367 @code{gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist} in @pxref{Paging the
10370 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-internally
10372 @kindex E (Article)
10373 View the @sc{mime} object with an internal viewer. If no internal
10374 viewer is available, use an external viewer
10375 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-internally}).
10377 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-externally
10379 @kindex e (Article)
10380 View the @sc{mime} object with an external viewer.
10381 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-externally}).
10383 @findex gnus-mime-pipe-part
10385 @kindex | (Article)
10386 Output the @sc{mime} object to a process (@code{gnus-mime-pipe-part}).
10388 @findex gnus-mime-action-on-part
10390 @kindex . (Article)
10391 Interactively run an action on the @sc{mime} object
10392 (@code{gnus-mime-action-on-part}).
10396 Gnus will display some @sc{mime} objects automatically. The way Gnus
10397 determines which parts to do this with is described in the Emacs
10400 It might be best to just use the toggling functions from the article
10401 buffer to avoid getting nasty surprises. (For instance, you enter the
10402 group @samp{alt.sing-a-long} and, before you know it, @sc{mime} has
10403 decoded the sound file in the article and some horrible sing-a-long song
10404 comes screaming out your speakers, and you can't find the volume button,
10405 because there isn't one, and people are starting to look at you, and you
10406 try to stop the program, but you can't, and you can't find the program
10407 to control the volume, and everybody else in the room suddenly decides
10408 to look at you disdainfully, and you'll feel rather stupid.)
10410 Any similarity to real events and people is purely coincidental. Ahem.
10412 Also see @pxref{MIME Commands}.
10415 @node Customizing Articles
10416 @section Customizing Articles
10417 @cindex article customization
10419 A slew of functions for customizing how the articles are to look like
10420 exist. You can call these functions interactively, or you can have them
10421 called automatically when you select the articles.
10423 To have them called automatically, you should set the corresponding
10424 ``treatment'' variable. For instance, to have headers hidden, you'd set
10425 @code{gnus-treat-hide-headers}. Below is a list of variables that can
10426 be set, but first we discuss the values these variables can have.
10428 Note: Some values, while valid, make little sense. Check the list below
10429 for sensible values.
10433 @code{nil}: Don't do this treatment.
10436 @code{t}: Do this treatment on all body parts.
10439 @code{head}: Do the treatment on the headers.
10442 @code{last}: Do this treatment on the last part.
10445 An integer: Do this treatment on all body parts that have a length less
10449 A list of strings: Do this treatment on all body parts that are in
10450 articles that are read in groups that have names that match one of the
10451 regexps in the list.
10454 A list where the first element is not a string:
10456 The list is evaluated recursively. The first element of the list is a
10457 predicate. The following predicates are recognized: @code{or},
10458 @code{and}, @code{not} and @code{typep}. Here's an example:
10462 (typep "text/x-vcard"))
10467 You may have noticed that the word @dfn{part} is used here. This refers
10468 to the fact that some messages are @sc{mime} multipart articles that may
10469 be divided into several parts. Articles that are not multiparts are
10470 considered to contain just a single part.
10472 @vindex gnus-article-treat-types
10473 Are the treatments applied to all sorts of multipart parts? Yes, if you
10474 want to, but by default, only @samp{text/plain} parts are given the
10475 treatment. This is controlled by the @code{gnus-article-treat-types}
10476 variable, which is a list of regular expressions that are matched to the
10477 type of the part. This variable is ignored if the value of the
10478 controlling variable is a predicate list, as described above.
10480 The following treatment options are available. The easiest way to
10481 customize this is to examine the @code{gnus-article-treat} customization
10482 group. Values in parenthesis are suggested sensible values. Others are
10483 possible but those listed are probably sufficient for most people.
10486 @item gnus-treat-buttonize (t, integer)
10487 @item gnus-treat-buttonize-head (head)
10489 @xref{Article Buttons}.
10491 @item gnus-treat-capitalize-sentences (t, integer)
10492 @item gnus-treat-overstrike (t, integer)
10493 @item gnus-treat-strip-cr (t, integer)
10494 @item gnus-treat-strip-headers-in-body (t, integer)
10495 @item gnus-treat-strip-leading-blank-lines (t, integer)
10496 @item gnus-treat-strip-multiple-blank-lines (t, integer)
10497 @item gnus-treat-strip-pem (t, last, integer)
10498 @item gnus-treat-strip-pgp (t, last, integer)
10499 @item gnus-treat-strip-trailing-blank-lines (t, last, integer)
10500 @item gnus-treat-unsplit-urls (t, integer)
10502 @xref{Article Washing}.
10504 @item gnus-treat-date-english (head)
10505 @item gnus-treat-date-iso8601 (head)
10506 @item gnus-treat-date-lapsed (head)
10507 @item gnus-treat-date-local (head)
10508 @item gnus-treat-date-original (head)
10509 @item gnus-treat-date-user-defined (head)
10510 @item gnus-treat-date-ut (head)
10512 @xref{Article Date}.
10514 @item gnus-treat-from-picon (head)
10515 @item gnus-treat-mail-picon (head)
10516 @item gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon (head)
10520 @item gnus-treat-display-smileys (t, integer)
10522 @item gnus-treat-body-boundary (head)
10524 @vindex gnus-body-boundary-delimiter
10525 Adds a delimiter between header and body, the string used as delimiter
10526 is controlled by @code{gnus-body-boundary-delimiter}.
10530 @item gnus-treat-display-xface (head)
10534 @item gnus-treat-emphasize (t, head, integer)
10535 @item gnus-treat-fill-article (t, integer)
10536 @item gnus-treat-fill-long-lines (t, integer)
10537 @item gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers (head)
10538 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation (t, integer)
10539 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe (t, integer)
10540 @item gnus-treat-hide-headers (head)
10541 @item gnus-treat-hide-signature (t, last)
10543 @xref{Article Hiding}.
10545 @item gnus-treat-highlight-citation (t, integer)
10546 @item gnus-treat-highlight-headers (head)
10547 @item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last, integer)
10549 @xref{Article Highlighting}.
10551 @item gnus-treat-play-sounds
10552 @item gnus-treat-translate
10553 @item gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig (head)
10555 @item gnus-treat-unfold-headers (head)
10556 @item gnus-treat-fold-headers (head)
10557 @item gnus-treat-fold-newsgroups (head)
10558 @item gnus-treat-leading-whitespace (head)
10560 @xref{Article Header}.
10565 @vindex gnus-part-display-hook
10566 You can, of course, write your own functions to be called from
10567 @code{gnus-part-display-hook}. The functions are called narrowed to the
10568 part, and you can do anything you like, pretty much. There is no
10569 information that you have to keep in the buffer---you can change
10573 @node Article Keymap
10574 @section Article Keymap
10576 Most of the keystrokes in the summary buffer can also be used in the
10577 article buffer. They should behave as if you typed them in the summary
10578 buffer, which means that you don't actually have to have a summary
10579 buffer displayed while reading. You can do it all from the article
10582 A few additional keystrokes are available:
10587 @kindex SPACE (Article)
10588 @findex gnus-article-next-page
10589 Scroll forwards one page (@code{gnus-article-next-page}).
10592 @kindex DEL (Article)
10593 @findex gnus-article-prev-page
10594 Scroll backwards one page (@code{gnus-article-prev-page}).
10597 @kindex C-c ^ (Article)
10598 @findex gnus-article-refer-article
10599 If point is in the neighborhood of a @code{Message-ID} and you press
10600 @kbd{C-c ^}, Gnus will try to get that article from the server
10601 (@code{gnus-article-refer-article}).
10604 @kindex C-c C-m (Article)
10605 @findex gnus-article-mail
10606 Send a reply to the address near point (@code{gnus-article-mail}). If
10607 given a prefix, include the mail.
10610 @kindex s (Article)
10611 @findex gnus-article-show-summary
10612 Reconfigure the buffers so that the summary buffer becomes visible
10613 (@code{gnus-article-show-summary}).
10616 @kindex ? (Article)
10617 @findex gnus-article-describe-briefly
10618 Give a very brief description of the available keystrokes
10619 (@code{gnus-article-describe-briefly}).
10622 @kindex TAB (Article)
10623 @findex gnus-article-next-button
10624 Go to the next button, if any (@code{gnus-article-next-button}). This
10625 only makes sense if you have buttonizing turned on.
10628 @kindex M-TAB (Article)
10629 @findex gnus-article-prev-button
10630 Go to the previous button, if any (@code{gnus-article-prev-button}).
10633 @kindex R (Article)
10634 @findex gnus-article-reply-with-original
10635 Send a reply to the current article and yank the current article
10636 (@code{gnus-article-reply-with-original}). If given a prefix, make a
10637 wide reply. If the region is active, only yank the text in the
10641 @kindex F (Article)
10642 @findex gnus-article-followup-with-original
10643 Send a followup to the current article and yank the current article
10644 (@code{gnus-article-followup-with-original}). If given a prefix, make
10645 a wide reply. If the region is active, only yank the text in the
10653 @section Misc Article
10657 @item gnus-single-article-buffer
10658 @vindex gnus-single-article-buffer
10659 If non-@code{nil}, use the same article buffer for all the groups.
10660 (This is the default.) If @code{nil}, each group will have its own
10663 @vindex gnus-article-decode-hook
10664 @item gnus-article-decode-hook
10666 Hook used to decode @sc{mime} articles. The default value is
10667 @code{(article-decode-charset article-decode-encoded-words)}
10669 @vindex gnus-article-prepare-hook
10670 @item gnus-article-prepare-hook
10671 This hook is called right after the article has been inserted into the
10672 article buffer. It is mainly intended for functions that do something
10673 depending on the contents; it should probably not be used for changing
10674 the contents of the article buffer.
10676 @item gnus-article-mode-hook
10677 @vindex gnus-article-mode-hook
10678 Hook called in article mode buffers.
10680 @item gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
10681 @vindex gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
10682 Syntax table used in article buffers. It is initialized from
10683 @code{text-mode-syntax-table}.
10685 @vindex gnus-article-mode-line-format
10686 @item gnus-article-mode-line-format
10687 This variable is a format string along the same lines as
10688 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
10689 accepts the same format specifications as that variable, with two
10695 The @dfn{wash status} of the article. This is a short string with one
10696 character for each possible article wash operation that may have been
10697 performed. The characters and their meaning:
10702 Displayed when cited text may be hidden in the article buffer.
10705 Displayed when headers are hidden in the article buffer.
10708 Displayed when article is digitally signed or encrypted, and Gnus has
10709 hidden the security headers. (N.B. does not tell anything about
10710 security status, i.e. good or bad signature.)
10713 Displayed when the signature has been hidden in the Article buffer.
10716 Displayed when Gnus has treated overstrike characters in the article buffer.
10719 Displayed when Gnus has treated emphasised strings in the article buffer.
10724 The number of @sc{mime} parts in the article.
10728 @vindex gnus-break-pages
10730 @item gnus-break-pages
10731 Controls whether @dfn{page breaking} is to take place. If this variable
10732 is non-@code{nil}, the articles will be divided into pages whenever a
10733 page delimiter appears in the article. If this variable is @code{nil},
10734 paging will not be done.
10736 @item gnus-page-delimiter
10737 @vindex gnus-page-delimiter
10738 This is the delimiter mentioned above. By default, it is @samp{^L}
10743 @node Composing Messages
10744 @chapter Composing Messages
10745 @cindex composing messages
10748 @cindex sending mail
10753 @cindex using s/mime
10754 @cindex using smime
10756 @kindex C-c C-c (Post)
10757 All commands for posting and mailing will put you in a message buffer
10758 where you can edit the article all you like, before you send the
10759 article by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}. @xref{Top, , Overview, message,
10760 Message Manual}. Where the message will be posted/mailed to depends
10761 on your setup (@pxref{Posting Server}).
10764 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
10765 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
10766 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
10767 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
10768 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
10769 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
10770 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
10771 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
10774 Also see @pxref{Canceling and Superseding} for information on how to
10775 remove articles you shouldn't have posted.
10781 Variables for customizing outgoing mail:
10784 @item gnus-uu-digest-headers
10785 @vindex gnus-uu-digest-headers
10786 List of regexps to match headers included in digested messages. The
10787 headers will be included in the sequence they are matched.
10789 @item gnus-add-to-list
10790 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
10791 If non-@code{nil}, add a @code{to-list} group parameter to mail groups
10792 that have none when you do a @kbd{a}.
10794 @item gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
10795 @vindex gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
10796 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus requests confirmation when replying to news.
10797 If you find yourself never wanting to reply to mail, but occasionally
10798 press R anyway, this variable might be for you.
10803 @node Posting Server
10804 @section Posting Server
10806 When you press those magical @kbd{C-c C-c} keys to ship off your latest
10807 (extremely intelligent, of course) article, where does it go?
10809 Thank you for asking. I hate you.
10811 It can be quite complicated.
10813 @vindex gnus-post-method
10814 When posting news, Message usually invokes @code{message-send-news}
10815 (@pxref{News Variables, , News Variables, message, Message Manual}).
10816 Normally, Gnus will post using the same select method as you're
10817 reading from (which might be convenient if you're reading lots of
10818 groups from different private servers). However. If the server
10819 you're reading from doesn't allow posting, just reading, you probably
10820 want to use some other server to post your (extremely intelligent and
10821 fabulously interesting) articles. You can then set the
10822 @code{gnus-post-method} to some other method:
10825 (setq gnus-post-method '(nnspool ""))
10828 Now, if you've done this, and then this server rejects your article, or
10829 this server is down, what do you do then? To override this variable you
10830 can use a non-zero prefix to the @kbd{C-c C-c} command to force using
10831 the ``current'' server, to get back the default behavior, for posting.
10833 If you give a zero prefix (i.e., @kbd{C-u 0 C-c C-c}) to that command,
10834 Gnus will prompt you for what method to use for posting.
10836 You can also set @code{gnus-post-method} to a list of select methods.
10837 If that's the case, Gnus will always prompt you for what method to use
10840 Finally, if you want to always post using the native select method,
10841 you can set this variable to @code{native}.
10843 When sending mail, Message invokes @code{message-send-mail-function}.
10844 The default function, @code{message-send-mail-with-sendmail}, pipes
10845 your article to the @code{sendmail} binary for further queuing and
10846 sending. When your local system is not configured for sending mail
10847 using @code{sendmail}, and you have access to a remote @sc{smtp}
10848 server, you can set @code{message-send-mail-function} to
10849 @code{smtpmail-send-it} and make sure to setup the @code{smtpmail}
10850 package correctly. An example:
10853 (setq message-send-mail-function 'smtpmail-send-it
10854 smtpmail-default-smtp-server "YOUR SMTP HOST")
10857 Other possible choises for @code{message-send-mail-function} includes
10858 @code{message-send-mail-with-mh}, @code{message-send-mail-with-qmail},
10859 and @code{feedmail-send-it}.
10861 @node Mail and Post
10862 @section Mail and Post
10864 Here's a list of variables relevant to both mailing and
10868 @item gnus-mailing-list-groups
10869 @findex gnus-mailing-list-groups
10870 @cindex mailing lists
10872 If your news server offers groups that are really mailing lists
10873 gatewayed to the @sc{nntp} server, you can read those groups without
10874 problems, but you can't post/followup to them without some difficulty.
10875 One solution is to add a @code{to-address} to the group parameters
10876 (@pxref{Group Parameters}). An easier thing to do is set the
10877 @code{gnus-mailing-list-groups} to a regexp that matches the groups that
10878 really are mailing lists. Then, at least, followups to the mailing
10879 lists will work most of the time. Posting to these groups (@kbd{a}) is
10880 still a pain, though.
10884 You may want to do spell-checking on messages that you send out. Or, if
10885 you don't want to spell-check by hand, you could add automatic
10886 spell-checking via the @code{ispell} package:
10889 @findex ispell-message
10891 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'ispell-message)
10894 If you want to change the @code{ispell} dictionary based on what group
10895 you're in, you could say something like the following:
10898 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook
10902 "^de\\." (gnus-group-real-name gnus-newsgroup-name))
10903 (ispell-change-dictionary "deutsch"))
10905 (ispell-change-dictionary "english")))))
10908 Modify to suit your needs.
10911 @node Archived Messages
10912 @section Archived Messages
10913 @cindex archived messages
10914 @cindex sent messages
10916 Gnus provides a few different methods for storing the mail and news you
10917 send. The default method is to use the @dfn{archive virtual server} to
10918 store the messages. If you want to disable this completely, the
10919 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable should be @code{nil}, which
10922 For archiving interesting messages in a group you read, see the
10923 @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}) command (@pxref{Mail
10926 @vindex gnus-message-archive-method
10927 @code{gnus-message-archive-method} says what virtual server Gnus is to
10928 use to store sent messages. The default is:
10931 (nnfolder "archive"
10932 (nnfolder-directory "~/Mail/archive")
10933 (nnfolder-active-file "~/Mail/archive/active")
10934 (nnfolder-get-new-mail nil)
10935 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t))
10938 You can, however, use any mail select method (@code{nnml},
10939 @code{nnmbox}, etc.). @code{nnfolder} is a quite likable select method
10940 for doing this sort of thing, though. If you don't like the default
10941 directory chosen, you could say something like:
10944 (setq gnus-message-archive-method
10945 '(nnfolder "archive"
10946 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t)
10947 (nnfolder-active-file "~/News/sent-mail/active")
10948 (nnfolder-directory "~/News/sent-mail/")))
10951 @vindex gnus-message-archive-group
10953 Gnus will insert @code{Gcc} headers in all outgoing messages that point
10954 to one or more group(s) on that server. Which group to use is
10955 determined by the @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable.
10957 This variable can be used to do the following:
10962 Messages will be saved in that group.
10964 Note that you can include a select method in the group name, then the
10965 message will not be stored in the select method given by
10966 @code{gnus-message-archive-method}, but in the select method specified
10967 by the group name, instead. Suppose @code{gnus-message-archive-method}
10968 has the default value shown above. Then setting
10969 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{"foo"} means that outgoing
10970 messages are stored in @samp{nnfolder+archive:foo}, but if you use the
10971 value @code{"nnml:foo"}, then outgoing messages will be stored in
10975 Messages will be saved in all those groups.
10977 an alist of regexps, functions and forms
10978 When a key ``matches'', the result is used.
10981 No message archiving will take place. This is the default.
10986 Just saving to a single group called @samp{MisK}:
10988 (setq gnus-message-archive-group "MisK")
10991 Saving to two groups, @samp{MisK} and @samp{safe}:
10993 (setq gnus-message-archive-group '("MisK" "safe"))
10996 Save to different groups based on what group you are in:
10998 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
10999 '(("^alt" "sent-to-alt")
11000 ("mail" "sent-to-mail")
11001 (".*" "sent-to-misc")))
11004 More complex stuff:
11006 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11007 '((if (message-news-p)
11012 How about storing all news messages in one file, but storing all mail
11013 messages in one file per month:
11016 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11017 '((if (message-news-p)
11019 (concat "mail." (format-time-string "%Y-%m")))))
11022 @c (XEmacs 19.13 doesn't have @code{format-time-string}, so you'll have to
11023 @c use a different value for @code{gnus-message-archive-group} there.)
11025 Now, when you send a message off, it will be stored in the appropriate
11026 group. (If you want to disable storing for just one particular message,
11027 you can just remove the @code{Gcc} header that has been inserted.) The
11028 archive group will appear in the group buffer the next time you start
11029 Gnus, or the next time you press @kbd{F} in the group buffer. You can
11030 enter it and read the articles in it just like you'd read any other
11031 group. If the group gets really big and annoying, you can simply rename
11032 if (using @kbd{G r} in the group buffer) to something
11033 nice---@samp{misc-mail-september-1995}, or whatever. New messages will
11034 continue to be stored in the old (now empty) group.
11036 That's the default method of archiving sent messages. Gnus offers a
11037 different way for the people who don't like the default method. In that
11038 case you should set @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{nil};
11039 this will disable archiving.
11042 @item gnus-outgoing-message-group
11043 @vindex gnus-outgoing-message-group
11044 All outgoing messages will be put in this group. If you want to store
11045 all your outgoing mail and articles in the group @samp{nnml:archive},
11046 you set this variable to that value. This variable can also be a list of
11049 If you want to have greater control over what group to put each
11050 message in, you can set this variable to a function that checks the
11051 current newsgroup name and then returns a suitable group name (or list
11054 This variable can be used instead of @code{gnus-message-archive-group},
11055 but the latter is the preferred method.
11057 @item gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
11058 @vindex gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
11059 If non-@code{nil}, automatically mark @code{Gcc} articles as read.
11061 @item gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
11062 @vindex gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
11063 If @code{nil}, attach files as normal parts in Gcc copies; if a regexp
11064 and matches the Gcc group name, attach files as external parts; if it is
11065 @code{all}, attach local files as external parts; if it is other
11066 non-@code{nil}, the behavior is the same as @code{all}, but it may be
11067 changed in the future.
11072 @node Posting Styles
11073 @section Posting Styles
11074 @cindex posting styles
11077 All them variables, they make my head swim.
11079 So what if you want a different @code{Organization} and signature based
11080 on what groups you post to? And you post both from your home machine
11081 and your work machine, and you want different @code{From} lines, and so
11084 @vindex gnus-posting-styles
11085 One way to do stuff like that is to write clever hooks that change the
11086 variables you need to have changed. That's a bit boring, so somebody
11087 came up with the bright idea of letting the user specify these things in
11088 a handy alist. Here's an example of a @code{gnus-posting-styles}
11093 (signature "Peace and happiness")
11094 (organization "What me?"))
11096 (signature "Death to everybody"))
11097 ("comp.emacs.i-love-it"
11098 (organization "Emacs is it")))
11101 As you might surmise from this example, this alist consists of several
11102 @dfn{styles}. Each style will be applicable if the first element
11103 ``matches'', in some form or other. The entire alist will be iterated
11104 over, from the beginning towards the end, and each match will be
11105 applied, which means that attributes in later styles that match override
11106 the same attributes in earlier matching styles. So
11107 @samp{comp.programming.literate} will have the @samp{Death to everybody}
11108 signature and the @samp{What me?} @code{Organization} header.
11110 The first element in each style is called the @code{match}. If it's a
11111 string, then Gnus will try to regexp match it against the group name.
11112 If it is the form @code{(header MATCH REGEXP)}, then Gnus will look in
11113 the original article for a header whose name is MATCH and compare that
11114 REGEXP. MATCH and REGEXP are strings. If it's a function symbol, that
11115 function will be called with no arguments. If it's a variable symbol,
11116 then the variable will be referenced. If it's a list, then that list
11117 will be @code{eval}ed. In any case, if this returns a non-@code{nil}
11118 value, then the style is said to @dfn{match}.
11120 Each style may contain an arbitrary amount of @dfn{attributes}. Each
11121 attribute consists of a @code{(@var{name} @var{value})} pair. The
11122 attribute name can be one of @code{signature}, @code{signature-file},
11123 @code{x-face-file}, @code{address} (overriding
11124 @code{user-mail-address}), @code{name} (overriding
11125 @code{(user-full-name)}) or @code{body}. The attribute name can also
11126 be a string or a symbol. In that case, this will be used as a header
11127 name, and the value will be inserted in the headers of the article; if
11128 the value is @code{nil}, the header name will be removed. If the
11129 attribute name is @code{eval}, the form is evaluated, and the result
11132 The attribute value can be a string (used verbatim), a function with
11133 zero arguments (the return value will be used), a variable (its value
11134 will be used) or a list (it will be @code{eval}ed and the return value
11135 will be used). The functions and sexps are called/@code{eval}ed in the
11136 message buffer that is being set up. The headers of the current article
11137 are available through the @code{message-reply-headers} variable, which
11138 is a vector of the following headers: number subject from date id
11139 references chars lines xref extra.
11141 @vindex message-reply-headers
11143 If you wish to check whether the message you are about to compose is
11144 meant to be a news article or a mail message, you can check the values
11145 of the @code{message-news-p} and @code{message-mail-p} functions.
11147 @findex message-mail-p
11148 @findex message-news-p
11150 So here's a new example:
11153 (setq gnus-posting-styles
11155 (signature-file "~/.signature")
11157 ("X-Home-Page" (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
11158 (organization "People's Front Against MWM"))
11160 (signature my-funny-signature-randomizer))
11161 ((equal (system-name) "gnarly") ;; A form
11162 (signature my-quote-randomizer))
11163 (message-news-p ;; A function symbol
11164 (signature my-news-signature))
11165 (window-system ;; A value symbol
11166 ("X-Window-System" (format "%s" window-system)))
11167 ;; If I'm replying to Larsi, set the Organization header.
11168 ((header "from" "larsi.*org")
11169 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
11170 ((posting-from-work-p) ;; A user defined function
11171 (signature-file "~/.work-signature")
11172 (address "user@@bar.foo")
11173 (body "You are fired.\n\nSincerely, your boss.")
11174 (organization "Important Work, Inc"))
11176 (From (save-excursion
11177 (set-buffer gnus-article-buffer)
11178 (message-fetch-field "to"))))
11180 (signature-file "~/.mail-signature"))))
11183 The @samp{nnml:.*} rule means that you use the @code{To} address as the
11184 @code{From} address in all your outgoing replies, which might be handy
11185 if you fill many roles.
11192 If you are writing a message (mail or news) and suddenly remember that
11193 you have a steak in the oven (or some pesto in the food processor, you
11194 craaazy vegetarians), you'll probably wish there was a method to save
11195 the message you are writing so that you can continue editing it some
11196 other day, and send it when you feel its finished.
11198 Well, don't worry about it. Whenever you start composing a message of
11199 some sort using the Gnus mail and post commands, the buffer you get will
11200 automatically associate to an article in a special @dfn{draft} group.
11201 If you save the buffer the normal way (@kbd{C-x C-s}, for instance), the
11202 article will be saved there. (Auto-save files also go to the draft
11206 @vindex nndraft-directory
11207 The draft group is a special group (which is implemented as an
11208 @code{nndraft} group, if you absolutely have to know) called
11209 @samp{nndraft:drafts}. The variable @code{nndraft-directory} says where
11210 @code{nndraft} is to store its files. What makes this group special is
11211 that you can't tick any articles in it or mark any articles as
11212 read---all articles in the group are permanently unread.
11214 If the group doesn't exist, it will be created and you'll be subscribed
11215 to it. The only way to make it disappear from the Group buffer is to
11218 @c @findex gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft
11219 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Mail)
11220 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Post)
11221 @c @findex gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft
11222 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Mail)
11223 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Post)
11224 @c If you're writing some super-secret message that you later want to
11225 @c encode with PGP before sending, you may wish to turn the auto-saving
11226 @c (and association with the draft group) off. You never know who might be
11227 @c interested in reading all your extremely valuable and terribly horrible
11228 @c and interesting secrets. The @kbd{C-c M-d}
11229 @c (@code{gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft}) command does that for you.
11230 @c If you change your mind and want to turn the auto-saving back on again,
11231 @c @kbd{C-c C-d} (@code{gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft} does that.
11233 @c @vindex gnus-use-draft
11234 @c To leave association with the draft group off by default, set
11235 @c @code{gnus-use-draft} to @code{nil}. It is @code{t} by default.
11237 @findex gnus-draft-edit-message
11238 @kindex D e (Draft)
11239 When you want to continue editing the article, you simply enter the
11240 draft group and push @kbd{D e} (@code{gnus-draft-edit-message}) to do
11241 that. You will be placed in a buffer where you left off.
11243 Rejected articles will also be put in this draft group (@pxref{Rejected
11246 @findex gnus-draft-send-all-messages
11247 @findex gnus-draft-send-message
11248 If you have lots of rejected messages you want to post (or mail) without
11249 doing further editing, you can use the @kbd{D s} command
11250 (@code{gnus-draft-send-message}). This command understands the
11251 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). The @kbd{D S}
11252 command (@code{gnus-draft-send-all-messages}) will ship off all messages
11255 If you have some messages that you wish not to send, you can use the
11256 @kbd{D t} (@code{gnus-draft-toggle-sending}) command to mark the message
11257 as unsendable. This is a toggling command.
11260 @node Rejected Articles
11261 @section Rejected Articles
11262 @cindex rejected articles
11264 Sometimes a news server will reject an article. Perhaps the server
11265 doesn't like your face. Perhaps it just feels miserable. Perhaps
11266 @emph{there be demons}. Perhaps you have included too much cited text.
11267 Perhaps the disk is full. Perhaps the server is down.
11269 These situations are, of course, totally beyond the control of Gnus.
11270 (Gnus, of course, loves the way you look, always feels great, has angels
11271 fluttering around inside of it, doesn't care about how much cited text
11272 you include, never runs full and never goes down.) So Gnus saves these
11273 articles until some later time when the server feels better.
11275 The rejected articles will automatically be put in a special draft group
11276 (@pxref{Drafts}). When the server comes back up again, you'd then
11277 typically enter that group and send all the articles off.
11279 @node Signing and encrypting
11280 @section Signing and encrypting
11282 @cindex using s/mime
11283 @cindex using smime
11285 Gnus can digitally sign and encrypt your messages, using vanilla PGP
11286 format or @sc{pgp/mime} or @sc{s/mime}. For decoding such messages,
11287 see the @code{mm-verify-option} and @code{mm-decrypt-option} options
11288 (@pxref{Security}).
11290 For PGP, Gnus supports two external libraries, @sc{gpg.el} and
11291 @sc{Mailcrypt}, you need to install at least one of them. The
11292 @sc{s/mime} support in Gnus requires the external program OpenSSL.
11294 Often, you would like to sign replies to people who send you signed
11295 messages. Even more often, you might want to encrypt messages which
11296 are in reply to encrypted messages. Gnus offers
11297 @code{gnus-message-replysign} to enable the former, and
11298 @code{gnus-message-replyencrypt} for the latter. In addition, setting
11299 @code{gnus-message-replysignencrypted} (on by default) will sign
11300 automatically encrypted messages.
11302 Instructing MML to perform security operations on a @sc{mime} part is
11303 done using the @kbd{C-c C-m s} key map for signing and the @kbd{C-c
11304 C-m c} key map for encryption, as follows.
11309 @kindex C-c C-m s s
11310 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-smime
11312 Digitally sign current message using @sc{s/mime}.
11315 @kindex C-c C-m s o
11316 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
11318 Digitally sign current message using PGP.
11321 @kindex C-c C-m s p
11322 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
11324 Digitally sign current message using @sc{pgp/mime}.
11327 @kindex C-c C-m c s
11328 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-smime
11330 Digitally encrypt current message using @sc{s/mime}.
11333 @kindex C-c C-m c o
11334 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgp
11336 Digitally encrypt current message using PGP.
11339 @kindex C-c C-m c p
11340 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgpmime
11342 Digitally encrypt current message using @sc{pgp/mime}.
11345 @kindex C-c C-m C-n
11346 @findex mml-unsecure-message
11347 Remove security related MML tags from message.
11351 Also @xref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}.
11353 @node Select Methods
11354 @chapter Select Methods
11355 @cindex foreign groups
11356 @cindex select methods
11358 A @dfn{foreign group} is a group not read by the usual (or
11359 default) means. It could be, for instance, a group from a different
11360 @sc{nntp} server, it could be a virtual group, or it could be your own
11361 personal mail group.
11363 A foreign group (or any group, really) is specified by a @dfn{name} and
11364 a @dfn{select method}. To take the latter first, a select method is a
11365 list where the first element says what back end to use (e.g. @code{nntp},
11366 @code{nnspool}, @code{nnml}) and the second element is the @dfn{server
11367 name}. There may be additional elements in the select method, where the
11368 value may have special meaning for the back end in question.
11370 One could say that a select method defines a @dfn{virtual server}---so
11371 we do just that (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
11373 The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the back end will recognize the
11376 For instance, the group @samp{soc.motss} on the @sc{nntp} server
11377 @samp{some.where.edu} will have the name @samp{soc.motss} and select
11378 method @code{(nntp "some.where.edu")}. Gnus will call this group
11379 @samp{nntp+some.where.edu:soc.motss}, even though the @code{nntp}
11380 back end just knows this group as @samp{soc.motss}.
11382 The different methods all have their peculiarities, of course.
11385 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
11386 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
11387 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
11388 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
11389 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @sc{imap} client.
11390 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
11391 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
11392 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
11396 @node Server Buffer
11397 @section Server Buffer
11399 Traditionally, a @dfn{server} is a machine or a piece of software that
11400 one connects to, and then requests information from. Gnus does not
11401 connect directly to any real servers, but does all transactions through
11402 one back end or other. But that's just putting one layer more between
11403 the actual media and Gnus, so we might just as well say that each
11404 back end represents a virtual server.
11406 For instance, the @code{nntp} back end may be used to connect to several
11407 different actual @sc{nntp} servers, or, perhaps, to many different ports
11408 on the same actual @sc{nntp} server. You tell Gnus which back end to
11409 use, and what parameters to set by specifying a @dfn{select method}.
11411 These select method specifications can sometimes become quite
11412 complicated---say, for instance, that you want to read from the
11413 @sc{nntp} server @samp{news.funet.fi} on port number 13, which
11414 hangs if queried for @sc{nov} headers and has a buggy select. Ahem.
11415 Anyway, if you had to specify that for each group that used this
11416 server, that would be too much work, so Gnus offers a way of naming
11417 select methods, which is what you do in the server buffer.
11419 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
11420 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
11423 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
11424 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
11425 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
11426 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
11427 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
11428 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
11429 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
11432 @vindex gnus-server-mode-hook
11433 @code{gnus-server-mode-hook} is run when creating the server buffer.
11436 @node Server Buffer Format
11437 @subsection Server Buffer Format
11438 @cindex server buffer format
11440 @vindex gnus-server-line-format
11441 You can change the look of the server buffer lines by changing the
11442 @code{gnus-server-line-format} variable. This is a @code{format}-like
11443 variable, with some simple extensions:
11448 How the news is fetched---the back end name.
11451 The name of this server.
11454 Where the news is to be fetched from---the address.
11457 The opened/closed/denied status of the server.
11460 @vindex gnus-server-mode-line-format
11461 The mode line can also be customized by using the
11462 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format} variable (@pxref{Mode Line
11463 Formatting}). The following specs are understood:
11473 Also @pxref{Formatting Variables}.
11476 @node Server Commands
11477 @subsection Server Commands
11478 @cindex server commands
11484 @findex gnus-server-add-server
11485 Add a new server (@code{gnus-server-add-server}).
11489 @findex gnus-server-edit-server
11490 Edit a server (@code{gnus-server-edit-server}).
11493 @kindex SPACE (Server)
11494 @findex gnus-server-read-server
11495 Browse the current server (@code{gnus-server-read-server}).
11499 @findex gnus-server-exit
11500 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-server-exit}).
11504 @findex gnus-server-kill-server
11505 Kill the current server (@code{gnus-server-kill-server}).
11509 @findex gnus-server-yank-server
11510 Yank the previously killed server (@code{gnus-server-yank-server}).
11514 @findex gnus-server-copy-server
11515 Copy the current server (@code{gnus-server-copy-server}).
11519 @findex gnus-server-list-servers
11520 List all servers (@code{gnus-server-list-servers}).
11524 @findex gnus-server-scan-server
11525 Request that the server scan its sources for new articles
11526 (@code{gnus-server-scan-server}). This is mainly sensible with mail
11531 @findex gnus-server-regenerate-server
11532 Request that the server regenerate all its data structures
11533 (@code{gnus-server-regenerate-server}). This can be useful if you have
11534 a mail back end that has gotten out of sync.
11539 @node Example Methods
11540 @subsection Example Methods
11542 Most select methods are pretty simple and self-explanatory:
11545 (nntp "news.funet.fi")
11548 Reading directly from the spool is even simpler:
11554 As you can see, the first element in a select method is the name of the
11555 back end, and the second is the @dfn{address}, or @dfn{name}, if you
11558 After these two elements, there may be an arbitrary number of
11559 @code{(@var{variable} @var{form})} pairs.
11561 To go back to the first example---imagine that you want to read from
11562 port 15 on that machine. This is what the select method should
11566 (nntp "news.funet.fi" (nntp-port-number 15))
11569 You should read the documentation to each back end to find out what
11570 variables are relevant, but here's an @code{nnmh} example:
11572 @code{nnmh} is a mail back end that reads a spool-like structure. Say
11573 you have two structures that you wish to access: One is your private
11574 mail spool, and the other is a public one. Here's the possible spec for
11578 (nnmh "private" (nnmh-directory "~/private/mail/"))
11581 (This server is then called @samp{private}, but you may have guessed
11584 Here's the method for a public spool:
11588 (nnmh-directory "/usr/information/spool/")
11589 (nnmh-get-new-mail nil))
11595 If you are behind a firewall and only have access to the @sc{nntp}
11596 server from the firewall machine, you can instruct Gnus to @code{rlogin}
11597 on the firewall machine and telnet from there to the @sc{nntp} server.
11598 Doing this can be rather fiddly, but your virtual server definition
11599 should probably look something like this:
11603 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet)
11604 (nntp-via-address "the.firewall.machine")
11605 (nntp-address "the.real.nntp.host")
11606 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
11609 If you want to use the wonderful @code{ssh} program to provide a
11610 compressed connection over the modem line, you could add the following
11611 configuration to the example above:
11614 (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
11617 See also @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches}.
11619 If you're behind a firewall, but have direct access to the outside world
11620 through a wrapper command like "runsocks", you could open a socksified
11621 telnet connection to the news server as follows:
11625 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
11626 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-telnet)
11627 (nntp-address "the.news.server")
11628 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
11631 This means that you have to have set up @code{ssh-agent} correctly to
11632 provide automatic authorization, of course. And to get a compressed
11633 connection, you have to have the @samp{Compression} option in the
11634 @code{ssh} @file{config} file.
11637 @node Creating a Virtual Server
11638 @subsection Creating a Virtual Server
11640 If you're saving lots of articles in the cache by using persistent
11641 articles, you may want to create a virtual server to read the cache.
11643 First you need to add a new server. The @kbd{a} command does that. It
11644 would probably be best to use @code{nnspool} to read the cache. You
11645 could also use @code{nnml} or @code{nnmh}, though.
11647 Type @kbd{a nnspool RET cache RET}.
11649 You should now have a brand new @code{nnspool} virtual server called
11650 @samp{cache}. You now need to edit it to have the right definitions.
11651 Type @kbd{e} to edit the server. You'll be entered into a buffer that
11652 will contain the following:
11662 (nnspool-spool-directory "~/News/cache/")
11663 (nnspool-nov-directory "~/News/cache/")
11664 (nnspool-active-file "~/News/cache/active"))
11667 Type @kbd{C-c C-c} to return to the server buffer. If you now press
11668 @kbd{RET} over this virtual server, you should be entered into a browse
11669 buffer, and you should be able to enter any of the groups displayed.
11672 @node Server Variables
11673 @subsection Server Variables
11675 One sticky point when defining variables (both on back ends and in Emacs
11676 in general) is that some variables are typically initialized from other
11677 variables when the definition of the variables is being loaded. If you
11678 change the "base" variable after the variables have been loaded, you
11679 won't change the "derived" variables.
11681 This typically affects directory and file variables. For instance,
11682 @code{nnml-directory} is @file{~/Mail/} by default, and all @code{nnml}
11683 directory variables are initialized from that variable, so
11684 @code{nnml-active-file} will be @file{~/Mail/active}. If you define a
11685 new virtual @code{nnml} server, it will @emph{not} suffice to set just
11686 @code{nnml-directory}---you have to explicitly set all the file
11687 variables to be what you want them to be. For a complete list of
11688 variables for each back end, see each back end's section later in this
11689 manual, but here's an example @code{nnml} definition:
11693 (nnml-directory "~/my-mail/")
11694 (nnml-active-file "~/my-mail/active")
11695 (nnml-newsgroups-file "~/my-mail/newsgroups"))
11699 @node Servers and Methods
11700 @subsection Servers and Methods
11702 Wherever you would normally use a select method
11703 (e.g. @code{gnus-secondary-select-method}, in the group select method,
11704 when browsing a foreign server) you can use a virtual server name
11705 instead. This could potentially save lots of typing. And it's nice all
11709 @node Unavailable Servers
11710 @subsection Unavailable Servers
11712 If a server seems to be unreachable, Gnus will mark that server as
11713 @code{denied}. That means that any subsequent attempt to make contact
11714 with that server will just be ignored. ``It can't be opened,'' Gnus
11715 will tell you, without making the least effort to see whether that is
11716 actually the case or not.
11718 That might seem quite naughty, but it does make sense most of the time.
11719 Let's say you have 10 groups subscribed to on server
11720 @samp{nephelococcygia.com}. This server is located somewhere quite far
11721 away from you and the machine is quite slow, so it takes 1 minute just
11722 to find out that it refuses connection to you today. If Gnus were to
11723 attempt to do that 10 times, you'd be quite annoyed, so Gnus won't
11724 attempt to do that. Once it has gotten a single ``connection refused'',
11725 it will regard that server as ``down''.
11727 So, what happens if the machine was only feeling unwell temporarily?
11728 How do you test to see whether the machine has come up again?
11730 You jump to the server buffer (@pxref{Server Buffer}) and poke it
11731 with the following commands:
11737 @findex gnus-server-open-server
11738 Try to establish connection to the server on the current line
11739 (@code{gnus-server-open-server}).
11743 @findex gnus-server-close-server
11744 Close the connection (if any) to the server
11745 (@code{gnus-server-close-server}).
11749 @findex gnus-server-deny-server
11750 Mark the current server as unreachable
11751 (@code{gnus-server-deny-server}).
11754 @kindex M-o (Server)
11755 @findex gnus-server-open-all-servers
11756 Open the connections to all servers in the buffer
11757 (@code{gnus-server-open-all-servers}).
11760 @kindex M-c (Server)
11761 @findex gnus-server-close-all-servers
11762 Close the connections to all servers in the buffer
11763 (@code{gnus-server-close-all-servers}).
11767 @findex gnus-server-remove-denials
11768 Remove all marks to whether Gnus was denied connection from any servers
11769 (@code{gnus-server-remove-denials}).
11773 @findex gnus-server-offline-server
11774 Set server status to offline (@code{gnus-server-offline-server}).
11780 @section Getting News
11781 @cindex reading news
11782 @cindex news back ends
11784 A newsreader is normally used for reading news. Gnus currently provides
11785 only two methods of getting news---it can read from an @sc{nntp} server,
11786 or it can read from a local spool.
11789 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
11790 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
11798 Subscribing to a foreign group from an @sc{nntp} server is rather easy.
11799 You just specify @code{nntp} as method and the address of the @sc{nntp}
11800 server as the, uhm, address.
11802 If the @sc{nntp} server is located at a non-standard port, setting the
11803 third element of the select method to this port number should allow you
11804 to connect to the right port. You'll have to edit the group info for
11805 that (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
11807 The name of the foreign group can be the same as a native group. In
11808 fact, you can subscribe to the same group from as many different servers
11809 you feel like. There will be no name collisions.
11811 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nntp}
11816 @item nntp-server-opened-hook
11817 @vindex nntp-server-opened-hook
11818 @cindex @sc{mode reader}
11820 @cindex authentification
11821 @cindex nntp authentification
11822 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
11823 @findex nntp-send-mode-reader
11824 is run after a connection has been made. It can be used to send
11825 commands to the @sc{nntp} server after it has been contacted. By
11826 default it sends the command @code{MODE READER} to the server with the
11827 @code{nntp-send-mode-reader} function. This function should always be
11828 present in this hook.
11830 @item nntp-authinfo-function
11831 @vindex nntp-authinfo-function
11832 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
11833 @vindex nntp-authinfo-file
11834 This function will be used to send @samp{AUTHINFO} to the @sc{nntp}
11835 server. The default function is @code{nntp-send-authinfo}, which looks
11836 through your @file{~/.authinfo} (or whatever you've set the
11837 @code{nntp-authinfo-file} variable to) for applicable entries. If none
11838 are found, it will prompt you for a login name and a password. The
11839 format of the @file{~/.authinfo} file is (almost) the same as the
11840 @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file, which is defined in the @code{ftp}
11841 manual page, but here are the salient facts:
11845 The file contains one or more line, each of which define one server.
11848 Each line may contain an arbitrary number of token/value pairs.
11850 The valid tokens include @samp{machine}, @samp{login}, @samp{password},
11851 @samp{default}. In addition Gnus introduces two new tokens, not present
11852 in the original @file{.netrc}/@code{ftp} syntax, namely @samp{port} and
11853 @samp{force}. (This is the only way the @file{.authinfo} file format
11854 deviates from the @file{.netrc} file format.) @samp{port} is used to
11855 indicate what port on the server the credentials apply to and
11856 @samp{force} is explained below.
11860 Here's an example file:
11863 machine news.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis
11864 machine nntp.ifi.uio.no login larsi force yes
11867 The token/value pairs may appear in any order; @samp{machine} doesn't
11868 have to be first, for instance.
11870 In this example, both login name and password have been supplied for the
11871 former server, while the latter has only the login name listed, and the
11872 user will be prompted for the password. The latter also has the
11873 @samp{force} tag, which means that the authinfo will be sent to the
11874 @var{nntp} server upon connection; the default (i.e., when there is not
11875 @samp{force} tag) is to not send authinfo to the @var{nntp} server
11876 until the @var{nntp} server asks for it.
11878 You can also add @samp{default} lines that will apply to all servers
11879 that don't have matching @samp{machine} lines.
11885 This will force sending @samp{AUTHINFO} commands to all servers not
11886 previously mentioned.
11888 Remember to not leave the @file{~/.authinfo} file world-readable.
11890 @item nntp-server-action-alist
11891 @vindex nntp-server-action-alist
11892 This is a list of regexps to match on server types and actions to be
11893 taken when matches are made. For instance, if you want Gnus to beep
11894 every time you connect to innd, you could say something like:
11897 (setq nntp-server-action-alist
11898 '(("innd" (ding))))
11901 You probably don't want to do that, though.
11903 The default value is
11906 '(("nntpd 1\\.5\\.11t"
11907 (remove-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook
11908 'nntp-send-mode-reader)))
11911 This ensures that Gnus doesn't send the @code{MODE READER} command to
11912 nntpd 1.5.11t, since that command chokes that server, I've been told.
11914 @item nntp-maximum-request
11915 @vindex nntp-maximum-request
11916 If the @sc{nntp} server doesn't support @sc{nov} headers, this back end
11917 will collect headers by sending a series of @code{head} commands. To
11918 speed things up, the back end sends lots of these commands without
11919 waiting for reply, and then reads all the replies. This is controlled
11920 by the @code{nntp-maximum-request} variable, and is 400 by default. If
11921 your network is buggy, you should set this to 1.
11923 @item nntp-connection-timeout
11924 @vindex nntp-connection-timeout
11925 If you have lots of foreign @code{nntp} groups that you connect to
11926 regularly, you're sure to have problems with @sc{nntp} servers not
11927 responding properly, or being too loaded to reply within reasonable
11928 time. This is can lead to awkward problems, which can be helped
11929 somewhat by setting @code{nntp-connection-timeout}. This is an integer
11930 that says how many seconds the @code{nntp} back end should wait for a
11931 connection before giving up. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default,
11932 no timeouts are done.
11934 @c @item nntp-command-timeout
11935 @c @vindex nntp-command-timeout
11936 @c @cindex PPP connections
11937 @c @cindex dynamic IP addresses
11938 @c If you're running Gnus on a machine that has a dynamically assigned
11939 @c address, Gnus may become confused. If the address of your machine
11940 @c changes after connecting to the @sc{nntp} server, Gnus will simply sit
11941 @c waiting forever for replies from the server. To help with this
11942 @c unfortunate problem, you can set this command to a number. Gnus will
11943 @c then, if it sits waiting for a reply from the server longer than that
11944 @c number of seconds, shut down the connection, start a new one, and resend
11945 @c the command. This should hopefully be transparent to the user. A
11946 @c likely number is 30 seconds.
11948 @c @item nntp-retry-on-break
11949 @c @vindex nntp-retry-on-break
11950 @c If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you can also @kbd{C-g} if Gnus
11951 @c hangs. This will have much the same effect as the command timeout
11952 @c described above.
11954 @item nntp-server-hook
11955 @vindex nntp-server-hook
11956 This hook is run as the last step when connecting to an @sc{nntp}
11959 @item nntp-buggy-select
11960 @vindex nntp-buggy-select
11961 Set this to non-@code{nil} if your select routine is buggy.
11963 @item nntp-nov-is-evil
11964 @vindex nntp-nov-is-evil
11965 If the @sc{nntp} server does not support @sc{nov}, you could set this
11966 variable to @code{t}, but @code{nntp} usually checks automatically whether @sc{nov}
11969 @item nntp-xover-commands
11970 @vindex nntp-xover-commands
11973 List of strings used as commands to fetch @sc{nov} lines from a
11974 server. The default value of this variable is @code{("XOVER"
11978 @vindex nntp-nov-gap
11979 @code{nntp} normally sends just one big request for @sc{nov} lines to
11980 the server. The server responds with one huge list of lines. However,
11981 if you have read articles 2-5000 in the group, and only want to read
11982 article 1 and 5001, that means that @code{nntp} will fetch 4999 @sc{nov}
11983 lines that you will not need. This variable says how
11984 big a gap between two consecutive articles is allowed to be before the
11985 @code{XOVER} request is split into several request. Note that if your
11986 network is fast, setting this variable to a really small number means
11987 that fetching will probably be slower. If this variable is @code{nil},
11988 @code{nntp} will never split requests. The default is 5.
11990 @item nntp-prepare-server-hook
11991 @vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
11992 A hook run before attempting to connect to an @sc{nntp} server.
11994 @item nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
11995 @vindex nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
11996 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, some noise will be made when a
11997 server closes connection.
11999 @item nntp-record-commands
12000 @vindex nntp-record-commands
12001 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nntp} will log all commands it sends to the
12002 @sc{nntp} server (along with a timestamp) in the @samp{*nntp-log*}
12003 buffer. This is useful if you are debugging a Gnus/@sc{nntp} connection
12004 that doesn't seem to work.
12006 @item nntp-open-connection-function
12007 @vindex nntp-open-connection-function
12008 It is possible to customize how the connection to the nntp server will
12009 be opened. If you specify an @code{nntp-open-connection-function}
12010 parameter, Gnus will use that function to establish the connection.
12011 Five pre-made functions are supplied. These functions can be grouped in
12012 two categories: direct connection functions (three pre-made), and
12013 indirect ones (two pre-made).
12015 @item nntp-prepare-post-hook
12016 @vindex nntp-prepare-post-hook
12017 A hook run just before posting an article. If there is no
12018 @code{Message-ID} header in the article and the news server provides the
12019 recommended ID, it will be added to the article before running this
12020 hook. It is useful to make @code{Cancel-Lock} headers even if you
12021 inhibit Gnus to add a @code{Message-ID} header, you could say:
12024 (add-hook 'nntp-prepare-post-hook 'canlock-insert-header)
12027 Note that not all servers support the recommended ID. This works for
12028 INN versions 2.3.0 and later, for instance.
12032 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
12033 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
12034 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
12038 @node Direct Functions
12039 @subsubsection Direct Functions
12040 @cindex direct connection functions
12042 These functions are called direct because they open a direct connection
12043 between your machine and the @sc{nntp} server. The behavior of these
12044 functions is also affected by commonly understood variables
12045 (@pxref{Common Variables}).
12048 @findex nntp-open-network-stream
12049 @item nntp-open-network-stream
12050 This is the default, and simply connects to some port or other on the
12053 @findex nntp-open-ssl-stream
12054 @item nntp-open-ssl-stream
12055 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use
12056 this you must have OpenSSL (@uref{http://www.openssl.org}) or SSLeay
12057 installed (@uref{ftp://ftp.psy.uq.oz.au/pub/Crypto/SSL}, and you also
12058 need @file{ssl.el} (from the W3 distribution, for instance). You then
12059 define a server as follows:
12062 ;; Type `C-c C-c' after you've finished editing.
12064 ;; "snews" is port 563 and is predefined in our /etc/services
12066 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
12067 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-ssl-stream)
12068 (nntp-port-number "snews")
12069 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
12072 @findex nntp-open-telnet-stream
12073 @item nntp-open-telnet-stream
12074 Opens a connection to an @sc{nntp} server by simply @samp{telnet}'ing
12075 it. You might wonder why this function exists, since we have the
12076 default @code{nntp-open-network-stream} which would do the job. (One
12077 of) the reason(s) is that if you are behind a firewall but have direct
12078 connections to the outside world thanks to a command wrapper like
12079 @code{runsocks}, you can use it like this:
12083 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
12084 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-telnet-stream)
12085 (nntp-address "the.news.server"))
12088 With the default method, you would need to wrap your whole Emacs
12089 session, which is not a good idea.
12093 @node Indirect Functions
12094 @subsubsection Indirect Functions
12095 @cindex indirect connection functions
12097 These functions are called indirect because they connect to an
12098 intermediate host before actually connecting to the @sc{nntp} server.
12099 All of these functions and related variables are also said to belong to
12100 the "via" family of connection: they're all prefixed with "via" to make
12101 things cleaner. The behavior of these functions is also affected by
12102 commonly understood variables (@pxref{Common Variables}).
12105 @item nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
12106 @findex nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
12107 Does an @samp{rlogin} on a remote system, and then does a @samp{telnet}
12108 to the real @sc{nntp} server from there. This is useful for instance if
12109 you need to connect to a firewall machine first.
12111 @code{nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet}-specific variables:
12114 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command
12115 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command
12116 Command used to log in on the intermediate host. The default is
12117 @samp{rsh}, but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
12119 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
12120 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
12121 List of strings to be used as the switches to
12122 @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}. The default is @code{nil}. If you use
12123 @samp{ssh} for `nntp-via-rlogin-command', you may set this to
12124 @samp{("-C")} in order to compress all data connections, otherwise set
12125 this to @samp{("-t")} or @samp{("-C" "-t")} if the telnet command
12126 requires a pseudo-tty allocation on an intermediate host.
12129 @item nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
12130 @findex nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
12131 Does essentially the same, but uses @samp{telnet} instead of
12132 @samp{rlogin} to connect to the intermediate host.
12134 @code{nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet}-specific variables:
12137 @item nntp-via-telnet-command
12138 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-command
12139 Command used to @code{telnet} the intermediate host. The default is
12142 @item nntp-via-telnet-switches
12143 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-switches
12144 List of strings to be used as the switches to the
12145 @code{nntp-via-telnet-command} command. The default is @samp{("-8")}.
12147 @item nntp-via-user-password
12148 @vindex nntp-via-user-password
12149 Password to use when logging in on the intermediate host.
12151 @item nntp-via-envuser
12152 @vindex nntp-via-envuser
12153 If non-@code{nil}, the intermediate @code{telnet} session (client and
12154 server both) will support the @code{ENVIRON} option and not prompt for
12155 login name. This works for Solaris @code{telnet}, for instance.
12157 @item nntp-via-shell-prompt
12158 @vindex nntp-via-shell-prompt
12159 Regexp matching the shell prompt on the intermediate host. The default
12160 is @samp{bash\\|\$ *\r?$\\|> *\r?}.
12167 Here are some additional variables that are understood by all the above
12172 @item nntp-via-user-name
12173 @vindex nntp-via-user-name
12174 User name to use when connecting to the intermediate host.
12176 @item nntp-via-address
12177 @vindex nntp-via-address
12178 Address of the intermediate host to connect to.
12183 @node Common Variables
12184 @subsubsection Common Variables
12186 The following variables affect the behavior of all, or several of the
12187 pre-made connection functions. When not specified, all functions are
12192 @item nntp-pre-command
12193 @vindex nntp-pre-command
12194 A command wrapper to use when connecting through a non native connection
12195 function (all except @code{nntp-open-network-stream} and
12196 @code{nntp-open-ssl-stream}. This is where you would put a @samp{SOCKS}
12197 wrapper for instance.
12200 @vindex nntp-address
12201 The address of the @sc{nntp} server.
12203 @item nntp-port-number
12204 @vindex nntp-port-number
12205 Port number to connect to the @sc{nntp} server. The default is @samp{nntp}.
12207 @item nntp-end-of-line
12208 @vindex nntp-end-of-line
12209 String to use as end-of-line marker when talking to the @sc{nntp}
12210 server. This is @samp{\r\n} by default, but should be @samp{\n} when
12211 using a non native connection function.
12213 @item nntp-telnet-command
12214 @vindex nntp-telnet-command
12215 Command to use when connecting to the @sc{nntp} server through
12216 @samp{telnet}. This is NOT for an intermediate host. This is just for
12217 the real @sc{nntp} server. The default is @samp{telnet}.
12219 @item nntp-telnet-switches
12220 @vindex nntp-telnet-switches
12221 A list of switches to pass to @code{nntp-telnet-command}. The default
12228 @subsection News Spool
12232 Subscribing to a foreign group from the local spool is extremely easy,
12233 and might be useful, for instance, to speed up reading groups that
12234 contain very big articles---@samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}, for
12237 Anyway, you just specify @code{nnspool} as the method and @code{""} (or
12238 anything else) as the address.
12240 If you have access to a local spool, you should probably use that as the
12241 native select method (@pxref{Finding the News}). It is normally faster
12242 than using an @code{nntp} select method, but might not be. It depends.
12243 You just have to try to find out what's best at your site.
12247 @item nnspool-inews-program
12248 @vindex nnspool-inews-program
12249 Program used to post an article.
12251 @item nnspool-inews-switches
12252 @vindex nnspool-inews-switches
12253 Parameters given to the inews program when posting an article.
12255 @item nnspool-spool-directory
12256 @vindex nnspool-spool-directory
12257 Where @code{nnspool} looks for the articles. This is normally
12258 @file{/usr/spool/news/}.
12260 @item nnspool-nov-directory
12261 @vindex nnspool-nov-directory
12262 Where @code{nnspool} will look for @sc{nov} files. This is normally
12263 @file{/usr/spool/news/over.view/}.
12265 @item nnspool-lib-dir
12266 @vindex nnspool-lib-dir
12267 Where the news lib dir is (@file{/usr/lib/news/} by default).
12269 @item nnspool-active-file
12270 @vindex nnspool-active-file
12271 The path to the active file.
12273 @item nnspool-newsgroups-file
12274 @vindex nnspool-newsgroups-file
12275 The path to the group descriptions file.
12277 @item nnspool-history-file
12278 @vindex nnspool-history-file
12279 The path to the news history file.
12281 @item nnspool-active-times-file
12282 @vindex nnspool-active-times-file
12283 The path to the active date file.
12285 @item nnspool-nov-is-evil
12286 @vindex nnspool-nov-is-evil
12287 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnspool} won't try to use any @sc{nov} files
12290 @item nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
12291 @vindex nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
12293 If non-@code{nil}, which is the default, use @code{sed} to get the
12294 relevant portion from the overview file. If nil, @code{nnspool} will
12295 load the entire file into a buffer and process it there.
12301 @section Getting Mail
12302 @cindex reading mail
12305 Reading mail with a newsreader---isn't that just plain WeIrD? But of
12309 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
12310 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
12311 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
12312 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
12313 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
12314 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
12315 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
12316 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
12317 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
12318 * Washing Mail:: Removing gruft from the mail you get.
12319 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
12320 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
12321 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
12325 @node Mail in a Newsreader
12326 @subsection Mail in a Newsreader
12328 If you are used to traditional mail readers, but have decided to switch
12329 to reading mail with Gnus, you may find yourself experiencing something
12330 of a culture shock.
12332 Gnus does not behave like traditional mail readers. If you want to make
12333 it behave that way, you can, but it's an uphill battle.
12335 Gnus, by default, handles all its groups using the same approach. This
12336 approach is very newsreaderly---you enter a group, see the new/unread
12337 messages, and when you read the messages, they get marked as read, and
12338 you don't see them any more. (Unless you explicitly ask for them.)
12340 In particular, you do not do anything explicitly to delete messages.
12342 Does this mean that all the messages that have been marked as read are
12343 deleted? How awful!
12345 But, no, it means that old messages are @dfn{expired} according to some
12346 scheme or other. For news messages, the expire process is controlled by
12347 the news administrator; for mail, the expire process is controlled by
12348 you. The expire process for mail is covered in depth in @pxref{Expiring
12351 What many Gnus users find, after using it a while for both news and
12352 mail, is that the transport mechanism has very little to do with how
12353 they want to treat a message.
12355 Many people subscribe to several mailing lists. These are transported
12356 via @sc{smtp}, and are therefore mail. But we might go for weeks without
12357 answering, or even reading these messages very carefully. We may not
12358 need to save them because if we should need to read one again, they are
12359 archived somewhere else.
12361 Some people have local news groups which have only a handful of readers.
12362 These are transported via @sc{nntp}, and are therefore news. But we may need
12363 to read and answer a large fraction of the messages very carefully in
12364 order to do our work. And there may not be an archive, so we may need
12365 to save the interesting messages the same way we would personal mail.
12367 The important distinction turns out to be not the transport mechanism,
12368 but other factors such as how interested we are in the subject matter,
12369 or how easy it is to retrieve the message if we need to read it again.
12371 Gnus provides many options for sorting mail into ``groups'' which behave
12372 like newsgroups, and for treating each group (whether mail or news)
12375 Some users never get comfortable using the Gnus (ahem) paradigm and wish
12376 that Gnus should grow up and be a male, er, mail reader. It is possible
12377 to whip Gnus into a more mailreaderly being, but, as said before, it's
12378 not easy. People who prefer proper mail readers should try @sc{vm}
12379 instead, which is an excellent, and proper, mail reader.
12381 I don't mean to scare anybody off, but I want to make it clear that you
12382 may be required to learn a new way of thinking about messages. After
12383 you've been subjected to The Gnus Way, you will come to love it. I can
12384 guarantee it. (At least the guy who sold me the Emacs Subliminal
12385 Brain-Washing Functions that I've put into Gnus did guarantee it. You
12386 Will Be Assimilated. You Love Gnus. You Love The Gnus Mail Way.
12390 @node Getting Started Reading Mail
12391 @subsection Getting Started Reading Mail
12393 It's quite easy to use Gnus to read your new mail. You just plonk the
12394 mail back end of your choice into @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods},
12395 and things will happen automatically.
12397 For instance, if you want to use @code{nnml} (which is a "one file per
12398 mail" back end), you could put the following in your @file{.gnus} file:
12401 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
12404 Now, the next time you start Gnus, this back end will be queried for new
12405 articles, and it will move all the messages in your spool file to its
12406 directory, which is @code{~/Mail/} by default. The new group that will
12407 be created (@samp{mail.misc}) will be subscribed, and you can read it
12408 like any other group.
12410 You will probably want to split the mail into several groups, though:
12413 (setq nnmail-split-methods
12414 '(("junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
12415 ("crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
12419 This will result in three new @code{nnml} mail groups being created:
12420 @samp{nnml:junk}, @samp{nnml:crazy}, and @samp{nnml:other}. All the
12421 mail that doesn't fit into the first two groups will be placed in the
12424 This should be sufficient for reading mail with Gnus. You might want to
12425 give the other sections in this part of the manual a perusal, though.
12426 Especially @pxref{Choosing a Mail Back End} and @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
12429 @node Splitting Mail
12430 @subsection Splitting Mail
12431 @cindex splitting mail
12432 @cindex mail splitting
12434 @vindex nnmail-split-methods
12435 The @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable says how the incoming mail is
12436 to be split into groups.
12439 (setq nnmail-split-methods
12440 '(("mail.junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
12441 ("mail.crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
12442 ("mail.other" "")))
12445 This variable is a list of lists, where the first element of each of
12446 these lists is the name of the mail group (they do not have to be called
12447 something beginning with @samp{mail}, by the way), and the second
12448 element is a regular expression used on the header of each mail to
12449 determine if it belongs in this mail group. The first string may
12450 contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by @code{replace-match} to
12451 insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For instance:
12454 ("list.\\1" "From:.* \\(.*\\)-list@@majordomo.com")
12457 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
12458 called narrowed to the headers with the first element of the rule as the
12459 argument. It should return a non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the
12460 mail belongs in that group.
12462 The last of these groups should always be a general one, and the regular
12463 expression should @emph{always} be @samp{} so that it matches any mails
12464 that haven't been matched by any of the other regexps. (These rules are
12465 processed from the beginning of the alist toward the end. The first
12466 rule to make a match will "win", unless you have crossposting enabled.
12467 In that case, all matching rules will "win".)
12469 If you like to tinker with this yourself, you can set this variable to a
12470 function of your choice. This function will be called without any
12471 arguments in a buffer narrowed to the headers of an incoming mail
12472 message. The function should return a list of group names that it
12473 thinks should carry this mail message.
12475 Note that the mail back ends are free to maul the poor, innocent,
12476 incoming headers all they want to. They all add @code{Lines} headers;
12477 some add @code{X-Gnus-Group} headers; most rename the Unix mbox
12478 @code{From<SPACE>} line to something else.
12480 @vindex nnmail-crosspost
12481 The mail back ends all support cross-posting. If several regexps match,
12482 the mail will be ``cross-posted'' to all those groups.
12483 @code{nnmail-crosspost} says whether to use this mechanism or not. Note
12484 that no articles are crossposted to the general (@samp{}) group.
12486 @vindex nnmail-crosspost-link-function
12489 @code{nnmh} and @code{nnml} makes crossposts by creating hard links to
12490 the crossposted articles. However, not all file systems support hard
12491 links. If that's the case for you, set
12492 @code{nnmail-crosspost-link-function} to @code{copy-file}. (This
12493 variable is @code{add-name-to-file} by default.)
12495 @kindex M-x nnmail-split-history
12496 @kindex nnmail-split-history
12497 If you wish to see where the previous mail split put the messages, you
12498 can use the @kbd{M-x nnmail-split-history} command. If you wish to see
12499 where re-spooling messages would put the messages, you can use
12500 @code{gnus-summary-respool-trace} and related commands (@pxref{Mail
12503 @vindex nnmail-split-header-length-limit
12504 Header lines longer than the value of
12505 @code{nnmail-split-header-length-limit} are excluded from the split
12508 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-charset
12509 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes
12510 By default the splitting codes MIME decodes headers so you can match
12511 on non-ASCII strings. The @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-charset}
12512 variable specifies the default charset for decoding. The behaviour
12513 can be turned off completely by binding
12514 @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes} to nil, which is useful if you
12515 want to match articles based on the raw header data.
12517 Gnus gives you all the opportunity you could possibly want for shooting
12518 yourself in the foot. Let's say you create a group that will contain
12519 all the mail you get from your boss. And then you accidentally
12520 unsubscribe from the group. Gnus will still put all the mail from your
12521 boss in the unsubscribed group, and so, when your boss mails you ``Have
12522 that report ready by Monday or you're fired!'', you'll never see it and,
12523 come Tuesday, you'll still believe that you're gainfully employed while
12524 you really should be out collecting empty bottles to save up for next
12525 month's rent money.
12529 @subsection Mail Sources
12531 Mail can be gotten from many different sources---the mail spool, from a
12532 POP mail server, from a procmail directory, or from a maildir, for
12536 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
12537 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
12538 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
12542 @node Mail Source Specifiers
12543 @subsubsection Mail Source Specifiers
12545 @cindex mail server
12548 @cindex mail source
12550 You tell Gnus how to fetch mail by setting @code{mail-sources}
12551 (@pxref{Fetching Mail}) to a @dfn{mail source specifier}.
12556 (pop :server "pop3.mailserver.com" :user "myname")
12559 As can be observed, a mail source specifier is a list where the first
12560 element is a @dfn{mail source type}, followed by an arbitrary number of
12561 @dfn{keywords}. Keywords that are not explicitly specified are given
12564 The following mail source types are available:
12568 Get mail from a single file; typically from the mail spool.
12574 The path of the file. Defaults to the value of the @code{MAIL}
12575 environment variable or the value of @code{rmail-spool-directory}
12576 (usually something like @file{/usr/mail/spool/user-name}).
12579 An example file mail source:
12582 (file :path "/usr/spool/mail/user-name")
12585 Or using the default path:
12591 If the mail spool file is not located on the local machine, it's best to
12592 use POP or @sc{imap} or the like to fetch the mail. You can not use ange-ftp
12593 file names here---it has no way to lock the mail spool while moving the
12596 If it's impossible to set up a proper server, you can use ssh instead.
12600 '((file :prescript "ssh host bin/getmail >%t")))
12603 The @samp{getmail} script would look something like the following:
12607 # getmail - move mail from spool to stdout
12610 MOVEMAIL=/usr/lib/emacs/20.3/i386-redhat-linux/movemail
12612 rm -f $TMP; $MOVEMAIL $MAIL $TMP >/dev/null && cat $TMP
12615 Alter this script to fit find the @samp{movemail} you want to use.
12619 Get mail from several files in a directory. This is typically used
12620 when you have procmail split the incoming mail into several files.
12621 That is, mail from the file @file{foo.bar.spool} will be put in the
12622 group @code{foo.bar}. (You can change the suffix to be used instead
12623 of @code{.spool}.) Setting
12624 @code{nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once} to non-nil forces Gnus
12625 to scan the mail source only once. This is particularly useful if you
12626 want to scan mail groups at a specified level.
12628 There is also the variable @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming}, if you set
12629 that to a non-nil value, then the normal splitting process is applied
12630 to all the files from the directory.
12636 The path of the directory where the files are. There is no default
12640 Only files ending with this suffix are used. The default is
12644 Only files that have this predicate return non-@code{nil} are returned.
12645 The default is @code{identity}. This is used as an additional
12646 filter---only files that have the right suffix @emph{and} satisfy this
12647 predicate are considered.
12651 Script run before/after fetching mail.
12655 An example directory mail source:
12658 (directory :path "/home/user-name/procmail-dir/"
12663 Get mail from a POP server.
12669 The name of the POP server. The default is taken from the
12670 @code{MAILHOST} environment variable.
12673 The port number of the POP server. This can be a number (eg,
12674 @samp{:port 1234}) or a string (eg, @samp{:port "pop3"}). If it is a
12675 string, it should be a service name as listed in @file{/etc/services} on
12676 Unix systems. The default is @samp{"pop3"}. On some systems you might
12677 need to specify it as @samp{"pop-3"} instead.
12680 The user name to give to the POP server. The default is the login
12684 The password to give to the POP server. If not specified, the user is
12688 The program to use to fetch mail from the POP server. This should be
12689 a @code{format}-like string. Here's an example:
12692 fetchmail %u@@%s -P %p %t
12695 The valid format specifier characters are:
12699 The name of the file the mail is to be moved to. This must always be
12700 included in this string.
12703 The name of the server.
12706 The port number of the server.
12709 The user name to use.
12712 The password to use.
12715 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
12716 corresponding keywords.
12719 A script to be run before fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
12720 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
12723 A script to be run after fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
12724 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
12727 The function to use to fetch mail from the POP server. The function is
12728 called with one parameter---the name of the file where the mail should
12731 @item :authentication
12732 This can be either the symbol @code{password} or the symbol @code{apop}
12733 and says what authentication scheme to use. The default is
12738 If the @code{:program} and @code{:function} keywords aren't specified,
12739 @code{pop3-movemail} will be used.
12741 Here are some examples. Fetch from the default POP server, using the
12742 default user name, and default fetcher:
12748 Fetch from a named server with a named user and password:
12751 (pop :server "my.pop.server"
12752 :user "user-name" :password "secret")
12755 Use @samp{movemail} to move the mail:
12758 (pop :program "movemail po:%u %t %p")
12762 Get mail from a maildir. This is a type of mailbox that is supported by
12763 at least qmail and postfix, where each file in a special directory
12764 contains exactly one mail.
12770 The path of the directory where the mails are stored. The default is
12771 taken from the @code{MAILDIR} environment variable or
12774 The subdirectories of the Maildir. The default is
12775 @samp{("new" "cur")}.
12777 @c If you sometimes look at your mail through a pop3 daemon before fetching
12778 @c them with Gnus, you may also have to fetch your mails from the
12779 @c @code{cur} directory inside the maildir, like in the first example
12782 You can also get mails from remote hosts (because maildirs don't suffer
12783 from locking problems).
12787 Two example maildir mail sources:
12790 (maildir :path "/home/user-name/Maildir/"
12791 :subdirs ("cur" "new"))
12795 (maildir :path "/user@@remotehost.org:~/Maildir/"
12800 Get mail from a @sc{imap} server. If you don't want to use @sc{imap}
12801 as intended, as a network mail reading protocol (ie with nnimap), for
12802 some reason or other, Gnus let you treat it similar to a POP server
12803 and fetches articles from a given @sc{imap} mailbox. @xref{IMAP}, for
12806 Note that for the Kerberos, GSSAPI, SSL/TLS and STARTTLS support you
12807 may need external programs and libraries, @xref{IMAP}.
12813 The name of the @sc{imap} server. The default is taken from the
12814 @code{MAILHOST} environment variable.
12817 The port number of the @sc{imap} server. The default is @samp{143}, or
12818 @samp{993} for SSL/TLS connections.
12821 The user name to give to the @sc{imap} server. The default is the login
12825 The password to give to the @sc{imap} server. If not specified, the user is
12829 What stream to use for connecting to the server, this is one of the
12830 symbols in @code{imap-stream-alist}. Right now, this means
12831 @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{starttls}, @samp{ssl},
12832 @samp{shell} or the default @samp{network}.
12834 @item :authentication
12835 Which authenticator to use for authenticating to the server, this is
12836 one of the symbols in @code{imap-authenticator-alist}. Right now,
12837 this means @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{digest-md5},
12838 @samp{cram-md5}, @samp{anonymous} or the default @samp{login}.
12841 When using the `shell' :stream, the contents of this variable is
12842 mapped into the `imap-shell-program' variable. This should be a
12843 @code{format}-like string (or list of strings). Here's an example:
12849 The valid format specifier characters are:
12853 The name of the server.
12856 User name from `imap-default-user'.
12859 The port number of the server.
12862 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
12863 corresponding keywords.
12866 The name of the mailbox to get mail from. The default is @samp{INBOX}
12867 which normally is the mailbox which receive incoming mail.
12870 The predicate used to find articles to fetch. The default, @samp{UNSEEN
12871 UNDELETED}, is probably the best choice for most people, but if you
12872 sometimes peek in your mailbox with a @sc{imap} client and mark some
12873 articles as read (or; SEEN) you might want to set this to @samp{nil}.
12874 Then all articles in the mailbox is fetched, no matter what. For a
12875 complete list of predicates, see RFC 2060 section 6.4.4.
12878 How to flag fetched articles on the server, the default @samp{\Deleted}
12879 will mark them as deleted, an alternative would be @samp{\Seen} which
12880 would simply mark them as read. These are the two most likely choices,
12881 but more flags are defined in RFC 2060 section 2.3.2.
12884 If non-nil, don't remove all articles marked as deleted in the mailbox
12885 after finishing the fetch.
12889 An example @sc{imap} mail source:
12892 (imap :server "mail.mycorp.com"
12894 :fetchflag "\\Seen")
12898 Get mail from a webmail server, such as @uref{www.hotmail.com},
12899 @uref{webmail.netscape.com}, @uref{www.netaddress.com},
12900 @uref{mail.yahoo..com}.
12902 NOTE: Webmail largely depends cookies. A "one-line-cookie" patch is
12903 required for url "4.0pre.46".
12905 WARNING: Mails may be lost. NO WARRANTY.
12911 The type of the webmail server. The default is @code{hotmail}. The
12912 alternatives are @code{netscape}, @code{netaddress}, @code{my-deja}.
12915 The user name to give to the webmail server. The default is the login
12919 The password to give to the webmail server. If not specified, the user is
12923 If non-nil, only fetch unread articles and don't move them to trash
12924 folder after finishing the fetch.
12928 An example webmail source:
12931 (webmail :subtype 'hotmail
12933 :password "secret")
12938 @item Common Keywords
12939 Common keywords can be used in any type of mail source.
12945 If non-nil, fetch the mail even when Gnus is unplugged. If you use
12946 directory source to get mail, you can specify it as in this example:
12950 '((directory :path "/home/pavel/.Spool/"
12955 Gnus will then fetch your mail even when you are unplugged. This is
12956 useful when you use local mail and news.
12961 @subsubsection Function Interface
12963 Some of the above keywords specify a Lisp function to be executed.
12964 For each keyword @code{:foo}, the Lisp variable @code{foo} is bound to
12965 the value of the keyword while the function is executing. For example,
12966 consider the following mail-source setting:
12969 (setq mail-sources '((pop :user "jrl"
12970 :server "pophost" :function fetchfunc)))
12973 While the function @code{fetchfunc} is executing, the symbol @code{user}
12974 is bound to @code{"jrl"}, and the symbol @code{server} is bound to
12975 @code{"pophost"}. The symbols @code{port}, @code{password},
12976 @code{program}, @code{prescript}, @code{postscript}, @code{function},
12977 and @code{authentication} are also bound (to their default values).
12979 See above for a list of keywords for each type of mail source.
12982 @node Mail Source Customization
12983 @subsubsection Mail Source Customization
12985 The following is a list of variables that influence how the mail is
12986 fetched. You would normally not need to set or change any of these
12990 @item mail-source-crash-box
12991 @vindex mail-source-crash-box
12992 File where mail will be stored while processing it. The default is
12993 @file{~/.emacs-mail-crash-box}.
12995 @item mail-source-delete-incoming
12996 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
12997 If non-@code{nil}, delete incoming files after handling them.
12999 @item mail-source-directory
13000 @vindex mail-source-directory
13001 Directory where files (if any) will be stored. The default is
13002 @file{~/Mail/}. At present, the only thing this is used for is to say
13003 where the incoming files will be stored if the previous variable is
13006 @item mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
13007 @vindex mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
13008 Prefix for file name for storing incoming mail. The default is
13009 @file{Incoming}, in which case files will end up with names like
13010 @file{Incoming30630D_} or @file{Incoming298602ZD}. This is really only
13011 relevant if @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is @code{nil}.
13013 @item mail-source-default-file-modes
13014 @vindex mail-source-default-file-modes
13015 All new mail files will get this file mode. The default is 384.
13017 @item mail-source-movemail-program
13018 @vindex mail-source-movemail-program
13019 If non-nil, name of program for fetching new mail. If nil,
13020 @code{movemail} in @var{exec-directory}.
13025 @node Fetching Mail
13026 @subsubsection Fetching Mail
13028 @vindex mail-sources
13029 @vindex nnmail-spool-file
13030 The way to actually tell Gnus where to get new mail from is to set
13031 @code{mail-sources} to a list of mail source specifiers
13032 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}).
13034 If this variable (and the obsolescent @code{nnmail-spool-file}) is
13035 @code{nil}, the mail back ends will never attempt to fetch mail by
13038 If you want to fetch mail both from your local spool as well as a POP
13039 mail server, you'd say something like:
13044 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
13045 :password "secret")))
13048 Or, if you don't want to use any of the keyword defaults:
13052 '((file :path "/var/spool/mail/user-name")
13053 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
13056 :password "secret")))
13060 When you use a mail back end, Gnus will slurp all your mail from your
13061 inbox and plonk it down in your home directory. Gnus doesn't move any
13062 mail if you're not using a mail back end---you have to do a lot of magic
13063 invocations first. At the time when you have finished drawing the
13064 pentagram, lightened the candles, and sacrificed the goat, you really
13065 shouldn't be too surprised when Gnus moves your mail.
13069 @node Mail Back End Variables
13070 @subsection Mail Back End Variables
13072 These variables are (for the most part) pertinent to all the various
13076 @vindex nnmail-read-incoming-hook
13077 @item nnmail-read-incoming-hook
13078 The mail back ends all call this hook after reading new mail. You can
13079 use this hook to notify any mail watch programs, if you want to.
13081 @vindex nnmail-split-hook
13082 @item nnmail-split-hook
13083 @findex article-decode-encoded-words
13084 @findex RFC 1522 decoding
13085 @findex RFC 2047 decoding
13086 Hook run in the buffer where the mail headers of each message is kept
13087 just before the splitting based on these headers is done. The hook is
13088 free to modify the buffer contents in any way it sees fit---the buffer
13089 is discarded after the splitting has been done, and no changes performed
13090 in the buffer will show up in any files.
13091 @code{gnus-article-decode-encoded-words} is one likely function to add
13094 @vindex nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
13095 @vindex nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
13096 @item nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
13097 @itemx nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
13098 These are two useful hooks executed when treating new incoming
13099 mail---@code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook} (is called just before
13100 starting to handle the new mail) and
13101 @code{nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook} (is called when the mail handling
13102 is done). Here's and example of using these two hooks to change the
13103 default file modes the new mail files get:
13106 (add-hook 'nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
13107 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 511)))
13109 (add-hook 'nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
13110 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 551)))
13113 @item nnmail-use-long-file-names
13114 @vindex nnmail-use-long-file-names
13115 If non-@code{nil}, the mail back ends will use long file and directory
13116 names. Groups like @samp{mail.misc} will end up in directories
13117 (assuming use of @code{nnml} back end) or files (assuming use of
13118 @code{nnfolder} back end) like @file{mail.misc}. If it is @code{nil},
13119 the same group will end up in @file{mail/misc}.
13121 @item nnmail-delete-file-function
13122 @vindex nnmail-delete-file-function
13123 @findex delete-file
13124 Function called to delete files. It is @code{delete-file} by default.
13126 @item nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
13127 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
13128 If non-@code{nil}, put the @code{Message-ID}s of articles imported into
13129 the back end (via @code{Gcc}, for instance) into the mail duplication
13130 discovery cache. The default is @code{nil}.
13132 @item nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
13133 @vindex nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
13134 This can be a regular expression or a list of regular expressions.
13135 Group names that match any of the regular expressions will never be
13136 recorded in the @code{Message-ID} cache.
13138 This can be useful, for example, when using Fancy Splitting
13139 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}) together with the function
13140 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent}.
13145 @node Fancy Mail Splitting
13146 @subsection Fancy Mail Splitting
13147 @cindex mail splitting
13148 @cindex fancy mail splitting
13150 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy
13151 @findex nnmail-split-fancy
13152 If the rather simple, standard method for specifying how to split mail
13153 doesn't allow you to do what you want, you can set
13154 @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. Then you can
13155 play with the @code{nnmail-split-fancy} variable.
13157 Let's look at an example value of this variable first:
13160 ;; Messages from the mailer daemon are not crossposted to any of
13161 ;; the ordinary groups. Warnings are put in a separate group
13162 ;; from real errors.
13163 (| ("from" mail (| ("subject" "warn.*" "mail.warning")
13165 ;; Non-error messages are crossposted to all relevant
13166 ;; groups, but we don't crosspost between the group for the
13167 ;; (ding) list and the group for other (ding) related mail.
13168 (& (| (any "ding@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "ding.list")
13169 ("subject" "ding" "ding.misc"))
13170 ;; Other mailing lists...
13171 (any "procmail@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "procmail.list")
13172 (any "SmartList@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "SmartList.list")
13173 ;; Both lists below have the same suffix, so prevent
13174 ;; cross-posting to mkpkg.list of messages posted only to
13175 ;; the bugs- list, but allow cross-posting when the
13176 ;; message was really cross-posted.
13177 (any "bugs-mypackage@@somewhere" "mypkg.bugs")
13178 (any "mypackage@@somewhere\" - "bugs-mypackage" "mypkg.list")
13180 (any "larsi@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "people.Lars_Magne_Ingebrigtsen"))
13181 ;; Unmatched mail goes to the catch all group.
13185 This variable has the format of a @dfn{split}. A split is a (possibly)
13186 recursive structure where each split may contain other splits. Here are
13187 the five possible split syntaxes:
13192 @samp{group}: If the split is a string, that will be taken as a group
13193 name. Normal regexp match expansion will be done. See below for
13197 @code{(@var{field} @var{value} @code{[-} @var{restrict}
13198 @code{[@dots{}]}@code{]} @var{split})}: If the split is a list, the
13199 first element of which is a string, then store the message as
13200 specified by @var{split}, if header @var{field} (a regexp) contains
13201 @var{value} (also a regexp). If @var{restrict} (yet another regexp)
13202 matches some string after @var{field} and before the end of the
13203 matched @var{value}, the @var{split} is ignored. If none of the
13204 @var{restrict} clauses match, @var{split} is processed.
13207 @code{(| @var{split}@dots{})}: If the split is a list, and the first
13208 element is @code{|} (vertical bar), then process each @var{split} until
13209 one of them matches. A @var{split} is said to match if it will cause
13210 the mail message to be stored in one or more groups.
13213 @code{(& @var{split}@dots{})}: If the split is a list, and the first
13214 element is @code{&}, then process all @var{split}s in the list.
13217 @code{junk}: If the split is the symbol @code{junk}, then don't save
13218 (i.e., delete) this message. Use with extreme caution.
13221 @code{(: @var{function} @var{arg1} @var{arg2} @dots{})}: If the split is
13222 a list, and the first element is @code{:}, then the second element will
13223 be called as a function with @var{args} given as arguments. The
13224 function should return a @var{split}.
13227 For instance, the following function could be used to split based on the
13228 body of the messages:
13231 (defun split-on-body ()
13233 (set-buffer " *nnmail incoming*")
13234 (goto-char (point-min))
13235 (when (re-search-forward "Some.*string" nil t)
13239 The @samp{" *nnmail incoming*"} is narrowed to the message in question
13240 when the @code{:} function is run.
13243 @code{(! @var{func} @var{split})}: If the split is a list, and the first
13244 element is @code{!}, then SPLIT will be processed, and FUNC will be
13245 called as a function with the result of SPLIT as argument. FUNC should
13249 @code{nil}: If the split is @code{nil}, it is ignored.
13253 In these splits, @var{field} must match a complete field name.
13254 @var{value} must match a complete word according to the fundamental mode
13255 syntax table. You can use @code{.*} in the regexps to match partial
13256 field names or words. In other words, all @var{value}'s are wrapped in
13257 @samp{\<} and @samp{\>} pairs.
13259 @vindex nnmail-split-abbrev-alist
13260 @var{field} and @var{value} can also be lisp symbols, in that case they
13261 are expanded as specified by the variable
13262 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist}. This is an alist of cons cells, where
13263 the @code{car} of a cell contains the key, and the @code{cdr} contains the associated
13266 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table
13267 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table} is the syntax table in effect
13268 when all this splitting is performed.
13270 If you want to have Gnus create groups dynamically based on some
13271 information in the headers (i.e., do @code{replace-match}-like
13272 substitutions in the group names), you can say things like:
13275 (any "debian-\\b\\(\\w+\\)@@lists.debian.org" "mail.debian.\\1")
13278 In this example, messages sent to @samp{debian-foo@@lists.debian.org}
13279 will be filed in @samp{mail.debian.foo}.
13281 If the string contains the element @samp{\&}, then the previously
13282 matched string will be substituted. Similarly, the elements @samp{\\1}
13283 up to @samp{\\9} will be substituted with the text matched by the
13284 groupings 1 through 9.
13286 @findex nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent
13287 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} is a function which allows you to
13288 split followups into the same groups their parents are in. Sometimes
13289 you can't make splitting rules for all your mail. For example, your
13290 boss might send you personal mail regarding different projects you are
13291 working on, and as you can't tell your boss to put a distinguishing
13292 string into the subject line, you have to resort to manually moving the
13293 messages into the right group. With this function, you only have to do
13294 it once per thread.
13296 To use this feature, you have to set @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} and
13297 @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} to a non-nil value. And then
13298 you can include @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} using the colon
13301 (setq nnmail-treat-duplicates 'warn ; or 'delete
13302 nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids t
13304 '(| (: nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent)
13305 ;; other splits go here
13309 This feature works as follows: when @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} is
13310 non-nil, Gnus records the message id of every message it sees in the
13311 file specified by the variable @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file},
13312 together with the group it is in (the group is omitted for non-mail
13313 messages). When mail splitting is invoked, the function
13314 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} then looks at the References (and
13315 In-Reply-To) header of each message to split and searches the file
13316 specified by @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file} for the message ids.
13317 When it has found a parent, it returns the corresponding group name
13318 unless the group name matches the regexp
13319 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent-ignore-groups}. It is recommended
13320 that you set @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length} to a somewhat higher
13321 number than the default so that the message ids are still in the cache.
13322 (A value of 5000 appears to create a file some 300 kBytes in size.)
13323 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
13324 When @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus
13325 also records the message ids of moved articles, so that the followup
13326 messages goes into the new group.
13328 Also see the variable @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} if you don't
13329 want certain groups to be recorded in the cache. For example, if all
13330 outgoing messages are written to an `outgoing' group, you could set
13331 @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} to match that group name.
13332 Otherwise, answers to all your messages would end up in the
13336 @node Group Mail Splitting
13337 @subsection Group Mail Splitting
13338 @cindex mail splitting
13339 @cindex group mail splitting
13341 @findex gnus-group-split
13342 If you subscribe to dozens of mailing lists but you don't want to
13343 maintain mail splitting rules manually, group mail splitting is for you.
13344 You just have to set @var{to-list} and/or @var{to-address} in group
13345 parameters or group customization and set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to
13346 @code{gnus-group-split}. This splitting function will scan all groups
13347 for those parameters and split mail accordingly, i.e., messages posted
13348 from or to the addresses specified in the parameters @var{to-list} or
13349 @var{to-address} of a mail group will be stored in that group.
13351 Sometimes, mailing lists have multiple addresses, and you may want mail
13352 splitting to recognize them all: just set the @var{extra-aliases} group
13353 parameter to the list of additional addresses and it's done. If you'd
13354 rather use a regular expression, set @var{split-regexp}.
13356 All these parameters in a group will be used to create an
13357 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split, in which the @var{field} is @samp{any},
13358 the @var{value} is a single regular expression that matches
13359 @var{to-list}, @var{to-address}, all of @var{extra-aliases} and all
13360 matches of @var{split-regexp}, and the @var{split} is the name of the
13361 group. @var{restrict}s are also supported: just set the
13362 @var{split-exclude} parameter to a list of regular expressions.
13364 If you can't get the right split to be generated using all these
13365 parameters, or you just need something fancier, you can set the
13366 parameter @var{split-spec} to an @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split. In
13367 this case, all other aforementioned parameters will be ignored by
13368 @code{gnus-group-split}. In particular, @var{split-spec} may be set to
13369 @code{nil}, in which case the group will be ignored by
13370 @code{gnus-group-split}.
13372 @vindex gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group
13373 @code{gnus-group-split} will do cross-posting on all groups that match,
13374 by defining a single @code{&} fancy split containing one split for each
13375 group. If a message doesn't match any split, it will be stored in the
13376 group named in @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}, unless
13377 some group has @var{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all}, in which case
13378 that group is used as the catch-all group. Even though this variable is
13379 often used just to name a group, it may also be set to an arbitrarily
13380 complex fancy split (after all, a group name is a fancy split), and this
13381 may be useful to split mail that doesn't go to any mailing list to
13382 personal mail folders. Note that this fancy split is added as the last
13383 element of a @code{|} split list that also contains a @code{&} split
13384 with the rules extracted from group parameters.
13386 It's time for an example. Assume the following group parameters have
13391 ((to-address . "bar@@femail.com")
13392 (split-regexp . ".*@@femail\\.com"))
13394 ((to-list . "foo@@nowhere.gov")
13395 (extra-aliases "foo@@localhost" "foo-redist@@home")
13396 (split-exclude "bugs-foo" "rambling-foo")
13397 (admin-address . "foo-request@@nowhere.gov"))
13399 ((split-spec . catch-all))
13402 Setting @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{gnus-group-split} will
13403 behave as if @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been selected and variable
13404 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been set as follows:
13407 (| (& (any "\\(bar@@femail\\.com\\|.*@@femail\\.com\\)" "mail.bar")
13408 (any "\\(foo@@nowhere\\.gov\\|foo@@localhost\\|foo-redist@@home\\)"
13409 - "bugs-foo" - "rambling-foo" "mail.foo"))
13413 @findex gnus-group-split-fancy
13414 If you'd rather not use group splitting for all your mail groups, you
13415 may use it for only some of them, by using @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
13419 (: gnus-group-split-fancy GROUPS NO-CROSSPOST CATCH-ALL)
13422 @var{groups} may be a regular expression or a list of group names whose
13423 parameters will be scanned to generate the output split.
13424 @var{no-crosspost} can be used to disable cross-posting; in this case, a
13425 single @code{|} split will be output. @var{catch-all} is the fallback
13426 fancy split, used like @var{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}.
13427 If @var{catch-all} is @code{nil}, or if @var{split-regexp} matches the
13428 empty string in any selected group, no catch-all split will be issued.
13429 Otherwise, if some group has @var{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all},
13430 this group will override the value of the @var{catch-all} argument.
13432 @findex gnus-group-split-setup
13433 Unfortunately, scanning all groups and their parameters can be quite
13434 slow, especially considering that it has to be done for every message.
13435 But don't despair! The function @code{gnus-group-split-setup} can be
13436 used to enable @code{gnus-group-split} in a much more efficient way. It
13437 sets @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy} and sets
13438 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} to the split produced by
13439 @code{gnus-group-split-fancy}. Thus, the group parameters are only
13440 scanned once, no matter how many messages are split.
13442 @findex gnus-group-split-update
13443 However, if you change group parameters, you'd have to update
13444 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} manually. You can do it by running
13445 @code{gnus-group-split-update}. If you'd rather have it updated
13446 automatically, just tell @code{gnus-group-split-setup} to do it for
13447 you. For example, add to your @file{.gnus}:
13450 (gnus-group-split-setup AUTO-UPDATE CATCH-ALL)
13453 If @var{auto-update} is non-@code{nil}, @code{gnus-group-split-update}
13454 will be added to @code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook}, so you won't ever
13455 have to worry about updating @code{nnmail-split-fancy} again. If you
13456 don't omit @var{catch-all} (it's optional, equivalent to @code{nil}),
13457 @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group} will be set to its
13460 @vindex gnus-group-split-updated-hook
13461 Because you may want to change @code{nnmail-split-fancy} after it is set
13462 by @code{gnus-group-split-update}, this function will run
13463 @code{gnus-group-split-updated-hook} just before finishing.
13465 @node Incorporating Old Mail
13466 @subsection Incorporating Old Mail
13467 @cindex incorporating old mail
13468 @cindex import old mail
13470 Most people have lots of old mail stored in various file formats. If
13471 you have set up Gnus to read mail using one of the spiffy Gnus mail
13472 back ends, you'll probably wish to have that old mail incorporated into
13475 Doing so can be quite easy.
13477 To take an example: You're reading mail using @code{nnml}
13478 (@pxref{Mail Spool}), and have set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to a
13479 satisfactory value (@pxref{Splitting Mail}). You have an old Unix mbox
13480 file filled with important, but old, mail. You want to move it into
13481 your @code{nnml} groups.
13487 Go to the group buffer.
13490 Type `G f' and give the path to the mbox file when prompted to create an
13491 @code{nndoc} group from the mbox file (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
13494 Type `SPACE' to enter the newly created group.
13497 Type `M P b' to process-mark all articles in this group's buffer
13498 (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
13501 Type `B r' to respool all the process-marked articles, and answer
13502 @samp{nnml} when prompted (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
13505 All the mail messages in the mbox file will now also be spread out over
13506 all your @code{nnml} groups. Try entering them and check whether things
13507 have gone without a glitch. If things look ok, you may consider
13508 deleting the mbox file, but I wouldn't do that unless I was absolutely
13509 sure that all the mail has ended up where it should be.
13511 Respooling is also a handy thing to do if you're switching from one mail
13512 back end to another. Just respool all the mail in the old mail groups
13513 using the new mail back end.
13516 @node Expiring Mail
13517 @subsection Expiring Mail
13518 @cindex article expiry
13520 Traditional mail readers have a tendency to remove mail articles when
13521 you mark them as read, in some way. Gnus takes a fundamentally
13522 different approach to mail reading.
13524 Gnus basically considers mail just to be news that has been received in
13525 a rather peculiar manner. It does not think that it has the power to
13526 actually change the mail, or delete any mail messages. If you enter a
13527 mail group, and mark articles as ``read'', or kill them in some other
13528 fashion, the mail articles will still exist on the system. I repeat:
13529 Gnus will not delete your old, read mail. Unless you ask it to, of
13532 To make Gnus get rid of your unwanted mail, you have to mark the
13533 articles as @dfn{expirable}. This does not mean that the articles will
13534 disappear right away, however. In general, a mail article will be
13535 deleted from your system if, 1) it is marked as expirable, AND 2) it is
13536 more than one week old. If you do not mark an article as expirable, it
13537 will remain on your system until hell freezes over. This bears
13538 repeating one more time, with some spurious capitalizations: IF you do
13539 NOT mark articles as EXPIRABLE, Gnus will NEVER delete those ARTICLES.
13541 @vindex gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
13542 You do not have to mark articles as expirable by hand. Groups that
13543 match the regular expression @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups} will
13544 have all articles that you read marked as expirable automatically. All
13545 articles marked as expirable have an @samp{E} in the first
13546 column in the summary buffer.
13548 By default, if you have auto expiry switched on, Gnus will mark all the
13549 articles you read as expirable, no matter if they were read or unread
13550 before. To avoid having articles marked as read marked as expirable
13551 automatically, you can put something like the following in your
13554 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
13556 (remove-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook
13557 'gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read)
13558 (add-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook 'gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read)
13561 Note that making a group auto-expirable doesn't mean that all read
13562 articles are expired---only the articles marked as expirable
13563 will be expired. Also note that using the @kbd{d} command won't make
13564 articles expirable---only semi-automatic marking of articles as read will
13565 mark the articles as expirable in auto-expirable groups.
13567 Let's say you subscribe to a couple of mailing lists, and you want the
13568 articles you have read to disappear after a while:
13571 (setq gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
13572 "mail.nonsense-list\\|mail.nice-list")
13575 Another way to have auto-expiry happen is to have the element
13576 @code{auto-expire} in the group parameters of the group.
13578 If you use adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}) and
13579 auto-expiring, you'll have problems. Auto-expiring and adaptive scoring
13580 don't really mix very well.
13582 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait
13583 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable supplies the default time an
13584 expirable article has to live. Gnus starts counting days from when the
13585 message @emph{arrived}, not from when it was sent. The default is seven
13588 Gnus also supplies a function that lets you fine-tune how long articles
13589 are to live, based on what group they are in. Let's say you want to
13590 have one month expiry period in the @samp{mail.private} group, a one day
13591 expiry period in the @samp{mail.junk} group, and a six day expiry period
13594 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
13596 (setq nnmail-expiry-wait-function
13598 (cond ((string= group "mail.private")
13600 ((string= group "mail.junk")
13602 ((string= group "important")
13608 The group names this function is fed are ``unadorned'' group
13609 names---no @samp{nnml:} prefixes and the like.
13611 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable and
13612 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} function can either be a number (not
13613 necessarily an integer) or one of the symbols @code{immediate} or
13616 You can also use the @code{expiry-wait} group parameter to selectively
13617 change the expiry period (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
13619 @vindex nnmail-expiry-target
13620 The normal action taken when expiring articles is to delete them.
13621 However, in some circumstances it might make more sense to move them
13622 to other groups instead of deleting them. The variable
13623 @code{nnmail-expiry-target} (and the @code{expiry-target} group
13624 parameter) controls this. The variable supplies a default value for
13625 all groups, which can be overridden for specific groups by the group
13626 parameter. default value is @code{delete}, but this can also be a
13627 string (which should be the name of the group the message should be
13628 moved to), or a function (which will be called in a buffer narrowed to
13629 the message in question, and with the name of the group being moved
13630 from as its parameter) which should return a target -- either a group
13631 name or @code{delete}.
13633 Here's an example for specifying a group name:
13635 (setq nnmail-expiry-target "nnml:expired")
13638 @findex nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
13639 @vindex nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
13640 Gnus provides a function @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-target} which will
13641 expire mail to groups according to the variable
13642 @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets}. Here's an example:
13645 (setq nnmail-expiry-target 'nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
13646 nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
13647 '((to-from "boss" "nnfolder:Work")
13648 ("subject" "IMPORTANT" "nnfolder:IMPORTANT.%Y.%b")
13649 ("from" ".*" "nnfolder:Archive-%Y")))
13652 With this setup, any mail that has @code{IMPORTANT} in its Subject
13653 header and was sent in the year @code{YYYY} and month @code{MMM}, will
13654 get expired to the group @code{nnfolder:IMPORTANT.YYYY.MMM}. If its
13655 From or To header contains the string @code{boss}, it will get expired
13656 to @code{nnfolder:Work}. All other mail will get expired to
13657 @code{nnfolder:Archive-YYYY}.
13659 @vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
13660 If @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will never
13661 expire the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is to make life
13662 easier for procmail users.
13664 @vindex gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups
13665 By the way: That line up there, about Gnus never expiring non-expirable
13666 articles, is a lie. If you put @code{total-expire} in the group
13667 parameters, articles will not be marked as expirable, but all read
13668 articles will be put through the expiry process. Use with extreme
13669 caution. Even more dangerous is the
13670 @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups} variable. All groups that match
13671 this regexp will have all read articles put through the expiry process,
13672 which means that @emph{all} old mail articles in the groups in question
13673 will be deleted after a while. Use with extreme caution, and don't come
13674 crying to me when you discover that the regexp you used matched the
13675 wrong group and all your important mail has disappeared. Be a
13676 @emph{man}! Or a @emph{woman}! Whatever you feel more comfortable
13679 Most people make most of their mail groups total-expirable, though.
13681 @vindex gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire
13682 If @code{gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire} is non-@code{nil}, user marking
13683 commands will not mark an article as expirable, even if the group has
13684 auto-expire turned on.
13688 @subsection Washing Mail
13689 @cindex mail washing
13690 @cindex list server brain damage
13691 @cindex incoming mail treatment
13693 Mailers and list servers are notorious for doing all sorts of really,
13694 really stupid things with mail. ``Hey, RFC 822 doesn't explicitly
13695 prohibit us from adding the string @code{wE aRe ElItE!!!!!1!!} to the
13696 end of all lines passing through our server, so let's do that!!!!1!''
13697 Yes, but RFC 822 wasn't designed to be read by morons. Things that were
13698 considered to be self-evident were not discussed. So. Here we are.
13700 Case in point: The German version of Microsoft Exchange adds @samp{AW:
13701 } to the subjects of replies instead of @samp{Re: }. I could pretend to
13702 be shocked and dismayed by this, but I haven't got the energy. It is to
13705 Gnus provides a plethora of functions for washing articles while
13706 displaying them, but it might be nicer to do the filtering before
13707 storing the mail to disc. For that purpose, we have three hooks and
13708 various functions that can be put in these hooks.
13711 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
13712 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
13713 This hook is called before doing anything with the mail and is meant for
13714 grand, sweeping gestures. It is called in a buffer that contains all
13715 the new, incoming mail. Functions to be used include:
13718 @item nnheader-ms-strip-cr
13719 @findex nnheader-ms-strip-cr
13720 Remove trailing carriage returns from each line. This is default on
13721 Emacs running on MS machines.
13725 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
13726 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
13727 This hook is called narrowed to each header. It can be used when
13728 cleaning up the headers. Functions that can be used include:
13731 @item nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
13732 @findex nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
13733 Clear leading white space that ``helpful'' listservs have added to the
13734 headers to make them look nice. Aaah.
13736 (Note that this function works on both the header on the body of all
13737 messages, so it is a potentially dangerous function to use (if a body
13738 of a message contains something that looks like a header line). So
13739 rather than fix the bug, it is of course the right solution to make it
13740 into a feature by documenting it.)
13742 @item nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
13743 @findex nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
13744 Some list servers add an identifier---for example, @samp{(idm)}---to the
13745 beginning of all @code{Subject} headers. I'm sure that's nice for
13746 people who use stone age mail readers. This function will remove
13747 strings that match the @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} regexp, which can
13748 also be a list of regexp. @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} may not contain
13751 For instance, if you want to remove the @samp{(idm)} and the
13752 @samp{nagnagnag} identifiers:
13755 (setq nnmail-list-identifiers
13756 '("(idm)" "nagnagnag"))
13759 This can also be done non-destructively with
13760 @code{gnus-list-identifiers}, @xref{Article Hiding}.
13762 @item nnmail-remove-tabs
13763 @findex nnmail-remove-tabs
13764 Translate all @samp{TAB} characters into @samp{SPACE} characters.
13766 @item nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
13767 @findex nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
13769 Eudora produces broken @code{References} headers, but OK
13770 @code{In-Reply-To} headers. This function will get rid of the
13771 @code{References} headers.
13775 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
13776 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
13777 This hook is called narrowed to each message. Functions to be used
13781 @item article-de-quoted-unreadable
13782 @findex article-de-quoted-unreadable
13783 Decode Quoted Readable encoding.
13790 @subsection Duplicates
13792 @vindex nnmail-treat-duplicates
13793 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-length
13794 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-file
13795 @cindex duplicate mails
13796 If you are a member of a couple of mailing lists, you will sometimes
13797 receive two copies of the same mail. This can be quite annoying, so
13798 @code{nnmail} checks for and treats any duplicates it might find. To do
13799 this, it keeps a cache of old @code{Message-ID}s---
13800 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, which is @file{~/.nnmail-cache} by
13801 default. The approximate maximum number of @code{Message-ID}s stored
13802 there is controlled by the @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length}
13803 variable, which is 1000 by default. (So 1000 @code{Message-ID}s will be
13804 stored.) If all this sounds scary to you, you can set
13805 @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to @code{warn} (which is what it is by
13806 default), and @code{nnmail} won't delete duplicate mails. Instead it
13807 will insert a warning into the head of the mail saying that it thinks
13808 that this is a duplicate of a different message.
13810 This variable can also be a function. If that's the case, the function
13811 will be called from a buffer narrowed to the message in question with
13812 the @code{Message-ID} as a parameter. The function must return either
13813 @code{nil}, @code{warn}, or @code{delete}.
13815 You can turn this feature off completely by setting the variable to
13818 If you want all the duplicate mails to be put into a special
13819 @dfn{duplicates} group, you could do that using the normal mail split
13823 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
13824 '(| ;; Messages duplicates go to a separate group.
13825 ("gnus-warning" "duplicat\\(e\\|ion\\) of message" "duplicate")
13826 ;; Message from daemons, postmaster, and the like to another.
13827 (any mail "mail.misc")
13834 (setq nnmail-split-methods
13835 '(("duplicates" "^Gnus-Warning:.*duplicate")
13840 Here's a neat feature: If you know that the recipient reads her mail
13841 with Gnus, and that she has @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} set to
13842 @code{delete}, you can send her as many insults as you like, just by
13843 using a @code{Message-ID} of a mail that you know that she's already
13844 received. Think of all the fun! She'll never see any of it! Whee!
13847 @node Not Reading Mail
13848 @subsection Not Reading Mail
13850 If you start using any of the mail back ends, they have the annoying
13851 habit of assuming that you want to read mail with them. This might not
13852 be unreasonable, but it might not be what you want.
13854 If you set @code{mail-sources} and @code{nnmail-spool-file} to
13855 @code{nil}, none of the back ends will ever attempt to read incoming
13856 mail, which should help.
13858 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
13859 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
13860 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
13861 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
13862 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
13863 This might be too much, if, for instance, you are reading mail quite
13864 happily with @code{nnml} and just want to peek at some old @sc{rmail}
13865 file you have stashed away with @code{nnbabyl}. All back ends have
13866 variables called back-end-@code{get-new-mail}. If you want to disable
13867 the @code{nnbabyl} mail reading, you edit the virtual server for the
13868 group to have a setting where @code{nnbabyl-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}.
13870 All the mail back ends will call @code{nn}*@code{-prepare-save-mail-hook}
13871 narrowed to the article to be saved before saving it when reading
13875 @node Choosing a Mail Back End
13876 @subsection Choosing a Mail Back End
13878 Gnus will read the mail spool when you activate a mail group. The mail
13879 file is first copied to your home directory. What happens after that
13880 depends on what format you want to store your mail in.
13882 There are six different mail back ends in the standard Gnus, and more
13883 back ends are available separately. The mail back end most people use
13884 (because it is possibly the fastest) is @code{nnml} (@pxref{Mail
13885 Spool}). You might notice that only five back ends are listed below;
13886 @code{nnmaildir}'s documentation has not yet been completely
13887 incorporated into this manual. Until it is, you can find it at
13888 @uref{http://multivac.cwru.edu./nnmaildir/}.
13891 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
13892 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
13893 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
13894 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
13895 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
13896 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
13900 @node Unix Mail Box
13901 @subsubsection Unix Mail Box
13903 @cindex unix mail box
13905 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
13906 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
13907 The @dfn{nnmbox} back end will use the standard Un*x mbox file to store
13908 mail. @code{nnmbox} will add extra headers to each mail article to say
13909 which group it belongs in.
13911 Virtual server settings:
13914 @item nnmbox-mbox-file
13915 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
13916 The name of the mail box in the user's home directory. Default is
13919 @item nnmbox-active-file
13920 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
13921 The name of the active file for the mail box. Default is
13922 @file{~/.mbox-active}.
13924 @item nnmbox-get-new-mail
13925 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
13926 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmbox} will read incoming mail and split it
13927 into groups. Default is @code{t}.
13932 @subsubsection Rmail Babyl
13936 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
13937 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
13938 The @dfn{nnbabyl} back end will use a babyl mail box (aka. @dfn{rmail
13939 mbox}) to store mail. @code{nnbabyl} will add extra headers to each
13940 mail article to say which group it belongs in.
13942 Virtual server settings:
13945 @item nnbabyl-mbox-file
13946 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
13947 The name of the rmail mbox file. The default is @file{~/RMAIL}
13949 @item nnbabyl-active-file
13950 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
13951 The name of the active file for the rmail box. The default is
13952 @file{~/.rmail-active}
13954 @item nnbabyl-get-new-mail
13955 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
13956 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnbabyl} will read incoming mail. Default is
13962 @subsubsection Mail Spool
13964 @cindex mail @sc{nov} spool
13966 The @dfn{nnml} spool mail format isn't compatible with any other known
13967 format. It should be used with some caution.
13969 @vindex nnml-directory
13970 If you use this back end, Gnus will split all incoming mail into files,
13971 one file for each mail, and put the articles into the corresponding
13972 directories under the directory specified by the @code{nnml-directory}
13973 variable. The default value is @file{~/Mail/}.
13975 You do not have to create any directories beforehand; Gnus will take
13978 If you have a strict limit as to how many files you are allowed to store
13979 in your account, you should not use this back end. As each mail gets its
13980 own file, you might very well occupy thousands of inodes within a few
13981 weeks. If this is no problem for you, and it isn't a problem for you
13982 having your friendly systems administrator walking around, madly,
13983 shouting ``Who is eating all my inodes?! Who? Who!?!'', then you should
13984 know that this is probably the fastest format to use. You do not have
13985 to trudge through a big mbox file just to read your new mail.
13987 @code{nnml} is probably the slowest back end when it comes to article
13988 splitting. It has to create lots of files, and it also generates
13989 @sc{nov} databases for the incoming mails. This makes it possibly the
13990 fastest back end when it comes to reading mail.
13992 @cindex self contained nnml servers
13994 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnml}
13995 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
13996 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
13997 proper @code{nnml} server) and have all your marks be preserved. Marks
13998 for a group is usually stored in the @code{.marks} file (but see
13999 @code{nnml-marks-file-name}) within each @code{nnml} group's directory.
14000 Individual @code{nnml} groups are also possible to backup, use @kbd{G m}
14001 to restore the group (after restoring the backup into the nnml
14004 If for some reason you believe your @file{.marks} files are screwed
14005 up, you can just delete them all. Gnus will then correctly regenerate
14006 them next time it starts.
14008 Virtual server settings:
14011 @item nnml-directory
14012 @vindex nnml-directory
14013 All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory.
14014 The default is the value of `message-directory' (whose default value is
14017 @item nnml-active-file
14018 @vindex nnml-active-file
14019 The active file for the @code{nnml} server. The default is
14020 @file{~/Mail/active"}.
14022 @item nnml-newsgroups-file
14023 @vindex nnml-newsgroups-file
14024 The @code{nnml} group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
14025 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups"}.
14027 @item nnml-get-new-mail
14028 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
14029 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail. The default is
14032 @item nnml-nov-is-evil
14033 @vindex nnml-nov-is-evil
14034 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{nov} files. The
14035 default is @code{nil}.
14037 @item nnml-nov-file-name
14038 @vindex nnml-nov-file-name
14039 The name of the @sc{nov} files. The default is @file{.overview}.
14041 @item nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
14042 @vindex nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
14043 Hook run narrowed to an article before saving.
14045 @item nnml-marks-is-evil
14046 @vindex nnml-marks-is-evil
14047 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
14048 default is @code{nil}.
14050 @item nnml-marks-file-name
14051 @vindex nnml-marks-file-name
14052 The name of the @dfn{marks} files. The default is @file{.marks}.
14054 @item nnml-use-compressed-files
14055 @vindex nnml-use-compressed-files
14056 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will allow using compressed message
14061 @findex nnml-generate-nov-databases
14062 If your @code{nnml} groups and @sc{nov} files get totally out of whack,
14063 you can do a complete update by typing @kbd{M-x
14064 nnml-generate-nov-databases}. This command will trawl through the
14065 entire @code{nnml} hierarchy, looking at each and every article, so it
14066 might take a while to complete. A better interface to this
14067 functionality can be found in the server buffer (@pxref{Server
14072 @subsubsection MH Spool
14074 @cindex mh-e mail spool
14076 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, except that is doesn't generate
14077 @sc{nov} databases and it doesn't keep an active file or marks file.
14078 This makes @code{nnmh} a @emph{much} slower back end than @code{nnml},
14079 but it also makes it easier to write procmail scripts for.
14081 Virtual server settings:
14084 @item nnmh-directory
14085 @vindex nnmh-directory
14086 All @code{nnmh} directories will be located under this directory. The
14087 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
14090 @item nnmh-get-new-mail
14091 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
14092 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail. The default is
14096 @vindex nnmh-be-safe
14097 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will go to ridiculous lengths to make
14098 sure that the articles in the folder are actually what Gnus thinks they
14099 are. It will check date stamps and stat everything in sight, so
14100 setting this to @code{t} will mean a serious slow-down. If you never
14101 use anything but Gnus to read the @code{nnmh} articles, you do not have
14102 to set this variable to @code{t}. The default is @code{nil}.
14107 @subsubsection Mail Folders
14109 @cindex mbox folders
14110 @cindex mail folders
14112 @code{nnfolder} is a back end for storing each mail group in a separate
14113 file. Each file is in the standard Un*x mbox format. @code{nnfolder}
14114 will add extra headers to keep track of article numbers and arrival
14117 @cindex self contained nnfolder servers
14119 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnfolder}
14120 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
14121 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
14122 proper @code{nnfolder} server) and have all your marks be preserved.
14123 Marks for a group is usually stored in a file named as the mbox file
14124 with @code{.mrk} concatenated to it (but see
14125 @code{nnfolder-marks-file-suffix}) within the @code{nnfolder} directory.
14126 Individual @code{nnfolder} groups are also possible to backup, use
14127 @kbd{G m} to restore the group (after restoring the backup into the
14128 @code{nnfolder} directory).
14130 Virtual server settings:
14133 @item nnfolder-directory
14134 @vindex nnfolder-directory
14135 All the @code{nnfolder} mail boxes will be stored under this directory.
14136 The default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
14139 @item nnfolder-active-file
14140 @vindex nnfolder-active-file
14141 The name of the active file. The default is @file{~/Mail/active}.
14143 @item nnfolder-newsgroups-file
14144 @vindex nnfolder-newsgroups-file
14145 The name of the group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
14146 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups"}
14148 @item nnfolder-get-new-mail
14149 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
14150 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail. The default
14153 @item nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
14154 @vindex nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
14155 @cindex backup files
14156 Hook run before saving the folders. Note that Emacs does the normal
14157 backup renaming of files even with the @code{nnfolder} buffers. If you
14158 wish to switch this off, you could say something like the following in
14159 your @file{.emacs} file:
14162 (defun turn-off-backup ()
14163 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
14165 (add-hook 'nnfolder-save-buffer-hook 'turn-off-backup)
14168 @item nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
14169 @vindex nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
14170 Hook run in a buffer narrowed to the message that is to be deleted.
14171 This function can be used to copy the message to somewhere else, or to
14172 extract some information from it before removing it.
14174 @item nnfolder-nov-is-evil
14175 @vindex nnfolder-nov-is-evil
14176 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{nov} files. The
14177 default is @code{nil}.
14179 @item nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
14180 @vindex nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
14181 The extension for @sc{nov} files. The default is @file{.nov}.
14183 @item nnfolder-nov-directory
14184 @vindex nnfolder-nov-directory
14185 The directory where the @sc{nov} files should be stored. If nil,
14186 @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
14188 @item nnfolder-marks-is-evil
14189 @vindex nnfolder-marks-is-evil
14190 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
14191 default is @code{nil}.
14193 @item nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
14194 @vindex nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
14195 The extension for @sc{marks} files. The default is @file{.mrk}.
14197 @item nnfolder-marks-directory
14198 @vindex nnfolder-marks-directory
14199 The directory where the @sc{marks} files should be stored. If nil,
14200 @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
14205 @findex nnfolder-generate-active-file
14206 @kindex M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file
14207 If you have lots of @code{nnfolder}-like files you'd like to read with
14208 @code{nnfolder}, you can use the @kbd{M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file}
14209 command to make @code{nnfolder} aware of all likely files in
14210 @code{nnfolder-directory}. This only works if you use long file names,
14213 @node Comparing Mail Back Ends
14214 @subsubsection Comparing Mail Back Ends
14216 First, just for terminology, the @dfn{back end} is the common word for a
14217 low-level access method---a transport, if you will, by which something
14218 is acquired. The sense is that one's mail has to come from somewhere,
14219 and so selection of a suitable back end is required in order to get that
14220 mail within spitting distance of Gnus.
14222 The same concept exists for Usenet itself: Though access to articles is
14223 typically done by @sc{nntp} these days, once upon a midnight dreary, everyone
14224 in the world got at Usenet by running a reader on the machine where the
14225 articles lay (the machine which today we call an @sc{nntp} server), and
14226 access was by the reader stepping into the articles' directory spool
14227 area directly. One can still select between either the @code{nntp} or
14228 @code{nnspool} back ends, to select between these methods, if one happens
14229 actually to live on the server (or can see its spool directly, anyway,
14232 The goal in selecting a mail back end is to pick one which
14233 simultaneously represents a suitable way of dealing with the original
14234 format plus leaving mail in a form that is convenient to use in the
14235 future. Here are some high and low points on each:
14240 UNIX systems have historically had a single, very common, and well-
14241 defined format. All messages arrive in a single @dfn{spool file}, and
14242 they are delineated by a line whose regular expression matches
14243 @samp{^From_}. (My notational use of @samp{_} is to indicate a space,
14244 to make it clear in this instance that this is not the RFC-specified
14245 @samp{From:} header.) Because Emacs and therefore Gnus emanate
14246 historically from the Unix environment, it is simplest if one does not
14247 mess a great deal with the original mailbox format, so if one chooses
14248 this back end, Gnus' primary activity in getting mail from the real spool
14249 area to Gnus' preferred directory is simply to copy it, with no
14250 (appreciable) format change in the process. It is the ``dumbest'' way
14251 to move mail into availability in the Gnus environment. This makes it
14252 fast to move into place, but slow to parse, when Gnus has to look at
14257 Once upon a time, there was the DEC-10 and DEC-20, running operating
14258 systems called TOPS and related things, and the usual (only?) mail
14259 reading environment was a thing called Babyl. I don't know what format
14260 was used for mail landing on the system, but Babyl had its own internal
14261 format to which mail was converted, primarily involving creating a
14262 spool-file-like entity with a scheme for inserting Babyl-specific
14263 headers and status bits above the top of each message in the file.
14264 RMAIL was Emacs' first mail reader, it was written by Richard Stallman,
14265 and Stallman came out of that TOPS/Babyl environment, so he wrote RMAIL
14266 to understand the mail files folks already had in existence. Gnus (and
14267 VM, for that matter) continue to support this format because it's
14268 perceived as having some good qualities in those mailer-specific
14269 headers/status bits stuff. RMAIL itself still exists as well, of
14270 course, and is still maintained by Stallman.
14272 Both of the above forms leave your mail in a single file on your
14273 filesystem, and they must parse that entire file each time you take a
14278 @code{nnml} is the back end which smells the most as though you were
14279 actually operating with an @code{nnspool}-accessed Usenet system. (In
14280 fact, I believe @code{nnml} actually derived from @code{nnspool} code,
14281 lo these years ago.) One's mail is taken from the original spool file,
14282 and is then cut up into individual message files, 1:1. It maintains a
14283 Usenet-style active file (analogous to what one finds in an INN- or
14284 CNews-based news system in (for instance) @file{/var/lib/news/active},
14285 or what is returned via the @samp{NNTP LIST} verb) and also creates
14286 @dfn{overview} files for efficient group entry, as has been defined for
14287 @sc{nntp} servers for some years now. It is slower in mail-splitting,
14288 due to the creation of lots of files, updates to the @code{nnml} active
14289 file, and additions to overview files on a per-message basis, but it is
14290 extremely fast on access because of what amounts to the indexing support
14291 provided by the active file and overviews.
14293 @code{nnml} costs @dfn{inodes} in a big way; that is, it soaks up the
14294 resource which defines available places in the filesystem to put new
14295 files. Sysadmins take a dim view of heavy inode occupation within
14296 tight, shared filesystems. But if you live on a personal machine where
14297 the filesystem is your own and space is not at a premium, @code{nnml}
14300 It is also problematic using this back end if you are living in a
14301 FAT16-based Windows world, since much space will be wasted on all these
14306 The Rand MH mail-reading system has been around UNIX systems for a very
14307 long time; it operates by splitting one's spool file of messages into
14308 individual files, but with little or no indexing support -- @code{nnmh}
14309 is considered to be semantically equivalent to ``@code{nnml} without
14310 active file or overviews''. This is arguably the worst choice, because
14311 one gets the slowness of individual file creation married to the
14312 slowness of access parsing when learning what's new in one's groups.
14316 Basically the effect of @code{nnfolder} is @code{nnmbox} (the first
14317 method described above) on a per-group basis. That is, @code{nnmbox}
14318 itself puts *all* one's mail in one file; @code{nnfolder} provides a
14319 little bit of optimization to this so that each of one's mail groups has
14320 a Unix mail box file. It's faster than @code{nnmbox} because each group
14321 can be parsed separately, and still provides the simple Unix mail box
14322 format requiring minimal effort in moving the mail around. In addition,
14323 it maintains an ``active'' file making it much faster for Gnus to figure
14324 out how many messages there are in each separate group.
14326 If you have groups that are expected to have a massive amount of
14327 messages, @code{nnfolder} is not the best choice, but if you receive
14328 only a moderate amount of mail, @code{nnfolder} is probably the most
14329 friendly mail back end all over.
14333 @code{nnmaildir} is largely similar to @code{nnml}, with some notable
14334 differences. Each message is stored in a separate file, but the
14335 filename is unrelated to the article number in Gnus. @code{nnmaildir}
14336 also stores the equivalent of @code{nnml}'s overview files in one file
14337 per article, so it uses about twice as many inodes as @code{nnml}. (Use
14338 @code{df -i} to see how plentiful your inode supply is.) If this slows
14339 you down or takes up very much space, consider switching to ReiserFS
14340 (@uref{http://www.namesys.com/}) or another non-block-structured
14343 Since maildirs don't require locking for delivery, the maildirs you use
14344 as groups can also be the maildirs your mail is directly delivered to.
14345 This means you can skip Gnus's mail splitting if your mail is already
14346 organized into different mailboxes during delivery. A @code{directory}
14347 entry in @code{mail-sources} would have a similar effect, but would
14348 require one set of mailboxes for spooling deliveries (in mbox format,
14349 thus damaging message bodies), and another set to be used as groups (in
14350 whatever format you like). A maildir has a built-in spool, in the
14351 @code{new/} subdirectory. Beware that currently, mail moved from
14352 @code{new/} to @code{cur/} instead of via mail splitting will undergo
14353 treatment such as duplicate checking.
14355 An article will not necessarily keep the same number across Gnus
14356 sessions; articles are renumbered starting from 1 for each Gnus session
14357 (more precisely, each time you open the @code{nnmaildir} server). This
14358 way, you don't get gaps in your article number ranges, and when entering
14359 large groups, Gnus is likely to give a more accurate article count. The
14360 price is that @code{nnmaildir} doesn't work with the cache or agent.
14361 This will probably be changed in the future.
14363 @code{nnmaildir} stores article marks for a given group in the
14364 corresponding maildir, in a way designed so that it's easy to manipulate
14365 them from outside Gnus. You can tar up a maildir, unpack it somewhere
14366 else, and still have your marks. @code{nnml} also stores marks, but
14367 it's not as easy to work with them from outside Gnus as with
14370 For configuring expiry and other things, @code{nnmaildir} uses group
14371 parameters slightly different from those of other mail backends.
14373 @code{nnmaildir} uses a significant amount of memory to speed things up.
14374 (It keeps in memory some of the things that @code{nnml} stores in files
14375 and that @code{nnmh} repeatedly parses out of message files.) If this
14376 is a problem for you, you can set the @code{nov-cache-size} group
14377 parameter to somthing small (0 would probably not work, but 1 probably
14378 would) to make it use less memory.
14380 Startup and shutdown are likely to be slower with @code{nnmaildir} than
14381 with other backends. Everything in between is likely to be faster,
14382 depending in part on your filesystem.
14384 @code{nnmaildir} does not use @code{nnoo}, so you cannot use @code{nnoo}
14385 to write an @code{nnmaildir}-derived backend.
14390 @node Browsing the Web
14391 @section Browsing the Web
14393 @cindex browsing the web
14397 Web-based discussion forums are getting more and more popular. On many
14398 subjects, the web-based forums have become the most important forums,
14399 eclipsing the importance of mailing lists and news groups. The reason
14400 is easy to understand---they are friendly to new users; you just point
14401 and click, and there's the discussion. With mailing lists, you have to
14402 go through a cumbersome subscription procedure, and most people don't
14403 even know what a news group is.
14405 The problem with this scenario is that web browsers are not very good at
14406 being newsreaders. They do not keep track of what articles you've read;
14407 they do not allow you to score on subjects you're interested in; they do
14408 not allow off-line browsing; they require you to click around and drive
14409 you mad in the end.
14411 So---if web browsers suck at reading discussion forums, why not use Gnus
14414 Gnus has been getting a bit of a collection of back ends for providing
14415 interfaces to these sources.
14419 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
14420 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
14421 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
14422 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
14423 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
14424 * Customizing w3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/w3 from Gnus.
14427 All the web sources require Emacs/w3 and the url library to work.
14429 The main caveat with all these web sources is that they probably won't
14430 work for a very long time. Gleaning information from the @sc{html} data
14431 is guesswork at best, and when the layout is altered, the Gnus back end
14432 will fail. If you have reasonably new versions of these back ends,
14433 though, you should be ok.
14435 One thing all these Web methods have in common is that the Web sources
14436 are often down, unavailable or just plain too slow to be fun. In those
14437 cases, it makes a lot of sense to let the Gnus Agent (@pxref{Gnus
14438 Unplugged}) handle downloading articles, and then you can read them at
14439 leisure from your local disk. No more World Wide Wait for you.
14441 @node Archiving Mail
14442 @subsection Archiving Mail
14443 @cindex archiving mail
14444 @cindex backup of mail
14446 Some of the back ends, notably @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, and
14447 @code{nnmaildir}, now actually store the article marks with each group.
14448 For these servers, archiving and restoring a group while preserving
14449 marks is fairly simple.
14451 (Preserving the group level and group parameters as well still
14452 requires ritual dancing and sacrifices to the @file{.newsrc.eld} deity
14455 To archive an entire @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir}
14456 server, take a recursive copy of the server directory. There is no need
14457 to shut down Gnus, so archiving may be invoked by @code{cron} or
14458 similar. You restore the data by restoring the directory tree, and
14459 adding a server definition pointing to that directory in Gnus. The
14460 @ref{Article Backlog}, @ref{Asynchronous Fetching} and other things
14461 might interfer with overwriting data, so you may want to shut down Gnus
14462 before you restore the data.
14464 It is also possible to archive individual @code{nnml},
14465 @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir} groups, while preserving marks.
14466 For @code{nnml} or @code{nnmaildir}, you copy all files in the group's
14467 directory. For @code{nnfolder} you need to copy both the base folder
14468 file itself (@file{FOO}, say), and the marks file (@file{FOO.mrk} in
14469 this example). Restoring the group is done with @kbd{G m} from the Group
14470 buffer. The last step makes Gnus notice the new directory.
14471 @code{nnmaildir} notices the new directory automatically, so @kbd{G m}
14472 is unnecessary in that case.
14475 @subsection Web Searches
14480 @cindex Usenet searches
14481 @cindex searching the Usenet
14483 It's, like, too neat to search the Usenet for articles that match a
14484 string, but it, like, totally @emph{sucks}, like, totally, to use one of
14485 those, like, Web browsers, and you, like, have to, rilly, like, look at
14486 the commercials, so, like, with Gnus you can do @emph{rad}, rilly,
14487 searches without having to use a browser.
14489 The @code{nnweb} back end allows an easy interface to the mighty search
14490 engine. You create an @code{nnweb} group, enter a search pattern, and
14491 then enter the group and read the articles like you would any normal
14492 group. The @kbd{G w} command in the group buffer (@pxref{Foreign
14493 Groups}) will do this in an easy-to-use fashion.
14495 @code{nnweb} groups don't really lend themselves to being solid
14496 groups---they have a very fleeting idea of article numbers. In fact,
14497 each time you enter an @code{nnweb} group (not even changing the search
14498 pattern), you are likely to get the articles ordered in a different
14499 manner. Not even using duplicate suppression (@pxref{Duplicate
14500 Suppression}) will help, since @code{nnweb} doesn't even know the
14501 @code{Message-ID} of the articles before reading them using some search
14502 engines (Google, for instance). The only possible way to keep track
14503 of which articles you've read is by scoring on the @code{Date}
14504 header---mark all articles posted before the last date you read the
14507 If the search engine changes its output substantially, @code{nnweb}
14508 won't be able to parse it and will fail. One could hardly fault the Web
14509 providers if they were to do this---their @emph{raison d'être} is to
14510 make money off of advertisements, not to provide services to the
14511 community. Since @code{nnweb} washes the ads off all the articles, one
14512 might think that the providers might be somewhat miffed. We'll see.
14514 You must have the @code{url} and @code{w3} package installed to be able
14515 to use @code{nnweb}.
14517 Virtual server variables:
14522 What search engine type is being used. The currently supported types
14523 are @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}. Note that
14524 @code{dejanews} is an alias to @code{google}.
14527 @vindex nnweb-search
14528 The search string to feed to the search engine.
14530 @item nnweb-max-hits
14531 @vindex nnweb-max-hits
14532 Advisory maximum number of hits per search to display. The default is
14535 @item nnweb-type-definition
14536 @vindex nnweb-type-definition
14537 Type-to-definition alist. This alist says what @code{nnweb} should do
14538 with the various search engine types. The following elements must be
14543 Function to decode the article and provide something that Gnus
14547 Function to create an article number to message header and URL alist.
14550 Function to send the search string to the search engine.
14553 The address the aforementioned function should send the search string
14557 Format string URL to fetch an article by @code{Message-ID}.
14564 @subsection Slashdot
14568 Slashdot (@uref{http://slashdot.org/}) is a popular news site, with
14569 lively discussion following the news articles. @code{nnslashdot} will
14570 let you read this forum in a convenient manner.
14572 The easiest way to read this source is to put something like the
14573 following in your @file{.gnus.el} file:
14576 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
14577 '((nnslashdot "")))
14580 This will make Gnus query the @code{nnslashdot} back end for new comments
14581 and groups. The @kbd{F} command will subscribe each new news article as
14582 a new Gnus group, and you can read the comments by entering these
14583 groups. (Note that the default subscription method is to subscribe new
14584 groups as zombies. Other methods are available (@pxref{Subscription
14587 If you want to remove an old @code{nnslashdot} group, the @kbd{G DEL}
14588 command is the most handy tool (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
14590 When following up to @code{nnslashdot} comments (or posting new
14591 comments), some light @sc{html}izations will be performed. In
14592 particular, text quoted with @samp{> } will be quoted with
14593 @code{blockquote} instead, and signatures will have @code{br} added to
14594 the end of each line. Other than that, you can just write @sc{html}
14595 directly into the message buffer. Note that Slashdot filters out some
14598 The following variables can be altered to change its behavior:
14601 @item nnslashdot-threaded
14602 Whether @code{nnslashdot} should display threaded groups or not. The
14603 default is @code{t}. To be able to display threads, @code{nnslashdot}
14604 has to retrieve absolutely all comments in a group upon entry. If a
14605 threaded display is not required, @code{nnslashdot} will only retrieve
14606 the comments that are actually wanted by the user. Threading is nicer,
14607 but much, much slower than untreaded.
14609 @item nnslashdot-login-name
14610 @vindex nnslashdot-login-name
14611 The login name to use when posting.
14613 @item nnslashdot-password
14614 @vindex nnslashdot-password
14615 The password to use when posting.
14617 @item nnslashdot-directory
14618 @vindex nnslashdot-directory
14619 Where @code{nnslashdot} will store its files. The default is
14620 @samp{~/News/slashdot/}.
14622 @item nnslashdot-active-url
14623 @vindex nnslashdot-active-url
14624 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch the information on
14625 news articles and comments. The default is
14626 @samp{http://slashdot.org/search.pl?section=&min=%d}.
14628 @item nnslashdot-comments-url
14629 @vindex nnslashdot-comments-url
14630 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch comments. The
14632 @samp{http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=%s&threshold=%d&commentsort=%d&mode=flat&startat=%d}.
14634 @item nnslashdot-article-url
14635 @vindex nnslashdot-article-url
14636 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch the news article. The
14638 @samp{http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=%s&mode=nocomment}.
14640 @item nnslashdot-threshold
14641 @vindex nnslashdot-threshold
14642 The score threshold. The default is -1.
14644 @item nnslashdot-group-number
14645 @vindex nnslashdot-group-number
14646 The number of old groups, in addition to the ten latest, to keep
14647 updated. The default is 0.
14654 @subsection Ultimate
14656 @cindex Ultimate Bulletin Board
14658 The Ultimate Bulletin Board (@uref{http://www.ultimatebb.com/}) is
14659 probably the most popular Web bulletin board system used. It has a
14660 quite regular and nice interface, and it's possible to get the
14661 information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
14663 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnultimate} is to say
14664 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnultimate RET
14665 http://www.tcj.com/messboard/ubbcgi/ RET}. (Substitute the @sc{url}
14666 (not including @samp{Ultimate.cgi} or the like at the end) for a forum
14667 you're interested in; there's quite a list of them on the Ultimate web
14668 site.) Then subscribe to the groups you're interested in from the
14669 server buffer, and read them from the group buffer.
14671 The following @code{nnultimate} variables can be altered:
14674 @item nnultimate-directory
14675 @vindex nnultimate-directory
14676 The directory where @code{nnultimate} stores its files. The default is
14677 @samp{~/News/ultimate/}.
14682 @subsection Web Archive
14684 @cindex Web Archive
14686 Some mailing lists only have archives on Web servers, such as
14687 @uref{http://www.egroups.com/} and
14688 @uref{http://www.mail-archive.com/}. It has a quite regular and nice
14689 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
14692 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnwarchive} is to say
14693 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{M-x
14694 gnus-group-make-warchive-group RET an_egroup RET egroups RET
14695 www.egroups.com RET your@@email.address RET}. (Substitute the
14696 @sc{an_egroup} with the mailing list you subscribed, the
14697 @sc{your@@email.address} with your email address.), or to browse the
14698 back end by @kbd{B nnwarchive RET mail-archive RET}.
14700 The following @code{nnwarchive} variables can be altered:
14703 @item nnwarchive-directory
14704 @vindex nnwarchive-directory
14705 The directory where @code{nnwarchive} stores its files. The default is
14706 @samp{~/News/warchive/}.
14708 @item nnwarchive-login
14709 @vindex nnwarchive-login
14710 The account name on the web server.
14712 @item nnwarchive-passwd
14713 @vindex nnwarchive-passwd
14714 The password for your account on the web server.
14722 Some sites have RDF site summary (RSS)
14723 @uref{http://purl.org/rss/1.0/spec}. It has a quite regular and nice
14724 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
14727 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnrss} is to say something
14728 like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnrss RET RET}, then
14731 The following @code{nnrss} variables can be altered:
14734 @item nnrss-directory
14735 @vindex nnrss-directory
14736 The directory where @code{nnrss} stores its files. The default is
14737 @samp{~/News/rss/}.
14741 The following code may be helpful, if you want to show the description in
14742 the summary buffer.
14745 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-description-field)
14746 (setq gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-15,15f%]%) %s%uX\n")
14748 (defun gnus-user-format-function-X (header)
14750 (assq nnrss-description-field (mail-header-extra header))))
14751 (if descr (concat "\n\t" (cdr descr)) "")))
14754 The following code may be useful to open an nnrss url directly from the
14757 (require 'browse-url)
14759 (defun browse-nnrss-url( arg )
14761 (let ((url (assq nnrss-url-field
14764 (assq (gnus-summary-article-number)
14765 gnus-newsgroup-data))))))
14767 (browse-url (cdr url))
14768 (gnus-summary-scroll-up arg))))
14770 (eval-after-load "gnus"
14771 #'(define-key gnus-summary-mode-map
14772 (kbd "<RET>") 'browse-nnrss-url))
14773 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-url-field)
14776 @node Customizing w3
14777 @subsection Customizing w3
14783 Gnus uses the url library to fetch web pages and Emacs/w3 to display web
14784 pages. Emacs/w3 is documented in its own manual, but there are some
14785 things that may be more relevant for Gnus users.
14787 For instance, a common question is how to make Emacs/w3 follow links
14788 using the @code{browse-url} functions (which will call some external web
14789 browser like Netscape). Here's one way:
14792 (eval-after-load "w3"
14794 (fset 'w3-fetch-orig (symbol-function 'w3-fetch))
14795 (defun w3-fetch (&optional url target)
14796 (interactive (list (w3-read-url-with-default)))
14797 (if (eq major-mode 'gnus-article-mode)
14799 (w3-fetch-orig url target)))))
14802 Put that in your @file{.emacs} file, and hitting links in w3-rendered
14803 @sc{html} in the Gnus article buffers will use @code{browse-url} to
14812 @sc{imap} is a network protocol for reading mail (or news, or ...),
14813 think of it as a modernized @sc{nntp}. Connecting to a @sc{imap}
14814 server is much similar to connecting to a news server, you just
14815 specify the network address of the server.
14817 @sc{imap} has two properties. First, @sc{imap} can do everything that
14818 POP can, it can hence be viewed as a POP++. Secondly, @sc{imap} is a
14819 mail storage protocol, similar to @sc{nntp} being a news storage
14820 protocol -- however, @sc{imap} offers more features than @sc{nntp}
14821 because news is more or less read-only whereas mail is read-write.
14823 If you want to use @sc{imap} as a POP++, use an imap entry in
14824 @code{mail-sources}. With this, Gnus will fetch mails from the
14825 @sc{imap} server and store them on the local disk. This is not the
14826 usage described in this section--@xref{Mail Sources}.
14828 If you want to use @sc{imap} as a mail storage protocol, use an nnimap
14829 entry in @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods}. With this, Gnus will
14830 manipulate mails stored on the @sc{imap} server. This is the kind of
14831 usage explained in this section.
14833 A server configuration in @code{~/.gnus} with a few @sc{imap} servers
14834 might look something like the following. (Note that for SSL/TLS, you
14835 need external programs and libraries, see below.)
14838 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
14839 '((nnimap "simpleserver") ; no special configuration
14840 ; perhaps a ssh port forwarded server:
14842 (nnimap-address "localhost")
14843 (nnimap-server-port 1430))
14844 ; a UW server running on localhost
14846 (nnimap-server-port 143)
14847 (nnimap-address "localhost")
14848 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "mail/*")))
14849 ; anonymous public cyrus server:
14850 (nnimap "cyrus.andrew.cmu.edu"
14851 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous)
14852 (nnimap-list-pattern "archive.*")
14853 (nnimap-stream network))
14854 ; a ssl server on a non-standard port:
14856 (nnimap-address "vic20.somewhere.com")
14857 (nnimap-server-port 9930)
14858 (nnimap-stream ssl))))
14861 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nnimap}
14866 @item nnimap-address
14867 @vindex nnimap-address
14869 The address of the remote @sc{imap} server. Defaults to the virtual
14870 server name if not specified.
14872 @item nnimap-server-port
14873 @vindex nnimap-server-port
14874 Port on server to contact. Defaults to port 143, or 993 for SSL.
14876 Note that this should be an integer, example server specification:
14879 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
14880 (nnimap-server-port 4711))
14883 @item nnimap-list-pattern
14884 @vindex nnimap-list-pattern
14885 String or list of strings of mailboxes to limit available groups to.
14886 This is used when the server has very many mailboxes and you're only
14887 interested in a few -- some servers export your home directory via
14888 @sc{imap}, you'll probably want to limit the mailboxes to those in
14889 @file{~/Mail/*} then.
14891 The string can also be a cons of REFERENCE and the string as above, what
14892 REFERENCE is used for is server specific, but on the University of
14893 Washington server it's a directory that will be concatenated with the
14896 Example server specification:
14899 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
14900 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "Mail/*" "alt.sex.*"
14901 ("~friend/Mail/" . "list/*"))))
14904 @item nnimap-stream
14905 @vindex nnimap-stream
14906 The type of stream used to connect to your server. By default, nnimap
14907 will detect and automatically use all of the below, with the exception
14908 of SSL/TLS. (@sc{imap} over SSL/TLS is being replaced by STARTTLS, which
14909 can be automatically detected, but it's not widely deployed yet.)
14911 Example server specification:
14914 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
14915 (nnimap-stream ssl))
14918 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-stream} is a symbol!
14922 @dfn{gssapi:} Connect with GSSAPI (usually Kerberos 5). Requires the
14923 @samp{imtest} program.
14925 @dfn{kerberos4:} Connect with Kerberos 4. Requires the @samp{imtest} program.
14927 @dfn{starttls:} Connect via the STARTTLS extension (similar to
14928 SSL). Requires the external library @samp{starttls.el} and program
14931 @dfn{ssl:} Connect through SSL. Requires OpenSSL (the program
14932 @samp{openssl}) or SSLeay (@samp{s_client}) as well as the external
14933 library @samp{ssl.el}.
14935 @dfn{shell:} Use a shell command to start @sc{imap} connection.
14937 @dfn{network:} Plain, TCP/IP network connection.
14940 @vindex imap-kerberos4-program
14941 The @samp{imtest} program is shipped with Cyrus IMAPD. If you're
14942 using @samp{imtest} from Cyrus IMAPD < 2.0.14 (which includes version
14943 1.5.x and 1.6.x) you need to frob @code{imap-process-connection-type}
14944 to make @code{imap.el} use a pty instead of a pipe when communicating
14945 with @samp{imtest}. You will then suffer from a line length
14946 restrictions on @sc{imap} commands, which might make Gnus seem to hang
14947 indefinitely if you have many articles in a mailbox. The variable
14948 @code{imap-kerberos4-program} contain parameters to pass to the imtest
14951 @vindex imap-ssl-program
14952 For SSL connections, the OpenSSL program is available from
14953 @uref{http://www.openssl.org/}. OpenSSL was formerly known as SSLeay,
14954 and nnimap support it too - altough the most recent versions of
14955 SSLeay, 0.9.x, are known to have serious bugs making it
14956 useless. Earlier versions, especially 0.8.x, of SSLeay are known to
14957 work. The variable @code{imap-ssl-program} contain parameters to pass
14958 to OpenSSL/SSLeay. You also need @samp{ssl.el} (from the W3
14959 distribution, for instance).
14961 @vindex imap-shell-program
14962 @vindex imap-shell-host
14963 For @sc{imap} connections using the @code{shell} stream, the variable
14964 @code{imap-shell-program} specify what program to call.
14966 @item nnimap-authenticator
14967 @vindex nnimap-authenticator
14969 The authenticator used to connect to the server. By default, nnimap
14970 will use the most secure authenticator your server is capable of.
14972 Example server specification:
14975 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
14976 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous))
14979 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-authenticator} is a symbol!
14983 @dfn{gssapi:} GSSAPI (usually kerberos 5) authentication. Requires
14984 external program @code{imtest}.
14986 @dfn{kerberos4:} Kerberos 4 authentication. Requires external program
14989 @dfn{digest-md5:} Encrypted username/password via DIGEST-MD5. Requires
14990 external library @code{digest-md5.el}.
14992 @dfn{cram-md5:} Encrypted username/password via CRAM-MD5.
14994 @dfn{login:} Plain-text username/password via LOGIN.
14996 @dfn{anonymous:} Login as `anonymous', supplying your emailadress as password.
14999 @item nnimap-expunge-on-close
15001 @vindex nnimap-expunge-on-close
15002 Unlike Parmenides the @sc{imap} designers has decided that things that
15003 doesn't exist actually does exist. More specifically, @sc{imap} has
15004 this concept of marking articles @code{Deleted} which doesn't actually
15005 delete them, and this (marking them @code{Deleted}, that is) is what
15006 nnimap does when you delete a article in Gnus (with @kbd{B DEL} or
15009 Since the articles aren't really removed when we mark them with the
15010 @code{Deleted} flag we'll need a way to actually delete them. Feel like
15011 running in circles yet?
15013 Traditionally, nnimap has removed all articles marked as @code{Deleted}
15014 when closing a mailbox but this is now configurable by this server
15017 The possible options are:
15022 The default behavior, delete all articles marked as "Deleted" when
15025 Never actually delete articles. Currently there is no way of showing
15026 the articles marked for deletion in nnimap, but other @sc{imap} clients
15027 may allow you to do this. If you ever want to run the EXPUNGE command
15028 manually, @xref{Expunging mailboxes}.
15030 When closing mailboxes, nnimap will ask if you wish to expunge deleted
15035 @item nnimap-importantize-dormant
15036 @vindex nnimap-importantize-dormant
15038 If non-nil (the default), marks dormant articles as ticked (as well),
15039 for other @sc{imap} clients. Within Gnus, dormant articles will
15040 naturally still (only) be marked as dormant. This is to make dormant
15041 articles stand out, just like ticked articles, in other @sc{imap}
15042 clients. (In other words, Gnus has two ``Tick'' marks and @sc{imap}
15045 Probably the only reason for frobing this would be if you're trying
15046 enable per-user persistant dormant flags, using something like:
15049 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-flag-alist)
15050 (format "gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
15051 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-predicate-alist)
15052 (format "KEYWORD gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
15055 In this case, you would not want the per-user dormant flag showing up
15056 as ticked for other users.
15058 @item nnimap-expunge-search-string
15060 @vindex nnimap-expunge-search-string
15062 This variable contain the @sc{imap} search command sent to server when
15063 searching for articles eligible for expiring. The default is
15064 @code{"UID %s NOT SINCE %s"}, where the first @code{%s} is replaced by
15065 UID set and the second @code{%s} is replaced by a date.
15067 Probably the only useful value to change this to is
15068 @code{"UID %s NOT SENTSINCE %s"}, which makes nnimap use the Date: in
15069 messages instead of the internal article date. See section 6.4.4 of
15070 RFC 2060 for more information on valid strings.
15072 @item nnimap-authinfo-file
15073 @vindex nnimap-authinfo-file
15075 A file containing credentials used to log in on servers. The format is
15076 (almost) the same as the @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file. See the
15077 variable @code{nntp-authinfo-file} for exact syntax; also see
15083 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
15084 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
15085 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a "compress mailbox" button.
15090 @node Splitting in IMAP
15091 @subsection Splitting in IMAP
15092 @cindex splitting imap mail
15094 Splitting is something Gnus users has loved and used for years, and now
15095 the rest of the world is catching up. Yeah, dream on, not many
15096 @sc{imap} server has server side splitting and those that have splitting
15097 seem to use some non-standard protocol. This means that @sc{imap}
15098 support for Gnus has to do it's own splitting.
15102 Here are the variables of interest:
15106 @item nnimap-split-crosspost
15107 @cindex splitting, crosspost
15109 @vindex nnimap-split-crosspost
15111 If non-nil, do crossposting if several split methods match the mail. If
15112 nil, the first match in @code{nnimap-split-rule} found will be used.
15114 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-crosspost}.
15116 @item nnimap-split-inbox
15117 @cindex splitting, inbox
15119 @vindex nnimap-split-inbox
15121 A string or a list of strings that gives the name(s) of @sc{imap}
15122 mailboxes to split from. Defaults to nil, which means that splitting is
15126 (setq nnimap-split-inbox
15127 '("INBOX" ("~/friend/Mail" . "lists/*") "lists.imap"))
15130 No nnmail equivalent.
15132 @item nnimap-split-rule
15133 @cindex Splitting, rules
15134 @vindex nnimap-split-rule
15136 New mail found in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be split according to
15139 This variable contains a list of lists, where the first element in the
15140 sublist gives the name of the @sc{imap} mailbox to move articles
15141 matching the regexp in the second element in the sublist. Got that?
15142 Neither did I, we need examples.
15145 (setq nnimap-split-rule
15147 "^Sender: owner-nnimap@@vic20.globalcom.se")
15148 ("INBOX.junk" "^Subject:.*MAKE MONEY")
15149 ("INBOX.private" "")))
15152 This will put all articles from the nnimap mailing list into mailbox
15153 INBOX.nnimap, all articles containing MAKE MONEY in the Subject: line
15154 into INBOX.junk and everything else in INBOX.private.
15156 The first string may contain `\\1' forms, like the ones used by
15157 replace-match to insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For
15161 ("INBOX.lists.\\1" "^Sender: owner-\\([a-z-]+\\)@@")
15164 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
15165 called with the first element of the rule as the argument, in a buffer
15166 containing the headers of the article. It should return a non-nil value
15167 if it thinks that the mail belongs in that group.
15169 Nnmail users might recollect that the last regexp had to be empty to
15170 match all articles (like in the example above). This is not required in
15171 nnimap. Articles not matching any of the regexps will not be moved out
15172 of your inbox. (This might affect performance if you keep lots of
15173 unread articles in your inbox, since the splitting code would go over
15174 them every time you fetch new mail.)
15176 These rules are processed from the beginning of the alist toward the
15177 end. The first rule to make a match will "win", unless you have
15178 crossposting enabled. In that case, all matching rules will "win".
15180 This variable can also have a function as its value, the function will
15181 be called with the headers narrowed and should return a group where it
15182 thinks the article should be split to. See @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
15184 The splitting code tries to create mailboxes if it needs to.
15186 To allow for different split rules on different virtual servers, and
15187 even different split rules in different inboxes on the same server,
15188 the syntax of this variable have been extended along the lines of:
15191 (setq nnimap-split-rule
15192 '(("my1server" (".*" (("ding" "ding@@gnus.org")
15193 ("junk" "From:.*Simon")))
15194 ("my2server" ("INBOX" nnimap-split-fancy))
15195 ("my[34]server" (".*" (("private" "To:.*Simon")
15196 ("junk" my-junk-func)))))
15199 The virtual server name is in fact a regexp, so that the same rules
15200 may apply to several servers. In the example, the servers
15201 @code{my3server} and @code{my4server} both use the same rules.
15202 Similarly, the inbox string is also a regexp. The actual splitting
15203 rules are as before, either a function, or a list with group/regexp or
15204 group/function elements.
15206 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
15208 @item nnimap-split-predicate
15210 @vindex nnimap-split-predicate
15212 Mail matching this predicate in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be
15213 split, it is a string and the default is @samp{UNSEEN UNDELETED}.
15215 This might be useful if you use another @sc{imap} client to read mail in
15216 your inbox but would like Gnus to split all articles in the inbox
15217 regardless of readedness. Then you might change this to
15220 @item nnimap-split-fancy
15221 @cindex splitting, fancy
15222 @findex nnimap-split-fancy
15223 @vindex nnimap-split-fancy
15225 It's possible to set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
15226 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} if you want to use fancy
15227 splitting. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
15229 However, to be able to have different fancy split rules for nnmail and
15230 nnimap back ends you can set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
15231 @code{nnimap-split-fancy} and define the nnimap specific fancy split
15232 rule in @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
15237 (setq nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
15238 nnimap-split-fancy ...)
15241 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
15245 @node Editing IMAP ACLs
15246 @subsection Editing IMAP ACLs
15247 @cindex editing imap acls
15248 @cindex Access Control Lists
15249 @cindex Editing @sc{imap} ACLs
15251 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-edit-acl
15253 ACL stands for Access Control List. ACLs are used in @sc{imap} for
15254 limiting (or enabling) other users access to your mail boxes. Not all
15255 @sc{imap} servers support this, this function will give an error if it
15258 To edit a ACL for a mailbox, type @kbd{G l}
15259 (@code{gnus-group-edit-nnimap-acl}) and you'll be presented with a ACL
15260 editing window with detailed instructions.
15262 Some possible uses:
15266 Giving "anyone" the "lrs" rights (lookup, read, keep seen/unseen flags)
15267 on your mailing list mailboxes enables other users on the same server to
15268 follow the list without subscribing to it.
15270 At least with the Cyrus server, you are required to give the user
15271 "anyone" posting ("p") capabilities to have "plussing" work (that is,
15272 mail sent to user+mailbox@@domain ending up in the @sc{imap} mailbox
15276 @node Expunging mailboxes
15277 @subsection Expunging mailboxes
15281 @cindex Manual expunging
15283 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-expunge
15285 If you're using the @code{never} setting of @code{nnimap-expunge-on-close},
15286 you may want the option of expunging all deleted articles in a mailbox
15287 manually. This is exactly what @kbd{G x} does.
15289 Currently there is no way of showing deleted articles, you can just
15294 @node Other Sources
15295 @section Other Sources
15297 Gnus can do more than just read news or mail. The methods described
15298 below allow Gnus to view directories and files as if they were
15302 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
15303 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
15304 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
15305 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
15306 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
15310 @node Directory Groups
15311 @subsection Directory Groups
15313 @cindex directory groups
15315 If you have a directory that has lots of articles in separate files in
15316 it, you might treat it as a newsgroup. The files have to have numerical
15319 This might be an opportune moment to mention @code{ange-ftp} (and its
15320 successor @code{efs}), that most wonderful of all wonderful Emacs
15321 packages. When I wrote @code{nndir}, I didn't think much about it---a
15322 back end to read directories. Big deal.
15324 @code{ange-ftp} changes that picture dramatically. For instance, if you
15325 enter the @code{ange-ftp} file name
15326 @file{/ftp.hpc.uh.edu:/pub/emacs/ding-list/} as the directory name,
15327 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will actually allow you to read this
15328 directory over at @samp{sina} as a newsgroup. Distributed news ahoy!
15330 @code{nndir} will use @sc{nov} files if they are present.
15332 @code{nndir} is a ``read-only'' back end---you can't delete or expire
15333 articles with this method. You can use @code{nnmh} or @code{nnml} for
15334 whatever you use @code{nndir} for, so you could switch to any of those
15335 methods if you feel the need to have a non-read-only @code{nndir}.
15338 @node Anything Groups
15339 @subsection Anything Groups
15342 From the @code{nndir} back end (which reads a single spool-like
15343 directory), it's just a hop and a skip to @code{nneething}, which
15344 pretends that any arbitrary directory is a newsgroup. Strange, but
15347 When @code{nneething} is presented with a directory, it will scan this
15348 directory and assign article numbers to each file. When you enter such
15349 a group, @code{nneething} must create ``headers'' that Gnus can use.
15350 After all, Gnus is a newsreader, in case you're forgetting.
15351 @code{nneething} does this in a two-step process. First, it snoops each
15352 file in question. If the file looks like an article (i.e., the first
15353 few lines look like headers), it will use this as the head. If this is
15354 just some arbitrary file without a head (e.g. a C source file),
15355 @code{nneething} will cobble up a header out of thin air. It will use
15356 file ownership, name and date and do whatever it can with these
15359 All this should happen automatically for you, and you will be presented
15360 with something that looks very much like a newsgroup. Totally like a
15361 newsgroup, to be precise. If you select an article, it will be displayed
15362 in the article buffer, just as usual.
15364 If you select a line that represents a directory, Gnus will pop you into
15365 a new summary buffer for this @code{nneething} group. And so on. You can
15366 traverse the entire disk this way, if you feel like, but remember that
15367 Gnus is not dired, really, and does not intend to be, either.
15369 There are two overall modes to this action---ephemeral or solid. When
15370 doing the ephemeral thing (i.e., @kbd{G D} from the group buffer), Gnus
15371 will not store information on what files you have read, and what files
15372 are new, and so on. If you create a solid @code{nneething} group the
15373 normal way with @kbd{G m}, Gnus will store a mapping table between
15374 article numbers and file names, and you can treat this group like any
15375 other groups. When you activate a solid @code{nneething} group, you will
15376 be told how many unread articles it contains, etc., etc.
15381 @item nneething-map-file-directory
15382 @vindex nneething-map-file-directory
15383 All the mapping files for solid @code{nneething} groups will be stored
15384 in this directory, which defaults to @file{~/.nneething/}.
15386 @item nneething-exclude-files
15387 @vindex nneething-exclude-files
15388 All files that match this regexp will be ignored. Nice to use to exclude
15389 auto-save files and the like, which is what it does by default.
15391 @item nneething-include-files
15392 @vindex nneething-include-files
15393 Regexp saying what files to include in the group. If this variable is
15394 non-@code{nil}, only files matching this regexp will be included.
15396 @item nneething-map-file
15397 @vindex nneething-map-file
15398 Name of the map files.
15402 @node Document Groups
15403 @subsection Document Groups
15405 @cindex documentation group
15408 @code{nndoc} is a cute little thing that will let you read a single file
15409 as a newsgroup. Several files types are supported:
15416 The babyl (rmail) mail box.
15421 The standard Unix mbox file.
15423 @cindex MMDF mail box
15425 The MMDF mail box format.
15428 Several news articles appended into a file.
15431 @cindex rnews batch files
15432 The rnews batch transport format.
15433 @cindex forwarded messages
15436 Forwarded articles.
15439 Netscape mail boxes.
15442 @sc{mime} multipart messages.
15444 @item standard-digest
15445 The standard (RFC 1153) digest format.
15448 A @sc{mime} digest of messages.
15450 @item lanl-gov-announce
15451 Announcement messages from LANL Gov Announce.
15453 @item rfc822-forward
15454 A message forwarded according to RFC822.
15457 The Outlook mail box.
15460 The Outlook Express dbx mail box.
15463 A bounce message from the Exim MTA.
15466 A message forwarded according to informal rules.
15469 An RFC934-forwarded message.
15475 A digest of Clarinet brief news items.
15478 Non-standard digest format---matches most things, but does it badly.
15484 You can also use the special ``file type'' @code{guess}, which means
15485 that @code{nndoc} will try to guess what file type it is looking at.
15486 @code{digest} means that @code{nndoc} should guess what digest type the
15489 @code{nndoc} will not try to change the file or insert any extra headers into
15490 it---it will simply, like, let you use the file as the basis for a
15491 group. And that's it.
15493 If you have some old archived articles that you want to insert into your
15494 new & spiffy Gnus mail back end, @code{nndoc} can probably help you with
15495 that. Say you have an old @file{RMAIL} file with mail that you now want
15496 to split into your new @code{nnml} groups. You look at that file using
15497 @code{nndoc} (using the @kbd{G f} command in the group buffer
15498 (@pxref{Foreign Groups})), set the process mark on all the articles in
15499 the buffer (@kbd{M P b}, for instance), and then re-spool (@kbd{B r})
15500 using @code{nnml}. If all goes well, all the mail in the @file{RMAIL}
15501 file is now also stored in lots of @code{nnml} directories, and you can
15502 delete that pesky @file{RMAIL} file. If you have the guts!
15504 Virtual server variables:
15507 @item nndoc-article-type
15508 @vindex nndoc-article-type
15509 This should be one of @code{mbox}, @code{babyl}, @code{digest},
15510 @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward}, @code{rfc934},
15511 @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts}, @code{standard-digest},
15512 @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs}, @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook},
15513 @code{oe-dbx}, @code{mailman}, and @code{mail-in-mail} or @code{guess}.
15515 @item nndoc-post-type
15516 @vindex nndoc-post-type
15517 This variable says whether Gnus is to consider the group a news group or
15518 a mail group. There are two valid values: @code{mail} (the default)
15523 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
15527 @node Document Server Internals
15528 @subsubsection Document Server Internals
15530 Adding new document types to be recognized by @code{nndoc} isn't
15531 difficult. You just have to whip up a definition of what the document
15532 looks like, write a predicate function to recognize that document type,
15533 and then hook into @code{nndoc}.
15535 First, here's an example document type definition:
15539 (article-begin . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n")
15540 (body-end . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n"))
15543 The definition is simply a unique @dfn{name} followed by a series of
15544 regexp pseudo-variable settings. Below are the possible
15545 variables---don't be daunted by the number of variables; most document
15546 types can be defined with very few settings:
15549 @item first-article
15550 If present, @code{nndoc} will skip past all text until it finds
15551 something that match this regexp. All text before this will be
15554 @item article-begin
15555 This setting has to be present in all document type definitions. It
15556 says what the beginning of each article looks like.
15558 @item head-begin-function
15559 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the head of
15562 @item nndoc-head-begin
15563 If present, this should be a regexp that matches the head of the
15566 @item nndoc-head-end
15567 This should match the end of the head of the article. It defaults to
15568 @samp{^$}---the empty line.
15570 @item body-begin-function
15571 If present, this function should move point to the beginning of the body
15575 This should match the beginning of the body of the article. It defaults
15578 @item body-end-function
15579 If present, this function should move point to the end of the body of
15583 If present, this should match the end of the body of the article.
15586 If present, this should match the end of the file. All text after this
15587 regexp will be totally ignored.
15591 So, using these variables @code{nndoc} is able to dissect a document
15592 file into a series of articles, each with a head and a body. However, a
15593 few more variables are needed since not all document types are all that
15594 news-like---variables needed to transform the head or the body into
15595 something that's palatable for Gnus:
15598 @item prepare-body-function
15599 If present, this function will be called when requesting an article. It
15600 will be called with point at the start of the body, and is useful if the
15601 document has encoded some parts of its contents.
15603 @item article-transform-function
15604 If present, this function is called when requesting an article. It's
15605 meant to be used for more wide-ranging transformation of both head and
15606 body of the article.
15608 @item generate-head-function
15609 If present, this function is called to generate a head that Gnus can
15610 understand. It is called with the article number as a parameter, and is
15611 expected to generate a nice head for the article in question. It is
15612 called when requesting the headers of all articles.
15616 Let's look at the most complicated example I can come up with---standard
15621 (first-article . ,(concat "^" (make-string 70 ?-) "\n\n+"))
15622 (article-begin . ,(concat "\n\n" (make-string 30 ?-) "\n\n+"))
15623 (prepare-body-function . nndoc-unquote-dashes)
15624 (body-end-function . nndoc-digest-body-end)
15625 (head-end . "^ ?$")
15626 (body-begin . "^ ?\n")
15627 (file-end . "^End of .*digest.*[0-9].*\n\\*\\*\\|^End of.*Digest *$")
15628 (subtype digest guess))
15631 We see that all text before a 70-width line of dashes is ignored; all
15632 text after a line that starts with that @samp{^End of} is also ignored;
15633 each article begins with a 30-width line of dashes; the line separating
15634 the head from the body may contain a single space; and that the body is
15635 run through @code{nndoc-unquote-dashes} before being delivered.
15637 To hook your own document definition into @code{nndoc}, use the
15638 @code{nndoc-add-type} function. It takes two parameters---the first is
15639 the definition itself and the second (optional) parameter says where in
15640 the document type definition alist to put this definition. The alist is
15641 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
15642 is of @code{mmdf} type, and so on. These type predicates should return
15643 @code{nil} if the document is not of the correct type; @code{t} if it is
15644 of the correct type; and a number if the document might be of the
15645 correct type. A high number means high probability; a low number means
15646 low probability with @samp{0} being the lowest valid number.
15654 In the PC world people often talk about ``offline'' newsreaders. These
15655 are thingies that are combined reader/news transport monstrosities.
15656 With built-in modem programs. Yecchh!
15658 Of course, us Unix Weenie types of human beans use things like
15659 @code{uucp} and, like, @code{nntpd} and set up proper news and mail
15660 transport things like Ghod intended. And then we just use normal
15663 However, it can sometimes be convenient to do something that's a bit
15664 easier on the brain if you have a very slow modem, and you're not really
15665 that interested in doing things properly.
15667 A file format called @sc{soup} has been developed for transporting news
15668 and mail from servers to home machines and back again. It can be a bit
15671 First some terminology:
15676 This is the machine that is connected to the outside world and where you
15677 get news and/or mail from.
15680 This is the machine that you want to do the actual reading and responding
15681 on. It is typically not connected to the rest of the world in any way.
15684 Something that contains messages and/or commands. There are two kinds
15688 @item message packets
15689 These are packets made at the server, and typically contain lots of
15690 messages for you to read. These are called @file{SoupoutX.tgz} by
15691 default, where @var{x} is a number.
15693 @item response packets
15694 These are packets made at the home machine, and typically contains
15695 replies that you've written. These are called @file{SoupinX.tgz} by
15696 default, where @var{x} is a number.
15706 You log in on the server and create a @sc{soup} packet. You can either
15707 use a dedicated @sc{soup} thingie (like the @code{awk} program), or you
15708 can use Gnus to create the packet with its @sc{soup} commands (@kbd{O
15709 s} and/or @kbd{G s b}; and then @kbd{G s p}) (@pxref{SOUP Commands}).
15712 You transfer the packet home. Rail, boat, car or modem will do fine.
15715 You put the packet in your home directory.
15718 You fire up Gnus on your home machine using the @code{nnsoup} back end as
15719 the native or secondary server.
15722 You read articles and mail and answer and followup to the things you
15723 want (@pxref{SOUP Replies}).
15726 You do the @kbd{G s r} command to pack these replies into a @sc{soup}
15730 You transfer this packet to the server.
15733 You use Gnus to mail this packet out with the @kbd{G s s} command.
15736 You then repeat until you die.
15740 So you basically have a bipartite system---you use @code{nnsoup} for
15741 reading and Gnus for packing/sending these @sc{soup} packets.
15744 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
15745 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
15746 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
15750 @node SOUP Commands
15751 @subsubsection SOUP Commands
15753 These are commands for creating and manipulating @sc{soup} packets.
15757 @kindex G s b (Group)
15758 @findex gnus-group-brew-soup
15759 Pack all unread articles in the current group
15760 (@code{gnus-group-brew-soup}). This command understands the
15761 process/prefix convention.
15764 @kindex G s w (Group)
15765 @findex gnus-soup-save-areas
15766 Save all @sc{soup} data files (@code{gnus-soup-save-areas}).
15769 @kindex G s s (Group)
15770 @findex gnus-soup-send-replies
15771 Send all replies from the replies packet
15772 (@code{gnus-soup-send-replies}).
15775 @kindex G s p (Group)
15776 @findex gnus-soup-pack-packet
15777 Pack all files into a @sc{soup} packet (@code{gnus-soup-pack-packet}).
15780 @kindex G s r (Group)
15781 @findex nnsoup-pack-replies
15782 Pack all replies into a replies packet (@code{nnsoup-pack-replies}).
15785 @kindex O s (Summary)
15786 @findex gnus-soup-add-article
15787 This summary-mode command adds the current article to a @sc{soup} packet
15788 (@code{gnus-soup-add-article}). It understands the process/prefix
15789 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
15794 There are a few variables to customize where Gnus will put all these
15799 @item gnus-soup-directory
15800 @vindex gnus-soup-directory
15801 Directory where Gnus will save intermediate files while composing
15802 @sc{soup} packets. The default is @file{~/SoupBrew/}.
15804 @item gnus-soup-replies-directory
15805 @vindex gnus-soup-replies-directory
15806 This is what Gnus will use as a temporary directory while sending our
15807 reply packets. @file{~/SoupBrew/SoupReplies/} is the default.
15809 @item gnus-soup-prefix-file
15810 @vindex gnus-soup-prefix-file
15811 Name of the file where Gnus stores the last used prefix. The default is
15812 @samp{gnus-prefix}.
15814 @item gnus-soup-packer
15815 @vindex gnus-soup-packer
15816 A format string command for packing a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
15817 @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupout%d.tgz}.
15819 @item gnus-soup-unpacker
15820 @vindex gnus-soup-unpacker
15821 Format string command for unpacking a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
15822 @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
15824 @item gnus-soup-packet-directory
15825 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-directory
15826 Where Gnus will look for reply packets. The default is @file{~/}.
15828 @item gnus-soup-packet-regexp
15829 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-regexp
15830 Regular expression matching @sc{soup} reply packets in
15831 @code{gnus-soup-packet-directory}.
15837 @subsubsection SOUP Groups
15840 @code{nnsoup} is the back end for reading @sc{soup} packets. It will
15841 read incoming packets, unpack them, and put them in a directory where
15842 you can read them at leisure.
15844 These are the variables you can use to customize its behavior:
15848 @item nnsoup-tmp-directory
15849 @vindex nnsoup-tmp-directory
15850 When @code{nnsoup} unpacks a @sc{soup} packet, it does it in this
15851 directory. (@file{/tmp/} by default.)
15853 @item nnsoup-directory
15854 @vindex nnsoup-directory
15855 @code{nnsoup} then moves each message and index file to this directory.
15856 The default is @file{~/SOUP/}.
15858 @item nnsoup-replies-directory
15859 @vindex nnsoup-replies-directory
15860 All replies will be stored in this directory before being packed into a
15861 reply packet. The default is @file{~/SOUP/replies/"}.
15863 @item nnsoup-replies-format-type
15864 @vindex nnsoup-replies-format-type
15865 The @sc{soup} format of the replies packets. The default is @samp{?n}
15866 (rnews), and I don't think you should touch that variable. I probably
15867 shouldn't even have documented it. Drats! Too late!
15869 @item nnsoup-replies-index-type
15870 @vindex nnsoup-replies-index-type
15871 The index type of the replies packet. The default is @samp{?n}, which
15872 means ``none''. Don't fiddle with this one either!
15874 @item nnsoup-active-file
15875 @vindex nnsoup-active-file
15876 Where @code{nnsoup} stores lots of information. This is not an ``active
15877 file'' in the @code{nntp} sense; it's an Emacs Lisp file. If you lose
15878 this file or mess it up in any way, you're dead. The default is
15879 @file{~/SOUP/active}.
15881 @item nnsoup-packer
15882 @vindex nnsoup-packer
15883 Format string command for packing a reply @sc{soup} packet. The default
15884 is @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupin%d.tgz}.
15886 @item nnsoup-unpacker
15887 @vindex nnsoup-unpacker
15888 Format string command for unpacking incoming @sc{soup} packets. The
15889 default is @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
15891 @item nnsoup-packet-directory
15892 @vindex nnsoup-packet-directory
15893 Where @code{nnsoup} will look for incoming packets. The default is
15896 @item nnsoup-packet-regexp
15897 @vindex nnsoup-packet-regexp
15898 Regular expression matching incoming @sc{soup} packets. The default is
15901 @item nnsoup-always-save
15902 @vindex nnsoup-always-save
15903 If non-@code{nil}, save the replies buffer after each posted message.
15909 @subsubsection SOUP Replies
15911 Just using @code{nnsoup} won't mean that your postings and mailings end
15912 up in @sc{soup} reply packets automagically. You have to work a bit
15913 more for that to happen.
15915 @findex nnsoup-set-variables
15916 The @code{nnsoup-set-variables} command will set the appropriate
15917 variables to ensure that all your followups and replies end up in the
15920 In specific, this is what it does:
15923 (setq message-send-news-function 'nnsoup-request-post)
15924 (setq message-send-mail-function 'nnsoup-request-mail)
15927 And that's it, really. If you only want news to go into the @sc{soup}
15928 system you just use the first line. If you only want mail to be
15929 @sc{soup}ed you use the second.
15932 @node Mail-To-News Gateways
15933 @subsection Mail-To-News Gateways
15934 @cindex mail-to-news gateways
15937 If your local @code{nntp} server doesn't allow posting, for some reason
15938 or other, you can post using one of the numerous mail-to-news gateways.
15939 The @code{nngateway} back end provides the interface.
15941 Note that you can't read anything from this back end---it can only be
15947 @item nngateway-address
15948 @vindex nngateway-address
15949 This is the address of the mail-to-news gateway.
15951 @item nngateway-header-transformation
15952 @vindex nngateway-header-transformation
15953 News headers often have to be transformed in some odd way or other
15954 for the mail-to-news gateway to accept it. This variable says what
15955 transformation should be called, and defaults to
15956 @code{nngateway-simple-header-transformation}. The function is called
15957 narrowed to the headers to be transformed and with one parameter---the
15960 This default function just inserts a new @code{To} header based on the
15961 @code{Newsgroups} header and the gateway address.
15962 For instance, an article with this @code{Newsgroups} header:
15965 Newsgroups: alt.religion.emacs
15968 will get this @code{To} header inserted:
15971 To: alt-religion-emacs@@GATEWAY
15974 The following pre-defined functions exist:
15976 @findex nngateway-simple-header-transformation
15979 @item nngateway-simple-header-transformation
15980 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
15981 @var{newsgroup}@@@code{nngateway-address}.
15983 @findex nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
15985 @item nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
15986 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
15987 @code{nngateway-address}.
15992 (setq gnus-post-method
15994 "mail2news@@replay.com"
15995 (nngateway-header-transformation
15996 nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation)))
16004 So, to use this, simply say something like:
16007 (setq gnus-post-method '(nngateway "GATEWAY.ADDRESS"))
16012 @node Combined Groups
16013 @section Combined Groups
16015 Gnus allows combining a mixture of all the other group types into bigger
16019 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
16020 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
16024 @node Virtual Groups
16025 @subsection Virtual Groups
16027 @cindex virtual groups
16028 @cindex merging groups
16030 An @dfn{nnvirtual group} is really nothing more than a collection of
16033 For instance, if you are tired of reading many small groups, you can
16034 put them all in one big group, and then grow tired of reading one
16035 big, unwieldy group. The joys of computing!
16037 You specify @code{nnvirtual} as the method. The address should be a
16038 regexp to match component groups.
16040 All marks in the virtual group will stick to the articles in the
16041 component groups. So if you tick an article in a virtual group, the
16042 article will also be ticked in the component group from whence it
16043 came. (And vice versa---marks from the component groups will also be
16044 shown in the virtual group.). To create an empty virtual group, run
16045 @kbd{G V} (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}) in the group buffer
16046 and edit the method regexp with @kbd{M-e}
16047 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method})
16049 Here's an example @code{nnvirtual} method that collects all Andrea Dworkin
16050 newsgroups into one, big, happy newsgroup:
16053 (nnvirtual "^alt\\.fan\\.andrea-dworkin$\\|^rec\\.dworkin.*")
16056 The component groups can be native or foreign; everything should work
16057 smoothly, but if your computer explodes, it was probably my fault.
16059 Collecting the same group from several servers might actually be a good
16060 idea if users have set the Distribution header to limit distribution.
16061 If you would like to read @samp{soc.motss} both from a server in Japan
16062 and a server in Norway, you could use the following as the group regexp:
16065 "^nntp\\+server\\.jp:soc\\.motss$\\|^nntp\\+server\\.no:soc\\.motss$"
16068 (Remember, though, that if you're creating the group with @kbd{G m}, you
16069 shouldn't double the backslashes, and you should leave off the quote
16070 characters at the beginning and the end of the string.)
16072 This should work kinda smoothly---all articles from both groups should
16073 end up in this one, and there should be no duplicates. Threading (and
16074 the rest) will still work as usual, but there might be problems with the
16075 sequence of articles. Sorting on date might be an option here
16076 (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
16078 One limitation, however---all groups included in a virtual
16079 group have to be alive (i.e., subscribed or unsubscribed). Killed or
16080 zombie groups can't be component groups for @code{nnvirtual} groups.
16082 @vindex nnvirtual-always-rescan
16083 If the @code{nnvirtual-always-rescan} is non-@code{nil},
16084 @code{nnvirtual} will always scan groups for unread articles when
16085 entering a virtual group. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
16086 default) and you read articles in a component group after the virtual
16087 group has been activated, the read articles from the component group
16088 will show up when you enter the virtual group. You'll also see this
16089 effect if you have two virtual groups that have a component group in
16090 common. If that's the case, you should set this variable to @code{t}.
16091 Or you can just tap @code{M-g} on the virtual group every time before
16092 you enter it---it'll have much the same effect.
16094 @code{nnvirtual} can have both mail and news groups as component groups.
16095 When responding to articles in @code{nnvirtual} groups, @code{nnvirtual}
16096 has to ask the back end of the component group the article comes from
16097 whether it is a news or mail back end. However, when you do a @kbd{^},
16098 there is typically no sure way for the component back end to know this,
16099 and in that case @code{nnvirtual} tells Gnus that the article came from a
16100 not-news back end. (Just to be on the safe side.)
16102 @kbd{C-c C-n} in the message buffer will insert the @code{Newsgroups}
16103 line from the article you respond to in these cases.
16105 @code{nnvirtual} groups do not inherit anything but articles and marks
16106 from component groups---group parameters, for instance, are not
16110 @node Kibozed Groups
16111 @subsection Kibozed Groups
16115 @dfn{Kibozing} is defined by @sc{oed} as ``grepping through (parts of)
16116 the news feed''. @code{nnkiboze} is a back end that will do this for
16117 you. Oh joy! Now you can grind any @sc{nntp} server down to a halt
16118 with useless requests! Oh happiness!
16120 @kindex G k (Group)
16121 To create a kibozed group, use the @kbd{G k} command in the group
16124 The address field of the @code{nnkiboze} method is, as with
16125 @code{nnvirtual}, a regexp to match groups to be ``included'' in the
16126 @code{nnkiboze} group. That's where most similarities between @code{nnkiboze}
16127 and @code{nnvirtual} end.
16129 In addition to this regexp detailing component groups, an @code{nnkiboze} group
16130 must have a score file to say what articles are to be included in
16131 the group (@pxref{Scoring}).
16133 @kindex M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups
16134 @findex nnkiboze-generate-groups
16135 You must run @kbd{M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups} after creating the
16136 @code{nnkiboze} groups you want to have. This command will take time. Lots of
16137 time. Oodles and oodles of time. Gnus has to fetch the headers from
16138 all the articles in all the component groups and run them through the
16139 scoring process to determine if there are any articles in the groups
16140 that are to be part of the @code{nnkiboze} groups.
16142 Please limit the number of component groups by using restrictive
16143 regexps. Otherwise your sysadmin may become annoyed with you, and the
16144 @sc{nntp} site may throw you off and never let you back in again.
16145 Stranger things have happened.
16147 @code{nnkiboze} component groups do not have to be alive---they can be dead,
16148 and they can be foreign. No restrictions.
16150 @vindex nnkiboze-directory
16151 The generation of an @code{nnkiboze} group means writing two files in
16152 @code{nnkiboze-directory}, which is @file{~/News/} by default. One
16153 contains the @sc{nov} header lines for all the articles in the group,
16154 and the other is an additional @file{.newsrc} file to store information
16155 on what groups have been searched through to find component articles.
16157 Articles marked as read in the @code{nnkiboze} group will have
16158 their @sc{nov} lines removed from the @sc{nov} file.
16161 @node Gnus Unplugged
16162 @section Gnus Unplugged
16167 @cindex Gnus Unplugged
16169 In olden times (ca. February '88), people used to run their newsreaders
16170 on big machines with permanent connections to the net. News transport
16171 was dealt with by news servers, and all the newsreaders had to do was to
16172 read news. Believe it or not.
16174 Nowadays most people read news and mail at home, and use some sort of
16175 modem to connect to the net. To avoid running up huge phone bills, it
16176 would be nice to have a way to slurp down all the news and mail, hang up
16177 the phone, read for several hours, and then upload any responses you
16178 have to make. And then you repeat the procedure.
16180 Of course, you can use news servers for doing this as well. I've used
16181 @code{inn} together with @code{slurp}, @code{pop} and @code{sendmail}
16182 for some years, but doing that's a bore. Moving the news server
16183 functionality up to the newsreader makes sense if you're the only person
16184 reading news on a machine.
16186 Using Gnus as an ``offline'' newsreader is quite simple.
16190 First, set up Gnus as you would do if you were running it on a machine
16191 that has full connection to the net. Go ahead. I'll still be waiting
16195 Then, put the following magical incantation in your @file{.gnus.el}
16199 (setq gnus-agent t)
16203 That's it. Gnus is now an ``offline'' newsreader.
16205 Of course, to use it as such, you have to learn a few new commands.
16208 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
16209 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
16210 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
16211 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
16212 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with IMAP.
16213 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
16214 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
16215 * Example Setup:: An example @file{.gnus.el} file for offline people.
16216 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
16217 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
16222 @subsection Agent Basics
16224 First, let's get some terminology out of the way.
16226 The Gnus Agent is said to be @dfn{unplugged} when you have severed the
16227 connection to the net (and notified the Agent that this is the case).
16228 When the connection to the net is up again (and Gnus knows this), the
16229 Agent is @dfn{plugged}.
16231 The @dfn{local} machine is the one you're running on, and which isn't
16232 connected to the net continuously.
16234 @dfn{Downloading} means fetching things from the net to your local
16235 machine. @dfn{Uploading} is doing the opposite.
16237 Let's take a typical Gnus session using the Agent.
16242 You start Gnus with @code{gnus-unplugged}. This brings up the Gnus
16243 Agent in a disconnected state. You can read all the news that you have
16244 already fetched while in this mode.
16247 You then decide to see whether any new news has arrived. You connect
16248 your machine to the net (using PPP or whatever), and then hit @kbd{J j}
16249 to make Gnus become @dfn{plugged} and use @kbd{g} to check for new mail
16250 as usual. To check for new mail in unplugged mode, see (@pxref{Mail
16251 Source Specifiers}).
16254 You can then read the new news immediately, or you can download the news
16255 onto your local machine. If you want to do the latter, you press @kbd{g}
16256 to check if there are any new news and then @kbd{J
16257 s} to fetch all the eligible articles in all the groups. (To let Gnus
16258 know which articles you want to download, @pxref{Agent Categories}.)
16261 After fetching the articles, you press @kbd{J j} to make Gnus become
16262 unplugged again, and you shut down the PPP thing (or whatever). And
16263 then you read the news offline.
16266 And then you go to step 2.
16269 Here are some things you should do the first time (or so) that you use
16275 Decide which servers should be covered by the Agent. If you have a mail
16276 back end, it would probably be nonsensical to have it covered by the
16277 Agent. Go to the server buffer (@kbd{^} in the group buffer) and press
16278 @kbd{J a} the server (or servers) that you wish to have covered by the
16279 Agent (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}). This will typically be only the
16280 primary select method, which is listed on the bottom in the buffer.
16283 Decide on download policy. @xref{Agent Categories}.
16290 @node Agent Categories
16291 @subsection Agent Categories
16293 One of the main reasons to integrate the news transport layer into the
16294 newsreader is to allow greater control over what articles to download.
16295 There's not much point in downloading huge amounts of articles, just to
16296 find out that you're not interested in reading any of them. It's better
16297 to be somewhat more conservative in choosing what to download, and then
16298 mark the articles for downloading manually if it should turn out that
16299 you're interested in the articles anyway.
16301 The main way to control what is to be downloaded is to create a
16302 @dfn{category} and then assign some (or all) groups to this category.
16303 Groups that do not belong in any other category belong to the
16304 @code{default} category. Gnus has its own buffer for creating and
16305 managing categories.
16308 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
16309 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
16310 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
16314 @node Category Syntax
16315 @subsubsection Category Syntax
16317 A category consists of two things.
16321 A predicate which (generally) gives a rough outline of which articles
16322 are eligible for downloading; and
16325 a score rule which (generally) gives you a finer granularity when
16326 deciding what articles to download. (Note that this @dfn{download
16327 score} is not necessarily related to normal scores.)
16330 A predicate in its simplest form can be a single predicate such as
16331 @code{true} or @code{false}. These two will download every available
16332 article or nothing respectively. In the case of these two special
16333 predicates an additional score rule is superfluous.
16335 Predicates of @code{high} or @code{low} download articles in respect of
16336 their scores in relationship to @code{gnus-agent-high-score} and
16337 @code{gnus-agent-low-score} as described below.
16339 To gain even finer control of what is to be regarded eligible for
16340 download a predicate can consist of a number of predicates with logical
16341 operators sprinkled in between.
16343 Perhaps some examples are in order.
16345 Here's a simple predicate. (It's the default predicate, in fact, used
16346 for all groups that don't belong to any other category.)
16352 Quite simple, eh? This predicate is true if and only if the article is
16353 short (for some value of ``short'').
16355 Here's a more complex predicate:
16364 This means that an article should be downloaded if it has a high score,
16365 or if the score is not low and the article is not long. You get the
16368 The available logical operators are @code{or}, @code{and} and
16369 @code{not}. (If you prefer, you can use the more ``C''-ish operators
16370 @samp{|}, @code{&} and @code{!} instead.)
16372 The following predicates are pre-defined, but if none of these fit what
16373 you want to do, you can write your own.
16377 True iff the article is shorter than @code{gnus-agent-short-article}
16378 lines; default 100.
16381 True iff the article is longer than @code{gnus-agent-long-article}
16382 lines; default 200.
16385 True iff the article has a download score less than
16386 @code{gnus-agent-low-score}; default 0.
16389 True iff the article has a download score greater than
16390 @code{gnus-agent-high-score}; default 0.
16393 True iff the Gnus Agent guesses that the article is spam. The
16394 heuristics may change over time, but at present it just computes a
16395 checksum and sees whether articles match.
16404 If you want to create your own predicate function, here's what you have
16405 to know: The functions are called with no parameters, but the
16406 @code{gnus-headers} and @code{gnus-score} dynamic variables are bound to
16409 For example, you could decide that you don't want to download articles
16410 that were posted more than a certain number of days ago (e.g. posted
16411 more than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} ago) you might write a function
16412 something along the lines of the following:
16415 (defun my-article-old-p ()
16416 "Say whether an article is old."
16417 (< (time-to-days (date-to-time (mail-header-date gnus-headers)))
16418 (- (time-to-days (current-time)) gnus-agent-expire-days)))
16421 with the predicate then defined as:
16424 (not my-article-old-p)
16427 or you could append your predicate to the predefined
16428 @code{gnus-category-predicate-alist} in your @file{~/.gnus.el} or
16432 (require 'gnus-agent)
16433 (setq gnus-category-predicate-alist
16434 (append gnus-category-predicate-alist
16435 '((old . my-article-old-p))))
16438 and simply specify your predicate as:
16444 If/when using something like the above, be aware that there are many
16445 misconfigured systems/mailers out there and so an article's date is not
16446 always a reliable indication of when it was posted. Hell, some people
16447 just don't give a damn.
16449 The above predicates apply to *all* the groups which belong to the
16450 category. However, if you wish to have a specific predicate for an
16451 individual group within a category, or you're just too lazy to set up a
16452 new category, you can enter a group's individual predicate in it's group
16453 parameters like so:
16456 (agent-predicate . short)
16459 This is the group parameter equivalent of the agent category default.
16460 Note that when specifying a single word predicate like this, the
16461 @code{agent-predicate} specification must be in dotted pair notation.
16463 The equivalent of the longer example from above would be:
16466 (agent-predicate or high (and (not low) (not long)))
16469 The outer parenthesis required in the category specification are not
16470 entered here as, not being in dotted pair notation, the value of the
16471 predicate is assumed to be a list.
16474 Now, the syntax of the download score is the same as the syntax of
16475 normal score files, except that all elements that require actually
16476 seeing the article itself are verboten. This means that only the
16477 following headers can be scored on: @code{Subject}, @code{From},
16478 @code{Date}, @code{Message-ID}, @code{References}, @code{Chars},
16479 @code{Lines}, and @code{Xref}.
16481 As with predicates, the specification of the @code{download score rule}
16482 to use in respect of a group can be in either the category definition if
16483 it's to be applicable to all groups in therein, or a group's parameters
16484 if it's to be specific to that group.
16486 In both of these places the @code{download score rule} can take one of
16493 This has the same syntax as a normal gnus score file except only a
16494 subset of scoring keywords are available as mentioned above.
16500 Category specification
16504 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
16510 Group Parameter specification
16513 (agent-score ("from"
16514 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
16519 Again, note the omission of the outermost parenthesis here.
16525 These score files must *only* contain the permitted scoring keywords
16532 Category specification
16535 ("~/News/agent.SCORE")
16541 ("~/News/agent.SCORE" "~/News/agent.group.SCORE")
16545 Group Parameter specification
16548 (agent-score "~/News/agent.SCORE")
16551 Additional score files can be specified as above. Need I say anything
16556 Use @code{normal} score files
16558 If you don't want to maintain two sets of scoring rules for a group, and
16559 your desired @code{downloading} criteria for a group are the same as your
16560 @code{reading} criteria then you can tell the agent to refer to your
16561 @code{normal} score files when deciding what to download.
16563 These directives in either the category definition or a group's
16564 parameters will cause the agent to read in all the applicable score
16565 files for a group, *filtering out* those sections that do not
16566 relate to one of the permitted subset of scoring keywords.
16570 Category Specification
16577 Group Parameter specification
16580 (agent-score . file)
16585 @node Category Buffer
16586 @subsubsection Category Buffer
16588 You'd normally do all category maintenance from the category buffer.
16589 When you enter it for the first time (with the @kbd{J c} command from
16590 the group buffer), you'll only see the @code{default} category.
16592 The following commands are available in this buffer:
16596 @kindex q (Category)
16597 @findex gnus-category-exit
16598 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-category-exit}).
16601 @kindex k (Category)
16602 @findex gnus-category-kill
16603 Kill the current category (@code{gnus-category-kill}).
16606 @kindex c (Category)
16607 @findex gnus-category-copy
16608 Copy the current category (@code{gnus-category-copy}).
16611 @kindex a (Category)
16612 @findex gnus-category-add
16613 Add a new category (@code{gnus-category-add}).
16616 @kindex p (Category)
16617 @findex gnus-category-edit-predicate
16618 Edit the predicate of the current category
16619 (@code{gnus-category-edit-predicate}).
16622 @kindex g (Category)
16623 @findex gnus-category-edit-groups
16624 Edit the list of groups belonging to the current category
16625 (@code{gnus-category-edit-groups}).
16628 @kindex s (Category)
16629 @findex gnus-category-edit-score
16630 Edit the download score rule of the current category
16631 (@code{gnus-category-edit-score}).
16634 @kindex l (Category)
16635 @findex gnus-category-list
16636 List all the categories (@code{gnus-category-list}).
16640 @node Category Variables
16641 @subsubsection Category Variables
16644 @item gnus-category-mode-hook
16645 @vindex gnus-category-mode-hook
16646 Hook run in category buffers.
16648 @item gnus-category-line-format
16649 @vindex gnus-category-line-format
16650 Format of the lines in the category buffer (@pxref{Formatting
16651 Variables}). Valid elements are:
16655 The name of the category.
16658 The number of groups in the category.
16661 @item gnus-category-mode-line-format
16662 @vindex gnus-category-mode-line-format
16663 Format of the category mode line (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}).
16665 @item gnus-agent-short-article
16666 @vindex gnus-agent-short-article
16667 Articles that have fewer lines than this are short. Default 100.
16669 @item gnus-agent-long-article
16670 @vindex gnus-agent-long-article
16671 Articles that have more lines than this are long. Default 200.
16673 @item gnus-agent-low-score
16674 @vindex gnus-agent-low-score
16675 Articles that have a score lower than this have a low score. Default
16678 @item gnus-agent-high-score
16679 @vindex gnus-agent-high-score
16680 Articles that have a score higher than this have a high score. Default
16686 @node Agent Commands
16687 @subsection Agent Commands
16689 All the Gnus Agent commands are on the @kbd{J} submap. The @kbd{J j}
16690 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-plugged}) command works in all modes, and
16691 toggles the plugged/unplugged state of the Gnus Agent.
16695 * Group Agent Commands::
16696 * Summary Agent Commands::
16697 * Server Agent Commands::
16700 You can run a complete batch command from the command line with the
16701 following incantation:
16703 @cindex gnus-agent-batch
16705 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-agent-batch
16710 @node Group Agent Commands
16711 @subsubsection Group Agent Commands
16715 @kindex J u (Agent Group)
16716 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-groups
16717 Fetch all eligible articles in the current group
16718 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-groups}).
16721 @kindex J c (Agent Group)
16722 @findex gnus-enter-category-buffer
16723 Enter the Agent category buffer (@code{gnus-enter-category-buffer}).
16726 @kindex J s (Agent Group)
16727 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-session
16728 Fetch all eligible articles in all groups
16729 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-session}).
16732 @kindex J S (Agent Group)
16733 @findex gnus-group-send-queue
16734 Send all sendable messages in the queue group
16735 (@code{gnus-group-send-queue}). @xref{Drafts}.
16738 @kindex J a (Agent Group)
16739 @findex gnus-agent-add-group
16740 Add the current group to an Agent category
16741 (@code{gnus-agent-add-group}). This command understands the
16742 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
16745 @kindex J r (Agent Group)
16746 @findex gnus-agent-remove-group
16747 Remove the current group from its category, if any
16748 (@code{gnus-agent-remove-group}). This command understands the
16749 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
16752 @kindex J Y (Agent Group)
16753 @findex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
16754 Synchronize flags changed while unplugged with remote server, if any.
16760 @node Summary Agent Commands
16761 @subsubsection Summary Agent Commands
16765 @kindex J # (Agent Summary)
16766 @findex gnus-agent-mark-article
16767 Mark the article for downloading (@code{gnus-agent-mark-article}).
16770 @kindex J M-# (Agent Summary)
16771 @findex gnus-agent-unmark-article
16772 Remove the downloading mark from the article
16773 (@code{gnus-agent-unmark-article}).
16776 @kindex @@ (Agent Summary)
16777 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-mark
16778 Toggle whether to download the article (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-mark}).
16781 @kindex J c (Agent Summary)
16782 @findex gnus-agent-catchup
16783 Mark all undownloaded articles as read (@code{gnus-agent-catchup}).
16786 @kindex J u (Agent Summary)
16787 @findex gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group
16788 Download all downloadable articles in the current group
16789 (@code{gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group}).
16794 @node Server Agent Commands
16795 @subsubsection Server Agent Commands
16799 @kindex J a (Agent Server)
16800 @findex gnus-agent-add-server
16801 Add the current server to the list of servers covered by the Gnus Agent
16802 (@code{gnus-agent-add-server}).
16805 @kindex J r (Agent Server)
16806 @findex gnus-agent-remove-server
16807 Remove the current server from the list of servers covered by the Gnus
16808 Agent (@code{gnus-agent-remove-server}).
16814 @subsection Agent Expiry
16816 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
16817 @findex gnus-agent-expire
16818 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire
16819 @cindex Agent expiry
16820 @cindex Gnus Agent expiry
16823 @code{nnagent} doesn't handle expiry. Instead, there's a special
16824 @code{gnus-agent-expire} command that will expire all read articles that
16825 are older than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} days. It can be run
16826 whenever you feel that you're running out of space. It's not
16827 particularly fast or efficient, and it's not a particularly good idea to
16828 interrupt it (with @kbd{C-g} or anything else) once you've started it.
16830 @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} can also be a list of regexp/day pairs.
16831 The regexps will be matched against group names to allow differing
16832 expiry in different groups.
16835 (setq gnus-agent-expire-days
16841 If you use the list form, the last element must always be the default
16842 method---it must always match all groups.
16844 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-all
16845 If @code{gnus-agent-expire-all} is non-@code{nil}, this command will
16846 expire all articles---unread, read, ticked and dormant. If @code{nil}
16847 (which is the default), only read articles are eligible for expiry, and
16848 unread, ticked and dormant articles will be kept indefinitely.
16850 @findex gnus-agent-regenerate
16851 If you find that some articles eligible for expiry are never expired,
16852 perhaps some Gnus Agent files are corrupted. There's a special
16853 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} command to fix possible problems.
16855 @node Agent and IMAP
16856 @subsection Agent and IMAP
16858 The Agent work with any Gnus back end, including nnimap. However,
16859 since there are some conceptual differences between @sc{nntp} and
16860 @sc{imap}, this section (should) provide you with some information to
16861 make Gnus Agent work smoother as a @sc{imap} Disconnected Mode client.
16863 The first thing to keep in mind is that all flags (read, ticked, etc)
16864 are kept on the @sc{imap} server, rather than in @code{.newsrc} as is the
16865 case for nntp. Thus Gnus need to remember flag changes when
16866 disconnected, and synchronize these flags when you plug back in.
16868 Gnus keep track of flag changes when reading nnimap groups under the
16869 Agent by default. When you plug back in, by default Gnus will check if
16870 you have any changed any flags and ask if you wish to synchronize these
16871 with the server. This behavior is customizable with
16872 @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags}.
16874 @vindex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
16875 If @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} is @code{nil}, the Agent will
16876 never automatically synchronize flags. If it is @code{ask}, the
16877 default, the Agent will check if you made any changes and if so ask if
16878 you wish to synchronize these when you re-connect. If it has any other
16879 value, all flags will be synchronized automatically.
16881 If you do not wish to automatically synchronize flags when you
16882 re-connect, this can be done manually with the
16883 @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} command that is bound to @kbd{J Y}
16884 in the group buffer by default.
16886 Some things are currently not implemented in the Agent that you'd might
16887 expect from a disconnected @sc{imap} client, including:
16892 Copying/moving articles into nnimap groups when unplugged.
16895 Creating/deleting nnimap groups when unplugged.
16899 Technical note: the synchronization algorithm does not work by "pushing"
16900 all local flags to the server, but rather incrementally update the
16901 server view of flags by changing only those flags that were changed by
16902 the user. Thus, if you set one flag on a article, quit the group and
16903 re-select the group and remove the flag; the flag will be set and
16904 removed from the server when you "synchronize". The queued flag
16905 operations can be found in the per-server @code{flags} file in the Agent
16906 directory. It's emptied when you synchronize flags.
16909 @node Outgoing Messages
16910 @subsection Outgoing Messages
16912 When Gnus is unplugged, all outgoing messages (both mail and news) are
16913 stored in the draft groups (@pxref{Drafts}). You can view them there
16914 after posting, and edit them at will.
16916 When Gnus is plugged again, you can send the messages either from the
16917 draft group with the special commands available there, or you can use
16918 the @kbd{J S} command in the group buffer to send all the sendable
16919 messages in the draft group.
16923 @node Agent Variables
16924 @subsection Agent Variables
16927 @item gnus-agent-directory
16928 @vindex gnus-agent-directory
16929 Where the Gnus Agent will store its files. The default is
16930 @file{~/News/agent/}.
16932 @item gnus-agent-handle-level
16933 @vindex gnus-agent-handle-level
16934 Groups on levels (@pxref{Group Levels}) higher than this variable will
16935 be ignored by the Agent. The default is @code{gnus-level-subscribed},
16936 which means that only subscribed group will be considered by the Agent
16939 @item gnus-agent-plugged-hook
16940 @vindex gnus-agent-plugged-hook
16941 Hook run when connecting to the network.
16943 @item gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
16944 @vindex gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
16945 Hook run when disconnecting from the network.
16947 @item gnus-agent-fetched-hook
16948 @vindex gnus-agent-fetched-hook
16949 Hook run when after finishing fetching articles.
16951 @item gnus-agent-cache
16952 @vindex gnus-agent-cache
16953 Variable to control whether use the locally stored @sc{nov} and articles when
16956 @item gnus-agent-go-online
16957 @vindex gnus-agent-go-online
16958 If @code{gnus-agent-go-online} is @code{nil}, the Agent will never
16959 automatically switch offline servers into online status. If it is
16960 @code{ask}, the default, the Agent will ask if you wish to switch
16961 offline servers into online status when you re-connect. If it has any
16962 other value, all offline servers will be automatically switched into
16968 @node Example Setup
16969 @subsection Example Setup
16971 If you don't want to read this manual, and you have a fairly standard
16972 setup, you may be able to use something like the following as your
16973 @file{.gnus.el} file to get started.
16976 ;;; Define how Gnus is to fetch news. We do this over @sc{nntp}
16977 ;;; from your ISP's server.
16978 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.your-isp.com"))
16980 ;;; Define how Gnus is to read your mail. We read mail from
16981 ;;; your ISP's POP server.
16982 (setq mail-sources '((pop :server "pop.your-isp.com")))
16984 ;;; Say how Gnus is to store the mail. We use nnml groups.
16985 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
16987 ;;; Make Gnus into an offline newsreader.
16988 ;;; (gnus-agentize) ; The obsolete setting.
16989 (setq gnus-agent t)
16992 That should be it, basically. Put that in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file,
16993 edit to suit your needs, start up PPP (or whatever), and type @kbd{M-x
16996 If this is the first time you've run Gnus, you will be subscribed
16997 automatically to a few default newsgroups. You'll probably want to
16998 subscribe to more groups, and to do that, you have to query the
16999 @sc{nntp} server for a complete list of groups with the @kbd{A A}
17000 command. This usually takes quite a while, but you only have to do it
17003 After reading and parsing a while, you'll be presented with a list of
17004 groups. Subscribe to the ones you want to read with the @kbd{u}
17005 command. @kbd{l} to make all the killed groups disappear after you've
17006 subscribe to all the groups you want to read. (@kbd{A k} will bring
17007 back all the killed groups.)
17009 You can now read the groups at once, or you can download the articles
17010 with the @kbd{J s} command. And then read the rest of this manual to
17011 find out which of the other gazillion things you want to customize.
17014 @node Batching Agents
17015 @subsection Batching Agents
17017 Having the Gnus Agent fetch articles (and post whatever messages you've
17018 written) is quite easy once you've gotten things set up properly. The
17019 following shell script will do everything that is necessary:
17023 emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -f gnus-agent-batch >/dev/null
17027 @node Agent Caveats
17028 @subsection Agent Caveats
17030 The Gnus Agent doesn't seem to work like most other offline
17031 newsreaders. Here are some common questions that some imaginary people
17035 @item If I read an article while plugged, do they get entered into the Agent?
17039 @item If I read an article while plugged, and the article already exists in the Agent, will it get downloaded once more?
17041 @strong{No}, unless @code{gnus-agent-cache} is `nil'.
17045 In short, when Gnus is unplugged, it only looks into the locally stored
17046 articles; when it's plugged, it only talks to your ISP and also uses the
17047 locally stored articles.
17054 Other people use @dfn{kill files}, but we here at Gnus Towers like
17055 scoring better than killing, so we'd rather switch than fight. They do
17056 something completely different as well, so sit up straight and pay
17059 @vindex gnus-summary-mark-below
17060 All articles have a default score (@code{gnus-summary-default-score}),
17061 which is 0 by default. This score may be raised or lowered either
17062 interactively or by score files. Articles that have a score lower than
17063 @code{gnus-summary-mark-below} are marked as read.
17065 Gnus will read any @dfn{score files} that apply to the current group
17066 before generating the summary buffer.
17068 There are several commands in the summary buffer that insert score
17069 entries based on the current article. You can, for instance, ask Gnus to
17070 lower or increase the score of all articles with a certain subject.
17072 There are two sorts of scoring entries: Permanent and temporary.
17073 Temporary score entries are self-expiring entries. Any entries that are
17074 temporary and have not been used for, say, a week, will be removed
17075 silently to help keep the sizes of the score files down.
17078 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
17079 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
17080 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
17081 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
17082 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
17083 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
17084 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
17085 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
17086 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
17087 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
17088 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
17089 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
17090 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
17091 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
17092 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
17093 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
17094 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
17098 @node Summary Score Commands
17099 @section Summary Score Commands
17100 @cindex score commands
17102 The score commands that alter score entries do not actually modify real
17103 score files. That would be too inefficient. Gnus maintains a cache of
17104 previously loaded score files, one of which is considered the
17105 @dfn{current score file alist}. The score commands simply insert
17106 entries into this list, and upon group exit, this list is saved.
17108 The current score file is by default the group's local score file, even
17109 if no such score file actually exists. To insert score commands into
17110 some other score file (e.g. @file{all.SCORE}), you must first make this
17111 score file the current one.
17113 General score commands that don't actually change the score file:
17118 @kindex V s (Summary)
17119 @findex gnus-summary-set-score
17120 Set the score of the current article (@code{gnus-summary-set-score}).
17123 @kindex V S (Summary)
17124 @findex gnus-summary-current-score
17125 Display the score of the current article
17126 (@code{gnus-summary-current-score}).
17129 @kindex V t (Summary)
17130 @findex gnus-score-find-trace
17131 Display all score rules that have been used on the current article
17132 (@code{gnus-score-find-trace}).
17135 @kindex V w (Summary)
17136 @findex gnus-score-find-favourite-words
17137 List words used in scoring (@code{gnus-score-find-favourite-words}).
17140 @kindex V R (Summary)
17141 @findex gnus-summary-rescore
17142 Run the current summary through the scoring process
17143 (@code{gnus-summary-rescore}). This might be useful if you're playing
17144 around with your score files behind Gnus' back and want to see the
17145 effect you're having.
17148 @kindex V c (Summary)
17149 @findex gnus-score-change-score-file
17150 Make a different score file the current
17151 (@code{gnus-score-change-score-file}).
17154 @kindex V e (Summary)
17155 @findex gnus-score-edit-current-scores
17156 Edit the current score file (@code{gnus-score-edit-current-scores}).
17157 You will be popped into a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score
17161 @kindex V f (Summary)
17162 @findex gnus-score-edit-file
17163 Edit a score file and make this score file the current one
17164 (@code{gnus-score-edit-file}).
17167 @kindex V F (Summary)
17168 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
17169 Flush the score cache (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}). This is useful
17170 after editing score files.
17173 @kindex V C (Summary)
17174 @findex gnus-score-customize
17175 Customize a score file in a visually pleasing manner
17176 (@code{gnus-score-customize}).
17180 The rest of these commands modify the local score file.
17185 @kindex V m (Summary)
17186 @findex gnus-score-set-mark-below
17187 Prompt for a score, and mark all articles with a score below this as
17188 read (@code{gnus-score-set-mark-below}).
17191 @kindex V x (Summary)
17192 @findex gnus-score-set-expunge-below
17193 Prompt for a score, and add a score rule to the current score file to
17194 expunge all articles below this score
17195 (@code{gnus-score-set-expunge-below}).
17198 The keystrokes for actually making score entries follow a very regular
17199 pattern, so there's no need to list all the commands. (Hundreds of
17202 @findex gnus-summary-increase-score
17203 @findex gnus-summary-lower-score
17207 The first key is either @kbd{I} (upper case i) for increasing the score
17208 or @kbd{L} for lowering the score.
17210 The second key says what header you want to score on. The following
17211 keys are available:
17215 Score on the author name.
17218 Score on the subject line.
17221 Score on the @code{Xref} line---i.e., the cross-posting line.
17224 Score on the @code{References} line.
17230 Score on the number of lines.
17233 Score on the @code{Message-ID} header.
17236 Score on an "extra" header, that is, one of those in gnus-extra-headers,
17237 if your @sc{nntp} server tracks additional header data in overviews.
17240 Score on followups---this matches the author name, and adds scores to
17241 the followups to this author. (Using this key leads to the creation of
17242 @file{ADAPT} files.)
17251 Score on thread. (Using this key leads to the creation of @file{ADAPT}
17257 The third key is the match type. Which match types are valid depends on
17258 what headers you are scoring on.
17270 Substring matching.
17273 Fuzzy matching (@pxref{Fuzzy Matching}).
17302 Greater than number.
17307 The fourth and usually final key says whether this is a temporary (i.e.,
17308 expiring) score entry, or a permanent (i.e., non-expiring) score entry,
17309 or whether it is to be done immediately, without adding to the score
17314 Temporary score entry.
17317 Permanent score entry.
17320 Immediately scoring.
17324 If you are scoring on `e' (extra) headers, you will then be prompted for
17325 the header name on which you wish to score. This must be a header named
17326 in gnus-extra-headers, and @samp{TAB} completion is available.
17330 So, let's say you want to increase the score on the current author with
17331 exact matching permanently: @kbd{I a e p}. If you want to lower the
17332 score based on the subject line, using substring matching, and make a
17333 temporary score entry: @kbd{L s s t}. Pretty easy.
17335 To make things a bit more complicated, there are shortcuts. If you use
17336 a capital letter on either the second or third keys, Gnus will use
17337 defaults for the remaining one or two keystrokes. The defaults are
17338 ``substring'' and ``temporary''. So @kbd{I A} is the same as @kbd{I a s
17339 t}, and @kbd{I a R} is the same as @kbd{I a r t}.
17341 These functions take both the numerical prefix and the symbolic prefix
17342 (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}). A numerical prefix says how much to lower
17343 (or increase) the score of the article. A symbolic prefix of @code{a}
17344 says to use the @file{all.SCORE} file for the command instead of the
17345 current score file.
17347 @vindex gnus-score-mimic-keymap
17348 The @code{gnus-score-mimic-keymap} says whether these commands will
17349 pretend they are keymaps or not.
17352 @node Group Score Commands
17353 @section Group Score Commands
17354 @cindex group score commands
17356 There aren't many of these as yet, I'm afraid.
17361 @kindex W f (Group)
17362 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
17363 Gnus maintains a cache of score alists to avoid having to reload them
17364 all the time. This command will flush the cache
17365 (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}).
17369 You can do scoring from the command line by saying something like:
17371 @findex gnus-batch-score
17372 @cindex batch scoring
17374 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-batch-score
17378 @node Score Variables
17379 @section Score Variables
17380 @cindex score variables
17384 @item gnus-use-scoring
17385 @vindex gnus-use-scoring
17386 If @code{nil}, Gnus will not check for score files, and will not, in
17387 general, do any score-related work. This is @code{t} by default.
17389 @item gnus-kill-killed
17390 @vindex gnus-kill-killed
17391 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will never apply score files to
17392 articles that have already been through the kill process. While this
17393 may save you lots of time, it also means that if you apply a kill file
17394 to a group, and then change the kill file and want to run it over you
17395 group again to kill more articles, it won't work. You have to set this
17396 variable to @code{t} to do that. (It is @code{t} by default.)
17398 @item gnus-kill-files-directory
17399 @vindex gnus-kill-files-directory
17400 All kill and score files will be stored in this directory, which is
17401 initialized from the @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable by default.
17402 This is @file{~/News/} by default.
17404 @item gnus-score-file-suffix
17405 @vindex gnus-score-file-suffix
17406 Suffix to add to the group name to arrive at the score file name
17407 (@samp{SCORE} by default.)
17409 @item gnus-score-uncacheable-files
17410 @vindex gnus-score-uncacheable-files
17411 @cindex score cache
17412 All score files are normally cached to avoid excessive re-loading of
17413 score files. However, if this might make your Emacs grow big and
17414 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
17415 @file{all.SCORE}, while it might be a good idea to not cache
17416 @file{comp.infosystems.www.authoring.misc.ADAPT}. In fact, this
17417 variable is @samp{ADAPT$} by default, so no adaptive score files will
17420 @item gnus-save-score
17421 @vindex gnus-save-score
17422 If you have really complicated score files, and do lots of batch
17423 scoring, then you might set this variable to @code{t}. This will make
17424 Gnus save the scores into the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
17426 If you do not set this to @code{t}, then manual scores (like those set
17427 with @kbd{V s} (@code{gnus-summary-set-score})) will not be preserved
17428 across group visits.
17430 @item gnus-score-interactive-default-score
17431 @vindex gnus-score-interactive-default-score
17432 Score used by all the interactive raise/lower commands to raise/lower
17433 score with. Default is 1000, which may seem excessive, but this is to
17434 ensure that the adaptive scoring scheme gets enough room to play with.
17435 We don't want the small changes from the adaptive scoring to overwrite
17436 manually entered data.
17438 @item gnus-summary-default-score
17439 @vindex gnus-summary-default-score
17440 Default score of an article, which is 0 by default.
17442 @item gnus-summary-expunge-below
17443 @vindex gnus-summary-expunge-below
17444 Don't display the summary lines of articles that have scores lower than
17445 this variable. This is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
17446 articles will be hidden. This variable is local to the summary buffers,
17447 and has to be set from @code{gnus-summary-mode-hook}.
17449 @item gnus-score-over-mark
17450 @vindex gnus-score-over-mark
17451 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score over the
17452 default. Default is @samp{+}.
17454 @item gnus-score-below-mark
17455 @vindex gnus-score-below-mark
17456 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score below the
17457 default. Default is @samp{-}.
17459 @item gnus-score-find-score-files-function
17460 @vindex gnus-score-find-score-files-function
17461 Function used to find score files for the current group. This function
17462 is called with the name of the group as the argument.
17464 Predefined functions available are:
17467 @item gnus-score-find-single
17468 @findex gnus-score-find-single
17469 Only apply the group's own score file.
17471 @item gnus-score-find-bnews
17472 @findex gnus-score-find-bnews
17473 Apply all score files that match, using bnews syntax. This is the
17474 default. If the current group is @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}, for instance,
17475 @file{all.emacs.all.SCORE}, @file{not.alt.all.SCORE} and
17476 @file{gnu.all.SCORE} would all apply. In short, the instances of
17477 @samp{all} in the score file names are translated into @samp{.*}, and
17478 then a regexp match is done.
17480 This means that if you have some score entries that you want to apply to
17481 all groups, then you put those entries in the @file{all.SCORE} file.
17483 The score files are applied in a semi-random order, although Gnus will
17484 try to apply the more general score files before the more specific score
17485 files. It does this by looking at the number of elements in the score
17486 file names---discarding the @samp{all} elements.
17488 @item gnus-score-find-hierarchical
17489 @findex gnus-score-find-hierarchical
17490 Apply all score files from all the parent groups. This means that you
17491 can't have score files like @file{all.SCORE}, but you can have
17492 @file{SCORE}, @file{comp.SCORE} and @file{comp.emacs.SCORE} for each
17496 This variable can also be a list of functions. In that case, all
17497 these functions will be called with the group name as argument, and
17498 all the returned lists of score files will be applied. These
17499 functions can also return lists of lists of score alists directly. In
17500 that case, the functions that return these non-file score alists
17501 should probably be placed before the ``real'' score file functions, to
17502 ensure that the last score file returned is the local score file.
17505 For example, to do hierarchical scoring but use a non-server-specific
17506 overall score file, you could use the value
17508 (list (lambda (group) ("all.SCORE"))
17509 'gnus-score-find-hierarchical)
17512 @item gnus-score-expiry-days
17513 @vindex gnus-score-expiry-days
17514 This variable says how many days should pass before an unused score file
17515 entry is expired. If this variable is @code{nil}, no score file entries
17516 are expired. It's 7 by default.
17518 @item gnus-update-score-entry-dates
17519 @vindex gnus-update-score-entry-dates
17520 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, temporary score entries that have
17521 been triggered (matched) will have their dates updated. (This is how Gnus
17522 controls expiry---all non-matched-entries will become too old while
17523 matched entries will stay fresh and young.) However, if you set this
17524 variable to @code{nil}, even matched entries will grow old and will
17525 have to face that oh-so grim reaper.
17527 @item gnus-score-after-write-file-function
17528 @vindex gnus-score-after-write-file-function
17529 Function called with the name of the score file just written.
17531 @item gnus-score-thread-simplify
17532 @vindex gnus-score-thread-simplify
17533 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, article subjects will be simplified
17534 for subject scoring purposes in the same manner as with
17535 threading---according to the current value of
17536 gnus-simplify-subject-functions. If the scoring entry uses
17537 @code{substring} or @code{exact} matching, the match will also be
17538 simplified in this manner.
17543 @node Score File Format
17544 @section Score File Format
17545 @cindex score file format
17547 A score file is an @code{emacs-lisp} file that normally contains just a
17548 single form. Casual users are not expected to edit these files;
17549 everything can be changed from the summary buffer.
17551 Anyway, if you'd like to dig into it yourself, here's an example:
17555 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" -10000)
17557 ("larsi\\|lmi" -50000 nil R))
17559 ("Ding is Badd" nil 728373))
17561 ("alt.politics" -1000 728372 s))
17566 (mark-and-expunge -10)
17570 (files "/hom/larsi/News/gnu.SCORE")
17571 (exclude-files "all.SCORE")
17572 (local (gnus-newsgroup-auto-expire t)
17573 (gnus-summary-make-false-root empty))
17577 This example demonstrates most score file elements. For a different
17578 approach, see @pxref{Advanced Scoring}.
17580 Even though this looks much like lisp code, nothing here is actually
17581 @code{eval}ed. The lisp reader is used to read this form, though, so it
17582 has to be valid syntactically, if not semantically.
17584 Six keys are supported by this alist:
17589 If the key is a string, it is the name of the header to perform the
17590 match on. Scoring can only be performed on these eight headers:
17591 @code{From}, @code{Subject}, @code{References}, @code{Message-ID},
17592 @code{Xref}, @code{Lines}, @code{Chars} and @code{Date}. In addition to
17593 these headers, there are three strings to tell Gnus to fetch the entire
17594 article and do the match on larger parts of the article: @code{Body}
17595 will perform the match on the body of the article, @code{Head} will
17596 perform the match on the head of the article, and @code{All} will
17597 perform the match on the entire article. Note that using any of these
17598 last three keys will slow down group entry @emph{considerably}. The
17599 final ``header'' you can score on is @code{Followup}. These score
17600 entries will result in new score entries being added for all follow-ups
17601 to articles that matches these score entries.
17603 Following this key is a arbitrary number of score entries, where each
17604 score entry has one to four elements.
17608 The first element is the @dfn{match element}. On most headers this will
17609 be a string, but on the Lines and Chars headers, this must be an
17613 If the second element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{score
17614 element}. This number should be an integer in the neginf to posinf
17615 interval. This number is added to the score of the article if the match
17616 is successful. If this element is not present, the
17617 @code{gnus-score-interactive-default-score} number will be used
17618 instead. This is 1000 by default.
17621 If the third element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{date
17622 element}. This date says when the last time this score entry matched,
17623 which provides a mechanism for expiring the score entries. It this
17624 element is not present, the score entry is permanent. The date is
17625 represented by the number of days since December 31, 1 BCE.
17628 If the fourth element is present, it should be a symbol---the @dfn{type
17629 element}. This element specifies what function should be used to see
17630 whether this score entry matches the article. What match types that can
17631 be used depends on what header you wish to perform the match on.
17634 @item From, Subject, References, Xref, Message-ID
17635 For most header types, there are the @code{r} and @code{R} (regexp), as
17636 well as @code{s} and @code{S} (substring) types, and @code{e} and
17637 @code{E} (exact match), and @code{w} (word match) types. If this
17638 element is not present, Gnus will assume that substring matching should
17639 be used. @code{R}, @code{S}, and @code{E} differ from the others in
17640 that the matches will be done in a case-sensitive manner. All these
17641 one-letter types are really just abbreviations for the @code{regexp},
17642 @code{string}, @code{exact}, and @code{word} types, which you can use
17643 instead, if you feel like.
17646 Just as for the standard string overview headers, if you are using
17647 gnus-extra-headers, you can score on these headers' values. In this
17648 case, there is a 5th element in the score entry, being the name of the
17649 header to be scored. The following entry is useful in your
17650 @file{all.SCORE} file in case of spam attacks from a single origin host,
17651 if your @sc{nntp} server tracks NNTP-Posting-Host in overviews:
17654 ("111.222.333.444" -1000 nil s "NNTP-Posting-Host")
17658 These two headers use different match types: @code{<}, @code{>},
17659 @code{=}, @code{>=} and @code{<=}.
17661 These predicates are true if
17664 (PREDICATE HEADER MATCH)
17667 evaluates to non-@code{nil}. For instance, the advanced match
17668 @code{("lines" 4 <)} (@pxref{Advanced Scoring}) will result in the
17675 Or to put it another way: When using @code{<} on @code{Lines} with 4 as
17676 the match, we get the score added if the article has less than 4 lines.
17677 (It's easy to get confused and think it's the other way around. But
17678 it's not. I think.)
17680 When matching on @code{Lines}, be careful because some back ends (like
17681 @code{nndir}) do not generate @code{Lines} header, so every article ends
17682 up being marked as having 0 lines. This can lead to strange results if
17683 you happen to lower score of the articles with few lines.
17686 For the Date header we have three kinda silly match types:
17687 @code{before}, @code{at} and @code{after}. I can't really imagine this
17688 ever being useful, but, like, it would feel kinda silly not to provide
17689 this function. Just in case. You never know. Better safe than sorry.
17690 Once burnt, twice shy. Don't judge a book by its cover. Never not have
17691 sex on a first date. (I have been told that at least one person, and I
17692 quote, ``found this function indispensable'', however.)
17696 A more useful match type is @code{regexp}. With it, you can match the
17697 date string using a regular expression. The date is normalized to
17698 ISO8601 compact format first---@var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS}. If
17699 you want to match all articles that have been posted on April 1st in
17700 every year, you could use @samp{....0401.........} as a match string,
17701 for instance. (Note that the date is kept in its original time zone, so
17702 this will match articles that were posted when it was April 1st where
17703 the article was posted from. Time zones are such wholesome fun for the
17706 @item Head, Body, All
17707 These three match keys use the same match types as the @code{From} (etc)
17711 This match key is somewhat special, in that it will match the
17712 @code{From} header, and affect the score of not only the matching
17713 articles, but also all followups to the matching articles. This allows
17714 you e.g. increase the score of followups to your own articles, or
17715 decrease the score of followups to the articles of some known
17716 trouble-maker. Uses the same match types as the @code{From} header
17717 uses. (Using this match key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT}
17721 This match key works along the same lines as the @code{Followup} match
17722 key. If you say that you want to score on a (sub-)thread started by an
17723 article with a @code{Message-ID} @var{x}, then you add a @samp{thread}
17724 match. This will add a new @samp{thread} match for each article that
17725 has @var{x} in its @code{References} header. (These new @samp{thread}
17726 matches will use the @code{Message-ID}s of these matching articles.)
17727 This will ensure that you can raise/lower the score of an entire thread,
17728 even though some articles in the thread may not have complete
17729 @code{References} headers. Note that using this may lead to
17730 undeterministic scores of the articles in the thread. (Using this match
17731 key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT} files.)
17735 @cindex Score File Atoms
17737 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
17738 lower than this number will be marked as read.
17741 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
17742 lower than this number will be removed from the summary buffer.
17744 @item mark-and-expunge
17745 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
17746 lower than this number will be marked as read and removed from the
17749 @item thread-mark-and-expunge
17750 The value of this entry should be a number. All articles that belong to
17751 a thread that has a total score below this number will be marked as read
17752 and removed from the summary buffer. @code{gnus-thread-score-function}
17753 says how to compute the total score for a thread.
17756 The value of this entry should be any number of file names. These files
17757 are assumed to be score files as well, and will be loaded the same way
17760 @item exclude-files
17761 The clue of this entry should be any number of files. These files will
17762 not be loaded, even though they would normally be so, for some reason or
17766 The value of this entry will be @code{eval}el. This element will be
17767 ignored when handling global score files.
17770 Read-only score files will not be updated or saved. Global score files
17771 should feature this atom (@pxref{Global Score Files}). (Note:
17772 @dfn{Global} here really means @dfn{global}; not your personal
17773 apply-to-all-groups score files.)
17776 The value of this entry should be a number. Articles that do not have
17777 parents will get this number added to their scores. Imagine you follow
17778 some high-volume newsgroup, like @samp{comp.lang.c}. Most likely you
17779 will only follow a few of the threads, also want to see any new threads.
17781 You can do this with the following two score file entries:
17785 (mark-and-expunge -100)
17788 When you enter the group the first time, you will only see the new
17789 threads. You then raise the score of the threads that you find
17790 interesting (with @kbd{I T} or @kbd{I S}), and ignore (@kbd{C y}) the
17791 rest. Next time you enter the group, you will see new articles in the
17792 interesting threads, plus any new threads.
17794 I.e.---the orphan score atom is for high-volume groups where a few
17795 interesting threads which can't be found automatically by ordinary
17796 scoring rules exist.
17799 This entry controls the adaptive scoring. If it is @code{t}, the
17800 default adaptive scoring rules will be used. If it is @code{ignore}, no
17801 adaptive scoring will be performed on this group. If it is a list, this
17802 list will be used as the adaptive scoring rules. If it isn't present,
17803 or is something other than @code{t} or @code{ignore}, the default
17804 adaptive scoring rules will be used. If you want to use adaptive
17805 scoring on most groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
17806 @code{t}, and insert an @code{(adapt ignore)} in the groups where you do
17807 not want adaptive scoring. If you only want adaptive scoring in a few
17808 groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to @code{nil}, and
17809 insert @code{(adapt t)} in the score files of the groups where you want
17813 All adaptive score entries will go to the file named by this entry. It
17814 will also be applied when entering the group. This atom might be handy
17815 if you want to adapt on several groups at once, using the same adaptive
17816 file for a number of groups.
17819 @cindex local variables
17820 The value of this entry should be a list of @code{(VAR VALUE)} pairs.
17821 Each @var{var} will be made buffer-local to the current summary buffer,
17822 and set to the value specified. This is a convenient, if somewhat
17823 strange, way of setting variables in some groups if you don't like hooks
17824 much. Note that the @var{value} won't be evaluated.
17828 @node Score File Editing
17829 @section Score File Editing
17831 You normally enter all scoring commands from the summary buffer, but you
17832 might feel the urge to edit them by hand as well, so we've supplied you
17833 with a mode for that.
17835 It's simply a slightly customized @code{emacs-lisp} mode, with these
17836 additional commands:
17841 @kindex C-c C-c (Score)
17842 @findex gnus-score-edit-done
17843 Save the changes you have made and return to the summary buffer
17844 (@code{gnus-score-edit-done}).
17847 @kindex C-c C-d (Score)
17848 @findex gnus-score-edit-insert-date
17849 Insert the current date in numerical format
17850 (@code{gnus-score-edit-insert-date}). This is really the day number, if
17851 you were wondering.
17854 @kindex C-c C-p (Score)
17855 @findex gnus-score-pretty-print
17856 The adaptive score files are saved in an unformatted fashion. If you
17857 intend to read one of these files, you want to @dfn{pretty print} it
17858 first. This command (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) does that for
17863 Type @kbd{M-x gnus-score-mode} to use this mode.
17865 @vindex gnus-score-mode-hook
17866 @code{gnus-score-menu-hook} is run in score mode buffers.
17868 In the summary buffer you can use commands like @kbd{V f} and @kbd{V
17869 e} to begin editing score files.
17872 @node Adaptive Scoring
17873 @section Adaptive Scoring
17874 @cindex adaptive scoring
17876 If all this scoring is getting you down, Gnus has a way of making it all
17877 happen automatically---as if by magic. Or rather, as if by artificial
17878 stupidity, to be precise.
17880 @vindex gnus-use-adaptive-scoring
17881 When you read an article, or mark an article as read, or kill an
17882 article, you leave marks behind. On exit from the group, Gnus can sniff
17883 these marks and add score elements depending on what marks it finds.
17884 You turn on this ability by setting @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
17885 @code{t} or @code{(line)}. If you want score adaptively on separate
17886 words appearing in the subjects, you should set this variable to
17887 @code{(word)}. If you want to use both adaptive methods, set this
17888 variable to @code{(word line)}.
17890 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
17891 To give you complete control over the scoring process, you can customize
17892 the @code{gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist} variable. For instance, it
17893 might look something like this:
17896 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
17897 '((gnus-unread-mark)
17898 (gnus-ticked-mark (from 4))
17899 (gnus-dormant-mark (from 5))
17900 (gnus-del-mark (from -4) (subject -1))
17901 (gnus-read-mark (from 4) (subject 2))
17902 (gnus-expirable-mark (from -1) (subject -1))
17903 (gnus-killed-mark (from -1) (subject -3))
17904 (gnus-kill-file-mark)
17905 (gnus-ancient-mark)
17906 (gnus-low-score-mark)
17907 (gnus-catchup-mark (from -1) (subject -1))))
17910 As you see, each element in this alist has a mark as a key (either a
17911 variable name or a ``real'' mark---a character). Following this key is
17912 a arbitrary number of header/score pairs. If there are no header/score
17913 pairs following the key, no adaptive scoring will be done on articles
17914 that have that key as the article mark. For instance, articles with
17915 @code{gnus-unread-mark} in the example above will not get adaptive score
17918 Each article can have only one mark, so just a single of these rules
17919 will be applied to each article.
17921 To take @code{gnus-del-mark} as an example---this alist says that all
17922 articles that have that mark (i.e., are marked with @samp{D}) will have a
17923 score entry added to lower based on the @code{From} header by -4, and
17924 lowered by @code{Subject} by -1. Change this to fit your prejudices.
17926 If you have marked 10 articles with the same subject with
17927 @code{gnus-del-mark}, the rule for that mark will be applied ten times.
17928 That means that that subject will get a score of ten times -1, which
17929 should be, unless I'm much mistaken, -10.
17931 If you have auto-expirable (mail) groups (@pxref{Expiring Mail}), all
17932 the read articles will be marked with the @samp{E} mark. This'll
17933 probably make adaptive scoring slightly impossible, so auto-expiring and
17934 adaptive scoring doesn't really mix very well.
17936 The headers you can score on are @code{from}, @code{subject},
17937 @code{message-id}, @code{references}, @code{xref}, @code{lines},
17938 @code{chars} and @code{date}. In addition, you can score on
17939 @code{followup}, which will create an adaptive score entry that matches
17940 on the @code{References} header using the @code{Message-ID} of the
17941 current article, thereby matching the following thread.
17943 You can also score on @code{thread}, which will try to score all
17944 articles that appear in a thread. @code{thread} matches uses a
17945 @code{Message-ID} to match on the @code{References} header of the
17946 article. If the match is made, the @code{Message-ID} of the article is
17947 added to the @code{thread} rule. (Think about it. I'd recommend two
17948 aspirins afterwards.)
17950 If you use this scheme, you should set the score file atom @code{mark}
17951 to something small---like -300, perhaps, to avoid having small random
17952 changes result in articles getting marked as read.
17954 After using adaptive scoring for a week or so, Gnus should start to
17955 become properly trained and enhance the authors you like best, and kill
17956 the authors you like least, without you having to say so explicitly.
17958 You can control what groups the adaptive scoring is to be performed on
17959 by using the score files (@pxref{Score File Format}). This will also
17960 let you use different rules in different groups.
17962 @vindex gnus-adaptive-file-suffix
17963 The adaptive score entries will be put into a file where the name is the
17964 group name with @code{gnus-adaptive-file-suffix} appended. The default
17967 @vindex gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit
17968 When doing adaptive scoring, substring or fuzzy matching would probably
17969 give you the best results in most cases. However, if the header one
17970 matches is short, the possibility for false positives is great, so if
17971 the length of the match is less than
17972 @code{gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit}, exact matching will be used. If
17973 this variable is @code{nil}, exact matching will always be used to avoid
17976 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
17977 As mentioned above, you can adapt either on individual words or entire
17978 headers. If you adapt on words, the
17979 @code{gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist} variable says what score
17980 each instance of a word should add given a mark.
17983 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
17984 `((,gnus-read-mark . 30)
17985 (,gnus-catchup-mark . -10)
17986 (,gnus-killed-mark . -20)
17987 (,gnus-del-mark . -15)))
17990 This is the default value. If you have adaption on words enabled, every
17991 word that appears in subjects of articles marked with
17992 @code{gnus-read-mark} will result in a score rule that increase the
17993 score with 30 points.
17995 @vindex gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words
17996 @vindex gnus-ignored-adaptive-words
17997 Words that appear in the @code{gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words} list
17998 will be ignored. If you wish to add more words to be ignored, use the
17999 @code{gnus-ignored-adaptive-words} list instead.
18001 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit
18002 Some may feel that short words shouldn't count when doing adaptive
18003 scoring. If so, you may set @code{gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit} to
18004 an integer. Words shorter than this number will be ignored. This
18005 variable defaults til @code{nil}.
18007 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table
18008 When the scoring is done, @code{gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table} is the
18009 syntax table in effect. It is similar to the standard syntax table, but
18010 it considers numbers to be non-word-constituent characters.
18012 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-minimum
18013 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} is set to a number, the adaptive
18014 word scoring process will never bring down the score of an article to
18015 below this number. The default is @code{nil}.
18017 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words
18018 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words} is set to @code{t}, gnus
18019 won't adaptively word score any of the words in the group name. Useful
18020 for groups like @samp{comp.editors.emacs}, where most of the subject
18021 lines contain the word @samp{emacs}.
18023 After using this scheme for a while, it might be nice to write a
18024 @code{gnus-psychoanalyze-user} command to go through the rules and see
18025 what words you like and what words you don't like. Or perhaps not.
18027 Note that the adaptive word scoring thing is highly experimental and is
18028 likely to change in the future. Initial impressions seem to indicate
18029 that it's totally useless as it stands. Some more work (involving more
18030 rigorous statistical methods) will have to be done to make this useful.
18033 @node Home Score File
18034 @section Home Score File
18036 The score file where new score file entries will go is called the
18037 @dfn{home score file}. This is normally (and by default) the score file
18038 for the group itself. For instance, the home score file for
18039 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} is @file{gnu.emacs.gnus.SCORE}.
18041 However, this may not be what you want. It is often convenient to share
18042 a common home score file among many groups---all @samp{emacs} groups
18043 could perhaps use the same home score file.
18045 @vindex gnus-home-score-file
18046 The variable that controls this is @code{gnus-home-score-file}. It can
18051 A string. Then this file will be used as the home score file for all
18055 A function. The result of this function will be used as the home score
18056 file. The function will be called with the name of the group as the
18060 A list. The elements in this list can be:
18064 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{file-name})}. If the @var{regexp} matches the
18065 group name, the @var{file-name} will be used as the home score file.
18068 A function. If the function returns non-nil, the result will be used as
18069 the home score file.
18072 A string. Use the string as the home score file.
18075 The list will be traversed from the beginning towards the end looking
18080 So, if you want to use just a single score file, you could say:
18083 (setq gnus-home-score-file
18084 "my-total-score-file.SCORE")
18087 If you want to use @file{gnu.SCORE} for all @samp{gnu} groups and
18088 @file{rec.SCORE} for all @samp{rec} groups (and so on), you can say:
18090 @findex gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file
18092 (setq gnus-home-score-file
18093 'gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file)
18096 This is a ready-made function provided for your convenience.
18097 Other functions include
18100 @item gnus-current-home-score-file
18101 @findex gnus-current-home-score-file
18102 Return the ``current'' regular score file. This will make scoring
18103 commands add entry to the ``innermost'' matching score file.
18107 If you want to have one score file for the @samp{emacs} groups and
18108 another for the @samp{comp} groups, while letting all other groups use
18109 their own home score files:
18112 (setq gnus-home-score-file
18113 ;; All groups that match the regexp "\\.emacs"
18114 '(("\\.emacs" "emacs.SCORE")
18115 ;; All the comp groups in one score file
18116 ("^comp" "comp.SCORE")))
18119 @vindex gnus-home-adapt-file
18120 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file} works exactly the same way as
18121 @code{gnus-home-score-file}, but says what the home adaptive score file
18122 is instead. All new adaptive file entries will go into the file
18123 specified by this variable, and the same syntax is allowed.
18125 In addition to using @code{gnus-home-score-file} and
18126 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file}, you can also use group parameters
18127 (@pxref{Group Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
18128 Parameters}) to achieve much the same. Group and topic parameters take
18129 precedence over this variable.
18132 @node Followups To Yourself
18133 @section Followups To Yourself
18135 Gnus offers two commands for picking out the @code{Message-ID} header in
18136 the current buffer. Gnus will then add a score rule that scores using
18137 this @code{Message-ID} on the @code{References} header of other
18138 articles. This will, in effect, increase the score of all articles that
18139 respond to the article in the current buffer. Quite useful if you want
18140 to easily note when people answer what you've said.
18144 @item gnus-score-followup-article
18145 @findex gnus-score-followup-article
18146 This will add a score to articles that directly follow up your own
18149 @item gnus-score-followup-thread
18150 @findex gnus-score-followup-thread
18151 This will add a score to all articles that appear in a thread ``below''
18155 @vindex message-sent-hook
18156 These two functions are both primarily meant to be used in hooks like
18157 @code{message-sent-hook}, like this:
18159 (add-hook 'message-sent-hook 'gnus-score-followup-thread)
18163 If you look closely at your own @code{Message-ID}, you'll notice that
18164 the first two or three characters are always the same. Here's two of
18168 <x6u3u47icf.fsf@@eyesore.no>
18169 <x6sp9o7ibw.fsf@@eyesore.no>
18172 So ``my'' ident on this machine is @samp{x6}. This can be
18173 exploited---the following rule will raise the score on all followups to
18178 ("<x6[0-9a-z]+\\.fsf\\(_-_\\)?@@.*eyesore\\.no>"
18182 Whether it's the first two or first three characters that are ``yours''
18183 is system-dependent.
18186 @node Scoring On Other Headers
18187 @section Scoring On Other Headers
18188 @cindex scoring on other headers
18190 Gnus is quite fast when scoring the ``traditional''
18191 headers---@samp{From}, @samp{Subject} and so on. However, scoring
18192 other headers requires writing a @code{head} scoring rule, which means
18193 that Gnus has to request every single article from the back end to find
18194 matches. This takes a long time in big groups.
18196 Now, there's not much you can do about this for news groups, but for
18197 mail groups, you have greater control. In the @pxref{To From
18198 Newsgroups} section of the manual, it's explained in greater detail what
18199 this mechanism does, but here's a cookbook example for @code{nnml} on
18200 how to allow scoring on the @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} headers.
18202 Put the following in your @file{.gnus.el} file.
18205 (setq gnus-extra-headers '(To Cc Newsgroups Keywords)
18206 nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
18209 Restart Gnus and rebuild your @code{nnml} overview files with the
18210 @kbd{M-x nnml-generate-nov-databases} command. This will take a long
18211 time if you have much mail.
18213 Now you can score on @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} as ``extra headers'' like
18214 so: @kbd{I e s p To RET <your name> RET}.
18220 @section Scoring Tips
18221 @cindex scoring tips
18227 @cindex scoring crossposts
18228 If you want to lower the score of crossposts, the line to match on is
18229 the @code{Xref} header.
18231 ("xref" (" talk.politics.misc:" -1000))
18234 @item Multiple crossposts
18235 If you want to lower the score of articles that have been crossposted to
18236 more than, say, 3 groups:
18239 ("[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+"
18243 @item Matching on the body
18244 This is generally not a very good idea---it takes a very long time.
18245 Gnus actually has to fetch each individual article from the server. But
18246 you might want to anyway, I guess. Even though there are three match
18247 keys (@code{Head}, @code{Body} and @code{All}), you should choose one
18248 and stick with it in each score file. If you use any two, each article
18249 will be fetched @emph{twice}. If you want to match a bit on the
18250 @code{Head} and a bit on the @code{Body}, just use @code{All} for all
18253 @item Marking as read
18254 You will probably want to mark articles that have scores below a certain
18255 number as read. This is most easily achieved by putting the following
18256 in your @file{all.SCORE} file:
18260 You may also consider doing something similar with @code{expunge}.
18262 @item Negated character classes
18263 If you say stuff like @code{[^abcd]*}, you may get unexpected results.
18264 That will match newlines, which might lead to, well, The Unknown. Say
18265 @code{[^abcd\n]*} instead.
18269 @node Reverse Scoring
18270 @section Reverse Scoring
18271 @cindex reverse scoring
18273 If you want to keep just articles that have @samp{Sex with Emacs} in the
18274 subject header, and expunge all other articles, you could put something
18275 like this in your score file:
18279 ("Sex with Emacs" 2))
18284 So, you raise all articles that match @samp{Sex with Emacs} and mark the
18285 rest as read, and expunge them to boot.
18288 @node Global Score Files
18289 @section Global Score Files
18290 @cindex global score files
18292 Sure, other newsreaders have ``global kill files''. These are usually
18293 nothing more than a single kill file that applies to all groups, stored
18294 in the user's home directory. Bah! Puny, weak newsreaders!
18296 What I'm talking about here are Global Score Files. Score files from
18297 all over the world, from users everywhere, uniting all nations in one
18298 big, happy score file union! Ange-score! New and untested!
18300 @vindex gnus-global-score-files
18301 All you have to do to use other people's score files is to set the
18302 @code{gnus-global-score-files} variable. One entry for each score file,
18303 or each score file directory. Gnus will decide by itself what score
18304 files are applicable to which group.
18306 To use the score file
18307 @file{/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE} and
18308 all score files in the @file{/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score} directory,
18312 (setq gnus-global-score-files
18313 '("/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE"
18314 "/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score/"))
18317 @findex gnus-score-search-global-directories
18319 Simple, eh? Directory names must end with a @samp{/}. These
18320 directories are typically scanned only once during each Gnus session.
18321 If you feel the need to manually re-scan the remote directories, you can
18322 use the @code{gnus-score-search-global-directories} command.
18324 Note that, at present, using this option will slow down group entry
18325 somewhat. (That is---a lot.)
18327 If you want to start maintaining score files for other people to use,
18328 just put your score file up for anonymous ftp and announce it to the
18329 world. Become a retro-moderator! Participate in the retro-moderator
18330 wars sure to ensue, where retro-moderators battle it out for the
18331 sympathy of the people, luring them to use their score files on false
18332 premises! Yay! The net is saved!
18334 Here are some tips for the would-be retro-moderator, off the top of my
18340 Articles heavily crossposted are probably junk.
18342 To lower a single inappropriate article, lower by @code{Message-ID}.
18344 Particularly brilliant authors can be raised on a permanent basis.
18346 Authors that repeatedly post off-charter for the group can safely be
18347 lowered out of existence.
18349 Set the @code{mark} and @code{expunge} atoms to obliterate the nastiest
18350 articles completely.
18353 Use expiring score entries to keep the size of the file down. You
18354 should probably have a long expiry period, though, as some sites keep
18355 old articles for a long time.
18358 ... I wonder whether other newsreaders will support global score files
18359 in the future. @emph{Snicker}. Yup, any day now, newsreaders like Blue
18360 Wave, xrn and 1stReader are bound to implement scoring. Should we start
18361 holding our breath yet?
18365 @section Kill Files
18368 Gnus still supports those pesky old kill files. In fact, the kill file
18369 entries can now be expiring, which is something I wrote before Daniel
18370 Quinlan thought of doing score files, so I've left the code in there.
18372 In short, kill processing is a lot slower (and I do mean @emph{a lot})
18373 than score processing, so it might be a good idea to rewrite your kill
18374 files into score files.
18376 Anyway, a kill file is a normal @code{emacs-lisp} file. You can put any
18377 forms into this file, which means that you can use kill files as some
18378 sort of primitive hook function to be run on group entry, even though
18379 that isn't a very good idea.
18381 Normal kill files look like this:
18384 (gnus-kill "From" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
18385 (gnus-kill "Subject" "ding")
18389 This will mark every article written by me as read, and remove the
18390 marked articles from the summary buffer. Very useful, you'll agree.
18392 Other programs use a totally different kill file syntax. If Gnus
18393 encounters what looks like a @code{rn} kill file, it will take a stab at
18396 Two summary functions for editing a GNUS kill file:
18401 @kindex M-k (Summary)
18402 @findex gnus-summary-edit-local-kill
18403 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-local-kill}).
18406 @kindex M-K (Summary)
18407 @findex gnus-summary-edit-global-kill
18408 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-global-kill}).
18411 Two group mode functions for editing the kill files:
18416 @kindex M-k (Group)
18417 @findex gnus-group-edit-local-kill
18418 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-local-kill}).
18421 @kindex M-K (Group)
18422 @findex gnus-group-edit-global-kill
18423 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-global-kill}).
18426 Kill file variables:
18429 @item gnus-kill-file-name
18430 @vindex gnus-kill-file-name
18431 A kill file for the group @samp{soc.motss} is normally called
18432 @file{soc.motss.KILL}. The suffix appended to the group name to get
18433 this file name is detailed by the @code{gnus-kill-file-name} variable.
18434 The ``global'' kill file (not in the score file sense of ``global'', of
18435 course) is just called @file{KILL}.
18437 @vindex gnus-kill-save-kill-file
18438 @item gnus-kill-save-kill-file
18439 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will save the
18440 kill file after processing, which is necessary if you use expiring
18443 @item gnus-apply-kill-hook
18444 @vindex gnus-apply-kill-hook
18445 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored
18446 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file
18447 A hook called to apply kill files to a group. It is
18448 @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file)} by default. If you want to ignore the
18449 kill file if you have a score file for the same group, you can set this
18450 hook to @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored)}. If you don't want
18451 kill files to be processed, you should set this variable to @code{nil}.
18453 @item gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
18454 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
18455 A hook called in kill-file mode buffers.
18460 @node Converting Kill Files
18461 @section Converting Kill Files
18463 @cindex converting kill files
18465 If you have loads of old kill files, you may want to convert them into
18466 score files. If they are ``regular'', you can use
18467 the @file{gnus-kill-to-score.el} package; if not, you'll have to do it
18470 The kill to score conversion package isn't included in Gnus by default.
18471 You can fetch it from
18472 @uref{http://www.stud.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/ding-various/gnus-kill-to-score.el}.
18474 If your old kill files are very complex---if they contain more
18475 non-@code{gnus-kill} forms than not, you'll have to convert them by
18476 hand. Or just let them be as they are. Gnus will still use them as
18484 GroupLens (@uref{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/}) is a
18485 collaborative filtering system that helps you work together with other
18486 people to find the quality news articles out of the huge volume of
18487 news articles generated every day.
18489 To accomplish this the GroupLens system combines your opinions about
18490 articles you have already read with the opinions of others who have done
18491 likewise and gives you a personalized prediction for each unread news
18492 article. Think of GroupLens as a matchmaker. GroupLens watches how you
18493 rate articles, and finds other people that rate articles the same way.
18494 Once it has found some people you agree with it tells you, in the form
18495 of a prediction, what they thought of the article. You can use this
18496 prediction to help you decide whether or not you want to read the
18499 @sc{Note:} Unfortunately the GroupLens system seems to have shut down,
18500 so this section is mostly of historical interest.
18503 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
18504 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
18505 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
18506 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
18510 @node Using GroupLens
18511 @subsection Using GroupLens
18513 To use GroupLens you must register a pseudonym with your local Better
18515 @uref{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/bbb.html} is the only
18516 better bit in town at the moment.
18518 Once you have registered you'll need to set a couple of variables.
18522 @item gnus-use-grouplens
18523 @vindex gnus-use-grouplens
18524 Setting this variable to a non-@code{nil} value will make Gnus hook into
18525 all the relevant GroupLens functions.
18527 @item grouplens-pseudonym
18528 @vindex grouplens-pseudonym
18529 This variable should be set to the pseudonym you got when registering
18530 with the Better Bit Bureau.
18532 @item grouplens-newsgroups
18533 @vindex grouplens-newsgroups
18534 A list of groups that you want to get GroupLens predictions for.
18538 That's the minimum of what you need to get up and running with GroupLens.
18539 Once you've registered, GroupLens will start giving you scores for
18540 articles based on the average of what other people think. But, to get
18541 the real benefit of GroupLens you need to start rating articles
18542 yourself. Then the scores GroupLens gives you will be personalized for
18543 you, based on how the people you usually agree with have already rated.
18546 @node Rating Articles
18547 @subsection Rating Articles
18549 In GroupLens, an article is rated on a scale from 1 to 5, inclusive.
18550 Where 1 means something like this article is a waste of bandwidth and 5
18551 means that the article was really good. The basic question to ask
18552 yourself is, "on a scale from 1 to 5 would I like to see more articles
18555 There are four ways to enter a rating for an article in GroupLens.
18560 @kindex r (GroupLens)
18561 @findex bbb-summary-rate-article
18562 This function will prompt you for a rating on a scale of one to five.
18565 @kindex k (GroupLens)
18566 @findex grouplens-score-thread
18567 This function will prompt you for a rating, and rate all the articles in
18568 the thread. This is really useful for some of those long running giant
18569 threads in rec.humor.
18573 The next two commands, @kbd{n} and @kbd{,} take a numerical prefix to be
18574 the score of the article you're reading.
18579 @kindex n (GroupLens)
18580 @findex grouplens-next-unread-article
18581 Rate the article and go to the next unread article.
18584 @kindex , (GroupLens)
18585 @findex grouplens-best-unread-article
18586 Rate the article and go to the next unread article with the highest score.
18590 If you want to give the current article a score of 4 and then go to the
18591 next article, just type @kbd{4 n}.
18594 @node Displaying Predictions
18595 @subsection Displaying Predictions
18597 GroupLens makes a prediction for you about how much you will like a
18598 news article. The predictions from GroupLens are on a scale from 1 to
18599 5, where 1 is the worst and 5 is the best. You can use the predictions
18600 from GroupLens in one of three ways controlled by the variable
18601 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring}.
18603 @vindex gnus-grouplens-override-scoring
18604 There are three ways to display predictions in grouplens. You may
18605 choose to have the GroupLens scores contribute to, or override the
18606 regular gnus scoring mechanism. override is the default; however, some
18607 people prefer to see the Gnus scores plus the grouplens scores. To get
18608 the separate scoring behavior you need to set
18609 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'separate}. To have the
18610 GroupLens predictions combined with the grouplens scores set it to
18611 @code{'override} and to combine the scores set
18612 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'combine}. When you use
18613 the combine option you will also want to set the values for
18614 @code{grouplens-prediction-offset} and
18615 @code{grouplens-score-scale-factor}.
18617 @vindex grouplens-prediction-display
18618 In either case, GroupLens gives you a few choices for how you would like
18619 to see your predictions displayed. The display of predictions is
18620 controlled by the @code{grouplens-prediction-display} variable.
18622 The following are valid values for that variable.
18625 @item prediction-spot
18626 The higher the prediction, the further to the right an @samp{*} is
18629 @item confidence-interval
18630 A numeric confidence interval.
18632 @item prediction-bar
18633 The higher the prediction, the longer the bar.
18635 @item confidence-bar
18636 Numerical confidence.
18638 @item confidence-spot
18639 The spot gets bigger with more confidence.
18641 @item prediction-num
18642 Plain-old numeric value.
18644 @item confidence-plus-minus
18645 Prediction +/- confidence.
18650 @node GroupLens Variables
18651 @subsection GroupLens Variables
18655 @item gnus-summary-grouplens-line-format
18656 The summary line format used in GroupLens-enhanced summary buffers. It
18657 accepts the same specs as the normal summary line format (@pxref{Summary
18658 Buffer Lines}). The default is @samp{%U%R%z%l%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23n%]%)
18661 @item grouplens-bbb-host
18662 Host running the bbbd server. @samp{grouplens.cs.umn.edu} is the
18665 @item grouplens-bbb-port
18666 Port of the host running the bbbd server. The default is 9000.
18668 @item grouplens-score-offset
18669 Offset the prediction by this value. In other words, subtract the
18670 prediction value by this number to arrive at the effective score. The
18673 @item grouplens-score-scale-factor
18674 This variable allows the user to magnify the effect of GroupLens scores.
18675 The scale factor is applied after the offset. The default is 1.
18680 @node Advanced Scoring
18681 @section Advanced Scoring
18683 Scoring on Subjects and From headers is nice enough, but what if you're
18684 really interested in what a person has to say only when she's talking
18685 about a particular subject? Or what if you really don't want to
18686 read what person A has to say when she's following up to person B, but
18687 want to read what she says when she's following up to person C?
18689 By using advanced scoring rules you may create arbitrarily complex
18693 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
18694 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
18695 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
18699 @node Advanced Scoring Syntax
18700 @subsection Advanced Scoring Syntax
18702 Ordinary scoring rules have a string as the first element in the rule.
18703 Advanced scoring rules have a list as the first element. The second
18704 element is the score to be applied if the first element evaluated to a
18705 non-@code{nil} value.
18707 These lists may consist of three logical operators, one redirection
18708 operator, and various match operators.
18715 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
18716 one that evaluates to @code{false}, and then it'll stop. If all arguments
18717 evaluate to @code{true} values, then this operator will return
18722 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
18723 one that evaluates to @code{true}. If no arguments are @code{true},
18724 then this operator will return @code{false}.
18729 This logical operator only takes a single argument. It returns the
18730 logical negation of the value of its argument.
18734 There is an @dfn{indirection operator} that will make its arguments
18735 apply to the ancestors of the current article being scored. For
18736 instance, @code{1-} will make score rules apply to the parent of the
18737 current article. @code{2-} will make score rules apply to the
18738 grandparent of the current article. Alternatively, you can write
18739 @code{^^}, where the number of @code{^}s (carets) says how far back into
18740 the ancestry you want to go.
18742 Finally, we have the match operators. These are the ones that do the
18743 real work. Match operators are header name strings followed by a match
18744 and a match type. A typical match operator looks like @samp{("from"
18745 "Lars Ingebrigtsen" s)}. The header names are the same as when using
18746 simple scoring, and the match types are also the same.
18749 @node Advanced Scoring Examples
18750 @subsection Advanced Scoring Examples
18752 Please note that the following examples are score file rules. To
18753 make a complete score file from them, surround them with another pair
18756 Let's say you want to increase the score of articles written by Lars
18757 when he's talking about Gnus:
18761 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
18762 ("subject" "Gnus"))
18768 When he writes long articles, he sometimes has something nice to say:
18772 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
18779 However, when he responds to things written by Reig Eigil Logge, you
18780 really don't want to read what he's written:
18784 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
18785 (1- ("from" "Reig Eigir Logge")))
18789 Everybody that follows up Redmondo when he writes about disappearing
18790 socks should have their scores raised, but only when they talk about
18791 white socks. However, when Lars talks about socks, it's usually not
18798 ("from" "redmondo@@.*no" r)
18799 ("body" "disappearing.*socks" t)))
18800 (! ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen"))
18801 ("body" "white.*socks"))
18805 The possibilities are endless.
18808 @node Advanced Scoring Tips
18809 @subsection Advanced Scoring Tips
18811 The @code{&} and @code{|} logical operators do short-circuit logic.
18812 That is, they stop processing their arguments when it's clear what the
18813 result of the operation will be. For instance, if one of the arguments
18814 of an @code{&} evaluates to @code{false}, there's no point in evaluating
18815 the rest of the arguments. This means that you should put slow matches
18816 (@samp{body}, @samp{header}) last and quick matches (@samp{from},
18817 @samp{subject}) first.
18819 The indirection arguments (@code{1-} and so on) will make their
18820 arguments work on previous generations of the thread. If you say
18831 Then that means "score on the from header of the grandparent of the
18832 current article". An indirection is quite fast, but it's better to say:
18838 ("subject" "Gnus")))
18845 (1- ("from" "Lars"))
18846 (1- ("subject" "Gnus")))
18851 @section Score Decays
18852 @cindex score decays
18855 You may find that your scores have a tendency to grow without
18856 bounds, especially if you're using adaptive scoring. If scores get too
18857 big, they lose all meaning---they simply max out and it's difficult to
18858 use them in any sensible way.
18860 @vindex gnus-decay-scores
18861 @findex gnus-decay-score
18862 @vindex gnus-decay-score-function
18863 Gnus provides a mechanism for decaying scores to help with this problem.
18864 When score files are loaded and @code{gnus-decay-scores} is
18865 non-@code{nil}, Gnus will run the score files through the decaying
18866 mechanism thereby lowering the scores of all non-permanent score rules.
18867 The decay itself if performed by the @code{gnus-decay-score-function}
18868 function, which is @code{gnus-decay-score} by default. Here's the
18869 definition of that function:
18872 (defun gnus-decay-score (score)
18874 This is done according to `gnus-score-decay-constant'
18875 and `gnus-score-decay-scale'."
18878 (* (if (< score 0) 1 -1)
18880 (max gnus-score-decay-constant
18882 gnus-score-decay-scale)))))))
18885 @vindex gnus-score-decay-scale
18886 @vindex gnus-score-decay-constant
18887 @code{gnus-score-decay-constant} is 3 by default and
18888 @code{gnus-score-decay-scale} is 0.05. This should cause the following:
18892 Scores between -3 and 3 will be set to 0 when this function is called.
18895 Scores with magnitudes between 3 and 60 will be shrunk by 3.
18898 Scores with magnitudes greater than 60 will be shrunk by 5% of the
18902 If you don't like this decay function, write your own. It is called
18903 with the score to be decayed as its only parameter, and it should return
18904 the new score, which should be an integer.
18906 Gnus will try to decay scores once a day. If you haven't run Gnus for
18907 four days, Gnus will decay the scores four times, for instance.
18912 @include message.texi
18913 @chapter Emacs MIME
18914 @include emacs-mime.texi
18916 @include sieve.texi
18924 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
18925 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
18926 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
18927 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
18928 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
18929 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
18930 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
18931 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
18932 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
18933 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
18934 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
18935 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
18936 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
18937 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
18938 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
18939 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
18940 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
18941 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
18942 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
18946 @node Process/Prefix
18947 @section Process/Prefix
18948 @cindex process/prefix convention
18950 Many functions, among them functions for moving, decoding and saving
18951 articles, use what is known as the @dfn{Process/Prefix convention}.
18953 This is a method for figuring out what articles the user wants the
18954 command to be performed on.
18958 If the numeric prefix is N, perform the operation on the next N
18959 articles, starting with the current one. If the numeric prefix is
18960 negative, perform the operation on the previous N articles, starting
18961 with the current one.
18963 @vindex transient-mark-mode
18964 If @code{transient-mark-mode} in non-@code{nil} and the region is
18965 active, all articles in the region will be worked upon.
18967 If there is no numeric prefix, but some articles are marked with the
18968 process mark, perform the operation on the articles marked with
18971 If there is neither a numeric prefix nor any articles marked with the
18972 process mark, just perform the operation on the current article.
18974 Quite simple, really, but it needs to be made clear so that surprises
18977 Commands that react to the process mark will push the current list of
18978 process marked articles onto a stack and will then clear all process
18979 marked articles. You can restore the previous configuration with the
18980 @kbd{M P y} command (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
18982 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
18983 One thing that seems to shock & horrify lots of people is that, for
18984 instance, @kbd{3 d} does exactly the same as @kbd{d} @kbd{d} @kbd{d}.
18985 Since each @kbd{d} (which marks the current article as read) by default
18986 goes to the next unread article after marking, this means that @kbd{3 d}
18987 will mark the next three unread articles as read, no matter what the
18988 summary buffer looks like. Set @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} to
18989 @code{nil} for a more straightforward action.
18991 Many commands do not use the process/prefix convention. All commands
18992 that do explicitly say so in this manual. To apply the process/prefix
18993 convention to commands that do not use it, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
18994 command. For instance, to mark all the articles in the group as
18995 expirable, you could say `M P b M-& E'.
18999 @section Interactive
19000 @cindex interaction
19004 @item gnus-novice-user
19005 @vindex gnus-novice-user
19006 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you are either a newcomer to the
19007 World of Usenet, or you are very cautious, which is a nice thing to be,
19008 really. You will be given questions of the type ``Are you sure you want
19009 to do this?'' before doing anything dangerous. This is @code{t} by
19012 @item gnus-expert-user
19013 @vindex gnus-expert-user
19014 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you will seldom be asked any
19015 questions by Gnus. It will simply assume you know what you're doing, no
19016 matter how strange.
19018 @item gnus-interactive-catchup
19019 @vindex gnus-interactive-catchup
19020 Require confirmation before catching up a group if non-@code{nil}. It
19021 is @code{t} by default.
19023 @item gnus-interactive-exit
19024 @vindex gnus-interactive-exit
19025 Require confirmation before exiting Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
19030 @node Symbolic Prefixes
19031 @section Symbolic Prefixes
19032 @cindex symbolic prefixes
19034 Quite a lot of Emacs commands react to the (numeric) prefix. For
19035 instance, @kbd{C-u 4 C-f} moves point four characters forward, and
19036 @kbd{C-u 9 0 0 I s s p} adds a permanent @code{Subject} substring score
19037 rule of 900 to the current article.
19039 This is all nice and well, but what if you want to give a command some
19040 additional information? Well, what most commands do is interpret the
19041 ``raw'' prefix in some special way. @kbd{C-u 0 C-x C-s} means that one
19042 doesn't want a backup file to be created when saving the current buffer,
19043 for instance. But what if you want to save without making a backup
19044 file, and you want Emacs to flash lights and play a nice tune at the
19045 same time? You can't, and you're probably perfectly happy that way.
19047 @kindex M-i (Summary)
19048 @findex gnus-symbolic-argument
19049 I'm not, so I've added a second prefix---the @dfn{symbolic prefix}. The
19050 prefix key is @kbd{M-i} (@code{gnus-symbolic-argument}), and the next
19051 character typed in is the value. You can stack as many @kbd{M-i}
19052 prefixes as you want. @kbd{M-i a C-M-u} means ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u}
19053 command the symbolic prefix @code{a}''. @kbd{M-i a M-i b C-M-u} means
19054 ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u} command the symbolic prefixes @code{a} and
19055 @code{b}''. You get the drift.
19057 Typing in symbolic prefixes to commands that don't accept them doesn't
19058 hurt, but it doesn't do any good either. Currently not many Gnus
19059 functions make use of the symbolic prefix.
19061 If you're interested in how Gnus implements this, @pxref{Extended
19065 @node Formatting Variables
19066 @section Formatting Variables
19067 @cindex formatting variables
19069 Throughout this manual you've probably noticed lots of variables called
19070 things like @code{gnus-group-line-format} and
19071 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. These control how Gnus is to
19072 output lines in the various buffers. There's quite a lot of them.
19073 Fortunately, they all use the same syntax, so there's not that much to
19076 Here's an example format spec (from the group buffer): @samp{%M%S%5y:
19077 %(%g%)\n}. We see that it is indeed extremely ugly, and that there are
19078 lots of percentages everywhere.
19081 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
19082 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
19083 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
19084 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
19085 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
19086 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
19087 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
19088 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
19091 Currently Gnus uses the following formatting variables:
19092 @code{gnus-group-line-format}, @code{gnus-summary-line-format},
19093 @code{gnus-server-line-format}, @code{gnus-topic-line-format},
19094 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format},
19095 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format},
19096 @code{gnus-article-mode-line-format},
19097 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format}, and
19098 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format}.
19100 All these format variables can also be arbitrary elisp forms. In that
19101 case, they will be @code{eval}ed to insert the required lines.
19103 @kindex M-x gnus-update-format
19104 @findex gnus-update-format
19105 Gnus includes a command to help you while creating your own format
19106 specs. @kbd{M-x gnus-update-format} will @code{eval} the current form,
19107 update the spec in question and pop you to a buffer where you can
19108 examine the resulting lisp code to be run to generate the line.
19112 @node Formatting Basics
19113 @subsection Formatting Basics
19115 Each @samp{%} element will be replaced by some string or other when the
19116 buffer in question is generated. @samp{%5y} means ``insert the @samp{y}
19117 spec, and pad with spaces to get a 5-character field''.
19119 As with normal C and Emacs Lisp formatting strings, the numerical
19120 modifier between the @samp{%} and the formatting type character will
19121 @dfn{pad} the output so that it is always at least that long.
19122 @samp{%5y} will make the field always (at least) five characters wide by
19123 padding with spaces to the left. If you say @samp{%-5y}, it will pad to
19126 You may also wish to limit the length of the field to protect against
19127 particularly wide values. For that you can say @samp{%4,6y}, which
19128 means that the field will never be more than 6 characters wide and never
19129 less than 4 characters wide.
19131 Also Gnus supports some extended format specifications, such as
19132 @samp{%&user-date;}.
19135 @node Mode Line Formatting
19136 @subsection Mode Line Formatting
19138 Mode line formatting variables (e.g.,
19139 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}) follow the same rules as other,
19140 buffer line oriented formatting variables (@pxref{Formatting Basics})
19141 with the following two differences:
19146 There must be no newline (@samp{\n}) at the end.
19149 The special @samp{%%b} spec can be used to display the buffer name.
19150 Well, it's no spec at all, really---@samp{%%} is just a way to quote
19151 @samp{%} to allow it to pass through the formatting machinery unmangled,
19152 so that Emacs receives @samp{%b}, which is something the Emacs mode line
19153 display interprets to mean ``show the buffer name''. For a full list of
19154 mode line specs Emacs understands, see the documentation of the
19155 @code{mode-line-format} variable.
19160 @node Advanced Formatting
19161 @subsection Advanced Formatting
19163 It is frequently useful to post-process the fields in some way.
19164 Padding, limiting, cutting off parts and suppressing certain values can
19165 be achieved by using @dfn{tilde modifiers}. A typical tilde spec might
19166 look like @samp{%~(cut 3)~(ignore "0")y}.
19168 These are the valid modifiers:
19173 Pad the field to the left with spaces until it reaches the required
19177 Pad the field to the right with spaces until it reaches the required
19182 Cut off characters from the left until it reaches the specified length.
19185 Cut off characters from the right until it reaches the specified
19190 Cut off the specified number of characters from the left.
19193 Cut off the specified number of characters from the right.
19196 Return an empty string if the field is equal to the specified value.
19199 Use the specified form as the field value when the @samp{@@} spec is
19205 "~(form (current-time-string))@@"
19210 Let's take an example. The @samp{%o} spec in the summary mode lines
19211 will return a date in compact ISO8601 format---@samp{19960809T230410}.
19212 This is quite a mouthful, so we want to shave off the century number and
19213 the time, leaving us with a six-character date. That would be
19214 @samp{%~(cut-left 2)~(max-right 6)~(pad 6)o}. (Cutting is done before
19215 maxing, and we need the padding to ensure that the date is never less
19216 than 6 characters to make it look nice in columns.)
19218 Ignoring is done first; then cutting; then maxing; and then as the very
19219 last operation, padding.
19221 If you use lots of these advanced thingies, you'll find that Gnus gets
19222 quite slow. This can be helped enormously by running @kbd{M-x
19223 gnus-compile} when you are satisfied with the look of your lines.
19224 @xref{Compilation}.
19227 @node User-Defined Specs
19228 @subsection User-Defined Specs
19230 All the specs allow for inserting user defined specifiers---@samp{u}.
19231 The next character in the format string should be a letter. Gnus
19232 will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where
19233 @samp{X} is the letter following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed
19234 a single parameter---what the parameter means depends on what buffer
19235 it's being called from. The function should return a string, which will
19236 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
19237 specifier. This function may also be called with dummy values, so it
19238 should protect against that.
19240 Also Gnus supports extended user-defined specs, such as @samp{%u&foo;}.
19241 Gnus will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{foo}.
19243 You can also use tilde modifiers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting} to achieve
19244 much the same without defining new functions. Here's an example:
19245 @samp{%~(form (count-lines (point-min) (point)))@@}. The form
19246 given here will be evaluated to yield the current line number, and then
19250 @node Formatting Fonts
19251 @subsection Formatting Fonts
19253 There are specs for highlighting, and these are shared by all the format
19254 variables. Text inside the @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} specifiers will get
19255 the special @code{mouse-face} property set, which means that it will be
19256 highlighted (with @code{gnus-mouse-face}) when you put the mouse pointer
19259 Text inside the @samp{%@{} and @samp{%@}} specifiers will have their
19260 normal faces set using @code{gnus-face-0}, which is @code{bold} by
19261 default. If you say @samp{%1@{}, you'll get @code{gnus-face-1} instead,
19262 and so on. Create as many faces as you wish. The same goes for the
19263 @code{mouse-face} specs---you can say @samp{%3(hello%)} to have
19264 @samp{hello} mouse-highlighted with @code{gnus-mouse-face-3}.
19266 Text inside the @samp{%<} and @samp{%>} specifiers will get the special
19267 @code{balloon-help} property set to @code{gnus-balloon-face-0}. If you
19268 say @samp{%1<}, you'll get @code{gnus-balloon-face-1} and so on. The
19269 @code{gnus-balloon-face-*} variables should be either strings or symbols
19270 naming functions that return a string. Under @code{balloon-help-mode},
19271 when the mouse passes over text with this property set, a balloon window
19272 will appear and display the string. Please refer to the doc string of
19273 @code{balloon-help-mode} for more information on this.
19275 Here's an alternative recipe for the group buffer:
19278 ;; Create three face types.
19279 (setq gnus-face-1 'bold)
19280 (setq gnus-face-3 'italic)
19282 ;; We want the article count to be in
19283 ;; a bold and green face. So we create
19284 ;; a new face called `my-green-bold'.
19285 (copy-face 'bold 'my-green-bold)
19287 (set-face-foreground 'my-green-bold "ForestGreen")
19288 (setq gnus-face-2 'my-green-bold)
19290 ;; Set the new & fancy format.
19291 (setq gnus-group-line-format
19292 "%M%S%3@{%5y%@}%2[:%] %(%1@{%g%@}%)\n")
19295 I'm sure you'll be able to use this scheme to create totally unreadable
19296 and extremely vulgar displays. Have fun!
19298 Note that the @samp{%(} specs (and friends) do not make any sense on the
19299 mode-line variables.
19301 @node Positioning Point
19302 @subsection Positioning Point
19304 Gnus usually moves point to a pre-defined place on each line in most
19305 buffers. By default, point move to the first colon character on the
19306 line. You can customize this behaviour in three different ways.
19308 You can move the colon character to somewhere else on the line.
19310 @findex gnus-goto-colon
19311 You can redefine the function that moves the point to the colon. The
19312 function is called @code{gnus-goto-colon}.
19314 But perhaps the most convenient way to deal with this, if you don't want
19315 to have a colon in your line, is to use the @samp{%C} specifier. If you
19316 put a @samp{%C} somewhere in your format line definition, Gnus will
19321 @subsection Tabulation
19323 You can usually line up your displays by padding and cutting your
19324 strings. However, when combining various strings of different size, it
19325 can often be more convenient to just output the strings, and then worry
19326 about lining up the following text afterwards.
19328 To do that, Gnus supplies tabulator specs--@samp{%=}. There are two
19329 different types---@dfn{hard tabulators} and @dfn{soft tabulators}.
19331 @samp{%50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
19332 50. If the text is already past column 50, nothing will be inserted.
19333 This is the soft tabulator.
19335 @samp{%-50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
19336 50. If the text is already past column 50, the excess text past column
19337 50 will be removed. This is the hard tabulator.
19340 @node Wide Characters
19341 @subsection Wide Characters
19343 Proportional fonts in most countries have characters of the same width.
19344 Some countries, however, use Latin characters mixed with wider
19345 characters---most notable East Asian countries.
19347 The problem is that when formatting, Gnus assumes that if a string is 10
19348 characters wide, it'll be 10 Latin characters wide on the screen. In
19349 these coutries, that's not true.
19351 @vindex gnus-use-correct-string-widths
19352 To help fix this, you can set @code{gnus-use-correct-string-widths} to
19353 @code{t}. This makes buffer generation slower, but the results will be
19354 prettieer. The default value is @code{t}.
19358 @node Window Layout
19359 @section Window Layout
19360 @cindex window layout
19362 No, there's nothing here about X, so be quiet.
19364 @vindex gnus-use-full-window
19365 If @code{gnus-use-full-window} non-@code{nil}, Gnus will delete all
19366 other windows and occupy the entire Emacs screen by itself. It is
19367 @code{t} by default.
19369 Setting this variable to @code{nil} kinda works, but there are
19370 glitches. Use at your own peril.
19372 @vindex gnus-buffer-configuration
19373 @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} describes how much space each Gnus
19374 buffer should be given. Here's an excerpt of this variable:
19377 ((group (vertical 1.0 (group 1.0 point)
19378 (if gnus-carpal (group-carpal 4))))
19379 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
19383 This is an alist. The @dfn{key} is a symbol that names some action or
19384 other. For instance, when displaying the group buffer, the window
19385 configuration function will use @code{group} as the key. A full list of
19386 possible names is listed below.
19388 The @dfn{value} (i.e., the @dfn{split}) says how much space each buffer
19389 should occupy. To take the @code{article} split as an example -
19392 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
19396 This @dfn{split} says that the summary buffer should occupy 25% of upper
19397 half of the screen, and that it is placed over the article buffer. As
19398 you may have noticed, 100% + 25% is actually 125% (yup, I saw y'all
19399 reaching for that calculator there). However, the special number
19400 @code{1.0} is used to signal that this buffer should soak up all the
19401 rest of the space available after the rest of the buffers have taken
19402 whatever they need. There should be only one buffer with the @code{1.0}
19403 size spec per split.
19405 Point will be put in the buffer that has the optional third element
19406 @code{point}. In a @code{frame} split, the last subsplit having a leaf
19407 split where the tag @code{frame-focus} is a member (i.e. is the third or
19408 fourth element in the list, depending on whether the @code{point} tag is
19409 present) gets focus.
19411 Here's a more complicated example:
19414 (article (vertical 1.0 (group 4)
19415 (summary 0.25 point)
19416 (if gnus-carpal (summary-carpal 4))
19420 If the size spec is an integer instead of a floating point number,
19421 then that number will be used to say how many lines a buffer should
19422 occupy, not a percentage.
19424 If the @dfn{split} looks like something that can be @code{eval}ed (to be
19425 precise---if the @code{car} of the split is a function or a subr), this
19426 split will be @code{eval}ed. If the result is non-@code{nil}, it will
19427 be used as a split. This means that there will be three buffers if
19428 @code{gnus-carpal} is @code{nil}, and four buffers if @code{gnus-carpal}
19431 Not complicated enough for you? Well, try this on for size:
19434 (article (horizontal 1.0
19439 (summary 0.25 point)
19444 Whoops. Two buffers with the mystery 100% tag. And what's that
19445 @code{horizontal} thingie?
19447 If the first element in one of the split is @code{horizontal}, Gnus will
19448 split the window horizontally, giving you two windows side-by-side.
19449 Inside each of these strips you may carry on all you like in the normal
19450 fashion. The number following @code{horizontal} says what percentage of
19451 the screen is to be given to this strip.
19453 For each split, there @emph{must} be one element that has the 100% tag.
19454 The splitting is never accurate, and this buffer will eat any leftover
19455 lines from the splits.
19457 To be slightly more formal, here's a definition of what a valid split
19461 split = frame | horizontal | vertical | buffer | form
19462 frame = "(frame " size *split ")"
19463 horizontal = "(horizontal " size *split ")"
19464 vertical = "(vertical " size *split ")"
19465 buffer = "(" buf-name " " size *[ "point" ] *[ "frame-focus"] ")"
19466 size = number | frame-params
19467 buf-name = group | article | summary ...
19470 The limitations are that the @code{frame} split can only appear as the
19471 top-level split. @var{form} should be an Emacs Lisp form that should
19472 return a valid split. We see that each split is fully recursive, and
19473 may contain any number of @code{vertical} and @code{horizontal} splits.
19475 @vindex gnus-window-min-width
19476 @vindex gnus-window-min-height
19477 @cindex window height
19478 @cindex window width
19479 Finding the right sizes can be a bit complicated. No window may be less
19480 than @code{gnus-window-min-height} (default 1) characters high, and all
19481 windows must be at least @code{gnus-window-min-width} (default 1)
19482 characters wide. Gnus will try to enforce this before applying the
19483 splits. If you want to use the normal Emacs window width/height limit,
19484 you can just set these two variables to @code{nil}.
19486 If you're not familiar with Emacs terminology, @code{horizontal} and
19487 @code{vertical} splits may work the opposite way of what you'd expect.
19488 Windows inside a @code{horizontal} split are shown side-by-side, and
19489 windows within a @code{vertical} split are shown above each other.
19491 @findex gnus-configure-frame
19492 If you want to experiment with window placement, a good tip is to call
19493 @code{gnus-configure-frame} directly with a split. This is the function
19494 that does all the real work when splitting buffers. Below is a pretty
19495 nonsensical configuration with 5 windows; two for the group buffer and
19496 three for the article buffer. (I said it was nonsensical.) If you
19497 @code{eval} the statement below, you can get an idea of how that would
19498 look straight away, without going through the normal Gnus channels.
19499 Play with it until you're satisfied, and then use
19500 @code{gnus-add-configuration} to add your new creation to the buffer
19501 configuration list.
19504 (gnus-configure-frame
19508 (article 0.3 point))
19516 You might want to have several frames as well. No prob---just use the
19517 @code{frame} split:
19520 (gnus-configure-frame
19523 (summary 0.25 point frame-focus)
19525 (vertical ((height . 5) (width . 15)
19526 (user-position . t)
19527 (left . -1) (top . 1))
19532 This split will result in the familiar summary/article window
19533 configuration in the first (or ``main'') frame, while a small additional
19534 frame will be created where picons will be shown. As you can see,
19535 instead of the normal @code{1.0} top-level spec, each additional split
19536 should have a frame parameter alist as the size spec.
19537 @xref{Frame Parameters, , Frame Parameters, elisp, The GNU Emacs Lisp
19538 Reference Manual}. Under XEmacs, a frame property list will be
19539 accepted, too---for instance, @code{(height 5 width 15 left -1 top 1)}
19541 The list of all possible keys for @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} can
19542 be found in its default value.
19544 Note that the @code{message} key is used for both
19545 @code{gnus-group-mail} and @code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}. If
19546 it is desirable to distinguish between the two, something like this
19550 (message (horizontal 1.0
19551 (vertical 1.0 (message 1.0 point))
19553 (if (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer)
19558 One common desire for a multiple frame split is to have a separate frame
19559 for composing mail and news while leaving the original frame intact. To
19560 accomplish that, something like the following can be done:
19565 (if (not (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer))
19566 (car (cdr (assoc 'group gnus-buffer-configuration)))
19567 (car (cdr (assoc 'summary gnus-buffer-configuration))))
19568 (vertical ((user-position . t) (top . 1) (left . 1)
19569 (name . "Message"))
19570 (message 1.0 point))))
19573 @findex gnus-add-configuration
19574 Since the @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} variable is so long and
19575 complicated, there's a function you can use to ease changing the config
19576 of a single setting: @code{gnus-add-configuration}. If, for instance,
19577 you want to change the @code{article} setting, you could say:
19580 (gnus-add-configuration
19581 '(article (vertical 1.0
19583 (summary .25 point)
19587 You'd typically stick these @code{gnus-add-configuration} calls in your
19588 @file{.gnus.el} file or in some startup hook---they should be run after
19589 Gnus has been loaded.
19591 @vindex gnus-always-force-window-configuration
19592 If all windows mentioned in the configuration are already visible, Gnus
19593 won't change the window configuration. If you always want to force the
19594 ``right'' window configuration, you can set
19595 @code{gnus-always-force-window-configuration} to non-@code{nil}.
19597 If you're using tree displays (@pxref{Tree Display}), and the tree
19598 window is displayed vertically next to another window, you may also want
19599 to fiddle with @code{gnus-tree-minimize-window} to avoid having the
19602 @subsection Example Window Configurations
19606 Narrow left hand side occupied by group buffer. Right hand side split
19607 between summary buffer (top one-sixth) and article buffer (bottom).
19622 (gnus-add-configuration
19625 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
19627 (summary 0.16 point)
19630 (gnus-add-configuration
19633 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
19634 (vertical 1.0 (summary 1.0 point)))))
19640 @node Faces and Fonts
19641 @section Faces and Fonts
19646 Fiddling with fonts and faces used to be very difficult, but these days
19647 it is very simple. You simply say @kbd{M-x customize-face}, pick out
19648 the face you want to alter, and alter it via the standard Customize
19653 @section Compilation
19654 @cindex compilation
19655 @cindex byte-compilation
19657 @findex gnus-compile
19659 Remember all those line format specification variables?
19660 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}, @code{gnus-group-line-format}, and so
19661 on. Now, Gnus will of course heed whatever these variables are, but,
19662 unfortunately, changing them will mean a quite significant slow-down.
19663 (The default values of these variables have byte-compiled functions
19664 associated with them, while the user-generated versions do not, of
19667 To help with this, you can run @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} after you've
19668 fiddled around with the variables and feel that you're (kind of)
19669 satisfied. This will result in the new specs being byte-compiled, and
19670 you'll get top speed again. Gnus will save these compiled specs in the
19671 @file{.newsrc.eld} file. (User-defined functions aren't compiled by
19672 this function, though---you should compile them yourself by sticking
19673 them into the @code{.gnus.el} file and byte-compiling that file.)
19677 @section Mode Lines
19680 @vindex gnus-updated-mode-lines
19681 @code{gnus-updated-mode-lines} says what buffers should keep their mode
19682 lines updated. It is a list of symbols. Supported symbols include
19683 @code{group}, @code{article}, @code{summary}, @code{server},
19684 @code{browse}, and @code{tree}. If the corresponding symbol is present,
19685 Gnus will keep that mode line updated with information that may be
19686 pertinent. If this variable is @code{nil}, screen refresh may be
19689 @cindex display-time
19691 @vindex gnus-mode-non-string-length
19692 By default, Gnus displays information on the current article in the mode
19693 lines of the summary and article buffers. The information Gnus wishes
19694 to display (e.g. the subject of the article) is often longer than the
19695 mode lines, and therefore have to be cut off at some point. The
19696 @code{gnus-mode-non-string-length} variable says how long the other
19697 elements on the line is (i.e., the non-info part). If you put
19698 additional elements on the mode line (e.g. a clock), you should modify
19701 @c Hook written by Francesco Potorti` <pot@cnuce.cnr.it>
19703 (add-hook 'display-time-hook
19704 (lambda () (setq gnus-mode-non-string-length
19706 (if line-number-mode 5 0)
19707 (if column-number-mode 4 0)
19708 (length display-time-string)))))
19711 If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the default), the mode line
19712 strings won't be chopped off, and they won't be padded either. Note
19713 that the default is unlikely to be desirable, as even the percentage
19714 complete in the buffer may be crowded off the mode line; the user should
19715 configure this variable appropriately for her configuration.
19718 @node Highlighting and Menus
19719 @section Highlighting and Menus
19721 @cindex highlighting
19724 @vindex gnus-visual
19725 The @code{gnus-visual} variable controls most of the Gnus-prettifying
19726 aspects. If @code{nil}, Gnus won't attempt to create menus or use fancy
19727 colors or fonts. This will also inhibit loading the @file{gnus-vis.el}
19730 This variable can be a list of visual properties that are enabled. The
19731 following elements are valid, and are all included by default:
19734 @item group-highlight
19735 Do highlights in the group buffer.
19736 @item summary-highlight
19737 Do highlights in the summary buffer.
19738 @item article-highlight
19739 Do highlights in the article buffer.
19741 Turn on highlighting in all buffers.
19743 Create menus in the group buffer.
19745 Create menus in the summary buffers.
19747 Create menus in the article buffer.
19749 Create menus in the browse buffer.
19751 Create menus in the server buffer.
19753 Create menus in the score buffers.
19755 Create menus in all buffers.
19758 So if you only want highlighting in the article buffer and menus in all
19759 buffers, you could say something like:
19762 (setq gnus-visual '(article-highlight menu))
19765 If you want highlighting only and no menus whatsoever, you'd say:
19768 (setq gnus-visual '(highlight))
19771 If @code{gnus-visual} is @code{t}, highlighting and menus will be used
19772 in all Gnus buffers.
19774 Other general variables that influence the look of all buffers include:
19777 @item gnus-mouse-face
19778 @vindex gnus-mouse-face
19779 This is the face (i.e., font) used for mouse highlighting in Gnus. No
19780 mouse highlights will be done if @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
19784 There are hooks associated with the creation of all the different menus:
19788 @item gnus-article-menu-hook
19789 @vindex gnus-article-menu-hook
19790 Hook called after creating the article mode menu.
19792 @item gnus-group-menu-hook
19793 @vindex gnus-group-menu-hook
19794 Hook called after creating the group mode menu.
19796 @item gnus-summary-menu-hook
19797 @vindex gnus-summary-menu-hook
19798 Hook called after creating the summary mode menu.
19800 @item gnus-server-menu-hook
19801 @vindex gnus-server-menu-hook
19802 Hook called after creating the server mode menu.
19804 @item gnus-browse-menu-hook
19805 @vindex gnus-browse-menu-hook
19806 Hook called after creating the browse mode menu.
19808 @item gnus-score-menu-hook
19809 @vindex gnus-score-menu-hook
19810 Hook called after creating the score mode menu.
19821 Those new-fangled @dfn{mouse} contraptions is very popular with the
19822 young, hep kids who don't want to learn the proper way to do things
19823 these days. Why, I remember way back in the summer of '89, when I was
19824 using Emacs on a Tops 20 system. Three hundred users on one single
19825 machine, and every user was running Simula compilers. Bah!
19829 @vindex gnus-carpal
19830 Well, you can make Gnus display bufferfuls of buttons you can click to
19831 do anything by setting @code{gnus-carpal} to @code{t}. Pretty simple,
19832 really. Tell the chiropractor I sent you.
19837 @item gnus-carpal-mode-hook
19838 @vindex gnus-carpal-mode-hook
19839 Hook run in all carpal mode buffers.
19841 @item gnus-carpal-button-face
19842 @vindex gnus-carpal-button-face
19843 Face used on buttons.
19845 @item gnus-carpal-header-face
19846 @vindex gnus-carpal-header-face
19847 Face used on carpal buffer headers.
19849 @item gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
19850 @vindex gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
19851 Buttons in the group buffer.
19853 @item gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
19854 @vindex gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
19855 Buttons in the summary buffer.
19857 @item gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
19858 @vindex gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
19859 Buttons in the server buffer.
19861 @item gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
19862 @vindex gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
19863 Buttons in the browse buffer.
19866 All the @code{buttons} variables are lists. The elements in these list
19867 are either cons cells where the @code{car} contains a text to be displayed and
19868 the @code{cdr} contains a function symbol, or a simple string.
19876 Gnus, being larger than any program ever written (allegedly), does lots
19877 of strange stuff that you may wish to have done while you're not
19878 present. For instance, you may want it to check for new mail once in a
19879 while. Or you may want it to close down all connections to all servers
19880 when you leave Emacs idle. And stuff like that.
19882 Gnus will let you do stuff like that by defining various
19883 @dfn{handlers}. Each handler consists of three elements: A
19884 @var{function}, a @var{time}, and an @var{idle} parameter.
19886 Here's an example of a handler that closes connections when Emacs has
19887 been idle for thirty minutes:
19890 (gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
19893 Here's a handler that scans for PGP headers every hour when Emacs is
19897 (gnus-demon-scan-pgp 60 t)
19900 This @var{time} parameter and than @var{idle} parameter work together
19901 in a strange, but wonderful fashion. Basically, if @var{idle} is
19902 @code{nil}, then the function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
19904 If @var{idle} is @code{t}, then the function will be called after
19905 @var{time} minutes only if Emacs is idle. So if Emacs is never idle,
19906 the function will never be called. But once Emacs goes idle, the
19907 function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
19909 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is a number, the function will
19910 be called every @var{time} minutes only when Emacs has been idle for
19911 @var{idle} minutes.
19913 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is @code{nil}, the function
19914 will be called once every time Emacs has been idle for @var{idle}
19917 And if @var{time} is a string, it should look like @samp{07:31}, and
19918 the function will then be called once every day somewhere near that
19919 time. Modified by the @var{idle} parameter, of course.
19921 @vindex gnus-demon-timestep
19922 (When I say ``minute'' here, I really mean @code{gnus-demon-timestep}
19923 seconds. This is 60 by default. If you change that variable,
19924 all the timings in the handlers will be affected.)
19926 So, if you want to add a handler, you could put something like this in
19927 your @file{.gnus} file:
19929 @findex gnus-demon-add-handler
19931 (gnus-demon-add-handler 'gnus-demon-close-connections 30 t)
19934 @findex gnus-demon-add-nocem
19935 @findex gnus-demon-add-scanmail
19936 @findex gnus-demon-add-rescan
19937 @findex gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps
19938 @findex gnus-demon-add-disconnection
19939 Some ready-made functions to do this have been created:
19940 @code{gnus-demon-add-nocem}, @code{gnus-demon-add-disconnection},
19941 @code{gnus-demon-add-nntp-close-connection},
19942 @code{gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps}, @code{gnus-demon-add-rescan}, and
19943 @code{gnus-demon-add-scanmail}. Just put those functions in your
19944 @file{.gnus} if you want those abilities.
19946 @findex gnus-demon-init
19947 @findex gnus-demon-cancel
19948 @vindex gnus-demon-handlers
19949 If you add handlers to @code{gnus-demon-handlers} directly, you should
19950 run @code{gnus-demon-init} to make the changes take hold. To cancel all
19951 daemons, you can use the @code{gnus-demon-cancel} function.
19953 Note that adding daemons can be pretty naughty if you over do it. Adding
19954 functions that scan all news and mail from all servers every two seconds
19955 is a sure-fire way of getting booted off any respectable system. So
19964 @dfn{Spamming} is posting the same article lots and lots of times.
19965 Spamming is bad. Spamming is evil.
19967 Spamming is usually canceled within a day or so by various anti-spamming
19968 agencies. These agencies usually also send out @dfn{NoCeM} messages.
19969 NoCeM is pronounced ``no see-'em'', and means what the name
19970 implies---these are messages that make the offending articles, like, go
19973 What use are these NoCeM messages if the articles are canceled anyway?
19974 Some sites do not honor cancel messages and some sites just honor cancels
19975 from a select few people. Then you may wish to make use of the NoCeM
19976 messages, which are distributed in the @samp{alt.nocem.misc} newsgroup.
19978 Gnus can read and parse the messages in this group automatically, and
19979 this will make spam disappear.
19981 There are some variables to customize, of course:
19984 @item gnus-use-nocem
19985 @vindex gnus-use-nocem
19986 Set this variable to @code{t} to set the ball rolling. It is @code{nil}
19989 @item gnus-nocem-groups
19990 @vindex gnus-nocem-groups
19991 Gnus will look for NoCeM messages in the groups in this list. The
19992 default is @code{("news.lists.filters" "news.admin.net-abuse.bulletins"
19993 "alt.nocem.misc" "news.admin.net-abuse.announce")}.
19995 @item gnus-nocem-issuers
19996 @vindex gnus-nocem-issuers
19997 There are many people issuing NoCeM messages. This list says what
19998 people you want to listen to. The default is @code{("Automoose-1"
19999 "clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" "cosmo.roadkill" "SpamHippo"
20000 "hweede@@snafu.de")}; fine, upstanding citizens all of them.
20002 Known despammers that you can put in this list are listed at
20003 @uref{http://www.xs4all.nl/~rosalind/nocemreg/nocemreg.html}.
20005 You do not have to heed NoCeM messages from all these people---just the
20006 ones you want to listen to. You also don't have to accept all NoCeM
20007 messages from the people you like. Each NoCeM message has a @dfn{type}
20008 header that gives the message a (more or less, usually less) rigorous
20009 definition. Common types are @samp{spam}, @samp{spew}, @samp{mmf},
20010 @samp{binary}, and @samp{troll}. To specify this, you have to use
20011 @code{(@var{issuer} @var{conditions} @dots{})} elements in the list.
20012 Each condition is either a string (which is a regexp that matches types
20013 you want to use) or a list on the form @code{(not @var{string})}, where
20014 @var{string} is a regexp that matches types you don't want to use.
20016 For instance, if you want all NoCeM messages from Chris Lewis except his
20017 @samp{troll} messages, you'd say:
20020 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" ".*" (not "troll"))
20023 On the other hand, if you just want nothing but his @samp{spam} and
20024 @samp{spew} messages, you'd say:
20027 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" (not ".*") "spew" "spam")
20030 The specs are applied left-to-right.
20033 @item gnus-nocem-verifyer
20034 @vindex gnus-nocem-verifyer
20036 This should be a function for verifying that the NoCeM issuer is who she
20037 says she is. The default is @code{mc-verify}, which is a Mailcrypt
20038 function. If this is too slow and you don't care for verification
20039 (which may be dangerous), you can set this variable to @code{nil}.
20041 If you want signed NoCeM messages to be verified and unsigned messages
20042 not to be verified (but used anyway), you could do something like:
20045 (setq gnus-nocem-verifyer 'my-gnus-mc-verify)
20047 (defun my-gnus-mc-verify ()
20055 This might be dangerous, though.
20057 @item gnus-nocem-directory
20058 @vindex gnus-nocem-directory
20059 This is where Gnus will store its NoCeM cache files. The default is
20060 @file{~/News/NoCeM/}.
20062 @item gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
20063 @vindex gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
20064 The number of days before removing old NoCeM entries from the cache.
20065 The default is 15. If you make it shorter Gnus will be faster, but you
20066 might then see old spam.
20068 @item gnus-nocem-check-from
20069 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-from
20070 Non-@code{nil} means check for valid issuers in message bodies.
20071 Otherwise don't bother fetching articles unless their author matches a
20072 valid issuer; that is much faster if you are selective about the
20075 @item gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
20076 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
20077 If non-@code{nil}, the maximum number of articles to check in any NoCeM
20078 group. NoCeM groups can be huge and very slow to process.
20082 Using NoCeM could potentially be a memory hog. If you have many living
20083 (i. e., subscribed or unsubscribed groups), your Emacs process will grow
20084 big. If this is a problem, you should kill off all (or most) of your
20085 unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Subscription Commands}).
20092 It is very useful to be able to undo actions one has done. In normal
20093 Emacs buffers, it's easy enough---you just push the @code{undo} button.
20094 In Gnus buffers, however, it isn't that simple.
20096 The things Gnus displays in its buffer is of no value whatsoever to
20097 Gnus---it's all just data designed to look nice to the user.
20098 Killing a group in the group buffer with @kbd{C-k} makes the line
20099 disappear, but that's just a side-effect of the real action---the
20100 removal of the group in question from the internal Gnus structures.
20101 Undoing something like that can't be done by the normal Emacs
20102 @code{undo} function.
20104 Gnus tries to remedy this somewhat by keeping track of what the user
20105 does and coming up with actions that would reverse the actions the user
20106 takes. When the user then presses the @code{undo} key, Gnus will run
20107 the code to reverse the previous action, or the previous actions.
20108 However, not all actions are easily reversible, so Gnus currently offers
20109 a few key functions to be undoable. These include killing groups,
20110 yanking groups, and changing the list of read articles of groups.
20111 That's it, really. More functions may be added in the future, but each
20112 added function means an increase in data to be stored, so Gnus will
20113 never be totally undoable.
20115 @findex gnus-undo-mode
20116 @vindex gnus-use-undo
20118 The undoability is provided by the @code{gnus-undo-mode} minor mode. It
20119 is used if @code{gnus-use-undo} is non-@code{nil}, which is the
20120 default. The @kbd{C-M-_} key performs the @code{gnus-undo}
20121 command, which should feel kinda like the normal Emacs @code{undo}
20125 @node Predicate Specifiers
20126 @section Predicate Specifiers
20127 @cindex predicate specifiers
20129 Some Gnus variables are @dfn{predicate specifiers}. This is a special
20130 form that allows flexible specification of predicates without having
20131 to type all that much.
20133 These specifiers are lists consisting of functions, symbols and lists.
20138 (or gnus-article-unseen-p
20139 gnus-article-unread-p)
20142 The available symbols are @code{or}, @code{and} and @code{not}. The
20143 functions all take one parameter.
20145 @findex gnus-make-predicate
20146 Internally, Gnus calls @code{gnus-make-predicate} on these specifiers
20147 to create a function that can be called. This input parameter to this
20148 function will be passed along to all the functions in the predicate
20153 @section Moderation
20156 If you are a moderator, you can use the @file{gnus-mdrtn.el} package.
20157 It is not included in the standard Gnus package. Write a mail to
20158 @samp{larsi@@gnus.org} and state what group you moderate, and you'll
20161 The moderation package is implemented as a minor mode for summary
20165 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-moderate)
20168 in your @file{.gnus.el} file.
20170 If you are the moderator of @samp{rec.zoofle}, this is how it's
20175 You split your incoming mail by matching on
20176 @samp{Newsgroups:.*rec.zoofle}, which will put all the to-be-posted
20177 articles in some mail group---for instance, @samp{nnml:rec.zoofle}.
20180 You enter that group once in a while and post articles using the @kbd{e}
20181 (edit-and-post) or @kbd{s} (just send unedited) commands.
20184 If, while reading the @samp{rec.zoofle} newsgroup, you happen upon some
20185 articles that weren't approved by you, you can cancel them with the
20189 To use moderation mode in these two groups, say:
20192 (setq gnus-moderated-list
20193 "^nnml:rec.zoofle$\\|^rec.zoofle$")
20197 @node Image Enhancements
20198 @section Image Enhancements
20200 XEmacs, as well as Emacs 21, is able to display pictures and stuff, so
20201 Gnus has taken advantage of that.
20204 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
20205 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
20206 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
20207 * Toolbar:: Click'n'drool.
20208 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
20221 So@dots{} You want to slow down your news reader even more! This is a
20222 good way to do so. Its also a great way to impress people staring
20223 over your shoulder as you read news.
20226 * Picon Basics:: What are picons and How do I get them.
20227 * Picon Requirements:: Don't go further if you aren't using XEmacs.
20228 * Easy Picons:: Displaying Picons---the easy way.
20229 * Hard Picons:: The way you should do it. You'll learn something.
20230 * Picon Useless Configuration:: Other variables you can trash/tweak/munge/play with.
20235 @subsubsection Picon Basics
20237 What are Picons? To quote directly from the Picons Web site:
20246 @dfn{Picons} is short for ``personal icons''. They're small,
20247 constrained images used to represent users and domains on the net,
20248 organized into databases so that the appropriate image for a given
20249 e-mail address can be found. Besides users and domains, there are picon
20250 databases for Usenet newsgroups and weather forecasts. The picons are
20251 in either monochrome @code{XBM} format or color @code{XPM} and
20252 @code{GIF} formats.
20255 @vindex gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
20256 If you have a permanent connection to the Internet you can use Steve
20257 Kinzler's Picons Search engine by setting
20258 @code{gnus-picons-piconsearch-url} to the string @*
20259 @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/search.html}.
20261 @vindex gnus-picons-database
20262 Otherwise you need a local copy of his database. For instructions on
20263 obtaining and installing the picons databases, point your Web browser at @*
20264 @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/ftp/index.html}. Gnus expects
20265 picons to be installed into a location pointed to by
20266 @code{gnus-picons-database}.
20268 If you are using Debian GNU/Linux, saying @samp{apt-get install
20269 picons.*} will install the picons where Gnus can find them.
20272 @node Picon Requirements
20273 @subsubsection Picon Requirements
20275 To have Gnus display Picons for you, you must have @code{x} support
20276 compiled into XEmacs. To display color picons which are much nicer
20277 than the black & white one, you also need one of @code{xpm} or
20278 @code{gif} compiled into XEmacs.
20280 @vindex gnus-picons-convert-x-face
20281 If you want to display faces from @code{X-Face} headers, you should have
20282 the @code{xface} support compiled into XEmacs. Otherwise you must have
20283 the @code{netpbm} utilities installed, or munge the
20284 @code{gnus-picons-convert-x-face} variable to use something else.
20285 (NOTE: @code{x-face} is used in the variable name, not @code{xface})
20288 @subsubsection Easy Picons
20290 To enable displaying picons, simply put the following line in your
20291 @file{~/.gnus} file and start Gnus.
20294 (setq gnus-use-picons t)
20295 (setq gnus-treat-display-picons t)
20298 and make sure @code{gnus-picons-database} points to the directory
20299 containing the Picons databases.
20301 Alternatively if you want to use the web piconsearch engine add this:
20304 (setq gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
20305 "http://www.cs.indiana.edu:800/piconsearch")
20310 @subsubsection Hard Picons
20318 Gnus can display picons for you as you enter and leave groups and
20319 articles. It knows how to interact with three sections of the picons
20320 database. Namely, it can display the picons newsgroup pictures,
20321 author's face picture(s), and the authors domain. To enable this
20322 feature, you need to select where to get the picons from, and where to
20327 @item gnus-picons-database
20328 @vindex gnus-picons-database
20329 The location of the picons database. Should point to a directory
20330 containing the @file{news}, @file{domains}, @file{users} (and so on)
20331 subdirectories. This is only useful if
20332 @code{gnus-picons-piconsearch-url} is @code{nil}. Defaults to
20333 @file{/usr/local/faces/}.
20335 @item gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
20336 @vindex gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
20337 The URL for the web picons search engine. The only currently known
20338 engine is @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu:800/piconsearch}. To
20339 workaround network delays, icons will be fetched in the background. If
20340 this is @code{nil} 'the default), then picons are fetched from local
20341 database indicated by @code{gnus-picons-database}.
20343 @item gnus-picons-display-where
20344 @vindex gnus-picons-display-where
20345 Where the picon images should be displayed. It is @code{picons} by
20346 default (which by default maps to the buffer @samp{*Picons*}). Other
20347 valid places could be @code{article}, @code{summary}, or
20348 @samp{*scratch*} for all I care. Just make sure that you've made the
20349 buffer visible using the standard Gnus window configuration
20350 routines---@pxref{Window Layout}.
20352 @item gnus-picons-group-excluded-groups
20353 @vindex gnus-picons-group-excluded-groups
20354 Groups that are matched by this regexp won't have their group icons
20359 Note: If you set @code{gnus-use-picons} to @code{t}, it will set up your
20360 window configuration for you to include the @code{picons} buffer.
20362 Now that you've made those decision, you need to add the following
20363 functions to the appropriate hooks so these pictures will get displayed
20366 @vindex gnus-picons-display-where
20368 @item gnus-article-display-picons
20369 @findex gnus-article-display-picons
20370 Looks up and displays the picons for the author and the author's domain
20371 in the @code{gnus-picons-display-where} buffer.
20373 @item gnus-picons-article-display-x-face
20374 @findex gnus-picons-article-display-x-face
20375 Decodes and displays the X-Face header if present.
20376 (NOTE: @code{x-face} is used in the function name, not @code{xface})
20382 @node Picon Useless Configuration
20383 @subsubsection Picon Useless Configuration
20391 The following variables offer further control over how things are
20392 done, where things are located, and other useless stuff you really
20393 don't need to worry about.
20397 @item gnus-picons-news-directories
20398 @vindex gnus-picons-news-directories
20399 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for
20400 newsgroups faces. @code{("news")} is the default.
20402 @item gnus-picons-user-directories
20403 @vindex gnus-picons-user-directories
20404 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for user
20405 faces. @code{("local" "users" "usenix" "misc")} is the default.
20407 @item gnus-picons-domain-directories
20408 @vindex gnus-picons-domain-directories
20409 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for
20410 domain name faces. Defaults to @code{("domains")}. Some people may
20411 want to add @samp{"unknown"} to this list.
20413 @item gnus-picons-convert-x-face
20414 @vindex gnus-picons-convert-x-face
20415 If you don't have @code{xface} support builtin XEmacs, this is the
20416 command to use to convert the @code{X-Face} header to an X bitmap
20417 (@code{xbm}). Defaults to @code{(format "@{ echo '/* Width=48,
20418 Height=48 */'; uncompface; @} | icontopbm | pbmtoxbm > %s"
20419 gnus-picons-x-face-file-name)}
20420 (NOTE: @code{x-face} is used in the variable name, not @code{xface})
20422 @item gnus-picons-x-face-file-name
20423 @vindex gnus-picons-x-face-file-name
20424 Names a temporary file to store the @code{X-Face} bitmap in. Defaults
20425 to @code{(format "/tmp/picon-xface.%s.xbm" (user-login-name))}.
20426 (NOTE: @code{x-face} is used in the variable name, not @code{xface})
20428 @item gnus-picons-has-modeline-p
20429 @vindex gnus-picons-has-modeline-p
20430 If you have set @code{gnus-picons-display-where} to @code{picons}, your
20431 XEmacs frame will become really cluttered. To alleviate this a bit you
20432 can set @code{gnus-picons-has-modeline-p} to @code{nil}; this will
20433 remove the mode line from the Picons buffer. This is only useful if
20434 @code{gnus-picons-display-where} is @code{picons}.
20436 @item gnus-picons-refresh-before-display
20437 @vindex gnus-picons-refresh-before-display
20438 If non-nil, display the article buffer before computing the picons.
20439 Defaults to @code{nil}.
20441 @item gnus-picons-display-as-address
20442 @vindex gnus-picons-display-as-address
20443 If @code{t} display textual email addresses along with pictures.
20444 Defaults to @code{t}.
20446 @item gnus-picons-file-suffixes
20447 @vindex gnus-picons-file-suffixes
20448 Ordered list of suffixes on picon file names to try. Defaults to
20449 @code{("xpm" "gif" "xbm")} minus those not builtin your XEmacs.
20451 @item gnus-picons-setup-hook
20452 @vindex gnus-picons-setup-hook
20453 Hook run in the picon buffer, if that is displayed.
20455 @item gnus-picons-display-article-move-p
20456 @vindex gnus-picons-display-article-move-p
20457 Whether to move point to first empty line when displaying picons. This
20458 has only an effect if `gnus-picons-display-where' has value `article'.
20460 If @code{nil}, display the picons in the @code{From} and
20461 @code{Newsgroups} lines. This is the default.
20463 @item gnus-picons-clear-cache-on-shutdown
20464 @vindex gnus-picons-clear-cache-on-shutdown
20465 Whether to clear the picons cache when exiting gnus. Gnus caches every
20466 picons it finds while it is running. This saves some time in the search
20467 process but eats some memory. If this variable is set to @code{nil},
20468 Gnus will never clear the cache itself; you will have to manually call
20469 @code{gnus-picons-clear-cache} to clear it. Otherwise the cache will be
20470 cleared every time you exit Gnus. Defaults to @code{t}.
20481 @subsection Smileys
20486 \gnusfig{-3cm}{0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/BigFace,height=20cm}}
20491 @dfn{Smiley} is a package separate from Gnus, but since Gnus is
20492 currently the only package that uses Smiley, it is documented here.
20494 In short---to use Smiley in Gnus, put the following in your
20495 @file{.gnus.el} file:
20498 (setq gnus-treat-display-smileys t)
20501 Smiley maps text smiley faces---@samp{:-)}, @samp{:-=}, @samp{:-(} and
20502 the like---to pictures and displays those instead of the text smiley
20503 faces. The conversion is controlled by a list of regexps that matches
20504 text and maps that to file names.
20506 @vindex smiley-nosey-regexp-alist
20507 @vindex smiley-deformed-regexp-alist
20508 Smiley supplies two example conversion alists by default:
20509 @code{smiley-deformed-regexp-alist} (which matches @samp{:)}, @samp{:(}
20510 and so on), and @code{smiley-nosey-regexp-alist} (which matches
20511 @samp{:-)}, @samp{:-(} and so on).
20513 The alist used is specified by the @code{smiley-regexp-alist} variable,
20514 which defaults to the value of @code{smiley-deformed-regexp-alist}.
20516 The first item in each element is the regexp to be matched; the second
20517 element is the regexp match group that is to be replaced by the picture;
20518 and the third element is the name of the file to be displayed.
20520 The following variables customize where Smiley will look for these
20521 files, as well as the color to be used and stuff:
20525 @item smiley-data-directory
20526 @vindex smiley-data-directory
20527 Where Smiley will look for smiley faces files.
20529 @item smiley-flesh-color
20530 @vindex smiley-flesh-color
20531 Skin color. The default is @samp{yellow}, which is really racist.
20533 @item smiley-features-color
20534 @vindex smiley-features-color
20535 Color of the features of the face. The default is @samp{black}.
20537 @item smiley-tongue-color
20538 @vindex smiley-tongue-color
20539 Color of the tongue. The default is @samp{red}.
20541 @item smiley-circle-color
20542 @vindex smiley-circle-color
20543 Color of the circle around the face. The default is @samp{black}.
20545 @item smiley-mouse-face
20546 @vindex smiley-mouse-face
20547 Face used for mouse highlighting over the smiley face.
20556 @code{X-Face} headers describe a 48x48 pixel black-and-white (1 bit
20557 depth) image that's supposed to represent the author of the message.
20558 It seems to be supported by an ever-growing number of mail and news
20562 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
20563 @findex gnus-article-x-face-command
20564 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-command
20565 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly
20573 Decoding an @code{X-Face} header either requires an Emacs that has
20574 @samp{compface} support (which most XEmacs versions has), or that you
20575 have @samp{compface} installed on your system. If either is true,
20576 Gnus will default to displaying @code{X-Face} headers.
20578 The variable that controls this is the
20579 @code{gnus-article-x-face-command} variable. If this variable is a
20580 string, this string will be executed in a sub-shell. If it is a
20581 function, this function will be called with the face as the argument.
20582 If the @code{gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly} (which is a regexp) matches
20583 the @code{From} header, the face will not be shown.
20585 The default action under Emacs 20 is to fork off the @code{display}
20586 program@footnote{@code{display} is from the ImageMagick package. For
20587 the @code{uncompface} and @code{icontopbm} programs look for a package
20588 like @code{compface} or @code{faces-xface} on a GNU/Linux system.} to
20591 Under XEmacs or Emacs 21+ with suitable image support, the default
20592 action is to display the face before the @code{From} header. (It's
20593 nicer if XEmacs has been compiled with @code{X-Face} support---that
20594 will make display somewhat faster. If there's no native @code{X-Face}
20595 support, Gnus will try to convert the @code{X-Face} header using
20596 external programs from the @code{pbmplus} package and
20597 friends.@footnote{On a GNU/Linux system look for packages with names
20598 like @code{netpbm}, @code{libgr-progs} and @code{compface}.})
20600 (NOTE: @code{x-face} is used in the variable/function names, not
20603 Gnus provides a few convenience functions and variables to allow
20604 easier insertion of X-Face headers in outgoing messages.
20606 @findex gnus-random-x-face
20607 @code{gnus-random-x-face} goes through all the @samp{pbm} files
20608 in @code{gnus-x-face-directory} and picks one at random, and then
20609 converts it to the X-Face format by using the
20610 @code{gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command} shell command. The
20611 @samp{pbm} files should be 48x48 pixels big.
20613 @code{gnus-x-face-from-file} takes a file as the parameter, and then
20614 converts the file to X-Face format by using the
20615 @code{gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command} shell command.
20617 Here's how you would typically use the former function. Put something
20618 like the folllowing in your @file{.gnus.el} file:
20621 (setq message-required-news-headers
20622 (nconc message-required-news-headers
20623 (list '(X-Face . gnus-random-x-face))))
20626 Using the latter function would be something like this:
20629 (setq message-required-news-headers
20630 (nconc message-required-news-headers
20631 (list '(X-Face . (lambda ()
20632 (gnus-x-face-from-file
20633 "~/My-face.gif"))))))
20638 @subsection Toolbar
20648 @item gnus-use-toolbar
20649 @vindex gnus-use-toolbar
20650 If @code{nil}, don't display toolbars. If non-@code{nil}, it should be
20651 one of @code{default-toolbar}, @code{top-toolbar}, @code{bottom-toolbar},
20652 @code{right-toolbar}, or @code{left-toolbar}.
20654 @item gnus-group-toolbar
20655 @vindex gnus-group-toolbar
20656 The toolbar in the group buffer.
20658 @item gnus-summary-toolbar
20659 @vindex gnus-summary-toolbar
20660 The toolbar in the summary buffer.
20662 @item gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
20663 @vindex gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
20664 The toolbar in the summary buffer of mail groups.
20670 @subsection Various XEmacs Variables
20673 @item gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
20674 @vindex gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
20675 This is where Gnus will look for pictures. Gnus will normally
20676 auto-detect this directory, but you may set it manually if you have an
20677 unusual directory structure.
20679 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
20680 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
20681 This is an alist where the key is a type symbol and the values are the
20682 foreground and background color of the splash page glyph.
20684 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
20685 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
20686 This is the key used to look up the color in the alist described above.
20687 Valid values include @code{flame}, @code{pine}, @code{moss},
20688 @code{irish}, @code{sky}, @code{tin}, @code{velvet}, @code{grape},
20689 @code{labia}, @code{berry}, @code{neutral}, and @code{september}.
20691 @item gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
20692 @vindex gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
20693 A glyph displayed in all Gnus mode lines. It is a tiny gnu head by
20707 @node Fuzzy Matching
20708 @section Fuzzy Matching
20709 @cindex fuzzy matching
20711 Gnus provides @dfn{fuzzy matching} of @code{Subject} lines when doing
20712 things like scoring, thread gathering and thread comparison.
20714 As opposed to regular expression matching, fuzzy matching is very fuzzy.
20715 It's so fuzzy that there's not even a definition of what @dfn{fuzziness}
20716 means, and the implementation has changed over time.
20718 Basically, it tries to remove all noise from lines before comparing.
20719 @samp{Re: }, parenthetical remarks, white space, and so on, are filtered
20720 out of the strings before comparing the results. This often leads to
20721 adequate results---even when faced with strings generated by text
20722 manglers masquerading as newsreaders.
20725 @node Thwarting Email Spam
20726 @section Thwarting Email Spam
20730 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
20732 In these last days of the Usenet, commercial vultures are hanging about
20733 and grepping through news like crazy to find email addresses they can
20734 foist off their scams and products to. As a reaction to this, many
20735 people have started putting nonsense addresses into their @code{From}
20736 lines. I think this is counterproductive---it makes it difficult for
20737 people to send you legitimate mail in response to things you write, as
20738 well as making it difficult to see who wrote what. This rewriting may
20739 perhaps be a bigger menace than the unsolicited commercial email itself
20742 The biggest problem I have with email spam is that it comes in under
20743 false pretenses. I press @kbd{g} and Gnus merrily informs me that I
20744 have 10 new emails. I say ``Golly gee! Happy is me!'' and select the
20745 mail group, only to find two pyramid schemes, seven advertisements
20746 (``New! Miracle tonic for growing full, lustrous hair on your toes!'')
20747 and one mail asking me to repent and find some god.
20752 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
20753 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
20754 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
20757 @node Anti-Spam Basics
20758 @subsection Anti-Spam Basics
20762 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
20764 One way of dealing with spam is having Gnus split out all spam into a
20765 @samp{spam} mail group (@pxref{Splitting Mail}).
20767 First, pick one (1) valid mail address that you can be reached at, and
20768 put it in your @code{From} header of all your news articles. (I've
20769 chosen @samp{larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no}, but for many addresses on the form
20770 @samp{larsi+usenet@@ifi.uio.no} will be a better choice. Ask your
20771 sysadmin whether your sendmail installation accepts keywords in the local
20772 part of the mail address.)
20775 (setq message-default-news-headers
20776 "From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no>\n")
20779 Then put the following split rule in @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
20780 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
20785 (to "larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no"
20786 (| ("subject" "re:.*" "misc")
20787 ("references" ".*@@.*" "misc")
20793 This says that all mail to this address is suspect, but if it has a
20794 @code{Subject} that starts with a @samp{Re:} or has a @code{References}
20795 header, it's probably ok. All the rest goes to the @samp{spam} group.
20796 (This idea probably comes from Tim Pierce.)
20798 In addition, many mail spammers talk directly to your @sc{smtp} server
20799 and do not include your email address explicitly in the @code{To}
20800 header. Why they do this is unknown---perhaps it's to thwart this
20801 thwarting scheme? In any case, this is trivial to deal with---you just
20802 put anything not addressed to you in the @samp{spam} group by ending
20803 your fancy split rule in this way:
20808 (to "larsi" "misc")
20812 In my experience, this will sort virtually everything into the right
20813 group. You still have to check the @samp{spam} group from time to time to
20814 check for legitimate mail, though. If you feel like being a good net
20815 citizen, you can even send off complaints to the proper authorities on
20816 each unsolicited commercial email---at your leisure.
20818 If you are also a lazy net citizen, you will probably prefer complaining
20819 automatically with the @file{gnus-junk.el} package, available FOR FREE
20820 at @* @uref{http://stud2.tuwien.ac.at/~e9426626/gnus-junk.html}.
20821 Since most e-mail spam is sent automatically, this may reconcile the
20822 cosmic balance somewhat.
20824 This works for me. It allows people an easy way to contact me (they can
20825 just press @kbd{r} in the usual way), and I'm not bothered at all with
20826 spam. It's a win-win situation. Forging @code{From} headers to point
20827 to non-existent domains is yucky, in my opinion.
20832 @subsection SpamAssassin, Vipul's Razor, DCC, etc
20833 @cindex SpamAssassin
20834 @cindex Vipul's Razor
20837 The days where the hints in the previous section was sufficient in
20838 avoiding spam is coming to an end. There are many tools out there
20839 that claim to reduce the amount of spam you get. This section could
20840 easily become outdated fast, as new products replace old, but
20841 fortunately most of these tools seem to have similar interfaces. Even
20842 though this section will use SpamAssassin as an example, it should be
20843 easy to adapt it to most other tools.
20845 If the tool you are using is not installed on the mail server, you
20846 need to invoke it yourself. Ideas on how to use the
20847 @code{:postscript} mail source parameter (@pxref{Mail Source
20848 Specifiers}) follows.
20852 '((file :prescript "formail -bs spamassassin < /var/mail/%u")
20855 :postscript "mv %t /tmp/foo; formail -bs spamc < /tmp/foo > %t")))
20858 Once you managed to process your incoming spool somehow, thus making
20859 the mail contain e.g. a header indicating it is spam, you are ready to
20860 filter it out. Using normal split methods (@pxref{Splitting Mail}):
20863 (setq nnmail-split-methods '(("spam" "^X-Spam-Flag: YES")
20867 Or using fancy split methods (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
20870 (setq nnmail-split-methods 'nnmail-split-fancy
20871 nnmail-split-fancy '(| ("X-Spam-Flag" "YES" "spam")
20875 Some people might not like the idea of piping the mail through various
20876 programs using a @code{:prescript} (if some program is buggy, you
20877 might lose all mail). If you are one of them, another solution is to
20878 call the external tools during splitting. Example fancy split method:
20881 (setq nnmail-split-fancy '(| (: kevin-spamassassin)
20883 (defun kevin-spamassassin ()
20885 (let ((buf (or (get-buffer " *nnmail incoming*")
20886 (get-buffer " *nnml move*"))))
20888 (progn (message "Oops, cannot find message buffer") nil)
20890 (if (eq 1 (call-process-region (point-min) (point-max)
20891 "spamc" nil nil nil "-c"))
20895 That is about it. As some spam is likely to get through anyway, you
20896 might want to have a nifty function to call when you happen to read
20897 spam. And here is the nifty function:
20900 (defun my-gnus-raze-spam ()
20901 "Submit SPAM to Vipul's Razor, then mark it as expirable."
20903 (gnus-summary-show-raw-article)
20904 (gnus-summary-save-in-pipe "razor-report -f -d")
20905 (gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable 1))
20909 @subsection Hashcash
20912 A novel technique to fight spam is to require senders to do something
20913 costly for each message they send. This has the obvious drawback that
20914 you cannot rely on that everyone in the world uses this technique,
20915 since it is not part of the internet standards, but it may be useful
20916 in smaller communities.
20918 While the tools in the previous section work well in practice, they
20919 work only because the tools are constantly maintained and updated as
20920 new form of spam appears. This means that a small percentage of spam
20921 will always get through. It also means that somewhere, someone needs
20922 to read lots of spam to update these tools. Hashcash avoids that, but
20923 instead requires that everyone you communicate with supports the
20924 scheme. You can view the two approaches as pragmatic vs dogmatic.
20925 The approaches have their own advantages and disadvantages, but as
20926 often in the real world, a combination of them is stronger than either
20927 one of them separately.
20930 The ``something costly'' is to burn CPU time, more specifically to
20931 compute a hash collision up to a certain number of bits. The
20932 resulting hashcash cookie is inserted in a @samp{X-Hashcash:}
20933 header. For more details, and for the external application
20934 @code{hashcash} you need to install to use this feature, see
20935 @uref{http://www.cypherspace.org/~adam/hashcash/}. Even more
20936 information can be found at @uref{http://www.camram.org/}.
20938 If you wish to call hashcash for each message you send, say something
20942 (require 'hashcash)
20943 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'mail-add-payment)
20946 The @code{hashcash.el} library can be found at
20947 @uref{http://users.actrix.gen.nz/mycroft/hashcash.el}, or in the Gnus
20948 development contrib directory.
20950 You will need to set up some additional variables as well:
20954 @item hashcash-default-payment
20955 @vindex hashcash-default-payment
20956 This variable indicates the default number of bits the hash collision
20957 should consist of. By default this is 0, meaning nothing will be
20958 done. Suggested useful values include 17 to 29.
20960 @item hashcash-payment-alist
20961 @vindex hashcash-payment-alist
20962 Some receivers may require you to spend burn more CPU time than the
20963 default. This variable contains a list of @samp{(ADDR AMOUNT)} cells,
20964 where ADDR is the receiver (email address or newsgroup) and AMOUNT is
20965 the number of bits in the collision that is needed. It can also
20966 contain @samp{(ADDR STRING AMOUNT)} cells, where the STRING is the
20967 string to use (normally the email address or newsgroup name is used).
20971 Where the @code{hashcash} binary is installed.
20975 Currently there is no built in functionality in Gnus to verify
20976 hashcash cookies, it is expected that this is performed by your hand
20977 customized mail filtering scripts. Improvements in this area would be
20978 a useful contribution, however.
20980 @node Various Various
20981 @section Various Various
20987 @item gnus-home-directory
20988 All Gnus path variables will be initialized from this variable, which
20989 defaults to @file{~/}.
20991 @item gnus-directory
20992 @vindex gnus-directory
20993 Most Gnus storage path variables will be initialized from this variable,
20994 which defaults to the @samp{SAVEDIR} environment variable, or
20995 @file{~/News/} if that variable isn't set.
20997 Note that Gnus is mostly loaded when the @file{.gnus.el} file is read.
20998 This means that other directory variables that are initialized from this
20999 variable won't be set properly if you set this variable in
21000 @file{.gnus.el}. Set this variable in @file{.emacs} instead.
21002 @item gnus-default-directory
21003 @vindex gnus-default-directory
21004 Not related to the above variable at all---this variable says what the
21005 default directory of all Gnus buffers should be. If you issue commands
21006 like @kbd{C-x C-f}, the prompt you'll get starts in the current buffer's
21007 default directory. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
21008 default), the default directory will be the default directory of the
21009 buffer you were in when you started Gnus.
21012 @vindex gnus-verbose
21013 This variable is an integer between zero and ten. The higher the value,
21014 the more messages will be displayed. If this variable is zero, Gnus
21015 will never flash any messages, if it is seven (which is the default),
21016 most important messages will be shown, and if it is ten, Gnus won't ever
21017 shut up, but will flash so many messages it will make your head swim.
21019 @item gnus-verbose-backends
21020 @vindex gnus-verbose-backends
21021 This variable works the same way as @code{gnus-verbose}, but it applies
21022 to the Gnus back ends instead of Gnus proper.
21024 @item nnheader-max-head-length
21025 @vindex nnheader-max-head-length
21026 When the back ends read straight heads of articles, they all try to read
21027 as little as possible. This variable (default 4096) specifies
21028 the absolute max length the back ends will try to read before giving up
21029 on finding a separator line between the head and the body. If this
21030 variable is @code{nil}, there is no upper read bound. If it is
21031 @code{t}, the back ends won't try to read the articles piece by piece,
21032 but read the entire articles. This makes sense with some versions of
21033 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs}.
21035 @item nnheader-head-chop-length
21036 @vindex nnheader-head-chop-length
21037 This variable (default 2048) says how big a piece of each article to
21038 read when doing the operation described above.
21040 @item nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
21041 @vindex nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
21043 @cindex invalid characters in file names
21044 @cindex characters in file names
21045 This is an alist that says how to translate characters in file names.
21046 For instance, if @samp{:} is invalid as a file character in file names
21047 on your system (you OS/2 user you), you could say something like:
21050 (setq nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
21054 In fact, this is the default value for this variable on OS/2 and MS
21055 Windows (phooey) systems.
21057 @item gnus-hidden-properties
21058 @vindex gnus-hidden-properties
21059 This is a list of properties to use to hide ``invisible'' text. It is
21060 @code{(invisible t intangible t)} by default on most systems, which
21061 makes invisible text invisible and intangible.
21063 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
21064 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
21065 A hook called before parsing headers. It can be used, for instance, to
21066 gather statistics on the headers fetched, or perhaps you'd like to prune
21067 some headers. I don't see why you'd want that, though.
21069 @item gnus-shell-command-separator
21070 @vindex gnus-shell-command-separator
21071 String used to separate two shell commands. The default is @samp{;}.
21073 @item gnus-invalid-group-regexp
21074 @vindex gnus-invalid-group-regexp
21076 Regexp to match ``invalid'' group names when querying user for a group
21077 name. The default value catches some @strong{really} invalid group
21078 names who could possibly mess up Gnus internally (like allowing
21079 @samp{:} in a group name, which is normally used to delimit method and
21082 @sc{imap} users might want to allow @samp{/} in group names though.
21090 Well, that's the manual---you can get on with your life now. Keep in
21091 touch. Say hello to your cats from me.
21093 My @strong{ghod}---I just can't stand goodbyes. Sniffle.
21095 Ol' Charles Reznikoff said it pretty well, so I leave the floor to him:
21101 Not because of victories @*
21104 but for the common sunshine,@*
21106 the largess of the spring.
21110 but for the day's work done@*
21111 as well as I was able;@*
21112 not for a seat upon the dais@*
21113 but at the common table.@*
21118 @chapter Appendices
21121 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
21122 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
21123 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
21124 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
21125 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
21126 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
21127 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
21128 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
21129 * Frequently Asked Questions::
21136 @cindex Installing under XEmacs
21138 XEmacs is distributed as a collection of packages. You should install
21139 whatever packages the Gnus XEmacs package requires. The current
21140 requirements are @samp{gnus}, @samp{w3}, @samp{mh-e},
21141 @samp{mailcrypt}, @samp{rmail}, @samp{eterm}, @samp{mail-lib},
21142 @samp{xemacs-base}, and @samp{fsf-compat}.
21149 @sc{gnus} was written by Masanobu @sc{Umeda}. When autumn crept up in
21150 '94, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen grew bored and decided to rewrite Gnus.
21152 If you want to investigate the person responsible for this outrage,
21153 you can point your (feh!) web browser to
21154 @uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/}. This is also the primary
21155 distribution point for the new and spiffy versions of Gnus, and is
21156 known as The Site That Destroys Newsrcs And Drives People Mad.
21158 During the first extended alpha period of development, the new Gnus was
21159 called ``(ding) Gnus''. @dfn{(ding)} is, of course, short for
21160 @dfn{ding is not Gnus}, which is a total and utter lie, but who cares?
21161 (Besides, the ``Gnus'' in this abbreviation should probably be
21162 pronounced ``news'' as @sc{Umeda} intended, which makes it a more
21163 appropriate name, don't you think?)
21165 In any case, after spending all that energy on coming up with a new and
21166 spunky name, we decided that the name was @emph{too} spunky, so we
21167 renamed it back again to ``Gnus''. But in mixed case. ``Gnus'' vs.
21168 ``@sc{gnus}''. New vs. old.
21171 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
21172 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
21173 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
21174 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
21175 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
21176 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
21177 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
21178 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
21179 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
21183 @node Gnus Versions
21184 @subsection Gnus Versions
21186 @cindex September Gnus
21188 @cindex Quassia Gnus
21189 @cindex Pterodactyl Gnus
21193 The first ``proper'' release of Gnus 5 was done in November 1995 when it
21194 was included in the Emacs 19.30 distribution (132 (ding) Gnus releases
21195 plus 15 Gnus 5.0 releases).
21197 In May 1996 the next Gnus generation (aka. ``September Gnus'' (after 99
21198 releases)) was released under the name ``Gnus 5.2'' (40 releases).
21200 On July 28th 1996 work on Red Gnus was begun, and it was released on
21201 January 25th 1997 (after 84 releases) as ``Gnus 5.4'' (67 releases).
21203 On September 13th 1997, Quassia Gnus was started and lasted 37 releases.
21204 If was released as ``Gnus 5.6'' on March 8th 1998 (46 releases).
21206 Gnus 5.6 begat Pterodactyl Gnus on August 29th 1998 and was released as
21207 ``Gnus 5.8'' (after 99 releases and a CVS repository) on December 3rd
21210 On the 26th of October 2000, Oort Gnus was begun.
21212 If you happen upon a version of Gnus that has a prefixed name --
21213 ``(ding) Gnus'', ``September Gnus'', ``Red Gnus'', ``Quassia Gnus'',
21214 ``Pterodactyl Gnus'', ``Oort Gnus'' -- don't panic. Don't let it know
21215 that you're frightened. Back away. Slowly. Whatever you do, don't
21216 run. Walk away, calmly, until you're out of its reach. Find a proper
21217 released version of Gnus and snuggle up to that instead.
21220 @node Other Gnus Versions
21221 @subsection Other Gnus Versions
21224 In addition to the versions of Gnus which have had their releases
21225 coordinated by Lars, one major development has been Semi-gnus from
21226 Japan. It's based on a library called @sc{semi}, which provides
21227 @sc{mime} capabilities.
21229 These Gnusae are based mainly on Gnus 5.6 and Pterodactyl Gnus.
21230 Collectively, they are called ``Semi-gnus'', and different strains are
21231 called T-gnus, ET-gnus, Nana-gnus and Chaos. These provide powerful
21232 @sc{mime} and multilingualization things, especially important for
21239 What's the point of Gnus?
21241 I want to provide a ``rad'', ``happening'', ``way cool'' and ``hep''
21242 newsreader, that lets you do anything you can think of. That was my
21243 original motivation, but while working on Gnus, it has become clear to
21244 me that this generation of newsreaders really belong in the stone age.
21245 Newsreaders haven't developed much since the infancy of the net. If the
21246 volume continues to rise with the current rate of increase, all current
21247 newsreaders will be pretty much useless. How do you deal with
21248 newsgroups that have thousands of new articles each day? How do you
21249 keep track of millions of people who post?
21251 Gnus offers no real solutions to these questions, but I would very much
21252 like to see Gnus being used as a testing ground for new methods of
21253 reading and fetching news. Expanding on @sc{Umeda}-san's wise decision
21254 to separate the newsreader from the back ends, Gnus now offers a simple
21255 interface for anybody who wants to write new back ends for fetching mail
21256 and news from different sources. I have added hooks for customizations
21257 everywhere I could imagine it being useful. By doing so, I'm inviting
21258 every one of you to explore and invent.
21260 May Gnus never be complete. @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-emacs} and
21261 @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-xemacs}.
21264 @node Compatibility
21265 @subsection Compatibility
21267 @cindex compatibility
21268 Gnus was designed to be fully compatible with @sc{gnus}. Almost all key
21269 bindings have been kept. More key bindings have been added, of course,
21270 but only in one or two obscure cases have old bindings been changed.
21275 @center In a cloud bones of steel.
21279 All commands have kept their names. Some internal functions have changed
21282 The @code{gnus-uu} package has changed drastically. @xref{Decoding
21285 One major compatibility question is the presence of several summary
21286 buffers. All variables relevant while reading a group are
21287 buffer-local to the summary buffer they belong in. Although many
21288 important variables have their values copied into their global
21289 counterparts whenever a command is executed in the summary buffer, this
21290 change might lead to incorrect values being used unless you are careful.
21292 All code that relies on knowledge of @sc{gnus} internals will probably
21293 fail. To take two examples: Sorting @code{gnus-newsrc-alist} (or
21294 changing it in any way, as a matter of fact) is strictly verboten. Gnus
21295 maintains a hash table that points to the entries in this alist (which
21296 speeds up many functions), and changing the alist directly will lead to
21300 @cindex highlighting
21301 Old hilit19 code does not work at all. In fact, you should probably
21302 remove all hilit code from all Gnus hooks
21303 (@code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} and @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook}).
21304 Gnus provides various integrated functions for highlighting. These are
21305 faster and more accurate. To make life easier for everybody, Gnus will
21306 by default remove all hilit calls from all hilit hooks. Uncleanliness!
21309 Packages like @code{expire-kill} will no longer work. As a matter of
21310 fact, you should probably remove all old @sc{gnus} packages (and other
21311 code) when you start using Gnus. More likely than not, Gnus already
21312 does what you have written code to make @sc{gnus} do. (Snicker.)
21314 Even though old methods of doing things are still supported, only the
21315 new methods are documented in this manual. If you detect a new method of
21316 doing something while reading this manual, that does not mean you have
21317 to stop doing it the old way.
21319 Gnus understands all @sc{gnus} startup files.
21321 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
21323 @cindex reporting bugs
21325 Overall, a casual user who hasn't written much code that depends on
21326 @sc{gnus} internals should suffer no problems. If problems occur,
21327 please let me know by issuing that magic command @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}.
21329 @vindex gnus-bug-create-help-buffer
21330 If you are in the habit of sending bug reports @emph{very} often, you
21331 may find the helpful help buffer annoying after a while. If so, set
21332 @code{gnus-bug-create-help-buffer} to @code{nil} to avoid having it pop
21337 @subsection Conformity
21339 No rebels without a clue here, ma'am. We conform to all standards known
21340 to (wo)man. Except for those standards and/or conventions we disagree
21348 There are no known breaches of this standard.
21352 There are no known breaches of this standard, either.
21354 @item Son-of-RFC 1036
21355 @cindex Son-of-RFC 1036
21356 We do have some breaches to this one.
21362 These are considered to be ``vanity headers'', while I consider them
21363 to be consumer information. After seeing so many badly formatted
21364 articles coming from @code{tin} and @code{Netscape} I know not to use
21365 either of those for posting articles. I would not have known that if
21366 it wasn't for the @code{X-Newsreader} header.
21371 USEFOR is an IETF working group writing a successor to RFC 1036, based
21372 on Son-of-RFC 1036. They have produced a number of drafts proposing
21373 various changes to the format of news articles. The Gnus towers will
21374 look into implementing the changes when the draft is accepted as an RFC.
21376 @item MIME - RFC 2045-2049 etc
21378 All the various @sc{mime} RFCs are supported.
21380 @item Disposition Notifications - RFC 2298
21381 Message Mode is able to request notifications from the receiver.
21383 @item PGP - RFC 1991 and RFC 2440
21386 RFC 1991 is the original PGP message specification, published as a
21387 Information RFC. RFC 2440 was the follow-up, now called Open PGP, and
21388 put on the Standards Track. Both document a non-@sc{mime} aware PGP
21389 format. Gnus supports both encoding (signing and encryption) and
21390 decoding (verification and decryption).
21392 @item PGP/MIME - RFC 2015/3156
21393 RFC 2015 (superceded by 3156 which references RFC 2440 instead of RFC
21394 1991) describes the @sc{mime}-wrapping around the RF 1991/2440 format.
21395 Gnus supports both encoding and decoding.
21397 @item S/MIME - RFC 2633
21398 RFC 2633 describes the @sc{s/mime} format.
21400 @item IMAP - RFC 1730/2060, RFC 2195, RFC 2086, RFC 2359, RFC 2595, RFC 1731
21401 RFC 1730 is @sc{imap} version 4, updated somewhat by RFC 2060 (@sc{imap} 4
21402 revision 1). RFC 2195 describes CRAM-MD5 authentication for @sc{imap}. RFC
21403 2086 describes access control lists (ACLs) for @sc{imap}. RFC 2359
21404 describes a @sc{imap} protocol enhancement. RFC 2595 describes the proper
21405 TLS integration (STARTTLS) with @sc{imap}. RFC 1731 describes the
21406 GSSAPI/Kerberos4 mechanisms for @sc{imap}.
21410 If you ever notice Gnus acting non-compliant with regards to the texts
21411 mentioned above, don't hesitate to drop a note to Gnus Towers and let us
21416 @subsection Emacsen
21422 Gnus should work on :
21430 XEmacs 20.4 and up.
21434 This Gnus version will absolutely not work on any Emacsen older than
21435 that. Not reliably, at least. Older versions of Gnus may work on older
21438 There are some vague differences between Gnus on the various
21439 platforms---XEmacs features more graphics (a logo and a toolbar)---but
21440 other than that, things should look pretty much the same under all
21444 @node Gnus Development
21445 @subsection Gnus Development
21447 Gnus is developed in a two-phased cycle. The first phase involves much
21448 discussion on the @samp{ding@@gnus.org} mailing list, where people
21449 propose changes and new features, post patches and new back ends. This
21450 phase is called the @dfn{alpha} phase, since the Gnusae released in this
21451 phase are @dfn{alpha releases}, or (perhaps more commonly in other
21452 circles) @dfn{snapshots}. During this phase, Gnus is assumed to be
21453 unstable and should not be used by casual users. Gnus alpha releases
21454 have names like ``Red Gnus'' and ``Quassia Gnus''.
21456 After futzing around for 50-100 alpha releases, Gnus is declared
21457 @dfn{frozen}, and only bug fixes are applied. Gnus loses the prefix,
21458 and is called things like ``Gnus 5.6.32'' instead. Normal people are
21459 supposed to be able to use these, and these are mostly discussed on the
21460 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} newsgroup.
21463 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
21464 Some variable defaults differ between alpha Gnusae and released Gnusae.
21465 In particular, @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} defaults to @code{nil} in
21466 alpha Gnusae and @code{t} in released Gnusae. This is to prevent
21467 lossage of mail if an alpha release hiccups while handling the mail.
21469 The division of discussion between the ding mailing list and the Gnus
21470 newsgroup is not purely based on publicity concerns. It's true that
21471 having people write about the horrible things that an alpha Gnus release
21472 can do (sometimes) in a public forum may scare people off, but more
21473 importantly, talking about new experimental features that have been
21474 introduced may confuse casual users. New features are frequently
21475 introduced, fiddled with, and judged to be found wanting, and then
21476 either discarded or totally rewritten. People reading the mailing list
21477 usually keep up with these rapid changes, while people on the newsgroup
21478 can't be assumed to do so.
21483 @subsection Contributors
21484 @cindex contributors
21486 The new Gnus version couldn't have been done without the help of all the
21487 people on the (ding) mailing list. Every day for over a year I have
21488 gotten billions of nice bug reports from them, filling me with joy,
21489 every single one of them. Smooches. The people on the list have been
21490 tried beyond endurance, what with my ``oh, that's a neat idea <type
21491 type>, yup, I'll release it right away <ship off> no wait, that doesn't
21492 work at all <type type>, yup, I'll ship that one off right away <ship
21493 off> no, wait, that absolutely does not work'' policy for releases.
21494 Micro$oft---bah. Amateurs. I'm @emph{much} worse. (Or is that
21495 ``worser''? ``much worser''? ``worsest''?)
21497 I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Academy for... oops,
21503 Masanobu @sc{Umeda}---the writer of the original @sc{gnus}.
21506 Shenghuo Zhu---uudecode.el, mm-uu.el, rfc1843.el, webmail.el,
21507 nnwarchive and many, many other things connected with @sc{mime} and
21508 other types of en/decoding, as well as general bug fixing, new
21509 functionality and stuff.
21512 Per Abrahamsen---custom, scoring, highlighting and @sc{soup} code (as
21513 well as numerous other things).
21516 Luis Fernandes---design and graphics.
21519 Joe Reiss---creator of the smiley faces.
21522 Justin Sheehy--the FAQ maintainer.
21525 Erik Naggum---help, ideas, support, code and stuff.
21528 Wes Hardaker---@file{gnus-picon.el} and the manual section on
21529 @dfn{picons} (@pxref{Picons}).
21532 Kim-Minh Kaplan---further work on the picon code.
21535 Brad Miller---@file{gnus-gl.el} and the GroupLens manual section
21536 (@pxref{GroupLens}).
21539 Sudish Joseph---innumerable bug fixes.
21542 Ilja Weis---@file{gnus-topic.el}.
21545 Steven L. Baur---lots and lots and lots of bugs detections and fixes.
21548 Vladimir Alexiev---the refcard and reference booklets.
21551 Felix Lee & Jamie Zawinski---I stole some pieces from the XGnus
21552 distribution by Felix Lee and JWZ.
21555 Scott Byer---@file{nnfolder.el} enhancements & rewrite.
21558 Peter Mutsaers---orphan article scoring code.
21561 Ken Raeburn---POP mail support.
21564 Hallvard B Furuseth---various bits and pieces, especially dealing with
21568 Brian Edmonds---@file{gnus-bbdb.el}.
21571 David Moore---rewrite of @file{nnvirtual.el} and many other things.
21574 Kevin Davidson---came up with the name @dfn{ding}, so blame him.
21577 François Pinard---many, many interesting and thorough bug reports, as
21578 well as autoconf support.
21582 This manual was proof-read by Adrian Aichner, with Ricardo Nassif, Mark
21583 Borges, and Jost Krieger proof-reading parts of the manual.
21585 The following people have contributed many patches and suggestions:
21594 Jason L. Tibbitts, III,
21598 Also thanks to the following for patches and stuff:
21608 Alexei V. Barantsev,
21623 Massimo Campostrini,
21628 Jae-you Chung, @c ?
21629 James H. Cloos, Jr.,
21633 Andrew J. Cosgriff,
21636 Geoffrey T. Dairiki,
21642 Michael Welsh Duggan,
21647 Enami Tsugutomo, @c Enami
21651 Nelson Jose dos Santos Ferreira,
21659 Arne Georg Gleditsch,
21661 Michelangelo Grigni,
21665 Kenichi Handa, @c Handa
21667 Yoshiki Hayashi, @c ?
21669 Hisashige Kenji, @c Hisashige
21676 François Felix Ingrand,
21677 Tatsuya Ichikawa, @c ?
21678 Ishikawa Ichiro, @c Ishikawa
21680 Iwamuro Motonori, @c Iwamuro
21691 Peter Skov Knudsen,
21692 Shuhei Kobayashi, @c Kobayashi
21694 Koseki Yoshinori, @c Koseki
21695 Thor Kristoffersen,
21698 Seokchan Lee, @c Lee
21716 Morioka Tomohiko, @c Morioka
21717 Erik Toubro Nielsen,
21724 Masaharu Onishi, @c Onishi
21729 Jens-Ulrik Holger Petersen,
21733 John McClary Prevost,
21739 Lars Balker Rasmussen,
21744 Christian von Roques,
21747 Wolfgang Rupprecht,
21754 Philippe Schnoebelen,
21756 Randal L. Schwartz,
21770 Kiyokazu Suto, @c Suto
21775 Tozawa Akihiko, @c Tozawa
21791 Katsumi Yamaoka @c Yamaoka
21796 For a full overview of what each person has done, the ChangeLogs
21797 included in the Gnus alpha distributions should give ample reading
21798 (550kB and counting).
21800 Apologies to everybody that I've forgotten, of which there are many, I'm
21803 Gee, that's quite a list of people. I guess that must mean that there
21804 actually are people who are using Gnus. Who'd'a thunk it!
21808 @subsection New Features
21809 @cindex new features
21812 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
21813 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
21814 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
21815 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
21816 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
21819 These lists are, of course, just @emph{short} overviews of the
21820 @emph{most} important new features. No, really. There are tons more.
21821 Yes, we have feeping creaturism in full effect.
21824 @subsubsection (ding) Gnus
21826 New features in Gnus 5.0/5.1:
21831 The look of all buffers can be changed by setting format-like variables
21832 (@pxref{Group Buffer Format} and @pxref{Summary Buffer Format}).
21835 Local spool and several @sc{nntp} servers can be used at once
21836 (@pxref{Select Methods}).
21839 You can combine groups into virtual groups (@pxref{Virtual Groups}).
21842 You can read a number of different mail formats (@pxref{Getting Mail}).
21843 All the mail back ends implement a convenient mail expiry scheme
21844 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
21847 Gnus can use various strategies for gathering threads that have lost
21848 their roots (thereby gathering loose sub-threads into one thread) or it
21849 can go back and retrieve enough headers to build a complete thread
21850 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
21853 Killed groups can be displayed in the group buffer, and you can read
21854 them as well (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
21857 Gnus can do partial group updates---you do not have to retrieve the
21858 entire active file just to check for new articles in a few groups
21859 (@pxref{The Active File}).
21862 Gnus implements a sliding scale of subscribedness to groups
21863 (@pxref{Group Levels}).
21866 You can score articles according to any number of criteria
21867 (@pxref{Scoring}). You can even get Gnus to find out how to score
21868 articles for you (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
21871 Gnus maintains a dribble buffer that is auto-saved the normal Emacs
21872 manner, so it should be difficult to lose much data on what you have
21873 read if your machine should go down (@pxref{Auto Save}).
21876 Gnus now has its own startup file (@file{.gnus}) to avoid cluttering up
21877 the @file{.emacs} file.
21880 You can set the process mark on both groups and articles and perform
21881 operations on all the marked items (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
21884 You can grep through a subset of groups and create a group from the
21885 results (@pxref{Kibozed Groups}).
21888 You can list subsets of groups according to, well, anything
21889 (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
21892 You can browse foreign servers and subscribe to groups from those
21893 servers (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
21896 Gnus can fetch articles, asynchronously, on a second connection to the
21897 server (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
21900 You can cache articles locally (@pxref{Article Caching}).
21903 The uudecode functions have been expanded and generalized
21904 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
21907 You can still post uuencoded articles, which was a little-known feature
21908 of @sc{gnus}' past (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
21911 Fetching parents (and other articles) now actually works without
21912 glitches (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
21915 Gnus can fetch FAQs and group descriptions (@pxref{Group Information}).
21918 Digests (and other files) can be used as the basis for groups
21919 (@pxref{Document Groups}).
21922 Articles can be highlighted and customized (@pxref{Customizing
21926 URLs and other external references can be buttonized (@pxref{Article
21930 You can do lots of strange stuff with the Gnus window & frame
21931 configuration (@pxref{Window Layout}).
21934 You can click on buttons instead of using the keyboard
21940 @node September Gnus
21941 @subsubsection September Gnus
21945 \gnusfig{-28cm}{0cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/september,height=20cm}}
21949 New features in Gnus 5.2/5.3:
21954 A new message composition mode is used. All old customization variables
21955 for @code{mail-mode}, @code{rnews-reply-mode} and @code{gnus-msg} are
21959 Gnus is now able to generate @dfn{sparse} threads---threads where
21960 missing articles are represented by empty nodes (@pxref{Customizing
21964 (setq gnus-build-sparse-threads 'some)
21968 Outgoing articles are stored on a special archive server
21969 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
21972 Partial thread regeneration now happens when articles are
21976 Gnus can make use of GroupLens predictions (@pxref{GroupLens}).
21979 Picons (personal icons) can be displayed under XEmacs (@pxref{Picons}).
21982 A @code{trn}-like tree buffer can be displayed (@pxref{Tree Display}).
21985 (setq gnus-use-trees t)
21989 An @code{nn}-like pick-and-read minor mode is available for the summary
21990 buffers (@pxref{Pick and Read}).
21993 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
21997 In binary groups you can use a special binary minor mode (@pxref{Binary
22001 Groups can be grouped in a folding topic hierarchy (@pxref{Group
22005 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
22009 Gnus can re-send and bounce mail (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
22012 Groups can now have a score, and bubbling based on entry frequency
22013 is possible (@pxref{Group Score}).
22016 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-exit-hook 'gnus-summary-bubble-group)
22020 Groups can be process-marked, and commands can be performed on
22021 groups of groups (@pxref{Marking Groups}).
22024 Caching is possible in virtual groups.
22027 @code{nndoc} now understands all kinds of digests, mail boxes, rnews
22028 news batches, ClariNet briefs collections, and just about everything
22029 else (@pxref{Document Groups}).
22032 Gnus has a new back end (@code{nnsoup}) to create/read SOUP packets
22036 The Gnus cache is much faster.
22039 Groups can be sorted according to many criteria (@pxref{Sorting
22043 New group parameters have been introduced to set list-addresses and
22044 expiry times (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
22047 All formatting specs allow specifying faces to be used
22048 (@pxref{Formatting Fonts}).
22051 There are several more commands for setting/removing/acting on process
22052 marked articles on the @kbd{M P} submap (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
22055 The summary buffer can be limited to show parts of the available
22056 articles based on a wide range of criteria. These commands have been
22057 bound to keys on the @kbd{/} submap (@pxref{Limiting}).
22060 Articles can be made persistent with the @kbd{*} command
22061 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
22064 All functions for hiding article elements are now toggles.
22067 Article headers can be buttonized (@pxref{Article Washing}).
22070 All mail back ends support fetching articles by @code{Message-ID}.
22073 Duplicate mail can now be treated properly (@pxref{Duplicates}).
22076 All summary mode commands are available directly from the article
22077 buffer (@pxref{Article Keymap}).
22080 Frames can be part of @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} (@pxref{Window
22084 Mail can be re-scanned by a daemonic process (@pxref{Daemons}).
22087 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}}
22092 Gnus can make use of NoCeM files to weed out spam (@pxref{NoCeM}).
22095 (setq gnus-use-nocem t)
22099 Groups can be made permanently visible (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
22102 (setq gnus-permanently-visible-groups "^nnml:")
22106 Many new hooks have been introduced to make customizing easier.
22109 Gnus respects the @code{Mail-Copies-To} header.
22112 Threads can be gathered by looking at the @code{References} header
22113 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
22116 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
22117 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
22121 Read articles can be stored in a special backlog buffer to avoid
22122 refetching (@pxref{Article Backlog}).
22125 (setq gnus-keep-backlog 50)
22129 A clean copy of the current article is always stored in a separate
22130 buffer to allow easier treatment.
22133 Gnus can suggest where to save articles (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
22136 Gnus doesn't have to do as much prompting when saving (@pxref{Saving
22140 (setq gnus-prompt-before-saving t)
22144 @code{gnus-uu} can view decoded files asynchronously while fetching
22145 articles (@pxref{Other Decode Variables}).
22148 (setq gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions 'gnus-uu-grab-view)
22152 Filling in the article buffer now works properly on cited text
22153 (@pxref{Article Washing}).
22156 Hiding cited text adds buttons to toggle hiding, and how much
22157 cited text to hide is now customizable (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
22160 (setq gnus-cited-lines-visible 2)
22164 Boring headers can be hidden (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
22167 Default scoring values can now be set from the menu bar.
22170 Further syntax checking of outgoing articles have been added.
22176 @subsubsection Red Gnus
22178 New features in Gnus 5.4/5.5:
22182 \gnusfig{-5.5cm}{-4cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/red,height=20cm}}
22189 @file{nntp.el} has been totally rewritten in an asynchronous fashion.
22192 Article prefetching functionality has been moved up into
22193 Gnus (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
22196 Scoring can now be performed with logical operators like @code{and},
22197 @code{or}, @code{not}, and parent redirection (@pxref{Advanced
22201 Article washing status can be displayed in the
22202 article mode line (@pxref{Misc Article}).
22205 @file{gnus.el} has been split into many smaller files.
22208 Suppression of duplicate articles based on Message-ID can be done
22209 (@pxref{Duplicate Suppression}).
22212 (setq gnus-suppress-duplicates t)
22216 New variables for specifying what score and adapt files are to be
22217 considered home score and adapt files (@pxref{Home Score File}) have
22221 @code{nndoc} was rewritten to be easily extendable (@pxref{Document
22222 Server Internals}).
22225 Groups can inherit group parameters from parent topics (@pxref{Topic
22229 Article editing has been revamped and is now actually usable.
22232 Signatures can be recognized in more intelligent fashions
22233 (@pxref{Article Signature}).
22236 Summary pick mode has been made to look more @code{nn}-like. Line
22237 numbers are displayed and the @kbd{.} command can be used to pick
22238 articles (@code{Pick and Read}).
22241 Commands for moving the @file{.newsrc.eld} from one server to
22242 another have been added (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
22245 There's a way now to specify that ``uninteresting'' fields be suppressed
22246 when generating lines in buffers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting}).
22249 Several commands in the group buffer can be undone with @kbd{C-M-_}
22253 Scoring can be done on words using the new score type @code{w}
22254 (@pxref{Score File Format}).
22257 Adaptive scoring can be done on a Subject word-by-word basis
22258 (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
22261 (setq gnus-use-adaptive-scoring '(word))
22265 Scores can be decayed (@pxref{Score Decays}).
22268 (setq gnus-decay-scores t)
22272 Scoring can be performed using a regexp on the Date header. The Date is
22273 normalized to compact ISO 8601 format first (@pxref{Score File Format}).
22276 A new command has been added to remove all data on articles from
22277 the native server (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
22280 A new command for reading collections of documents
22281 (@code{nndoc} with @code{nnvirtual} on top) has been added---@kbd{C-M-d}
22282 (@pxref{Really Various Summary Commands}).
22285 Process mark sets can be pushed and popped (@pxref{Setting Process
22289 A new mail-to-news back end makes it possible to post even when the @sc{nntp}
22290 server doesn't allow posting (@pxref{Mail-To-News Gateways}).
22293 A new back end for reading searches from Web search engines
22294 (@dfn{DejaNews}, @dfn{Alta Vista}, @dfn{InReference}) has been added
22295 (@pxref{Web Searches}).
22298 Groups inside topics can now be sorted using the standard sorting
22299 functions, and each topic can be sorted independently (@pxref{Topic
22303 Subsets of the groups can be sorted independently (@code{Sorting
22307 Cached articles can be pulled into the groups (@pxref{Summary Generation
22311 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}}
22316 Score files are now applied in a more reliable order (@pxref{Score
22320 Reports on where mail messages end up can be generated (@pxref{Splitting
22324 More hooks and functions have been added to remove junk from incoming
22325 mail before saving the mail (@pxref{Washing Mail}).
22328 Emphasized text can be properly fontisized:
22334 @subsubsection Quassia Gnus
22336 New features in Gnus 5.6:
22341 New functionality for using Gnus as an offline newsreader has been
22342 added. A plethora of new commands and modes have been added. See
22343 @pxref{Gnus Unplugged} for the full story.
22346 The @code{nndraft} back end has returned, but works differently than
22347 before. All Message buffers are now also articles in the @code{nndraft}
22348 group, which is created automatically.
22351 @code{gnus-alter-header-function} can now be used to alter header
22355 @code{gnus-summary-goto-article} now accept Message-ID's.
22358 A new Message command for deleting text in the body of a message
22359 outside the region: @kbd{C-c C-v}.
22362 You can now post to component group in @code{nnvirtual} groups with
22366 @code{nntp-rlogin-program}---new variable to ease customization.
22369 @code{C-u C-c C-c} in @code{gnus-article-edit-mode} will now inhibit
22370 re-highlighting of the article buffer.
22373 New element in @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}---@code{long-to}.
22376 @kbd{M-i} symbolic prefix command. See the section "Symbolic
22377 Prefixes" in the Gnus manual for details.
22380 @kbd{L} and @kbd{I} in the summary buffer now take the symbolic prefix
22381 @kbd{a} to add the score rule to the "all.SCORE" file.
22384 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions} variable to allow greater
22385 control over simplification.
22388 @kbd{A T}---new command for fetching the current thread.
22391 @kbd{/ T}---new command for including the current thread in the
22395 @kbd{M-RET} is a new Message command for breaking cited text.
22398 @samp{\\1}-expressions are now valid in @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
22401 The @code{custom-face-lookup} function has been removed.
22402 If you used this function in your initialization files, you must
22403 rewrite them to use @code{face-spec-set} instead.
22406 Canceling now uses the current select method. Symbolic prefix
22407 @kbd{a} forces normal posting method.
22410 New command to translate M******** sm*rtq**t*s into proper
22414 For easier debugging of @code{nntp}, you can set
22415 @code{nntp-record-commands} to a non-@code{nil} value.
22418 @code{nntp} now uses @file{~/.authinfo}, a @file{.netrc}-like file, for
22419 controlling where and how to send @sc{authinfo} to @sc{nntp} servers.
22422 A command for editing group parameters from the summary buffer
22426 A history of where mails have been split is available.
22429 A new article date command has been added---@code{article-date-iso8601}.
22432 Subjects can be simplified when threading by setting
22433 @code{gnus-score-thread-simplify}.
22436 A new function for citing in Message has been
22437 added---@code{message-cite-original-without-signature}.
22440 @code{article-strip-all-blank-lines}---new article command.
22443 A new Message command to kill to the end of the article has
22447 A minimum adaptive score can be specified by using the
22448 @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} variable.
22451 The "lapsed date" article header can be kept continually
22452 updated by the @code{gnus-start-date-timer} command.
22455 Web listserv archives can be read with the @code{nnlistserv} back end.
22458 Old dejanews archives can now be read by @code{nnweb}.
22462 @node Pterodactyl Gnus
22463 @subsubsection Pterodactyl Gnus
22465 New features in Gnus 5.8:
22470 The mail-fetching functions have changed. See the manual for the
22471 many details. In particular, all procmail fetching variables are gone.
22473 If you used procmail like in
22476 (setq nnmail-use-procmail t)
22477 (setq nnmail-spool-file 'procmail)
22478 (setq nnmail-procmail-directory "~/mail/incoming/")
22479 (setq nnmail-procmail-suffix "\\.in")
22482 this now has changed to
22486 '((directory :path "~/mail/incoming/"
22490 More information is available in the info doc at Select Methods ->
22491 Getting Mail -> Mail Sources
22494 Gnus is now a @sc{mime}-capable reader. This affects many parts of
22495 Gnus, and adds a slew of new commands. See the manual for details.
22498 Gnus has also been multilingualized. This also affects too
22499 many parts of Gnus to summarize here, and adds many new variables.
22502 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} can now be a function to be
22503 called to position point.
22506 The user can now decide which extra headers should be included in
22507 summary buffers and @sc{nov} files.
22510 @code{gnus-article-display-hook} has been removed. Instead, a number
22511 of variables starting with @code{gnus-treat-} have been added.
22514 The Gnus posting styles have been redone again and now works in a
22515 subtly different manner.
22518 New web-based back ends have been added: @code{nnslashdot},
22519 @code{nnwarchive} and @code{nnultimate}. nnweb has been revamped,
22520 again, to keep up with ever-changing layouts.
22523 Gnus can now read @sc{imap} mail via @code{nnimap}.
22531 @section The Manual
22535 This manual was generated from a TeXinfo file and then run through
22536 either @code{texi2dvi}
22538 or my own home-brewed TeXinfo to \LaTeX\ transformer,
22539 and then run through @code{latex} and @code{dvips}
22541 to get what you hold in your hands now.
22543 The following conventions have been used:
22548 This is a @samp{string}
22551 This is a @kbd{keystroke}
22554 This is a @file{file}
22557 This is a @code{symbol}
22561 So if I were to say ``set @code{flargnoze} to @samp{yes}'', that would
22565 (setq flargnoze "yes")
22568 If I say ``set @code{flumphel} to @code{yes}'', that would mean:
22571 (setq flumphel 'yes)
22574 @samp{yes} and @code{yes} are two @emph{very} different things---don't
22575 ever get them confused.
22579 Of course, everything in this manual is of vital interest, so you should
22580 read it all. Several times. However, if you feel like skimming the
22581 manual, look for that gnu head you should see in the margin over
22582 there---it means that what's being discussed is of more importance than
22583 the rest of the stuff. (On the other hand, if everything is infinitely
22584 important, how can anything be more important than that? Just one more
22585 of the mysteries of this world, I guess.)
22591 @node On Writing Manuals
22592 @section On Writing Manuals
22594 I guess most manuals are written after-the-fact; documenting a program
22595 that's already there. This is not how this manual is written. When
22596 implementing something, I write the manual entry for that something
22597 straight away. I then see that it's difficult to explain the
22598 functionality, so I write how it's supposed to be, and then I change the
22599 implementation. Writing the documentation and writing the code goes
22602 This, of course, means that this manual has no, or little, flow. It
22603 documents absolutely everything in Gnus, but often not where you're
22604 looking for it. It is a reference manual, and not a guide to how to get
22607 That would be a totally different book, that should be written using the
22608 reference manual as source material. It would look quite differently.
22613 @section Terminology
22615 @cindex terminology
22620 This is what you are supposed to use this thing for---reading news.
22621 News is generally fetched from a nearby @sc{nntp} server, and is
22622 generally publicly available to everybody. If you post news, the entire
22623 world is likely to read just what you have written, and they'll all
22624 snigger mischievously. Behind your back.
22628 Everything that's delivered to you personally is mail. Some news/mail
22629 readers (like Gnus) blur the distinction between mail and news, but
22630 there is a difference. Mail is private. News is public. Mailing is
22631 not posting, and replying is not following up.
22635 Send a mail to the person who has written what you are reading.
22639 Post an article to the current newsgroup responding to the article you
22644 Gnus gets fed articles from a number of back ends, both news and mail
22645 back ends. Gnus does not handle the underlying media, so to speak---this
22646 is all done by the back ends.
22650 Gnus will always use one method (and back end) as the @dfn{native}, or
22651 default, way of getting news.
22655 You can also have any number of foreign groups active at the same time.
22656 These are groups that use non-native non-secondary back ends for getting
22661 Secondary back ends are somewhere half-way between being native and being
22662 foreign, but they mostly act like they are native.
22666 A message that has been posted as news.
22669 @cindex mail message
22670 A message that has been mailed.
22674 A mail message or news article
22678 The top part of a message, where administrative information (etc.) is
22683 The rest of an article. Everything not in the head is in the
22688 A line from the head of an article.
22692 A collection of such lines, or a collection of heads. Or even a
22693 collection of @sc{nov} lines.
22697 When Gnus enters a group, it asks the back end for the headers of all
22698 unread articles in the group. Most servers support the News OverView
22699 format, which is more compact and much faster to read and parse than the
22700 normal @sc{head} format.
22704 Each group is subscribed at some @dfn{level} or other (1-9). The ones
22705 that have a lower level are ``more'' subscribed than the groups with a
22706 higher level. In fact, groups on levels 1-5 are considered
22707 @dfn{subscribed}; 6-7 are @dfn{unsubscribed}; 8 are @dfn{zombies}; and 9
22708 are @dfn{killed}. Commands for listing groups and scanning for new
22709 articles will all use the numeric prefix as @dfn{working level}.
22711 @item killed groups
22712 @cindex killed groups
22713 No information on killed groups is stored or updated, which makes killed
22714 groups much easier to handle than subscribed groups.
22716 @item zombie groups
22717 @cindex zombie groups
22718 Just like killed groups, only slightly less dead.
22721 @cindex active file
22722 The news server has to keep track of what articles it carries, and what
22723 groups exist. All this information in stored in the active file, which
22724 is rather large, as you might surmise.
22727 @cindex bogus groups
22728 A group that exists in the @file{.newsrc} file, but isn't known to the
22729 server (i.e., it isn't in the active file), is a @emph{bogus group}.
22730 This means that the group probably doesn't exist (any more).
22733 @cindex activating groups
22734 The act of asking the server for info on a group and computing the
22735 number of unread articles is called @dfn{activating the group}.
22736 Un-activated groups are listed with @samp{*} in the group buffer.
22740 A machine one can connect to and get news (or mail) from.
22742 @item select method
22743 @cindex select method
22744 A structure that specifies the back end, the server and the virtual
22747 @item virtual server
22748 @cindex virtual server
22749 A named select method. Since a select method defines all there is to
22750 know about connecting to a (physical) server, taking the thing as a
22751 whole is a virtual server.
22755 Taking a buffer and running it through a filter of some sort. The
22756 result will (more often than not) be cleaner and more pleasing than the
22759 @item ephemeral groups
22760 @cindex ephemeral groups
22761 Most groups store data on what articles you have read. @dfn{Ephemeral}
22762 groups are groups that will have no data stored---when you exit the
22763 group, it'll disappear into the aether.
22766 @cindex solid groups
22767 This is the opposite of ephemeral groups. All groups listed in the
22768 group buffer are solid groups.
22770 @item sparse articles
22771 @cindex sparse articles
22772 These are article placeholders shown in the summary buffer when
22773 @code{gnus-build-sparse-threads} has been switched on.
22777 To put responses to articles directly after the articles they respond
22778 to---in a hierarchical fashion.
22782 @cindex thread root
22783 The first article in a thread is the root. It is the ancestor of all
22784 articles in the thread.
22788 An article that has responses.
22792 An article that responds to a different article---its parent.
22796 A collection of messages in one file. The most common digest format is
22797 specified by RFC 1153.
22803 @node Customization
22804 @section Customization
22805 @cindex general customization
22807 All variables are properly documented elsewhere in this manual. This
22808 section is designed to give general pointers on how to customize Gnus
22809 for some quite common situations.
22812 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
22813 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
22814 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
22815 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
22819 @node Slow/Expensive Connection
22820 @subsection Slow/Expensive NNTP Connection
22822 If you run Emacs on a machine locally, and get your news from a machine
22823 over some very thin strings, you want to cut down on the amount of data
22824 Gnus has to get from the @sc{nntp} server.
22828 @item gnus-read-active-file
22829 Set this to @code{nil}, which will inhibit Gnus from requesting the
22830 entire active file from the server. This file is often v. large. You
22831 also have to set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
22832 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make sure that Gnus
22833 doesn't suddenly decide to fetch the active file anyway.
22835 @item gnus-nov-is-evil
22836 This one has to be @code{nil}. If not, grabbing article headers from
22837 the @sc{nntp} server will not be very fast. Not all @sc{nntp} servers
22838 support @sc{xover}; Gnus will detect this by itself.
22842 @node Slow Terminal Connection
22843 @subsection Slow Terminal Connection
22845 Let's say you use your home computer for dialing up the system that runs
22846 Emacs and Gnus. If your modem is slow, you want to reduce (as much as
22847 possible) the amount of data sent over the wires.
22851 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
22852 Set this to @code{nil} to inhibit Gnus from re-centering the summary
22853 buffer all the time. If it is @code{vertical}, do only vertical
22854 re-centering. If it is neither @code{nil} nor @code{vertical}, do both
22855 horizontal and vertical recentering.
22857 @item gnus-visible-headers
22858 Cut down on the headers included in the articles to the
22859 minimum. You can, in fact, make do without them altogether---most of the
22860 useful data is in the summary buffer, anyway. Set this variable to
22861 @samp{^NEVVVVER} or @samp{From:}, or whatever you feel you need.
22863 Set this hook to all the available hiding commands:
22865 (setq gnus-treat-hide-headers 'head
22866 gnus-treat-hide-signature t
22867 gnus-treat-hide-citation t)
22870 @item gnus-use-full-window
22871 By setting this to @code{nil}, you can make all the windows smaller.
22872 While this doesn't really cut down much generally, it means that you
22873 have to see smaller portions of articles before deciding that you didn't
22874 want to read them anyway.
22876 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
22877 If this is non-@code{nil}, all threads in the summary buffer will be
22881 @item gnus-updated-mode-lines
22882 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not put information in the buffer mode
22883 lines, which might save some time.
22887 @node Little Disk Space
22888 @subsection Little Disk Space
22891 The startup files can get rather large, so you may want to cut their
22892 sizes a bit if you are running out of space.
22896 @item gnus-save-newsrc-file
22897 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never save @file{.newsrc}---it will
22898 only save @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
22899 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
22902 @item gnus-read-newsrc-file
22903 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never read @file{.newsrc}---it will
22904 only read @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
22905 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
22908 @item gnus-save-killed-list
22909 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not save the list of dead groups. You
22910 should also set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{ask-server}
22911 and @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} if you set this
22912 variable to @code{nil}. This variable is @code{t} by default.
22918 @subsection Slow Machine
22919 @cindex slow machine
22921 If you have a slow machine, or are just really impatient, there are a
22922 few things you can do to make Gnus run faster.
22924 Set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
22925 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make startup faster.
22927 Set @code{gnus-show-threads}, @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} and
22928 @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{nil} to make entering and exiting the
22929 summary buffer faster.
22933 @node Troubleshooting
22934 @section Troubleshooting
22935 @cindex troubleshooting
22937 Gnus works @emph{so} well straight out of the box---I can't imagine any
22945 Make sure your computer is switched on.
22948 Make sure that you really load the current Gnus version. If you have
22949 been running @sc{gnus}, you need to exit Emacs and start it up again before
22953 Try doing an @kbd{M-x gnus-version}. If you get something that looks
22954 like @samp{Gnus v5.46; nntp 4.0} you have the right files loaded. If,
22955 on the other hand, you get something like @samp{NNTP 3.x} or @samp{nntp
22956 flee}, you have some old @file{.el} files lying around. Delete these.
22959 Read the help group (@kbd{G h} in the group buffer) for a FAQ and a
22963 @vindex max-lisp-eval-depth
22964 Gnus works on many recursive structures, and in some extreme (and very
22965 rare) cases Gnus may recurse down ``too deeply'' and Emacs will beep at
22966 you. If this happens to you, set @code{max-lisp-eval-depth} to 500 or
22967 something like that.
22970 If all else fails, report the problem as a bug.
22973 @cindex reporting bugs
22975 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
22977 If you find a bug in Gnus, you can report it with the @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}
22978 command. @kbd{M-x set-variable RET debug-on-error RET t RET}, and send
22979 me the backtrace. I will fix bugs, but I can only fix them if you send
22980 me a precise description as to how to reproduce the bug.
22982 You really can never be too detailed in a bug report. Always use the
22983 @kbd{M-x gnus-bug} command when you make bug reports, even if it creates
22984 a 10Kb mail each time you use it, and even if you have sent me your
22985 environment 500 times before. I don't care. I want the full info each
22988 It is also important to remember that I have no memory whatsoever. If
22989 you send a bug report, and I send you a reply, and then you just send
22990 back ``No, it's not! Moron!'', I will have no idea what you are
22991 insulting me about. Always over-explain everything. It's much easier
22992 for all of us---if I don't have all the information I need, I will just
22993 mail you and ask for more info, and everything takes more time.
22995 If the problem you're seeing is very visual, and you can't quite explain
22996 it, copy the Emacs window to a file (with @code{xwd}, for instance), put
22997 it somewhere it can be reached, and include the URL of the picture in
23001 If you would like to contribute a patch to fix bugs or make
23002 improvements, please produce the patch using @samp{diff -u}.
23004 If you just need help, you are better off asking on
23005 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}. I'm not very helpful.
23007 @cindex gnu.emacs.gnus
23008 @cindex ding mailing list
23009 You can also ask on the ding mailing list---@samp{ding@@gnus.org}.
23010 Write to @samp{ding-request@@gnus.org} to subscribe.
23014 @node Gnus Reference Guide
23015 @section Gnus Reference Guide
23017 It is my hope that other people will figure out smart stuff that Gnus
23018 can do, and that other people will write those smart things as well. To
23019 facilitate that I thought it would be a good idea to describe the inner
23020 workings of Gnus. And some of the not-so-inner workings, while I'm at
23023 You can never expect the internals of a program not to change, but I
23024 will be defining (in some details) the interface between Gnus and its
23025 back ends (this is written in stone), the format of the score files
23026 (ditto), data structures (some are less likely to change than others)
23027 and general methods of operation.
23030 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
23031 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
23032 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
23033 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
23034 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
23035 * Group Info:: The group info format.
23036 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
23037 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
23038 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
23042 @node Gnus Utility Functions
23043 @subsection Gnus Utility Functions
23044 @cindex Gnus utility functions
23045 @cindex utility functions
23047 @cindex internal variables
23049 When writing small functions to be run from hooks (and stuff), it's
23050 vital to have access to the Gnus internal functions and variables.
23051 Below is a list of the most common ones.
23055 @item gnus-newsgroup-name
23056 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-name
23057 This variable holds the name of the current newsgroup.
23059 @item gnus-find-method-for-group
23060 @findex gnus-find-method-for-group
23061 A function that returns the select method for @var{group}.
23063 @item gnus-group-real-name
23064 @findex gnus-group-real-name
23065 Takes a full (prefixed) Gnus group name, and returns the unprefixed
23068 @item gnus-group-prefixed-name
23069 @findex gnus-group-prefixed-name
23070 Takes an unprefixed group name and a select method, and returns the full
23071 (prefixed) Gnus group name.
23073 @item gnus-get-info
23074 @findex gnus-get-info
23075 Returns the group info list for @var{group}.
23077 @item gnus-group-unread
23078 @findex gnus-group-unread
23079 The number of unread articles in @var{group}, or @code{t} if that is
23083 @findex gnus-active
23084 The active entry for @var{group}.
23086 @item gnus-set-active
23087 @findex gnus-set-active
23088 Set the active entry for @var{group}.
23090 @item gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
23091 @findex gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
23092 Adds the current buffer to the list of buffers to be killed on Gnus
23095 @item gnus-continuum-version
23096 @findex gnus-continuum-version
23097 Takes a Gnus version string as a parameter and returns a floating point
23098 number. Earlier versions will always get a lower number than later
23101 @item gnus-group-read-only-p
23102 @findex gnus-group-read-only-p
23103 Says whether @var{group} is read-only or not.
23105 @item gnus-news-group-p
23106 @findex gnus-news-group-p
23107 Says whether @var{group} came from a news back end.
23109 @item gnus-ephemeral-group-p
23110 @findex gnus-ephemeral-group-p
23111 Says whether @var{group} is ephemeral or not.
23113 @item gnus-server-to-method
23114 @findex gnus-server-to-method
23115 Returns the select method corresponding to @var{server}.
23117 @item gnus-server-equal
23118 @findex gnus-server-equal
23119 Says whether two virtual servers are equal.
23121 @item gnus-group-native-p
23122 @findex gnus-group-native-p
23123 Says whether @var{group} is native or not.
23125 @item gnus-group-secondary-p
23126 @findex gnus-group-secondary-p
23127 Says whether @var{group} is secondary or not.
23129 @item gnus-group-foreign-p
23130 @findex gnus-group-foreign-p
23131 Says whether @var{group} is foreign or not.
23133 @item group-group-find-parameter
23134 @findex group-group-find-parameter
23135 Returns the parameter list of @var{group}. If given a second parameter,
23136 returns the value of that parameter for @var{group}.
23138 @item gnus-group-set-parameter
23139 @findex gnus-group-set-parameter
23140 Takes three parameters; @var{group}, @var{parameter} and @var{value}.
23142 @item gnus-narrow-to-body
23143 @findex gnus-narrow-to-body
23144 Narrows the current buffer to the body of the article.
23146 @item gnus-check-backend-function
23147 @findex gnus-check-backend-function
23148 Takes two parameters, @var{function} and @var{group}. If the back end
23149 @var{group} comes from supports @var{function}, return non-@code{nil}.
23152 (gnus-check-backend-function "request-scan" "nnml:misc")
23156 @item gnus-read-method
23157 @findex gnus-read-method
23158 Prompts the user for a select method.
23163 @node Back End Interface
23164 @subsection Back End Interface
23166 Gnus doesn't know anything about @sc{nntp}, spools, mail or virtual
23167 groups. It only knows how to talk to @dfn{virtual servers}. A virtual
23168 server is a @dfn{back end} and some @dfn{back end variables}. As examples
23169 of the first, we have @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and @code{nnmbox}. As
23170 examples of the latter we have @code{nntp-port-number} and
23171 @code{nnmbox-directory}.
23173 When Gnus asks for information from a back end---say @code{nntp}---on
23174 something, it will normally include a virtual server name in the
23175 function parameters. (If not, the back end should use the ``current''
23176 virtual server.) For instance, @code{nntp-request-list} takes a virtual
23177 server as its only (optional) parameter. If this virtual server hasn't
23178 been opened, the function should fail.
23180 Note that a virtual server name has no relation to some physical server
23181 name. Take this example:
23185 (nntp-address "ifi.uio.no")
23186 (nntp-port-number 4324))
23189 Here the virtual server name is @samp{odd-one} while the name of
23190 the physical server is @samp{ifi.uio.no}.
23192 The back ends should be able to switch between several virtual servers.
23193 The standard back ends implement this by keeping an alist of virtual
23194 server environments that they pull down/push up when needed.
23196 There are two groups of interface functions: @dfn{required functions},
23197 which must be present, and @dfn{optional functions}, which Gnus will
23198 always check for presence before attempting to call 'em.
23200 All these functions are expected to return data in the buffer
23201 @code{nntp-server-buffer} (@samp{ *nntpd*}), which is somewhat
23202 unfortunately named, but we'll have to live with it. When I talk about
23203 @dfn{resulting data}, I always refer to the data in that buffer. When I
23204 talk about @dfn{return value}, I talk about the function value returned by
23205 the function call. Functions that fail should return @code{nil} as the
23208 Some back ends could be said to be @dfn{server-forming} back ends, and
23209 some might be said not to be. The latter are back ends that generally
23210 only operate on one group at a time, and have no concept of ``server''
23211 -- they have a group, and they deliver info on that group and nothing
23214 Gnus identifies each message by way of group name and article number. A
23215 few remarks about these article numbers might be useful. First of all,
23216 the numbers are positive integers. Secondly, it is normally not
23217 possible for later articles to `re-use' older article numbers without
23218 confusing Gnus. That is, if a group has ever contained a message
23219 numbered 42, then no other message may get that number, or Gnus will get
23220 mightily confused.@footnote{See the function
23221 @code{nnchoke-request-update-info}, @ref{Optional Back End Functions}.}
23222 Third, article numbers must be assigned in order of arrival in the
23223 group; this is not necessarily the same as the date of the message.
23225 The previous paragraph already mentions all the `hard' restrictions that
23226 article numbers must fulfill. But it seems that it might be useful to
23227 assign @emph{consecutive} article numbers, for Gnus gets quite confused
23228 if there are holes in the article numbering sequence. However, due to
23229 the `no-reuse' restriction, holes cannot be avoided altogether. It's
23230 also useful for the article numbers to start at 1 to avoid running out
23231 of numbers as long as possible.
23233 In the examples and definitions I will refer to the imaginary back end
23236 @cindex @code{nnchoke}
23239 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
23240 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
23241 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
23242 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
23243 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
23244 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
23248 @node Required Back End Functions
23249 @subsubsection Required Back End Functions
23253 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-headers ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FETCH-OLD)
23255 @var{articles} is either a range of article numbers or a list of
23256 @code{Message-ID}s. Current back ends do not fully support either---only
23257 sequences (lists) of article numbers, and most back ends do not support
23258 retrieval of @code{Message-ID}s. But they should try for both.
23260 The result data should either be HEADs or @sc{nov} lines, and the result
23261 value should either be @code{headers} or @code{nov} to reflect this.
23262 This might later be expanded to @code{various}, which will be a mixture
23263 of HEADs and @sc{nov} lines, but this is currently not supported by Gnus.
23265 If @var{fetch-old} is non-@code{nil} it says to try fetching "extra
23266 headers", in some meaning of the word. This is generally done by
23267 fetching (at most) @var{fetch-old} extra headers less than the smallest
23268 article number in @code{articles}, and filling the gaps as well. The
23269 presence of this parameter can be ignored if the back end finds it
23270 cumbersome to follow the request. If this is non-@code{nil} and not a
23271 number, do maximum fetches.
23273 Here's an example HEAD:
23276 221 1056 Article retrieved.
23277 Path: ifi.uio.no!sturles
23278 From: sturles@@ifi.uio.no (Sturle Sunde)
23279 Newsgroups: ifi.discussion
23280 Subject: Re: Something very droll
23281 Date: 27 Oct 1994 14:02:57 +0100
23282 Organization: Dept. of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway
23284 Message-ID: <38o8e1$a0o@@holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no>
23285 References: <38jdmq$4qu@@visbur.ifi.uio.no>
23286 NNTP-Posting-Host: holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no
23290 So a @code{headers} return value would imply that there's a number of
23291 these in the data buffer.
23293 Here's a BNF definition of such a buffer:
23297 head = error / valid-head
23298 error-message = [ "4" / "5" ] 2number " " <error message> eol
23299 valid-head = valid-message *header "." eol
23300 valid-message = "221 " <number> " Article retrieved." eol
23301 header = <text> eol
23304 If the return value is @code{nov}, the data buffer should contain
23305 @dfn{network overview database} lines. These are basically fields
23309 nov-buffer = *nov-line
23310 nov-line = 8*9 [ field <TAB> ] eol
23311 field = <text except TAB>
23314 For a closer look at what should be in those fields,
23318 @item (nnchoke-open-server SERVER &optional DEFINITIONS)
23320 @var{server} is here the virtual server name. @var{definitions} is a
23321 list of @code{(VARIABLE VALUE)} pairs that define this virtual server.
23323 If the server can't be opened, no error should be signaled. The back end
23324 may then choose to refuse further attempts at connecting to this
23325 server. In fact, it should do so.
23327 If the server is opened already, this function should return a
23328 non-@code{nil} value. There should be no data returned.
23331 @item (nnchoke-close-server &optional SERVER)
23333 Close connection to @var{server} and free all resources connected
23334 to it. Return @code{nil} if the server couldn't be closed for some
23337 There should be no data returned.
23340 @item (nnchoke-request-close)
23342 Close connection to all servers and free all resources that the back end
23343 have reserved. All buffers that have been created by that back end
23344 should be killed. (Not the @code{nntp-server-buffer}, though.) This
23345 function is generally only called when Gnus is shutting down.
23347 There should be no data returned.
23350 @item (nnchoke-server-opened &optional SERVER)
23352 If @var{server} is the current virtual server, and the connection to the
23353 physical server is alive, then this function should return a
23354 non-@code{nil} vlue. This function should under no circumstances
23355 attempt to reconnect to a server we have lost connection to.
23357 There should be no data returned.
23360 @item (nnchoke-status-message &optional SERVER)
23362 This function should return the last error message from @var{server}.
23364 There should be no data returned.
23367 @item (nnchoke-request-article ARTICLE &optional GROUP SERVER TO-BUFFER)
23369 The result data from this function should be the article specified by
23370 @var{article}. This might either be a @code{Message-ID} or a number.
23371 It is optional whether to implement retrieval by @code{Message-ID}, but
23372 it would be nice if that were possible.
23374 If @var{to-buffer} is non-@code{nil}, the result data should be returned
23375 in this buffer instead of the normal data buffer. This is to make it
23376 possible to avoid copying large amounts of data from one buffer to
23377 another, while Gnus mainly requests articles to be inserted directly
23378 into its article buffer.
23380 If it is at all possible, this function should return a cons cell where
23381 the @code{car} is the group name the article was fetched from, and the @code{cdr} is
23382 the article number. This will enable Gnus to find out what the real
23383 group and article numbers are when fetching articles by
23384 @code{Message-ID}. If this isn't possible, @code{t} should be returned
23385 on successful article retrieval.
23388 @item (nnchoke-request-group GROUP &optional SERVER FAST)
23390 Get data on @var{group}. This function also has the side effect of
23391 making @var{group} the current group.
23393 If @var{fast}, don't bother to return useful data, just make @var{group}
23396 Here's an example of some result data and a definition of the same:
23399 211 56 1000 1059 ifi.discussion
23402 The first number is the status, which should be 211. Next is the
23403 total number of articles in the group, the lowest article number, the
23404 highest article number, and finally the group name. Note that the total
23405 number of articles may be less than one might think while just
23406 considering the highest and lowest article numbers, but some articles
23407 may have been canceled. Gnus just discards the total-number, so
23408 whether one should take the bother to generate it properly (if that is a
23409 problem) is left as an exercise to the reader. If the group contains no
23410 articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1 and the
23414 group-status = [ error / info ] eol
23415 error = [ "4" / "5" ] 2<number> " " <Error message>
23416 info = "211 " 3* [ <number> " " ] <string>
23420 @item (nnchoke-close-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
23422 Close @var{group} and free any resources connected to it. This will be
23423 a no-op on most back ends.
23425 There should be no data returned.
23428 @item (nnchoke-request-list &optional SERVER)
23430 Return a list of all groups available on @var{server}. And that means
23433 Here's an example from a server that only carries two groups:
23436 ifi.test 0000002200 0000002000 y
23437 ifi.discussion 3324 3300 n
23440 On each line we have a group name, then the highest article number in
23441 that group, the lowest article number, and finally a flag. If the group
23442 contains no articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1
23443 and the highest as 0.
23446 active-file = *active-line
23447 active-line = name " " <number> " " <number> " " flags eol
23449 flags = "n" / "y" / "m" / "x" / "j" / "=" name
23452 The flag says whether the group is read-only (@samp{n}), is moderated
23453 (@samp{m}), is dead (@samp{x}), is aliased to some other group
23454 (@samp{=other-group}) or none of the above (@samp{y}).
23457 @item (nnchoke-request-post &optional SERVER)
23459 This function should post the current buffer. It might return whether
23460 the posting was successful or not, but that's not required. If, for
23461 instance, the posting is done asynchronously, it has generally not been
23462 completed by the time this function concludes. In that case, this
23463 function should set up some kind of sentinel to beep the user loud and
23464 clear if the posting could not be completed.
23466 There should be no result data from this function.
23471 @node Optional Back End Functions
23472 @subsubsection Optional Back End Functions
23476 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-groups GROUPS &optional SERVER)
23478 @var{groups} is a list of groups, and this function should request data
23479 on all those groups. How it does it is of no concern to Gnus, but it
23480 should attempt to do this in a speedy fashion.
23482 The return value of this function can be either @code{active} or
23483 @code{group}, which says what the format of the result data is. The
23484 former is in the same format as the data from
23485 @code{nnchoke-request-list}, while the latter is a buffer full of lines
23486 in the same format as @code{nnchoke-request-group} gives.
23489 group-buffer = *active-line / *group-status
23493 @item (nnchoke-request-update-info GROUP INFO &optional SERVER)
23495 A Gnus group info (@pxref{Group Info}) is handed to the back end for
23496 alterations. This comes in handy if the back end really carries all the
23497 information (as is the case with virtual and imap groups). This
23498 function should destructively alter the info to suit its needs, and
23499 should return the (altered) group info.
23501 There should be no result data from this function.
23504 @item (nnchoke-request-type GROUP &optional ARTICLE)
23506 When the user issues commands for ``sending news'' (@kbd{F} in the
23507 summary buffer, for instance), Gnus has to know whether the article the
23508 user is following up on is news or mail. This function should return
23509 @code{news} if @var{article} in @var{group} is news, @code{mail} if it
23510 is mail and @code{unknown} if the type can't be decided. (The
23511 @var{article} parameter is necessary in @code{nnvirtual} groups which
23512 might very well combine mail groups and news groups.) Both @var{group}
23513 and @var{article} may be @code{nil}.
23515 There should be no result data from this function.
23518 @item (nnchoke-request-set-mark GROUP ACTION &optional SERVER)
23520 Set/remove/add marks on articles. Normally Gnus handles the article
23521 marks (such as read, ticked, expired etc) internally, and store them in
23522 @code{~/.newsrc.eld}. Some back ends (such as @sc{imap}) however carry
23523 all information about the articles on the server, so Gnus need to
23524 propagate the mark information to the server.
23526 ACTION is a list of mark setting requests, having this format:
23529 (RANGE ACTION MARK)
23532 RANGE is a range of articles you wish to update marks on. ACTION is
23533 @code{add} or @code{del}, used to add marks or remove marks
23534 (preserving all marks not mentioned). MARK is a list of marks; where
23535 each mark is a symbol. Currently used marks are @code{read},
23536 @code{tick}, @code{reply}, @code{expire}, @code{killed},
23537 @code{dormant}, @code{save}, @code{download}, @code{unsend},
23538 @code{forward} and @code{recent}, but your back end should, if
23539 possible, not limit itself to these.
23541 Given contradictory actions, the last action in the list should be the
23542 effective one. That is, if your action contains a request to add the
23543 @code{tick} mark on article 1 and, later in the list, a request to
23544 remove the mark on the same article, the mark should in fact be removed.
23546 An example action list:
23549 (((5 12 30) 'del '(tick))
23550 ((10 . 90) 'add '(read expire))
23551 ((92 94) 'del '(read)))
23554 The function should return a range of articles it wasn't able to set the
23555 mark on (currently not used for anything).
23557 There should be no result data from this function.
23559 @item (nnchoke-request-update-mark GROUP ARTICLE MARK)
23561 If the user tries to set a mark that the back end doesn't like, this
23562 function may change the mark. Gnus will use whatever this function
23563 returns as the mark for @var{article} instead of the original
23564 @var{mark}. If the back end doesn't care, it must return the original
23565 @var{mark}, and not @code{nil} or any other type of garbage.
23567 The only use for this I can see is what @code{nnvirtual} does with
23568 it---if a component group is auto-expirable, marking an article as read
23569 in the virtual group should result in the article being marked as
23572 There should be no result data from this function.
23575 @item (nnchoke-request-scan &optional GROUP SERVER)
23577 This function may be called at any time (by Gnus or anything else) to
23578 request that the back end check for incoming articles, in one way or
23579 another. A mail back end will typically read the spool file or query the
23580 POP server when this function is invoked. The @var{group} doesn't have
23581 to be heeded---if the back end decides that it is too much work just
23582 scanning for a single group, it may do a total scan of all groups. It
23583 would be nice, however, to keep things local if that's practical.
23585 There should be no result data from this function.
23588 @item (nnchoke-request-group-description GROUP &optional SERVER)
23590 The result data from this function should be a description of
23594 description-line = name <TAB> description eol
23596 description = <text>
23599 @item (nnchoke-request-list-newsgroups &optional SERVER)
23601 The result data from this function should be the description of all
23602 groups available on the server.
23605 description-buffer = *description-line
23609 @item (nnchoke-request-newgroups DATE &optional SERVER)
23611 The result data from this function should be all groups that were
23612 created after @samp{date}, which is in normal human-readable date format
23613 (i.e., the date format used in mail and news headers, and returned by
23614 the function @code{message-make-date} by default). The data should be
23615 in the active buffer format.
23617 It is okay for this function to return `too many' groups; some back ends
23618 might find it cheaper to return the full list of groups, rather than
23619 just the new groups. But don't do this for back ends with many groups.
23620 Normally, if the user creates the groups herself, there won't be too
23621 many groups, so @code{nnml} and the like are probably safe. But for
23622 back ends like @code{nntp}, where the groups have been created by the
23623 server, it is quite likely that there can be many groups.
23626 @item (nnchoke-request-create-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
23628 This function should create an empty group with name @var{group}.
23630 There should be no return data.
23633 @item (nnchoke-request-expire-articles ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FORCE)
23635 This function should run the expiry process on all articles in the
23636 @var{articles} range (which is currently a simple list of article
23637 numbers.) It is left up to the back end to decide how old articles
23638 should be before they are removed by this function. If @var{force} is
23639 non-@code{nil}, all @var{articles} should be deleted, no matter how new
23642 This function should return a list of articles that it did not/was not
23645 There should be no result data returned.
23648 @item (nnchoke-request-move-article ARTICLE GROUP SERVER ACCEPT-FORM
23651 This function should move @var{article} (which is a number) from
23652 @var{group} by calling @var{accept-form}.
23654 This function should ready the article in question for moving by
23655 removing any header lines it has added to the article, and generally
23656 should ``tidy up'' the article. Then it should @code{eval}
23657 @var{accept-form} in the buffer where the ``tidy'' article is. This
23658 will do the actual copying. If this @code{eval} returns a
23659 non-@code{nil} value, the article should be removed.
23661 If @var{last} is @code{nil}, that means that there is a high likelihood
23662 that there will be more requests issued shortly, so that allows some
23665 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
23666 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
23668 There should be no data returned.
23671 @item (nnchoke-request-accept-article GROUP &optional SERVER LAST)
23673 This function takes the current buffer and inserts it into @var{group}.
23674 If @var{last} in @code{nil}, that means that there will be more calls to
23675 this function in short order.
23677 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
23678 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
23680 There should be no data returned.
23683 @item (nnchoke-request-replace-article ARTICLE GROUP BUFFER)
23685 This function should remove @var{article} (which is a number) from
23686 @var{group} and insert @var{buffer} there instead.
23688 There should be no data returned.
23691 @item (nnchoke-request-delete-group GROUP FORCE &optional SERVER)
23693 This function should delete @var{group}. If @var{force}, it should
23694 really delete all the articles in the group, and then delete the group
23695 itself. (If there is such a thing as ``the group itself''.)
23697 There should be no data returned.
23700 @item (nnchoke-request-rename-group GROUP NEW-NAME &optional SERVER)
23702 This function should rename @var{group} into @var{new-name}. All
23703 articles in @var{group} should move to @var{new-name}.
23705 There should be no data returned.
23710 @node Error Messaging
23711 @subsubsection Error Messaging
23713 @findex nnheader-report
23714 @findex nnheader-get-report
23715 The back ends should use the function @code{nnheader-report} to report
23716 error conditions---they should not raise errors when they aren't able to
23717 perform a request. The first argument to this function is the back end
23718 symbol, and the rest are interpreted as arguments to @code{format} if
23719 there are multiple of them, or just a string if there is one of them.
23720 This function must always returns @code{nil}.
23723 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "You did something totally bogus")
23725 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "Could not request group %s" group)
23728 Gnus, in turn, will call @code{nnheader-get-report} when it gets a
23729 @code{nil} back from a server, and this function returns the most
23730 recently reported message for the back end in question. This function
23731 takes one argument---the server symbol.
23733 Internally, these functions access @var{back-end}@code{-status-string},
23734 so the @code{nnchoke} back end will have its error message stored in
23735 @code{nnchoke-status-string}.
23738 @node Writing New Back Ends
23739 @subsubsection Writing New Back Ends
23741 Many back ends are quite similar. @code{nnml} is just like
23742 @code{nnspool}, but it allows you to edit the articles on the server.
23743 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, but it doesn't use an active file,
23744 and it doesn't maintain overview databases. @code{nndir} is just like
23745 @code{nnml}, but it has no concept of ``groups'', and it doesn't allow
23748 It would make sense if it were possible to ``inherit'' functions from
23749 back ends when writing new back ends. And, indeed, you can do that if you
23750 want to. (You don't have to if you don't want to, of course.)
23752 All the back ends declare their public variables and functions by using a
23753 package called @code{nnoo}.
23755 To inherit functions from other back ends (and allow other back ends to
23756 inherit functions from the current back end), you should use the
23762 This macro declares the first parameter to be a child of the subsequent
23763 parameters. For instance:
23766 (nnoo-declare nndir
23770 @code{nndir} has declared here that it intends to inherit functions from
23771 both @code{nnml} and @code{nnmh}.
23774 This macro is equivalent to @code{defvar}, but registers the variable as
23775 a public server variable. Most state-oriented variables should be
23776 declared with @code{defvoo} instead of @code{defvar}.
23778 In addition to the normal @code{defvar} parameters, it takes a list of
23779 variables in the parent back ends to map the variable to when executing
23780 a function in those back ends.
23783 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
23784 "Where nndir will look for groups."
23785 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
23788 This means that @code{nnml-current-directory} will be set to
23789 @code{nndir-directory} when an @code{nnml} function is called on behalf
23790 of @code{nndir}. (The same with @code{nnmh}.)
23792 @item nnoo-define-basics
23793 This macro defines some common functions that almost all back ends should
23797 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
23801 This macro is just like @code{defun} and takes the same parameters. In
23802 addition to doing the normal @code{defun} things, it registers the
23803 function as being public so that other back ends can inherit it.
23805 @item nnoo-map-functions
23806 This macro allows mapping of functions from the current back end to
23807 functions from the parent back ends.
23810 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
23811 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
23812 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0))
23815 This means that when @code{nndir-retrieve-headers} is called, the first,
23816 third, and fourth parameters will be passed on to
23817 @code{nnml-retrieve-headers}, while the second parameter is set to the
23818 value of @code{nndir-current-group}.
23821 This macro allows importing functions from back ends. It should be the
23822 last thing in the source file, since it will only define functions that
23823 haven't already been defined.
23829 nnmh-request-newgroups)
23833 This means that calls to @code{nndir-request-list} should just be passed
23834 on to @code{nnmh-request-list}, while all public functions from
23835 @code{nnml} that haven't been defined in @code{nndir} yet should be
23840 Below is a slightly shortened version of the @code{nndir} back end.
23843 ;;; nndir.el --- single directory newsgroup access for Gnus
23844 ;; Copyright (C) 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
23848 (require 'nnheader)
23852 (eval-when-compile (require 'cl))
23854 (nnoo-declare nndir
23857 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
23858 "Where nndir will look for groups."
23859 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
23861 (defvoo nndir-nov-is-evil nil
23862 "*Non-nil means that nndir will never retrieve NOV headers."
23865 (defvoo nndir-current-group ""
23867 nnml-current-group nnmh-current-group)
23868 (defvoo nndir-top-directory nil nil nnml-directory nnmh-directory)
23869 (defvoo nndir-get-new-mail nil nil nnml-get-new-mail nnmh-get-new-mail)
23871 (defvoo nndir-status-string "" nil nnmh-status-string)
23872 (defconst nndir-version "nndir 1.0")
23874 ;;; Interface functions.
23876 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
23878 (deffoo nndir-open-server (server &optional defs)
23879 (setq nndir-directory
23880 (or (cadr (assq 'nndir-directory defs))
23882 (unless (assq 'nndir-directory defs)
23883 (push `(nndir-directory ,server) defs))
23884 (push `(nndir-current-group
23885 ,(file-name-nondirectory
23886 (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
23888 (push `(nndir-top-directory
23889 ,(file-name-directory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
23891 (nnoo-change-server 'nndir server defs))
23893 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
23894 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
23895 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
23896 (nnmh-request-group nndir-current-group 0 0)
23897 (nnmh-close-group nndir-current-group 0))
23901 nnmh-status-message
23903 nnmh-request-newgroups))
23909 @node Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
23910 @subsubsection Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
23912 @vindex gnus-valid-select-methods
23913 @findex gnus-declare-backend
23914 Having Gnus start using your new back end is rather easy---you just
23915 declare it with the @code{gnus-declare-backend} functions. This will
23916 enter the back end into the @code{gnus-valid-select-methods} variable.
23918 @code{gnus-declare-backend} takes two parameters---the back end name and
23919 an arbitrary number of @dfn{abilities}.
23924 (gnus-declare-backend "nnchoke" 'mail 'respool 'address)
23927 The above line would then go in the @file{nnchoke.el} file.
23929 The abilities can be:
23933 This is a mailish back end---followups should (probably) go via mail.
23935 This is a newsish back end---followups should (probably) go via news.
23937 This back end supports both mail and news.
23939 This is neither a post nor mail back end---it's something completely
23942 It supports respooling---or rather, it is able to modify its source
23943 articles and groups.
23945 The name of the server should be in the virtual server name. This is
23946 true for almost all back ends.
23947 @item prompt-address
23948 The user should be prompted for an address when doing commands like
23949 @kbd{B} in the group buffer. This is true for back ends like
23950 @code{nntp}, but not @code{nnmbox}, for instance.
23954 @node Mail-like Back Ends
23955 @subsubsection Mail-like Back Ends
23957 One of the things that separate the mail back ends from the rest of the
23958 back ends is the heavy dependence by most of the mail back ends on
23959 common functions in @file{nnmail.el}. For instance, here's the
23960 definition of @code{nnml-request-scan}:
23963 (deffoo nnml-request-scan (&optional group server)
23964 (setq nnml-article-file-alist nil)
23965 (nnmail-get-new-mail 'nnml 'nnml-save-nov nnml-directory group))
23968 It simply calls @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} with a few parameters,
23969 and @code{nnmail} takes care of all the moving and splitting of the
23972 This function takes four parameters.
23976 This should be a symbol to designate which back end is responsible for
23979 @item exit-function
23980 This function should be called after the splitting has been performed.
23982 @item temp-directory
23983 Where the temporary files should be stored.
23986 This optional argument should be a group name if the splitting is to be
23987 performed for one group only.
23990 @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} will call @var{back-end}@code{-save-mail} to
23991 save each article. @var{back-end}@code{-active-number} will be called to
23992 find the article number assigned to this article.
23994 The function also uses the following variables:
23995 @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} (to see whether to get new mail for
23996 this back end); and @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} and
23997 @var{back-end}@code{-active-file} to generate the new active file.
23998 @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} should be a group-active alist, like
24002 (("a-group" (1 . 10))
24003 ("some-group" (34 . 39)))
24007 @node Score File Syntax
24008 @subsection Score File Syntax
24010 Score files are meant to be easily parseable, but yet extremely
24011 mallable. It was decided that something that had the same read syntax
24012 as an Emacs Lisp list would fit that spec.
24014 Here's a typical score file:
24018 ("win95" -10000 nil s)
24025 BNF definition of a score file:
24028 score-file = "" / "(" *element ")"
24029 element = rule / atom
24030 rule = string-rule / number-rule / date-rule
24031 string-rule = "(" quote string-header quote space *string-match ")"
24032 number-rule = "(" quote number-header quote space *number-match ")"
24033 date-rule = "(" quote date-header quote space *date-match ")"
24035 string-header = "subject" / "from" / "references" / "message-id" /
24036 "xref" / "body" / "head" / "all" / "followup"
24037 number-header = "lines" / "chars"
24038 date-header = "date"
24039 string-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
24040 space date [ "" / [ space string-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
24041 score = "nil" / <integer>
24042 date = "nil" / <natural number>
24043 string-match-t = "nil" / "s" / "substring" / "S" / "Substring" /
24044 "r" / "regex" / "R" / "Regex" /
24045 "e" / "exact" / "E" / "Exact" /
24046 "f" / "fuzzy" / "F" / "Fuzzy"
24047 number-match = "(" <integer> [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
24048 space date [ "" / [ space number-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
24049 number-match-t = "nil" / "=" / "<" / ">" / ">=" / "<="
24050 date-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
24051 space date [ "" / [ space date-match-t ] ] ] ] ")"
24052 date-match-t = "nil" / "at" / "before" / "after"
24053 atom = "(" [ required-atom / optional-atom ] ")"
24054 required-atom = mark / expunge / mark-and-expunge / files /
24055 exclude-files / read-only / touched
24056 optional-atom = adapt / local / eval
24057 mark = "mark" space nil-or-number
24058 nil-or-number = "nil" / <integer>
24059 expunge = "expunge" space nil-or-number
24060 mark-and-expunge = "mark-and-expunge" space nil-or-number
24061 files = "files" *[ space <string> ]
24062 exclude-files = "exclude-files" *[ space <string> ]
24063 read-only = "read-only" [ space "nil" / space "t" ]
24064 adapt = "adapt" [ space "ignore" / space "t" / space adapt-rule ]
24065 adapt-rule = "(" *[ <string> *[ "(" <string> <integer> ")" ] ")"
24066 local = "local" *[ space "(" <string> space <form> ")" ]
24067 eval = "eval" space <form>
24068 space = *[ " " / <TAB> / <NEWLINE> ]
24071 Any unrecognized elements in a score file should be ignored, but not
24074 As you can see, white space is needed, but the type and amount of white
24075 space is irrelevant. This means that formatting of the score file is
24076 left up to the programmer---if it's simpler to just spew it all out on
24077 one looong line, then that's ok.
24079 The meaning of the various atoms are explained elsewhere in this
24080 manual (@pxref{Score File Format}).
24084 @subsection Headers
24086 Internally Gnus uses a format for storing article headers that
24087 corresponds to the @sc{nov} format in a mysterious fashion. One could
24088 almost suspect that the author looked at the @sc{nov} specification and
24089 just shamelessly @emph{stole} the entire thing, and one would be right.
24091 @dfn{Header} is a severely overloaded term. ``Header'' is used in
24092 RFC 1036 to talk about lines in the head of an article (e.g.,
24093 @code{From}). It is used by many people as a synonym for
24094 ``head''---``the header and the body''. (That should be avoided, in my
24095 opinion.) And Gnus uses a format internally that it calls ``header'',
24096 which is what I'm talking about here. This is a 9-element vector,
24097 basically, with each header (ouch) having one slot.
24099 These slots are, in order: @code{number}, @code{subject}, @code{from},
24100 @code{date}, @code{id}, @code{references}, @code{chars}, @code{lines},
24101 @code{xref}, and @code{extra}. There are macros for accessing and
24102 setting these slots---they all have predictable names beginning with
24103 @code{mail-header-} and @code{mail-header-set-}, respectively.
24105 All these slots contain strings, except the @code{extra} slot, which
24106 contains an alist of header/value pairs (@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
24112 @sc{gnus} introduced a concept that I found so useful that I've started
24113 using it a lot and have elaborated on it greatly.
24115 The question is simple: If you have a large amount of objects that are
24116 identified by numbers (say, articles, to take a @emph{wild} example)
24117 that you want to qualify as being ``included'', a normal sequence isn't
24118 very useful. (A 200,000 length sequence is a bit long-winded.)
24120 The solution is as simple as the question: You just collapse the
24124 (1 2 3 4 5 6 10 11 12)
24127 is transformed into
24130 ((1 . 6) (10 . 12))
24133 To avoid having those nasty @samp{(13 . 13)} elements to denote a
24134 lonesome object, a @samp{13} is a valid element:
24137 ((1 . 6) 7 (10 . 12))
24140 This means that comparing two ranges to find out whether they are equal
24141 is slightly tricky:
24144 ((1 . 5) 7 8 (10 . 12))
24150 ((1 . 5) (7 . 8) (10 . 12))
24153 are equal. In fact, any non-descending list is a range:
24159 is a perfectly valid range, although a pretty long-winded one. This is
24166 and is equal to the previous range.
24168 Here's a BNF definition of ranges. Of course, one must remember the
24169 semantic requirement that the numbers are non-descending. (Any number
24170 of repetition of the same number is allowed, but apt to disappear in
24174 range = simple-range / normal-range
24175 simple-range = "(" number " . " number ")"
24176 normal-range = "(" start-contents ")"
24177 contents = "" / simple-range *[ " " contents ] /
24178 number *[ " " contents ]
24181 Gnus currently uses ranges to keep track of read articles and article
24182 marks. I plan on implementing a number of range operators in C if The
24183 Powers That Be are willing to let me. (I haven't asked yet, because I
24184 need to do some more thinking on what operators I need to make life
24185 totally range-based without ever having to convert back to normal
24190 @subsection Group Info
24192 Gnus stores all permanent info on groups in a @dfn{group info} list.
24193 This list is from three to six elements (or more) long and exhaustively
24194 describes the group.
24196 Here are two example group infos; one is a very simple group while the
24197 second is a more complex one:
24200 ("no.group" 5 ((1 . 54324)))
24202 ("nnml:my.mail" 3 ((1 . 5) 9 (20 . 55))
24203 ((tick (15 . 19)) (replied 3 6 (19 . 3)))
24205 ((auto-expire . t) (to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")))
24208 The first element is the @dfn{group name}---as Gnus knows the group,
24209 anyway. The second element is the @dfn{subscription level}, which
24210 normally is a small integer. (It can also be the @dfn{rank}, which is a
24211 cons cell where the @code{car} is the level and the @code{cdr} is the
24212 score.) The third element is a list of ranges of read articles. The
24213 fourth element is a list of lists of article marks of various kinds.
24214 The fifth element is the select method (or virtual server, if you like).
24215 The sixth element is a list of @dfn{group parameters}, which is what
24216 this section is about.
24218 Any of the last three elements may be missing if they are not required.
24219 In fact, the vast majority of groups will normally only have the first
24220 three elements, which saves quite a lot of cons cells.
24222 Here's a BNF definition of the group info format:
24225 info = "(" group space ralevel space read
24226 [ "" / [ space marks-list [ "" / [ space method [ "" /
24227 space parameters ] ] ] ] ] ")"
24228 group = quote <string> quote
24229 ralevel = rank / level
24230 level = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
24231 rank = "(" level "." score ")"
24232 score = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
24234 marks-lists = nil / "(" *marks ")"
24235 marks = "(" <string> range ")"
24236 method = "(" <string> *elisp-forms ")"
24237 parameters = "(" *elisp-forms ")"
24240 Actually that @samp{marks} rule is a fib. A @samp{marks} is a
24241 @samp{<string>} consed on to a @samp{range}, but that's a bitch to say
24244 If you have a Gnus info and want to access the elements, Gnus offers a
24245 series of macros for getting/setting these elements.
24248 @item gnus-info-group
24249 @itemx gnus-info-set-group
24250 @findex gnus-info-group
24251 @findex gnus-info-set-group
24252 Get/set the group name.
24254 @item gnus-info-rank
24255 @itemx gnus-info-set-rank
24256 @findex gnus-info-rank
24257 @findex gnus-info-set-rank
24258 Get/set the group rank (@pxref{Group Score}).
24260 @item gnus-info-level
24261 @itemx gnus-info-set-level
24262 @findex gnus-info-level
24263 @findex gnus-info-set-level
24264 Get/set the group level.
24266 @item gnus-info-score
24267 @itemx gnus-info-set-score
24268 @findex gnus-info-score
24269 @findex gnus-info-set-score
24270 Get/set the group score (@pxref{Group Score}).
24272 @item gnus-info-read
24273 @itemx gnus-info-set-read
24274 @findex gnus-info-read
24275 @findex gnus-info-set-read
24276 Get/set the ranges of read articles.
24278 @item gnus-info-marks
24279 @itemx gnus-info-set-marks
24280 @findex gnus-info-marks
24281 @findex gnus-info-set-marks
24282 Get/set the lists of ranges of marked articles.
24284 @item gnus-info-method
24285 @itemx gnus-info-set-method
24286 @findex gnus-info-method
24287 @findex gnus-info-set-method
24288 Get/set the group select method.
24290 @item gnus-info-params
24291 @itemx gnus-info-set-params
24292 @findex gnus-info-params
24293 @findex gnus-info-set-params
24294 Get/set the group parameters.
24297 All the getter functions take one parameter---the info list. The setter
24298 functions take two parameters---the info list and the new value.
24300 The last three elements in the group info aren't mandatory, so it may be
24301 necessary to extend the group info before setting the element. If this
24302 is necessary, you can just pass on a non-@code{nil} third parameter to
24303 the three final setter functions to have this happen automatically.
24306 @node Extended Interactive
24307 @subsection Extended Interactive
24308 @cindex interactive
24309 @findex gnus-interactive
24311 Gnus extends the standard Emacs @code{interactive} specification
24312 slightly to allow easy use of the symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic
24313 Prefixes}). Here's an example of how this is used:
24316 (defun gnus-summary-increase-score (&optional score symp)
24317 (interactive (gnus-interactive "P\ny"))
24322 The best thing to do would have been to implement
24323 @code{gnus-interactive} as a macro which would have returned an
24324 @code{interactive} form, but this isn't possible since Emacs checks
24325 whether a function is interactive or not by simply doing an @code{assq}
24326 on the lambda form. So, instead we have @code{gnus-interactive}
24327 function that takes a string and returns values that are usable to
24328 @code{interactive}.
24330 This function accepts (almost) all normal @code{interactive} specs, but
24335 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbol
24336 The current symbolic prefix---the @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol}
24340 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbols
24341 A list of the current symbolic prefixes---the
24342 @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol} variable.
24345 The current article number---the @code{gnus-summary-article-number}
24349 The current article header---the @code{gnus-summary-article-header}
24353 The current group name---the @code{gnus-group-group-name}
24359 @node Emacs/XEmacs Code
24360 @subsection Emacs/XEmacs Code
24364 While Gnus runs under Emacs, XEmacs and Mule, I decided that one of the
24365 platforms must be the primary one. I chose Emacs. Not because I don't
24366 like XEmacs or Mule, but because it comes first alphabetically.
24368 This means that Gnus will byte-compile under Emacs with nary a warning,
24369 while XEmacs will pump out gigabytes of warnings while byte-compiling.
24370 As I use byte-compilation warnings to help me root out trivial errors in
24371 Gnus, that's very useful.
24373 I've also consistently used Emacs function interfaces, but have used
24374 Gnusey aliases for the functions. To take an example: Emacs defines a
24375 @code{run-at-time} function while XEmacs defines a @code{start-itimer}
24376 function. I then define a function called @code{gnus-run-at-time} that
24377 takes the same parameters as the Emacs @code{run-at-time}. When running
24378 Gnus under Emacs, the former function is just an alias for the latter.
24379 However, when running under XEmacs, the former is an alias for the
24380 following function:
24383 (defun gnus-xmas-run-at-time (time repeat function &rest args)
24387 (,function ,@@args))
24391 This sort of thing has been done for bunches of functions. Gnus does
24392 not redefine any native Emacs functions while running under XEmacs---it
24393 does this @code{defalias} thing with Gnus equivalents instead. Cleaner
24396 In the cases where the XEmacs function interface was obviously cleaner,
24397 I used it instead. For example @code{gnus-region-active-p} is an alias
24398 for @code{region-active-p} in XEmacs, whereas in Emacs it is a function.
24400 Of course, I could have chosen XEmacs as my native platform and done
24401 mapping functions the other way around. But I didn't. The performance
24402 hit these indirections impose on Gnus under XEmacs should be slight.
24405 @node Various File Formats
24406 @subsection Various File Formats
24409 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
24410 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
24414 @node Active File Format
24415 @subsubsection Active File Format
24417 The active file lists all groups available on the server in
24418 question. It also lists the highest and lowest current article numbers
24421 Here's an excerpt from a typical active file:
24424 soc.motss 296030 293865 y
24425 alt.binaries.pictures.fractals 3922 3913 n
24426 comp.sources.unix 1605 1593 m
24427 comp.binaries.ibm.pc 5097 5089 y
24428 no.general 1000 900 y
24431 Here's a pseudo-BNF definition of this file:
24434 active = *group-line
24435 group-line = group spc high-number spc low-number spc flag <NEWLINE>
24436 group = <non-white-space string>
24438 high-number = <non-negative integer>
24439 low-number = <positive integer>
24440 flag = "y" / "n" / "m" / "j" / "x" / "=" group
24443 For a full description of this file, see the manual pages for
24444 @samp{innd}, in particular @samp{active(5)}.
24447 @node Newsgroups File Format
24448 @subsubsection Newsgroups File Format
24450 The newsgroups file lists groups along with their descriptions. Not all
24451 groups on the server have to be listed, and not all groups in the file
24452 have to exist on the server. The file is meant purely as information to
24455 The format is quite simple; a group name, a tab, and the description.
24456 Here's the definition:
24460 line = group tab description <NEWLINE>
24461 group = <non-white-space string>
24463 description = <string>
24468 @node Emacs for Heathens
24469 @section Emacs for Heathens
24471 Believe it or not, but some people who use Gnus haven't really used
24472 Emacs much before they embarked on their journey on the Gnus Love Boat.
24473 If you are one of those unfortunates whom ``@kbd{C-M-a}'', ``kill the
24474 region'', and ``set @code{gnus-flargblossen} to an alist where the key
24475 is a regexp that is used for matching on the group name'' are magical
24476 phrases with little or no meaning, then this appendix is for you. If
24477 you are already familiar with Emacs, just ignore this and go fondle your
24481 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
24482 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
24487 @subsection Keystrokes
24491 Q: What is an experienced Emacs user?
24494 A: A person who wishes that the terminal had pedals.
24497 Yes, when you use Emacs, you are apt to use the control key, the shift
24498 key and the meta key a lot. This is very annoying to some people
24499 (notably @code{vi}le users), and the rest of us just love the hell out
24500 of it. Just give up and submit. Emacs really does stand for
24501 ``Escape-Meta-Alt-Control-Shift'', and not ``Editing Macros'', as you
24502 may have heard from other disreputable sources (like the Emacs author).
24504 The shift keys are normally located near your pinky fingers, and are
24505 normally used to get capital letters and stuff. You probably use it all
24506 the time. The control key is normally marked ``CTRL'' or something like
24507 that. The meta key is, funnily enough, never marked as such on any
24508 keyboard. The one I'm currently at has a key that's marked ``Alt'',
24509 which is the meta key on this keyboard. It's usually located somewhere
24510 to the left hand side of the keyboard, usually on the bottom row.
24512 Now, us Emacs people don't say ``press the meta-control-m key'',
24513 because that's just too inconvenient. We say ``press the @kbd{C-M-m}
24514 key''. @kbd{M-} is the prefix that means ``meta'' and ``C-'' is the
24515 prefix that means ``control''. So ``press @kbd{C-k}'' means ``press
24516 down the control key, and hold it down while you press @kbd{k}''.
24517 ``Press @kbd{C-M-k}'' means ``press down and hold down the meta key and
24518 the control key and then press @kbd{k}''. Simple, ay?
24520 This is somewhat complicated by the fact that not all keyboards have a
24521 meta key. In that case you can use the ``escape'' key. Then @kbd{M-k}
24522 means ``press escape, release escape, press @kbd{k}''. That's much more
24523 work than if you have a meta key, so if that's the case, I respectfully
24524 suggest you get a real keyboard with a meta key. You can't live without
24530 @subsection Emacs Lisp
24532 Emacs is the King of Editors because it's really a Lisp interpreter.
24533 Each and every key you tap runs some Emacs Lisp code snippet, and since
24534 Emacs Lisp is an interpreted language, that means that you can configure
24535 any key to run any arbitrary code. You just, like, do it.
24537 Gnus is written in Emacs Lisp, and is run as a bunch of interpreted
24538 functions. (These are byte-compiled for speed, but it's still
24539 interpreted.) If you decide that you don't like the way Gnus does
24540 certain things, it's trivial to have it do something a different way.
24541 (Well, at least if you know how to write Lisp code.) However, that's
24542 beyond the scope of this manual, so we are simply going to talk about
24543 some common constructs that you normally use in your @file{.emacs} file
24546 If you want to set the variable @code{gnus-florgbnize} to four (4), you
24547 write the following:
24550 (setq gnus-florgbnize 4)
24553 This function (really ``special form'') @code{setq} is the one that can
24554 set a variable to some value. This is really all you need to know. Now
24555 you can go and fill your @code{.emacs} file with lots of these to change
24558 If you have put that thing in your @code{.emacs} file, it will be read
24559 and @code{eval}ed (which is lisp-ese for ``run'') the next time you
24560 start Emacs. If you want to change the variable right away, simply say
24561 @kbd{C-x C-e} after the closing parenthesis. That will @code{eval} the
24562 previous ``form'', which is a simple @code{setq} statement here.
24564 Go ahead---just try it, if you're located at your Emacs. After you
24565 @kbd{C-x C-e}, you will see @samp{4} appear in the echo area, which
24566 is the return value of the form you @code{eval}ed.
24570 If the manual says ``set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{some}'',
24574 (setq gnus-read-active-file 'some)
24577 On the other hand, if the manual says ``set @code{gnus-nntp-server} to
24578 @samp{nntp.ifi.uio.no}'', that means:
24581 (setq gnus-nntp-server "nntp.ifi.uio.no")
24584 So be careful not to mix up strings (the latter) with symbols (the
24585 former). The manual is unambiguous, but it can be confusing.
24588 @include gnus-faq.texi
24608 @c Local Variables:
24610 @c coding: iso-8859-1
24612 % LocalWords: BNF mucho detailmenu cindex kindex kbd
24613 % LocalWords: findex Gnusae vindex dfn dfn samp nntp setq nnspool nntpserver
24614 % LocalWords: nnmbox newusers Blllrph NEWGROUPS dingnusdingnusdingnus
24615 % LocalWords: pre fab rec comp nnslashdot regex ga ga sci nnml nnbabyl nnmh
24616 % LocalWords: nnfolder emph looong eld newsreaders defun init elc pxref