1 \input texinfo @c -*-texinfo-*- -*- coding: iso-latin-1 -*-
10 * Gnus: (gnus). The newsreader Gnus.
15 @setchapternewpage odd
19 \documentclass[twoside,a4paper,openright,11pt]{book}
20 \usepackage[latin1]{inputenc}
21 \usepackage{pagestyle}
29 \newcommand{\gnuschaptername}{}
30 \newcommand{\gnussectionname}{}
32 \newcommand{\gnusbackslash}{/}
34 \newcommand{\gnusref}[1]{``#1'' on page \pageref{#1}}
35 \newcommand{\gnusuref}[1]{\gnustt{#1}}
36 \newcommand{\gnusxref}[1]{See ``#1'' on page \pageref{#1}}
37 \newcommand{\gnuspxref}[1]{see ``#1'' on page \pageref{#1}}
39 \newcommand{\gnuskindex}[1]{\index{#1}}
40 \newcommand{\gnusindex}[1]{\index{#1}}
42 \newcommand{\gnustt}[1]{{\fontfamily{pfu}\fontsize{10pt}{10}\selectfont #1}}
43 \newcommand{\gnuscode}[1]{\gnustt{#1}}
44 \newcommand{\gnussamp}[1]{``{\fontencoding{OT1}\fontfamily{pfu}\fontsize{10pt}{10}\selectfont #1}''}
45 \newcommand{\gnuslisp}[1]{\gnustt{#1}}
46 \newcommand{\gnuskbd}[1]{`\gnustt{#1}'}
47 \newcommand{\gnusfile}[1]{`\gnustt{#1}'}
48 \newcommand{\gnusdfn}[1]{\textit{#1}}
49 \newcommand{\gnusi}[1]{\textit{#1}}
50 \newcommand{\gnusstrong}[1]{\textbf{#1}}
51 \newcommand{\gnusemph}[1]{\textit{#1}}
52 \newcommand{\gnusvar}[1]{{\fontsize{10pt}{10}\selectfont\textsl{\textsf{#1}}}}
53 \newcommand{\gnussc}[1]{\textsc{#1}}
54 \newcommand{\gnustitle}[1]{{\huge\textbf{#1}}}
55 \newcommand{\gnusauthor}[1]{{\large\textbf{#1}}}
56 \newcommand{\gnusresult}[1]{\gnustt{=> #1}}
58 \newcommand{\gnusbullet}{{${\bullet}$}}
59 \newcommand{\gnusdollar}{\$}
60 \newcommand{\gnusampersand}{\&}
61 \newcommand{\gnuspercent}{\%}
62 \newcommand{\gnushash}{\#}
63 \newcommand{\gnushat}{\symbol{"5E}}
64 \newcommand{\gnusunderline}{\symbol{"5F}}
65 \newcommand{\gnusnot}{$\neg$}
66 \newcommand{\gnustilde}{\symbol{"7E}}
67 \newcommand{\gnusless}{{$<$}}
68 \newcommand{\gnusgreater}{{$>$}}
69 \newcommand{\gnusbraceleft}{{$>$}}
70 \newcommand{\gnusbraceright}{{$>$}}
72 \newcommand{\gnushead}{\raisebox{-1cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/gnus-head.eps,height=1cm}}}
73 \newcommand{\gnusinteresting}{
74 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\gnushead]{\gnushead}
77 \newcommand{\gnuscleardoublepage}{\ifodd\count0\mbox{}\clearpage\thispagestyle{empty}\mbox{}\clearpage\else\clearpage\fi}
79 \newcommand{\gnuspagechapter}[1]{
86 \newcommand{\gnuschapter}[2]{
88 \ifdim \gnusdimen = 0pt\setcounter{page}{1}\pagestyle{gnus}\pagenumbering{arabic} \gnusdimen 1pt\fi
90 \renewcommand{\gnussectionname}{}
91 \renewcommand{\gnuschaptername}{#2}
94 \begin{picture}(500,500)(0,0)
95 \put(480,350){\makebox(0,0)[tr]{#1}}
96 \put(40,300){\makebox(500,50)[bl]{{\Huge\bf{#2}}}}
101 \newcommand{\gnusfigure}[3]{
103 \mbox{}\ifodd\count0\hspace*{-0.8cm}\else\hspace*{-3cm}\fi\begin{picture}(440,#2)
110 \newcommand{\gnusicon}[1]{
111 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\raisebox{-1.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=tmp/#1-up.ps,height=1.5cm}}]{\raisebox{-1cm}{\epsfig{figure=tmp/#1-up.ps,height=1cm}}}
114 \newcommand{\gnuspicon}[1]{
115 \margindex{\epsfig{figure=#1,width=2cm}}
118 \newcommand{\gnusxface}[2]{
119 \margindex{\epsfig{figure=#1,width=1cm}\epsfig{figure=#2,width=1cm}}
122 \newcommand{\gnussmiley}[2]{
123 \margindex{\makebox[2cm]{\hfill\epsfig{figure=#1,width=0.5cm}\hfill\epsfig{figure=#2,width=0.5cm}\hfill}}
126 \newcommand{\gnusitemx}[1]{\mbox{}\vspace*{-\itemsep}\vspace*{-\parsep}\item#1}
128 \newcommand{\gnussection}[1]{
129 \renewcommand{\gnussectionname}{#1}
133 \newenvironment{codelist}%
138 \newenvironment{kbdlist}%
144 \newenvironment{dfnlist}%
149 \newenvironment{stronglist}%
154 \newenvironment{samplist}%
159 \newenvironment{varlist}%
164 \newenvironment{emphlist}%
169 \newlength\gnusheadtextwidth
170 \setlength{\gnusheadtextwidth}{\headtextwidth}
171 \addtolength{\gnusheadtextwidth}{1cm}
173 \newpagestyle{gnuspreamble}%
178 \hspace*{-0.23cm}\underline{\makebox[\gnusheadtextwidth]{\mbox{}}\textbf{\hfill\roman{page}}}
182 \hspace*{-3.25cm}\underline{\makebox[\gnusheadtextwidth]{\textbf{\roman{page}\hfill\mbox{}}}
191 \raisebox{-0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/gnus-big-logo.eps,height=1cm}}
193 \raisebox{-0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/gnus-big-logo.eps,height=1cm}}
198 \newpagestyle{gnusindex}%
203 \hspace*{-0.23cm}\underline{\makebox[\gnusheadtextwidth]{\textbf{\gnuschaptername\hfill\arabic{page}}}}
207 \hspace*{-3.25cm}\underline{\makebox[\gnusheadtextwidth]{\textbf{\arabic{page}\hfill\gnuschaptername}}}
215 \raisebox{-0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/gnus-big-logo.eps,height=1cm}}
217 \raisebox{-0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/gnus-big-logo.eps,height=1cm}}
227 \makebox[12cm]{\hspace*{3.1cm}\underline{\makebox[\gnusheadtextwidth]{\textbf{\arabic{chapter}.\arabic{section}} \textbf{\gnussectionname\hfill\arabic{page}}}}}
231 \makebox[12cm]{\hspace*{-2.95cm}\underline{\makebox[\gnusheadtextwidth]{\textbf{\arabic{page}\hfill\gnuschaptername}}}}
239 \raisebox{-0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/gnus-big-logo.eps,height=1cm}}
241 \raisebox{-0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/gnus-big-logo.eps,height=1cm}}
246 \pagenumbering{roman}
247 \pagestyle{gnuspreamble}
257 %\addtolength{\oddsidemargin}{-5cm}
258 %\addtolength{\evensidemargin}{-5cm}
260 \addtolength{\textheight}{2cm}
262 \gnustitle{\gnustitlename}\\
265 \hspace*{0cm}\epsfig{figure=ps/gnus-big-logo.eps,height=15cm}
268 \gnusauthor{by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen}
275 \thispagestyle{empty}
277 Copyright \copyright{} 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000
278 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
281 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
282 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
283 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
284 Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
285 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
286 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
287 License'' in the Emacs manual.
289 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
290 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
291 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
293 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
294 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
295 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
296 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
304 This file documents Gnus, the GNU Emacs newsreader.
306 Copyright (C) 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
308 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
309 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
310 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with the
311 Invariant Sections being none, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
312 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
313 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
314 License'' in the Emacs manual.
316 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
317 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
318 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
320 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
321 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
322 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
323 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
331 @author by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen
334 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
335 Copyright @copyright{} 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
337 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
338 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
339 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
340 Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
341 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
342 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
343 License'' in the Emacs manual.
345 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
346 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
347 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
349 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
350 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
351 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
352 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
361 @top The Gnus Newsreader
365 You can read news (and mail) from within Emacs by using Gnus. The news
366 can be gotten by any nefarious means you can think of---@sc{nntp}, local
367 spool or your mbox file. All at the same time, if you want to push your
370 This manual corresponds to Oort Gnus v.
381 Gnus is the advanced, self-documenting, customizable, extensible
382 unreal-time newsreader for GNU Emacs.
384 Oops. That sounds oddly familiar, so let's start over again to avoid
385 being accused of plagiarism:
387 Gnus is a message-reading laboratory. It will let you look at just
388 about anything as if it were a newsgroup. You can read mail with it,
389 you can browse directories with it, you can @code{ftp} with it---you
390 can even read news with it!
392 Gnus tries to empower people who read news the same way Emacs empowers
393 people who edit text. Gnus sets no limits to what the user should be
394 allowed to do. Users are encouraged to extend Gnus to make it behave
395 like they want it to behave. A program should not control people;
396 people should be empowered to do what they want by using (or abusing)
402 * Starting Up:: Finding news can be a pain.
403 * Group Buffer:: Selecting, subscribing and killing groups.
404 * Summary Buffer:: Reading, saving and posting articles.
405 * Article Buffer:: Displaying and handling articles.
406 * Composing Messages:: Information on sending mail and news.
407 * Select Methods:: Gnus reads all messages from various select methods.
408 * Scoring:: Assigning values to articles.
409 * Various:: General purpose settings.
410 * The End:: Farewell and goodbye.
411 * Appendices:: Terminology, Emacs intro, FAQ, History, Internals.
412 * Index:: Variable, function and concept index.
413 * Key Index:: Key Index.
416 --- The Detailed Node Listing ---
420 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
421 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
422 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
423 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
424 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
425 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
426 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
427 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
428 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
429 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
430 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
434 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
435 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
436 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
440 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
441 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
442 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
443 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
444 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
445 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
446 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
447 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
448 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
449 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
450 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
451 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
452 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
453 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
454 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
455 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
456 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
460 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
461 * Group Modeline Specification:: The group buffer modeline.
462 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
466 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
467 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
468 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
469 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
470 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
474 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
475 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
476 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
477 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
481 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
482 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
483 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
484 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
485 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
486 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
487 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
488 * Threading:: How threads are made.
489 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
490 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
491 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
492 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
493 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
494 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
495 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
496 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
497 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
498 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
499 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
500 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
501 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
502 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
503 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
504 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
505 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
506 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer.
507 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
508 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
509 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
510 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
512 Summary Buffer Format
514 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
515 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
516 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
517 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
521 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
522 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
524 Reply, Followup and Post
526 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
527 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
528 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
529 * Canceling and Superseding:: ``Whoops, I shouldn't have called him that.''
533 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
534 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
535 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
536 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
537 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
538 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
542 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
543 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
545 Customizing Threading
547 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
548 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
549 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
550 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over... but you were wrong!
554 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
555 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
556 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
557 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
558 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
559 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
563 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
564 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
565 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
569 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
570 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
571 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
572 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
573 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
574 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
575 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
576 * Article Miscellania:: Various other stuff.
578 Alternative Approaches
580 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
581 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
583 Various Summary Stuff
585 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
586 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
587 * Summary Generation Commands:: (Re)generating the summary buffer.
588 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
592 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
593 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @sc{mime} before reading them.
594 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
595 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
596 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
600 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
601 * Posting Server:: What server should you post via?
602 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
603 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
604 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
605 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
606 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
607 * Using GPG:: How to use GPG and MML to sign and encrypt messages
611 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
612 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
613 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
614 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
615 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
616 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
617 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
621 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
622 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
623 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
624 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
625 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
626 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
627 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
631 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
632 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
636 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
637 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
638 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
639 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
640 * Mail Backend Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
641 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
642 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
643 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
644 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
645 * Washing Mail:: Removing cruft from the mail you get.
646 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
647 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail backends for reading other files.
648 * Choosing a Mail Backend:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
652 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
653 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
654 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
656 Choosing a Mail Backend
658 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
659 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
660 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
661 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like backend.
662 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
663 * Comparing Mail Backends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
667 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
668 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
669 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
670 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
671 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
672 * Customizing w3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/w3 from Gnus.
676 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
677 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
678 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
679 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
680 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
681 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @sc{imap} client.
685 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
689 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
690 * SOUP Groups:: A backend for reading @sc{soup} packets.
691 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
695 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
696 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
697 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a "compress mailbox" button.
701 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
702 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
706 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
707 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
708 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
709 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
710 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with IMAP.
711 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
712 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
713 * Example Setup:: An example @file{.gnus.el} file for offline people.
714 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
715 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
719 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
720 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
721 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
725 * Group Agent Commands::
726 * Summary Agent Commands::
727 * Server Agent Commands::
731 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
732 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
733 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
734 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
735 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
736 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
737 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
738 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
739 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
740 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
741 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
742 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
743 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
744 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
745 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
746 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
750 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
751 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
752 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
753 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
757 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
758 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
759 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
763 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
764 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
765 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
766 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
767 * Windows Configuration:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
768 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
769 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
770 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
771 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
772 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
773 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
774 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
775 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
776 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
777 * XEmacs Enhancements:: There are more pictures and stuff under XEmacs.
778 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
779 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
780 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
784 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
785 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
786 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
787 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
788 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
792 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what your reading.
793 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
794 * Toolbar:: Click'n'drool.
795 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
799 * Picon Basics:: What are picons and How do I get them.
800 * Picon Requirements:: Don't go further if you aren't using XEmacs.
801 * Easy Picons:: Displaying Picons---the easy way.
802 * Hard Picons:: The way you should do it. You'll learn something.
803 * Picon Useless Configuration:: Other variables you can trash/tweak/munge/play with.
807 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
808 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
809 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
810 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
811 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
812 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
813 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
814 * Frequently Asked Questions:: A question-and-answer session.
818 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
819 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
820 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
821 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
822 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
823 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
824 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
825 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
826 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
830 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
831 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
832 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
833 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
834 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
838 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
839 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
840 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
841 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
845 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
846 * Backend Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
847 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
848 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
849 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
850 * Group Info:: The group info format.
851 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
852 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
853 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
857 * Required Backend Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
858 * Optional Backend Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
859 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
860 * Writing New Backends:: Extending old backends.
861 * Hooking New Backends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
862 * Mail-like Backends:: Some tips on mail backends.
866 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
867 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
871 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
872 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
878 @chapter Starting Gnus
883 If your system administrator has set things up properly, starting Gnus
884 and reading news is extremely easy---you just type @kbd{M-x gnus} in
887 @findex gnus-other-frame
888 @kindex M-x gnus-other-frame
889 If you want to start Gnus in a different frame, you can use the command
890 @kbd{M-x gnus-other-frame} instead.
892 If things do not go smoothly at startup, you have to twiddle some
893 variables in your @file{~/.gnus} file. This file is similar to
894 @file{~/.emacs}, but is read when gnus starts.
896 If you puzzle at any terms used in this manual, please refer to the
897 terminology section (@pxref{Terminology}).
900 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
901 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
902 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
903 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
904 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
905 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
906 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
907 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
908 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
909 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
910 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
914 @node Finding the News
915 @section Finding the News
918 @vindex gnus-select-method
920 The @code{gnus-select-method} variable says where Gnus should look for
921 news. This variable should be a list where the first element says
922 @dfn{how} and the second element says @dfn{where}. This method is your
923 native method. All groups not fetched with this method are
926 For instance, if the @samp{news.somewhere.edu} @sc{nntp} server is where
927 you want to get your daily dosage of news from, you'd say:
930 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"))
933 If you want to read directly from the local spool, say:
936 (setq gnus-select-method '(nnspool ""))
939 If you can use a local spool, you probably should, as it will almost
940 certainly be much faster.
942 @vindex gnus-nntpserver-file
944 @cindex @sc{nntp} server
945 If this variable is not set, Gnus will take a look at the
946 @code{NNTPSERVER} environment variable. If that variable isn't set,
947 Gnus will see whether @code{gnus-nntpserver-file}
948 (@file{/etc/nntpserver} by default) has any opinions on the matter. If
949 that fails as well, Gnus will try to use the machine running Emacs as an @sc{nntp} server. That's a long shot, though.
951 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
952 If @code{gnus-nntp-server} is set, this variable will override
953 @code{gnus-select-method}. You should therefore set
954 @code{gnus-nntp-server} to @code{nil}, which is what it is by default.
956 @vindex gnus-secondary-servers
957 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
958 You can also make Gnus prompt you interactively for the name of an
959 @sc{nntp} server. If you give a non-numerical prefix to @code{gnus}
960 (i.e., @kbd{C-u M-x gnus}), Gnus will let you choose between the servers
961 in the @code{gnus-secondary-servers} list (if any). You can also just
962 type in the name of any server you feel like visiting. (Note that this
963 will set @code{gnus-nntp-server}, which means that if you then @kbd{M-x
964 gnus} later in the same Emacs session, Gnus will contact the same
967 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
969 However, if you use one @sc{nntp} server regularly and are just
970 interested in a couple of groups from a different server, you would be
971 better served by using the @kbd{B} command in the group buffer. It will
972 let you have a look at what groups are available, and you can subscribe
973 to any of the groups you want to. This also makes @file{.newsrc}
974 maintenance much tidier. @xref{Foreign Groups}.
976 @vindex gnus-secondary-select-methods
978 A slightly different approach to foreign groups is to set the
979 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} variable. The select methods
980 listed in this variable are in many ways just as native as the
981 @code{gnus-select-method} server. They will also be queried for active
982 files during startup (if that's required), and new newsgroups that
983 appear on these servers will be subscribed (or not) just as native
986 For instance, if you use the @code{nnmbox} backend to read your mail, you
987 would typically set this variable to
990 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnmbox "")))
995 @section The First Time
996 @cindex first time usage
998 If no startup files exist, Gnus will try to determine what groups should
999 be subscribed by default.
1001 @vindex gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups
1002 If the variable @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is set, Gnus
1003 will subscribe you to just those groups in that list, leaving the rest
1004 killed. Your system administrator should have set this variable to
1007 Since she hasn't, Gnus will just subscribe you to a few arbitrarily
1008 picked groups (i.e., @samp{*.newusers}). (@dfn{Arbitrary} is defined
1009 here as @dfn{whatever Lars thinks you should read}.)
1011 You'll also be subscribed to the Gnus documentation group, which should
1012 help you with most common problems.
1014 If @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is @code{t}, Gnus will just
1015 use the normal functions for handling new groups, and not do anything
1019 @node The Server is Down
1020 @section The Server is Down
1021 @cindex server errors
1023 If the default server is down, Gnus will understandably have some
1024 problems starting. However, if you have some mail groups in addition to
1025 the news groups, you may want to start Gnus anyway.
1027 Gnus, being the trusting sort of program, will ask whether to proceed
1028 without a native select method if that server can't be contacted. This
1029 will happen whether the server doesn't actually exist (i.e., you have
1030 given the wrong address) or the server has just momentarily taken ill
1031 for some reason or other. If you decide to continue and have no foreign
1032 groups, you'll find it difficult to actually do anything in the group
1033 buffer. But, hey, that's your problem. Blllrph!
1035 @findex gnus-no-server
1036 @kindex M-x gnus-no-server
1038 If you know that the server is definitely down, or you just want to read
1039 your mail without bothering with the server at all, you can use the
1040 @code{gnus-no-server} command to start Gnus. That might come in handy
1041 if you're in a hurry as well. This command will not attempt to contact
1042 your primary server---instead, it will just activate all groups on level
1043 1 and 2. (You should preferably keep no native groups on those two
1044 levels.) Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
1048 @section Slave Gnusae
1051 You might want to run more than one Emacs with more than one Gnus at the
1052 same time. If you are using different @file{.newsrc} files (e.g., if you
1053 are using the two different Gnusae to read from two different servers),
1054 that is no problem whatsoever. You just do it.
1056 The problem appears when you want to run two Gnusae that use the same
1057 @code{.newsrc} file.
1059 To work around that problem some, we here at the Think-Tank at the Gnus
1060 Towers have come up with a new concept: @dfn{Masters} and
1061 @dfn{slaves}. (We have applied for a patent on this concept, and have
1062 taken out a copyright on those words. If you wish to use those words in
1063 conjunction with each other, you have to send $1 per usage instance to
1064 me. Usage of the patent (@dfn{Master/Slave Relationships In Computer
1065 Applications}) will be much more expensive, of course.)
1067 Anyway, you start one Gnus up the normal way with @kbd{M-x gnus} (or
1068 however you do it). Each subsequent slave Gnusae should be started with
1069 @kbd{M-x gnus-slave}. These slaves won't save normal @file{.newsrc}
1070 files, but instead save @dfn{slave files} that contain information only
1071 on what groups have been read in the slave session. When a master Gnus
1072 starts, it will read (and delete) these slave files, incorporating all
1073 information from them. (The slave files will be read in the sequence
1074 they were created, so the latest changes will have precedence.)
1076 Information from the slave files has, of course, precedence over the
1077 information in the normal (i.e., master) @code{.newsrc} file.
1080 @node Fetching a Group
1081 @section Fetching a Group
1082 @cindex fetching a group
1084 @findex gnus-fetch-group
1085 It is sometimes convenient to be able to just say ``I want to read this
1086 group and I don't care whether Gnus has been started or not''. This is
1087 perhaps more useful for people who write code than for users, but the
1088 command @code{gnus-fetch-group} provides this functionality in any case.
1089 It takes the group name as a parameter.
1095 @cindex subscription
1097 @vindex gnus-check-new-newsgroups
1098 If you are satisfied that you really never want to see any new groups,
1099 you can set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil}. This will
1100 also save you some time at startup. Even if this variable is
1101 @code{nil}, you can always subscribe to the new groups just by pressing
1102 @kbd{U} in the group buffer (@pxref{Group Maintenance}). This variable
1103 is @code{ask-server} by default. If you set this variable to
1104 @code{always}, then Gnus will query the backends for new groups even
1105 when you do the @kbd{g} command (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
1108 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
1109 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
1110 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
1114 @node Checking New Groups
1115 @subsection Checking New Groups
1117 Gnus normally determines whether a group is new or not by comparing the
1118 list of groups from the active file(s) with the lists of subscribed and
1119 dead groups. This isn't a particularly fast method. If
1120 @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} is @code{ask-server}, Gnus will ask the
1121 server for new groups since the last time. This is both faster and
1122 cheaper. This also means that you can get rid of the list of killed
1123 groups altogether, so you may set @code{gnus-save-killed-list} to
1124 @code{nil}, which will save time both at startup, at exit, and all over.
1125 Saves disk space, too. Why isn't this the default, then?
1126 Unfortunately, not all servers support this command.
1128 I bet I know what you're thinking now: How do I find out whether my
1129 server supports @code{ask-server}? No? Good, because I don't have a
1130 fail-safe answer. I would suggest just setting this variable to
1131 @code{ask-server} and see whether any new groups appear within the next
1132 few days. If any do, then it works. If none do, then it doesn't
1133 work. I could write a function to make Gnus guess whether the server
1134 supports @code{ask-server}, but it would just be a guess. So I won't.
1135 You could @code{telnet} to the server and say @code{HELP} and see
1136 whether it lists @samp{NEWGROUPS} among the commands it understands. If
1137 it does, then it might work. (But there are servers that lists
1138 @samp{NEWGROUPS} without supporting the function properly.)
1140 This variable can also be a list of select methods. If so, Gnus will
1141 issue an @code{ask-server} command to each of the select methods, and
1142 subscribe them (or not) using the normal methods. This might be handy
1143 if you are monitoring a few servers for new groups. A side effect is
1144 that startup will take much longer, so you can meditate while waiting.
1145 Use the mantra ``dingnusdingnusdingnus'' to achieve permanent bliss.
1148 @node Subscription Methods
1149 @subsection Subscription Methods
1151 @vindex gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method
1152 What Gnus does when it encounters a new group is determined by the
1153 @code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} variable.
1155 This variable should contain a function. This function will be called
1156 with the name of the new group as the only parameter.
1158 Some handy pre-fab functions are:
1162 @item gnus-subscribe-zombies
1163 @vindex gnus-subscribe-zombies
1164 Make all new groups zombies. This is the default. You can browse the
1165 zombies later (with @kbd{A z}) and either kill them all off properly
1166 (with @kbd{S z}), or subscribe to them (with @kbd{u}).
1168 @item gnus-subscribe-randomly
1169 @vindex gnus-subscribe-randomly
1170 Subscribe all new groups in arbitrary order. This really means that all
1171 new groups will be added at ``the top'' of the group buffer.
1173 @item gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1174 @vindex gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1175 Subscribe all new groups in alphabetical order.
1177 @item gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1178 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1179 Subscribe all new groups hierarchically. The difference between this
1180 function and @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} is slight.
1181 @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} will subscribe new groups in a strictly
1182 alphabetical fashion, while this function will enter groups into its
1183 hierarchy. So if you want to have the @samp{rec} hierarchy before the
1184 @samp{comp} hierarchy, this function will not mess that configuration
1185 up. Or something like that.
1187 @item gnus-subscribe-interactively
1188 @vindex gnus-subscribe-interactively
1189 Subscribe new groups interactively. This means that Gnus will ask
1190 you about @strong{all} new groups. The groups you choose to subscribe
1191 to will be subscribed hierarchically.
1193 @item gnus-subscribe-killed
1194 @vindex gnus-subscribe-killed
1195 Kill all new groups.
1197 @item gnus-subscribe-topics
1198 @vindex gnus-subscribe-topics
1199 Put the groups into the topic that has a matching @code{subscribe} topic
1200 parameter (@pxref{Topic Parameters}). For instance, a @code{subscribe}
1201 topic parameter that looks like
1207 will mean that all groups that match that regex will be subscribed under
1210 If no topics match the groups, the groups will be subscribed in the
1215 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive
1216 A closely related variable is
1217 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. (That's quite a
1218 mouthful.) If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will ask you in a
1219 hierarchical fashion whether to subscribe to new groups or not. Gnus
1220 will ask you for each sub-hierarchy whether you want to descend the
1223 One common mistake is to set the variable a few paragraphs above
1224 (@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method}) to
1225 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. This is an error. This
1226 will not work. This is ga-ga. So don't do it.
1229 @node Filtering New Groups
1230 @subsection Filtering New Groups
1232 A nice and portable way to control which new newsgroups should be
1233 subscribed (or ignored) is to put an @dfn{options} line at the start of
1234 the @file{.newsrc} file. Here's an example:
1237 options -n !alt.all !rec.all sci.all
1240 @vindex gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method
1241 This line obviously belongs to a serious-minded intellectual scientific
1242 person (or she may just be plain old boring), because it says that all
1243 groups that have names beginning with @samp{alt} and @samp{rec} should
1244 be ignored, and all groups with names beginning with @samp{sci} should
1245 be subscribed. Gnus will not use the normal subscription method for
1246 subscribing these groups.
1247 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method} is used instead. This
1248 variable defaults to @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically}.
1250 @vindex gnus-options-not-subscribe
1251 @vindex gnus-options-subscribe
1252 If you don't want to mess with your @file{.newsrc} file, you can just
1253 set the two variables @code{gnus-options-subscribe} and
1254 @code{gnus-options-not-subscribe}. These two variables do exactly the
1255 same as the @file{.newsrc} @samp{options -n} trick. Both are regexps,
1256 and if the new group matches the former, it will be unconditionally
1257 subscribed, and if it matches the latter, it will be ignored.
1259 @vindex gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
1260 Yet another variable that meddles here is
1261 @code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups}. It works exactly like
1262 @code{gnus-options-subscribe}, and is therefore really superfluous, but I
1263 thought it would be nice to have two of these. This variable is more
1264 meant for setting some ground rules, while the other variable is used
1265 more for user fiddling. By default this variable makes all new groups
1266 that come from mail backends (@code{nnml}, @code{nnbabyl},
1267 @code{nnfolder}, @code{nnmbox}, and @code{nnmh}) subscribed. If you
1268 don't like that, just set this variable to @code{nil}.
1270 New groups that match this regexp are subscribed using
1271 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method}.
1274 @node Changing Servers
1275 @section Changing Servers
1276 @cindex changing servers
1278 Sometimes it is necessary to move from one @sc{nntp} server to another.
1279 This happens very rarely, but perhaps you change jobs, or one server is
1280 very flaky and you want to use another.
1282 Changing the server is pretty easy, right? You just change
1283 @code{gnus-select-method} to point to the new server?
1287 Article numbers are not (in any way) kept synchronized between different
1288 @sc{nntp} servers, and the only way Gnus keeps track of what articles
1289 you have read is by keeping track of article numbers. So when you
1290 change @code{gnus-select-method}, your @file{.newsrc} file becomes
1293 Gnus provides a few functions to attempt to translate a @file{.newsrc}
1294 file from one server to another. They all have one thing in
1295 common---they take a looong time to run. You don't want to use these
1296 functions more than absolutely necessary.
1298 @kindex M-x gnus-change-server
1299 @findex gnus-change-server
1300 If you have access to both servers, Gnus can request the headers for all
1301 the articles you have read and compare @code{Message-ID}s and map the
1302 article numbers of the read articles and article marks. The @kbd{M-x
1303 gnus-change-server} command will do this for all your native groups. It
1304 will prompt for the method you want to move to.
1306 @kindex M-x gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1307 @findex gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1308 You can also move individual groups with the @kbd{M-x
1309 gnus-group-move-group-to-server} command. This is useful if you want to
1310 move a (foreign) group from one server to another.
1312 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1313 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1314 If you don't have access to both the old and new server, all your marks
1315 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use the @kbd{M-x
1316 gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} command to clear out all data
1317 that you have on your native groups. Use with caution.
1319 After changing servers, you @strong{must} move the cache hierarchy away,
1320 since the cached articles will have wrong article numbers, which will
1321 affect which articles Gnus thinks are read.
1325 @section Startup Files
1326 @cindex startup files
1331 Now, you all know about the @file{.newsrc} file. All subscription
1332 information is traditionally stored in this file.
1334 Things got a bit more complicated with @sc{gnus}. In addition to
1335 keeping the @file{.newsrc} file updated, it also used a file called
1336 @file{.newsrc.el} for storing all the information that didn't fit into
1337 the @file{.newsrc} file. (Actually, it also duplicated everything in
1338 the @file{.newsrc} file.) @sc{gnus} would read whichever one of these
1339 files was the most recently saved, which enabled people to swap between
1340 @sc{gnus} and other newsreaders.
1342 That was kinda silly, so Gnus went one better: In addition to the
1343 @file{.newsrc} and @file{.newsrc.el} files, Gnus also has a file called
1344 @file{.newsrc.eld}. It will read whichever of these files that are most
1345 recent, but it will never write a @file{.newsrc.el} file. You should
1346 never delete the @file{.newsrc.eld} file---it contains much information
1347 not stored in the @file{.newsrc} file.
1349 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-file
1350 @vindex gnus-read-newsrc-file
1351 You can turn off writing the @file{.newsrc} file by setting
1352 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-file} to @code{nil}, which means you can delete
1353 the file and save some space, as well as exiting from Gnus faster.
1354 However, this will make it impossible to use other newsreaders than
1355 Gnus. But hey, who would want to, right? Similarly, setting
1356 @code{gnus-read-newsrc-file} to @code{nil} makes Gnus ignore the
1357 @file{.newsrc} file and any @file{.newsrc-SERVER} files, which is
1358 convenient if you have a tendency to use Netscape once in a while.
1360 @vindex gnus-save-killed-list
1361 If @code{gnus-save-killed-list} (default @code{t}) is @code{nil}, Gnus
1362 will not save the list of killed groups to the startup file. This will
1363 save both time (when starting and quitting) and space (on disk). It
1364 will also mean that Gnus has no record of what groups are new or old,
1365 so the automatic new groups subscription methods become meaningless.
1366 You should always set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil} or
1367 @code{ask-server} if you set this variable to @code{nil} (@pxref{New
1368 Groups}). This variable can also be a regular expression. If that's
1369 the case, remove all groups that do not match this regexp before
1370 saving. This can be useful in certain obscure situations that involve
1371 several servers where not all servers support @code{ask-server}.
1373 @vindex gnus-startup-file
1374 The @code{gnus-startup-file} variable says where the startup files are.
1375 The default value is @file{~/.newsrc}, with the Gnus (El Dingo) startup
1376 file being whatever that one is, with a @samp{.eld} appended.
1378 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-hook
1379 @vindex gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook
1380 @vindex gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook
1381 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-hook} is called before saving any of the newsrc
1382 files, while @code{gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook} is called just before
1383 saving the @file{.newsrc.eld} file, and
1384 @code{gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook} is called just before saving the
1385 @file{.newsrc} file. The latter two are commonly used to turn version
1386 control on or off. Version control is on by default when saving the
1387 startup files. If you want to turn backup creation off, say something like:
1390 (defun turn-off-backup ()
1391 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
1393 (add-hook 'gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1394 (add-hook 'gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1397 @vindex gnus-init-file
1398 When Gnus starts, it will read the @code{gnus-site-init-file}
1399 (@file{.../site-lisp/gnus} by default) and @code{gnus-init-file}
1400 (@file{~/.gnus} by default) files. These are normal Emacs Lisp files
1401 and can be used to avoid cluttering your @file{~/.emacs} and
1402 @file{site-init} files with Gnus stuff. Gnus will also check for files
1403 with the same names as these, but with @file{.elc} and @file{.el}
1404 suffixes. In other words, if you have set @code{gnus-init-file} to
1405 @file{~/.gnus}, it will look for @file{~/.gnus.elc}, @file{~/.gnus.el},
1406 and finally @file{~/.gnus} (in this order).
1412 @cindex dribble file
1415 Whenever you do something that changes the Gnus data (reading articles,
1416 catching up, killing/subscribing groups), the change is added to a
1417 special @dfn{dribble buffer}. This buffer is auto-saved the normal
1418 Emacs way. If your Emacs should crash before you have saved the
1419 @file{.newsrc} files, all changes you have made can be recovered from
1422 If Gnus detects this file at startup, it will ask the user whether to
1423 read it. The auto save file is deleted whenever the real startup file is
1426 @vindex gnus-use-dribble-file
1427 If @code{gnus-use-dribble-file} is @code{nil}, Gnus won't create and
1428 maintain a dribble buffer. The default is @code{t}.
1430 @vindex gnus-dribble-directory
1431 Gnus will put the dribble file(s) in @code{gnus-dribble-directory}. If
1432 this variable is @code{nil}, which it is by default, Gnus will dribble
1433 into the directory where the @file{.newsrc} file is located. (This is
1434 normally the user's home directory.) The dribble file will get the same
1435 file permissions as the @code{.newsrc} file.
1437 @vindex gnus-always-read-dribble-file
1438 If @code{gnus-always-read-dribble-file} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will
1439 read the dribble file on startup without querying the user.
1442 @node The Active File
1443 @section The Active File
1445 @cindex ignored groups
1447 When Gnus starts, or indeed whenever it tries to determine whether new
1448 articles have arrived, it reads the active file. This is a very large
1449 file that lists all the active groups and articles on the server.
1451 @vindex gnus-ignored-newsgroups
1452 Before examining the active file, Gnus deletes all lines that match the
1453 regexp @code{gnus-ignored-newsgroups}. This is done primarily to reject
1454 any groups with bogus names, but you can use this variable to make Gnus
1455 ignore hierarchies you aren't ever interested in. However, this is not
1456 recommended. In fact, it's highly discouraged. Instead, @pxref{New
1457 Groups} for an overview of other variables that can be used instead.
1460 @c @code{nil} by default, and will slow down active file handling somewhat
1461 @c if you set it to anything else.
1463 @vindex gnus-read-active-file
1465 The active file can be rather Huge, so if you have a slow network, you
1466 can set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{nil} to prevent Gnus from
1467 reading the active file. This variable is @code{some} by default.
1469 Gnus will try to make do by getting information just on the groups that
1470 you actually subscribe to.
1472 Note that if you subscribe to lots and lots of groups, setting this
1473 variable to @code{nil} will probably make Gnus slower, not faster. At
1474 present, having this variable @code{nil} will slow Gnus down
1475 considerably, unless you read news over a 2400 baud modem.
1477 This variable can also have the value @code{some}. Gnus will then
1478 attempt to read active info only on the subscribed groups. On some
1479 servers this is quite fast (on sparkling, brand new INN servers that
1480 support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command), on others this isn't fast
1481 at all. In any case, @code{some} should be faster than @code{nil}, and
1482 is certainly faster than @code{t} over slow lines.
1484 Some news servers (old versions of Leafnode and old versions of INN, for
1485 instance) do not support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group}. For these
1486 servers, @code{nil} is probably the most efficient value for this
1489 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will ask for group info in total
1490 lock-step, which isn't very fast. If it is @code{some} and you use an
1491 @sc{nntp} server, Gnus will pump out commands as fast as it can, and
1492 read all the replies in one swoop. This will normally result in better
1493 performance, but if the server does not support the aforementioned
1494 @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, this isn't very nice to the server.
1496 If you think that starting up Gnus takes too long, try all the three
1497 different values for this variable and see what works best for you.
1499 In any case, if you use @code{some} or @code{nil}, you should definitely
1500 kill all groups that you aren't interested in to speed things up.
1502 Note that this variable also affects active file retrieval from
1503 secondary select methods.
1506 @node Startup Variables
1507 @section Startup Variables
1511 @item gnus-load-hook
1512 @vindex gnus-load-hook
1513 A hook run while Gnus is being loaded. Note that this hook will
1514 normally be run just once in each Emacs session, no matter how many
1515 times you start Gnus.
1517 @item gnus-before-startup-hook
1518 @vindex gnus-before-startup-hook
1519 A hook run after starting up Gnus successfully.
1521 @item gnus-startup-hook
1522 @vindex gnus-startup-hook
1523 A hook run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1525 @item gnus-started-hook
1526 @vindex gnus-started-hook
1527 A hook that is run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1530 @item gnus-setup-news-hook
1531 @vindex gnus-setup-news-hook
1532 A hook that is run after reading the @file{.newsrc} file(s), but before
1533 generating the group buffer.
1535 @item gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1536 @vindex gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1537 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will check for and delete all bogus groups at
1538 startup. A @dfn{bogus group} is a group that you have in your
1539 @file{.newsrc} file, but doesn't exist on the news server. Checking for
1540 bogus groups can take quite a while, so to save time and resources it's
1541 best to leave this option off, and do the checking for bogus groups once
1542 in a while from the group buffer instead (@pxref{Group Maintenance}).
1544 @item gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1545 @vindex gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1546 If non-@code{nil}, the startup message won't be displayed. That way,
1547 your boss might not notice as easily that you are reading news instead
1548 of doing your job. Note that this variable is used before
1549 @file{.gnus.el} is loaded, so it should be set in @code{.emacs} instead.
1551 @item gnus-no-groups-message
1552 @vindex gnus-no-groups-message
1553 Message displayed by Gnus when no groups are available.
1555 @item gnus-play-startup-jingle
1556 @vindex gnus-play-startup-jingle
1557 If non-@code{nil}, play the Gnus jingle at startup.
1559 @item gnus-startup-jingle
1560 @vindex gnus-startup-jingle
1561 Jingle to be played if the above variable is non-@code{nil}. The
1562 default is @samp{Tuxedomoon.Jingle4.au}.
1568 @chapter Group Buffer
1569 @cindex group buffer
1571 The @dfn{group buffer} lists all (or parts) of the available groups. It
1572 is the first buffer shown when Gnus starts, and will never be killed as
1573 long as Gnus is active.
1577 \gnusfigure{The Group Buffer}{320}{
1578 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=tmp/group.ps,height=9cm}}
1579 \put(120,37){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Buffer name}}
1580 \put(120,38){\vector(1,2){10}}
1581 \put(40,60){\makebox(0,0)[r]{Mode line}}
1582 \put(40,58){\vector(1,0){30}}
1583 \put(200,28){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Native select method}}
1584 \put(200,26){\vector(-1,2){15}}
1590 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
1591 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
1592 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
1593 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
1594 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
1595 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
1596 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
1597 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
1598 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
1599 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
1600 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
1601 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
1602 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
1603 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
1604 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
1605 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
1606 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
1610 @node Group Buffer Format
1611 @section Group Buffer Format
1614 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
1615 * Group Modeline Specification:: The group buffer modeline.
1616 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
1620 @node Group Line Specification
1621 @subsection Group Line Specification
1622 @cindex group buffer format
1624 The default format of the group buffer is nice and dull, but you can
1625 make it as exciting and ugly as you feel like.
1627 Here's a couple of example group lines:
1630 25: news.announce.newusers
1631 * 0: alt.fan.andrea-dworkin
1636 You can see that there are 25 unread articles in
1637 @samp{news.announce.newusers}. There are no unread articles, but some
1638 ticked articles, in @samp{alt.fan.andrea-dworkin} (see that little
1639 asterisk at the beginning of the line?).
1641 @vindex gnus-group-line-format
1642 You can change that format to whatever you want by fiddling with the
1643 @code{gnus-group-line-format} variable. This variable works along the
1644 lines of a @code{format} specification, which is pretty much the same as
1645 a @code{printf} specifications, for those of you who use (feh!) C.
1646 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
1648 @samp{%M%S%5y: %(%g%)\n} is the value that produced those lines above.
1650 There should always be a colon on the line; the cursor always moves to
1651 the colon after performing an operation. Nothing else is required---not
1652 even the group name. All displayed text is just window dressing, and is
1653 never examined by Gnus. Gnus stores all real information it needs using
1656 (Note that if you make a really strange, wonderful, spreadsheet-like
1657 layout, everybody will believe you are hard at work with the accounting
1658 instead of wasting time reading news.)
1660 Here's a list of all available format characters:
1665 An asterisk if the group only has marked articles.
1668 Whether the group is subscribed.
1671 Level of subscribedness.
1674 Number of unread articles.
1677 Number of dormant articles.
1680 Number of ticked articles.
1683 Number of read articles.
1686 Estimated total number of articles. (This is really @var{max-number}
1687 minus @var{min-number} plus 1.)
1689 Gnus uses this estimation because the NNTP protocol provides efficient
1690 access to @var{max-number} and @var{min-number} but getting the true
1691 unread message count is not possible efficiently. For hysterical
1692 raisins, even the mail backends, where the true number of unread
1693 messages might be available efficiently, use the same limited
1694 interface. To remove this restriction from Gnus means that the
1695 backend interface has to be changed, which is not an easy job. If you
1696 want to work on this, please contact the Gnus mailing list.
1699 Number of unread, unticked, non-dormant articles.
1702 Number of ticked and dormant articles.
1711 Newsgroup description.
1714 @samp{m} if moderated.
1717 @samp{(m)} if moderated.
1726 A string that looks like @samp{<%s:%n>} if a foreign select method is
1730 Indentation based on the level of the topic (@pxref{Group Topics}).
1733 @vindex gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels
1734 Short (collapsed) group name. The @code{gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels}
1735 variable says how many levels to leave at the end of the group name.
1736 The default is 1---this will mean that group names like
1737 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} will be shortened to @samp{g.e.gnus}.
1740 @vindex gnus-new-mail-mark
1742 @samp{%} (@code{gnus-new-mail-mark}) if there has arrived new mail to
1746 @samp{#} (@code{gnus-process-mark}) if the group is process marked.
1749 A string that says when you last read the group (@pxref{Group
1753 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
1754 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
1755 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
1756 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed a single dummy
1757 parameter as argument. The function should return a string, which will
1758 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
1763 All the ``number-of'' specs will be filled with an asterisk (@samp{*})
1764 if no info is available---for instance, if it is a non-activated foreign
1765 group, or a bogus native group.
1768 @node Group Modeline Specification
1769 @subsection Group Modeline Specification
1770 @cindex group modeline
1772 @vindex gnus-group-mode-line-format
1773 The mode line can be changed by setting
1774 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
1775 doesn't understand that many format specifiers:
1779 The native news server.
1781 The native select method.
1785 @node Group Highlighting
1786 @subsection Group Highlighting
1787 @cindex highlighting
1788 @cindex group highlighting
1790 @vindex gnus-group-highlight
1791 Highlighting in the group buffer is controlled by the
1792 @code{gnus-group-highlight} variable. This is an alist with elements
1793 that look like @code{(@var{form} . @var{face})}. If @var{form} evaluates to
1794 something non-@code{nil}, the @var{face} will be used on the line.
1796 Here's an example value for this variable that might look nice if the
1800 (cond (window-system
1801 (setq custom-background-mode 'light)
1802 (defface my-group-face-1
1803 '((t (:foreground "Red" :bold t))) "First group face")
1804 (defface my-group-face-2
1805 '((t (:foreground "DarkSeaGreen4" :bold t))) "Second group face")
1806 (defface my-group-face-3
1807 '((t (:foreground "Green4" :bold t))) "Third group face")
1808 (defface my-group-face-4
1809 '((t (:foreground "SteelBlue" :bold t))) "Fourth group face")
1810 (defface my-group-face-5
1811 '((t (:foreground "Blue" :bold t))) "Fifth group face")))
1813 (setq gnus-group-highlight
1814 '(((> unread 200) . my-group-face-1)
1815 ((and (< level 3) (zerop unread)) . my-group-face-2)
1816 ((< level 3) . my-group-face-3)
1817 ((zerop unread) . my-group-face-4)
1818 (t . my-group-face-5)))
1821 Also @pxref{Faces and Fonts}.
1823 Variables that are dynamically bound when the forms are evaluated
1830 The number of unread articles in the group.
1834 Whether the group is a mail group.
1836 The level of the group.
1838 The score of the group.
1840 The number of ticked articles in the group.
1842 The total number of articles in the group. Or rather, MAX-NUMBER minus
1843 MIN-NUMBER plus one.
1845 When using the topic minor mode, this variable is bound to the current
1846 topic being inserted.
1849 When the forms are @code{eval}ed, point is at the beginning of the line
1850 of the group in question, so you can use many of the normal Gnus
1851 functions for snarfing info on the group.
1853 @vindex gnus-group-update-hook
1854 @findex gnus-group-highlight-line
1855 @code{gnus-group-update-hook} is called when a group line is changed.
1856 It will not be called when @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}. This hook
1857 calls @code{gnus-group-highlight-line} by default.
1860 @node Group Maneuvering
1861 @section Group Maneuvering
1862 @cindex group movement
1864 All movement commands understand the numeric prefix and will behave as
1865 expected, hopefully.
1871 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group
1872 Go to the next group that has unread articles
1873 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group}).
1879 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group
1880 Go to the previous group that has unread articles
1881 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group}).
1885 @findex gnus-group-next-group
1886 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
1890 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
1891 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
1895 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level
1896 Go to the next unread group on the same (or lower) level
1897 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level}).
1901 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level
1902 Go to the previous unread group on the same (or lower) level
1903 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level}).
1906 Three commands for jumping to groups:
1912 @findex gnus-group-jump-to-group
1913 Jump to a group (and make it visible if it isn't already)
1914 (@code{gnus-group-jump-to-group}). Killed groups can be jumped to, just
1919 @findex gnus-group-best-unread-group
1920 Jump to the unread group with the lowest level
1921 (@code{gnus-group-best-unread-group}).
1925 @findex gnus-group-first-unread-group
1926 Jump to the first group with unread articles
1927 (@code{gnus-group-first-unread-group}).
1930 @vindex gnus-group-goto-unread
1931 If @code{gnus-group-goto-unread} is @code{nil}, all the movement
1932 commands will move to the next group, not the next unread group. Even
1933 the commands that say they move to the next unread group. The default
1937 @node Selecting a Group
1938 @section Selecting a Group
1939 @cindex group selection
1944 @kindex SPACE (Group)
1945 @findex gnus-group-read-group
1946 Select the current group, switch to the summary buffer and display the
1947 first unread article (@code{gnus-group-read-group}). If there are no
1948 unread articles in the group, or if you give a non-numerical prefix to
1949 this command, Gnus will offer to fetch all the old articles in this
1950 group from the server. If you give a numerical prefix @var{N}, @var{N}
1951 determines the number of articles Gnus will fetch. If @var{N} is
1952 positive, Gnus fetches the @var{N} newest articles, if @var{N} is
1953 negative, Gnus fetches the @code{abs(@var{N})} oldest articles.
1955 Thus, @kbd{SPC} enters the group normally, @kbd{C-u SPC} offers old
1956 articles, @kbd{C-u 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 newest articles, and @kbd{C-u
1957 - 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 oldest ones.
1959 When you are in the group (in the Summary buffer), you can type
1960 @kbd{M-g} to fetch new articles, or @kbd{C-u M-g} to also show the old
1965 @findex gnus-group-select-group
1966 Select the current group and switch to the summary buffer
1967 (@code{gnus-group-select-group}). Takes the same arguments as
1968 @code{gnus-group-read-group}---the only difference is that this command
1969 does not display the first unread article automatically upon group
1973 @kindex M-RET (Group)
1974 @findex gnus-group-quick-select-group
1975 This does the same as the command above, but tries to do it with the
1976 minimum amount of fuzz (@code{gnus-group-quick-select-group}). No
1977 scoring/killing will be performed, there will be no highlights and no
1978 expunging. This might be useful if you're in a real hurry and have to
1979 enter some humongous group. If you give a 0 prefix to this command
1980 (i.e., @kbd{0 M-RET}), Gnus won't even generate the summary buffer,
1981 which is useful if you want to toggle threading before generating the
1982 summary buffer (@pxref{Summary Generation Commands}).
1985 @kindex M-SPACE (Group)
1986 @findex gnus-group-visible-select-group
1987 This is yet one more command that does the same as the @kbd{RET}
1988 command, but this one does it without expunging and hiding dormants
1989 (@code{gnus-group-visible-select-group}).
1992 @kindex M-C-RET (Group)
1993 @findex gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally
1994 Finally, this command selects the current group ephemerally without
1995 doing any processing of its contents
1996 (@code{gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally}). Even threading has been
1997 turned off. Everything you do in the group after selecting it in this
1998 manner will have no permanent effects.
2002 @vindex gnus-large-newsgroup
2003 The @code{gnus-large-newsgroup} variable says what Gnus should consider
2004 to be a big group. This is 200 by default. If the group has more
2005 (unread and/or ticked) articles than this, Gnus will query the user
2006 before entering the group. The user can then specify how many articles
2007 should be fetched from the server. If the user specifies a negative
2008 number (@code{-n}), the @code{n} oldest articles will be fetched. If it
2009 is positive, the @code{n} articles that have arrived most recently will
2012 @vindex gnus-select-group-hook
2013 @vindex gnus-auto-select-first
2014 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} control whether any articles are selected
2015 automatically when entering a group with the @kbd{SPACE} command.
2020 Don't select any articles when entering the group. Just display the
2021 full summary buffer.
2024 Select the first unread article when entering the group.
2027 Select the highest scored article in the group when entering the
2032 This variable can also be a function. In that case, that function will
2033 be called to place point on a subject line, and/or select some article.
2034 Useful functions include:
2037 @item gnus-summary-first-unread-subject
2038 Place point on the subject line of the first unread article, but
2039 don't select the article.
2041 @item gnus-summary-first-unread-article
2042 Select the first unread article.
2044 @item gnus-summary-best-unread-article
2045 Select the highest-scored unread article.
2049 If you want to prevent automatic selection in some group (say, in a
2050 binary group with Huge articles) you can set this variable to @code{nil}
2051 in @code{gnus-select-group-hook}, which is called when a group is
2055 @node Subscription Commands
2056 @section Subscription Commands
2057 @cindex subscription
2065 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group
2066 @c @icon{gnus-group-unsubscribe}
2067 Toggle subscription to the current group
2068 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group}).
2074 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-group
2075 Prompt for a group to subscribe, and then subscribe it. If it was
2076 subscribed already, unsubscribe it instead
2077 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-group}).
2083 @findex gnus-group-kill-group
2084 @c @icon{gnus-group-kill-group}
2085 Kill the current group (@code{gnus-group-kill-group}).
2091 @findex gnus-group-yank-group
2092 Yank the last killed group (@code{gnus-group-yank-group}).
2095 @kindex C-x C-t (Group)
2096 @findex gnus-group-transpose-groups
2097 Transpose two groups (@code{gnus-group-transpose-groups}). This isn't
2098 really a subscription command, but you can use it instead of a
2099 kill-and-yank sequence sometimes.
2105 @findex gnus-group-kill-region
2106 Kill all groups in the region (@code{gnus-group-kill-region}).
2110 @findex gnus-group-kill-all-zombies
2111 Kill all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-kill-all-zombies}).
2114 @kindex S C-k (Group)
2115 @findex gnus-group-kill-level
2116 Kill all groups on a certain level (@code{gnus-group-kill-level}).
2117 These groups can't be yanked back after killing, so this command should
2118 be used with some caution. The only time where this command comes in
2119 really handy is when you have a @file{.newsrc} with lots of unsubscribed
2120 groups that you want to get rid off. @kbd{S C-k} on level 7 will
2121 kill off all unsubscribed groups that do not have message numbers in the
2122 @file{.newsrc} file.
2126 Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
2136 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current
2137 @vindex gnus-group-catchup-group-hook
2138 @c @icon{gnus-group-catchup-current}
2139 Mark all unticked articles in this group as read
2140 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current}).
2141 @code{gnus-group-catchup-group-hook} is called when catching up a group from
2146 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current-all
2147 Mark all articles in this group, even the ticked ones, as read
2148 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current-all}).
2152 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
2153 Clear the data from the current group---nix out marks and the list of
2154 read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
2156 @item M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2157 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2158 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2159 If you have switched from one @sc{nntp} server to another, all your marks
2160 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use this command to
2161 clear out all data that you have on your native groups. Use with
2168 @section Group Levels
2172 All groups have a level of @dfn{subscribedness}. For instance, if a
2173 group is on level 2, it is more subscribed than a group on level 5. You
2174 can ask Gnus to just list groups on a given level or lower
2175 (@pxref{Listing Groups}), or to just check for new articles in groups on
2176 a given level or lower (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
2178 Remember: The higher the level of the group, the less important it is.
2184 @findex gnus-group-set-current-level
2185 Set the level of the current group. If a numeric prefix is given, the
2186 next @var{n} groups will have their levels set. The user will be
2187 prompted for a level.
2190 @vindex gnus-level-killed
2191 @vindex gnus-level-zombie
2192 @vindex gnus-level-unsubscribed
2193 @vindex gnus-level-subscribed
2194 Gnus considers groups from levels 1 to
2195 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (inclusive) (default 5) to be subscribed,
2196 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (exclusive) and
2197 @code{gnus-level-unsubscribed} (inclusive) (default 7) to be
2198 unsubscribed, @code{gnus-level-zombie} to be zombies (walking dead)
2199 (default 8) and @code{gnus-level-killed} to be killed (completely dead)
2200 (default 9). Gnus treats subscribed and unsubscribed groups exactly the
2201 same, but zombie and killed groups have no information on what articles
2202 you have read, etc, stored. This distinction between dead and living
2203 groups isn't done because it is nice or clever, it is done purely for
2204 reasons of efficiency.
2206 It is recommended that you keep all your mail groups (if any) on quite
2207 low levels (e.g. 1 or 2).
2209 Maybe the following description of the default behavior of Gnus helps to
2210 understand what these levels are all about. By default, Gnus shows you
2211 subscribed nonempty groups, but by hitting @kbd{L} you can have it show
2212 empty subscribed groups and unsubscribed groups, too. Type @kbd{l} to
2213 go back to showing nonempty subscribed groups again. Thus, unsubscribed
2214 groups are hidden, in a way.
2216 Zombie and killed groups are similar to unsubscribed groups in that they
2217 are hidden by default. But they are different from subscribed and
2218 unsubscribed groups in that Gnus doesn't ask the news server for
2219 information (number of messages, number of unread messages) on zombie
2220 and killed groups. Normally, you use @kbd{C-k} to kill the groups you
2221 aren't interested in. If most groups are killed, Gnus is faster.
2223 Why does Gnus distinguish between zombie and killed groups? Well, when
2224 a new group arrives on the server, Gnus by default makes it a zombie
2225 group. This means that you are normally not bothered with new groups,
2226 but you can type @kbd{A z} to get a list of all new groups. Subscribe
2227 the ones you like and kill the ones you don't want. (@kbd{A k} shows a
2228 list of killed groups.)
2230 If you want to play with the level variables, you should show some care.
2231 Set them once, and don't touch them ever again. Better yet, don't touch
2232 them at all unless you know exactly what you're doing.
2234 @vindex gnus-level-default-unsubscribed
2235 @vindex gnus-level-default-subscribed
2236 Two closely related variables are @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}
2237 (default 3) and @code{gnus-level-default-unsubscribed} (default 6),
2238 which are the levels that new groups will be put on if they are
2239 (un)subscribed. These two variables should, of course, be inside the
2240 relevant valid ranges.
2242 @vindex gnus-keep-same-level
2243 If @code{gnus-keep-same-level} is non-@code{nil}, some movement commands
2244 will only move to groups of the same level (or lower). In
2245 particular, going from the last article in one group to the next group
2246 will go to the next group of the same level (or lower). This might be
2247 handy if you want to read the most important groups before you read the
2250 If this variable is @code{best}, Gnus will make the next newsgroup the
2251 one with the best level.
2253 @vindex gnus-group-default-list-level
2254 All groups with a level less than or equal to
2255 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level} will be listed in the group buffer
2258 @vindex gnus-group-list-inactive-groups
2259 If @code{gnus-group-list-inactive-groups} is non-@code{nil}, non-active
2260 groups will be listed along with the unread groups. This variable is
2261 @code{t} by default. If it is @code{nil}, inactive groups won't be
2264 @vindex gnus-group-use-permanent-levels
2265 If @code{gnus-group-use-permanent-levels} is non-@code{nil}, once you
2266 give a level prefix to @kbd{g} or @kbd{l}, all subsequent commands will
2267 use this level as the ``work'' level.
2269 @vindex gnus-activate-level
2270 Gnus will normally just activate (i. e., query the server about) groups
2271 on level @code{gnus-activate-level} or less. If you don't want to
2272 activate unsubscribed groups, for instance, you might set this variable
2273 to 5. The default is 6.
2277 @section Group Score
2282 You would normally keep important groups on high levels, but that scheme
2283 is somewhat restrictive. Don't you wish you could have Gnus sort the
2284 group buffer according to how often you read groups, perhaps? Within
2287 This is what @dfn{group score} is for. You can have Gnus assign a score
2288 to each group through the mechanism described below. You can then sort
2289 the group buffer based on this score. Alternatively, you can sort on
2290 score and then level. (Taken together, the level and the score is
2291 called the @dfn{rank} of the group. A group that is on level 4 and has
2292 a score of 1 has a higher rank than a group on level 5 that has a score
2293 of 300. (The level is the most significant part and the score is the
2294 least significant part.))
2296 @findex gnus-summary-bubble-group
2297 If you want groups you read often to get higher scores than groups you
2298 read seldom you can add the @code{gnus-summary-bubble-group} function to
2299 the @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} hook. This will result (after
2300 sorting) in a bubbling sort of action. If you want to see that in
2301 action after each summary exit, you can add
2302 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank} or
2303 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score} to the same hook, but that will
2304 slow things down somewhat.
2307 @node Marking Groups
2308 @section Marking Groups
2309 @cindex marking groups
2311 If you want to perform some command on several groups, and they appear
2312 subsequently in the group buffer, you would normally just give a
2313 numerical prefix to the command. Most group commands will then do your
2314 bidding on those groups.
2316 However, if the groups are not in sequential order, you can still
2317 perform a command on several groups. You simply mark the groups first
2318 with the process mark and then execute the command.
2326 @findex gnus-group-mark-group
2327 Set the mark on the current group (@code{gnus-group-mark-group}).
2333 @findex gnus-group-unmark-group
2334 Remove the mark from the current group
2335 (@code{gnus-group-unmark-group}).
2339 @findex gnus-group-unmark-all-groups
2340 Remove the mark from all groups (@code{gnus-group-unmark-all-groups}).
2344 @findex gnus-group-mark-region
2345 Mark all groups between point and mark (@code{gnus-group-mark-region}).
2349 @findex gnus-group-mark-buffer
2350 Mark all groups in the buffer (@code{gnus-group-mark-buffer}).
2354 @findex gnus-group-mark-regexp
2355 Mark all groups that match some regular expression
2356 (@code{gnus-group-mark-regexp}).
2359 Also @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
2361 @findex gnus-group-universal-argument
2362 If you want to execute some command on all groups that have been marked
2363 with the process mark, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
2364 (@code{gnus-group-universal-argument}) command. It will prompt you for
2365 the command to be executed.
2368 @node Foreign Groups
2369 @section Foreign Groups
2370 @cindex foreign groups
2372 Below are some group mode commands for making and editing general foreign
2373 groups, as well as commands to ease the creation of a few
2374 special-purpose groups. All these commands insert the newly created
2375 groups under point---@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} is not
2382 @findex gnus-group-make-group
2383 @cindex making groups
2384 Make a new group (@code{gnus-group-make-group}). Gnus will prompt you
2385 for a name, a method and possibly an @dfn{address}. For an easier way
2386 to subscribe to @sc{nntp} groups, @pxref{Browse Foreign Server}.
2390 @findex gnus-group-rename-group
2391 @cindex renaming groups
2392 Rename the current group to something else
2393 (@code{gnus-group-rename-group}). This is valid only on some
2394 groups---mail groups mostly. This command might very well be quite slow
2400 @findex gnus-group-customize
2401 Customize the group parameters (@code{gnus-group-customize}).
2405 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-method
2406 @cindex renaming groups
2407 Enter a buffer where you can edit the select method of the current
2408 group (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method}).
2412 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-parameters
2413 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group parameters
2414 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-parameters}).
2418 @findex gnus-group-edit-group
2419 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group info
2420 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group}).
2424 @findex gnus-group-make-directory-group
2426 Make a directory group (@pxref{Directory Groups}). You will be prompted
2427 for a directory name (@code{gnus-group-make-directory-group}).
2432 @findex gnus-group-make-help-group
2433 Make the Gnus help group (@code{gnus-group-make-help-group}).
2437 @cindex (ding) archive
2438 @cindex archive group
2439 @findex gnus-group-make-archive-group
2440 @vindex gnus-group-archive-directory
2441 @vindex gnus-group-recent-archive-directory
2442 Make a Gnus archive group (@code{gnus-group-make-archive-group}). By
2443 default a group pointing to the most recent articles will be created
2444 (@code{gnus-group-recent-archive-directory}), but given a prefix, a full
2445 group will be created from @code{gnus-group-archive-directory}.
2449 @findex gnus-group-make-kiboze-group
2451 Make a kiboze group. You will be prompted for a name, for a regexp to
2452 match groups to be ``included'' in the kiboze group, and a series of
2453 strings to match on headers (@code{gnus-group-make-kiboze-group}).
2454 @xref{Kibozed Groups}.
2458 @findex gnus-group-enter-directory
2460 Read an arbitrary directory as if it were a newsgroup with the
2461 @code{nneething} backend (@code{gnus-group-enter-directory}).
2462 @xref{Anything Groups}.
2466 @findex gnus-group-make-doc-group
2467 @cindex ClariNet Briefs
2469 Make a group based on some file or other
2470 (@code{gnus-group-make-doc-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2471 command, you will be prompted for a file name and a file type.
2472 Currently supported types are @code{babyl}, @code{mbox}, @code{digest},
2473 @code{mmdf}, @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{clari-briefs},
2474 @code{rfc934}, @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{nsmail} and @code{forward}.
2475 If you run this command without a prefix, Gnus will guess at the file
2476 type. @xref{Document Groups}.
2480 @vindex gnus-useful-groups
2481 @findex gnus-group-make-useful-group
2482 Create one of the groups mentioned in @code{gnus-useful-groups}
2483 (@code{gnus-group-make-useful-group}).
2487 @findex gnus-group-make-web-group
2492 Make an ephemeral group based on a web search
2493 (@code{gnus-group-make-web-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2494 command, make a solid group instead. You will be prompted for the
2495 search engine type and the search string. Valid search engine types
2496 include @code{dejanews}, @code{altavista} and @code{reference}.
2497 @xref{Web Searches}.
2499 If you use the @code{dejanews} search engine, you can limit the search
2500 to a particular group by using a match string like
2501 @samp{~g alt.sysadmin.recovery shaving}.
2504 @kindex G DEL (Group)
2505 @findex gnus-group-delete-group
2506 This function will delete the current group
2507 (@code{gnus-group-delete-group}). If given a prefix, this function will
2508 actually delete all the articles in the group, and forcibly remove the
2509 group itself from the face of the Earth. Use a prefix only if you are
2510 absolutely sure of what you are doing. This command can't be used on
2511 read-only groups (like @code{nntp} group), though.
2515 @findex gnus-group-make-empty-virtual
2516 Make a new, fresh, empty @code{nnvirtual} group
2517 (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}). @xref{Virtual Groups}.
2521 @findex gnus-group-add-to-virtual
2522 Add the current group to an @code{nnvirtual} group
2523 (@code{gnus-group-add-to-virtual}). Uses the process/prefix convention.
2526 @xref{Select Methods}, for more information on the various select
2529 @vindex gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups
2530 If @code{gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups} is a positive number,
2531 Gnus will check all foreign groups with this level or lower at startup.
2532 This might take quite a while, especially if you subscribe to lots of
2533 groups from different @sc{nntp} servers. Also @pxref{Group Levels};
2534 @code{gnus-activate-level} also affects activation of foreign
2538 @node Group Parameters
2539 @section Group Parameters
2540 @cindex group parameters
2542 The group parameters store information local to a particular group.
2543 Here's an example group parameter list:
2546 ((to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")
2550 We see that each element consists of a "dotted pair"---the thing before
2551 the dot is the key, while the thing after the dot is the value. All the
2552 parameters have this form @emph{except} local variable specs, which are
2553 not dotted pairs, but proper lists.
2555 Some parameters have correspondant customizable variables, each of which
2556 is an alist of regexps and values.
2558 The following group parameters can be used:
2563 Address used by when doing followups and new posts.
2566 (to-address . "some@@where.com")
2569 This is primarily useful in mail groups that represent closed mailing
2570 lists---mailing lists where it's expected that everybody that writes to
2571 the mailing list is subscribed to it. Since using this parameter
2572 ensures that the mail only goes to the mailing list itself, it means
2573 that members won't receive two copies of your followups.
2575 Using @code{to-address} will actually work whether the group is foreign
2576 or not. Let's say there's a group on the server that is called
2577 @samp{fa.4ad-l}. This is a real newsgroup, but the server has gotten
2578 the articles from a mail-to-news gateway. Posting directly to this
2579 group is therefore impossible---you have to send mail to the mailing
2580 list address instead.
2582 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-address-alist}.
2586 Address used when doing @kbd{a} in that group.
2589 (to-list . "some@@where.com")
2592 It is totally ignored
2593 when doing a followup---except that if it is present in a news group,
2594 you'll get mail group semantics when doing @kbd{f}.
2596 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you have neither a
2597 @code{to-list} group parameter nor a @code{to-address} group parameter,
2598 then a @code{to-list} group parameter will be added automatically upon
2599 sending the message if @code{gnus-add-to-list} is set to @code{t}.
2600 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
2602 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you don't have a
2603 @code{to-list} group parameter, one will be added automatically upon
2604 sending the message.
2606 If this variable is set, @code{gnus-mailing-list-mode} is turned on when
2607 entering summary buffer.
2609 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-list-alist}.
2613 If the group parameter list has the element @code{(visible . t)},
2614 that group will always be visible in the Group buffer, regardless
2615 of whether it has any unread articles.
2617 @item broken-reply-to
2618 @cindex broken-reply-to
2619 Elements like @code{(broken-reply-to . t)} signals that @code{Reply-To}
2620 headers in this group are to be ignored. This can be useful if you're
2621 reading a mailing list group where the listserv has inserted
2622 @code{Reply-To} headers that point back to the listserv itself. This is
2623 broken behavior. So there!
2627 Elements like @code{(to-group . "some.group.name")} means that all
2628 posts in that group will be sent to @code{some.group.name}.
2632 If you have @code{(newsgroup . t)} in the group parameter list, Gnus
2633 will treat all responses as if they were responses to news articles.
2634 This can be useful if you have a mail group that's really a mirror of a
2639 If @code{(gcc-self . t)} is present in the group parameter list, newly
2640 composed messages will be @code{Gcc}'d to the current group. If
2641 @code{(gcc-self . none)} is present, no @code{Gcc:} header will be
2642 generated, if @code{(gcc-self . "string")} is present, this string will
2643 be inserted literally as a @code{gcc} header. This parameter takes
2644 precedence over any default @code{Gcc} rules as described later
2645 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
2649 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(auto-expire
2650 . t)}, all articles read will be marked as expirable. For an
2651 alternative approach, @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
2653 See also @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups}.
2656 @cindex total-expire
2657 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2658 @code{(total-expire . t)}, all read articles will be put through the
2659 expiry process, even if they are not marked as expirable. Use with
2660 caution. Unread, ticked and dormant articles are not eligible for
2663 See also @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups}.
2667 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
2668 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(expiry-wait
2669 . 10)}, this value will override any @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} and
2670 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} when expiring expirable messages.
2671 The value can either be a number of days (not necessarily an integer) or
2672 the symbols @code{never} or @code{immediate}.
2675 @cindex score file group parameter
2676 Elements that look like @code{(score-file . "file")} will make
2677 @file{file} into the current score file for the group in question. All
2678 interactive score entries will be put into this file.
2681 @cindex adapt file group parameter
2682 Elements that look like @code{(adapt-file . "file")} will make
2683 @file{file} into the current adaptive file for the group in question.
2684 All adaptive score entries will be put into this file.
2687 When unsubscribing from a mailing list you should never send the
2688 unsubscription notice to the mailing list itself. Instead, you'd send
2689 messages to the administrative address. This parameter allows you to
2690 put the admin address somewhere convenient.
2693 Elements that look like @code{(display . MODE)} say which articles to
2694 display on entering the group. Valid values are:
2698 Display all articles, both read and unread.
2701 Display the default visible articles, which normally includes unread and
2706 Elements that look like @code{(comment . "This is a comment")}
2707 are arbitrary comments on the group. They are currently ignored by
2708 Gnus, but provide a place for you to store information on particular
2712 Elements that look like @code{(charset . iso-8859-1)} will make
2713 @code{iso-8859-1} the default charset; that is, the charset that will be
2714 used for all articles that do not specify a charset.
2716 See also @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}.
2718 @item ignored-charsets
2719 Elements that look like @code{(ignored-charsets x-known iso-8859-1)}
2720 will make @code{iso-8859-1} and @code{x-unknown} ignored; that is, the
2721 default charset will be used for decoding articles.
2723 See also @code{gnus-group-ignored-charsets-alist}.
2726 You can store additional posting style information for this group only
2727 here (@pxref{Posting Styles}). The format is that of an entry in the
2728 @code{gnus-posting-styles} alist, except that there's no regexp matching
2729 the group name (of course). Style elements in this group parameter will
2730 take precedence over the ones found in @code{gnus-posting-styles}.
2732 For instance, if you want a funky name and signature in this group only,
2733 instead of hacking @code{gnus-posting-styles}, you could put something
2734 like this in the group parameters:
2739 (signature "Funky Signature"))
2744 If it is set, the value is used as the method for posting message
2745 instead of @code{gnus-post-method}.
2748 An item like @code{(banner . "regex")} causes any part of an article
2749 that matches the regular expression "regex" to be stripped. Instead of
2750 "regex", you can also use the symbol @code{signature} which strips the
2751 last signature or any of the elements of the alist
2752 @code{gnus-article-banner-alist}.
2754 @item (@var{variable} @var{form})
2755 You can use the group parameters to set variables local to the group you
2756 are entering. If you want to turn threading off in @samp{news.answers},
2757 you could put @code{(gnus-show-threads nil)} in the group parameters of
2758 that group. @code{gnus-show-threads} will be made into a local variable
2759 in the summary buffer you enter, and the form @code{nil} will be
2760 @code{eval}ed there.
2762 This can also be used as a group-specific hook function, if you'd like.
2763 If you want to hear a beep when you enter a group, you could put
2764 something like @code{(dummy-variable (ding))} in the parameters of that
2765 group. @code{dummy-variable} will be set to the result of the
2766 @code{(ding)} form, but who cares?
2770 Use the @kbd{G p} or the @kbd{G c} command to edit group parameters of a
2771 group. (@kbd{G p} presents you with a Lisp-based interface, @kbd{G c}
2772 presents you with a Customize-like interface. The latter helps avoid
2773 silly Lisp errors.) You might also be interested in reading about topic
2774 parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}).
2776 Group parameters can be set in @code{gnus-parameters} too. But some
2777 variables, such as @code{visible}, have no effect. For example,
2780 (setq gnus-parameters
2781 '(("mail\\..*" (gnus-show-threads nil)
2782 (gnus-use-scoring nil)
2783 (gnus-summary-line-format
2784 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%d:%ub%-20,20f%]%) %s\n")
2787 ("mail\\.me" (gnus-use-scoring t))
2788 ("list\\..*" (total-expire . t)
2789 (broken-reply-to . t)))
2792 @node Listing Groups
2793 @section Listing Groups
2794 @cindex group listing
2796 These commands all list various slices of the groups available.
2804 @findex gnus-group-list-groups
2805 List all groups that have unread articles
2806 (@code{gnus-group-list-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used, this
2807 command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default, it
2808 only lists groups of level five (i. e.,
2809 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level}) or lower (i.e., just subscribed
2816 @findex gnus-group-list-all-groups
2817 List all groups, whether they have unread articles or not
2818 (@code{gnus-group-list-all-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used,
2819 this command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default,
2820 it lists groups of level seven or lower (i.e., just subscribed and
2821 unsubscribed groups).
2825 @findex gnus-group-list-level
2826 List all unread groups on a specific level
2827 (@code{gnus-group-list-level}). If given a prefix, also list the groups
2828 with no unread articles.
2832 @findex gnus-group-list-killed
2833 List all killed groups (@code{gnus-group-list-killed}). If given a
2834 prefix argument, really list all groups that are available, but aren't
2835 currently (un)subscribed. This could entail reading the active file
2840 @findex gnus-group-list-zombies
2841 List all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-list-zombies}).
2845 @findex gnus-group-list-matching
2846 List all unread, subscribed groups with names that match a regexp
2847 (@code{gnus-group-list-matching}).
2851 @findex gnus-group-list-all-matching
2852 List groups that match a regexp (@code{gnus-group-list-all-matching}).
2856 @findex gnus-group-list-active
2857 List absolutely all groups in the active file(s) of the
2858 server(s) you are connected to (@code{gnus-group-list-active}). This
2859 might very well take quite a while. It might actually be a better idea
2860 to do a @kbd{A M} to list all matching, and just give @samp{.} as the
2861 thing to match on. Also note that this command may list groups that
2862 don't exist (yet)---these will be listed as if they were killed groups.
2863 Take the output with some grains of salt.
2867 @findex gnus-group-apropos
2868 List all groups that have names that match a regexp
2869 (@code{gnus-group-apropos}).
2873 @findex gnus-group-description-apropos
2874 List all groups that have names or descriptions that match a regexp
2875 (@code{gnus-group-description-apropos}).
2879 @findex gnus-group-list-cached
2880 List all groups with cached articles (@code{gnus-group-list-cached}).
2884 @findex gnus-group-list-dormant
2885 List all groups with dormant articles (@code{gnus-group-list-dormant}).
2889 @findex gnus-group-list-limit
2890 List groups limited within the current selection
2891 (@code{gnus-group-list-limit}).
2895 @findex gnus-group-list-flush
2896 Flush groups from the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-flush}).
2900 @findex gnus-group-list-plus
2901 List groups plus the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-plus}).
2905 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
2906 @cindex visible group parameter
2907 Groups that match the @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} regexp will
2908 always be shown, whether they have unread articles or not. You can also
2909 add the @code{visible} element to the group parameters in question to
2910 get the same effect.
2912 @vindex gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles
2913 Groups that have just ticked articles in it are normally listed in the
2914 group buffer. If @code{gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles} is
2915 @code{nil}, these groups will be treated just like totally empty
2916 groups. It is @code{t} by default.
2919 @node Sorting Groups
2920 @section Sorting Groups
2921 @cindex sorting groups
2923 @kindex C-c C-s (Group)
2924 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups
2925 @vindex gnus-group-sort-function
2926 The @kbd{C-c C-s} (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups}) command sorts the
2927 group buffer according to the function(s) given by the
2928 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable. Available sorting functions
2933 @item gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
2934 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
2935 Sort the group names alphabetically. This is the default.
2937 @item gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
2938 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
2939 Sort the group alphabetically on the real (unprefixed) group names.
2941 @item gnus-group-sort-by-level
2942 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-level
2943 Sort by group level.
2945 @item gnus-group-sort-by-score
2946 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-score
2947 Sort by group score. @xref{Group Score}.
2949 @item gnus-group-sort-by-rank
2950 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-rank
2951 Sort by group score and then the group level. The level and the score
2952 are, when taken together, the group's @dfn{rank}. @xref{Group Score}.
2954 @item gnus-group-sort-by-unread
2955 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-unread
2956 Sort by number of unread articles.
2958 @item gnus-group-sort-by-method
2959 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-method
2960 Sort alphabetically on the select method.
2962 @item gnus-group-sort-by-server
2963 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-server
2964 Sort alphabetically on the Gnus server name.
2969 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} can also be a list of sorting
2970 functions. In that case, the most significant sort key function must be
2974 There are also a number of commands for sorting directly according to
2975 some sorting criteria:
2979 @kindex G S a (Group)
2980 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet
2981 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by group name
2982 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
2985 @kindex G S u (Group)
2986 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread
2987 Sort the group buffer by the number of unread articles
2988 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread}).
2991 @kindex G S l (Group)
2992 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level
2993 Sort the group buffer by group level
2994 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level}).
2997 @kindex G S v (Group)
2998 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score
2999 Sort the group buffer by group score
3000 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3003 @kindex G S r (Group)
3004 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank
3005 Sort the group buffer by group rank
3006 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3009 @kindex G S m (Group)
3010 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method
3011 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by backend name
3012 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method}).
3016 All the commands below obey the process/prefix convention
3017 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3019 When given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), all these
3020 commands will sort in reverse order.
3022 You can also sort a subset of the groups:
3026 @kindex G P a (Group)
3027 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet
3028 Sort the groups alphabetically by group name
3029 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet}).
3032 @kindex G P u (Group)
3033 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread
3034 Sort the groups by the number of unread articles
3035 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread}).
3038 @kindex G P l (Group)
3039 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level
3040 Sort the groups by group level
3041 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level}).
3044 @kindex G P v (Group)
3045 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score
3046 Sort the groups by group score
3047 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3050 @kindex G P r (Group)
3051 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank
3052 Sort the groups by group rank
3053 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3056 @kindex G P m (Group)
3057 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method
3058 Sort the groups alphabetically by backend name
3059 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method}).
3063 And finally, note that you can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} to manually
3067 @node Group Maintenance
3068 @section Group Maintenance
3069 @cindex bogus groups
3074 @findex gnus-group-check-bogus-groups
3075 Find bogus groups and delete them
3076 (@code{gnus-group-check-bogus-groups}).
3080 @findex gnus-group-find-new-groups
3081 Find new groups and process them (@code{gnus-group-find-new-groups}).
3082 With 1 @kbd{C-u}, use the @code{ask-server} method to query the server
3083 for new groups. With 2 @kbd{C-u}'s, use most complete method possible
3084 to query the server for new groups, and subscribe the new groups as
3088 @kindex C-c C-x (Group)
3089 @findex gnus-group-expire-articles
3090 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
3091 process (if any) (@code{gnus-group-expire-articles}). That is, delete
3092 all expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
3093 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3096 @kindex C-c M-C-x (Group)
3097 @findex gnus-group-expire-all-groups
3098 Run all expirable articles in all groups through the expiry process
3099 (@code{gnus-group-expire-all-groups}).
3104 @node Browse Foreign Server
3105 @section Browse Foreign Server
3106 @cindex foreign servers
3107 @cindex browsing servers
3112 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
3113 You will be queried for a select method and a server name. Gnus will
3114 then attempt to contact this server and let you browse the groups there
3115 (@code{gnus-group-browse-foreign-server}).
3118 @findex gnus-browse-mode
3119 A new buffer with a list of available groups will appear. This buffer
3120 will use the @code{gnus-browse-mode}. This buffer looks a bit (well,
3121 a lot) like a normal group buffer.
3123 Here's a list of keystrokes available in the browse mode:
3128 @findex gnus-group-next-group
3129 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
3133 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
3134 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
3137 @kindex SPACE (Browse)
3138 @findex gnus-browse-read-group
3139 Enter the current group and display the first article
3140 (@code{gnus-browse-read-group}).
3143 @kindex RET (Browse)
3144 @findex gnus-browse-select-group
3145 Enter the current group (@code{gnus-browse-select-group}).
3149 @findex gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group
3150 Unsubscribe to the current group, or, as will be the case here,
3151 subscribe to it (@code{gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group}).
3157 @findex gnus-browse-exit
3158 Exit browse mode (@code{gnus-browse-exit}).
3162 @findex gnus-browse-describe-briefly
3163 Describe browse mode briefly (well, there's not much to describe, is
3164 there) (@code{gnus-browse-describe-briefly}).
3169 @section Exiting Gnus
3170 @cindex exiting Gnus
3172 Yes, Gnus is ex(c)iting.
3177 @findex gnus-group-suspend
3178 Suspend Gnus (@code{gnus-group-suspend}). This doesn't really exit Gnus,
3179 but it kills all buffers except the Group buffer. I'm not sure why this
3180 is a gain, but then who am I to judge?
3184 @findex gnus-group-exit
3185 @c @icon{gnus-group-exit}
3186 Quit Gnus (@code{gnus-group-exit}).
3190 @findex gnus-group-quit
3191 Quit Gnus without saving the @file{.newsrc} files (@code{gnus-group-quit}).
3192 The dribble file will be saved, though (@pxref{Auto Save}).
3195 @vindex gnus-exit-gnus-hook
3196 @vindex gnus-suspend-gnus-hook
3197 @code{gnus-suspend-gnus-hook} is called when you suspend Gnus and
3198 @code{gnus-exit-gnus-hook} is called when you quit Gnus, while
3199 @code{gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook} is called as the final item when
3204 If you wish to completely unload Gnus and all its adherents, you can use
3205 the @code{gnus-unload} command. This command is also very handy when
3206 trying to customize meta-variables.
3211 Miss Lisa Cannifax, while sitting in English class, felt her feet go
3212 numbly heavy and herself fall into a hazy trance as the boy sitting
3213 behind her drew repeated lines with his pencil across the back of her
3219 @section Group Topics
3222 If you read lots and lots of groups, it might be convenient to group
3223 them hierarchically according to topics. You put your Emacs groups over
3224 here, your sex groups over there, and the rest (what, two groups or so?)
3225 you put in some misc section that you never bother with anyway. You can
3226 even group the Emacs sex groups as a sub-topic to either the Emacs
3227 groups or the sex groups---or both! Go wild!
3231 \gnusfigure{Group Topics}{400}{
3232 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=tmp/group-topic.ps,height=9cm}}
3243 2: alt.religion.emacs
3246 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3248 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3249 13: comp.sources.unix
3252 @findex gnus-topic-mode
3254 To get this @emph{fab} functionality you simply turn on (ooh!) the
3255 @code{gnus-topic} minor mode---type @kbd{t} in the group buffer. (This
3256 is a toggling command.)
3258 Go ahead, just try it. I'll still be here when you get back. La de
3259 dum... Nice tune, that... la la la... What, you're back? Yes, and now
3260 press @kbd{l}. There. All your groups are now listed under
3261 @samp{misc}. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy? Hot and
3264 If you want this permanently enabled, you should add that minor mode to
3265 the hook for the group mode:
3268 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
3272 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
3273 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
3274 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
3275 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
3276 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
3280 @node Topic Variables
3281 @subsection Topic Variables
3282 @cindex topic variables
3284 Now, if you select a topic, it will fold/unfold that topic, which is
3285 really neat, I think.
3287 @vindex gnus-topic-line-format
3288 The topic lines themselves are created according to the
3289 @code{gnus-topic-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
3302 Number of groups in the topic.
3304 Number of unread articles in the topic.
3306 Number of unread articles in the topic and all its subtopics.
3309 @vindex gnus-topic-indent-level
3310 Each sub-topic (and the groups in the sub-topics) will be indented with
3311 @code{gnus-topic-indent-level} times the topic level number of spaces.
3314 @vindex gnus-topic-mode-hook
3315 @code{gnus-topic-mode-hook} is called in topic minor mode buffers.
3317 @vindex gnus-topic-display-empty-topics
3318 The @code{gnus-topic-display-empty-topics} says whether to display even
3319 topics that have no unread articles in them. The default is @code{t}.
3322 @node Topic Commands
3323 @subsection Topic Commands
3324 @cindex topic commands
3326 When the topic minor mode is turned on, a new @kbd{T} submap will be
3327 available. In addition, a few of the standard keys change their
3328 definitions slightly.
3334 @findex gnus-topic-create-topic
3335 Prompt for a new topic name and create it
3336 (@code{gnus-topic-create-topic}).
3340 @findex gnus-topic-move-group
3341 Move the current group to some other topic
3342 (@code{gnus-topic-move-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3343 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3347 @findex gnus-topic-jump-to-topic
3348 Go to a topic (@code{gnus-topic-jump-to-topic}).
3352 @findex gnus-topic-copy-group
3353 Copy the current group to some other topic
3354 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3355 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3359 @findex gnus-topic-hide-topic
3360 Hide the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-hide-topic}). If given
3361 a prefix, hide the topic permanently.
3365 @findex gnus-topic-show-topic
3366 Show the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-show-topic}). If given
3367 a prefix, show the topic permanently.
3371 @findex gnus-topic-remove-group
3372 Remove a group from the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-remove-group}).
3373 This command is mainly useful if you have the same group in several
3374 topics and wish to remove it from one of the topics. You may also
3375 remove a group from all topics, but in that case, Gnus will add it to
3376 the root topic the next time you start Gnus. In fact, all new groups
3377 (which, naturally, don't belong to any topic) will show up in the root
3380 This command uses the process/prefix convention
3381 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3385 @findex gnus-topic-move-matching
3386 Move all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3387 (@code{gnus-topic-move-matching}).
3391 @findex gnus-topic-copy-matching
3392 Copy all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3393 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-matching}).
3397 @findex gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics
3398 Toggle hiding empty topics
3399 (@code{gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics}).
3403 @findex gnus-topic-mark-topic
3404 Mark all groups in the current topic with the process mark
3405 (@code{gnus-topic-mark-topic}).
3408 @kindex T M-# (Topic)
3409 @findex gnus-topic-unmark-topic
3410 Remove the process mark from all groups in the current topic
3411 (@code{gnus-topic-unmark-topic}).
3415 @kindex T TAB (Topic)
3417 @findex gnus-topic-indent
3418 ``Indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3419 previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-indent}). If given a prefix,
3420 ``un-indent'' the topic instead.
3423 @kindex M-TAB (Topic)
3424 @findex gnus-topic-unindent
3425 ``Un-indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3426 parent of its current parent (@code{gnus-topic-unindent}).
3430 @findex gnus-topic-select-group
3432 Either select a group or fold a topic (@code{gnus-topic-select-group}).
3433 When you perform this command on a group, you'll enter the group, as
3434 usual. When done on a topic line, the topic will be folded (if it was
3435 visible) or unfolded (if it was folded already). So it's basically a
3436 toggling command on topics. In addition, if you give a numerical
3437 prefix, group on that level (and lower) will be displayed.
3440 @kindex C-c C-x (Topic)
3441 @findex gnus-topic-expire-articles
3442 Run all expirable articles in the current group or topic through the
3443 expiry process (if any)
3444 (@code{gnus-topic-expire-articles}). (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3448 @findex gnus-topic-kill-group
3449 Kill a group or topic (@code{gnus-topic-kill-group}). All groups in the
3450 topic will be removed along with the topic.
3454 @findex gnus-topic-yank-group
3455 Yank the previously killed group or topic
3456 (@code{gnus-topic-yank-group}). Note that all topics will be yanked
3461 @findex gnus-topic-rename
3462 Rename a topic (@code{gnus-topic-rename}).
3465 @kindex T DEL (Topic)
3466 @findex gnus-topic-delete
3467 Delete an empty topic (@code{gnus-topic-delete}).
3471 @findex gnus-topic-list-active
3472 List all groups that Gnus knows about in a topics-ified way
3473 (@code{gnus-topic-list-active}).
3477 @findex gnus-topic-edit-parameters
3478 @cindex group parameters
3479 @cindex topic parameters
3481 Edit the topic parameters (@code{gnus-topic-edit-parameters}).
3482 @xref{Topic Parameters}.
3488 @subsection Topic Sorting
3489 @cindex topic sorting
3491 You can sort the groups in each topic individually with the following
3497 @kindex T S a (Topic)
3498 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3499 Sort the current topic alphabetically by group name
3500 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3503 @kindex T S u (Topic)
3504 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread
3505 Sort the current topic by the number of unread articles
3506 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3509 @kindex T S l (Topic)
3510 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level
3511 Sort the current topic by group level
3512 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level}).
3515 @kindex T S v (Topic)
3516 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score
3517 Sort the current topic by group score
3518 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3521 @kindex T S r (Topic)
3522 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank
3523 Sort the current topic by group rank
3524 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3527 @kindex T S m (Topic)
3528 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method
3529 Sort the current topic alphabetically by backend name
3530 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method}).
3534 @xref{Sorting Groups}, for more information about group sorting.
3537 @node Topic Topology
3538 @subsection Topic Topology
3539 @cindex topic topology
3542 So, let's have a look at an example group buffer:
3548 2: alt.religion.emacs
3551 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3553 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3554 13: comp.sources.unix
3557 So, here we have one top-level topic (@samp{Gnus}), two topics under
3558 that, and one sub-topic under one of the sub-topics. (There is always
3559 just one (1) top-level topic). This topology can be expressed as
3564 (("Emacs -- I wuw it!" visible)
3565 (("Naughty Emacs" visible)))
3569 @vindex gnus-topic-topology
3570 This is in fact how the variable @code{gnus-topic-topology} would look
3571 for the display above. That variable is saved in the @file{.newsrc.eld}
3572 file, and shouldn't be messed with manually---unless you really want
3573 to. Since this variable is read from the @file{.newsrc.eld} file,
3574 setting it in any other startup files will have no effect.
3576 This topology shows what topics are sub-topics of what topics (right),
3577 and which topics are visible. Two settings are currently
3578 allowed---@code{visible} and @code{invisible}.
3581 @node Topic Parameters
3582 @subsection Topic Parameters
3583 @cindex topic parameters
3585 All groups in a topic will inherit group parameters from the parent (and
3586 ancestor) topic parameters. All valid group parameters are valid topic
3587 parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
3589 In addition, the following parameters are only valid as topic
3594 When subscribing new groups by topic (@pxref{Subscription Methods}), the
3595 @code{subscribe} topic parameter says what groups go in what topic. Its
3596 value should be a regexp to match the groups that should go in that
3601 Group parameters (of course) override topic parameters, and topic
3602 parameters in sub-topics override topic parameters in super-topics. You
3603 know. Normal inheritance rules. (@dfn{Rules} is here a noun, not a
3604 verb, although you may feel free to disagree with me here.)
3610 2: alt.religion.emacs
3614 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3616 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3617 13: comp.sources.unix
3621 The @samp{Emacs} topic has the topic parameter @code{(score-file
3622 . "emacs.SCORE")}; the @samp{Relief} topic has the topic parameter
3623 @code{(score-file . "relief.SCORE")}; and the @samp{Misc} topic has the
3624 topic parameter @code{(score-file . "emacs.SCORE")}. In addition,
3625 @* @samp{alt.religion.emacs} has the group parameter @code{(score-file
3626 . "religion.SCORE")}.
3628 Now, when you enter @samp{alt.sex.emacs} in the @samp{Relief} topic, you
3629 will get the @file{relief.SCORE} home score file. If you enter the same
3630 group in the @samp{Emacs} topic, you'll get the @file{emacs.SCORE} home
3631 score file. If you enter the group @samp{alt.religion.emacs}, you'll
3632 get the @file{religion.SCORE} home score file.
3634 This seems rather simple and self-evident, doesn't it? Well, yes. But
3635 there are some problems, especially with the @code{total-expiry}
3636 parameter. Say you have a mail group in two topics; one with
3637 @code{total-expiry} and one without. What happens when you do @kbd{M-x
3638 gnus-expire-all-expirable-groups}? Gnus has no way of telling which one
3639 of these topics you mean to expire articles from, so anything may
3640 happen. In fact, I hereby declare that it is @dfn{undefined} what
3641 happens. You just have to be careful if you do stuff like that.
3644 @node Misc Group Stuff
3645 @section Misc Group Stuff
3648 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
3649 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
3650 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
3651 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
3658 @findex gnus-group-enter-server-mode
3659 Enter the server buffer (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}).
3660 @xref{Server Buffer}.
3664 @findex gnus-group-post-news
3665 Post an article to a group (@code{gnus-group-post-news}). If given a
3666 prefix, the current group name will be used as the default.
3670 @findex gnus-group-mail
3671 Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}).
3675 Variables for the group buffer:
3679 @item gnus-group-mode-hook
3680 @vindex gnus-group-mode-hook
3681 is called after the group buffer has been
3684 @item gnus-group-prepare-hook
3685 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
3686 is called after the group buffer is
3687 generated. It may be used to modify the buffer in some strange,
3690 @item gnus-group-prepared-hook
3691 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
3692 is called as the very last thing after the group buffer has been
3693 generated. It may be used to move point around, for instance.
3695 @item gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3696 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3697 Groups matching this regexp will always be listed in the group buffer,
3698 whether they are empty or not.
3700 @item gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
3701 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
3702 An alist of method and the charset for group names. It is used to show
3703 non-ASCII group names.
3707 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
3708 '(((nntp "news.com.cn") . cn-gb-2312)))
3711 @item gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
3712 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
3713 An alist of regexp of group name and the charset for group names.
3714 It is used to show non-ASCII group names.
3718 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
3719 '(("\\.com\\.cn:" . cn-gb-2312)))
3724 @node Scanning New Messages
3725 @subsection Scanning New Messages
3726 @cindex new messages
3727 @cindex scanning new news
3733 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news
3734 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news}
3735 Check the server(s) for new articles. If the numerical prefix is used,
3736 this command will check only groups of level @var{arg} and lower
3737 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news}). If given a non-numerical prefix, this
3738 command will force a total re-reading of the active file(s) from the
3743 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group
3744 @vindex gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating
3745 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}
3746 Check whether new articles have arrived in the current group
3747 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}).
3748 @code{gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating} says whether this command is
3749 to move point to the next group or not. It is @code{t} by default.
3751 @findex gnus-activate-all-groups
3752 @cindex activating groups
3754 @kindex C-c M-g (Group)
3755 Activate absolutely all groups (@code{gnus-activate-all-groups}).
3760 @findex gnus-group-restart
3761 Restart Gnus (@code{gnus-group-restart}). This saves the @file{.newsrc}
3762 file(s), closes the connection to all servers, clears up all run-time
3763 Gnus variables, and then starts Gnus all over again.
3767 @vindex gnus-get-new-news-hook
3768 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is run just before checking for new news.
3770 @vindex gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook
3771 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook} is run after checking for new
3775 @node Group Information
3776 @subsection Group Information
3777 @cindex group information
3778 @cindex information on groups
3785 @findex gnus-group-fetch-faq
3786 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
3789 Try to fetch the FAQ for the current group
3790 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the FAQ from
3791 @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory on a
3792 remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories. In
3793 that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
3794 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} (or @code{efs}) will be used
3795 for fetching the file.
3797 If fetching from the first site is unsuccessful, Gnus will attempt to go
3798 through @code{gnus-group-faq-directory} and try to open them one by one.
3802 @c @icon{gnus-group-describe-group}
3804 @kindex C-c C-d (Group)
3805 @cindex describing groups
3806 @cindex group description
3807 @findex gnus-group-describe-group
3808 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-group-describe-group}). If given
3809 a prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description from the server.
3813 @findex gnus-group-describe-all-groups
3814 Describe all groups (@code{gnus-group-describe-all-groups}). If given a
3815 prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description file from the server.
3822 @findex gnus-version
3823 Display current Gnus version numbers (@code{gnus-version}).
3827 @findex gnus-group-describe-briefly
3828 Give a very short help message (@code{gnus-group-describe-briefly}).
3831 @kindex C-c C-i (Group)
3834 @findex gnus-info-find-node
3835 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
3839 @node Group Timestamp
3840 @subsection Group Timestamp
3842 @cindex group timestamps
3844 It can be convenient to let Gnus keep track of when you last read a
3845 group. To set the ball rolling, you should add
3846 @code{gnus-group-set-timestamp} to @code{gnus-select-group-hook}:
3849 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook 'gnus-group-set-timestamp)
3852 After doing this, each time you enter a group, it'll be recorded.
3854 This information can be displayed in various ways---the easiest is to
3855 use the @samp{%d} spec in the group line format:
3858 (setq gnus-group-line-format
3859 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %d\n")
3862 This will result in lines looking like:
3865 * 0: mail.ding 19961002T012943
3866 0: custom 19961002T012713
3869 As you can see, the date is displayed in compact ISO 8601 format. This
3870 may be a bit too much, so to just display the date, you could say
3874 (setq gnus-group-line-format
3875 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %6,6~(cut 2)d\n")
3880 @subsection File Commands
3881 @cindex file commands
3887 @findex gnus-group-read-init-file
3888 @vindex gnus-init-file
3889 @cindex reading init file
3890 Re-read the init file (@code{gnus-init-file}, which defaults to
3891 @file{~/.gnus}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
3895 @findex gnus-group-save-newsrc
3896 @cindex saving .newsrc
3897 Save the @file{.newsrc.eld} file (and @file{.newsrc} if wanted)
3898 (@code{gnus-group-save-newsrc}). If given a prefix, force saving the
3899 file(s) whether Gnus thinks it is necessary or not.
3902 @c @kindex Z (Group)
3903 @c @findex gnus-group-clear-dribble
3904 @c Clear the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-group-clear-dribble}).
3909 @node Summary Buffer
3910 @chapter Summary Buffer
3911 @cindex summary buffer
3913 A line for each article is displayed in the summary buffer. You can
3914 move around, read articles, post articles and reply to articles.
3916 The most common way to a summary buffer is to select a group from the
3917 group buffer (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
3919 You can have as many summary buffers open as you wish.
3922 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
3923 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
3924 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
3925 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
3926 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
3927 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
3928 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
3929 * Threading:: How threads are made.
3930 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
3931 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
3932 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
3933 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
3934 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
3935 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
3936 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
3937 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
3938 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
3939 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
3940 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
3941 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
3942 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
3943 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
3944 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
3945 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
3946 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
3947 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
3948 or reselecting the current group.
3949 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
3950 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
3951 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
3952 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
3956 @node Summary Buffer Format
3957 @section Summary Buffer Format
3958 @cindex summary buffer format
3962 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{180}{
3963 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary.ps,width=7.5cm}}
3964 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-article.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
3970 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
3971 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
3972 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
3973 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
3976 @findex mail-extract-address-components
3977 @findex gnus-extract-address-components
3978 @vindex gnus-extract-address-components
3979 Gnus will use the value of the @code{gnus-extract-address-components}
3980 variable as a function for getting the name and address parts of a
3981 @code{From} header. Two pre-defined functions exist:
3982 @code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is the default, quite
3983 fast, and too simplistic solution; and
3984 @code{mail-extract-address-components}, which works very nicely, but is
3985 slower. The default function will return the wrong answer in 5% of the
3986 cases. If this is unacceptable to you, use the other function instead:
3989 (setq gnus-extract-address-components
3990 'mail-extract-address-components)
3993 @vindex gnus-summary-same-subject
3994 @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} is a string indicating that the current
3995 article has the same subject as the previous. This string will be used
3996 with those specs that require it. The default is @code{""}.
3999 @node Summary Buffer Lines
4000 @subsection Summary Buffer Lines
4002 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4003 You can change the format of the lines in the summary buffer by changing
4004 the @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable. It works along the same
4005 lines as a normal @code{format} string, with some extensions
4006 (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
4008 There should always be a colon on the line; the cursor always moves to
4009 the colon after performing an operation. (Of course, Gnus wouldn't be
4010 Gnus if it wasn't possible to change this. Just write a new function
4011 @code{gnus-goto-colon} which does whatever you like with the cursor.)
4013 The default string is @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-20,20n%]%) %s\n}.
4015 The following format specification characters are understood:
4021 Subject string. List identifiers stripped,
4022 @code{gnus-list-identifies}. @xref{Article Hiding}.
4024 Subject if the article is the root of the thread or the previous article
4025 had a different subject, @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} otherwise.
4026 (@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} defaults to @code{""}.)
4028 Full @code{From} header.
4030 The name (from the @code{From} header).
4032 The name, code @code{To} header or the @code{Newsgroups} header
4033 (@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
4035 The name (from the @code{From} header). This differs from the @code{n}
4036 spec in that it uses the function designated by the
4037 @code{gnus-extract-address-components} variable, which is slower, but
4038 may be more thorough.
4040 The address (from the @code{From} header). This works the same way as
4043 Number of lines in the article.
4045 Number of characters in the article. This specifier is not supported in some
4046 methods (like nnfolder).
4048 Indentation based on thread level (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4050 A complex trn-style thread tree, showing response-connecting trace lines.
4052 Nothing if the article is a root and lots of spaces if it isn't (it
4053 pushes everything after it off the screen).
4055 Opening bracket, which is normally @samp{[}, but can also be @samp{<}
4056 for adopted articles (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4058 Closing bracket, which is normally @samp{]}, but can also be @samp{>}
4059 for adopted articles.
4061 One space for each thread level.
4063 Twenty minus thread level spaces.
4068 This misleadingly named specifier is the @dfn{secondary mark}. This
4069 mark will say whether the article has been replied to, has been cached,
4073 Score as a number (@pxref{Scoring}).
4075 @vindex gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz
4076 Zcore, @samp{+} if above the default level and @samp{-} if below the
4077 default level. If the difference between
4078 @code{gnus-summary-default-score} and the score is less than
4079 @code{gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz}, this spec will not be used.
4087 The @code{Date} in @code{DD-MMM} format.
4089 The @code{Date} in @var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS} format.
4095 Number of articles in the current sub-thread. Using this spec will slow
4096 down summary buffer generation somewhat.
4098 An @samp{=} (@code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark}) will be displayed if the
4099 article has any children.
4105 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
4106 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
4107 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
4108 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current header as
4109 argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
4110 into the summary just like information from any other summary specifier.
4113 The @samp{%U} (status), @samp{%R} (replied) and @samp{%z} (zcore) specs
4114 have to be handled with care. For reasons of efficiency, Gnus will
4115 compute what column these characters will end up in, and ``hard-code''
4116 that. This means that it is invalid to have these specs after a
4117 variable-length spec. Well, you might not be arrested, but your summary
4118 buffer will look strange, which is bad enough.
4120 The smart choice is to have these specs as far to the left as possible.
4121 (Isn't that the case with everything, though? But I digress.)
4123 This restriction may disappear in later versions of Gnus.
4126 @node To From Newsgroups
4127 @subsection To From Newsgroups
4131 In some groups (particularly in archive groups), the @code{From} header
4132 isn't very interesting, since all the articles there are written by
4133 you. To display the information in the @code{To} or @code{Newsgroups}
4134 headers instead, you need to decide three things: What information to
4135 gather; where to display it; and when to display it.
4139 @vindex gnus-extra-headers
4140 The reading of extra header information is controlled by the
4141 @code{gnus-extra-headers}. This is a list of header symbols. For
4145 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4146 '(To Newsgroups X-Newsreader))
4149 This will result in Gnus trying to obtain these three headers, and
4150 storing it in header structures for later easy retrieval.
4153 @findex gnus-extra-header
4154 The value of these extra headers can be accessed via the
4155 @code{gnus-extra-header} function. Here's a format line spec that will
4156 access the @code{X-Newsreader} header:
4159 "%~(form (gnus-extra-header 'X-Newsreader))@@"
4163 @vindex gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4164 The @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses} variable says when the @samp{%f}
4165 summary line spec returns the @code{To}, @code{Newsreader} or
4166 @code{From} header. If this regexp matches the contents of the
4167 @code{From} header, the value of the @code{To} or @code{Newsreader}
4168 headers are used instead.
4172 @vindex nnmail-extra-headers
4173 A related variable is @code{nnmail-extra-headers}, which controls when
4174 to include extra headers when generating overview (@sc{nov}) files. If
4175 you have old overview files, you should regenerate them after changing
4178 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4179 You also have to instruct Gnus to display the data by changing the
4180 @code{%n} spec to the @code{%f} spec in the
4181 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable.
4183 In summary, you'd typically put something like the following in
4187 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4189 (setq nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
4190 (setq gnus-summary-line-format
4191 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-20,20f%]%) %s\n")
4192 (setq gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4196 Now, this is mostly useful for mail groups, where you have control over
4197 the @sc{nov} files that are created. However, if you can persuade your
4204 to the end of her @file{overview.fmt} file, then you can use that just
4205 as you would the extra headers from the mail groups.
4208 @node Summary Buffer Mode Line
4209 @subsection Summary Buffer Mode Line
4211 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-line-format
4212 You can also change the format of the summary mode bar (@pxref{Mode Line
4213 Formatting}). Set @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} to whatever you
4214 like. The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}.
4216 Here are the elements you can play with:
4222 Unprefixed group name.
4224 Current article number.
4226 Current article score.
4230 Number of unread articles in this group.
4232 Number of unread articles in this group that aren't displayed in the
4235 A string with the number of unread and unselected articles represented
4236 either as @samp{<%U(+%e) more>} if there are both unread and unselected
4237 articles, and just as @samp{<%U more>} if there are just unread articles
4238 and no unselected ones.
4240 Shortish group name. For instance, @samp{rec.arts.anime} will be
4241 shortened to @samp{r.a.anime}.
4243 Subject of the current article.
4245 User-defined spec (@pxref{User-Defined Specs}).
4247 Name of the current score file (@pxref{Scoring}).
4249 Number of dormant articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4251 Number of ticked articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4253 Number of articles that have been marked as read in this session.
4255 Number of articles expunged by the score files.
4259 @node Summary Highlighting
4260 @subsection Summary Highlighting
4264 @item gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4265 @vindex gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4266 This hook is run after selecting an article. It is meant to be used for
4267 highlighting the article in some way. It is not run if
4268 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4270 @item gnus-summary-update-hook
4271 @vindex gnus-summary-update-hook
4272 This hook is called when a summary line is changed. It is not run if
4273 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4275 @item gnus-summary-selected-face
4276 @vindex gnus-summary-selected-face
4277 This is the face (or @dfn{font} as some people call it) used to
4278 highlight the current article in the summary buffer.
4280 @item gnus-summary-highlight
4281 @vindex gnus-summary-highlight
4282 Summary lines are highlighted according to this variable, which is a
4283 list where the elements are of the format @code{(@var{form}
4284 . @var{face})}. If you would, for instance, like ticked articles to be
4285 italic and high-scored articles to be bold, you could set this variable
4288 (((eq mark gnus-ticked-mark) . italic)
4289 ((> score default) . bold))
4291 As you may have guessed, if @var{form} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
4292 @var{face} will be applied to the line.
4296 @node Summary Maneuvering
4297 @section Summary Maneuvering
4298 @cindex summary movement
4300 All the straight movement commands understand the numeric prefix and
4301 behave pretty much as you'd expect.
4303 None of these commands select articles.
4308 @kindex M-n (Summary)
4309 @kindex G M-n (Summary)
4310 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-subject
4311 Go to the next summary line of an unread article
4312 (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-subject}).
4316 @kindex M-p (Summary)
4317 @kindex G M-p (Summary)
4318 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject
4319 Go to the previous summary line of an unread article
4320 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject}).
4323 @kindex G g (Summary)
4324 @findex gnus-summary-goto-subject
4325 Ask for an article number and then go to the summary line of that article
4326 without displaying the article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-subject}).
4329 If Gnus asks you to press a key to confirm going to the next group, you
4330 can use the @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} keys to move around the group
4331 buffer, searching for the next group to read without actually returning
4332 to the group buffer.
4334 Variables related to summary movement:
4338 @vindex gnus-auto-select-next
4339 @item gnus-auto-select-next
4340 If you issue one of the movement commands (like @kbd{n}) and there are
4341 no more unread articles after the current one, Gnus will offer to go to
4342 the next group. If this variable is @code{t} and the next group is
4343 empty, Gnus will exit summary mode and return to the group buffer. If
4344 this variable is neither @code{t} nor @code{nil}, Gnus will select the
4345 next group, no matter whether it has any unread articles or not. As a
4346 special case, if this variable is @code{quietly}, Gnus will select the
4347 next group without asking for confirmation. If this variable is
4348 @code{almost-quietly}, the same will happen only if you are located on
4349 the last article in the group. Finally, if this variable is
4350 @code{slightly-quietly}, the @kbd{Z n} command will go to the next group
4351 without confirmation. Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
4353 @item gnus-auto-select-same
4354 @vindex gnus-auto-select-same
4355 If non-@code{nil}, all the movement commands will try to go to the next
4356 article with the same subject as the current. (@dfn{Same} here might
4357 mean @dfn{roughly equal}. See @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}
4358 for details (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).) If there are no more
4359 articles with the same subject, go to the first unread article.
4361 This variable is not particularly useful if you use a threaded display.
4363 @item gnus-summary-check-current
4364 @vindex gnus-summary-check-current
4365 If non-@code{nil}, all the ``unread'' movement commands will not proceed
4366 to the next (or previous) article if the current article is unread.
4367 Instead, they will choose the current article.
4369 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
4370 @vindex gnus-auto-center-summary
4371 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will keep the point in the summary buffer
4372 centered at all times. This makes things quite tidy, but if you have a
4373 slow network connection, or simply do not like this un-Emacsism, you can
4374 set this variable to @code{nil} to get the normal Emacs scrolling
4375 action. This will also inhibit horizontal re-centering of the summary
4376 buffer, which might make it more inconvenient to read extremely long
4379 This variable can also be a number. In that case, center the window at
4380 the given number of lines from the top.
4385 @node Choosing Articles
4386 @section Choosing Articles
4387 @cindex selecting articles
4390 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
4391 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
4395 @node Choosing Commands
4396 @subsection Choosing Commands
4398 None of the following movement commands understand the numeric prefix,
4399 and they all select and display an article.
4401 If you want to fetch new articles or redisplay the group, see
4402 @ref{Exiting the Summary Buffer}.
4406 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
4407 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
4408 Select the current article, or, if that one's read already, the next
4409 unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
4414 @kindex G n (Summary)
4415 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-article
4416 @c @icon{gnus-summary-next-unread}
4417 Go to next unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-article}).
4422 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-article
4423 @c @icon{gnus-summary-prev-unread}
4424 Go to previous unread article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-article}).
4429 @kindex G N (Summary)
4430 @findex gnus-summary-next-article
4431 Go to the next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-article}).
4436 @kindex G P (Summary)
4437 @findex gnus-summary-prev-article
4438 Go to the previous article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-article}).
4441 @kindex G C-n (Summary)
4442 @findex gnus-summary-next-same-subject
4443 Go to the next article with the same subject
4444 (@code{gnus-summary-next-same-subject}).
4447 @kindex G C-p (Summary)
4448 @findex gnus-summary-prev-same-subject
4449 Go to the previous article with the same subject
4450 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-same-subject}).
4454 @kindex G f (Summary)
4456 @findex gnus-summary-first-unread-article
4457 Go to the first unread article
4458 (@code{gnus-summary-first-unread-article}).
4462 @kindex G b (Summary)
4464 @findex gnus-summary-best-unread-article
4465 Go to the article with the highest score
4466 (@code{gnus-summary-best-unread-article}).
4471 @kindex G l (Summary)
4472 @findex gnus-summary-goto-last-article
4473 Go to the previous article read (@code{gnus-summary-goto-last-article}).
4476 @kindex G o (Summary)
4477 @findex gnus-summary-pop-article
4479 @cindex article history
4480 Pop an article off the summary history and go to this article
4481 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-article}). This command differs from the
4482 command above in that you can pop as many previous articles off the
4483 history as you like, while @kbd{l} toggles the two last read articles.
4484 For a somewhat related issue (if you use these commands a lot),
4485 @pxref{Article Backlog}.
4490 @kindex G j (Summary)
4491 @findex gnus-summary-goto-article
4492 Ask for an article number or @code{Message-ID}, and then go to that
4493 article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-article}).
4498 @node Choosing Variables
4499 @subsection Choosing Variables
4501 Some variables relevant for moving and selecting articles:
4504 @item gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
4505 @vindex gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
4506 All the movement commands will try to go to the previous (or next)
4507 article, even if that article isn't displayed in the Summary buffer if
4508 this variable is non-@code{nil}. Gnus will then fetch the article from
4509 the server and display it in the article buffer.
4511 @item gnus-select-article-hook
4512 @vindex gnus-select-article-hook
4513 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. By default it
4514 exposes any threads hidden under the selected article.
4516 @item gnus-mark-article-hook
4517 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
4518 @findex gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read
4519 @findex gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read
4520 @findex gnus-unread-mark
4521 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. It is intended to
4522 be used for marking articles as read. The default value is
4523 @code{gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read}, and will change the
4524 mark of almost any article you read to @code{gnus-unread-mark}. The
4525 only articles not affected by this function are ticked, dormant, and
4526 expirable articles. If you'd instead like to just have unread articles
4527 marked as read, you can use @code{gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read}
4528 instead. It will leave marks like @code{gnus-low-score-mark},
4529 @code{gnus-del-mark} (and so on) alone.
4534 @node Paging the Article
4535 @section Scrolling the Article
4536 @cindex article scrolling
4541 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
4542 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
4543 Pressing @kbd{SPACE} will scroll the current article forward one page,
4544 or, if you have come to the end of the current article, will choose the
4545 next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
4548 @kindex DEL (Summary)
4549 @findex gnus-summary-prev-page
4550 Scroll the current article back one page (@code{gnus-summary-prev-page}).
4553 @kindex RET (Summary)
4554 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-up
4555 Scroll the current article one line forward
4556 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-up}).
4559 @kindex M-RET (Summary)
4560 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-down
4561 Scroll the current article one line backward
4562 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-down}).
4566 @kindex A g (Summary)
4568 @findex gnus-summary-show-article
4569 @vindex gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
4570 (Re)fetch the current article (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). If
4571 given a prefix, fetch the current article, but don't run any of the
4572 article treatment functions. This will give you a ``raw'' article, just
4573 the way it came from the server.
4575 If given a numerical prefix, you can do semi-manual charset stuff.
4576 @kbd{C-u 0 g cn-gb-2312 RET} will decode the message as if it were
4577 encoded in the @code{cn-gb-2312} charset. If you have
4580 (setq gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
4585 then you can say @kbd{C-u 1 g} to get the same effect.
4590 @kindex A < (Summary)
4591 @findex gnus-summary-beginning-of-article
4592 Scroll to the beginning of the article
4593 (@code{gnus-summary-beginning-of-article}).
4598 @kindex A > (Summary)
4599 @findex gnus-summary-end-of-article
4600 Scroll to the end of the article (@code{gnus-summary-end-of-article}).
4604 @kindex A s (Summary)
4606 @findex gnus-summary-isearch-article
4607 Perform an isearch in the article buffer
4608 (@code{gnus-summary-isearch-article}).
4612 @findex gnus-summary-select-article-buffer
4613 Select the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-select-article-buffer}).
4618 @node Reply Followup and Post
4619 @section Reply, Followup and Post
4622 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
4623 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
4624 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
4625 * Canceling and Superseding:: ``Whoops, I shouldn't have called him that.''
4629 @node Summary Mail Commands
4630 @subsection Summary Mail Commands
4632 @cindex composing mail
4634 Commands for composing a mail message:
4640 @kindex S r (Summary)
4642 @findex gnus-summary-reply
4643 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-reply}
4644 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply}
4645 Mail a reply to the author of the current article
4646 (@code{gnus-summary-reply}).
4651 @kindex S R (Summary)
4652 @findex gnus-summary-reply-with-original
4653 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}
4654 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
4655 original message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This
4656 command uses the process/prefix convention.
4659 @kindex S w (Summary)
4660 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply
4661 Mail a wide reply to the author of the current article
4662 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{wide reply} is a reply that
4663 goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
4664 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers.
4667 @kindex S W (Summary)
4668 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original
4669 Mail a wide reply to the current article and include the original
4670 message (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original}). This command uses
4671 the process/prefix convention.
4674 @kindex S v (Summary)
4675 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply
4676 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article
4677 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{very wide reply} is a reply
4678 that goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
4679 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers in all the process/prefixed
4680 articles. This command uses the process/prefix convention.
4683 @kindex S W (Summary)
4684 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original
4685 Mail a very wide reply to the current article and include the original
4686 message (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original}). This command uses
4687 the process/prefix convention.
4691 @kindex S o m (Summary)
4692 @kindex C-c C-f (Summary)
4693 @findex gnus-summary-mail-forward
4694 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-forward}
4695 Forward the current article to some other person
4696 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-forward}). If no prefix is given, the message
4697 is forwarded according to the value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime})
4698 and (@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
4699 message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
4700 as an rfc822 MIME section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
4701 forward as an rfc822 MIME section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
4702 directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
4703 but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
4704 default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 MIME section.
4709 @kindex S m (Summary)
4710 @findex gnus-summary-mail-other-window
4711 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-originate}
4712 Send a mail to some other person
4713 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}).
4716 @kindex S D b (Summary)
4717 @findex gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail
4718 @cindex bouncing mail
4719 If you have sent a mail, but the mail was bounced back to you for some
4720 reason (wrong address, transient failure), you can use this command to
4721 resend that bounced mail (@code{gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail}). You
4722 will be popped into a mail buffer where you can edit the headers before
4723 sending the mail off again. If you give a prefix to this command, and
4724 the bounced mail is a reply to some other mail, Gnus will try to fetch
4725 that mail and display it for easy perusal of its headers. This might
4726 very well fail, though.
4729 @kindex S D r (Summary)
4730 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message
4731 Not to be confused with the previous command,
4732 @code{gnus-summary-resend-message} will prompt you for an address to
4733 send the current message off to, and then send it to that place. The
4734 headers of the message won't be altered---but lots of headers that say
4735 @code{Resent-To}, @code{Resent-From} and so on will be added. This
4736 means that you actually send a mail to someone that has a @code{To}
4737 header that (probably) points to yourself. This will confuse people.
4738 So, natcherly you'll only do that if you're really eVIl.
4740 This command is mainly used if you have several accounts and want to
4741 ship a mail to a different account of yours. (If you're both
4742 @code{root} and @code{postmaster} and get a mail for @code{postmaster}
4743 to the @code{root} account, you may want to resend it to
4744 @code{postmaster}. Ordnung muß sein!
4746 This command understands the process/prefix convention
4747 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
4750 @kindex S O m (Summary)
4751 @findex gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward
4752 Digest the current series (@pxref{Decoding Articles}) and forward the
4753 result using mail (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command
4754 uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
4757 @kindex S M-c (Summary)
4758 @findex gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint
4759 @cindex crossposting
4760 @cindex excessive crossposting
4761 Send a complaint about excessive crossposting to the author of the
4762 current article (@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint}).
4764 @findex gnus-crosspost-complaint
4765 This command is provided as a way to fight back against the current
4766 crossposting pandemic that's sweeping Usenet. It will compose a reply
4767 using the @code{gnus-crosspost-complaint} variable as a preamble. This
4768 command understands the process/prefix convention
4769 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) and will prompt you before sending each mail.
4773 Also @pxref{(message)Header Commands} for more information.
4776 @node Summary Post Commands
4777 @subsection Summary Post Commands
4779 @cindex composing news
4781 Commands for posting a news article:
4787 @kindex S p (Summary)
4788 @findex gnus-summary-post-news
4789 @c @icon{gnus-summary-post-news}
4790 Post an article to the current group
4791 (@code{gnus-summary-post-news}).
4796 @kindex S f (Summary)
4797 @findex gnus-summary-followup
4798 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup}
4799 Post a followup to the current article (@code{gnus-summary-followup}).
4803 @kindex S F (Summary)
4805 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}
4806 @findex gnus-summary-followup-with-original
4807 Post a followup to the current article and include the original message
4808 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}). This command uses the
4809 process/prefix convention.
4812 @kindex S n (Summary)
4813 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail
4814 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
4815 message through mail (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail}).
4818 @kindex S N (Summary)
4819 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original
4820 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
4821 message through mail and include the original message
4822 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original}). This command uses
4823 the process/prefix convention.
4826 @kindex S o p (Summary)
4827 @findex gnus-summary-post-forward
4828 Forward the current article to a newsgroup
4829 (@code{gnus-summary-post-forward}).
4830 If no prefix is given, the message is forwarded according to the value
4831 of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}) and
4832 (@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
4833 message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
4834 as an rfc822 MIME section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
4835 forward as an rfc822 MIME section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
4836 directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
4837 but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
4838 default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 MIME section.
4841 @kindex S O p (Summary)
4842 @findex gnus-uu-digest-post-forward
4844 @cindex making digests
4845 Digest the current series and forward the result to a newsgroup
4846 (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command uses the
4847 process/prefix convention.
4850 @kindex S u (Summary)
4851 @findex gnus-uu-post-news
4852 @c @icon{gnus-uu-post-news}
4853 Uuencode a file, split it into parts, and post it as a series
4854 (@code{gnus-uu-post-news}). (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
4857 Also @pxref{(message)Header Commands} for more information.
4860 @node Summary Message Commands
4861 @subsection Summary Message Commands
4865 @kindex S y (Summary)
4866 @findex gnus-summary-yank-message
4867 Yank the current article into an already existing Message composition
4868 buffer (@code{gnus-summary-yank-message}). This command prompts for
4869 what message buffer you want to yank into, and understands the
4870 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
4875 @node Canceling and Superseding
4876 @subsection Canceling Articles
4877 @cindex canceling articles
4878 @cindex superseding articles
4880 Have you ever written something, and then decided that you really,
4881 really, really wish you hadn't posted that?
4883 Well, you can't cancel mail, but you can cancel posts.
4885 @findex gnus-summary-cancel-article
4887 @c @icon{gnus-summary-cancel-article}
4888 Find the article you wish to cancel (you can only cancel your own
4889 articles, so don't try any funny stuff). Then press @kbd{C} or @kbd{S
4890 c} (@code{gnus-summary-cancel-article}). Your article will be
4891 canceled---machines all over the world will be deleting your article.
4892 This command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
4894 Be aware, however, that not all sites honor cancels, so your article may
4895 live on here and there, while most sites will delete the article in
4898 Gnus will use the ``current'' select method when canceling. If you
4899 want to use the standard posting method, use the @samp{a} symbolic
4900 prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}).
4902 If you discover that you have made some mistakes and want to do some
4903 corrections, you can post a @dfn{superseding} article that will replace
4904 your original article.
4906 @findex gnus-summary-supersede-article
4908 Go to the original article and press @kbd{S s}
4909 (@code{gnus-summary-supersede-article}). You will be put in a buffer
4910 where you can edit the article all you want before sending it off the
4913 The same goes for superseding as for canceling, only more so: Some
4914 sites do not honor superseding. On those sites, it will appear that you
4915 have posted almost the same article twice.
4917 If you have just posted the article, and change your mind right away,
4918 there is a trick you can use to cancel/supersede the article without
4919 waiting for the article to appear on your site first. You simply return
4920 to the post buffer (which is called @code{*sent ...*}). There you will
4921 find the article you just posted, with all the headers intact. Change
4922 the @code{Message-ID} header to a @code{Cancel} or @code{Supersedes}
4923 header by substituting one of those words for the word
4924 @code{Message-ID}. Then just press @kbd{C-c C-c} to send the article as
4925 you would do normally. The previous article will be
4926 canceled/superseded.
4928 Just remember, kids: There is no 'c' in 'supersede'.
4931 @node Marking Articles
4932 @section Marking Articles
4933 @cindex article marking
4934 @cindex article ticking
4937 There are several marks you can set on an article.
4939 You have marks that decide the @dfn{readedness} (whoo, neato-keano
4940 neologism ohoy!) of the article. Alphabetic marks generally mean
4941 @dfn{read}, while non-alphabetic characters generally mean @dfn{unread}.
4943 In addition, you also have marks that do not affect readedness.
4946 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
4947 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
4948 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
4952 There's a plethora of commands for manipulating these marks:
4956 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
4957 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
4958 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
4962 @node Unread Articles
4963 @subsection Unread Articles
4965 The following marks mark articles as (kinda) unread, in one form or
4970 @vindex gnus-ticked-mark
4971 Marked as ticked (@code{gnus-ticked-mark}).
4973 @dfn{Ticked articles} are articles that will remain visible always. If
4974 you see an article that you find interesting, or you want to put off
4975 reading it, or replying to it, until sometime later, you'd typically
4976 tick it. However, articles can be expired (from news servers by the
4977 news server software, Gnus itself never expires ticked messages), so if
4978 you want to keep an article forever, you'll have to make it persistent
4979 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
4982 @vindex gnus-dormant-mark
4983 Marked as dormant (@code{gnus-dormant-mark}).
4985 @dfn{Dormant articles} will only appear in the summary buffer if there
4986 are followups to it. If you want to see them even if they don't have
4987 followups, you can use the @kbd{/ D} command (@pxref{Limiting}).
4988 Otherwise (except for the visibility issue), they are just like ticked
4992 @vindex gnus-unread-mark
4993 Marked as unread (@code{gnus-unread-mark}).
4995 @dfn{Unread articles} are articles that haven't been read at all yet.
5000 @subsection Read Articles
5001 @cindex expirable mark
5003 All the following marks mark articles as read.
5008 @vindex gnus-del-mark
5009 These are articles that the user has marked as read with the @kbd{d}
5010 command manually, more or less (@code{gnus-del-mark}).
5013 @vindex gnus-read-mark
5014 Articles that have actually been read (@code{gnus-read-mark}).
5017 @vindex gnus-ancient-mark
5018 Articles that were marked as read in previous sessions and are now
5019 @dfn{old} (@code{gnus-ancient-mark}).
5022 @vindex gnus-killed-mark
5023 Marked as killed (@code{gnus-killed-mark}).
5026 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mark
5027 Marked as killed by kill files (@code{gnus-kill-file-mark}).
5030 @vindex gnus-low-score-mark
5031 Marked as read by having too low a score (@code{gnus-low-score-mark}).
5034 @vindex gnus-catchup-mark
5035 Marked as read by a catchup (@code{gnus-catchup-mark}).
5038 @vindex gnus-canceled-mark
5039 Canceled article (@code{gnus-canceled-mark})
5042 @vindex gnus-souped-mark
5043 @sc{soup}ed article (@code{gnus-souped-mark}). @xref{SOUP}.
5046 @vindex gnus-sparse-mark
5047 Sparsely reffed article (@code{gnus-sparse-mark}). @xref{Customizing
5051 @vindex gnus-duplicate-mark
5052 Article marked as read by duplicate suppression
5053 (@code{gnus-duplicate-mark}). @xref{Duplicate Suppression}.
5057 All these marks just mean that the article is marked as read, really.
5058 They are interpreted differently when doing adaptive scoring, though.
5060 One more special mark, though:
5064 @vindex gnus-expirable-mark
5065 Marked as expirable (@code{gnus-expirable-mark}).
5067 Marking articles as @dfn{expirable} (or have them marked as such
5068 automatically) doesn't make much sense in normal groups---a user doesn't
5069 control expiring of news articles, but in mail groups, for instance,
5070 articles marked as @dfn{expirable} can be deleted by Gnus at
5076 @subsection Other Marks
5077 @cindex process mark
5080 There are some marks that have nothing to do with whether the article is
5086 You can set a bookmark in the current article. Say you are reading a
5087 long thesis on cats' urinary tracts, and have to go home for dinner
5088 before you've finished reading the thesis. You can then set a bookmark
5089 in the article, and Gnus will jump to this bookmark the next time it
5090 encounters the article. @xref{Setting Marks}.
5093 @vindex gnus-replied-mark
5094 All articles that you have replied to or made a followup to (i.e., have
5095 answered) will be marked with an @samp{A} in the second column
5096 (@code{gnus-replied-mark}).
5098 @vindex gnus-forwarded-mark
5099 All articles that you have forwarded will be marked with an @samp{O} in
5100 the second column (@code{gnus-forwarded-mark}).
5103 @vindex gnus-cached-mark
5104 Articles stored in the article cache will be marked with an @samp{*} in
5105 the second column (@code{gnus-cached-mark}). @xref{Article Caching}.
5108 @vindex gnus-saved-mark
5109 Articles ``saved'' (in some manner or other; not necessarily
5110 religiously) are marked with an @samp{S} in the second column
5111 (@code{gnus-saved-mark}).
5114 @vindex gnus-not-empty-thread-mark
5115 @vindex gnus-empty-thread-mark
5116 If the @samp{%e} spec is used, the presence of threads or not will be
5117 marked with @code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark} and
5118 @code{gnus-empty-thread-mark} in the third column, respectively.
5121 @vindex gnus-process-mark
5122 Finally we have the @dfn{process mark} (@code{gnus-process-mark}). A
5123 variety of commands react to the presence of the process mark. For
5124 instance, @kbd{X u} (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}) will uudecode and view
5125 all articles that have been marked with the process mark. Articles
5126 marked with the process mark have a @samp{#} in the second column.
5130 You might have noticed that most of these ``non-readedness'' marks
5131 appear in the second column by default. So if you have a cached, saved,
5132 replied article that you have process-marked, what will that look like?
5134 Nothing much. The precedence rules go as follows: process -> cache ->
5135 replied -> saved. So if the article is in the cache and is replied,
5136 you'll only see the cache mark and not the replied mark.
5140 @subsection Setting Marks
5141 @cindex setting marks
5143 All the marking commands understand the numeric prefix.
5148 @kindex M c (Summary)
5149 @kindex M-u (Summary)
5150 @findex gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward
5151 @cindex mark as unread
5152 Clear all readedness-marks from the current article
5153 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward}). In other words, mark the
5159 @kindex M t (Summary)
5160 @findex gnus-summary-tick-article-forward
5161 Tick the current article (@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}).
5162 @xref{Article Caching}.
5167 @kindex M ? (Summary)
5168 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant
5169 Mark the current article as dormant
5170 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant}). @xref{Article Caching}.
5174 @kindex M d (Summary)
5176 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward
5177 Mark the current article as read
5178 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward}).
5182 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward
5183 Mark the current article as read and move point to the previous line
5184 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward}).
5189 @kindex M k (Summary)
5190 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select
5191 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read,
5192 and then select the next unread article
5193 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select}).
5197 @kindex M K (Summary)
5198 @kindex C-k (Summary)
5199 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject
5200 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read
5201 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject}).
5204 @kindex M C (Summary)
5205 @findex gnus-summary-catchup
5206 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup}
5207 Mark all unread articles as read (@code{gnus-summary-catchup}).
5210 @kindex M C-c (Summary)
5211 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all
5212 Mark all articles in the group as read---even the ticked and dormant
5213 articles (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all}).
5216 @kindex M H (Summary)
5217 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-to-here
5218 Catchup the current group to point (before the point)
5219 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-to-here}).
5222 @kindex M h (Summary)
5223 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-from-here
5224 Catchup the current group from point (after the point)
5225 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-from-here}).
5228 @kindex C-w (Summary)
5229 @findex gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read
5230 Mark all articles between point and mark as read
5231 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read}).
5234 @kindex M V k (Summary)
5235 @findex gnus-summary-kill-below
5236 Kill all articles with scores below the default score (or below the
5237 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-kill-below}).
5241 @kindex M e (Summary)
5243 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable
5244 Mark the current article as expirable
5245 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable}).
5248 @kindex M b (Summary)
5249 @findex gnus-summary-set-bookmark
5250 Set a bookmark in the current article
5251 (@code{gnus-summary-set-bookmark}).
5254 @kindex M B (Summary)
5255 @findex gnus-summary-remove-bookmark
5256 Remove the bookmark from the current article
5257 (@code{gnus-summary-remove-bookmark}).
5260 @kindex M V c (Summary)
5261 @findex gnus-summary-clear-above
5262 Clear all marks from articles with scores over the default score (or
5263 over the numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
5266 @kindex M V u (Summary)
5267 @findex gnus-summary-tick-above
5268 Tick all articles with scores over the default score (or over the
5269 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-tick-above}).
5272 @kindex M V m (Summary)
5273 @findex gnus-summary-mark-above
5274 Prompt for a mark, and mark all articles with scores over the default
5275 score (or over the numeric prefix) with this mark
5276 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
5279 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
5280 The @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} variable controls what action should
5281 be taken after setting a mark. If non-@code{nil}, point will move to
5282 the next/previous unread article. If @code{nil}, point will just move
5283 one line up or down. As a special case, if this variable is
5284 @code{never}, all the marking commands as well as other commands (like
5285 @kbd{SPACE}) will move to the next article, whether it is unread or not.
5286 The default is @code{t}.
5289 @node Generic Marking Commands
5290 @subsection Generic Marking Commands
5292 Some people would like the command that ticks an article (@kbd{!}) go to
5293 the next article. Others would like it to go to the next unread
5294 article. Yet others would like it to stay on the current article. And
5295 even though I haven't heard of anybody wanting it to go to the
5296 previous (unread) article, I'm sure there are people that want that as
5299 Multiply these five behaviors with five different marking commands, and
5300 you get a potentially complex set of variable to control what each
5303 To sidestep that mess, Gnus provides commands that do all these
5304 different things. They can be found on the @kbd{M M} map in the summary
5305 buffer. Type @kbd{M M C-h} to see them all---there are too many of them
5306 to list in this manual.
5308 While you can use these commands directly, most users would prefer
5309 altering the summary mode keymap. For instance, if you would like the
5310 @kbd{!} command to go to the next article instead of the next unread
5311 article, you could say something like:
5314 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'my-alter-summary-map)
5315 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
5316 (local-set-key "!" 'gnus-summary-put-mark-as-ticked-next))
5322 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
5323 (local-set-key "!" "MM!n"))
5327 @node Setting Process Marks
5328 @subsection Setting Process Marks
5329 @cindex setting process marks
5336 @kindex M P p (Summary)
5337 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
5338 Mark the current article with the process mark
5339 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}).
5340 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
5344 @kindex M P u (Summary)
5345 @kindex M-# (Summary)
5346 Remove the process mark, if any, from the current article
5347 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
5350 @kindex M P U (Summary)
5351 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
5352 Remove the process mark from all articles
5353 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
5356 @kindex M P i (Summary)
5357 @findex gnus-uu-invert-processable
5358 Invert the list of process marked articles
5359 (@code{gnus-uu-invert-processable}).
5362 @kindex M P R (Summary)
5363 @findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
5364 Mark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
5365 expression (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
5368 @kindex M P G (Summary)
5369 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp
5370 Unmark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
5371 expression (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp}).
5374 @kindex M P r (Summary)
5375 @findex gnus-uu-mark-region
5376 Mark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
5379 @kindex M P t (Summary)
5380 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
5381 Mark all articles in the current (sub)thread
5382 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
5385 @kindex M P T (Summary)
5386 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
5387 Unmark all articles in the current (sub)thread
5388 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
5391 @kindex M P v (Summary)
5392 @findex gnus-uu-mark-over
5393 Mark all articles that have a score above the prefix argument
5394 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-over}).
5397 @kindex M P s (Summary)
5398 @findex gnus-uu-mark-series
5399 Mark all articles in the current series (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
5402 @kindex M P S (Summary)
5403 @findex gnus-uu-mark-sparse
5404 Mark all series that have already had some articles marked
5405 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-sparse}).
5408 @kindex M P a (Summary)
5409 @findex gnus-uu-mark-all
5410 Mark all articles in series order (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
5413 @kindex M P b (Summary)
5414 @findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
5415 Mark all articles in the buffer in the order they appear
5416 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
5419 @kindex M P k (Summary)
5420 @findex gnus-summary-kill-process-mark
5421 Push the current process mark set onto the stack and unmark all articles
5422 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-process-mark}).
5425 @kindex M P y (Summary)
5426 @findex gnus-summary-yank-process-mark
5427 Pop the previous process mark set from the stack and restore it
5428 (@code{gnus-summary-yank-process-mark}).
5431 @kindex M P w (Summary)
5432 @findex gnus-summary-save-process-mark
5433 Push the current process mark set onto the stack
5434 (@code{gnus-summary-save-process-mark}).
5438 Also see the @kbd{&} command in @pxref{Searching for Articles} for how to
5439 set process marks based on article body contents.
5446 It can be convenient to limit the summary buffer to just show some
5447 subset of the articles currently in the group. The effect most limit
5448 commands have is to remove a few (or many) articles from the summary
5451 All limiting commands work on subsets of the articles already fetched
5452 from the servers. None of these commands query the server for
5453 additional articles.
5459 @kindex / / (Summary)
5460 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-subject
5461 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some subject
5462 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-subject}).
5465 @kindex / a (Summary)
5466 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-author
5467 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some author
5468 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-author}).
5471 @kindex / x (Summary)
5472 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-extra
5473 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match one of the ``extra''
5474 headers (@pxref{To From Newsgroups})
5475 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-extra}).
5479 @kindex / u (Summary)
5481 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unread
5482 Limit the summary buffer to articles not marked as read
5483 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unread}). If given a prefix, limit the
5484 buffer to articles strictly unread. This means that ticked and
5485 dormant articles will also be excluded.
5488 @kindex / m (Summary)
5489 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-marks
5490 Ask for a mark and then limit to all articles that have been marked
5491 with that mark (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}).
5494 @kindex / t (Summary)
5495 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-age
5496 Ask for a number and then limit the summary buffer to articles older than (or equal to) that number of days
5497 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-age}). If given a prefix, limit to
5498 articles younger than that number of days.
5501 @kindex / n (Summary)
5502 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-articles
5503 Limit the summary buffer to the current article
5504 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-articles}). Uses the process/prefix
5505 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5508 @kindex / w (Summary)
5509 @findex gnus-summary-pop-limit
5510 Pop the previous limit off the stack and restore it
5511 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-limit}). If given a prefix, pop all limits off
5515 @kindex / v (Summary)
5516 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-score
5517 Limit the summary buffer to articles that have a score at or above some
5518 score (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-score}).
5522 @kindex M S (Summary)
5523 @kindex / E (Summary)
5524 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged
5525 Include all expunged articles in the limit
5526 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged}).
5529 @kindex / D (Summary)
5530 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant
5531 Include all dormant articles in the limit
5532 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant}).
5535 @kindex / * (Summary)
5536 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-cached
5537 Include all cached articles in the limit
5538 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}).
5541 @kindex / d (Summary)
5542 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant
5543 Exclude all dormant articles from the limit
5544 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant}).
5547 @kindex / M (Summary)
5548 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks
5549 Exclude all marked articles (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks}).
5552 @kindex / T (Summary)
5553 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-thread
5554 Include all the articles in the current thread in the limit.
5557 @kindex / c (Summary)
5558 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant
5559 Exclude all dormant articles that have no children from the limit
5560 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant}).
5563 @kindex / C (Summary)
5564 @findex gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read
5565 Mark all excluded unread articles as read
5566 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read}). If given a prefix,
5567 also mark excluded ticked and dormant articles as read.
5575 @cindex article threading
5577 Gnus threads articles by default. @dfn{To thread} is to put responses
5578 to articles directly after the articles they respond to---in a
5579 hierarchical fashion.
5581 Threading is done by looking at the @code{References} headers of the
5582 articles. In a perfect world, this would be enough to build pretty
5583 trees, but unfortunately, the @code{References} header is often broken
5584 or simply missing. Weird news propagation exacerbates the problem,
5585 so one has to employ other heuristics to get pleasing results. A
5586 plethora of approaches exists, as detailed in horrible detail in
5587 @pxref{Customizing Threading}.
5589 First, a quick overview of the concepts:
5593 The top-most article in a thread; the first article in the thread.
5596 A tree-like article structure.
5599 A small(er) section of this tree-like structure.
5602 Threads often lose their roots due to article expiry, or due to the root
5603 already having been read in a previous session, and not displayed in the
5604 summary buffer. We then typically have many sub-threads that really
5605 belong to one thread, but are without connecting roots. These are
5606 called loose threads.
5608 @item thread gathering
5609 An attempt to gather loose threads into bigger threads.
5611 @item sparse threads
5612 A thread where the missing articles have been ``guessed'' at, and are
5613 displayed as empty lines in the summary buffer.
5619 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
5620 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
5624 @node Customizing Threading
5625 @subsection Customizing Threading
5626 @cindex customizing threading
5629 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
5630 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
5631 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
5632 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over... but you were wrong!
5637 @subsubsection Loose Threads
5640 @cindex loose threads
5643 @item gnus-summary-make-false-root
5644 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root
5645 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will gather all loose subtrees into one big tree
5646 and create a dummy root at the top. (Wait a minute. Root at the top?
5647 Yup.) Loose subtrees occur when the real root has expired, or you've
5648 read or killed the root in a previous session.
5650 When there is no real root of a thread, Gnus will have to fudge
5651 something. This variable says what fudging method Gnus should use.
5652 There are four possible values:
5656 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{390}{
5657 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-adopt.ps,width=7.5cm}}
5658 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-empty.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
5659 \put(0,400){\makebox(0,0)[tl]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-none.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
5660 \put(445,400){\makebox(0,0)[tr]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-dummy.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
5665 @cindex adopting articles
5670 Gnus will make the first of the orphaned articles the parent. This
5671 parent will adopt all the other articles. The adopted articles will be
5672 marked as such by pointy brackets (@samp{<>}) instead of the standard
5673 square brackets (@samp{[]}). This is the default method.
5676 @vindex gnus-summary-dummy-line-format
5677 Gnus will create a dummy summary line that will pretend to be the
5678 parent. This dummy line does not correspond to any real article, so
5679 selecting it will just select the first real article after the dummy
5680 article. @code{gnus-summary-dummy-line-format} is used to specify the
5681 format of the dummy roots. It accepts only one format spec: @samp{S},
5682 which is the subject of the article. @xref{Formatting Variables}.
5685 Gnus won't actually make any article the parent, but simply leave the
5686 subject field of all orphans except the first empty. (Actually, it will
5687 use @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} as the subject (@pxref{Summary
5691 Don't make any article parent at all. Just gather the threads and
5692 display them after one another.
5695 Don't gather loose threads.
5698 @item gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
5699 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
5700 Loose threads are gathered by comparing subjects of articles. If this
5701 variable is @code{nil}, Gnus requires an exact match between the
5702 subjects of the loose threads before gathering them into one big
5703 super-thread. This might be too strict a requirement, what with the
5704 presence of stupid newsreaders that chop off long subject lines. If
5705 you think so, set this variable to, say, 20 to require that only the
5706 first 20 characters of the subjects have to match. If you set this
5707 variable to a really low number, you'll find that Gnus will gather
5708 everything in sight into one thread, which isn't very helpful.
5710 @cindex fuzzy article gathering
5711 If you set this variable to the special value @code{fuzzy}, Gnus will
5712 use a fuzzy string comparison algorithm on the subjects (@pxref{Fuzzy
5715 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
5716 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
5717 This can either be a regular expression or list of regular expressions
5718 that match strings that will be removed from subjects if fuzzy subject
5719 simplification is used.
5721 @item gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
5722 @vindex gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
5723 If you set @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit} to something as low
5724 as 10, you might consider setting this variable to something sensible:
5726 @c Written by Michael Ernst <mernst@cs.rice.edu>
5728 (setq gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
5734 "wanted" "followup" "summary\\( of\\)?"
5735 "help" "query" "problem" "question"
5736 "answer" "reference" "announce"
5737 "How can I" "How to" "Comparison of"
5742 (mapconcat 'identity
5743 '("for" "for reference" "with" "about")
5745 "\\)?\\]?:?[ \t]*"))
5748 All words that match this regexp will be removed before comparing two
5751 @item gnus-simplify-subject-functions
5752 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-functions
5753 If non-@code{nil}, this variable overrides
5754 @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}. This variable should be a
5755 list of functions to apply to the @code{Subject} string iteratively to
5756 arrive at the simplified version of the string.
5758 Useful functions to put in this list include:
5761 @item gnus-simplify-subject-re
5762 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-re
5763 Strip the leading @samp{Re:}.
5765 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
5766 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
5769 @item gnus-simplify-whitespace
5770 @findex gnus-simplify-whitespace
5771 Remove excessive whitespace.
5774 You may also write your own functions, of course.
5777 @item gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
5778 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
5779 Since loose thread gathering is done on subjects only, that might lead
5780 to many false hits, especially with certain common subjects like
5781 @samp{} and @samp{(none)}. To make the situation slightly better,
5782 you can use the regexp @code{gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject} to say
5783 what subjects should be excluded from the gathering process.@*
5784 The default is @samp{^ *$\\|^(none)$}.
5786 @item gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
5787 @vindex gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
5788 Gnus gathers threads by looking at @code{Subject} headers. This means
5789 that totally unrelated articles may end up in the same ``thread'', which
5790 is confusing. An alternate approach is to look at all the
5791 @code{Message-ID}s in all the @code{References} headers to find matches.
5792 This will ensure that no gathered threads ever include unrelated
5793 articles, but it also means that people who have posted with broken
5794 newsreaders won't be gathered properly. The choice is yours---plague or
5798 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
5799 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
5800 This function is the default gathering function and looks at
5801 @code{Subject}s exclusively.
5803 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-references
5804 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-references
5805 This function looks at @code{References} headers exclusively.
5808 If you want to test gathering by @code{References}, you could say
5812 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
5813 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
5819 @node Filling In Threads
5820 @subsubsection Filling In Threads
5823 @item gnus-fetch-old-headers
5824 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-headers
5825 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will attempt to build old threads by fetching
5826 more old headers---headers to articles marked as read. If you
5827 would like to display as few summary lines as possible, but still
5828 connect as many loose threads as possible, you should set this variable
5829 to @code{some} or a number. If you set it to a number, no more than
5830 that number of extra old headers will be fetched. In either case,
5831 fetching old headers only works if the backend you are using carries
5832 overview files---this would normally be @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and
5833 @code{nnml}. Also remember that if the root of the thread has been
5834 expired by the server, there's not much Gnus can do about that.
5836 This variable can also be set to @code{invisible}. This won't have any
5837 visible effects, but is useful if you use the @kbd{A T} command a lot
5838 (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
5840 @item gnus-build-sparse-threads
5841 @vindex gnus-build-sparse-threads
5842 Fetching old headers can be slow. A low-rent similar effect can be
5843 gotten by setting this variable to @code{some}. Gnus will then look at
5844 the complete @code{References} headers of all articles and try to string
5845 together articles that belong in the same thread. This will leave
5846 @dfn{gaps} in the threading display where Gnus guesses that an article
5847 is missing from the thread. (These gaps appear like normal summary
5848 lines. If you select a gap, Gnus will try to fetch the article in
5849 question.) If this variable is @code{t}, Gnus will display all these
5850 ``gaps'' without regard for whether they are useful for completing the
5851 thread or not. Finally, if this variable is @code{more}, Gnus won't cut
5852 off sparse leaf nodes that don't lead anywhere. This variable is
5853 @code{nil} by default.
5855 @item gnus-read-all-available-headers
5856 @vindex gnus-read-all-available-headers
5857 This is a rather obscure variable that few will find useful. It's
5858 intended for those non-news newsgroups where the backend has to fetch
5859 quite a lot to present the summary buffer, and where it's impossible to
5860 go back to parents of articles. This is mostly the case in the
5861 web-based groups, like the @code{nnultimate} groups.
5863 If you don't use those, then it's safe to leave this as the default
5864 @code{nil}. If you want to use this variable, it should be a regexp
5865 that matches the group name, or @code{t} for all groups.
5870 @node More Threading
5871 @subsubsection More Threading
5874 @item gnus-show-threads
5875 @vindex gnus-show-threads
5876 If this variable is @code{nil}, no threading will be done, and all of
5877 the rest of the variables here will have no effect. Turning threading
5878 off will speed group selection up a bit, but it is sure to make reading
5879 slower and more awkward.
5881 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
5882 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-subtree
5883 If non-@code{nil}, all threads will be hidden when the summary buffer is
5886 @item gnus-thread-expunge-below
5887 @vindex gnus-thread-expunge-below
5888 All threads that have a total score (as defined by
5889 @code{gnus-thread-score-function}) less than this number will be
5890 expunged. This variable is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
5891 threads are expunged.
5893 @item gnus-thread-hide-killed
5894 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-killed
5895 if you kill a thread and this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subtree
5898 @item gnus-thread-ignore-subject
5899 @vindex gnus-thread-ignore-subject
5900 Sometimes somebody changes the subject in the middle of a thread. If
5901 this variable is non-@code{nil}, which is the default, the subject
5902 change is ignored. If it is @code{nil}, a change in the subject will
5903 result in a new thread.
5905 @item gnus-thread-indent-level
5906 @vindex gnus-thread-indent-level
5907 This is a number that says how much each sub-thread should be indented.
5910 @item gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
5911 @vindex gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
5912 Sometimes, particularly with mailing lists, the order in which mails
5913 arrive locally is not necessarily the same as the order in which they
5914 arrived on the mailing list. Consequently, when sorting sub-threads
5915 using the default @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number}, responses can end
5916 up appearing before the article to which they are responding to.
5917 Setting this variable to an alternate value
5918 (e.g. @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}), in a group's parameters or in an
5919 appropriate hook (e.g. @code{gnus-summary-generate-hook}) can produce a
5920 more logical sub-thread ordering in such instances.
5925 @node Low-Level Threading
5926 @subsubsection Low-Level Threading
5930 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
5931 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
5932 Hook run before parsing any headers.
5934 @item gnus-alter-header-function
5935 @vindex gnus-alter-header-function
5936 If non-@code{nil}, this function will be called to allow alteration of
5937 article header structures. The function is called with one parameter,
5938 the article header vector, which it may alter in any way. For instance,
5939 if you have a mail-to-news gateway which alters the @code{Message-ID}s
5940 in systematic ways (by adding prefixes and such), you can use this
5941 variable to un-scramble the @code{Message-ID}s so that they are more
5942 meaningful. Here's one example:
5945 (setq gnus-alter-header-function 'my-alter-message-id)
5947 (defun my-alter-message-id (header)
5948 (let ((id (mail-header-id header)))
5950 "\\(<[^<>@@]*\\)\\.?cygnus\\..*@@\\([^<>@@]*>\\)" id)
5952 (concat (match-string 1 id) "@@" (match-string 2 id))
5959 @node Thread Commands
5960 @subsection Thread Commands
5961 @cindex thread commands
5967 @kindex T k (Summary)
5968 @kindex M-C-k (Summary)
5969 @findex gnus-summary-kill-thread
5970 Mark all articles in the current (sub-)thread as read
5971 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}). If the prefix argument is positive,
5972 remove all marks instead. If the prefix argument is negative, tick
5977 @kindex T l (Summary)
5978 @kindex M-C-l (Summary)
5979 @findex gnus-summary-lower-thread
5980 Lower the score of the current (sub-)thread
5981 (@code{gnus-summary-lower-thread}).
5984 @kindex T i (Summary)
5985 @findex gnus-summary-raise-thread
5986 Increase the score of the current (sub-)thread
5987 (@code{gnus-summary-raise-thread}).
5990 @kindex T # (Summary)
5991 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
5992 Set the process mark on the current (sub-)thread
5993 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
5996 @kindex T M-# (Summary)
5997 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
5998 Remove the process mark from the current (sub-)thread
5999 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
6002 @kindex T T (Summary)
6003 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-threads
6004 Toggle threading (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-threads}).
6007 @kindex T s (Summary)
6008 @findex gnus-summary-show-thread
6009 Expose the (sub-)thread hidden under the current article, if any
6010 (@code{gnus-summary-show-thread}).
6013 @kindex T h (Summary)
6014 @findex gnus-summary-hide-thread
6015 Hide the current (sub-)thread (@code{gnus-summary-hide-thread}).
6018 @kindex T S (Summary)
6019 @findex gnus-summary-show-all-threads
6020 Expose all hidden threads (@code{gnus-summary-show-all-threads}).
6023 @kindex T H (Summary)
6024 @findex gnus-summary-hide-all-threads
6025 Hide all threads (@code{gnus-summary-hide-all-threads}).
6028 @kindex T t (Summary)
6029 @findex gnus-summary-rethread-current
6030 Re-thread the current article's thread
6031 (@code{gnus-summary-rethread-current}). This works even when the
6032 summary buffer is otherwise unthreaded.
6035 @kindex T ^ (Summary)
6036 @findex gnus-summary-reparent-thread
6037 Make the current article the child of the marked (or previous) article
6038 (@code{gnus-summary-reparent-thread}).
6042 The following commands are thread movement commands. They all
6043 understand the numeric prefix.
6048 @kindex T n (Summary)
6050 @kindex M-C-n (Summary)
6052 @kindex M-down (Summary)
6053 @findex gnus-summary-next-thread
6054 Go to the next thread (@code{gnus-summary-next-thread}).
6057 @kindex T p (Summary)
6059 @kindex M-C-p (Summary)
6061 @kindex M-up (Summary)
6062 @findex gnus-summary-prev-thread
6063 Go to the previous thread (@code{gnus-summary-prev-thread}).
6066 @kindex T d (Summary)
6067 @findex gnus-summary-down-thread
6068 Descend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-down-thread}).
6071 @kindex T u (Summary)
6072 @findex gnus-summary-up-thread
6073 Ascend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-up-thread}).
6076 @kindex T o (Summary)
6077 @findex gnus-summary-top-thread
6078 Go to the top of the thread (@code{gnus-summary-top-thread}).
6081 @vindex gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject
6082 If you ignore subject while threading, you'll naturally end up with
6083 threads that have several different subjects in them. If you then issue
6084 a command like `T k' (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}) you might not
6085 wish to kill the entire thread, but just those parts of the thread that
6086 have the same subject as the current article. If you like this idea,
6087 you can fiddle with @code{gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject}. If it
6088 is non-@code{nil} (which it is by default), subjects will be ignored
6089 when doing thread commands. If this variable is @code{nil}, articles in
6090 the same thread with different subjects will not be included in the
6091 operation in question. If this variable is @code{fuzzy}, only articles
6092 that have subjects fuzzily equal will be included (@pxref{Fuzzy
6096 @node Sorting the Summary Buffer
6097 @section Sorting the Summary Buffer
6099 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score
6100 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date
6101 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-score
6102 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
6103 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-author
6104 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-number
6105 @vindex gnus-thread-sort-functions
6106 If you are using a threaded summary display, you can sort the threads by
6107 setting @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, which can be either a single
6108 function, a list of functions, or a list containing functions and
6109 @code{(not some-function)} elements.
6111 By default, sorting is done on article numbers. Ready-made sorting
6112 predicate functions include @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number},
6113 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-subject},
6114 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-score}, and
6115 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score}.
6117 Each function takes two threads and returns non-@code{nil} if the first
6118 thread should be sorted before the other. Note that sorting really is
6119 normally done by looking only at the roots of each thread.
6121 If you use more than one function, the primary sort key should be the
6122 last function in the list. You should probably always include
6123 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number} in the list of sorting
6124 functions---preferably first. This will ensure that threads that are
6125 equal with respect to the other sort criteria will be displayed in
6126 ascending article order.
6128 If you would like to sort by reverse score, then by subject, and finally
6129 by number, you could do something like:
6132 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
6133 '(gnus-thread-sort-by-number
6134 gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
6135 (not gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score)))
6138 The threads that have highest score will be displayed first in the
6139 summary buffer. When threads have the same score, they will be sorted
6140 alphabetically. The threads that have the same score and the same
6141 subject will be sorted by number, which is (normally) the sequence in
6142 which the articles arrived.
6144 If you want to sort by score and then reverse arrival order, you could
6148 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
6150 (not (gnus-thread-sort-by-number t1 t2)))
6151 gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
6154 @vindex gnus-thread-score-function
6155 The function in the @code{gnus-thread-score-function} variable (default
6156 @code{+}) is used for calculating the total score of a thread. Useful
6157 functions might be @code{max}, @code{min}, or squared means, or whatever
6160 @findex gnus-article-sort-functions
6161 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-date
6162 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-score
6163 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-subject
6164 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-author
6165 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-number
6166 If you are using an unthreaded display for some strange reason or other,
6167 you have to fiddle with the @code{gnus-article-sort-functions} variable.
6168 It is very similar to the @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, except that
6169 it uses slightly different functions for article comparison. Available
6170 sorting predicate functions are @code{gnus-article-sort-by-number},
6171 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-article-sort-by-subject},
6172 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-date}, and @code{gnus-article-sort-by-score}.
6174 If you want to sort an unthreaded summary display by subject, you could
6178 (setq gnus-article-sort-functions
6179 '(gnus-article-sort-by-number
6180 gnus-article-sort-by-subject))
6185 @node Asynchronous Fetching
6186 @section Asynchronous Article Fetching
6187 @cindex asynchronous article fetching
6188 @cindex article pre-fetch
6191 If you read your news from an @sc{nntp} server that's far away, the
6192 network latencies may make reading articles a chore. You have to wait
6193 for a while after pressing @kbd{n} to go to the next article before the
6194 article appears. Why can't Gnus just go ahead and fetch the article
6195 while you are reading the previous one? Why not, indeed.
6197 First, some caveats. There are some pitfalls to using asynchronous
6198 article fetching, especially the way Gnus does it.
6200 Let's say you are reading article 1, which is short, and article 2 is
6201 quite long, and you are not interested in reading that. Gnus does not
6202 know this, so it goes ahead and fetches article 2. You decide to read
6203 article 3, but since Gnus is in the process of fetching article 2, the
6204 connection is blocked.
6206 To avoid these situations, Gnus will open two (count 'em two)
6207 connections to the server. Some people may think this isn't a very nice
6208 thing to do, but I don't see any real alternatives. Setting up that
6209 extra connection takes some time, so Gnus startup will be slower.
6211 Gnus will fetch more articles than you will read. This will mean that
6212 the link between your machine and the @sc{nntp} server will become more
6213 loaded than if you didn't use article pre-fetch. The server itself will
6214 also become more loaded---both with the extra article requests, and the
6217 Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing... unless
6220 @vindex gnus-asynchronous
6221 Here's how: Set @code{gnus-asynchronous} to @code{t}. The rest should
6222 happen automatically.
6224 @vindex gnus-use-article-prefetch
6225 You can control how many articles are to be pre-fetched by setting
6226 @code{gnus-use-article-prefetch}. This is 30 by default, which means
6227 that when you read an article in the group, the backend will pre-fetch
6228 the next 30 articles. If this variable is @code{t}, the backend will
6229 pre-fetch all the articles it can without bound. If it is
6230 @code{nil}, no pre-fetching will be done.
6232 @vindex gnus-async-prefetch-article-p
6233 @findex gnus-async-read-p
6234 There are probably some articles that you don't want to pre-fetch---read
6235 articles, for instance. The @code{gnus-async-prefetch-article-p} variable controls whether an article is to be pre-fetched. This function should
6236 return non-@code{nil} when the article in question is to be
6237 pre-fetched. The default is @code{gnus-async-read-p}, which returns
6238 @code{nil} on read articles. The function is called with an article
6239 data structure as the only parameter.
6241 If, for instance, you wish to pre-fetch only unread articles shorter than 100 lines, you could say something like:
6244 (defun my-async-short-unread-p (data)
6245 "Return non-nil for short, unread articles."
6246 (and (gnus-data-unread-p data)
6247 (< (mail-header-lines (gnus-data-header data))
6250 (setq gnus-async-prefetch-article-p 'my-async-short-unread-p)
6253 These functions will be called many, many times, so they should
6254 preferably be short and sweet to avoid slowing down Gnus too much.
6255 It's probably a good idea to byte-compile things like this.
6257 @vindex gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy
6258 Articles have to be removed from the asynch buffer sooner or later. The
6259 @code{gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy} says when to remove
6260 articles. This is a list that may contain the following elements:
6264 Remove articles when they are read.
6267 Remove articles when exiting the group.
6270 The default value is @code{(read exit)}.
6272 @c @vindex gnus-use-header-prefetch
6273 @c If @code{gnus-use-header-prefetch} is non-@code{nil}, prefetch articles
6274 @c from the next group.
6277 @node Article Caching
6278 @section Article Caching
6279 @cindex article caching
6282 If you have an @emph{extremely} slow @sc{nntp} connection, you may
6283 consider turning article caching on. Each article will then be stored
6284 locally under your home directory. As you may surmise, this could
6285 potentially use @emph{huge} amounts of disk space, as well as eat up all
6286 your inodes so fast it will make your head swim. In vodka.
6288 Used carefully, though, it could be just an easier way to save articles.
6290 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
6291 @vindex gnus-cache-directory
6292 @vindex gnus-use-cache
6293 To turn caching on, set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{t}. By default,
6294 all articles ticked or marked as dormant will then be copied
6295 over to your local cache (@code{gnus-cache-directory}). Whether this
6296 cache is flat or hierarchical is controlled by the
6297 @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable, as usual.
6299 When re-selecting a ticked or dormant article, it will be fetched from the
6300 cache instead of from the server. As articles in your cache will never
6301 expire, this might serve as a method of saving articles while still
6302 keeping them where they belong. Just mark all articles you want to save
6303 as dormant, and don't worry.
6305 When an article is marked as read, is it removed from the cache.
6307 @vindex gnus-cache-remove-articles
6308 @vindex gnus-cache-enter-articles
6309 The entering/removal of articles from the cache is controlled by the
6310 @code{gnus-cache-enter-articles} and @code{gnus-cache-remove-articles}
6311 variables. Both are lists of symbols. The first is @code{(ticked
6312 dormant)} by default, meaning that ticked and dormant articles will be
6313 put in the cache. The latter is @code{(read)} by default, meaning that
6314 articles marked as read are removed from the cache. Possibly
6315 symbols in these two lists are @code{ticked}, @code{dormant},
6316 @code{unread} and @code{read}.
6318 @findex gnus-jog-cache
6319 So where does the massive article-fetching and storing come into the
6320 picture? The @code{gnus-jog-cache} command will go through all
6321 subscribed newsgroups, request all unread articles, score them, and
6322 store them in the cache. You should only ever, ever ever ever, use this
6323 command if 1) your connection to the @sc{nntp} server is really, really,
6324 really slow and 2) you have a really, really, really huge disk.
6325 Seriously. One way to cut down on the number of articles downloaded is
6326 to score unwanted articles down and have them marked as read. They will
6327 not then be downloaded by this command.
6329 @vindex gnus-uncacheable-groups
6330 @vindex gnus-cacheable-groups
6331 It is likely that you do not want caching on all groups. For instance,
6332 if your @code{nnml} mail is located under your home directory, it makes no
6333 sense to cache it somewhere else under your home directory. Unless you
6334 feel that it's neat to use twice as much space.
6336 To limit the caching, you could set @code{gnus-cacheable-groups} to a
6337 regexp of groups to cache, @samp{^nntp} for instance, or set the
6338 @code{gnus-uncacheable-groups} regexp to @samp{^nnml}, for instance.
6339 Both variables are @code{nil} by default. If a group matches both
6340 variables, the group is not cached.
6342 @findex gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases
6343 @findex gnus-cache-generate-active
6344 @vindex gnus-cache-active-file
6345 The cache stores information on what articles it contains in its active
6346 file (@code{gnus-cache-active-file}). If this file (or any other parts
6347 of the cache) becomes all messed up for some reason or other, Gnus
6348 offers two functions that will try to set things right. @kbd{M-x
6349 gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases} will (re)build all the @sc{nov}
6350 files, and @kbd{gnus-cache-generate-active} will (re)generate the active
6354 @node Persistent Articles
6355 @section Persistent Articles
6356 @cindex persistent articles
6358 Closely related to article caching, we have @dfn{persistent articles}.
6359 In fact, it's just a different way of looking at caching, and much more
6360 useful in my opinion.
6362 Say you're reading a newsgroup, and you happen on to some valuable gem
6363 that you want to keep and treasure forever. You'd normally just save it
6364 (using one of the many saving commands) in some file. The problem with
6365 that is that it's just, well, yucky. Ideally you'd prefer just having
6366 the article remain in the group where you found it forever; untouched by
6367 the expiry going on at the news server.
6369 This is what a @dfn{persistent article} is---an article that just won't
6370 be deleted. It's implemented using the normal cache functions, but
6371 you use two explicit commands for managing persistent articles:
6377 @findex gnus-cache-enter-article
6378 Make the current article persistent (@code{gnus-cache-enter-article}).
6381 @kindex M-* (Summary)
6382 @findex gnus-cache-remove-article
6383 Remove the current article from the persistent articles
6384 (@code{gnus-cache-remove-article}). This will normally delete the
6388 Both these commands understand the process/prefix convention.
6390 To avoid having all ticked articles (and stuff) entered into the cache,
6391 you should set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{passive} if you're just
6392 interested in persistent articles:
6395 (setq gnus-use-cache 'passive)
6399 @node Article Backlog
6400 @section Article Backlog
6402 @cindex article backlog
6404 If you have a slow connection, but the idea of using caching seems
6405 unappealing to you (and it is, really), you can help the situation some
6406 by switching on the @dfn{backlog}. This is where Gnus will buffer
6407 already read articles so that it doesn't have to re-fetch articles
6408 you've already read. This only helps if you are in the habit of
6409 re-selecting articles you've recently read, of course. If you never do
6410 that, turning the backlog on will slow Gnus down a little bit, and
6411 increase memory usage some.
6413 @vindex gnus-keep-backlog
6414 If you set @code{gnus-keep-backlog} to a number @var{n}, Gnus will store
6415 at most @var{n} old articles in a buffer for later re-fetching. If this
6416 variable is non-@code{nil} and is not a number, Gnus will store
6417 @emph{all} read articles, which means that your Emacs will grow without
6418 bound before exploding and taking your machine down with you. I put
6419 that in there just to keep y'all on your toes.
6421 This variable is @code{nil} by default.
6424 @node Saving Articles
6425 @section Saving Articles
6426 @cindex saving articles
6428 Gnus can save articles in a number of ways. Below is the documentation
6429 for saving articles in a fairly straight-forward fashion (i.e., little
6430 processing of the article is done before it is saved). For a different
6431 approach (uudecoding, unsharing) you should use @code{gnus-uu}
6432 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
6434 @vindex gnus-save-all-headers
6435 If @code{gnus-save-all-headers} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will not delete
6436 unwanted headers before saving the article.
6438 @vindex gnus-saved-headers
6439 If the preceding variable is @code{nil}, all headers that match the
6440 @code{gnus-saved-headers} regexp will be kept, while the rest will be
6441 deleted before saving.
6447 @kindex O o (Summary)
6449 @findex gnus-summary-save-article
6450 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article}
6451 Save the current article using the default article saver
6452 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article}).
6455 @kindex O m (Summary)
6456 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-mail
6457 Save the current article in mail format
6458 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-mail}).
6461 @kindex O r (Summary)
6462 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-rmail
6463 Save the current article in rmail format
6464 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-rmail}).
6467 @kindex O f (Summary)
6468 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-file
6469 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article-file}
6470 Save the current article in plain file format
6471 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-file}).
6474 @kindex O F (Summary)
6475 @findex gnus-summary-write-article-file
6476 Write the current article in plain file format, overwriting any previous
6477 file contents (@code{gnus-summary-write-article-file}).
6480 @kindex O b (Summary)
6481 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-body-file
6482 Save the current article body in plain file format
6483 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-body-file}).
6486 @kindex O h (Summary)
6487 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-folder
6488 Save the current article in mh folder format
6489 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-folder}).
6492 @kindex O v (Summary)
6493 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-vm
6494 Save the current article in a VM folder
6495 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-vm}).
6499 @kindex O p (Summary)
6501 @findex gnus-summary-pipe-output
6502 Save the current article in a pipe. Uhm, like, what I mean is---Pipe
6503 the current article to a process (@code{gnus-summary-pipe-output}).
6506 @vindex gnus-prompt-before-saving
6507 All these commands use the process/prefix convention
6508 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). If you save bunches of articles using these
6509 functions, you might get tired of being prompted for files to save each
6510 and every article in. The prompting action is controlled by
6511 the @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} variable, which is @code{always} by
6512 default, giving you that excessive prompting action you know and
6513 loathe. If you set this variable to @code{t} instead, you'll be prompted
6514 just once for each series of articles you save. If you like to really
6515 have Gnus do all your thinking for you, you can even set this variable
6516 to @code{nil}, which means that you will never be prompted for files to
6517 save articles in. Gnus will simply save all the articles in the default
6521 @vindex gnus-default-article-saver
6522 You can customize the @code{gnus-default-article-saver} variable to make
6523 Gnus do what you want it to. You can use any of the six ready-made
6524 functions below, or you can create your own.
6528 @item gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
6529 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
6530 @vindex gnus-rmail-save-name
6531 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
6532 This is the default format, @dfn{babyl}. Uses the function in the
6533 @code{gnus-rmail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
6534 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
6536 @item gnus-summary-save-in-mail
6537 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-mail
6538 @vindex gnus-mail-save-name
6539 Save in a Unix mail (mbox) file. Uses the function in the
6540 @code{gnus-mail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
6541 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
6543 @item gnus-summary-save-in-file
6544 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-file
6545 @vindex gnus-file-save-name
6546 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
6547 Append the article straight to an ordinary file. Uses the function in
6548 the @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
6549 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
6551 @item gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
6552 @findex gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
6553 Append the article body to an ordinary file. Uses the function in the
6554 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
6555 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
6557 @item gnus-summary-save-in-folder
6558 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-folder
6559 @findex gnus-folder-save-name
6560 @findex gnus-Folder-save-name
6561 @vindex gnus-folder-save-name
6564 Save the article to an MH folder using @code{rcvstore} from the MH
6565 library. Uses the function in the @code{gnus-folder-save-name} variable
6566 to get a file name to save the article in. The default is
6567 @code{gnus-folder-save-name}, but you can also use
6568 @code{gnus-Folder-save-name}, which creates capitalized names.
6570 @item gnus-summary-save-in-vm
6571 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-vm
6572 Save the article in a VM folder. You have to have the VM mail
6573 reader to use this setting.
6576 @vindex gnus-article-save-directory
6577 All of these functions, except for the last one, will save the article
6578 in the @code{gnus-article-save-directory}, which is initialized from the
6579 @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable. This is @file{~/News/} by
6582 As you can see above, the functions use different functions to find a
6583 suitable name of a file to save the article in. Below is a list of
6584 available functions that generate names:
6588 @item gnus-Numeric-save-name
6589 @findex gnus-Numeric-save-name
6590 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
6592 @item gnus-numeric-save-name
6593 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
6594 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
6596 @item gnus-Plain-save-name
6597 @findex gnus-Plain-save-name
6598 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin}.
6600 @item gnus-plain-save-name
6601 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
6602 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.
6604 @item gnus-sender-save-name
6605 @findex gnus-sender-save-name
6606 File names like @file{~/News/larsi}.
6609 @vindex gnus-split-methods
6610 You can have Gnus suggest where to save articles by plonking a regexp into
6611 the @code{gnus-split-methods} alist. For instance, if you would like to
6612 save articles related to Gnus in the file @file{gnus-stuff}, and articles
6613 related to VM in @code{vm-stuff}, you could set this variable to something
6617 (("^Subject:.*gnus\\|^Newsgroups:.*gnus" "gnus-stuff")
6618 ("^Subject:.*vm\\|^Xref:.*vm" "vm-stuff")
6619 (my-choosing-function "../other-dir/my-stuff")
6620 ((equal gnus-newsgroup-name "mail.misc") "mail-stuff"))
6623 We see that this is a list where each element is a list that has two
6624 elements---the @dfn{match} and the @dfn{file}. The match can either be
6625 a string (in which case it is used as a regexp to match on the article
6626 head); it can be a symbol (which will be called as a function with the
6627 group name as a parameter); or it can be a list (which will be
6628 @code{eval}ed). If any of these actions have a non-@code{nil} result,
6629 the @dfn{file} will be used as a default prompt. In addition, the
6630 result of the operation itself will be used if the function or form
6631 called returns a string or a list of strings.
6633 You basically end up with a list of file names that might be used when
6634 saving the current article. (All ``matches'' will be used.) You will
6635 then be prompted for what you really want to use as a name, with file
6636 name completion over the results from applying this variable.
6638 This variable is @code{((gnus-article-archive-name))} by default, which
6639 means that Gnus will look at the articles it saves for an
6640 @code{Archive-name} line and use that as a suggestion for the file
6643 Here's an example function to clean up file names somewhat. If you have
6644 lots of mail groups called things like
6645 @samp{nnml:mail.whatever}, you may want to chop off the beginning of
6646 these group names before creating the file name to save to. The
6647 following will do just that:
6650 (defun my-save-name (group)
6651 (when (string-match "^nnml:mail." group)
6652 (substring group (match-end 0))))
6654 (setq gnus-split-methods
6655 '((gnus-article-archive-name)
6660 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
6661 Finally, you have the @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable. If it is
6662 @code{nil}, all the preceding functions will replace all periods
6663 (@samp{.}) in the group names with slashes (@samp{/})---which means that
6664 the functions will generate hierarchies of directories instead of having
6665 all the files in the top level directory
6666 (@file{~/News/alt/andrea-dworkin} instead of
6667 @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.) This variable is @code{t} by default
6668 on most systems. However, for historical reasons, this is @code{nil} on
6669 Xenix and usg-unix-v machines by default.
6671 This function also affects kill and score file names. If this variable
6672 is a list, and the list contains the element @code{not-score}, long file
6673 names will not be used for score files, if it contains the element
6674 @code{not-save}, long file names will not be used for saving, and if it
6675 contains the element @code{not-kill}, long file names will not be used
6678 If you'd like to save articles in a hierarchy that looks something like
6682 (setq gnus-use-long-file-name '(not-save)) ; to get a hierarchy
6683 (setq gnus-default-article-saver
6684 'gnus-summary-save-in-file) ; no encoding
6687 Then just save with @kbd{o}. You'd then read this hierarchy with
6688 ephemeral @code{nneething} groups---@kbd{G D} in the group buffer, and
6689 the top level directory as the argument (@file{~/News/}). Then just walk
6690 around to the groups/directories with @code{nneething}.
6693 @node Decoding Articles
6694 @section Decoding Articles
6695 @cindex decoding articles
6697 Sometime users post articles (or series of articles) that have been
6698 encoded in some way or other. Gnus can decode them for you.
6701 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
6702 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
6703 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
6704 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
6705 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
6706 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
6710 @cindex article series
6711 All these functions use the process/prefix convention
6712 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) for finding out what articles to work on, with
6713 the extension that a ``single article'' means ``a single series''. Gnus
6714 can find out by itself what articles belong to a series, decode all the
6715 articles and unpack/view/save the resulting file(s).
6717 Gnus guesses what articles are in the series according to the following
6718 simplish rule: The subjects must be (nearly) identical, except for the
6719 last two numbers of the line. (Spaces are largely ignored, however.)
6721 For example: If you choose a subject called @samp{cat.gif (2/3)}, Gnus
6722 will find all the articles that match the regexp @samp{^cat.gif
6723 ([0-9]+/[0-9]+).*$}.
6725 Subjects that are non-standard, like @samp{cat.gif (2/3) Part 6 of a
6726 series}, will not be properly recognized by any of the automatic viewing
6727 commands, and you have to mark the articles manually with @kbd{#}.
6730 @node Uuencoded Articles
6731 @subsection Uuencoded Articles
6733 @cindex uuencoded articles
6738 @kindex X u (Summary)
6739 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu
6740 @c @icon{gnus-uu-decode-uu}
6741 Uudecodes the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}).
6744 @kindex X U (Summary)
6745 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save
6746 Uudecodes and saves the current series
6747 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
6750 @kindex X v u (Summary)
6751 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-view
6752 Uudecodes and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-view}).
6755 @kindex X v U (Summary)
6756 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view
6757 Uudecodes, views and saves the current series
6758 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view}).
6762 Remember that these all react to the presence of articles marked with
6763 the process mark. If, for instance, you'd like to decode and save an
6764 entire newsgroup, you'd typically do @kbd{M P a}
6765 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}) and then @kbd{X U}
6766 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
6768 All this is very much different from how @code{gnus-uu} worked with
6769 @sc{gnus 4.1}, where you had explicit keystrokes for everything under
6770 the sun. This version of @code{gnus-uu} generally assumes that you mark
6771 articles in some way (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}) and then press
6774 @vindex gnus-uu-notify-files
6775 Note: When trying to decode articles that have names matching
6776 @code{gnus-uu-notify-files}, which is hard-coded to
6777 @samp{[Cc][Ii][Nn][Dd][Yy][0-9]+.\\(gif\\|jpg\\)}, @code{gnus-uu} will
6778 automatically post an article on @samp{comp.unix.wizards} saying that
6779 you have just viewed the file in question. This feature can't be turned
6783 @node Shell Archives
6784 @subsection Shell Archives
6786 @cindex shell archives
6787 @cindex shared articles
6789 Shell archives (``shar files'') used to be a popular way to distribute
6790 sources, but it isn't used all that much today. In any case, we have
6791 some commands to deal with these:
6796 @kindex X s (Summary)
6797 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar
6798 Unshars the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar}).
6801 @kindex X S (Summary)
6802 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save
6803 Unshars and saves the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save}).
6806 @kindex X v s (Summary)
6807 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view
6808 Unshars and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view}).
6811 @kindex X v S (Summary)
6812 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view
6813 Unshars, views and saves the current series
6814 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view}).
6818 @node PostScript Files
6819 @subsection PostScript Files
6825 @kindex X p (Summary)
6826 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript
6827 Unpack the current PostScript series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript}).
6830 @kindex X P (Summary)
6831 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save
6832 Unpack and save the current PostScript series
6833 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save}).
6836 @kindex X v p (Summary)
6837 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view
6838 View the current PostScript series
6839 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view}).
6842 @kindex X v P (Summary)
6843 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view
6844 View and save the current PostScript series
6845 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view}).
6850 @subsection Other Files
6854 @kindex X o (Summary)
6855 @findex gnus-uu-decode-save
6856 Save the current series
6857 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-save}).
6860 @kindex X b (Summary)
6861 @findex gnus-uu-decode-binhex
6862 Unbinhex the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-binhex}). This
6863 doesn't really work yet.
6867 @node Decoding Variables
6868 @subsection Decoding Variables
6870 Adjective, not verb.
6873 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
6874 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
6875 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
6879 @node Rule Variables
6880 @subsubsection Rule Variables
6881 @cindex rule variables
6883 Gnus uses @dfn{rule variables} to decide how to view a file. All these
6884 variables are of the form
6887 (list '(regexp1 command2)
6894 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules
6895 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules
6897 This variable is consulted first when viewing files. If you wish to use,
6898 for instance, @code{sox} to convert an @samp{.au} sound file, you could
6901 (setq gnus-uu-user-view-rules
6902 (list '("\\\\.au$" "sox %s -t .aiff > /dev/audio")))
6905 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
6906 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
6907 This variable is consulted if Gnus couldn't make any matches from the
6908 user and default view rules.
6910 @item gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
6911 @vindex gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
6912 This variable can be used to say what commands should be used to unpack
6917 @node Other Decode Variables
6918 @subsubsection Other Decode Variables
6921 @vindex gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
6923 @item gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
6924 All functions in this list will be called right after each file has been
6925 successfully decoded---so that you can move or view files right away,
6926 and don't have to wait for all files to be decoded before you can do
6927 anything. Ready-made functions you can put in this list are:
6931 @item gnus-uu-grab-view
6932 @findex gnus-uu-grab-view
6935 @item gnus-uu-grab-move
6936 @findex gnus-uu-grab-move
6937 Move the file (if you're using a saving function.)
6940 @item gnus-uu-be-dangerous
6941 @vindex gnus-uu-be-dangerous
6942 Specifies what to do if unusual situations arise during decoding. If
6943 @code{nil}, be as conservative as possible. If @code{t}, ignore things
6944 that didn't work, and overwrite existing files. Otherwise, ask each
6947 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
6948 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
6949 Files with name matching this regular expression won't be viewed.
6951 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
6952 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
6953 Files with a @sc{mime} type matching this variable won't be viewed.
6954 Note that Gnus tries to guess what type the file is based on the name.
6955 @code{gnus-uu} is not a @sc{mime} package (yet), so this is slightly
6958 @item gnus-uu-tmp-dir
6959 @vindex gnus-uu-tmp-dir
6960 Where @code{gnus-uu} does its work.
6962 @item gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
6963 @vindex gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
6964 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} won't peek inside archives
6965 looking for files to display.
6967 @item gnus-uu-view-and-save
6968 @vindex gnus-uu-view-and-save
6969 Non-@code{nil} means that the user will always be asked to save a file
6972 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
6973 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
6974 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default viewing
6977 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
6978 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
6979 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default archive
6982 @item gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
6983 @vindex gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
6984 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will strip all carriage returns
6987 @item gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
6988 @vindex gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
6989 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will mark unsuccessfully
6990 decoded articles as unread.
6992 @item gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
6993 @vindex gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
6994 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will @emph{try} to fix
6995 uuencoded files that have had trailing spaces deleted.
6997 @item gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
6998 @vindex gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
6999 Hook run before sending a message to @code{uudecode}.
7001 @item gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
7002 @vindex gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
7004 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the viewing
7005 commands defined by the rule variables and just fudge a @sc{mime}
7006 content type based on the file name. The result will be fed to
7007 @code{metamail} for viewing.
7009 @item gnus-uu-save-in-digest
7010 @vindex gnus-uu-save-in-digest
7011 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu}, when asked to save without
7012 decoding, will save in digests. If this variable is @code{nil},
7013 @code{gnus-uu} will just save everything in a file without any
7014 embellishments. The digesting almost conforms to RFC 1153---no easy way
7015 to specify any meaningful volume and issue numbers were found, so I
7016 simply dropped them.
7021 @node Uuencoding and Posting
7022 @subsubsection Uuencoding and Posting
7026 @item gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
7027 @vindex gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
7028 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ask for a file to encode
7029 before you compose the article. If this variable is @code{t}, you can
7030 either include an encoded file with @kbd{C-c C-i} or have one included
7031 for you when you post the article.
7033 @item gnus-uu-post-length
7034 @vindex gnus-uu-post-length
7035 Maximum length of an article. The encoded file will be split into how
7036 many articles it takes to post the entire file.
7038 @item gnus-uu-post-threaded
7039 @vindex gnus-uu-post-threaded
7040 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will post the encoded file in a
7041 thread. This may not be smart, as no other decoder I have seen is able
7042 to follow threads when collecting uuencoded articles. (Well, I have
7043 seen one package that does that---@code{gnus-uu}, but somehow, I don't
7044 think that counts...) Default is @code{nil}.
7046 @item gnus-uu-post-separate-description
7047 @vindex gnus-uu-post-separate-description
7048 Non-@code{nil} means that the description will be posted in a separate
7049 article. The first article will typically be numbered (0/x). If this
7050 variable is @code{nil}, the description the user enters will be included
7051 at the beginning of the first article, which will be numbered (1/x).
7052 Default is @code{t}.
7058 @subsection Viewing Files
7059 @cindex viewing files
7060 @cindex pseudo-articles
7062 After decoding, if the file is some sort of archive, Gnus will attempt
7063 to unpack the archive and see if any of the files in the archive can be
7064 viewed. For instance, if you have a gzipped tar file @file{pics.tar.gz}
7065 containing the files @file{pic1.jpg} and @file{pic2.gif}, Gnus will
7066 uncompress and de-tar the main file, and then view the two pictures.
7067 This unpacking process is recursive, so if the archive contains archives
7068 of archives, it'll all be unpacked.
7070 Finally, Gnus will normally insert a @dfn{pseudo-article} for each
7071 extracted file into the summary buffer. If you go to these
7072 ``articles'', you will be prompted for a command to run (usually Gnus
7073 will make a suggestion), and then the command will be run.
7075 @vindex gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously
7076 If @code{gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously} is @code{nil}, Emacs will wait
7077 until the viewing is done before proceeding.
7079 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos
7080 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos} is @code{automatic}, Gnus will not insert
7081 the pseudo-articles into the summary buffer, but view them
7082 immediately. If this variable is @code{not-confirm}, the user won't even
7083 be asked for a confirmation before viewing is done.
7085 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos-separately
7086 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos-separately} is non-@code{nil}, one
7087 pseudo-article will be created for each file to be viewed. If
7088 @code{nil}, all files that use the same viewing command will be given as
7089 a list of parameters to that command.
7091 @vindex gnus-insert-pseudo-articles
7092 If @code{gnus-insert-pseudo-articles} is non-@code{nil}, insert
7093 pseudo-articles when decoding. It is @code{t} by default.
7095 So; there you are, reading your @emph{pseudo-articles} in your
7096 @emph{virtual newsgroup} from the @emph{virtual server}; and you think:
7097 Why isn't anything real anymore? How did we get here?
7100 @node Article Treatment
7101 @section Article Treatment
7103 Reading through this huge manual, you may have quite forgotten that the
7104 object of newsreaders is to actually, like, read what people have
7105 written. Reading articles. Unfortunately, people are quite bad at
7106 writing, so there are tons of functions and variables to make reading
7107 these articles easier.
7110 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
7111 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
7112 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
7113 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
7114 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
7115 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
7116 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
7117 * Article Miscellania:: Various other stuff.
7121 @node Article Highlighting
7122 @subsection Article Highlighting
7123 @cindex highlighting
7125 Not only do you want your article buffer to look like fruit salad, but
7126 you want it to look like technicolor fruit salad.
7131 @kindex W H a (Summary)
7132 @findex gnus-article-highlight
7133 @findex gnus-article-maybe-highlight
7134 Do much highlighting of the current article
7135 (@code{gnus-article-highlight}). This function highlights header, cited
7136 text, the signature, and adds buttons to the body and the head.
7139 @kindex W H h (Summary)
7140 @findex gnus-article-highlight-headers
7141 @vindex gnus-header-face-alist
7142 Highlight the headers (@code{gnus-article-highlight-headers}). The
7143 highlighting will be done according to the @code{gnus-header-face-alist}
7144 variable, which is a list where each element has the form
7145 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{name} @var{content})}.
7146 @var{regexp} is a regular expression for matching the
7147 header, @var{name} is the face used for highlighting the header name
7148 (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}) and @var{content} is the face for highlighting
7149 the header value. The first match made will be used. Note that
7150 @var{regexp} shouldn't have @samp{^} prepended---Gnus will add one.
7153 @kindex W H c (Summary)
7154 @findex gnus-article-highlight-citation
7155 Highlight cited text (@code{gnus-article-highlight-citation}).
7157 Some variables to customize the citation highlights:
7160 @vindex gnus-cite-parse-max-size
7162 @item gnus-cite-parse-max-size
7163 If the article size if bigger than this variable (which is 25000 by
7164 default), no citation highlighting will be performed.
7166 @item gnus-cite-max-prefix
7167 @vindex gnus-cite-max-prefix
7168 Maximum possible length for a citation prefix (default 20).
7170 @item gnus-cite-face-list
7171 @vindex gnus-cite-face-list
7172 List of faces used for highlighting citations (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}).
7173 When there are citations from multiple articles in the same message,
7174 Gnus will try to give each citation from each article its own face.
7175 This should make it easier to see who wrote what.
7177 @item gnus-supercite-regexp
7178 @vindex gnus-supercite-regexp
7179 Regexp matching normal Supercite attribution lines.
7181 @item gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
7182 @vindex gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
7183 Regexp matching mangled Supercite attribution lines.
7185 @item gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
7186 @vindex gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
7187 Minimum number of identical prefixes we have to see before we believe
7188 that it's a citation.
7190 @item gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
7191 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
7192 Regexp matching the beginning of an attribution line.
7194 @item gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
7195 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
7196 Regexp matching the end of an attribution line.
7198 @item gnus-cite-attribution-face
7199 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-face
7200 Face used for attribution lines. It is merged with the face for the
7201 cited text belonging to the attribution.
7207 @kindex W H s (Summary)
7208 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
7209 @vindex gnus-signature-face
7210 @findex gnus-article-highlight-signature
7211 Highlight the signature (@code{gnus-article-highlight-signature}).
7212 Everything after @code{gnus-signature-separator} (@pxref{Article
7213 Signature}) in an article will be considered a signature and will be
7214 highlighted with @code{gnus-signature-face}, which is @code{italic} by
7219 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to highlight articles automatically.
7222 @node Article Fontisizing
7223 @subsection Article Fontisizing
7225 @cindex article emphasis
7227 @findex gnus-article-emphasize
7228 @kindex W e (Summary)
7229 People commonly add emphasis to words in news articles by writing things
7230 like @samp{_this_} or @samp{*this*} or @samp{/this/}. Gnus can make
7231 this look nicer by running the article through the @kbd{W e}
7232 (@code{gnus-article-emphasize}) command.
7234 @vindex gnus-emphasis-alist
7235 How the emphasis is computed is controlled by the
7236 @code{gnus-emphasis-alist} variable. This is an alist where the first
7237 element is a regular expression to be matched. The second is a number
7238 that says what regular expression grouping is used to find the entire
7239 emphasized word. The third is a number that says what regexp grouping
7240 should be displayed and highlighted. (The text between these two
7241 groupings will be hidden.) The fourth is the face used for
7245 (setq gnus-emphasis-alist
7246 '(("_\\(\\w+\\)_" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-underline)
7247 ("\\*\\(\\w+\\)\\*" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-bold)))
7256 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline
7257 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold
7258 @vindex gnus-emphasis-italic
7259 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold
7260 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-italic
7261 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold-italic
7262 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic
7263 By default, there are seven rules, and they use the following faces:
7264 @code{gnus-emphasis-bold}, @code{gnus-emphasis-italic},
7265 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline}, @code{gnus-emphasis-bold-italic},
7266 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-italic},
7267 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold}, and
7268 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic}.
7270 If you want to change these faces, you can either use @kbd{M-x
7271 customize}, or you can use @code{copy-face}. For instance, if you want
7272 to make @code{gnus-emphasis-italic} use a red face instead, you could
7276 (copy-face 'red 'gnus-emphasis-italic)
7279 @vindex gnus-group-highlight-words-alist
7281 If you want to highlight arbitrary words, you can use the
7282 @code{gnus-group-highlight-words-alist} variable, which uses the same
7283 syntax as @code{gnus-emphasis-alist}. The @code{highlight-words} group
7284 parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) can also be used.
7286 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to fontize articles automatically.
7289 @node Article Hiding
7290 @subsection Article Hiding
7291 @cindex article hiding
7293 Or rather, hiding certain things in each article. There usually is much
7294 too much cruft in most articles.
7299 @kindex W W a (Summary)
7300 @findex gnus-article-hide
7301 Do quite a lot of hiding on the article buffer
7302 (@kbd{gnus-article-hide}). In particular, this function will hide
7303 headers, PGP, cited text and the signature.
7306 @kindex W W h (Summary)
7307 @findex gnus-article-hide-headers
7308 Hide headers (@code{gnus-article-hide-headers}). @xref{Hiding
7312 @kindex W W b (Summary)
7313 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
7314 Hide headers that aren't particularly interesting
7315 (@code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers}). @xref{Hiding Headers}.
7318 @kindex W W s (Summary)
7319 @findex gnus-article-hide-signature
7320 Hide signature (@code{gnus-article-hide-signature}). @xref{Article
7324 @kindex W W l (Summary)
7325 @findex gnus-article-hide-list-identifiers
7326 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
7327 Strip list identifiers specified in @code{gnus-list-identifiers}. These
7328 are strings some mailing list servers add to the beginning of all
7329 @code{Subject} headers---for example, @samp{[zebra 4711]}. Any leading
7330 @samp{Re: } is skipped before stripping. @code{gnus-list-identifiers}
7331 may not contain @code{\\(..\\)}.
7335 @item gnus-list-identifiers
7336 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
7337 A regular expression that matches list identifiers to be removed from
7338 subject. This can also be a list of regular expressions.
7343 @kindex W W p (Summary)
7344 @findex gnus-article-hide-pgp
7345 @vindex gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook
7346 Hide @sc{pgp} signatures (@code{gnus-article-hide-pgp}). The
7347 @code{gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook} hook will be run after a @sc{pgp}
7348 signature has been hidden. For example, to automatically verify
7349 articles that have signatures in them do:
7351 ;;; Hide pgp cruft if any.
7353 (setq gnus-treat-strip-pgp t)
7355 ;;; After hiding pgp, verify the message;
7356 ;;; only happens if pgp signature is found.
7358 (add-hook 'gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook
7361 (set-buffer gnus-original-article-buffer)
7366 @kindex W W P (Summary)
7367 @findex gnus-article-hide-pem
7368 Hide @sc{pem} (privacy enhanced messages) cruft
7369 (@code{gnus-article-hide-pem}).
7372 @kindex W W B (Summary)
7373 @findex gnus-article-strip-banner
7376 @cindex stripping advertisements
7377 @cindex advertisements
7378 Strip the banner specified by the @code{banner} group parameter
7379 (@code{gnus-article-strip-banner}). This is mainly used to hide those
7380 annoying banners and/or signatures that some mailing lists and moderated
7381 groups adds to all the messages. The way to use this function is to add
7382 the @code{banner} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to the
7383 group you want banners stripped from. The parameter either be a string,
7384 which will be interpreted as a regular expression matching text to be
7385 removed, or the symbol @code{signature}, meaning that the (last)
7386 signature should be removed, or other symbol, meaning that the
7387 corresponding regular expression in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist} is
7391 @kindex W W c (Summary)
7392 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation
7393 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation}). Some variables for
7394 customizing the hiding:
7398 @item gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
7399 @itemx gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
7400 @vindex gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
7401 @vindex gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
7402 Gnus adds buttons to show where the cited text has been hidden, and to
7403 allow toggle hiding the text. The format of the variable is specified
7404 by these format-like variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). These
7409 Starting point of the hidden text.
7411 Ending point of the hidden text.
7413 Number of characters in the hidden region.
7415 Number of lines of hidden text.
7418 @item gnus-cited-lines-visible
7419 @vindex gnus-cited-lines-visible
7420 The number of lines at the beginning of the cited text to leave
7421 shown. This can also be a cons cell with the number of lines at the top
7422 and bottom of the text, respectively, to remain visible.
7427 @kindex W W C-c (Summary)
7428 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe
7430 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe}) depending on the
7431 following two variables:
7434 @item gnus-cite-hide-percentage
7435 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-percentage
7436 If the cited text is of a bigger percentage than this variable (default
7437 50), hide the cited text.
7439 @item gnus-cite-hide-absolute
7440 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-absolute
7441 The cited text must have at least this length (default 10) before it
7446 @kindex W W C (Summary)
7447 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups
7448 Hide cited text in articles that aren't roots
7449 (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups}). This isn't very
7450 useful as an interactive command, but might be a handy function to stick
7451 have happen automatically (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
7455 All these ``hiding'' commands are toggles, but if you give a negative
7456 prefix to these commands, they will show what they have previously
7457 hidden. If you give a positive prefix, they will always hide.
7459 Also @pxref{Article Highlighting} for further variables for
7460 citation customization.
7462 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to hide article elements
7466 @node Article Washing
7467 @subsection Article Washing
7469 @cindex article washing
7471 We call this ``article washing'' for a really good reason. Namely, the
7472 @kbd{A} key was taken, so we had to use the @kbd{W} key instead.
7474 @dfn{Washing} is defined by us as ``changing something from something to
7475 something else'', but normally results in something looking better.
7478 @xref{Customizing Articles}, if you want to change how Gnus displays
7479 articles by default.
7484 This is not really washing, it's sort of the opposite of washing. If
7485 you type this, you see the article exactly as it exists on disk or on
7489 @kindex W l (Summary)
7490 @findex gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking
7491 Remove page breaks from the current article
7492 (@code{gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking}). @xref{Misc Article}, for page
7496 @kindex W r (Summary)
7497 @findex gnus-summary-caesar-message
7498 @c @icon{gnus-summary-caesar-message}
7499 Do a Caesar rotate (rot13) on the article buffer
7500 (@code{gnus-summary-caesar-message}).
7501 Unreadable articles that tell you to read them with Caesar rotate or rot13.
7502 (Typically offensive jokes and such.)
7504 It's commonly called ``rot13'' because each letter is rotated 13
7505 positions in the alphabet, e. g. @samp{B} (letter #2) -> @samp{O} (letter
7506 #15). It is sometimes referred to as ``Caesar rotate'' because Caesar
7507 is rumored to have employed this form of, uh, somewhat weak encryption.
7511 @kindex W t (Summary)
7513 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-header
7514 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer
7515 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-header}).
7518 @kindex W v (Summary)
7519 @findex gnus-summary-verbose-header
7520 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer permanently
7521 (@code{gnus-summary-verbose-header}).
7524 @kindex W o (Summary)
7525 @findex gnus-article-treat-overstrike
7526 Treat overstrike (@code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}).
7529 @kindex W d (Summary)
7530 @findex gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes
7531 @vindex gnus-article-dumbquotes-map
7533 @cindex M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s
7535 Treat M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s according to
7536 @code{gnus-article-dumbquotes-map}
7537 (@code{gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes}). Note that this function guesses
7538 whether a character is a sm*rtq**t* or not, so it should only be used
7541 Sm*rtq**t*s are M****s***'s unilateral extension to the character map in
7542 an attempt to provide more quoting characters. If you see something
7543 like @code{\222} or @code{\264} where you're expecting some kind of
7544 apostrophe or quotation mark, then try this wash.
7547 @kindex W w (Summary)
7548 @findex gnus-article-fill-cited-article
7549 Do word wrap (@code{gnus-article-fill-cited-article}).
7551 You can give the command a numerical prefix to specify the width to use
7555 @kindex W Q (Summary)
7556 @findex gnus-article-fill-long-lines
7557 Fill long lines (@code{gnus-article-fill-long-lines}).
7560 @kindex W C (Summary)
7561 @findex gnus-article-capitalize-sentences
7562 Capitalize the first word in each sentence
7563 (@code{gnus-article-capitalize-sentences}).
7566 @kindex W c (Summary)
7567 @findex gnus-article-remove-cr
7568 Translate CRLF pairs (i. e., @samp{^M}s on the end of the lines) into LF
7569 (this takes care of DOS line endings), and then translate any remaining
7570 CRs into LF (this takes care of Mac line endings)
7571 (@code{gnus-article-remove-cr}).
7574 @kindex W q (Summary)
7575 @findex gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable
7576 Treat quoted-printable (@code{gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable}).
7577 Quoted-Printable is one common @sc{mime} encoding employed when sending
7578 non-ASCII (i. e., 8-bit) articles. It typically makes strings like
7579 @samp{déjà vu} look like @samp{d=E9j=E0 vu}, which doesn't look very
7580 readable to me. Note that the this is usually done automatically by
7581 Gnus if the message in question has a @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding}
7582 header that says that this encoding has been done.
7583 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
7586 @kindex W 6 (Summary)
7587 @findex gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable
7588 Treat base64 (@code{gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable}).
7589 Base64 is one common @sc{mime} encoding employed when sending non-ASCII
7590 (i. e., 8-bit) articles. Note that the this is usually done
7591 automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
7592 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding has
7594 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
7597 @kindex W Z (Summary)
7598 @findex gnus-article-decode-HZ
7599 Treat HZ or HZP (@code{gnus-article-decode-HZ}). HZ (or HZP) is one
7600 common encoding employed when sending Chinese articles. It typically
7601 makes strings look like @samp{~@{<:Ky2;S@{#,NpJ)l6HK!#~@}}.
7604 @kindex W h (Summary)
7605 @findex gnus-article-wash-html
7606 Treat HTML (@code{gnus-article-wash-html}).
7607 Note that the this is usually done automatically by Gnus if the message
7608 in question has a @code{Content-Type} header that says that this type
7610 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
7613 @kindex W f (Summary)
7615 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
7616 @findex gnus-article-x-face-command
7617 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-command
7618 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly
7625 Look for and display any X-Face headers
7626 (@code{gnus-article-display-x-face}). The command executed by this
7627 function is given by the @code{gnus-article-x-face-command} variable.
7628 If this variable is a string, this string will be executed in a
7629 sub-shell. If it is a function, this function will be called with the
7630 face as the argument. If the @code{gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly} (which
7631 is a regexp) matches the @code{From} header, the face will not be shown.
7632 The default action under Emacs is to fork off the @code{display}
7633 program@footnote{@code{display} is from the ImageMagick package. For the
7634 @code{uncompface} and @code{icontopbm} programs look for a package
7635 like `compface' or `faces-xface' on a GNU/Linux system.}
7636 to view the face. Under XEmacs or Emacs 21+ with suitable image
7637 support, the default action is to display the face before the
7638 @code{From} header. (It's nicer if XEmacs has been compiled with X-Face
7639 support---that will make display somewhat faster. If there's no native
7640 X-Face support, Gnus will try to convert the @code{X-Face} header using
7641 external programs from the @code{pbmplus} package and
7642 friends.@footnote{On a GNU/Linux system look for packages with names
7643 like @code{netpbm} or @code{libgr-progs}.}) If you
7644 want to have this function in the display hook, it should probably come
7648 @kindex W b (Summary)
7649 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons
7650 Add clickable buttons to the article (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons}).
7651 @xref{Article Buttons}.
7654 @kindex W B (Summary)
7655 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head
7656 Add clickable buttons to the article headers
7657 (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head}).
7660 @kindex W p (Summary)
7661 @findex gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig
7662 Verify a signed control message (@code{gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig}).
7663 Control messages such as @code{newgroup} and @code{checkgroups} are
7664 usually signed by the hierarchy maintainer. You need to add the PGP
7665 public key of the maintainer to your keyring to verify the
7666 message.@footnote{PGP keys for many hierarchies are available at
7667 @uref{ftp://ftp.isc.org/pub/pgpcontrol/README.html}}
7670 @kindex W W H (Summary)
7671 @findex gnus-article-strip-headers-from-body
7672 Strip headers like the @code{X-No-Archive} header from the beginning of
7673 article bodies (@code{gnus-article-strip-headers-from-body}).
7676 @kindex W E l (Summary)
7677 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines
7678 Remove all blank lines from the beginning of the article
7679 (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines}).
7682 @kindex W E m (Summary)
7683 @findex gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines
7684 Replace all blank lines with empty lines and then all multiple empty
7685 lines with a single empty line.
7686 (@code{gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines}).
7689 @kindex W E t (Summary)
7690 @findex gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines
7691 Remove all blank lines at the end of the article
7692 (@code{gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines}).
7695 @kindex W E a (Summary)
7696 @findex gnus-article-strip-blank-lines
7697 Do all the three commands above
7698 (@code{gnus-article-strip-blank-lines}).
7701 @kindex W E A (Summary)
7702 @findex gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines
7703 Remove all blank lines
7704 (@code{gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines}).
7707 @kindex W E s (Summary)
7708 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-space
7709 Remove all white space from the beginning of all lines of the article
7710 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-space}).
7713 @kindex W E e (Summary)
7714 @findex gnus-article-strip-trailing-space
7715 Remove all white space from the end of all lines of the article
7716 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-trailing-space}).
7720 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to wash articles automatically.
7723 @node Article Buttons
7724 @subsection Article Buttons
7727 People often include references to other stuff in articles, and it would
7728 be nice if Gnus could just fetch whatever it is that people talk about
7729 with the minimum of fuzz when you hit @kbd{RET} or use the middle mouse
7730 button on these references.
7732 Gnus adds @dfn{buttons} to certain standard references by default:
7733 Well-formed URLs, mail addresses and Message-IDs. This is controlled by
7734 two variables, one that handles article bodies and one that handles
7739 @item gnus-button-alist
7740 @vindex gnus-button-alist
7741 This is an alist where each entry has this form:
7744 (REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
7750 All text that match this regular expression will be considered an
7751 external reference. Here's a typical regexp that matches embedded URLs:
7752 @samp{<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>}.
7755 Gnus has to know which parts of the matches is to be highlighted. This
7756 is a number that says what sub-expression of the regexp is to be
7757 highlighted. If you want it all highlighted, you use 0 here.
7760 This form will be @code{eval}ed, and if the result is non-@code{nil},
7761 this is considered a match. This is useful if you want extra sifting to
7762 avoid false matches.
7765 This function will be called when you click on this button.
7768 As with @var{button-par}, this is a sub-expression number, but this one
7769 says which part of the match is to be sent as data to @var{function}.
7773 So the full entry for buttonizing URLs is then
7776 ("<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>" 0 t gnus-button-url 1)
7779 @item gnus-header-button-alist
7780 @vindex gnus-header-button-alist
7781 This is just like the other alist, except that it is applied to the
7782 article head only, and that each entry has an additional element that is
7783 used to say what headers to apply the buttonize coding to:
7786 (HEADER REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
7789 @var{header} is a regular expression.
7791 @item gnus-button-url-regexp
7792 @vindex gnus-button-url-regexp
7793 A regular expression that matches embedded URLs. It is used in the
7794 default values of the variables above.
7796 @item gnus-article-button-face
7797 @vindex gnus-article-button-face
7798 Face used on buttons.
7800 @item gnus-article-mouse-face
7801 @vindex gnus-article-mouse-face
7802 Face used when the mouse cursor is over a button.
7806 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to buttonize articles automatically.
7810 @subsection Article Date
7812 The date is most likely generated in some obscure timezone you've never
7813 heard of, so it's quite nice to be able to find out what the time was
7814 when the article was sent.
7819 @kindex W T u (Summary)
7820 @findex gnus-article-date-ut
7821 Display the date in UT (aka. GMT, aka ZULU)
7822 (@code{gnus-article-date-ut}).
7825 @kindex W T i (Summary)
7826 @findex gnus-article-date-iso8601
7828 Display the date in international format, aka. ISO 8601
7829 (@code{gnus-article-date-iso8601}).
7832 @kindex W T l (Summary)
7833 @findex gnus-article-date-local
7834 Display the date in the local timezone (@code{gnus-article-date-local}).
7837 @kindex W T p (Summary)
7838 @findex gnus-article-date-english
7839 Display the date in a format that's easily pronounceable in English
7840 (@code{gnus-article-date-english}).
7843 @kindex W T s (Summary)
7844 @vindex gnus-article-time-format
7845 @findex gnus-article-date-user
7846 @findex format-time-string
7847 Display the date using a user-defined format
7848 (@code{gnus-article-date-user}). The format is specified by the
7849 @code{gnus-article-time-format} variable, and is a string that's passed
7850 to @code{format-time-string}. See the documentation of that variable
7851 for a list of possible format specs.
7854 @kindex W T e (Summary)
7855 @findex gnus-article-date-lapsed
7856 @findex gnus-start-date-timer
7857 @findex gnus-stop-date-timer
7858 Say how much time has elapsed between the article was posted and now
7859 (@code{gnus-article-date-lapsed}). It looks something like:
7862 X-Sent: 6 weeks, 4 days, 1 hour, 3 minutes, 8 seconds ago
7865 The value of @code{gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header} determines
7866 whether this header will just be added below the old Date one, or will
7869 An advantage of using Gnus to read mail is that it converts simple bugs
7870 into wonderful absurdities.
7872 If you want to have this line updated continually, you can put
7875 (gnus-start-date-timer)
7878 in your @file{.gnus.el} file, or you can run it off of some hook. If
7879 you want to stop the timer, you can use the @code{gnus-stop-date-timer}
7883 @kindex W T o (Summary)
7884 @findex gnus-article-date-original
7885 Display the original date (@code{gnus-article-date-original}). This can
7886 be useful if you normally use some other conversion function and are
7887 worried that it might be doing something totally wrong. Say, claiming
7888 that the article was posted in 1854. Although something like that is
7889 @emph{totally} impossible. Don't you trust me? *titter*
7893 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to display the date in your
7894 preferred format automatically.
7897 @node Article Signature
7898 @subsection Article Signature
7900 @cindex article signature
7902 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
7903 Each article is divided into two parts---the head and the body. The
7904 body can be divided into a signature part and a text part. The variable
7905 that says what is to be considered a signature is
7906 @code{gnus-signature-separator}. This is normally the standard
7907 @samp{^-- $} as mandated by son-of-RFC 1036. However, many people use
7908 non-standard signature separators, so this variable can also be a list
7909 of regular expressions to be tested, one by one. (Searches are done
7910 from the end of the body towards the beginning.) One likely value is:
7913 (setq gnus-signature-separator
7914 '("^-- $" ; The standard
7915 "^-- *$" ; A common mangling
7916 "^-------*$" ; Many people just use a looong
7917 ; line of dashes. Shame!
7918 "^ *--------*$" ; Double-shame!
7919 "^________*$" ; Underscores are also popular
7920 "^========*$")) ; Pervert!
7923 The more permissive you are, the more likely it is that you'll get false
7926 @vindex gnus-signature-limit
7927 @code{gnus-signature-limit} provides a limit to what is considered a
7928 signature when displaying articles.
7932 If it is an integer, no signature may be longer (in characters) than
7935 If it is a floating point number, no signature may be longer (in lines)
7938 If it is a function, the function will be called without any parameters,
7939 and if it returns @code{nil}, there is no signature in the buffer.
7941 If it is a string, it will be used as a regexp. If it matches, the text
7942 in question is not a signature.
7945 This variable can also be a list where the elements may be of the types
7946 listed above. Here's an example:
7949 (setq gnus-signature-limit
7950 '(200.0 "^---*Forwarded article"))
7953 This means that if there are more than 200 lines after the signature
7954 separator, or the text after the signature separator is matched by
7955 the regular expression @samp{^---*Forwarded article}, then it isn't a
7956 signature after all.
7959 @node Article Miscellania
7960 @subsection Article Miscellania
7964 @kindex A t (Summary)
7965 @findex gnus-article-babel
7966 Translate the article from one language to another
7967 (@code{gnus-article-babel}).
7973 @section @sc{mime} Commands
7974 @cindex MIME decoding
7976 @cindex viewing attachments
7978 The following commands all understand the numerical prefix. For
7979 instance, @kbd{3 b} means ``view the third @sc{mime} part''.
7985 @kindex K v (Summary)
7986 View the @sc{mime} part.
7989 @kindex K o (Summary)
7990 Save the @sc{mime} part.
7993 @kindex K c (Summary)
7994 Copy the @sc{mime} part.
7997 @kindex K e (Summary)
7998 View the @sc{mime} part externally.
8001 @kindex K i (Summary)
8002 View the @sc{mime} part internally.
8005 @kindex K | (Summary)
8006 Pipe the @sc{mime} part to an external command.
8009 The rest of these @sc{mime} commands do not use the numerical prefix in
8014 @kindex K b (Summary)
8015 Make all the @sc{mime} parts have buttons in front of them. This is
8016 mostly useful if you wish to save (or perform other actions) on inlined
8020 @kindex K m (Summary)
8021 @findex gnus-summary-repair-multipart
8022 Some multipart messages are transmitted with missing or faulty headers.
8023 This command will attempt to ``repair'' these messages so that they can
8024 be viewed in a more pleasant manner
8025 (@code{gnus-summary-repair-multipart}).
8028 @kindex X m (Summary)
8029 @findex gnus-summary-save-parts
8030 Save all parts matching a @sc{mime} type to a directory
8031 (@code{gnus-summary-save-parts}). Understands the process/prefix
8032 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
8035 @kindex M-t (Summary)
8036 @findex gnus-summary-display-buttonized
8037 Toggle the buttonized display of the article buffer
8038 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized}).
8041 @kindex W M w (Summary)
8042 Decode RFC 2047-encoded words in the article headers
8043 (@code{gnus-article-decode-mime-words}).
8046 @kindex W M c (Summary)
8047 Decode encoded article bodies as well as charsets
8048 (@code{gnus-article-decode-charset}).
8050 This command looks in the @code{Content-Type} header to determine the
8051 charset. If there is no such header in the article, you can give it a
8052 prefix, which will prompt for the charset to decode as. In regional
8053 groups where people post using some common encoding (but do not include
8054 MIME headers), you can set the @code{charset} group/topic parameter to
8055 the required charset (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
8058 @kindex W M v (Summary)
8059 View all the @sc{mime} parts in the current article
8060 (@code{gnus-mime-view-all-parts}).
8067 @item gnus-ignored-mime-types
8068 @vindex gnus-ignored-mime-types
8069 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
8070 this list will be completely ignored by Gnus. The default value is
8073 To have all Vcards be ignored, you'd say something like this:
8076 (setq gnus-ignored-mime-types
8080 @item gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
8081 @vindex gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
8082 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
8083 this list won't have @sc{mime} buttons inserted unless they aren't
8084 displayed. The default value is @code{(".*/.*")}.
8086 @item gnus-article-mime-part-function
8087 @vindex gnus-article-mime-part-function
8088 For each @sc{mime} part, this function will be called with the @sc{mime}
8089 handle as the parameter. The function is meant to be used to allow
8090 users to gather information from the article (e. g., add Vcard info to
8091 the bbdb database) or to do actions based on parts (e. g., automatically
8092 save all jpegs into some directory).
8094 Here's an example function the does the latter:
8097 (defun my-save-all-jpeg-parts (handle)
8098 (when (equal (car (mm-handle-type handle)) "image/jpeg")
8100 (insert (mm-get-part handle))
8101 (write-region (point-min) (point-max)
8102 (read-file-name "Save jpeg to: ")))))
8103 (setq gnus-article-mime-part-function
8104 'my-save-all-jpeg-parts)
8107 @vindex gnus-mime-multipart-functions
8108 @item gnus-mime-multipart-functions
8109 Alist of @sc{mime} multipart types and functions to handle them.
8111 @vindex mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
8112 @item mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
8113 List of functions used for rewriting file names of @sc{mime} parts.
8114 Each function takes a file name as input and returns a file name.
8116 Ready-made functions include@*
8117 @code{mm-file-name-delete-whitespace},
8118 @code{mm-file-name-trim-whitespace},
8119 @code{mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace}, and
8120 @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace}. The later uses the value of
8121 the variable @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace} to replace each
8122 whitespace character in a file name with that string; default value
8123 is @code{"_"} (a single underscore).
8124 @findex mm-file-name-delete-whitespace
8125 @findex mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
8126 @findex mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
8127 @findex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
8128 @vindex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
8130 The standard functions @code{capitalize}, @code{downcase},
8131 @code{upcase}, and @code{upcase-initials} may be useful, too.
8133 Everybody knows that whitespace characters in file names are evil,
8134 except those who don't know. If you receive lots of attachments from
8135 such unenlightened users, you can make live easier by adding
8138 (setq mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
8139 '(mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
8140 mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
8141 mm-file-name-replace-whitespace))
8145 to your @file{.gnus} file.
8154 People use different charsets, and we have @sc{mime} to let us know what
8155 charsets they use. Or rather, we wish we had. Many people use
8156 newsreaders and mailers that do not understand or use @sc{mime}, and
8157 just send out messages without saying what character sets they use. To
8158 help a bit with this, some local news hierarchies have policies that say
8159 what character set is the default. For instance, the @samp{fj}
8160 hierarchy uses @code{iso-2022-jp-2}.
8162 @vindex gnus-group-charset-alist
8163 This knowledge is encoded in the @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}
8164 variable, which is an alist of regexps (use the first item to match full
8165 group names) and default charsets to be used when reading these groups.
8167 In addition, some people do use soi-disant @sc{mime}-aware agents that
8168 aren't. These blithely mark messages as being in @code{iso-8859-1} even
8169 if they really are in @code{koi-8}. To help here, the
8170 @code{gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets} variable can be used. The
8171 charsets that are listed here will be ignored. The variable can be set
8172 on a group-by-group basis using the group parameters (@pxref{Group
8173 Parameters}). The default value is @code{(unknown-8bit)}, which is
8174 something some agents insist on having in there.
8176 @vindex gnus-group-posting-charset-alist
8177 When posting, @code{gnus-group-posting-charset-alist} is used to
8178 determine which charsets should not be encoded using the @sc{mime}
8179 encodings. For instance, some hierarchies discourage using
8180 quoted-printable header encoding.
8182 This variable is an alist of regexps and permitted unencoded charsets
8183 for posting. Each element of the alist has the form @code{(}@var{test
8184 header body-list}@code{)}, where:
8188 is either a regular expression matching the newsgroup header or a
8191 is the charset which may be left unencoded in the header (@code{nil}
8192 means encode all charsets),
8194 is a list of charsets which may be encoded using 8bit content-transfer
8195 encoding in the body, or one of the special values @code{nil} (always
8196 encode using quoted-printable) or @code{t} (always use 8bit).
8203 @cindex coding system aliases
8204 @cindex preferred charset
8206 Other charset tricks that may be useful, although not Gnus-specific:
8208 If there are several @sc{mime} charsets that encode the same Emacs
8209 charset, you can choose what charset to use by saying the following:
8212 (put-charset-property 'cyrillic-iso8859-5
8213 'preferred-coding-system 'koi8-r)
8216 This means that Russian will be encoded using @code{koi8-r} instead of
8217 the default @code{iso-8859-5} @sc{mime} charset.
8219 If you want to read messages in @code{koi8-u}, you can cheat and say
8222 (define-coding-system-alias 'koi8-u 'koi8-r)
8225 This will almost do the right thing.
8227 And finally, to read charsets like @code{windows-1251}, you can say
8231 (codepage-setup 1251)
8232 (define-coding-system-alias 'windows-1251 'cp1251)
8236 @node Article Commands
8237 @section Article Commands
8244 @kindex A P (Summary)
8245 @vindex gnus-ps-print-hook
8246 @findex gnus-summary-print-article
8247 Generate and print a PostScript image of the article buffer
8248 (@code{gnus-summary-print-article}). @code{gnus-ps-print-hook} will be
8249 run just before printing the buffer.
8254 @node Summary Sorting
8255 @section Summary Sorting
8256 @cindex summary sorting
8258 You can have the summary buffer sorted in various ways, even though I
8259 can't really see why you'd want that.
8264 @kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
8265 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-number
8266 Sort by article number (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-number}).
8269 @kindex C-c C-s C-a (Summary)
8270 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-author
8271 Sort by author (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-author}).
8274 @kindex C-c C-s C-s (Summary)
8275 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-subject
8276 Sort by subject (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-subject}).
8279 @kindex C-c C-s C-d (Summary)
8280 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-date
8281 Sort by date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-date}).
8284 @kindex C-c C-s C-l (Summary)
8285 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-lines
8286 Sort by lines (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-lines}).
8289 @kindex C-c C-s C-c (Summary)
8290 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-chars
8291 Sort by article length (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-chars}).
8294 @kindex C-c C-s C-i (Summary)
8295 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-score
8296 Sort by score (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-score}).
8299 @kindex C-c C-s C-o (Summary)
8300 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-original
8301 Sort using the default sorting method
8302 (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-original}).
8305 These functions will work both when you use threading and when you don't
8306 use threading. In the latter case, all summary lines will be sorted,
8307 line by line. In the former case, sorting will be done on a
8308 root-by-root basis, which might not be what you were looking for. To
8309 toggle whether to use threading, type @kbd{T T} (@pxref{Thread
8313 @node Finding the Parent
8314 @section Finding the Parent
8315 @cindex parent articles
8316 @cindex referring articles
8321 @findex gnus-summary-refer-parent-article
8322 If you'd like to read the parent of the current article, and it is not
8323 displayed in the summary buffer, you might still be able to. That is,
8324 if the current group is fetched by @sc{nntp}, the parent hasn't expired
8325 and the @code{References} in the current article are not mangled, you
8326 can just press @kbd{^} or @kbd{A r}
8327 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article}). If everything goes well,
8328 you'll get the parent. If the parent is already displayed in the
8329 summary buffer, point will just move to this article.
8331 If given a positive numerical prefix, fetch that many articles back into
8332 the ancestry. If given a negative numerical prefix, fetch just that
8333 ancestor. So if you say @kbd{3 ^}, Gnus will fetch the parent, the
8334 grandparent and the grandgrandparent of the current article. If you say
8335 @kbd{-3 ^}, Gnus will only fetch the grandgrandparent of the current
8339 @findex gnus-summary-refer-references
8340 @kindex A R (Summary)
8341 Fetch all articles mentioned in the @code{References} header of the
8342 article (@code{gnus-summary-refer-references}).
8345 @findex gnus-summary-refer-thread
8346 @kindex A T (Summary)
8347 Display the full thread where the current article appears
8348 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-thread}). This command has to fetch all the
8349 headers in the current group to work, so it usually takes a while. If
8350 you do it often, you may consider setting @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}
8351 to @code{invisible} (@pxref{Filling In Threads}). This won't have any
8352 visible effects normally, but it'll make this command work a whole lot
8353 faster. Of course, it'll make group entry somewhat slow.
8355 @vindex gnus-refer-thread-limit
8356 The @code{gnus-refer-thread-limit} variable says how many old (i. e.,
8357 articles before the first displayed in the current group) headers to
8358 fetch when doing this command. The default is 200. If @code{t}, all
8359 the available headers will be fetched. This variable can be overridden
8360 by giving the @kbd{A T} command a numerical prefix.
8363 @findex gnus-summary-refer-article
8364 @kindex M-^ (Summary)
8366 @cindex fetching by Message-ID
8367 You can also ask the @sc{nntp} server for an arbitrary article, no
8368 matter what group it belongs to. @kbd{M-^}
8369 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-article}) will ask you for a
8370 @code{Message-ID}, which is one of those long, hard-to-read thingies
8371 that look something like @samp{<38o6up$6f2@@hymir.ifi.uio.no>}. You
8372 have to get it all exactly right. No fuzzy searches, I'm afraid.
8375 The current select method will be used when fetching by
8376 @code{Message-ID} from non-news select method, but you can override this
8377 by giving this command a prefix.
8379 @vindex gnus-refer-article-method
8380 If the group you are reading is located on a backend that does not
8381 support fetching by @code{Message-ID} very well (like @code{nnspool}),
8382 you can set @code{gnus-refer-article-method} to an @sc{nntp} method. It
8383 would, perhaps, be best if the @sc{nntp} server you consult is the one
8384 updating the spool you are reading from, but that's not really
8387 It can also be a list of select methods, as well as the special symbol
8388 @code{current}, which means to use the current select method. If it
8389 is a list, Gnus will try all the methods in the list until it finds a
8392 Here's an example setting that will first try the current method, and
8393 then ask Deja if that fails:
8396 (setq gnus-refer-article-method
8398 (nnweb "refer" (nnweb-type dejanews))))
8401 Most of the mail backends support fetching by @code{Message-ID}, but do
8402 not do a particularly excellent job at it. That is, @code{nnmbox} and
8403 @code{nnbabyl} are able to locate articles from any groups, while
8404 @code{nnml} and @code{nnfolder} are only able to locate articles that
8405 have been posted to the current group. (Anything else would be too time
8406 consuming.) @code{nnmh} does not support this at all.
8409 @node Alternative Approaches
8410 @section Alternative Approaches
8412 Different people like to read news using different methods. This being
8413 Gnus, we offer a small selection of minor modes for the summary buffers.
8416 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
8417 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
8422 @subsection Pick and Read
8423 @cindex pick and read
8425 Some newsreaders (like @code{nn} and, uhm, @code{Netnews} on VM/CMS) use
8426 a two-phased reading interface. The user first marks in a summary
8427 buffer the articles she wants to read. Then she starts reading the
8428 articles with just an article buffer displayed.
8430 @findex gnus-pick-mode
8431 @kindex M-x gnus-pick-mode
8432 Gnus provides a summary buffer minor mode that allows
8433 this---@code{gnus-pick-mode}. This basically means that a few process
8434 mark commands become one-keystroke commands to allow easy marking, and
8435 it provides one additional command for switching to the summary buffer.
8437 Here are the available keystrokes when using pick mode:
8442 @findex gnus-pick-article-or-thread
8443 Pick the article or thread on the current line
8444 (@code{gnus-pick-article-or-thread}). If the variable
8445 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key selects the
8446 entire thread when used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise,
8447 it selects just the article. If given a numerical prefix, go to that
8448 thread or article and pick it. (The line number is normally displayed
8449 at the beginning of the summary pick lines.)
8452 @kindex SPACE (Pick)
8453 @findex gnus-pick-next-page
8454 Scroll the summary buffer up one page (@code{gnus-pick-next-page}). If
8455 at the end of the buffer, start reading the picked articles.
8459 @findex gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread.
8460 Unpick the thread or article
8461 (@code{gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread}). If the variable
8462 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key unpicks the
8463 thread if used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise it unpicks
8464 just the article. You can give this key a numerical prefix to unpick
8465 the thread or article at that line.
8469 @findex gnus-pick-start-reading
8470 @vindex gnus-pick-display-summary
8471 Start reading the picked articles (@code{gnus-pick-start-reading}). If
8472 given a prefix, mark all unpicked articles as read first. If
8473 @code{gnus-pick-display-summary} is non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer
8474 will still be visible when you are reading.
8478 All the normal summary mode commands are still available in the
8479 pick-mode, with the exception of @kbd{u}. However @kbd{!} is available
8480 which is mapped to the same function
8481 @code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}.
8483 If this sounds like a good idea to you, you could say:
8486 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
8489 @vindex gnus-pick-mode-hook
8490 @code{gnus-pick-mode-hook} is run in pick minor mode buffers.
8492 @vindex gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read
8493 If @code{gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read} is non-@code{nil}, mark
8494 all unpicked articles as read. The default is @code{nil}.
8496 @vindex gnus-summary-pick-line-format
8497 The summary line format in pick mode is slightly different from the
8498 standard format. At the beginning of each line the line number is
8499 displayed. The pick mode line format is controlled by the
8500 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting
8501 Variables}). It accepts the same format specs that
8502 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} does (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}).
8506 @subsection Binary Groups
8507 @cindex binary groups
8509 @findex gnus-binary-mode
8510 @kindex M-x gnus-binary-mode
8511 If you spend much time in binary groups, you may grow tired of hitting
8512 @kbd{X u}, @kbd{n}, @kbd{RET} all the time. @kbd{M-x gnus-binary-mode}
8513 is a minor mode for summary buffers that makes all ordinary Gnus article
8514 selection functions uudecode series of articles and display the result
8515 instead of just displaying the articles the normal way.
8518 @findex gnus-binary-show-article
8519 The only way, in fact, to see the actual articles is the @kbd{g}
8520 command, when you have turned on this mode
8521 (@code{gnus-binary-show-article}).
8523 @vindex gnus-binary-mode-hook
8524 @code{gnus-binary-mode-hook} is called in binary minor mode buffers.
8528 @section Tree Display
8531 @vindex gnus-use-trees
8532 If you don't like the normal Gnus summary display, you might try setting
8533 @code{gnus-use-trees} to @code{t}. This will create (by default) an
8534 additional @dfn{tree buffer}. You can execute all summary mode commands
8537 There are a few variables to customize the tree display, of course:
8540 @item gnus-tree-mode-hook
8541 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-hook
8542 A hook called in all tree mode buffers.
8544 @item gnus-tree-mode-line-format
8545 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-line-format
8546 A format string for the mode bar in the tree mode buffers (@pxref{Mode
8547 Line Formatting}). The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b %S %Z}. For a list
8548 of valid specs, @pxref{Summary Buffer Mode Line}.
8550 @item gnus-selected-tree-face
8551 @vindex gnus-selected-tree-face
8552 Face used for highlighting the selected article in the tree buffer. The
8553 default is @code{modeline}.
8555 @item gnus-tree-line-format
8556 @vindex gnus-tree-line-format
8557 A format string for the tree nodes. The name is a bit of a misnomer,
8558 though---it doesn't define a line, but just the node. The default value
8559 is @samp{%(%[%3,3n%]%)}, which displays the first three characters of
8560 the name of the poster. It is vital that all nodes are of the same
8561 length, so you @emph{must} use @samp{%4,4n}-like specifiers.
8567 The name of the poster.
8569 The @code{From} header.
8571 The number of the article.
8573 The opening bracket.
8575 The closing bracket.
8580 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
8582 Variables related to the display are:
8585 @item gnus-tree-brackets
8586 @vindex gnus-tree-brackets
8587 This is used for differentiating between ``real'' articles and
8588 ``sparse'' articles. The format is @code{((@var{real-open} . @var{real-close})
8589 (@var{sparse-open} . @var{sparse-close}) (@var{dummy-open} . @var{dummy-close}))}, and the
8590 default is @code{((?[ . ?]) (?( . ?)) (?@{ . ?@}) (?< . ?>))}.
8592 @item gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
8593 @vindex gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
8594 This is a list that contains the characters used for connecting parent
8595 nodes to their children. The default is @code{(?- ?\\ ?|)}.
8599 @item gnus-tree-minimize-window
8600 @vindex gnus-tree-minimize-window
8601 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will try to keep the tree
8602 buffer as small as possible to allow more room for the other Gnus
8603 windows. If this variable is a number, the tree buffer will never be
8604 higher than that number. The default is @code{t}. Note that if you
8605 have several windows displayed side-by-side in a frame and the tree
8606 buffer is one of these, minimizing the tree window will also resize all
8607 other windows displayed next to it.
8609 @item gnus-generate-tree-function
8610 @vindex gnus-generate-tree-function
8611 @findex gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
8612 @findex gnus-generate-vertical-tree
8613 The function that actually generates the thread tree. Two predefined
8614 functions are available: @code{gnus-generate-horizontal-tree} and
8615 @code{gnus-generate-vertical-tree} (which is the default).
8619 Here's an example from a horizontal tree buffer:
8622 @{***@}-(***)-[odd]-[Gun]
8632 Here's the same thread displayed in a vertical tree buffer:
8636 |--------------------------\-----\-----\
8637 (***) [Bjo] [Gun] [Gun]
8639 [odd] [Jan] [odd] (***) [Jor]
8641 [Gun] [Eri] [Eri] [odd]
8646 If you're using horizontal trees, it might be nice to display the trees
8647 side-by-side with the summary buffer. You could add something like the
8648 following to your @file{.gnus.el} file:
8651 (setq gnus-use-trees t
8652 gnus-generate-tree-function 'gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
8653 gnus-tree-minimize-window nil)
8654 (gnus-add-configuration
8658 (summary 0.75 point)
8663 @xref{Windows Configuration}.
8666 @node Mail Group Commands
8667 @section Mail Group Commands
8668 @cindex mail group commands
8670 Some commands only make sense in mail groups. If these commands are
8671 invalid in the current group, they will raise a hell and let you know.
8673 All these commands (except the expiry and edit commands) use the
8674 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
8679 @kindex B e (Summary)
8680 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles
8681 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
8682 process (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles}). That is, delete all
8683 expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
8684 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
8687 @kindex B M-C-e (Summary)
8688 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles-now
8689 Delete all the expirable articles in the group
8690 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles-now}). This means that @strong{all}
8691 articles eligible for expiry in the current group will
8692 disappear forever into that big @file{/dev/null} in the sky.
8695 @kindex B DEL (Summary)
8696 @findex gnus-summary-delete-article
8697 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-delete}
8698 Delete the mail article. This is ``delete'' as in ``delete it from your
8699 disk forever and ever, never to return again.'' Use with caution.
8700 (@code{gnus-summary-delete-article}).
8703 @kindex B m (Summary)
8705 @findex gnus-summary-move-article
8706 @vindex gnus-preserve-marks
8707 Move the article from one mail group to another
8708 (@code{gnus-summary-move-article}). Marks will be preserved if
8709 @var{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
8712 @kindex B c (Summary)
8714 @findex gnus-summary-copy-article
8715 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-copy}
8716 Copy the article from one group (mail group or not) to a mail group
8717 (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}). Marks will be preserved if
8718 @var{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
8721 @kindex B B (Summary)
8722 @cindex crosspost mail
8723 @findex gnus-summary-crosspost-article
8724 Crosspost the current article to some other group
8725 (@code{gnus-summary-crosspost-article}). This will create a new copy of
8726 the article in the other group, and the Xref headers of the article will
8727 be properly updated.
8730 @kindex B i (Summary)
8731 @findex gnus-summary-import-article
8732 Import an arbitrary file into the current mail newsgroup
8733 (@code{gnus-summary-import-article}). You will be prompted for a file
8734 name, a @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
8737 @kindex B r (Summary)
8738 @findex gnus-summary-respool-article
8739 Respool the mail article (@code{gnus-summary-respool-article}).
8740 @code{gnus-summary-respool-default-method} will be used as the default
8741 select method when respooling. This variable is @code{nil} by default,
8742 which means that the current group select method will be used instead.
8743 Marks will be preserved if @var{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil}
8744 (which is the default).
8748 @kindex B w (Summary)
8750 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article
8751 @kindex C-c C-c (Article)
8752 Edit the current article (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article}). To finish
8753 editing and make the changes permanent, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
8754 (@kbd{gnus-summary-edit-article-done}). If you give a prefix to the
8755 @kbd{C-c C-c} command, Gnus won't re-highlight the article.
8758 @kindex B q (Summary)
8759 @findex gnus-summary-respool-query
8760 If you want to re-spool an article, you might be curious as to what group
8761 the article will end up in before you do the re-spooling. This command
8762 will tell you (@code{gnus-summary-respool-query}).
8765 @kindex B t (Summary)
8766 @findex gnus-summary-respool-trace
8767 Similarly, this command will display all fancy splitting patterns used
8768 when repooling, if any (@code{gnus-summary-respool-trace}).
8771 @kindex B p (Summary)
8772 @findex gnus-summary-article-posted-p
8773 Some people have a tendency to send you "courtesy" copies when they
8774 follow up to articles you have posted. These usually have a
8775 @code{Newsgroups} header in them, but not always. This command
8776 (@code{gnus-summary-article-posted-p}) will try to fetch the current
8777 article from your news server (or rather, from
8778 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} or @code{gnus-select-method}) and will
8779 report back whether it found the article or not. Even if it says that
8780 it didn't find the article, it may have been posted anyway---mail
8781 propagation is much faster than news propagation, and the news copy may
8782 just not have arrived yet.
8786 @vindex gnus-move-split-methods
8787 @cindex moving articles
8788 If you move (or copy) articles regularly, you might wish to have Gnus
8789 suggest where to put the articles. @code{gnus-move-split-methods} is a
8790 variable that uses the same syntax as @code{gnus-split-methods}
8791 (@pxref{Saving Articles}). You may customize that variable to create
8792 suggestions you find reasonable. (Note that
8793 @code{gnus-move-split-methods} uses group names where
8794 @code{gnus-split-methods} uses file names.)
8797 (setq gnus-move-split-methods
8798 '(("^From:.*Lars Magne" "nnml:junk")
8799 ("^Subject:.*gnus" "nnfolder:important")
8800 (".*" "nnml:misc")))
8804 @node Various Summary Stuff
8805 @section Various Summary Stuff
8808 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
8809 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
8810 * Summary Generation Commands:: (Re)generating the summary buffer.
8811 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
8815 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-hook
8816 @item gnus-summary-mode-hook
8817 This hook is called when creating a summary mode buffer.
8819 @vindex gnus-summary-generate-hook
8820 @item gnus-summary-generate-hook
8821 This is called as the last thing before doing the threading and the
8822 generation of the summary buffer. It's quite convenient for customizing
8823 the threading variables based on what data the newsgroup has. This hook
8824 is called from the summary buffer after most summary buffer variables
8827 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-hook
8828 @item gnus-summary-prepare-hook
8829 It is called after the summary buffer has been generated. You might use
8830 it to, for instance, highlight lines or modify the look of the buffer in
8831 some other ungodly manner. I don't care.
8833 @vindex gnus-summary-prepared-hook
8834 @item gnus-summary-prepared-hook
8835 A hook called as the very last thing after the summary buffer has been
8838 @vindex gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
8839 @item gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
8840 When Gnus discovers two articles that have the same @code{Message-ID},
8841 it has to do something drastic. No articles are allowed to have the
8842 same @code{Message-ID}, but this may happen when reading mail from some
8843 sources. Gnus allows you to customize what happens with this variable.
8844 If it is @code{nil} (which is the default), Gnus will rename the
8845 @code{Message-ID} (for display purposes only) and display the article as
8846 any other article. If this variable is @code{t}, it won't display the
8847 article---it'll be as if it never existed.
8849 @vindex gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
8850 @item gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
8851 This function, which takes two parameters (the group name and the list
8852 of articles to be selected), is called to allow the user to alter the
8853 list of articles to be selected.
8855 For instance, the following function adds the list of cached articles to
8856 the list in one particular group:
8859 (defun my-add-cached-articles (group articles)
8860 (if (string= group "some.group")
8861 (append gnus-newsgroup-cached articles)
8868 @node Summary Group Information
8869 @subsection Summary Group Information
8874 @kindex H f (Summary)
8875 @findex gnus-summary-fetch-faq
8876 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
8877 Try to fetch the FAQ (list of frequently asked questions) for the
8878 current group (@code{gnus-summary-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the
8879 FAQ from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory
8880 on a remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories.
8881 In that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
8882 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will probably
8883 be used for fetching the file.
8886 @kindex H d (Summary)
8887 @findex gnus-summary-describe-group
8888 Give a brief description of the current group
8889 (@code{gnus-summary-describe-group}). If given a prefix, force
8890 rereading the description from the server.
8893 @kindex H h (Summary)
8894 @findex gnus-summary-describe-briefly
8895 Give an extremely brief description of the most important summary
8896 keystrokes (@code{gnus-summary-describe-briefly}).
8899 @kindex H i (Summary)
8900 @findex gnus-info-find-node
8901 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
8905 @node Searching for Articles
8906 @subsection Searching for Articles
8911 @kindex M-s (Summary)
8912 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
8913 Search through all subsequent (raw) articles for a regexp
8914 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-forward}).
8917 @kindex M-r (Summary)
8918 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-backward
8919 Search through all previous (raw) articles for a regexp
8920 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-backward}).
8924 @findex gnus-summary-execute-command
8925 This command will prompt you for a header, a regular expression to match
8926 on this field, and a command to be executed if the match is made
8927 (@code{gnus-summary-execute-command}). If the header is an empty
8928 string, the match is done on the entire article. If given a prefix,
8929 search backward instead.
8931 For instance, @kbd{& RET some.*string #} will put the process mark on
8932 all articles that have heads or bodies that match @samp{some.*string}.
8935 @kindex M-& (Summary)
8936 @findex gnus-summary-universal-argument
8937 Perform any operation on all articles that have been marked with
8938 the process mark (@code{gnus-summary-universal-argument}).
8941 @node Summary Generation Commands
8942 @subsection Summary Generation Commands
8947 @kindex Y g (Summary)
8948 @findex gnus-summary-prepare
8949 Regenerate the current summary buffer (@code{gnus-summary-prepare}).
8952 @kindex Y c (Summary)
8953 @findex gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles
8954 Pull all cached articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
8955 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}).
8960 @node Really Various Summary Commands
8961 @subsection Really Various Summary Commands
8967 @kindex C-d (Summary)
8968 @kindex A D (Summary)
8969 @findex gnus-summary-enter-digest-group
8970 If the current article is a collection of other articles (for instance,
8971 a digest), you might use this command to enter a group based on the that
8972 article (@code{gnus-summary-enter-digest-group}). Gnus will try to
8973 guess what article type is currently displayed unless you give a prefix
8974 to this command, which forces a ``digest'' interpretation. Basically,
8975 whenever you see a message that is a collection of other messages of
8976 some format, you @kbd{C-d} and read these messages in a more convenient
8980 @kindex M-C-d (Summary)
8981 @findex gnus-summary-read-document
8982 This command is very similar to the one above, but lets you gather
8983 several documents into one biiig group
8984 (@code{gnus-summary-read-document}). It does this by opening several
8985 @code{nndoc} groups for each document, and then opening an
8986 @code{nnvirtual} group on top of these @code{nndoc} groups. This
8987 command understands the process/prefix convention
8988 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
8991 @kindex C-t (Summary)
8992 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-truncation
8993 Toggle truncation of summary lines
8994 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-truncation}). This will probably confuse the
8995 line centering function in the summary buffer, so it's not a good idea
8996 to have truncation switched off while reading articles.
9000 @findex gnus-summary-expand-window
9001 Expand the summary buffer window (@code{gnus-summary-expand-window}).
9002 If given a prefix, force an @code{article} window configuration.
9005 @kindex M-C-e (Summary)
9006 @findex gnus-summary-edit-parameters
9007 Edit the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
9008 group (@code{gnus-summary-edit-parameters}).
9011 @kindex M-C-a (Summary)
9012 @findex gnus-summary-customize-parameters
9013 Customize the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
9014 group (@code{gnus-summary-customize-parameters}).
9019 @node Exiting the Summary Buffer
9020 @section Exiting the Summary Buffer
9021 @cindex summary exit
9022 @cindex exiting groups
9024 Exiting from the summary buffer will normally update all info on the
9025 group and return you to the group buffer.
9031 @kindex Z Z (Summary)
9033 @findex gnus-summary-exit
9034 @vindex gnus-summary-exit-hook
9035 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook
9036 @c @icon{gnus-summary-exit}
9037 Exit the current group and update all information on the group
9038 (@code{gnus-summary-exit}). @code{gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook} is
9039 called before doing much of the exiting, which calls
9040 @code{gnus-summary-expire-articles} by default.
9041 @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} is called after finishing the exit
9042 process. @code{gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook} is run when returning to
9043 group mode having no more (unread) groups.
9047 @kindex Z E (Summary)
9049 @findex gnus-summary-exit-no-update
9050 Exit the current group without updating any information on the group
9051 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}).
9055 @kindex Z c (Summary)
9057 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit
9058 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}
9059 Mark all unticked articles in the group as read and then exit
9060 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}).
9063 @kindex Z C (Summary)
9064 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit
9065 Mark all articles, even the ticked ones, as read and then exit
9066 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit}).
9069 @kindex Z n (Summary)
9070 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group
9071 Mark all articles as read and go to the next group
9072 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group}).
9075 @kindex Z R (Summary)
9076 @findex gnus-summary-reselect-current-group
9077 Exit this group, and then enter it again
9078 (@code{gnus-summary-reselect-current-group}). If given a prefix, select
9079 all articles, both read and unread.
9083 @kindex Z G (Summary)
9084 @kindex M-g (Summary)
9085 @findex gnus-summary-rescan-group
9086 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-get}
9087 Exit the group, check for new articles in the group, and select the
9088 group (@code{gnus-summary-rescan-group}). If given a prefix, select all
9089 articles, both read and unread.
9092 @kindex Z N (Summary)
9093 @findex gnus-summary-next-group
9094 Exit the group and go to the next group
9095 (@code{gnus-summary-next-group}).
9098 @kindex Z P (Summary)
9099 @findex gnus-summary-prev-group
9100 Exit the group and go to the previous group
9101 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-group}).
9104 @kindex Z s (Summary)
9105 @findex gnus-summary-save-newsrc
9106 Save the current number of read/marked articles in the dribble buffer
9107 and then save the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-summary-save-newsrc}). If
9108 given a prefix, also save the @file{.newsrc} file(s). Using this
9109 command will make exit without updating (the @kbd{Q} command) worthless.
9112 @vindex gnus-exit-group-hook
9113 @code{gnus-exit-group-hook} is called when you exit the current group
9114 with an ``updating'' exit. For instance @kbd{Q}
9115 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}) does not call this hook.
9117 @findex gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead
9118 @findex gnus-dead-summary-mode
9119 @vindex gnus-kill-summary-on-exit
9120 If you're in the habit of exiting groups, and then changing your mind
9121 about it, you might set @code{gnus-kill-summary-on-exit} to @code{nil}.
9122 If you do that, Gnus won't kill the summary buffer when you exit it.
9123 (Quelle surprise!) Instead it will change the name of the buffer to
9124 something like @samp{*Dead Summary ... *} and install a minor mode
9125 called @code{gnus-dead-summary-mode}. Now, if you switch back to this
9126 buffer, you'll find that all keys are mapped to a function called
9127 @code{gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead}. So tapping any keys in a dead
9128 summary buffer will result in a live, normal summary buffer.
9130 There will never be more than one dead summary buffer at any one time.
9132 @vindex gnus-use-cross-reference
9133 The data on the current group will be updated (which articles you have
9134 read, which articles you have replied to, etc.) when you exit the
9135 summary buffer. If the @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} variable is
9136 @code{t} (which is the default), articles that are cross-referenced to
9137 this group and are marked as read, will also be marked as read in the
9138 other subscribed groups they were cross-posted to. If this variable is
9139 neither @code{nil} nor @code{t}, the article will be marked as read in
9140 both subscribed and unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}).
9143 @node Crosspost Handling
9144 @section Crosspost Handling
9148 Marking cross-posted articles as read ensures that you'll never have to
9149 read the same article more than once. Unless, of course, somebody has
9150 posted it to several groups separately. Posting the same article to
9151 several groups (not cross-posting) is called @dfn{spamming}, and you are
9152 by law required to send nasty-grams to anyone who perpetrates such a
9153 heinous crime. You may want to try NoCeM handling to filter out spam
9156 Remember: Cross-posting is kinda ok, but posting the same article
9157 separately to several groups is not. Massive cross-posting (aka.
9158 @dfn{velveeta}) is to be avoided at all costs, and you can even use the
9159 @code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint} command to complain about
9160 excessive crossposting (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
9162 @cindex cross-posting
9165 One thing that may cause Gnus to not do the cross-posting thing
9166 correctly is if you use an @sc{nntp} server that supports @sc{xover}
9167 (which is very nice, because it speeds things up considerably) which
9168 does not include the @code{Xref} header in its @sc{nov} lines. This is
9169 Evil, but all too common, alas, alack. Gnus tries to Do The Right Thing
9170 even with @sc{xover} by registering the @code{Xref} lines of all
9171 articles you actually read, but if you kill the articles, or just mark
9172 them as read without reading them, Gnus will not get a chance to snoop
9173 the @code{Xref} lines out of these articles, and will be unable to use
9174 the cross reference mechanism.
9176 @cindex LIST overview.fmt
9177 @cindex overview.fmt
9178 To check whether your @sc{nntp} server includes the @code{Xref} header
9179 in its overview files, try @samp{telnet your.nntp.server nntp},
9180 @samp{MODE READER} on @code{inn} servers, and then say @samp{LIST
9181 overview.fmt}. This may not work, but if it does, and the last line you
9182 get does not read @samp{Xref:full}, then you should shout and whine at
9183 your news admin until she includes the @code{Xref} header in the
9186 @vindex gnus-nov-is-evil
9187 If you want Gnus to get the @code{Xref}s right all the time, you have to
9188 set @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{t}, which slows things down
9193 For an alternative approach, @pxref{Duplicate Suppression}.
9196 @node Duplicate Suppression
9197 @section Duplicate Suppression
9199 By default, Gnus tries to make sure that you don't have to read the same
9200 article more than once by utilizing the crossposting mechanism
9201 (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}). However, that simple and efficient
9202 approach may not work satisfactory for some users for various
9207 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to generate the @code{Xref} header. This
9208 is evil and not very common.
9211 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to include the @code{Xref} header in the
9212 @file{.overview} data bases. This is evil and all too common, alas.
9215 You may be reading the same group (or several related groups) from
9216 different @sc{nntp} servers.
9219 You may be getting mail that duplicates articles posted to groups.
9222 I'm sure there are other situations where @code{Xref} handling fails as
9223 well, but these four are the most common situations.
9225 If, and only if, @code{Xref} handling fails for you, then you may
9226 consider switching on @dfn{duplicate suppression}. If you do so, Gnus
9227 will remember the @code{Message-ID}s of all articles you have read or
9228 otherwise marked as read, and then, as if by magic, mark them as read
9229 all subsequent times you see them---in @emph{all} groups. Using this
9230 mechanism is quite likely to be somewhat inefficient, but not overly
9231 so. It's certainly preferable to reading the same articles more than
9234 Duplicate suppression is not a very subtle instrument. It's more like a
9235 sledge hammer than anything else. It works in a very simple
9236 fashion---if you have marked an article as read, it adds this Message-ID
9237 to a cache. The next time it sees this Message-ID, it will mark the
9238 article as read with the @samp{M} mark. It doesn't care what group it
9242 @item gnus-suppress-duplicates
9243 @vindex gnus-suppress-duplicates
9244 If non-@code{nil}, suppress duplicates.
9246 @item gnus-save-duplicate-list
9247 @vindex gnus-save-duplicate-list
9248 If non-@code{nil}, save the list of duplicates to a file. This will
9249 make startup and shutdown take longer, so the default is @code{nil}.
9250 However, this means that only duplicate articles read in a single Gnus
9251 session are suppressed.
9253 @item gnus-duplicate-list-length
9254 @vindex gnus-duplicate-list-length
9255 This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the duplicate
9256 suppression list. The default is 10000.
9258 @item gnus-duplicate-file
9259 @vindex gnus-duplicate-file
9260 The name of the file to store the duplicate suppression list in. The
9261 default is @file{~/News/suppression}.
9264 If you have a tendency to stop and start Gnus often, setting
9265 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{t} is probably a good idea. If
9266 you leave Gnus running for weeks on end, you may have it @code{nil}. On
9267 the other hand, saving the list makes startup and shutdown much slower,
9268 so that means that if you stop and start Gnus often, you should set
9269 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{nil}. Uhm. I'll leave this up
9270 to you to figure out, I think.
9275 Gnus is able to verify PGP or S/MIME signed messages or decrypt PGP
9280 To verify or decrypt PGP messages, you have to install mailcrypt or
9286 @item mm-verify-option
9287 @vindex mm-verify-option
9288 Option of verifying signed parts. @code{never}, not verify;
9289 @code{always}, always verify; @code{known}, only verify known
9290 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
9292 @item mm-decrypt-option
9293 @vindex mm-decrypt-option
9294 Option of decrypting encrypted parts. @code{never}, no decryption;
9295 @code{always}, always decrypt @code{known}, only decrypt known
9296 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
9301 @section Mailing List
9303 Gnus understands some mailing list fields of RFC 2369.
9308 @kindex C-c C-n h (Summary)
9309 @findex gnus-mailing-list-help
9310 Send a message to fetch mailing list help, if List-Help field exists.
9313 @kindex C-c C-n s (Summary)
9314 @findex gnus-mailing-list-subscribe
9315 Send a message to subscribe the mailing list, if List-Subscribe field exists.
9318 @kindex C-c C-n u (Summary)
9319 @findex gnus-mailing-list-unsubscribe
9320 Send a message to unsubscribe the mailing list, if List-Unsubscribe
9324 @kindex C-c C-n p (Summary)
9325 @findex gnus-mailing-list-post
9326 Post to the mailing list, if List-Post field exists.
9329 @kindex C-c C-n o (Summary)
9330 @findex gnus-mailing-list-owner
9331 Send a message to the mailing list owner, if List-Owner field exists.
9334 @kindex C-c C-n a (Summary)
9335 @findex gnus-mailing-list-owner
9336 Browse the mailing list archive, if List-Archive field exists.
9340 @node Article Buffer
9341 @chapter Article Buffer
9342 @cindex article buffer
9344 The articles are displayed in the article buffer, of which there is only
9345 one. All the summary buffers share the same article buffer unless you
9346 tell Gnus otherwise.
9349 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
9350 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @sc{mime} before reading them.
9351 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
9352 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
9353 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
9357 @node Hiding Headers
9358 @section Hiding Headers
9359 @cindex hiding headers
9360 @cindex deleting headers
9362 The top section of each article is the @dfn{head}. (The rest is the
9363 @dfn{body}, but you may have guessed that already.)
9365 @vindex gnus-show-all-headers
9366 There is a lot of useful information in the head: the name of the person
9367 who wrote the article, the date it was written and the subject of the
9368 article. That's well and nice, but there's also lots of information
9369 most people do not want to see---what systems the article has passed
9370 through before reaching you, the @code{Message-ID}, the
9371 @code{References}, etc. ad nauseum---and you'll probably want to get rid
9372 of some of those lines. If you want to keep all those lines in the
9373 article buffer, you can set @code{gnus-show-all-headers} to @code{t}.
9375 Gnus provides you with two variables for sifting headers:
9379 @item gnus-visible-headers
9380 @vindex gnus-visible-headers
9381 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a regular expression
9382 that says what headers you wish to keep in the article buffer. All
9383 headers that do not match this variable will be hidden.
9385 For instance, if you only want to see the name of the person who wrote
9386 the article and the subject, you'd say:
9389 (setq gnus-visible-headers "^From:\\|^Subject:")
9392 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
9395 @item gnus-ignored-headers
9396 @vindex gnus-ignored-headers
9397 This variable is the reverse of @code{gnus-visible-headers}. If this
9398 variable is set (and @code{gnus-visible-headers} is @code{nil}), it
9399 should be a regular expression that matches all lines that you want to
9400 hide. All lines that do not match this variable will remain visible.
9402 For instance, if you just want to get rid of the @code{References} line
9403 and the @code{Xref} line, you might say:
9406 (setq gnus-ignored-headers "^References:\\|^Xref:")
9409 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
9412 Note that if @code{gnus-visible-headers} is non-@code{nil}, this
9413 variable will have no effect.
9417 @vindex gnus-sorted-header-list
9418 Gnus can also sort the headers for you. (It does this by default.) You
9419 can control the sorting by setting the @code{gnus-sorted-header-list}
9420 variable. It is a list of regular expressions that says in what order
9421 the headers are to be displayed.
9423 For instance, if you want the name of the author of the article first,
9424 and then the subject, you might say something like:
9427 (setq gnus-sorted-header-list '("^From:" "^Subject:"))
9430 Any headers that are to remain visible, but are not listed in this
9431 variable, will be displayed in random order after all the headers listed in this variable.
9433 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
9434 @vindex gnus-boring-article-headers
9435 You can hide further boring headers by setting
9436 @code{gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers} to @code{head}. What this function
9437 does depends on the @code{gnus-boring-article-headers} variable. It's a
9438 list, but this list doesn't actually contain header names. Instead is
9439 lists various @dfn{boring conditions} that Gnus can check and remove
9442 These conditions are:
9445 Remove all empty headers.
9447 Remove the @code{Followup-To} header if it is identical to the
9448 @code{Newsgroups} header.
9450 Remove the @code{Reply-To} header if it lists the same address as the
9453 Remove the @code{Newsgroups} header if it only contains the current group
9456 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
9457 the current groups's @code{to-address} parameter.
9459 Remove the @code{Date} header if the article is less than three days
9462 Remove the @code{To} header if it is very long.
9464 Remove all @code{To} headers if there are more than one.
9467 To include these three elements, you could say something like;
9470 (setq gnus-boring-article-headers
9471 '(empty followup-to reply-to))
9474 This is also the default value for this variable.
9478 @section Using @sc{mime}
9481 Mime is a standard for waving your hands through the air, aimlessly,
9482 while people stand around yawning.
9484 @sc{mime}, however, is a standard for encoding your articles, aimlessly,
9485 while all newsreaders die of fear.
9487 @sc{mime} may specify what character set the article uses, the encoding
9488 of the characters, and it also makes it possible to embed pictures and
9489 other naughty stuff in innocent-looking articles.
9491 @vindex gnus-display-mime-function
9492 @findex gnus-display-mime
9493 Gnus pushes @sc{mime} articles through @code{gnus-display-mime-function}
9494 to display the @sc{mime} parts. This is @code{gnus-display-mime} by
9495 default, which creates a bundle of clickable buttons that can be used to
9496 display, save and manipulate the @sc{mime} objects.
9498 The following commands are available when you have placed point over a
9502 @findex gnus-article-press-button
9504 @itemx BUTTON-2 (Article)
9505 Toggle displaying of the @sc{mime} object
9506 (@code{gnus-article-press-button}).
9508 @findex gnus-mime-view-part
9509 @item M-RET (Article)
9511 Prompt for a method, and then view the @sc{mime} object using this
9512 method (@code{gnus-mime-view-part}).
9514 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-type
9516 View the @sc{mime} object as if it were a different @sc{mime} media type
9517 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-type}).
9519 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-charset
9521 Prompt for a charset, and then view the @sc{mime} object using this
9522 charset (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-charset}).
9524 @findex gnus-mime-save-part
9526 Prompt for a file name, and then save the @sc{mime} object
9527 (@code{gnus-mime-save-part}).
9529 @findex gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip
9531 Prompt for a file name, then save the @sc{mime} object and strip it from
9532 the article. Then proceed to article editing, where a reasonable
9533 suggestion is being made on how the altered article should look
9534 like. The stripped @sc{mime} object will be referred via the
9535 message/external-body @sc{mime} type.
9536 (@code{gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip}).
9538 @findex gnus-mime-copy-part
9540 Copy the @sc{mime} object to a fresh buffer and display this buffer
9541 (@code{gnus-mime-copy-part}).
9543 @findex gnus-mime-inline-part
9545 Insert the contents of the @sc{mime} object into the buffer
9546 (@code{gnus-mime-inline-part}) as text/plain. If given a prefix, insert
9547 the raw contents without decoding. If given a numerical prefix, you can
9548 do semi-manual charset stuff (see
9549 @code{gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist} in @pxref{Paging the
9552 @findex gnus-mime-internalize-part
9554 View the @sc{mime} object with an internal viewer. If no internal
9555 viewer is available, use an external viewer
9556 (@code{gnus-mime-internalize-part}).
9558 @findex gnus-mime-externalize-part
9560 View the @sc{mime} object with an external viewer.
9561 (@code{gnus-mime-externalize-part}).
9563 @findex gnus-mime-pipe-part
9565 Output the @sc{mime} object to a process (@code{gnus-mime-pipe-part}).
9567 @findex gnus-mime-action-on-part
9569 Interactively run an action on the @sc{mime} object
9570 (@code{gnus-mime-action-on-part}).
9574 Gnus will display some @sc{mime} objects automatically. The way Gnus
9575 determines which parts to do this with is described in the Emacs MIME
9578 It might be best to just use the toggling functions from the article
9579 buffer to avoid getting nasty surprises. (For instance, you enter the
9580 group @samp{alt.sing-a-long} and, before you know it, @sc{mime} has
9581 decoded the sound file in the article and some horrible sing-a-long song
9582 comes screaming out your speakers, and you can't find the volume button,
9583 because there isn't one, and people are starting to look at you, and you
9584 try to stop the program, but you can't, and you can't find the program
9585 to control the volume, and everybody else in the room suddenly decides
9586 to look at you disdainfully, and you'll feel rather stupid.)
9588 Any similarity to real events and people is purely coincidental. Ahem.
9590 Also see @pxref{MIME Commands}.
9593 @node Customizing Articles
9594 @section Customizing Articles
9595 @cindex article customization
9597 A slew of functions for customizing how the articles are to look like
9598 exist. You can call these functions interactively, or you can have them
9599 called automatically when you select the articles.
9601 To have them called automatically, you should set the corresponding
9602 ``treatment'' variable. For instance, to have headers hidden, you'd set
9603 @code{gnus-treat-hide-headers}. Below is a list of variables that can
9604 be set, but first we discuss the values these variables can have.
9606 Note: Some values, while valid, make little sense. Check the list below
9607 for sensible values.
9611 @code{nil}: Don't do this treatment.
9614 @code{t}: Do this treatment on all body parts.
9617 @code{head}: Do the treatment on the headers.
9620 @code{last}: Do this treatment on the last part.
9623 An integer: Do this treatment on all body parts that have a length less
9627 A list of strings: Do this treatment on all body parts that are in
9628 articles that are read in groups that have names that match one of the
9629 regexps in the list.
9632 A list where the first element is not a string:
9634 The list is evaluated recursively. The first element of the list is a
9635 predicate. The following predicates are recognized: @code{or},
9636 @code{and}, @code{not} and @code{typep}. Here's an example:
9640 (typep "text/x-vcard"))
9645 You may have noticed that the word @dfn{part} is used here. This refers
9646 to the fact that some messages are @sc{mime} multipart articles that may
9647 be divided into several parts. Articles that are not multiparts are
9648 considered to contain just a single part.
9650 @vindex gnus-article-treat-types
9651 Are the treatments applied to all sorts of multipart parts? Yes, if you
9652 want to, but by default, only @samp{text/plain} parts are given the
9653 treatment. This is controlled by the @code{gnus-article-treat-types}
9654 variable, which is a list of regular expressions that are matched to the
9655 type of the part. This variable is ignored if the value of the
9656 controlling variable is a predicate list, as described above.
9658 The following treatment options are available. The easiest way to
9659 customize this is to examine the @code{gnus-article-treat} customization
9660 group. Values in parenthesis are suggested sensible values. Others are
9661 possible but those listed are probably sufficient for most people.
9664 @item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last)
9665 @item gnus-treat-buttonize (t, integer)
9666 @item gnus-treat-buttonize-head (head)
9667 @item gnus-treat-emphasize (t, head, integer)
9668 @item gnus-treat-fill-article (t, integer)
9669 @item gnus-treat-strip-cr (t, integer)
9670 @item gnus-treat-hide-headers (head)
9671 @item gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers (head)
9672 @item gnus-treat-hide-signature (t, last)
9673 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation (t, integer)
9674 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe (t, integer)
9675 @item gnus-treat-strip-pgp (t, last, integer)
9676 @item gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig (head)
9677 @item gnus-treat-strip-pem (t, last, integer)
9678 @item gnus-treat-highlight-headers (head)
9679 @item gnus-treat-highlight-citation (t, integer)
9680 @item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last, integer)
9681 @item gnus-treat-date-ut (head)
9682 @item gnus-treat-date-local (head)
9683 @item gnus-treat-date-english (head)
9684 @item gnus-treat-date-lapsed (head)
9685 @item gnus-treat-date-original (head)
9686 @item gnus-treat-date-iso8601 (head)
9687 @item gnus-treat-date-user-defined (head)
9688 @item gnus-treat-strip-headers-in-body (t, integer)
9689 @item gnus-treat-strip-trailing-blank-lines (t, last, integer)
9690 @item gnus-treat-strip-leading-blank-lines (t, integer)
9691 @item gnus-treat-strip-multiple-blank-lines (t, integer)
9692 @item gnus-treat-overstrike (t, integer)
9693 @item gnus-treat-display-xface (head)
9694 @item gnus-treat-display-smileys (t, integer)
9695 @item gnus-treat-display-picons (head)
9696 @item gnus-treat-capitalize-sentences (t, integer)
9697 @item gnus-treat-fill-long-lines (t, integer)
9698 @item gnus-treat-play-sounds
9699 @item gnus-treat-translate
9702 @vindex gnus-part-display-hook
9703 You can, of course, write your own functions to be called from
9704 @code{gnus-part-display-hook}. The functions are called narrowed to the
9705 part, and you can do anything you like, pretty much. There is no
9706 information that you have to keep in the buffer---you can change
9710 @node Article Keymap
9711 @section Article Keymap
9713 Most of the keystrokes in the summary buffer can also be used in the
9714 article buffer. They should behave as if you typed them in the summary
9715 buffer, which means that you don't actually have to have a summary
9716 buffer displayed while reading. You can do it all from the article
9719 A few additional keystrokes are available:
9724 @kindex SPACE (Article)
9725 @findex gnus-article-next-page
9726 Scroll forwards one page (@code{gnus-article-next-page}).
9729 @kindex DEL (Article)
9730 @findex gnus-article-prev-page
9731 Scroll backwards one page (@code{gnus-article-prev-page}).
9734 @kindex C-c ^ (Article)
9735 @findex gnus-article-refer-article
9736 If point is in the neighborhood of a @code{Message-ID} and you press
9737 @kbd{C-c ^}, Gnus will try to get that article from the server
9738 (@code{gnus-article-refer-article}).
9741 @kindex C-c C-m (Article)
9742 @findex gnus-article-mail
9743 Send a reply to the address near point (@code{gnus-article-mail}). If
9744 given a prefix, include the mail.
9748 @findex gnus-article-show-summary
9749 Reconfigure the buffers so that the summary buffer becomes visible
9750 (@code{gnus-article-show-summary}).
9754 @findex gnus-article-describe-briefly
9755 Give a very brief description of the available keystrokes
9756 (@code{gnus-article-describe-briefly}).
9759 @kindex TAB (Article)
9760 @findex gnus-article-next-button
9761 Go to the next button, if any (@code{gnus-article-next-button}). This
9762 only makes sense if you have buttonizing turned on.
9765 @kindex M-TAB (Article)
9766 @findex gnus-article-prev-button
9767 Go to the previous button, if any (@code{gnus-article-prev-button}).
9773 @section Misc Article
9777 @item gnus-single-article-buffer
9778 @vindex gnus-single-article-buffer
9779 If non-@code{nil}, use the same article buffer for all the groups.
9780 (This is the default.) If @code{nil}, each group will have its own
9783 @vindex gnus-article-decode-hook
9784 @item gnus-article-decode-hook
9786 Hook used to decode @sc{mime} articles. The default value is
9787 @code{(article-decode-charset article-decode-encoded-words)}
9789 @vindex gnus-article-prepare-hook
9790 @item gnus-article-prepare-hook
9791 This hook is called right after the article has been inserted into the
9792 article buffer. It is mainly intended for functions that do something
9793 depending on the contents; it should probably not be used for changing
9794 the contents of the article buffer.
9796 @item gnus-article-mode-hook
9797 @vindex gnus-article-mode-hook
9798 Hook called in article mode buffers.
9800 @item gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
9801 @vindex gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
9802 Syntax table used in article buffers. It is initialized from
9803 @code{text-mode-syntax-table}.
9805 @vindex gnus-article-mode-line-format
9806 @item gnus-article-mode-line-format
9807 This variable is a format string along the same lines as
9808 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
9809 accepts the same format specifications as that variable, with two
9814 The @dfn{wash status} of the article. This is a short string with one
9815 character for each possible article wash operation that may have been
9818 The number of @sc{mime} parts in the article.
9821 @vindex gnus-break-pages
9823 @item gnus-break-pages
9824 Controls whether @dfn{page breaking} is to take place. If this variable
9825 is non-@code{nil}, the articles will be divided into pages whenever a
9826 page delimiter appears in the article. If this variable is @code{nil},
9827 paging will not be done.
9829 @item gnus-page-delimiter
9830 @vindex gnus-page-delimiter
9831 This is the delimiter mentioned above. By default, it is @samp{^L}
9836 @node Composing Messages
9837 @chapter Composing Messages
9838 @cindex composing messages
9841 @cindex sending mail
9847 @kindex C-c C-c (Post)
9848 All commands for posting and mailing will put you in a message buffer
9849 where you can edit the article all you like, before you send the
9850 article by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}. @xref{Top, , Top, message, The
9851 Message Manual}. Where the message will be posted/mailed to depends
9852 on your setup (@pxref{Posting Server}).
9855 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
9856 * Posting Server:: What server should you post via?
9857 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
9858 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
9859 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
9860 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
9861 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
9862 * Using GPG:: How to use GPG and MML to sign and encrypt messages
9865 Also see @pxref{Canceling and Superseding} for information on how to
9866 remove articles you shouldn't have posted.
9872 Variables for customizing outgoing mail:
9875 @item gnus-uu-digest-headers
9876 @vindex gnus-uu-digest-headers
9877 List of regexps to match headers included in digested messages. The
9878 headers will be included in the sequence they are matched.
9880 @item gnus-add-to-list
9881 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
9882 If non-@code{nil}, add a @code{to-list} group parameter to mail groups
9883 that have none when you do a @kbd{a}.
9888 @node Posting Server
9889 @section Posting Server
9891 When you press those magical @kbd{C-c C-c} keys to ship off your latest
9892 (extremely intelligent, of course) article, where does it go?
9894 Thank you for asking. I hate you.
9896 @vindex gnus-post-method
9898 It can be quite complicated. Normally, Gnus will post using the same
9899 select method as you're reading from (which might be convenient if
9900 you're reading lots of groups from different private servers).
9901 However. If the server you're reading from doesn't allow posting,
9902 just reading, you probably want to use some other server to post your
9903 (extremely intelligent and fabulously interesting) articles. You can
9904 then set the @code{gnus-post-method} to some other method:
9907 (setq gnus-post-method '(nnspool ""))
9910 Now, if you've done this, and then this server rejects your article, or
9911 this server is down, what do you do then? To override this variable you
9912 can use a non-zero prefix to the @kbd{C-c C-c} command to force using
9913 the ``current'' server, to get back the default behavior, for posting.
9915 If you give a zero prefix (i.e., @kbd{C-u 0 C-c C-c}) to that command,
9916 Gnus will prompt you for what method to use for posting.
9918 You can also set @code{gnus-post-method} to a list of select methods.
9919 If that's the case, Gnus will always prompt you for what method to use
9922 Finally, if you want to always post using the native select method,
9923 you can set this variable to @code{nil}.
9927 @section Mail and Post
9929 Here's a list of variables relevant to both mailing and
9933 @item gnus-mailing-list-groups
9934 @findex gnus-mailing-list-groups
9935 @cindex mailing lists
9937 If your news server offers groups that are really mailing lists
9938 gatewayed to the @sc{nntp} server, you can read those groups without
9939 problems, but you can't post/followup to them without some difficulty.
9940 One solution is to add a @code{to-address} to the group parameters
9941 (@pxref{Group Parameters}). An easier thing to do is set the
9942 @code{gnus-mailing-list-groups} to a regexp that matches the groups that
9943 really are mailing lists. Then, at least, followups to the mailing
9944 lists will work most of the time. Posting to these groups (@kbd{a}) is
9945 still a pain, though.
9949 You may want to do spell-checking on messages that you send out. Or, if
9950 you don't want to spell-check by hand, you could add automatic
9951 spell-checking via the @code{ispell} package:
9954 @findex ispell-message
9956 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'ispell-message)
9959 If you want to change the @code{ispell} dictionary based on what group
9960 you're in, you could say something like the following:
9963 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook
9967 "^de\\." (gnus-group-real-name gnus-newsgroup-name))
9968 (ispell-change-dictionary "deutsch"))
9970 (ispell-change-dictionary "english")))))
9973 Modify to suit your needs.
9976 @node Archived Messages
9977 @section Archived Messages
9978 @cindex archived messages
9979 @cindex sent messages
9981 Gnus provides a few different methods for storing the mail and news you
9982 send. The default method is to use the @dfn{archive virtual server} to
9983 store the messages. If you want to disable this completely, the
9984 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable should be @code{nil}, which
9987 @vindex gnus-message-archive-method
9988 @code{gnus-message-archive-method} says what virtual server Gnus is to
9989 use to store sent messages. The default is:
9993 (nnfolder-directory "~/Mail/archive")
9994 (nnfolder-active-file "~/Mail/archive/active")
9995 (nnfolder-get-new-mail nil)
9996 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t))
9999 You can, however, use any mail select method (@code{nnml},
10000 @code{nnmbox}, etc.). @code{nnfolder} is a quite likable select method
10001 for doing this sort of thing, though. If you don't like the default
10002 directory chosen, you could say something like:
10005 (setq gnus-message-archive-method
10006 '(nnfolder "archive"
10007 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t)
10008 (nnfolder-active-file "~/News/sent-mail/active")
10009 (nnfolder-directory "~/News/sent-mail/")))
10012 @vindex gnus-message-archive-group
10014 Gnus will insert @code{Gcc} headers in all outgoing messages that point
10015 to one or more group(s) on that server. Which group to use is
10016 determined by the @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable.
10018 This variable can be used to do the following:
10022 Messages will be saved in that group.
10024 Note that you can include a select method in the group name, then the
10025 message will not be stored in the select method given by
10026 @code{gnus-message-archive-method}, but in the select method specified
10027 by the group name, instead. Suppose @code{gnus-message-archive-method}
10028 has the default value shown above. Then setting
10029 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{"foo"} means that outgoing
10030 messages are stored in @samp{nnfolder+archive:foo}, but if you use the
10031 value @code{"nnml:foo"}, then outgoing messages will be stored in
10033 @item a list of strings
10034 Messages will be saved in all those groups.
10035 @item an alist of regexps, functions and forms
10036 When a key ``matches'', the result is used.
10038 No message archiving will take place. This is the default.
10043 Just saving to a single group called @samp{MisK}:
10045 (setq gnus-message-archive-group "MisK")
10048 Saving to two groups, @samp{MisK} and @samp{safe}:
10050 (setq gnus-message-archive-group '("MisK" "safe"))
10053 Save to different groups based on what group you are in:
10055 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
10056 '(("^alt" "sent-to-alt")
10057 ("mail" "sent-to-mail")
10058 (".*" "sent-to-misc")))
10061 More complex stuff:
10063 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
10064 '((if (message-news-p)
10069 How about storing all news messages in one file, but storing all mail
10070 messages in one file per month:
10073 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
10074 '((if (message-news-p)
10076 (concat "mail." (format-time-string "%Y-%m")))))
10079 (XEmacs 19.13 doesn't have @code{format-time-string}, so you'll have to
10080 use a different value for @code{gnus-message-archive-group} there.)
10082 Now, when you send a message off, it will be stored in the appropriate
10083 group. (If you want to disable storing for just one particular message,
10084 you can just remove the @code{Gcc} header that has been inserted.) The
10085 archive group will appear in the group buffer the next time you start
10086 Gnus, or the next time you press @kbd{F} in the group buffer. You can
10087 enter it and read the articles in it just like you'd read any other
10088 group. If the group gets really big and annoying, you can simply rename
10089 if (using @kbd{G r} in the group buffer) to something
10090 nice---@samp{misc-mail-september-1995}, or whatever. New messages will
10091 continue to be stored in the old (now empty) group.
10093 That's the default method of archiving sent messages. Gnus offers a
10094 different way for the people who don't like the default method. In that
10095 case you should set @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{nil};
10096 this will disable archiving.
10099 @item gnus-outgoing-message-group
10100 @vindex gnus-outgoing-message-group
10101 All outgoing messages will be put in this group. If you want to store
10102 all your outgoing mail and articles in the group @samp{nnml:archive},
10103 you set this variable to that value. This variable can also be a list of
10106 If you want to have greater control over what group to put each
10107 message in, you can set this variable to a function that checks the
10108 current newsgroup name and then returns a suitable group name (or list
10111 This variable can be used instead of @code{gnus-message-archive-group},
10112 but the latter is the preferred method.
10114 @item gnus-inews-mark-gcc-as-read
10115 @vindex gnus-inews-mark-gcc-as-read
10116 If non-@code{nil}, automatically mark @code{Gcc} articles as read.
10121 @node Posting Styles
10122 @section Posting Styles
10123 @cindex posting styles
10126 All them variables, they make my head swim.
10128 So what if you want a different @code{Organization} and signature based
10129 on what groups you post to? And you post both from your home machine
10130 and your work machine, and you want different @code{From} lines, and so
10133 @vindex gnus-posting-styles
10134 One way to do stuff like that is to write clever hooks that change the
10135 variables you need to have changed. That's a bit boring, so somebody
10136 came up with the bright idea of letting the user specify these things in
10137 a handy alist. Here's an example of a @code{gnus-posting-styles}
10142 (signature "Peace and happiness")
10143 (organization "What me?"))
10145 (signature "Death to everybody"))
10146 ("comp.emacs.i-love-it"
10147 (organization "Emacs is it")))
10150 As you might surmise from this example, this alist consists of several
10151 @dfn{styles}. Each style will be applicable if the first element
10152 ``matches'', in some form or other. The entire alist will be iterated
10153 over, from the beginning towards the end, and each match will be
10154 applied, which means that attributes in later styles that match override
10155 the same attributes in earlier matching styles. So
10156 @samp{comp.programming.literate} will have the @samp{Death to everybody}
10157 signature and the @samp{What me?} @code{Organization} header.
10159 The first element in each style is called the @code{match}. If it's a
10160 string, then Gnus will try to regexp match it against the group name.
10161 If it is the symbol @code{header}, then Gnus will look for header (the
10162 next element in the match) in the original article , and compare that to
10163 the last regexp in the match. If it's a function symbol, that function
10164 will be called with no arguments. If it's a variable symbol, then the
10165 variable will be referenced. If it's a list, then that list will be
10166 @code{eval}ed. In any case, if this returns a non-@code{nil} value,
10167 then the style is said to @dfn{match}.
10169 Each style may contain a arbitrary amount of @dfn{attributes}. Each
10170 attribute consists of a @code{(@var{name} @var{value})} pair. The
10171 attribute name can be one of @code{signature}, @code{signature-file},
10172 @code{organization}, @code{address}, @code{name} or @code{body}. The
10173 attribute name can also be a string. In that case, this will be used as
10174 a header name, and the value will be inserted in the headers of the
10175 article; if the value is @code{nil}, the header name will be removed.
10176 If the attribute name is @code{eval}, the form is evaluated, and the
10177 result is thrown away.
10179 The attribute value can be a string (used verbatim), a function with
10180 zero arguments (the return value will be used), a variable (its value
10181 will be used) or a list (it will be @code{eval}ed and the return value
10182 will be used). The functions and sexps are called/@code{eval}ed in the
10183 message buffer that is being set up. The headers of the current article
10184 are available through the @code{message-reply-headers} variable.
10186 If you wish to check whether the message you are about to compose is
10187 meant to be a news article or a mail message, you can check the values
10188 of the @code{message-news-p} and @code{message-mail-p} functions.
10190 @findex message-mail-p
10191 @findex message-news-p
10193 So here's a new example:
10196 (setq gnus-posting-styles
10198 (signature-file "~/.signature")
10200 ("X-Home-Page" (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
10201 (organization "People's Front Against MWM"))
10203 (signature my-funny-signature-randomizer))
10204 ((equal (system-name) "gnarly")
10205 (signature my-quote-randomizer))
10207 (signature my-news-signature))
10208 (header "to" "larsi.*org"
10209 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
10210 ((posting-from-work-p)
10211 (signature-file "~/.work-signature")
10212 (address "user@@bar.foo")
10213 (body "You are fired.\n\nSincerely, your boss.")
10214 (organization "Important Work, Inc"))
10216 (From (save-excursion
10217 (set-buffer gnus-article-buffer)
10218 (message-fetch-field "to"))))
10220 (signature-file "~/.mail-signature"))))
10223 The @samp{nnml:.*} rule means that you use the @code{To} address as the
10224 @code{From} address in all your outgoing replies, which might be handy
10225 if you fill many roles.
10232 If you are writing a message (mail or news) and suddenly remember that
10233 you have a steak in the oven (or some pesto in the food processor, you
10234 craaazy vegetarians), you'll probably wish there was a method to save
10235 the message you are writing so that you can continue editing it some
10236 other day, and send it when you feel its finished.
10238 Well, don't worry about it. Whenever you start composing a message of
10239 some sort using the Gnus mail and post commands, the buffer you get will
10240 automatically associate to an article in a special @dfn{draft} group.
10241 If you save the buffer the normal way (@kbd{C-x C-s}, for instance), the
10242 article will be saved there. (Auto-save files also go to the draft
10246 @vindex nndraft-directory
10247 The draft group is a special group (which is implemented as an
10248 @code{nndraft} group, if you absolutely have to know) called
10249 @samp{nndraft:drafts}. The variable @code{nndraft-directory} says where
10250 @code{nndraft} is to store its files. What makes this group special is
10251 that you can't tick any articles in it or mark any articles as
10252 read---all articles in the group are permanently unread.
10254 If the group doesn't exist, it will be created and you'll be subscribed
10255 to it. The only way to make it disappear from the Group buffer is to
10258 @c @findex gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft
10259 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Mail)
10260 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Post)
10261 @c @findex gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft
10262 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Mail)
10263 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Post)
10264 @c If you're writing some super-secret message that you later want to
10265 @c encode with PGP before sending, you may wish to turn the auto-saving
10266 @c (and association with the draft group) off. You never know who might be
10267 @c interested in reading all your extremely valuable and terribly horrible
10268 @c and interesting secrets. The @kbd{C-c M-d}
10269 @c (@code{gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft}) command does that for you.
10270 @c If you change your mind and want to turn the auto-saving back on again,
10271 @c @kbd{C-c C-d} (@code{gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft} does that.
10273 @c @vindex gnus-use-draft
10274 @c To leave association with the draft group off by default, set
10275 @c @code{gnus-use-draft} to @code{nil}. It is @code{t} by default.
10277 @findex gnus-draft-edit-message
10278 @kindex D e (Draft)
10279 When you want to continue editing the article, you simply enter the
10280 draft group and push @kbd{D e} (@code{gnus-draft-edit-message}) to do
10281 that. You will be placed in a buffer where you left off.
10283 Rejected articles will also be put in this draft group (@pxref{Rejected
10286 @findex gnus-draft-send-all-messages
10287 @findex gnus-draft-send-message
10288 If you have lots of rejected messages you want to post (or mail) without
10289 doing further editing, you can use the @kbd{D s} command
10290 (@code{gnus-draft-send-message}). This command understands the
10291 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). The @kbd{D S}
10292 command (@code{gnus-draft-send-all-messages}) will ship off all messages
10295 If you have some messages that you wish not to send, you can use the
10296 @kbd{D t} (@code{gnus-draft-toggle-sending}) command to mark the message
10297 as unsendable. This is a toggling command.
10300 @node Rejected Articles
10301 @section Rejected Articles
10302 @cindex rejected articles
10304 Sometimes a news server will reject an article. Perhaps the server
10305 doesn't like your face. Perhaps it just feels miserable. Perhaps
10306 @emph{there be demons}. Perhaps you have included too much cited text.
10307 Perhaps the disk is full. Perhaps the server is down.
10309 These situations are, of course, totally beyond the control of Gnus.
10310 (Gnus, of course, loves the way you look, always feels great, has angels
10311 fluttering around inside of it, doesn't care about how much cited text
10312 you include, never runs full and never goes down.) So Gnus saves these
10313 articles until some later time when the server feels better.
10315 The rejected articles will automatically be put in a special draft group
10316 (@pxref{Drafts}). When the server comes back up again, you'd then
10317 typically enter that group and send all the articles off.
10323 Gnus has an ALPHA support to GPG that's provided by @file{gpg.el}. See
10324 @code{mm-verify-option} and @code{mm-decrypt-option} to enable Gnus to
10325 verify or decrypt messages accordingly.
10327 To use this correctly with GPG, you'll need the following lisp code in your
10328 @file{~/.emacs} or @file{~/.gnus}:
10332 (setq mml2015-use 'gpg)
10333 (setq gpg-temp-directory (expand-file-name "~/.gnupg/tmp"))
10336 The @code{gpg-temp-directory} need to point to a directory with permissions set
10337 to 700, for your own safety.
10339 If you want to benefit of PGP2.6 compatibility, you might create a script named
10340 @file{gpg-2comp} with these instructions:
10344 exec gpg --rfc1991 "$@@"
10347 If you don't want to use such compatibility, you can add the following line to
10348 your @file{~/.emacs} or @file{~/.gnus}:
10351 (setq gpg-command-default-alist (quote ((gpg . "gpg") (gpg-2comp . "gpg"))))
10354 To sign or encrypt your message you may choose to use the MML Security
10355 menu or @kbd{C-c C-m s p} to sign your message using PGP/MIME, @kbd{C-c
10356 C-m s s} to sign your message using S/MIME. There's also @kbd{C-c C-m c
10357 p} to encrypt your message with PGP/MIME and @kbd{C-c C-m c s} to
10358 encrypt using S/MIME.
10360 Gnus will ask for your passphrase and then it will send your message, if
10361 you've typed it correctly.
10363 @node Select Methods
10364 @chapter Select Methods
10365 @cindex foreign groups
10366 @cindex select methods
10368 A @dfn{foreign group} is a group not read by the usual (or
10369 default) means. It could be, for instance, a group from a different
10370 @sc{nntp} server, it could be a virtual group, or it could be your own
10371 personal mail group.
10373 A foreign group (or any group, really) is specified by a @dfn{name} and
10374 a @dfn{select method}. To take the latter first, a select method is a
10375 list where the first element says what backend to use (e.g. @code{nntp},
10376 @code{nnspool}, @code{nnml}) and the second element is the @dfn{server
10377 name}. There may be additional elements in the select method, where the
10378 value may have special meaning for the backend in question.
10380 One could say that a select method defines a @dfn{virtual server}---so
10381 we do just that (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
10383 The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the backend will recognize the
10386 For instance, the group @samp{soc.motss} on the @sc{nntp} server
10387 @samp{some.where.edu} will have the name @samp{soc.motss} and select
10388 method @code{(nntp "some.where.edu")}. Gnus will call this group
10389 @samp{nntp+some.where.edu:soc.motss}, even though the @code{nntp}
10390 backend just knows this group as @samp{soc.motss}.
10392 The different methods all have their peculiarities, of course.
10395 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
10396 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
10397 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
10398 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
10399 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
10400 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
10401 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
10405 @node Server Buffer
10406 @section Server Buffer
10408 Traditionally, a @dfn{server} is a machine or a piece of software that
10409 one connects to, and then requests information from. Gnus does not
10410 connect directly to any real servers, but does all transactions through
10411 one backend or other. But that's just putting one layer more between
10412 the actual media and Gnus, so we might just as well say that each
10413 backend represents a virtual server.
10415 For instance, the @code{nntp} backend may be used to connect to several
10416 different actual @sc{nntp} servers, or, perhaps, to many different ports
10417 on the same actual @sc{nntp} server. You tell Gnus which backend to
10418 use, and what parameters to set by specifying a @dfn{select method}.
10420 These select method specifications can sometimes become quite
10421 complicated---say, for instance, that you want to read from the
10422 @sc{nntp} server @samp{news.funet.fi} on port number 13, which
10423 hangs if queried for @sc{nov} headers and has a buggy select. Ahem.
10424 Anyway, if you had to specify that for each group that used this
10425 server, that would be too much work, so Gnus offers a way of naming
10426 select methods, which is what you do in the server buffer.
10428 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
10429 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
10432 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
10433 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
10434 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
10435 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
10436 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
10437 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
10438 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
10441 @vindex gnus-server-mode-hook
10442 @code{gnus-server-mode-hook} is run when creating the server buffer.
10445 @node Server Buffer Format
10446 @subsection Server Buffer Format
10447 @cindex server buffer format
10449 @vindex gnus-server-line-format
10450 You can change the look of the server buffer lines by changing the
10451 @code{gnus-server-line-format} variable. This is a @code{format}-like
10452 variable, with some simple extensions:
10457 How the news is fetched---the backend name.
10460 The name of this server.
10463 Where the news is to be fetched from---the address.
10466 The opened/closed/denied status of the server.
10469 @vindex gnus-server-mode-line-format
10470 The mode line can also be customized by using the
10471 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format} variable (@pxref{Mode Line
10472 Formatting}). The following specs are understood:
10482 Also @pxref{Formatting Variables}.
10485 @node Server Commands
10486 @subsection Server Commands
10487 @cindex server commands
10493 @findex gnus-server-add-server
10494 Add a new server (@code{gnus-server-add-server}).
10498 @findex gnus-server-edit-server
10499 Edit a server (@code{gnus-server-edit-server}).
10502 @kindex SPACE (Server)
10503 @findex gnus-server-read-server
10504 Browse the current server (@code{gnus-server-read-server}).
10508 @findex gnus-server-exit
10509 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-server-exit}).
10513 @findex gnus-server-kill-server
10514 Kill the current server (@code{gnus-server-kill-server}).
10518 @findex gnus-server-yank-server
10519 Yank the previously killed server (@code{gnus-server-yank-server}).
10523 @findex gnus-server-copy-server
10524 Copy the current server (@code{gnus-server-copy-server}).
10528 @findex gnus-server-list-servers
10529 List all servers (@code{gnus-server-list-servers}).
10533 @findex gnus-server-scan-server
10534 Request that the server scan its sources for new articles
10535 (@code{gnus-server-scan-server}). This is mainly sensible with mail
10540 @findex gnus-server-regenerate-server
10541 Request that the server regenerate all its data structures
10542 (@code{gnus-server-regenerate-server}). This can be useful if you have
10543 a mail backend that has gotten out of sync.
10548 @node Example Methods
10549 @subsection Example Methods
10551 Most select methods are pretty simple and self-explanatory:
10554 (nntp "news.funet.fi")
10557 Reading directly from the spool is even simpler:
10563 As you can see, the first element in a select method is the name of the
10564 backend, and the second is the @dfn{address}, or @dfn{name}, if you
10567 After these two elements, there may be an arbitrary number of
10568 @code{(@var{variable} @var{form})} pairs.
10570 To go back to the first example---imagine that you want to read from
10571 port 15 on that machine. This is what the select method should
10575 (nntp "news.funet.fi" (nntp-port-number 15))
10578 You should read the documentation to each backend to find out what
10579 variables are relevant, but here's an @code{nnmh} example:
10581 @code{nnmh} is a mail backend that reads a spool-like structure. Say
10582 you have two structures that you wish to access: One is your private
10583 mail spool, and the other is a public one. Here's the possible spec for
10587 (nnmh "private" (nnmh-directory "~/private/mail/"))
10590 (This server is then called @samp{private}, but you may have guessed
10593 Here's the method for a public spool:
10597 (nnmh-directory "/usr/information/spool/")
10598 (nnmh-get-new-mail nil))
10604 If you are behind a firewall and only have access to the @sc{nntp}
10605 server from the firewall machine, you can instruct Gnus to @code{rlogin}
10606 on the firewall machine and telnet from there to the @sc{nntp} server.
10607 Doing this can be rather fiddly, but your virtual server definition
10608 should probably look something like this:
10612 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet)
10613 (nntp-via-address "the.firewall.machine")
10614 (nntp-address "the.real.nntp.host")
10615 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
10618 If you want to use the wonderful @code{ssh} program to provide a
10619 compressed connection over the modem line, you could add the following
10620 configuration to the example above:
10623 (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
10626 If you're behind a firewall, but have direct access to the outside world
10627 through a wrapper command like "runsocks", you could open a socksified
10628 telnet connection to the news server as follows:
10632 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
10633 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-telnet)
10634 (nntp-address "the.news.server")
10635 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
10638 This means that you have to have set up @code{ssh-agent} correctly to
10639 provide automatic authorization, of course. And to get a compressed
10640 connection, you have to have the @samp{Compression} option in the
10641 @code{ssh} @file{config} file.
10644 @node Creating a Virtual Server
10645 @subsection Creating a Virtual Server
10647 If you're saving lots of articles in the cache by using persistent
10648 articles, you may want to create a virtual server to read the cache.
10650 First you need to add a new server. The @kbd{a} command does that. It
10651 would probably be best to use @code{nnspool} to read the cache. You
10652 could also use @code{nnml} or @code{nnmh}, though.
10654 Type @kbd{a nnspool RET cache RET}.
10656 You should now have a brand new @code{nnspool} virtual server called
10657 @samp{cache}. You now need to edit it to have the right definitions.
10658 Type @kbd{e} to edit the server. You'll be entered into a buffer that
10659 will contain the following:
10669 (nnspool-spool-directory "~/News/cache/")
10670 (nnspool-nov-directory "~/News/cache/")
10671 (nnspool-active-file "~/News/cache/active"))
10674 Type @kbd{C-c C-c} to return to the server buffer. If you now press
10675 @kbd{RET} over this virtual server, you should be entered into a browse
10676 buffer, and you should be able to enter any of the groups displayed.
10679 @node Server Variables
10680 @subsection Server Variables
10682 One sticky point when defining variables (both on backends and in Emacs
10683 in general) is that some variables are typically initialized from other
10684 variables when the definition of the variables is being loaded. If you
10685 change the "base" variable after the variables have been loaded, you
10686 won't change the "derived" variables.
10688 This typically affects directory and file variables. For instance,
10689 @code{nnml-directory} is @file{~/Mail/} by default, and all @code{nnml}
10690 directory variables are initialized from that variable, so
10691 @code{nnml-active-file} will be @file{~/Mail/active}. If you define a
10692 new virtual @code{nnml} server, it will @emph{not} suffice to set just
10693 @code{nnml-directory}---you have to explicitly set all the file
10694 variables to be what you want them to be. For a complete list of
10695 variables for each backend, see each backend's section later in this
10696 manual, but here's an example @code{nnml} definition:
10700 (nnml-directory "~/my-mail/")
10701 (nnml-active-file "~/my-mail/active")
10702 (nnml-newsgroups-file "~/my-mail/newsgroups"))
10706 @node Servers and Methods
10707 @subsection Servers and Methods
10709 Wherever you would normally use a select method
10710 (e.g. @code{gnus-secondary-select-method}, in the group select method,
10711 when browsing a foreign server) you can use a virtual server name
10712 instead. This could potentially save lots of typing. And it's nice all
10716 @node Unavailable Servers
10717 @subsection Unavailable Servers
10719 If a server seems to be unreachable, Gnus will mark that server as
10720 @code{denied}. That means that any subsequent attempt to make contact
10721 with that server will just be ignored. ``It can't be opened,'' Gnus
10722 will tell you, without making the least effort to see whether that is
10723 actually the case or not.
10725 That might seem quite naughty, but it does make sense most of the time.
10726 Let's say you have 10 groups subscribed to on server
10727 @samp{nephelococcygia.com}. This server is located somewhere quite far
10728 away from you and the machine is quite slow, so it takes 1 minute just
10729 to find out that it refuses connection to you today. If Gnus were to
10730 attempt to do that 10 times, you'd be quite annoyed, so Gnus won't
10731 attempt to do that. Once it has gotten a single ``connection refused'',
10732 it will regard that server as ``down''.
10734 So, what happens if the machine was only feeling unwell temporarily?
10735 How do you test to see whether the machine has come up again?
10737 You jump to the server buffer (@pxref{Server Buffer}) and poke it
10738 with the following commands:
10744 @findex gnus-server-open-server
10745 Try to establish connection to the server on the current line
10746 (@code{gnus-server-open-server}).
10750 @findex gnus-server-close-server
10751 Close the connection (if any) to the server
10752 (@code{gnus-server-close-server}).
10756 @findex gnus-server-deny-server
10757 Mark the current server as unreachable
10758 (@code{gnus-server-deny-server}).
10761 @kindex M-o (Server)
10762 @findex gnus-server-open-all-servers
10763 Open the connections to all servers in the buffer
10764 (@code{gnus-server-open-all-servers}).
10767 @kindex M-c (Server)
10768 @findex gnus-server-close-all-servers
10769 Close the connections to all servers in the buffer
10770 (@code{gnus-server-close-all-servers}).
10774 @findex gnus-server-remove-denials
10775 Remove all marks to whether Gnus was denied connection from any servers
10776 (@code{gnus-server-remove-denials}).
10782 @section Getting News
10783 @cindex reading news
10784 @cindex news backends
10786 A newsreader is normally used for reading news. Gnus currently provides
10787 only two methods of getting news---it can read from an @sc{nntp} server,
10788 or it can read from a local spool.
10791 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
10792 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
10797 @subsection @sc{nntp}
10800 Subscribing to a foreign group from an @sc{nntp} server is rather easy.
10801 You just specify @code{nntp} as method and the address of the @sc{nntp}
10802 server as the, uhm, address.
10804 If the @sc{nntp} server is located at a non-standard port, setting the
10805 third element of the select method to this port number should allow you
10806 to connect to the right port. You'll have to edit the group info for
10807 that (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
10809 The name of the foreign group can be the same as a native group. In
10810 fact, you can subscribe to the same group from as many different servers
10811 you feel like. There will be no name collisions.
10813 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nntp}
10818 @item nntp-server-opened-hook
10819 @vindex nntp-server-opened-hook
10820 @cindex @sc{mode reader}
10822 @cindex authentification
10823 @cindex nntp authentification
10824 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
10825 @findex nntp-send-mode-reader
10826 is run after a connection has been made. It can be used to send
10827 commands to the @sc{nntp} server after it has been contacted. By
10828 default it sends the command @code{MODE READER} to the server with the
10829 @code{nntp-send-mode-reader} function. This function should always be
10830 present in this hook.
10832 @item nntp-authinfo-function
10833 @vindex nntp-authinfo-function
10834 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
10835 @vindex nntp-authinfo-file
10836 This function will be used to send @samp{AUTHINFO} to the @sc{nntp}
10837 server. The default function is @code{nntp-send-authinfo}, which looks
10838 through your @file{~/.authinfo} (or whatever you've set the
10839 @code{nntp-authinfo-file} variable to) for applicable entries. If none
10840 are found, it will prompt you for a login name and a password. The
10841 format of the @file{~/.authinfo} file is (almost) the same as the
10842 @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file, which is defined in the @code{ftp}
10843 manual page, but here are the salient facts:
10847 The file contains one or more line, each of which define one server.
10850 Each line may contain an arbitrary number of token/value pairs.
10852 The valid tokens include @samp{machine}, @samp{login}, @samp{password},
10853 @samp{default}. In addition Gnus introduces two new tokens, not present
10854 in the original @file{.netrc}/@code{ftp} syntax, namely @samp{port} and
10855 @samp{force}. (This is the only way the @file{.authinfo} file format
10856 deviates from the @file{.netrc} file format.) @samp{port} is used to
10857 indicate what port on the server the credentials apply to and
10858 @samp{force} is explained below.
10862 Here's an example file:
10865 machine news.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis
10866 machine nntp.ifi.uio.no login larsi force yes
10869 The token/value pairs may appear in any order; @samp{machine} doesn't
10870 have to be first, for instance.
10872 In this example, both login name and password have been supplied for the
10873 former server, while the latter has only the login name listed, and the
10874 user will be prompted for the password. The latter also has the
10875 @samp{force} tag, which means that the authinfo will be sent to the
10876 @var{nntp} server upon connection; the default (i.e., when there is not
10877 @samp{force} tag) is to not send authinfo to the @var{nntp} server
10878 until the @var{nntp} server asks for it.
10880 You can also add @samp{default} lines that will apply to all servers
10881 that don't have matching @samp{machine} lines.
10887 This will force sending @samp{AUTHINFO} commands to all servers not
10888 previously mentioned.
10890 Remember to not leave the @file{~/.authinfo} file world-readable.
10892 @item nntp-server-action-alist
10893 @vindex nntp-server-action-alist
10894 This is a list of regexps to match on server types and actions to be
10895 taken when matches are made. For instance, if you want Gnus to beep
10896 every time you connect to innd, you could say something like:
10899 (setq nntp-server-action-alist
10900 '(("innd" (ding))))
10903 You probably don't want to do that, though.
10905 The default value is
10908 '(("nntpd 1\\.5\\.11t"
10909 (remove-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook
10910 'nntp-send-mode-reader)))
10913 This ensures that Gnus doesn't send the @code{MODE READER} command to
10914 nntpd 1.5.11t, since that command chokes that server, I've been told.
10916 @item nntp-maximum-request
10917 @vindex nntp-maximum-request
10918 If the @sc{nntp} server doesn't support @sc{nov} headers, this backend
10919 will collect headers by sending a series of @code{head} commands. To
10920 speed things up, the backend sends lots of these commands without
10921 waiting for reply, and then reads all the replies. This is controlled
10922 by the @code{nntp-maximum-request} variable, and is 400 by default. If
10923 your network is buggy, you should set this to 1.
10925 @item nntp-connection-timeout
10926 @vindex nntp-connection-timeout
10927 If you have lots of foreign @code{nntp} groups that you connect to
10928 regularly, you're sure to have problems with @sc{nntp} servers not
10929 responding properly, or being too loaded to reply within reasonable
10930 time. This is can lead to awkward problems, which can be helped
10931 somewhat by setting @code{nntp-connection-timeout}. This is an integer
10932 that says how many seconds the @code{nntp} backend should wait for a
10933 connection before giving up. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default,
10934 no timeouts are done.
10936 @c @item nntp-command-timeout
10937 @c @vindex nntp-command-timeout
10938 @c @cindex PPP connections
10939 @c @cindex dynamic IP addresses
10940 @c If you're running Gnus on a machine that has a dynamically assigned
10941 @c address, Gnus may become confused. If the address of your machine
10942 @c changes after connecting to the @sc{nntp} server, Gnus will simply sit
10943 @c waiting forever for replies from the server. To help with this
10944 @c unfortunate problem, you can set this command to a number. Gnus will
10945 @c then, if it sits waiting for a reply from the server longer than that
10946 @c number of seconds, shut down the connection, start a new one, and resend
10947 @c the command. This should hopefully be transparent to the user. A
10948 @c likely number is 30 seconds.
10950 @c @item nntp-retry-on-break
10951 @c @vindex nntp-retry-on-break
10952 @c If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you can also @kbd{C-g} if Gnus
10953 @c hangs. This will have much the same effect as the command timeout
10954 @c described above.
10956 @item nntp-server-hook
10957 @vindex nntp-server-hook
10958 This hook is run as the last step when connecting to an @sc{nntp}
10961 @item nntp-buggy-select
10962 @vindex nntp-buggy-select
10963 Set this to non-@code{nil} if your select routine is buggy.
10965 @item nntp-nov-is-evil
10966 @vindex nntp-nov-is-evil
10967 If the @sc{nntp} server does not support @sc{nov}, you could set this
10968 variable to @code{t}, but @code{nntp} usually checks automatically whether @sc{nov}
10971 @item nntp-xover-commands
10972 @vindex nntp-xover-commands
10975 List of strings used as commands to fetch @sc{nov} lines from a
10976 server. The default value of this variable is @code{("XOVER"
10980 @vindex nntp-nov-gap
10981 @code{nntp} normally sends just one big request for @sc{nov} lines to
10982 the server. The server responds with one huge list of lines. However,
10983 if you have read articles 2-5000 in the group, and only want to read
10984 article 1 and 5001, that means that @code{nntp} will fetch 4999 @sc{nov}
10985 lines that you will not need. This variable says how
10986 big a gap between two consecutive articles is allowed to be before the
10987 @code{XOVER} request is split into several request. Note that if your
10988 network is fast, setting this variable to a really small number means
10989 that fetching will probably be slower. If this variable is @code{nil},
10990 @code{nntp} will never split requests. The default is 5.
10992 @item nntp-prepare-server-hook
10993 @vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
10994 A hook run before attempting to connect to an @sc{nntp} server.
10996 @item nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
10997 @vindex nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
10998 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, some noise will be made when a
10999 server closes connection.
11001 @item nntp-record-commands
11002 @vindex nntp-record-commands
11003 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nntp} will log all commands it sends to the
11004 @sc{nntp} server (along with a timestamp) in the @samp{*nntp-log*}
11005 buffer. This is useful if you are debugging a Gnus/@sc{nntp} connection
11006 that doesn't seem to work.
11008 @item nntp-open-connection-function
11009 @vindex nntp-open-connection-function
11010 It is possible to customize how the connection to the nntp server will
11011 be opened. If you specify an @code{nntp-open-connection-function}
11012 parameter, Gnus will use that function to establish the connection.
11013 Five pre-made functions are supplied. These functions can be grouped in
11014 two categories: direct connection functions (three pre-made), and
11015 indirect ones (two pre-made).
11019 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
11020 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
11021 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
11025 @node Direct Functions
11026 @subsubsection Direct Functions
11027 @cindex direct connection functions
11029 These functions are called direct because they open a direct connection
11030 between your machine and the @sc{nntp} server. The behavior of these
11031 functions is also affected by commonly understood variables
11032 (@pxref{Common Variables}).
11035 @findex nntp-open-network-stream
11036 @item nntp-open-network-stream
11037 This is the default, and simply connects to some port or other on the
11040 @findex nntp-open-ssl-stream
11041 @item nntp-open-ssl-stream
11042 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use this
11043 you must have SSLay installed
11044 (@uref{ftp://ftp.psy.uq.oz.au/pub/Crypto/SSL}, and you also need
11045 @file{ssl.el} (from the W3 distribution, for instance). You then
11046 define a server as follows:
11049 ;; Type `C-c C-c' after you've finished editing.
11051 ;; "snews" is port 563 and is predefined in our /etc/services
11053 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
11054 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-ssl-stream)
11055 (nntp-port-number "snews")
11056 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
11059 @findex nntp-open-telnet-stream
11060 @item nntp-open-telnet-stream
11061 Opens a connection to an @sc{nntp} server by simply @samp{telnet}'ing
11062 it. You might wonder why this function exists, since we have the
11063 default @code{nntp-open-network-stream} which would do the job. (One
11064 of) the reason(s) is that if you are behind a firewall but have direct
11065 connections to the outside world thanks to a command wrapper like
11066 @code{runsocks}, you can use it like this:
11070 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
11071 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-telnet-stream)
11072 (nntp-address "the.news.server"))
11075 With the default method, you would need to wrap your whole Emacs
11076 session, which is not a good idea.
11080 @node Indirect Functions
11081 @subsubsection Indirect Functions
11082 @cindex indirect connection functions
11084 These functions are called indirect because they connect to an
11085 intermediate host before actually connecting to the @sc{nntp} server.
11086 All of these functions and related variables are also said to belong to
11087 the "via" family of connection: they're all prefixed with "via" to make
11088 things cleaner. The behavior of these functions is also affected by
11089 commonly understood variables (@pxref{Common Variables}).
11092 @item nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
11093 @findex nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
11094 Does an @samp{rlogin} on a remote system, and then does a @samp{telnet}
11095 to the real @sc{nntp} server from there. This is useful for instance if
11096 you need to connect to a firewall machine first.
11098 @code{nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet}-specific variables:
11101 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command
11102 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command
11103 Command used to log in on the intermediate host. The default is
11104 @samp{rsh}, but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
11107 @item nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
11108 @findex nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
11109 Does essentially the same, but uses @samp{telnet} instead of
11110 @samp{rlogin} to connect to the intermediate host.
11112 @code{nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet}-specific variables:
11115 @item nntp-via-telnet-command
11116 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-command
11117 Command used to @code{telnet} the intermediate host. The default is
11120 @item nntp-via-telnet-switches
11121 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-switches
11122 List of strings to be used as the switches to the
11123 @code{nntp-via-telnet-command} command. The default is @samp{("-8")}.
11125 @item nntp-via-user-password
11126 @vindex nntp-via-user-password
11127 Password to use when logging in on the intermediate host.
11129 @item nntp-via-envuser
11130 @vindex nntp-via-envuser
11131 If non-@code{nil}, the intermediate @code{telnet} session (client and
11132 server both) will support the @code{ENVIRON} option and not prompt for
11133 login name. This works for Solaris @code{telnet}, for instance.
11135 @item nntp-via-shell-prompt
11136 @vindex nntp-via-shell-prompt
11137 Regexp matching the shell prompt on the intermediate host. The default
11138 is @samp{bash\\|\$ *\r?$\\|> *\r?}.
11145 Here are some additional variables that are understood by all the above
11150 @item nntp-via-user-name
11151 @vindex nntp-via-user-name
11152 User name to use when connecting to the intermediate host.
11154 @item nntp-via-address
11155 @vindex nntp-via-address
11156 Address of the intermediate host to connect to.
11161 @node Common Variables
11162 @subsubsection Common Variables
11164 The following variables affect the behavior of all, or several of the
11165 pre-made connection functions. When not specified, all functions are
11170 @item nntp-pre-command
11171 @vindex nntp-pre-command
11172 A command wrapper to use when connecting through a non native connection
11173 function (all except @code{nntp-open-network-stream} and
11174 @code{nntp-open-ssl-stream}. This is where you would put a @samp{SOCKS}
11175 wrapper for instance.
11178 @vindex nntp-address
11179 The address of the @sc{nntp} server.
11181 @item nntp-port-number
11182 @vindex nntp-port-number
11183 Port number to connect to the @sc{nntp} server. The default is @samp{nntp}.
11185 @item nntp-end-of-line
11186 @vindex nntp-end-of-line
11187 String to use as end-of-line marker when talking to the @sc{nntp}
11188 server. This is @samp{\r\n} by default, but should be @samp{\n} when
11189 using a non native connection function.
11191 @item nntp-telnet-command
11192 @vindex nntp-telnet-command
11193 Command to use when connecting to the @sc{nntp} server through
11194 @samp{telnet}. This is NOT for an intermediate host. This is just for
11195 the real @sc{nntp} server. The default is @samp{telnet}.
11197 @item nntp-telnet-switches
11198 @vindex nntp-telnet-switches
11199 A list of switches to pass to @code{nntp-telnet-command}. The default
11206 @subsection News Spool
11210 Subscribing to a foreign group from the local spool is extremely easy,
11211 and might be useful, for instance, to speed up reading groups that
11212 contain very big articles---@samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}, for
11215 Anyway, you just specify @code{nnspool} as the method and @code{""} (or
11216 anything else) as the address.
11218 If you have access to a local spool, you should probably use that as the
11219 native select method (@pxref{Finding the News}). It is normally faster
11220 than using an @code{nntp} select method, but might not be. It depends.
11221 You just have to try to find out what's best at your site.
11225 @item nnspool-inews-program
11226 @vindex nnspool-inews-program
11227 Program used to post an article.
11229 @item nnspool-inews-switches
11230 @vindex nnspool-inews-switches
11231 Parameters given to the inews program when posting an article.
11233 @item nnspool-spool-directory
11234 @vindex nnspool-spool-directory
11235 Where @code{nnspool} looks for the articles. This is normally
11236 @file{/usr/spool/news/}.
11238 @item nnspool-nov-directory
11239 @vindex nnspool-nov-directory
11240 Where @code{nnspool} will look for @sc{nov} files. This is normally
11241 @file{/usr/spool/news/over.view/}.
11243 @item nnspool-lib-dir
11244 @vindex nnspool-lib-dir
11245 Where the news lib dir is (@file{/usr/lib/news/} by default).
11247 @item nnspool-active-file
11248 @vindex nnspool-active-file
11249 The path to the active file.
11251 @item nnspool-newsgroups-file
11252 @vindex nnspool-newsgroups-file
11253 The path to the group descriptions file.
11255 @item nnspool-history-file
11256 @vindex nnspool-history-file
11257 The path to the news history file.
11259 @item nnspool-active-times-file
11260 @vindex nnspool-active-times-file
11261 The path to the active date file.
11263 @item nnspool-nov-is-evil
11264 @vindex nnspool-nov-is-evil
11265 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnspool} won't try to use any @sc{nov} files
11268 @item nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
11269 @vindex nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
11271 If non-@code{nil}, which is the default, use @code{sed} to get the
11272 relevant portion from the overview file. If nil, @code{nnspool} will
11273 load the entire file into a buffer and process it there.
11279 @section Getting Mail
11280 @cindex reading mail
11283 Reading mail with a newsreader---isn't that just plain WeIrD? But of
11287 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
11288 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
11289 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
11290 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
11291 * Mail Backend Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
11292 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
11293 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
11294 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
11295 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
11296 * Washing Mail:: Removing gruft from the mail you get.
11297 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
11298 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail backends for reading other files.
11299 * Choosing a Mail Backend:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
11303 @node Mail in a Newsreader
11304 @subsection Mail in a Newsreader
11306 If you are used to traditional mail readers, but have decided to switch
11307 to reading mail with Gnus, you may find yourself experiencing something
11308 of a culture shock.
11310 Gnus does not behave like traditional mail readers. If you want to make
11311 it behave that way, you can, but it's an uphill battle.
11313 Gnus, by default, handles all its groups using the same approach. This
11314 approach is very newsreaderly---you enter a group, see the new/unread
11315 messages, and when you read the messages, they get marked as read, and
11316 you don't see them any more. (Unless you explicitly ask for them.)
11318 In particular, you do not do anything explicitly to delete messages.
11320 Does this mean that all the messages that have been marked as read are
11321 deleted? How awful!
11323 But, no, it means that old messages are @dfn{expired} according to some
11324 scheme or other. For news messages, the expire process is controlled by
11325 the news administrator; for mail, the expire process is controlled by
11326 you. The expire process for mail is covered in depth in @pxref{Expiring
11329 What many Gnus users find, after using it a while for both news and
11330 mail, is that the transport mechanism has very little to do with how
11331 they want to treat a message.
11333 Many people subscribe to several mailing lists. These are transported
11334 via SMTP, and are therefore mail. But we might go for weeks without
11335 answering, or even reading these messages very carefully. We may not
11336 need to save them because if we should need to read one again, they are
11337 archived somewhere else.
11339 Some people have local news groups which have only a handful of readers.
11340 These are transported via @sc{nntp}, and are therefore news. But we may need
11341 to read and answer a large fraction of the messages very carefully in
11342 order to do our work. And there may not be an archive, so we may need
11343 to save the interesting messages the same way we would personal mail.
11345 The important distinction turns out to be not the transport mechanism,
11346 but other factors such as how interested we are in the subject matter,
11347 or how easy it is to retrieve the message if we need to read it again.
11349 Gnus provides many options for sorting mail into ``groups'' which behave
11350 like newsgroups, and for treating each group (whether mail or news)
11353 Some users never get comfortable using the Gnus (ahem) paradigm and wish
11354 that Gnus should grow up and be a male, er, mail reader. It is possible
11355 to whip Gnus into a more mailreaderly being, but, as said before, it's
11356 not easy. People who prefer proper mail readers should try @sc{vm}
11357 instead, which is an excellent, and proper, mail reader.
11359 I don't mean to scare anybody off, but I want to make it clear that you
11360 may be required to learn a new way of thinking about messages. After
11361 you've been subjected to The Gnus Way, you will come to love it. I can
11362 guarantee it. (At least the guy who sold me the Emacs Subliminal
11363 Brain-Washing Functions that I've put into Gnus did guarantee it. You
11364 Will Be Assimilated. You Love Gnus. You Love The Gnus Mail Way.
11368 @node Getting Started Reading Mail
11369 @subsection Getting Started Reading Mail
11371 It's quite easy to use Gnus to read your new mail. You just plonk the
11372 mail backend of your choice into @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods},
11373 and things will happen automatically.
11375 For instance, if you want to use @code{nnml} (which is a "one file per
11376 mail" backend), you could put the following in your @file{.gnus} file:
11379 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
11380 '((nnml "private")))
11383 Now, the next time you start Gnus, this backend will be queried for new
11384 articles, and it will move all the messages in your spool file to its
11385 directory, which is @code{~/Mail/} by default. The new group that will
11386 be created (@samp{mail.misc}) will be subscribed, and you can read it
11387 like any other group.
11389 You will probably want to split the mail into several groups, though:
11392 (setq nnmail-split-methods
11393 '(("junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
11394 ("crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
11398 This will result in three new @code{nnml} mail groups being created:
11399 @samp{nnml:junk}, @samp{nnml:crazy}, and @samp{nnml:other}. All the
11400 mail that doesn't fit into the first two groups will be placed in the
11403 This should be sufficient for reading mail with Gnus. You might want to
11404 give the other sections in this part of the manual a perusal, though.
11405 Especially @pxref{Choosing a Mail Backend} and @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
11408 @node Splitting Mail
11409 @subsection Splitting Mail
11410 @cindex splitting mail
11411 @cindex mail splitting
11413 @vindex nnmail-split-methods
11414 The @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable says how the incoming mail is
11415 to be split into groups.
11418 (setq nnmail-split-methods
11419 '(("mail.junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
11420 ("mail.crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
11421 ("mail.other" "")))
11424 This variable is a list of lists, where the first element of each of
11425 these lists is the name of the mail group (they do not have to be called
11426 something beginning with @samp{mail}, by the way), and the second
11427 element is a regular expression used on the header of each mail to
11428 determine if it belongs in this mail group. The first string may
11429 contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by @code{replace-match} to
11430 insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For instance:
11433 ("list.\\1" "From:.* \\(.*\\)-list@@majordomo.com")
11436 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
11437 called narrowed to the headers with the first element of the rule as the
11438 argument. It should return a non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the
11439 mail belongs in that group.
11441 The last of these groups should always be a general one, and the regular
11442 expression should @emph{always} be @samp{} so that it matches any mails
11443 that haven't been matched by any of the other regexps. (These rules are
11444 processed from the beginning of the alist toward the end. The first
11445 rule to make a match will "win", unless you have crossposting enabled.
11446 In that case, all matching rules will "win".)
11448 If you like to tinker with this yourself, you can set this variable to a
11449 function of your choice. This function will be called without any
11450 arguments in a buffer narrowed to the headers of an incoming mail
11451 message. The function should return a list of group names that it
11452 thinks should carry this mail message.
11454 Note that the mail backends are free to maul the poor, innocent,
11455 incoming headers all they want to. They all add @code{Lines} headers;
11456 some add @code{X-Gnus-Group} headers; most rename the Unix mbox
11457 @code{From<SPACE>} line to something else.
11459 @vindex nnmail-crosspost
11460 The mail backends all support cross-posting. If several regexps match,
11461 the mail will be ``cross-posted'' to all those groups.
11462 @code{nnmail-crosspost} says whether to use this mechanism or not. Note
11463 that no articles are crossposted to the general (@samp{}) group.
11465 @vindex nnmail-crosspost-link-function
11468 @code{nnmh} and @code{nnml} makes crossposts by creating hard links to
11469 the crossposted articles. However, not all file systems support hard
11470 links. If that's the case for you, set
11471 @code{nnmail-crosspost-link-function} to @code{copy-file}. (This
11472 variable is @code{add-name-to-file} by default.)
11474 @kindex M-x nnmail-split-history
11475 @kindex nnmail-split-history
11476 If you wish to see where the previous mail split put the messages, you
11477 can use the @kbd{M-x nnmail-split-history} command. If you wish to see
11478 where re-spooling messages would put the messages, you can use
11479 @code{gnus-summary-respool-trace} and related commands (@pxref{Mail
11482 Gnus gives you all the opportunity you could possibly want for shooting
11483 yourself in the foot. Let's say you create a group that will contain
11484 all the mail you get from your boss. And then you accidentally
11485 unsubscribe from the group. Gnus will still put all the mail from your
11486 boss in the unsubscribed group, and so, when your boss mails you ``Have
11487 that report ready by Monday or you're fired!'', you'll never see it and,
11488 come Tuesday, you'll still believe that you're gainfully employed while
11489 you really should be out collecting empty bottles to save up for next
11490 month's rent money.
11494 @subsection Mail Sources
11496 Mail can be gotten from many different sources---the mail spool, from a
11497 POP mail server, from a procmail directory, or from a maildir, for
11501 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
11502 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
11503 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
11507 @node Mail Source Specifiers
11508 @subsubsection Mail Source Specifiers
11510 @cindex mail server
11513 @cindex mail source
11515 You tell Gnus how to fetch mail by setting @code{mail-sources}
11516 (@pxref{Fetching Mail}) to a @dfn{mail source specifier}.
11521 (pop :server "pop3.mailserver.com" :user "myname")
11524 As can be observed, a mail source specifier is a list where the first
11525 element is a @dfn{mail source type}, followed by an arbitrary number of
11526 @dfn{keywords}. Keywords that are not explicitly specified are given
11529 The following mail source types are available:
11533 Get mail from a single file; typically from the mail spool.
11539 The path of the file. Defaults to the value of the @code{MAIL}
11540 environment variable or @file{/usr/mail/spool/user-name}.
11543 An example file mail source:
11546 (file :path "/usr/spool/mail/user-name")
11549 Or using the default path:
11555 If the mail spool file is not located on the local machine, it's best to
11556 use POP or @sc{imap} or the like to fetch the mail. You can not use ange-ftp
11557 file names here---it has no way to lock the mail spool while moving the
11560 If it's impossible to set up a proper server, you can use ssh instead.
11564 '((file :prescript "ssh host bin/getmail >%t")))
11567 The @samp{getmail} script would look something like the following:
11571 # getmail - move mail from spool to stdout
11574 MOVEMAIL=/usr/lib/emacs/20.3/i386-redhat-linux/movemail
11576 rm -f $TMP; $MOVEMAIL $MAIL $TMP >/dev/null && cat $TMP
11579 Alter this script to fit find the @samp{movemail} you want to use.
11583 Get mail from several files in a directory. This is typically used when
11584 you have procmail split the incoming mail into several files. Setting
11585 @code{nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once} to non-nil forces Gnus to
11586 scan the mail source only once. This is particularly useful if you want
11587 to scan mail groups at a specified level.
11593 The path of the directory where the files are. There is no default
11597 Only files ending with this suffix are used. The default is
11601 Only files that have this predicate return non-@code{nil} are returned.
11602 The default is @code{identity}. This is used as an additional
11603 filter---only files that have the right suffix @emph{and} satisfy this
11604 predicate are considered.
11608 Script run before/after fetching mail.
11612 An example directory mail source:
11615 (directory :path "/home/user-name/procmail-dir/"
11620 Get mail from a POP server.
11626 The name of the POP server. The default is taken from the
11627 @code{MAILHOST} environment variable.
11630 The port number of the POP server. This can be a number (eg,
11631 @samp{:port 1234}) or a string (eg, @samp{:port "pop3"}). If it is a
11632 string, it should be a service name as listed in @file{/etc/services} on
11633 Unix systems. The default is @samp{"pop3"}. On some systems you might
11634 need to specify it as @samp{"pop-3"} instead.
11637 The user name to give to the POP server. The default is the login
11641 The password to give to the POP server. If not specified, the user is
11645 The program to use to fetch mail from the POP server. This should be
11646 a @code{format}-like string. Here's an example:
11649 fetchmail %u@@%s -P %p %t
11652 The valid format specifier characters are:
11656 The name of the file the mail is to be moved to. This must always be
11657 included in this string.
11660 The name of the server.
11663 The port number of the server.
11666 The user name to use.
11669 The password to use.
11672 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
11673 corresponding keywords.
11676 A script to be run before fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
11677 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
11680 A script to be run after fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
11681 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
11684 The function to use to fetch mail from the POP server. The function is
11685 called with one parameter---the name of the file where the mail should
11688 @item :authentication
11689 This can be either the symbol @code{password} or the symbol @code{apop}
11690 and says what authentication scheme to use. The default is
11695 If the @code{:program} and @code{:function} keywords aren't specified,
11696 @code{pop3-movemail} will be used.
11698 Here are some examples. Fetch from the default POP server, using the
11699 default user name, and default fetcher:
11705 Fetch from a named server with a named user and password:
11708 (pop :server "my.pop.server"
11709 :user "user-name" :password "secret")
11712 Use @samp{movemail} to move the mail:
11715 (pop :program "movemail po:%u %t %p")
11719 Get mail from a maildir. This is a type of mailbox that is supported by
11720 at least qmail and postfix, where each file in a special directory
11721 contains exactly one mail.
11727 The path of the directory where the mails are stored. The default is
11728 taken from the @code{MAILDIR} environment variable or
11731 The subdirectories of the Maildir. The default is
11732 @samp{("new" "cur")}.
11734 @c If you sometimes look at your mail through a pop3 daemon before fetching
11735 @c them with Gnus, you may also have to fetch your mails from the
11736 @c @code{cur} directory inside the maildir, like in the first example
11739 You can also get mails from remote hosts (because maildirs don't suffer
11740 from locking problems).
11744 Two example maildir mail sources:
11747 (maildir :path "/home/user-name/Maildir/"
11748 :subdirs ("cur" "new"))
11752 (maildir :path "/user@@remotehost.org:~/Maildir/"
11757 Get mail from a @sc{imap} server. If you don't want to use @sc{imap}
11758 as intended, as a network mail reading protocol (ie with nnimap), for
11759 some reason or other, Gnus let you treat it similar to a POP server
11760 and fetches articles from a given @sc{imap} mailbox. @xref{IMAP}, for
11767 The name of the @sc{imap} server. The default is taken from the
11768 @code{MAILHOST} environment variable.
11771 The port number of the @sc{imap} server. The default is @samp{143}, or
11772 @samp{993} for SSL connections.
11775 The user name to give to the @sc{imap} server. The default is the login
11779 The password to give to the @sc{imap} server. If not specified, the user is
11783 What stream to use for connecting to the server, this is one of the
11784 symbols in @code{imap-stream-alist}. Right now, this means
11785 @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{ssl} or the default @samp{network}.
11787 @item :authentication
11788 Which authenticator to use for authenticating to the server, this is one
11789 of the symbols in @code{imap-authenticator-alist}. Right now, this
11790 means @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{cram-md5}, @samp{anonymous} or the default
11794 When using the `shell' :stream, the contents of this variable is
11795 mapped into the `imap-shell-program' variable. This should be a
11796 @code{format}-like string (or list of strings). Here's an example:
11802 The valid format specifier characters are:
11806 The name of the server.
11809 User name from `imap-default-user'.
11812 The port number of the server.
11815 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
11816 corresponding keywords.
11819 The name of the mailbox to get mail from. The default is @samp{INBOX}
11820 which normally is the mailbox which receive incoming mail.
11823 The predicate used to find articles to fetch. The default, @samp{UNSEEN
11824 UNDELETED}, is probably the best choice for most people, but if you
11825 sometimes peek in your mailbox with a @sc{imap} client and mark some
11826 articles as read (or; SEEN) you might want to set this to @samp{nil}.
11827 Then all articles in the mailbox is fetched, no matter what. For a
11828 complete list of predicates, see RFC 2060 §6.4.4.
11831 How to flag fetched articles on the server, the default @samp{\Deleted}
11832 will mark them as deleted, an alternative would be @samp{\Seen} which
11833 would simply mark them as read. These are the two most likely choices,
11834 but more flags are defined in RFC 2060 §2.3.2.
11837 If non-nil, don't remove all articles marked as deleted in the mailbox
11838 after finishing the fetch.
11842 An example @sc{imap} mail source:
11845 (imap :server "mail.mycorp.com"
11847 :fetchflag "\\Seen")
11851 Get mail from a webmail server, such as www.hotmail.com,
11852 webmail.netscape.com, www.netaddress.com, www.my-deja.com.
11854 NOTE: Now mail.yahoo.com provides POP3 service, so @sc{pop} mail source
11857 NOTE: Webmail largely depends cookies. A "one-line-cookie" patch is
11858 required for url "4.0pre.46".
11860 WARNING: Mails may lost. NO WARRANTY.
11866 The type of the webmail server. The default is @code{hotmail}. The
11867 alternatives are @code{netscape}, @code{netaddress}, @code{my-deja}.
11870 The user name to give to the webmail server. The default is the login
11874 The password to give to the webmail server. If not specified, the user is
11878 If non-nil, only fetch unread articles and don't move them to trash
11879 folder after finishing the fetch.
11883 An example webmail source:
11886 (webmail :subtype 'hotmail
11888 :password "secret")
11893 @item Common Keywords
11894 Common keywords can be used in any type of mail source.
11900 If non-nil, fetch the mail even when Gnus is unplugged. If you use
11901 directory source to get mail, you can specify it as in this example:
11905 '((directory :path "/home/pavel/.Spool/"
11910 Gnus will then fetch your mail even when you are unplugged. This is
11911 useful when you use local mail and news.
11916 @subsubsection Function Interface
11918 Some of the above keywords specify a Lisp function to be executed.
11919 For each keyword @code{:foo}, the Lisp variable @code{foo} is bound to
11920 the value of the keyword while the function is executing. For example,
11921 consider the following mail-source setting:
11924 (setq mail-sources '((pop :user "jrl"
11925 :server "pophost" :function fetchfunc)))
11928 While the function @code{fetchfunc} is executing, the symbol @code{user}
11929 is bound to @code{"jrl"}, and the symbol @code{server} is bound to
11930 @code{"pophost"}. The symbols @code{port}, @code{password},
11931 @code{program}, @code{prescript}, @code{postscript}, @code{function},
11932 and @code{authentication} are also bound (to their default values).
11934 See above for a list of keywords for each type of mail source.
11937 @node Mail Source Customization
11938 @subsubsection Mail Source Customization
11940 The following is a list of variables that influence how the mail is
11941 fetched. You would normally not need to set or change any of these
11945 @item mail-source-crash-box
11946 @vindex mail-source-crash-box
11947 File where mail will be stored while processing it. The default is
11948 @file{~/.emacs-mail-crash-box}.
11950 @item mail-source-delete-incoming
11951 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
11952 If non-@code{nil}, delete incoming files after handling them.
11954 @item mail-source-directory
11955 @vindex mail-source-directory
11956 Directory where files (if any) will be stored. The default is
11957 @file{~/Mail/}. At present, the only thing this is used for is to say
11958 where the incoming files will be stored if the previous variable is
11961 @item mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
11962 @vindex mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
11963 Prefix for file name for storing incoming mail. The default is
11964 @file{Incoming}, in which case files will end up with names like
11965 @file{Incoming30630D_} or @file{Incoming298602ZD}. This is really only
11966 relevant if @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is @code{nil}.
11968 @item mail-source-default-file-modes
11969 @vindex mail-source-default-file-modes
11970 All new mail files will get this file mode. The default is 384.
11975 @node Fetching Mail
11976 @subsubsection Fetching Mail
11978 @vindex mail-sources
11979 @vindex nnmail-spool-file
11980 The way to actually tell Gnus where to get new mail from is to set
11981 @code{mail-sources} to a list of mail source specifiers
11982 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}).
11984 If this variable (and the obsolescent @code{nnmail-spool-file}) is
11985 @code{nil}, the mail backends will never attempt to fetch mail by
11988 If you want to fetch mail both from your local spool as well as a POP
11989 mail server, you'd say something like:
11994 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
11995 :password "secret")))
11998 Or, if you don't want to use any of the keyword defaults:
12002 '((file :path "/var/spool/mail/user-name")
12003 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
12006 :password "secret")))
12010 When you use a mail backend, Gnus will slurp all your mail from your
12011 inbox and plonk it down in your home directory. Gnus doesn't move any
12012 mail if you're not using a mail backend---you have to do a lot of magic
12013 invocations first. At the time when you have finished drawing the
12014 pentagram, lightened the candles, and sacrificed the goat, you really
12015 shouldn't be too surprised when Gnus moves your mail.
12019 @node Mail Backend Variables
12020 @subsection Mail Backend Variables
12022 These variables are (for the most part) pertinent to all the various
12026 @vindex nnmail-read-incoming-hook
12027 @item nnmail-read-incoming-hook
12028 The mail backends all call this hook after reading new mail. You can
12029 use this hook to notify any mail watch programs, if you want to.
12031 @vindex nnmail-split-hook
12032 @item nnmail-split-hook
12033 @findex article-decode-encoded-words
12034 @findex RFC 1522 decoding
12035 @findex RFC 2047 decoding
12036 Hook run in the buffer where the mail headers of each message is kept
12037 just before the splitting based on these headers is done. The hook is
12038 free to modify the buffer contents in any way it sees fit---the buffer
12039 is discarded after the splitting has been done, and no changes performed
12040 in the buffer will show up in any files.
12041 @code{gnus-article-decode-encoded-words} is one likely function to add
12044 @vindex nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
12045 @vindex nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
12046 @item nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
12047 @itemx nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
12048 These are two useful hooks executed when treating new incoming
12049 mail---@code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook} (is called just before
12050 starting to handle the new mail) and
12051 @code{nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook} (is called when the mail handling
12052 is done). Here's and example of using these two hooks to change the
12053 default file modes the new mail files get:
12056 (add-hook 'nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
12057 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 511)))
12059 (add-hook 'nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
12060 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 551)))
12063 @item nnmail-use-long-file-names
12064 @vindex nnmail-use-long-file-names
12065 If non-@code{nil}, the mail backends will use long file and directory
12066 names. Groups like @samp{mail.misc} will end up in directories
12067 (assuming use of @code{nnml} backend) or files (assuming use of
12068 @code{nnfolder} backend) like @file{mail.misc}. If it is @code{nil},
12069 the same group will end up in @file{mail/misc}.
12071 @item nnmail-delete-file-function
12072 @vindex nnmail-delete-file-function
12073 @findex delete-file
12074 Function called to delete files. It is @code{delete-file} by default.
12076 @item nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
12077 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
12078 If non-@code{nil}, put the @code{Message-ID}s of articles imported into
12079 the backend (via @code{Gcc}, for instance) into the mail duplication
12080 discovery cache. The default is @code{nil}.
12085 @node Fancy Mail Splitting
12086 @subsection Fancy Mail Splitting
12087 @cindex mail splitting
12088 @cindex fancy mail splitting
12090 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy
12091 @findex nnmail-split-fancy
12092 If the rather simple, standard method for specifying how to split mail
12093 doesn't allow you to do what you want, you can set
12094 @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. Then you can
12095 play with the @code{nnmail-split-fancy} variable.
12097 Let's look at an example value of this variable first:
12100 ;; Messages from the mailer daemon are not crossposted to any of
12101 ;; the ordinary groups. Warnings are put in a separate group
12102 ;; from real errors.
12103 (| ("from" mail (| ("subject" "warn.*" "mail.warning")
12105 ;; Non-error messages are crossposted to all relevant
12106 ;; groups, but we don't crosspost between the group for the
12107 ;; (ding) list and the group for other (ding) related mail.
12108 (& (| (any "ding@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "ding.list")
12109 ("subject" "ding" "ding.misc"))
12110 ;; Other mailing lists...
12111 (any "procmail@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "procmail.list")
12112 (any "SmartList@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "SmartList.list")
12113 ;; Both lists below have the same suffix, so prevent
12114 ;; cross-posting to mkpkg.list of messages posted only to
12115 ;; the bugs- list, but allow cross-posting when the
12116 ;; message was really cross-posted.
12117 (any "bugs-mypackage@@somewhere" "mypkg.bugs")
12118 (any "mypackage@@somewhere\" - "bugs-mypackage" "mypkg.list")
12120 (any "larsi@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "people.Lars_Magne_Ingebrigtsen"))
12121 ;; Unmatched mail goes to the catch all group.
12125 This variable has the format of a @dfn{split}. A split is a (possibly)
12126 recursive structure where each split may contain other splits. Here are
12127 the five possible split syntaxes:
12132 @samp{group}: If the split is a string, that will be taken as a group
12133 name. Normal regexp match expansion will be done. See below for
12137 @code{(@var{field} @var{value} @code{[-} @var{restrict}
12138 @code{[@dots{}]}@code{]} @var{split})}: If the split is a list, the
12139 first element of which is a string, then store the message as
12140 specified by @var{split}, if header @var{field} (a regexp) contains
12141 @var{value} (also a regexp). If @var{restrict} (yet another regexp)
12142 matches some string after @var{field} and before the end of the
12143 matched @var{value}, the @var{split} is ignored. If none of the
12144 @var{restrict} clauses match, @var{split} is processed.
12147 @code{(| @var{split}@dots{})}: If the split is a list, and the first
12148 element is @code{|} (vertical bar), then process each @var{split} until
12149 one of them matches. A @var{split} is said to match if it will cause
12150 the mail message to be stored in one or more groups.
12153 @code{(& @var{split}@dots{})}: If the split is a list, and the first
12154 element is @code{&}, then process all @var{split}s in the list.
12157 @code{junk}: If the split is the symbol @code{junk}, then don't save
12158 this message. Use with extreme caution.
12161 @code{(: @var{function} @var{arg1} @var{arg2} @dots{})}: If the split is
12162 a list, and the first element is @code{:}, then the second element will
12163 be called as a function with @var{args} given as arguments. The
12164 function should return a @var{split}.
12167 For instance, the following function could be used to split based on the
12168 body of the messages:
12171 (defun split-on-body ()
12173 (set-buffer " *nnmail incoming*")
12174 (goto-char (point-min))
12175 (when (re-search-forward "Some.*string" nil t)
12179 The @samp{" *nnmail incoming*"} is narrowed to the message in question
12180 when the @code{:} function is run.
12183 @code{(! @var{func} @var{split})}: If the split is a list, and the first
12184 element is @code{!}, then SPLIT will be processed, and FUNC will be
12185 called as a function with the result of SPLIT as argument. FUNC should
12189 @code{nil}: If the split is @code{nil}, it is ignored.
12193 In these splits, @var{field} must match a complete field name.
12194 @var{value} must match a complete word according to the fundamental mode
12195 syntax table. You can use @code{.*} in the regexps to match partial
12196 field names or words. In other words, all @var{value}'s are wrapped in
12197 @samp{\<} and @samp{\>} pairs.
12199 @vindex nnmail-split-abbrev-alist
12200 @var{field} and @var{value} can also be lisp symbols, in that case they
12201 are expanded as specified by the variable
12202 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist}. This is an alist of cons cells, where
12203 the @code{car} of a cell contains the key, and the @code{cdr} contains the associated
12206 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table
12207 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table} is the syntax table in effect
12208 when all this splitting is performed.
12210 If you want to have Gnus create groups dynamically based on some
12211 information in the headers (i.e., do @code{replace-match}-like
12212 substitutions in the group names), you can say things like:
12215 (any "debian-\\b\\(\\w+\\)@@lists.debian.org" "mail.debian.\\1")
12218 In this example, messages sent to @samp{debian-foo@@lists.debian.org}
12219 will be filed in @samp{mail.debian.foo}.
12221 If the string contains the element @samp{\&}, then the previously
12222 matched string will be substituted. Similarly, the elements @samp{\\1}
12223 up to @samp{\\9} will be substituted with the text matched by the
12224 groupings 1 through 9.
12226 @findex nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent
12227 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} is a function which allows you to
12228 split followups into the same groups their parents are in. Sometimes
12229 you can't make splitting rules for all your mail. For example, your
12230 boss might send you personal mail regarding different projects you are
12231 working on, and as you can't tell your boss to put a distinguishing
12232 string into the subject line, you have to resort to manually moving the
12233 messages into the right group. With this function, you only have to do
12234 it once per thread.
12236 To use this feature, you have to set @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to a
12237 non-nil value. And then you can include
12238 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} using the colon feature, like so:
12240 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
12241 '(| (: nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent)
12242 ;; other splits go here
12246 This feature works as follows: when @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} is
12247 non-nil, Gnus records the message id of every message it sees in the
12248 file specified by the variable @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file},
12249 together with the group it is in (the group is omitted for non-mail
12250 messages). When mail splitting is invoked, the function
12251 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} then looks at the References (and
12252 In-Reply-To) header of each message to split and searches the file
12253 specified by @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file} for the message ids.
12254 When it has found a parent, it returns the corresponding group name
12255 unless the group name matches the regexp
12256 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent-ignore-groups}. It is recommended
12257 that you set @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length} to a somewhat higher
12258 number than the default so that the message ids are still in the cache.
12259 (A value of 5000 appears to create a file some 300 kBytes in size.)
12260 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
12261 When @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus
12262 also records the message ids of moved articles, so that the followup
12263 messages goes into the new group.
12266 @node Group Mail Splitting
12267 @subsection Group Mail Splitting
12268 @cindex mail splitting
12269 @cindex group mail splitting
12271 @findex gnus-group-split
12272 If you subscribe to dozens of mailing lists but you don't want to
12273 maintain mail splitting rules manually, group mail splitting is for you.
12274 You just have to set @var{to-list} and/or @var{to-address} in group
12275 parameters or group customization and set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to
12276 @code{gnus-group-split}. This splitting function will scan all groups
12277 for those parameters and split mail accordingly, i.e., messages posted
12278 from or to the addresses specified in the parameters @var{to-list} or
12279 @var{to-address} of a mail group will be stored in that group.
12281 Sometimes, mailing lists have multiple addresses, and you may want mail
12282 splitting to recognize them all: just set the @var{extra-aliases} group
12283 parameter to the list of additional addresses and it's done. If you'd
12284 rather use a regular expression, set @var{split-regexp}.
12286 All these parameters in a group will be used to create an
12287 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split, in which the @var{field} is @samp{any},
12288 the @var{value} is a single regular expression that matches
12289 @var{to-list}, @var{to-address}, all of @var{extra-aliases} and all
12290 matches of @var{split-regexp}, and the @var{split} is the name of the
12291 group. @var{restrict}s are also supported: just set the
12292 @var{split-exclude} parameter to a list of regular expressions.
12294 If you can't get the right split to be generated using all these
12295 parameters, or you just need something fancier, you can set the
12296 parameter @var{split-spec} to an @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split. In
12297 this case, all other aforementioned parameters will be ignored by
12298 @code{gnus-group-split}. In particular, @var{split-spec} may be set to
12299 @code{nil}, in which case the group will be ignored by
12300 @code{gnus-group-split}.
12302 @vindex gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group
12303 @code{gnus-group-split} will do cross-posting on all groups that match,
12304 by defining a single @code{&} fancy split containing one split for each
12305 group. If a message doesn't match any split, it will be stored in the
12306 group named in @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}, unless
12307 some group has @var{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all}, in which case
12308 that group is used as the catch-all group. Even though this variable is
12309 often used just to name a group, it may also be set to an arbitrarily
12310 complex fancy split (after all, a group name is a fancy split), and this
12311 may be useful to split mail that doesn't go to any mailing list to
12312 personal mail folders. Note that this fancy split is added as the last
12313 element of a @code{|} split list that also contains a @code{&} split
12314 with the rules extracted from group parameters.
12316 It's time for an example. Assume the following group parameters have
12321 ((to-address . "bar@@femail.com")
12322 (split-regexp . ".*@@femail\\.com"))
12324 ((to-list . "foo@@nowhere.gov")
12325 (extra-aliases "foo@@localhost" "foo-redist@@home")
12326 (split-exclude "bugs-foo" "rambling-foo")
12327 (admin-address . "foo-request@@nowhere.gov"))
12329 ((split-spec . catch-all))
12332 Setting @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{gnus-group-split} will
12333 behave as if @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been selected and variable
12334 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been set as follows:
12337 (| (& (any "\\(bar@@femail\\.com\\|.*@@femail\\.com\\)" "mail.bar")
12338 (any "\\(foo@@nowhere\\.gov\\|foo@@localhost\\|foo-redist@@home\\)"
12339 - "bugs-foo" - "rambling-foo" "mail.foo"))
12343 @findex gnus-group-split-fancy
12344 If you'd rather not use group splitting for all your mail groups, you
12345 may use it for only some of them, by using @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
12349 (: gnus-mlsplt-fancy GROUPS NO-CROSSPOST CATCH-ALL)
12352 @var{groups} may be a regular expression or a list of group names whose
12353 parameters will be scanned to generate the output split.
12354 @var{no-crosspost} can be used to disable cross-posting; in this case, a
12355 single @code{|} split will be output. @var{catch-all} is the fallback
12356 fancy split, used like @var{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}.
12357 If @var{catch-all} is @code{nil}, or if @var{split-regexp} matches the
12358 empty string in any selected group, no catch-all split will be issued.
12359 Otherwise, if some group has @var{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all},
12360 this group will override the value of the @var{catch-all} argument.
12362 @findex gnus-group-split-setup
12363 Unfortunately, scanning all groups and their parameters can be quite
12364 slow, especially considering that it has to be done for every message.
12365 But don't despair! The function @code{gnus-group-split-setup} can be
12366 used to enable @code{gnus-group-split} in a much more efficient way. It
12367 sets @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy} and sets
12368 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} to the split produced by
12369 @code{gnus-group-split-fancy}. Thus, the group parameters are only
12370 scanned once, no matter how many messages are split.
12372 @findex gnus-group-split-update
12373 However, if you change group parameters, you'd have to update
12374 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} manually. You can do it by running
12375 @code{gnus-group-split-update}. If you'd rather have it updated
12376 automatically, just tell @code{gnus-group-split-setup} to do it for
12377 you. For example, add to your @file{.gnus}:
12380 (gnus-group-split-setup AUTO-UPDATE CATCH-ALL)
12383 If @var{auto-update} is non-@code{nil}, @code{gnus-group-split-update}
12384 will be added to @code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook}, so you won't ever
12385 have to worry about updating @code{nnmail-split-fancy} again. If you
12386 don't omit @var{catch-all} (it's optional, equivalent to @code{nil}),
12387 @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group} will be set to its
12390 @vindex gnus-group-split-updated-hook
12391 Because you may want to change @code{nnmail-split-fancy} after it is set
12392 by @code{gnus-group-split-update}, this function will run
12393 @code{gnus-group-split-updated-hook} just before finishing.
12395 @node Incorporating Old Mail
12396 @subsection Incorporating Old Mail
12397 @cindex incorporating old mail
12398 @cindex import old mail
12400 Most people have lots of old mail stored in various file formats. If
12401 you have set up Gnus to read mail using one of the spiffy Gnus mail
12402 backends, you'll probably wish to have that old mail incorporated into
12405 Doing so can be quite easy.
12407 To take an example: You're reading mail using @code{nnml}
12408 (@pxref{Mail Spool}), and have set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to a
12409 satisfactory value (@pxref{Splitting Mail}). You have an old Unix mbox
12410 file filled with important, but old, mail. You want to move it into
12411 your @code{nnml} groups.
12417 Go to the group buffer.
12420 Type `G f' and give the path to the mbox file when prompted to create an
12421 @code{nndoc} group from the mbox file (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
12424 Type `SPACE' to enter the newly created group.
12427 Type `M P b' to process-mark all articles in this group's buffer
12428 (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
12431 Type `B r' to respool all the process-marked articles, and answer
12432 @samp{nnml} when prompted (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
12435 All the mail messages in the mbox file will now also be spread out over
12436 all your @code{nnml} groups. Try entering them and check whether things
12437 have gone without a glitch. If things look ok, you may consider
12438 deleting the mbox file, but I wouldn't do that unless I was absolutely
12439 sure that all the mail has ended up where it should be.
12441 Respooling is also a handy thing to do if you're switching from one mail
12442 backend to another. Just respool all the mail in the old mail groups
12443 using the new mail backend.
12446 @node Expiring Mail
12447 @subsection Expiring Mail
12448 @cindex article expiry
12450 Traditional mail readers have a tendency to remove mail articles when
12451 you mark them as read, in some way. Gnus takes a fundamentally
12452 different approach to mail reading.
12454 Gnus basically considers mail just to be news that has been received in
12455 a rather peculiar manner. It does not think that it has the power to
12456 actually change the mail, or delete any mail messages. If you enter a
12457 mail group, and mark articles as ``read'', or kill them in some other
12458 fashion, the mail articles will still exist on the system. I repeat:
12459 Gnus will not delete your old, read mail. Unless you ask it to, of
12462 To make Gnus get rid of your unwanted mail, you have to mark the
12463 articles as @dfn{expirable}. This does not mean that the articles will
12464 disappear right away, however. In general, a mail article will be
12465 deleted from your system if, 1) it is marked as expirable, AND 2) it is
12466 more than one week old. If you do not mark an article as expirable, it
12467 will remain on your system until hell freezes over. This bears
12468 repeating one more time, with some spurious capitalizations: IF you do
12469 NOT mark articles as EXPIRABLE, Gnus will NEVER delete those ARTICLES.
12471 @vindex gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
12472 You do not have to mark articles as expirable by hand. Groups that
12473 match the regular expression @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups} will
12474 have all articles that you read marked as expirable automatically. All
12475 articles marked as expirable have an @samp{E} in the first
12476 column in the summary buffer.
12478 By default, if you have auto expiry switched on, Gnus will mark all the
12479 articles you read as expirable, no matter if they were read or unread
12480 before. To avoid having articles marked as read marked as expirable
12481 automatically, you can put something like the following in your
12484 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
12486 (remove-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook
12487 'gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read)
12488 (add-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook 'gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read)
12491 Note that making a group auto-expirable doesn't mean that all read
12492 articles are expired---only the articles marked as expirable
12493 will be expired. Also note that using the @kbd{d} command won't make
12494 articles expirable---only semi-automatic marking of articles as read will
12495 mark the articles as expirable in auto-expirable groups.
12497 Let's say you subscribe to a couple of mailing lists, and you want the
12498 articles you have read to disappear after a while:
12501 (setq gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
12502 "mail.nonsense-list\\|mail.nice-list")
12505 Another way to have auto-expiry happen is to have the element
12506 @code{auto-expire} in the group parameters of the group.
12508 If you use adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}) and
12509 auto-expiring, you'll have problems. Auto-expiring and adaptive scoring
12510 don't really mix very well.
12512 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait
12513 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable supplies the default time an
12514 expirable article has to live. Gnus starts counting days from when the
12515 message @emph{arrived}, not from when it was sent. The default is seven
12518 Gnus also supplies a function that lets you fine-tune how long articles
12519 are to live, based on what group they are in. Let's say you want to
12520 have one month expiry period in the @samp{mail.private} group, a one day
12521 expiry period in the @samp{mail.junk} group, and a six day expiry period
12524 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
12526 (setq nnmail-expiry-wait-function
12528 (cond ((string= group "mail.private")
12530 ((string= group "mail.junk")
12532 ((string= group "important")
12538 The group names this function is fed are ``unadorned'' group
12539 names---no @samp{nnml:} prefixes and the like.
12541 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable and
12542 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} function can either be a number (not
12543 necessarily an integer) or one of the symbols @code{immediate} or
12546 You can also use the @code{expiry-wait} group parameter to selectively
12547 change the expiry period (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
12549 @vindex nnmail-expiry-target
12550 The normal action taken when expiring articles is to delete them.
12551 However, in some circumstances it might make more sense to move them to
12552 other groups instead of deleting them. The variable @code{nnmail-expiry-target}
12553 (and the @code{expiry-target} group parameter) controls this. The
12554 variable supplies a default value for all groups, which can be
12555 overridden for specific groups by the group parameter.
12556 default value is @code{delete}, but this can also be a string (which
12557 should be the name of the group the message should be moved to), or a
12558 function (which will be called in a buffer narrowed to the message in
12559 question, and with the name of the group being moved from as its
12560 parameter) which should return a target -- either a group name or
12563 Here's an example for specifying a group name:
12565 (setq nnmail-expiry-target "nnml:expired")
12569 @vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
12570 If @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will never
12571 expire the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is to make life
12572 easier for procmail users.
12574 @vindex gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups
12575 By the way: That line up there, about Gnus never expiring non-expirable
12576 articles, is a lie. If you put @code{total-expire} in the group
12577 parameters, articles will not be marked as expirable, but all read
12578 articles will be put through the expiry process. Use with extreme
12579 caution. Even more dangerous is the
12580 @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups} variable. All groups that match
12581 this regexp will have all read articles put through the expiry process,
12582 which means that @emph{all} old mail articles in the groups in question
12583 will be deleted after a while. Use with extreme caution, and don't come
12584 crying to me when you discover that the regexp you used matched the
12585 wrong group and all your important mail has disappeared. Be a
12586 @emph{man}! Or a @emph{woman}! Whatever you feel more comfortable
12589 Most people make most of their mail groups total-expirable, though.
12591 @vindex gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire
12592 If @code{gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire} is non-@code{nil}, user marking
12593 commands will not mark an article as expirable, even if the group has
12594 auto-expire turned on.
12598 @subsection Washing Mail
12599 @cindex mail washing
12600 @cindex list server brain damage
12601 @cindex incoming mail treatment
12603 Mailers and list servers are notorious for doing all sorts of really,
12604 really stupid things with mail. ``Hey, RFC 822 doesn't explicitly
12605 prohibit us from adding the string @code{wE aRe ElItE!!!!!1!!} to the
12606 end of all lines passing through our server, so let's do that!!!!1!''
12607 Yes, but RFC 822 wasn't designed to be read by morons. Things that were
12608 considered to be self-evident were not discussed. So. Here we are.
12610 Case in point: The German version of Microsoft Exchange adds @samp{AW:
12611 } to the subjects of replies instead of @samp{Re: }. I could pretend to
12612 be shocked and dismayed by this, but I haven't got the energy. It is to
12615 Gnus provides a plethora of functions for washing articles while
12616 displaying them, but it might be nicer to do the filtering before
12617 storing the mail to disc. For that purpose, we have three hooks and
12618 various functions that can be put in these hooks.
12621 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
12622 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
12623 This hook is called before doing anything with the mail and is meant for
12624 grand, sweeping gestures. It is called in a buffer that contains all
12625 the new, incoming mail. Functions to be used include:
12628 @item nnheader-ms-strip-cr
12629 @findex nnheader-ms-strip-cr
12630 Remove trailing carriage returns from each line. This is default on
12631 Emacs running on MS machines.
12635 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
12636 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
12637 This hook is called narrowed to each header. It can be used when
12638 cleaning up the headers. Functions that can be used include:
12641 @item nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
12642 @findex nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
12643 Clear leading white space that ``helpful'' listservs have added to the
12644 headers to make them look nice. Aaah.
12646 @item nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
12647 @findex nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
12648 Some list servers add an identifier---for example, @samp{(idm)}---to the
12649 beginning of all @code{Subject} headers. I'm sure that's nice for
12650 people who use stone age mail readers. This function will remove
12651 strings that match the @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} regexp, which can
12652 also be a list of regexp. @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} may not contain
12655 For instance, if you want to remove the @samp{(idm)} and the
12656 @samp{nagnagnag} identifiers:
12659 (setq nnmail-list-identifiers
12660 '("(idm)" "nagnagnag"))
12663 This can also be done non-destructively with
12664 @code{gnus-list-identifiers}, @xref{Article Hiding}.
12666 @item nnmail-remove-tabs
12667 @findex nnmail-remove-tabs
12668 Translate all @samp{TAB} characters into @samp{SPACE} characters.
12670 @item nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
12671 @findex nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
12673 Eudora produces broken @code{References} headers, but OK
12674 @code{In-Reply-To} headers. This function will get rid of the
12675 @code{References} headers.
12679 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
12680 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
12681 This hook is called narrowed to each message. Functions to be used
12685 @item article-de-quoted-unreadable
12686 @findex article-de-quoted-unreadable
12687 Decode Quoted Readable encoding.
12694 @subsection Duplicates
12696 @vindex nnmail-treat-duplicates
12697 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-length
12698 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-file
12699 @cindex duplicate mails
12700 If you are a member of a couple of mailing lists, you will sometimes
12701 receive two copies of the same mail. This can be quite annoying, so
12702 @code{nnmail} checks for and treats any duplicates it might find. To do
12703 this, it keeps a cache of old @code{Message-ID}s---
12704 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, which is @file{~/.nnmail-cache} by
12705 default. The approximate maximum number of @code{Message-ID}s stored
12706 there is controlled by the @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length}
12707 variable, which is 1000 by default. (So 1000 @code{Message-ID}s will be
12708 stored.) If all this sounds scary to you, you can set
12709 @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to @code{warn} (which is what it is by
12710 default), and @code{nnmail} won't delete duplicate mails. Instead it
12711 will insert a warning into the head of the mail saying that it thinks
12712 that this is a duplicate of a different message.
12714 This variable can also be a function. If that's the case, the function
12715 will be called from a buffer narrowed to the message in question with
12716 the @code{Message-ID} as a parameter. The function must return either
12717 @code{nil}, @code{warn}, or @code{delete}.
12719 You can turn this feature off completely by setting the variable to
12722 If you want all the duplicate mails to be put into a special
12723 @dfn{duplicates} group, you could do that using the normal mail split
12727 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
12728 '(| ;; Messages duplicates go to a separate group.
12729 ("gnus-warning" "duplicat\\(e\\|ion\\) of message" "duplicate")
12730 ;; Message from daemons, postmaster, and the like to another.
12731 (any mail "mail.misc")
12738 (setq nnmail-split-methods
12739 '(("duplicates" "^Gnus-Warning:.*duplicate")
12744 Here's a neat feature: If you know that the recipient reads her mail
12745 with Gnus, and that she has @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} set to
12746 @code{delete}, you can send her as many insults as you like, just by
12747 using a @code{Message-ID} of a mail that you know that she's already
12748 received. Think of all the fun! She'll never see any of it! Whee!
12751 @node Not Reading Mail
12752 @subsection Not Reading Mail
12754 If you start using any of the mail backends, they have the annoying
12755 habit of assuming that you want to read mail with them. This might not
12756 be unreasonable, but it might not be what you want.
12758 If you set @code{mail-sources} and @code{nnmail-spool-file} to
12759 @code{nil}, none of the backends will ever attempt to read incoming
12760 mail, which should help.
12762 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
12763 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
12764 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
12765 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
12766 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
12767 This might be too much, if, for instance, you are reading mail quite
12768 happily with @code{nnml} and just want to peek at some old @sc{rmail}
12769 file you have stashed away with @code{nnbabyl}. All backends have
12770 variables called backend-@code{get-new-mail}. If you want to disable
12771 the @code{nnbabyl} mail reading, you edit the virtual server for the
12772 group to have a setting where @code{nnbabyl-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}.
12774 All the mail backends will call @code{nn}*@code{-prepare-save-mail-hook}
12775 narrowed to the article to be saved before saving it when reading
12779 @node Choosing a Mail Backend
12780 @subsection Choosing a Mail Backend
12782 Gnus will read the mail spool when you activate a mail group. The mail
12783 file is first copied to your home directory. What happens after that
12784 depends on what format you want to store your mail in.
12786 There are five different mail backends in the standard Gnus, and more
12787 backends are available separately. The mail backend most people use
12788 (because it is the fastest and most flexible) is @code{nnml}
12789 (@pxref{Mail Spool}).
12792 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
12793 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
12794 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
12795 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like backend.
12796 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
12797 * Comparing Mail Backends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
12801 @node Unix Mail Box
12802 @subsubsection Unix Mail Box
12804 @cindex unix mail box
12806 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
12807 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
12808 The @dfn{nnmbox} backend will use the standard Un*x mbox file to store
12809 mail. @code{nnmbox} will add extra headers to each mail article to say
12810 which group it belongs in.
12812 Virtual server settings:
12815 @item nnmbox-mbox-file
12816 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
12817 The name of the mail box in the user's home directory. Default is
12820 @item nnmbox-active-file
12821 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
12822 The name of the active file for the mail box. Default is
12823 @file{~/.mbox-active}.
12825 @item nnmbox-get-new-mail
12826 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
12827 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmbox} will read incoming mail and split it
12828 into groups. Default is @code{t}.
12833 @subsubsection Rmail Babyl
12837 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
12838 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
12839 The @dfn{nnbabyl} backend will use a babyl mail box (aka. @dfn{rmail
12840 mbox}) to store mail. @code{nnbabyl} will add extra headers to each
12841 mail article to say which group it belongs in.
12843 Virtual server settings:
12846 @item nnbabyl-mbox-file
12847 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
12848 The name of the rmail mbox file. The default is @file{~/RMAIL}
12850 @item nnbabyl-active-file
12851 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
12852 The name of the active file for the rmail box. The default is
12853 @file{~/.rmail-active}
12855 @item nnbabyl-get-new-mail
12856 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
12857 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnbabyl} will read incoming mail. Default is
12863 @subsubsection Mail Spool
12865 @cindex mail @sc{nov} spool
12867 The @dfn{nnml} spool mail format isn't compatible with any other known
12868 format. It should be used with some caution.
12870 @vindex nnml-directory
12871 If you use this backend, Gnus will split all incoming mail into files,
12872 one file for each mail, and put the articles into the corresponding
12873 directories under the directory specified by the @code{nnml-directory}
12874 variable. The default value is @file{~/Mail/}.
12876 You do not have to create any directories beforehand; Gnus will take
12879 If you have a strict limit as to how many files you are allowed to store
12880 in your account, you should not use this backend. As each mail gets its
12881 own file, you might very well occupy thousands of inodes within a few
12882 weeks. If this is no problem for you, and it isn't a problem for you
12883 having your friendly systems administrator walking around, madly,
12884 shouting ``Who is eating all my inodes?! Who? Who!?!'', then you should
12885 know that this is probably the fastest format to use. You do not have
12886 to trudge through a big mbox file just to read your new mail.
12888 @code{nnml} is probably the slowest backend when it comes to article
12889 splitting. It has to create lots of files, and it also generates
12890 @sc{nov} databases for the incoming mails. This makes it the fastest
12891 backend when it comes to reading mail.
12893 Virtual server settings:
12896 @item nnml-directory
12897 @vindex nnml-directory
12898 All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory.
12899 The default is the value of `message-directory' (whose default value is
12902 @item nnml-active-file
12903 @vindex nnml-active-file
12904 The active file for the @code{nnml} server. The default is
12905 @file{~/Mail/active"}.
12907 @item nnml-newsgroups-file
12908 @vindex nnml-newsgroups-file
12909 The @code{nnml} group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
12910 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups"}.
12912 @item nnml-get-new-mail
12913 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
12914 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail. The default is
12917 @item nnml-nov-is-evil
12918 @vindex nnml-nov-is-evil
12919 If non-@code{nil}, this backend will ignore any @sc{nov} files. The
12920 default is @code{nil}
12922 @item nnml-nov-file-name
12923 @vindex nnml-nov-file-name
12924 The name of the @sc{nov} files. The default is @file{.overview}.
12926 @item nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
12927 @vindex nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
12928 Hook run narrowed to an article before saving.
12932 @findex nnml-generate-nov-databases
12933 If your @code{nnml} groups and @sc{nov} files get totally out of whack,
12934 you can do a complete update by typing @kbd{M-x
12935 nnml-generate-nov-databases}. This command will trawl through the
12936 entire @code{nnml} hierarchy, looking at each and every article, so it
12937 might take a while to complete. A better interface to this
12938 functionality can be found in the server buffer (@pxref{Server
12943 @subsubsection MH Spool
12945 @cindex mh-e mail spool
12947 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, except that is doesn't generate
12948 @sc{nov} databases and it doesn't keep an active file. This makes
12949 @code{nnmh} a @emph{much} slower backend than @code{nnml}, but it also
12950 makes it easier to write procmail scripts for.
12952 Virtual server settings:
12955 @item nnmh-directory
12956 @vindex nnmh-directory
12957 All @code{nnmh} directories will be located under this directory. The
12958 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
12961 @item nnmh-get-new-mail
12962 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
12963 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail. The default is
12967 @vindex nnmh-be-safe
12968 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will go to ridiculous lengths to make
12969 sure that the articles in the folder are actually what Gnus thinks they
12970 are. It will check date stamps and stat everything in sight, so
12971 setting this to @code{t} will mean a serious slow-down. If you never
12972 use anything but Gnus to read the @code{nnmh} articles, you do not have
12973 to set this variable to @code{t}. The default is @code{nil}.
12978 @subsubsection Mail Folders
12980 @cindex mbox folders
12981 @cindex mail folders
12983 @code{nnfolder} is a backend for storing each mail group in a separate
12984 file. Each file is in the standard Un*x mbox format. @code{nnfolder}
12985 will add extra headers to keep track of article numbers and arrival
12988 Virtual server settings:
12991 @item nnfolder-directory
12992 @vindex nnfolder-directory
12993 All the @code{nnfolder} mail boxes will be stored under this directory.
12994 The default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
12997 @item nnfolder-active-file
12998 @vindex nnfolder-active-file
12999 The name of the active file. The default is @file{~/Mail/active}.
13001 @item nnfolder-newsgroups-file
13002 @vindex nnfolder-newsgroups-file
13003 The name of the group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
13004 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups"}
13006 @item nnfolder-get-new-mail
13007 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
13008 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail. The default
13011 @item nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
13012 @vindex nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
13013 @cindex backup files
13014 Hook run before saving the folders. Note that Emacs does the normal
13015 backup renaming of files even with the @code{nnfolder} buffers. If you
13016 wish to switch this off, you could say something like the following in
13017 your @file{.emacs} file:
13020 (defun turn-off-backup ()
13021 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
13023 (add-hook 'nnfolder-save-buffer-hook 'turn-off-backup)
13026 @item nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
13027 @vindex nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
13028 Hook run in a buffer narrowed to the message that is to be deleted.
13029 This function can be used to copy the message to somewhere else, or to
13030 extract some information from it before removing it.
13032 @item nnfolder-nov-is-evil
13033 @vindex nnfolder-nov-is-evil
13034 If non-@code{nil}, this backend will ignore any @sc{nov} files. The
13035 default is @code{nil}.
13040 @findex nnfolder-generate-active-file
13041 @kindex M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file
13042 If you have lots of @code{nnfolder}-like files you'd like to read with
13043 @code{nnfolder}, you can use the @kbd{M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file}
13044 command to make @code{nnfolder} aware of all likely files in
13045 @code{nnfolder-directory}. This only works if you use long file names,
13048 @node Comparing Mail Backends
13049 @subsubsection Comparing Mail Backends
13051 First, just for terminology, the @dfn{backend} is the common word for a
13052 low-level access method---a transport, if you will, by which something
13053 is acquired. The sense is that one's mail has to come from somewhere,
13054 and so selection of a suitable backend is required in order to get that
13055 mail within spitting distance of Gnus.
13057 The same concept exists for Usenet itself: Though access to articles is
13058 typically done by @sc{nntp} these days, once upon a midnight dreary, everyone
13059 in the world got at Usenet by running a reader on the machine where the
13060 articles lay (the machine which today we call an @sc{nntp} server), and
13061 access was by the reader stepping into the articles' directory spool
13062 area directly. One can still select between either the @code{nntp} or
13063 @code{nnspool} backends, to select between these methods, if one happens
13064 actually to live on the server (or can see its spool directly, anyway,
13067 The goal in selecting a mail backend is to pick one which
13068 simultaneously represents a suitable way of dealing with the original
13069 format plus leaving mail in a form that is convenient to use in the
13070 future. Here are some high and low points on each:
13075 UNIX systems have historically had a single, very common, and well-
13076 defined format. All messages arrive in a single @dfn{spool file}, and
13077 they are delineated by a line whose regular expression matches
13078 @samp{^From_}. (My notational use of @samp{_} is to indicate a space,
13079 to make it clear in this instance that this is not the RFC-specified
13080 @samp{From:} header.) Because Emacs and therefore Gnus emanate
13081 historically from the Unix environment, it is simplest if one does not
13082 mess a great deal with the original mailbox format, so if one chooses
13083 this backend, Gnus' primary activity in getting mail from the real spool
13084 area to Gnus' preferred directory is simply to copy it, with no
13085 (appreciable) format change in the process. It is the ``dumbest'' way
13086 to move mail into availability in the Gnus environment. This makes it
13087 fast to move into place, but slow to parse, when Gnus has to look at
13092 Once upon a time, there was the DEC-10 and DEC-20, running operating
13093 systems called TOPS and related things, and the usual (only?) mail
13094 reading environment was a thing called Babyl. I don't know what format
13095 was used for mail landing on the system, but Babyl had its own internal
13096 format to which mail was converted, primarily involving creating a
13097 spool-file-like entity with a scheme for inserting Babyl-specific
13098 headers and status bits above the top of each message in the file.
13099 RMAIL was Emacs' first mail reader, it was written by Richard Stallman,
13100 and Stallman came out of that TOPS/Babyl environment, so he wrote RMAIL
13101 to understand the mail files folks already had in existence. Gnus (and
13102 VM, for that matter) continue to support this format because it's
13103 perceived as having some good qualities in those mailer-specific
13104 headers/status bits stuff. RMAIL itself still exists as well, of
13105 course, and is still maintained by Stallman.
13107 Both of the above forms leave your mail in a single file on your
13108 filesystem, and they must parse that entire file each time you take a
13113 @code{nnml} is the backend which smells the most as though you were
13114 actually operating with an @code{nnspool}-accessed Usenet system. (In
13115 fact, I believe @code{nnml} actually derived from @code{nnspool} code,
13116 lo these years ago.) One's mail is taken from the original spool file,
13117 and is then cut up into individual message files, 1:1. It maintains a
13118 Usenet-style active file (analogous to what one finds in an INN- or
13119 CNews-based news system in (for instance) @file{/var/lib/news/active},
13120 or what is returned via the @samp{NNTP LIST} verb) and also creates
13121 @dfn{overview} files for efficient group entry, as has been defined for
13122 @sc{nntp} servers for some years now. It is slower in mail-splitting,
13123 due to the creation of lots of files, updates to the @code{nnml} active
13124 file, and additions to overview files on a per-message basis, but it is
13125 extremely fast on access because of what amounts to the indexing support
13126 provided by the active file and overviews.
13128 @code{nnml} costs @dfn{inodes} in a big way; that is, it soaks up the
13129 resource which defines available places in the filesystem to put new
13130 files. Sysadmins take a dim view of heavy inode occupation within
13131 tight, shared filesystems. But if you live on a personal machine where
13132 the filesystem is your own and space is not at a premium, @code{nnml}
13135 It is also problematic using this backend if you are living in a
13136 FAT16-based Windows world, since much space will be wasted on all these
13141 The Rand MH mail-reading system has been around UNIX systems for a very
13142 long time; it operates by splitting one's spool file of messages into
13143 individual files, but with little or no indexing support -- @code{nnmh}
13144 is considered to be semantically equivalent to ``@code{nnml} without
13145 active file or overviews''. This is arguably the worst choice, because
13146 one gets the slowness of individual file creation married to the
13147 slowness of access parsing when learning what's new in one's groups.
13151 Basically the effect of @code{nnfolder} is @code{nnmbox} (the first
13152 method described above) on a per-group basis. That is, @code{nnmbox}
13153 itself puts *all* one's mail in one file; @code{nnfolder} provides a
13154 little bit of optimization to this so that each of one's mail groups has
13155 a Unix mail box file. It's faster than @code{nnmbox} because each group
13156 can be parsed separately, and still provides the simple Unix mail box
13157 format requiring minimal effort in moving the mail around. In addition,
13158 it maintains an ``active'' file making it much faster for Gnus to figure
13159 out how many messages there are in each separate group.
13161 If you have groups that are expected to have a massive amount of
13162 messages, @code{nnfolder} is not the best choice, but if you receive
13163 only a moderate amount of mail, @code{nnfolder} is probably the most
13164 friendly mail backend all over.
13169 @node Browsing the Web
13170 @section Browsing the Web
13172 @cindex browsing the web
13176 Web-based discussion forums are getting more and more popular. On many
13177 subjects, the web-based forums have become the most important forums,
13178 eclipsing the importance of mailing lists and news groups. The reason
13179 is easy to understand---they are friendly to new users; you just point
13180 and click, and there's the discussion. With mailing lists, you have to
13181 go through a cumbersome subscription procedure, and most people don't
13182 even know what a news group is.
13184 The problem with this scenario is that web browsers are not very good at
13185 being newsreaders. They do not keep track of what articles you've read;
13186 they do not allow you to score on subjects you're interested in; they do
13187 not allow off-line browsing; they require you to click around and drive
13188 you mad in the end.
13190 So---if web browsers suck at reading discussion forums, why not use Gnus
13193 Gnus has been getting a bit of a collection of backends for providing
13194 interfaces to these sources.
13197 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
13198 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
13199 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
13200 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
13201 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
13202 * Customizing w3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/w3 from Gnus.
13205 All the web sources require Emacs/w3 and the url library to work.
13207 The main caveat with all these web sources is that they probably won't
13208 work for a very long time. Gleaning information from the @sc{html} data
13209 is guesswork at best, and when the layout is altered, the Gnus backend
13210 will fail. If you have reasonably new versions of these backends,
13211 though, you should be ok.
13213 One thing all these Web methods have in common is that the Web sources
13214 are often down, unavailable or just plain too slow to be fun. In those
13215 cases, it makes a lot of sense to let the Gnus Agent (@pxref{Gnus
13216 Unplugged}) handle downloading articles, and then you can read them at
13217 leisure from your local disk. No more World Wide Wait for you.
13221 @subsection Web Searches
13225 @cindex InReference
13226 @cindex Usenet searches
13227 @cindex searching the Usenet
13229 It's, like, too neat to search the Usenet for articles that match a
13230 string, but it, like, totally @emph{sucks}, like, totally, to use one of
13231 those, like, Web browsers, and you, like, have to, rilly, like, look at
13232 the commercials, so, like, with Gnus you can do @emph{rad}, rilly,
13233 searches without having to use a browser.
13235 The @code{nnweb} backend allows an easy interface to the mighty search
13236 engine. You create an @code{nnweb} group, enter a search pattern, and
13237 then enter the group and read the articles like you would any normal
13238 group. The @kbd{G w} command in the group buffer (@pxref{Foreign
13239 Groups}) will do this in an easy-to-use fashion.
13241 @code{nnweb} groups don't really lend themselves to being solid
13242 groups---they have a very fleeting idea of article numbers. In fact,
13243 each time you enter an @code{nnweb} group (not even changing the search
13244 pattern), you are likely to get the articles ordered in a different
13245 manner. Not even using duplicate suppression (@pxref{Duplicate
13246 Suppression}) will help, since @code{nnweb} doesn't even know the
13247 @code{Message-ID} of the articles before reading them using some search
13248 engines (DejaNews, for instance). The only possible way to keep track
13249 of which articles you've read is by scoring on the @code{Date}
13250 header---mark all articles posted before the last date you read the
13253 If the search engine changes its output substantially, @code{nnweb}
13254 won't be able to parse it and will fail. One could hardly fault the Web
13255 providers if they were to do this---their @emph{raison d'être} is to
13256 make money off of advertisements, not to provide services to the
13257 community. Since @code{nnweb} washes the ads off all the articles, one
13258 might think that the providers might be somewhat miffed. We'll see.
13260 You must have the @code{url} and @code{w3} package installed to be able
13261 to use @code{nnweb}.
13263 Virtual server variables:
13268 What search engine type is being used. The currently supported types
13269 are @code{dejanews}, @code{dejanewsold}, @code{altavista} and
13273 @vindex nnweb-search
13274 The search string to feed to the search engine.
13276 @item nnweb-max-hits
13277 @vindex nnweb-max-hits
13278 Advisory maximum number of hits per search to display. The default is
13281 @item nnweb-type-definition
13282 @vindex nnweb-type-definition
13283 Type-to-definition alist. This alist says what @code{nnweb} should do
13284 with the various search engine types. The following elements must be
13289 Function to decode the article and provide something that Gnus
13293 Function to create an article number to message header and URL alist.
13296 Function to send the search string to the search engine.
13299 The address the aforementioned function should send the search string
13303 Format string URL to fetch an article by @code{Message-ID}.
13310 @subsection Slashdot
13314 Slashdot (@uref{http://slashdot.org/}) is a popular news site, with
13315 lively discussion following the news articles. @code{nnslashdot} will
13316 let you read this forum in a convenient manner.
13318 The easiest way to read this source is to put something like the
13319 following in your @file{.gnus.el} file:
13322 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
13323 '((nnslashdot "")))
13326 This will make Gnus query the @code{nnslashdot} backend for new comments
13327 and groups. The @kbd{F} command will subscribe each new news article as
13328 a new Gnus group, and you can read the comments by entering these
13329 groups. (Note that the default subscription method is to subscribe new
13330 groups as zombies. Other methods are available (@pxref{Subscription
13333 If you want to remove an old @code{nnslashdot} group, the @kbd{G DEL}
13334 command is the most handy tool (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
13336 When following up to @code{nnslashdot} comments (or posting new
13337 comments), some light @sc{html}izations will be performed. In
13338 particular, text quoted with @samp{> } will be quoted with
13339 @code{blockquote} instead, and signatures will have @code{br} added to
13340 the end of each line. Other than that, you can just write @sc{html}
13341 directly into the message buffer. Note that Slashdot filters out some
13344 The following variables can be altered to change its behavior:
13347 @item nnslashdot-threaded
13348 Whether @code{nnslashdot} should display threaded groups or not. The
13349 default is @code{t}. To be able to display threads, @code{nnslashdot}
13350 has to retrieve absolutely all comments in a group upon entry. If a
13351 threaded display is not required, @code{nnslashdot} will only retrieve
13352 the comments that are actually wanted by the user. Threading is nicer,
13353 but much, much slower than untreaded.
13355 @item nnslashdot-login-name
13356 @vindex nnslashdot-login-name
13357 The login name to use when posting.
13359 @item nnslashdot-password
13360 @vindex nnslashdot-password
13361 The password to use when posting.
13363 @item nnslashdot-directory
13364 @vindex nnslashdot-directory
13365 Where @code{nnslashdot} will store its files. The default is
13366 @samp{~/News/slashdot/}.
13368 @item nnslashdot-active-url
13369 @vindex nnslashdot-active-url
13370 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch the information on
13371 news articles and comments. The default is
13372 @samp{http://slashdot.org/search.pl?section=&min=%d}.
13374 @item nnslashdot-comments-url
13375 @vindex nnslashdot-comments-url
13376 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch comments. The
13378 @samp{http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=%s&threshold=%d&commentsort=%d&mode=flat&startat=%d}.
13380 @item nnslashdot-article-url
13381 @vindex nnslashdot-article-url
13382 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch the news article. The
13384 @samp{http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=%s&mode=nocomment}.
13386 @item nnslashdot-threshold
13387 @vindex nnslashdot-threshold
13388 The score threshold. The default is -1.
13390 @item nnslashdot-group-number
13391 @vindex nnslashdot-group-number
13392 The number of old groups, in addition to the ten latest, to keep
13393 updated. The default is 0.
13400 @subsection Ultimate
13402 @cindex Ultimate Bulletin Board
13404 The Ultimate Bulletin Board (@uref{http://www.ultimatebb.com/}) is
13405 probably the most popular Web bulletin board system used. It has a
13406 quite regular and nice interface, and it's possible to get the
13407 information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
13409 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnultimate} is to say
13410 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnultimate RET
13411 http://www.tcj.com/messboard/ubbcgi/ RET}. (Substitute the @sc{url}
13412 (not including @samp{Ultimate.cgi} or the like at the end) for a forum
13413 you're interested in; there's quite a list of them on the Ultimate web
13414 site.) Then subscribe to the groups you're interested in from the
13415 server buffer, and read them from the group buffer.
13417 The following @code{nnultimate} variables can be altered:
13420 @item nnultimate-directory
13421 @vindex nnultimate-directory
13422 The directory where @code{nnultimate} stores its files. The default is
13423 @samp{~/News/ultimate/}.
13428 @subsection Web Archive
13430 @cindex Web Archive
13432 Some mailing lists only have archives on Web servers, such as
13433 @uref{http://www.egroups.com/} and
13434 @uref{http://www.mail-archive.com/}. It has a quite regular and nice
13435 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
13438 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnwarchive} is to say
13439 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{M-x
13440 gnus-group-make-warchive-group RET an_egroup RET egroups RET
13441 www.egroups.com RET your@@email.address RET}. (Substitute the
13442 @sc{an_egroup} with the mailing list you subscribed, the
13443 @sc{your@@email.address} with your email address.), or to browse the
13444 backend by @kbd{B nnwarchive RET mail-archive RET}.
13446 The following @code{nnwarchive} variables can be altered:
13449 @item nnwarchive-directory
13450 @vindex nnwarchive-directory
13451 The directory where @code{nnwarchive} stores its files. The default is
13452 @samp{~/News/warchive/}.
13454 @item nnwarchive-login
13455 @vindex nnwarchive-login
13456 The account name on the web server.
13458 @item nnwarchive-passwd
13459 @vindex nnwarchive-passwd
13460 The password for your account on the web server.
13468 Some sites have RDF site summary (RSS)
13469 @uref{http://purl.org/rss/1.0/spec}. It has a quite regular and nice
13470 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
13473 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnrss} is to say something
13474 like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnrss RET RET}, then
13477 The following @code{nnrss} variables can be altered:
13480 @item nnrss-directory
13481 @vindex nnrss-directory
13482 The directory where @code{nnrss} stores its files. The default is
13483 @samp{~/News/rss/}.
13487 The following code may be helpful, if you want to show the description in
13488 the summary buffer.
13491 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-description-field)
13492 (setq gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-15,15f%]%) %s%uX\n")
13494 (defun gnus-user-format-function-X (header)
13496 (assq nnrss-description-field (mail-header-extra header))))
13497 (if descr (concat "\n\t" (cdr descr)) "")))
13500 The following code may be useful to open an nnrss url directly from the
13503 (require 'browse-url)
13505 (defun browse-nnrss-url( arg )
13507 (let ((url (assq nnrss-url-field
13510 (assq (gnus-summary-article-number)
13511 gnus-newsgroup-data))))))
13513 (browse-url (cdr url))
13514 (gnus-summary-scroll-up arg))))
13516 (eval-after-load "gnus"
13517 #'(define-key gnus-summary-mode-map
13518 (kbd "<RET>") 'browse-nnrss-url))
13519 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-url-field)
13522 @node Customizing w3
13523 @subsection Customizing w3
13529 Gnus uses the url library to fetch web pages and Emacs/w3 to display web
13530 pages. Emacs/w3 is documented in its own manual, but there are some
13531 things that may be more relevant for Gnus users.
13533 For instance, a common question is how to make Emacs/w3 follow links
13534 using the @code{browse-url} functions (which will call some external web
13535 browser like Netscape). Here's one way:
13538 (eval-after-load "w3"
13540 (fset 'w3-fetch-orig (symbol-function 'w3-fetch))
13541 (defun w3-fetch (&optional url target)
13542 (interactive (list (w3-read-url-with-default)))
13543 (if (eq major-mode 'gnus-article-mode)
13545 (w3-fetch-orig url target)))))
13548 Put that in your @file{.emacs} file, and hitting links in w3-rendered
13549 @sc{html} in the Gnus article buffers will use @code{browse-url} to
13553 @node Other Sources
13554 @section Other Sources
13556 Gnus can do more than just read news or mail. The methods described
13557 below allow Gnus to view directories and files as if they were
13561 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
13562 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
13563 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
13564 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
13565 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
13566 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @sc{imap} client.
13570 @node Directory Groups
13571 @subsection Directory Groups
13573 @cindex directory groups
13575 If you have a directory that has lots of articles in separate files in
13576 it, you might treat it as a newsgroup. The files have to have numerical
13579 This might be an opportune moment to mention @code{ange-ftp} (and its
13580 successor @code{efs}), that most wonderful of all wonderful Emacs
13581 packages. When I wrote @code{nndir}, I didn't think much about it---a
13582 backend to read directories. Big deal.
13584 @code{ange-ftp} changes that picture dramatically. For instance, if you
13585 enter the @code{ange-ftp} file name
13586 @file{/ftp.hpc.uh.edu:/pub/emacs/ding-list/} as the directory name,
13587 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will actually allow you to read this
13588 directory over at @samp{sina} as a newsgroup. Distributed news ahoy!
13590 @code{nndir} will use @sc{nov} files if they are present.
13592 @code{nndir} is a ``read-only'' backend---you can't delete or expire
13593 articles with this method. You can use @code{nnmh} or @code{nnml} for
13594 whatever you use @code{nndir} for, so you could switch to any of those
13595 methods if you feel the need to have a non-read-only @code{nndir}.
13598 @node Anything Groups
13599 @subsection Anything Groups
13602 From the @code{nndir} backend (which reads a single spool-like
13603 directory), it's just a hop and a skip to @code{nneething}, which
13604 pretends that any arbitrary directory is a newsgroup. Strange, but
13607 When @code{nneething} is presented with a directory, it will scan this
13608 directory and assign article numbers to each file. When you enter such
13609 a group, @code{nneething} must create ``headers'' that Gnus can use.
13610 After all, Gnus is a newsreader, in case you're forgetting.
13611 @code{nneething} does this in a two-step process. First, it snoops each
13612 file in question. If the file looks like an article (i.e., the first
13613 few lines look like headers), it will use this as the head. If this is
13614 just some arbitrary file without a head (e.g. a C source file),
13615 @code{nneething} will cobble up a header out of thin air. It will use
13616 file ownership, name and date and do whatever it can with these
13619 All this should happen automatically for you, and you will be presented
13620 with something that looks very much like a newsgroup. Totally like a
13621 newsgroup, to be precise. If you select an article, it will be displayed
13622 in the article buffer, just as usual.
13624 If you select a line that represents a directory, Gnus will pop you into
13625 a new summary buffer for this @code{nneething} group. And so on. You can
13626 traverse the entire disk this way, if you feel like, but remember that
13627 Gnus is not dired, really, and does not intend to be, either.
13629 There are two overall modes to this action---ephemeral or solid. When
13630 doing the ephemeral thing (i.e., @kbd{G D} from the group buffer), Gnus
13631 will not store information on what files you have read, and what files
13632 are new, and so on. If you create a solid @code{nneething} group the
13633 normal way with @kbd{G m}, Gnus will store a mapping table between
13634 article numbers and file names, and you can treat this group like any
13635 other groups. When you activate a solid @code{nneething} group, you will
13636 be told how many unread articles it contains, etc., etc.
13641 @item nneething-map-file-directory
13642 @vindex nneething-map-file-directory
13643 All the mapping files for solid @code{nneething} groups will be stored
13644 in this directory, which defaults to @file{~/.nneething/}.
13646 @item nneething-exclude-files
13647 @vindex nneething-exclude-files
13648 All files that match this regexp will be ignored. Nice to use to exclude
13649 auto-save files and the like, which is what it does by default.
13651 @item nneething-include-files
13652 @vindex nneething-include-files
13653 Regexp saying what files to include in the group. If this variable is
13654 non-@code{nil}, only files matching this regexp will be included.
13656 @item nneething-map-file
13657 @vindex nneething-map-file
13658 Name of the map files.
13662 @node Document Groups
13663 @subsection Document Groups
13665 @cindex documentation group
13668 @code{nndoc} is a cute little thing that will let you read a single file
13669 as a newsgroup. Several files types are supported:
13676 The babyl (rmail) mail box.
13681 The standard Unix mbox file.
13683 @cindex MMDF mail box
13685 The MMDF mail box format.
13688 Several news articles appended into a file.
13691 @cindex rnews batch files
13692 The rnews batch transport format.
13693 @cindex forwarded messages
13696 Forwarded articles.
13699 Netscape mail boxes.
13702 MIME multipart messages.
13704 @item standard-digest
13705 The standard (RFC 1153) digest format.
13708 Non-standard digest format---matches most things, but does it badly.
13711 You can also use the special ``file type'' @code{guess}, which means
13712 that @code{nndoc} will try to guess what file type it is looking at.
13713 @code{digest} means that @code{nndoc} should guess what digest type the
13716 @code{nndoc} will not try to change the file or insert any extra headers into
13717 it---it will simply, like, let you use the file as the basis for a
13718 group. And that's it.
13720 If you have some old archived articles that you want to insert into your
13721 new & spiffy Gnus mail backend, @code{nndoc} can probably help you with
13722 that. Say you have an old @file{RMAIL} file with mail that you now want
13723 to split into your new @code{nnml} groups. You look at that file using
13724 @code{nndoc} (using the @kbd{G f} command in the group buffer
13725 (@pxref{Foreign Groups})), set the process mark on all the articles in
13726 the buffer (@kbd{M P b}, for instance), and then re-spool (@kbd{B r})
13727 using @code{nnml}. If all goes well, all the mail in the @file{RMAIL}
13728 file is now also stored in lots of @code{nnml} directories, and you can
13729 delete that pesky @file{RMAIL} file. If you have the guts!
13731 Virtual server variables:
13734 @item nndoc-article-type
13735 @vindex nndoc-article-type
13736 This should be one of @code{mbox}, @code{babyl}, @code{digest},
13737 @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward}, @code{rfc934},
13738 @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts}, @code{standard-digest},
13739 @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs}, @code{nsmail} or @code{guess}.
13741 @item nndoc-post-type
13742 @vindex nndoc-post-type
13743 This variable says whether Gnus is to consider the group a news group or
13744 a mail group. There are two valid values: @code{mail} (the default)
13749 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
13753 @node Document Server Internals
13754 @subsubsection Document Server Internals
13756 Adding new document types to be recognized by @code{nndoc} isn't
13757 difficult. You just have to whip up a definition of what the document
13758 looks like, write a predicate function to recognize that document type,
13759 and then hook into @code{nndoc}.
13761 First, here's an example document type definition:
13765 (article-begin . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n")
13766 (body-end . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n"))
13769 The definition is simply a unique @dfn{name} followed by a series of
13770 regexp pseudo-variable settings. Below are the possible
13771 variables---don't be daunted by the number of variables; most document
13772 types can be defined with very few settings:
13775 @item first-article
13776 If present, @code{nndoc} will skip past all text until it finds
13777 something that match this regexp. All text before this will be
13780 @item article-begin
13781 This setting has to be present in all document type definitions. It
13782 says what the beginning of each article looks like.
13784 @item head-begin-function
13785 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the head of
13788 @item nndoc-head-begin
13789 If present, this should be a regexp that matches the head of the
13792 @item nndoc-head-end
13793 This should match the end of the head of the article. It defaults to
13794 @samp{^$}---the empty line.
13796 @item body-begin-function
13797 If present, this function should move point to the beginning of the body
13801 This should match the beginning of the body of the article. It defaults
13804 @item body-end-function
13805 If present, this function should move point to the end of the body of
13809 If present, this should match the end of the body of the article.
13812 If present, this should match the end of the file. All text after this
13813 regexp will be totally ignored.
13817 So, using these variables @code{nndoc} is able to dissect a document
13818 file into a series of articles, each with a head and a body. However, a
13819 few more variables are needed since not all document types are all that
13820 news-like---variables needed to transform the head or the body into
13821 something that's palatable for Gnus:
13824 @item prepare-body-function
13825 If present, this function will be called when requesting an article. It
13826 will be called with point at the start of the body, and is useful if the
13827 document has encoded some parts of its contents.
13829 @item article-transform-function
13830 If present, this function is called when requesting an article. It's
13831 meant to be used for more wide-ranging transformation of both head and
13832 body of the article.
13834 @item generate-head-function
13835 If present, this function is called to generate a head that Gnus can
13836 understand. It is called with the article number as a parameter, and is
13837 expected to generate a nice head for the article in question. It is
13838 called when requesting the headers of all articles.
13842 Let's look at the most complicated example I can come up with---standard
13847 (first-article . ,(concat "^" (make-string 70 ?-) "\n\n+"))
13848 (article-begin . ,(concat "\n\n" (make-string 30 ?-) "\n\n+"))
13849 (prepare-body-function . nndoc-unquote-dashes)
13850 (body-end-function . nndoc-digest-body-end)
13851 (head-end . "^ ?$")
13852 (body-begin . "^ ?\n")
13853 (file-end . "^End of .*digest.*[0-9].*\n\\*\\*\\|^End of.*Digest *$")
13854 (subtype digest guess))
13857 We see that all text before a 70-width line of dashes is ignored; all
13858 text after a line that starts with that @samp{^End of} is also ignored;
13859 each article begins with a 30-width line of dashes; the line separating
13860 the head from the body may contain a single space; and that the body is
13861 run through @code{nndoc-unquote-dashes} before being delivered.
13863 To hook your own document definition into @code{nndoc}, use the
13864 @code{nndoc-add-type} function. It takes two parameters---the first is
13865 the definition itself and the second (optional) parameter says where in
13866 the document type definition alist to put this definition. The alist is
13867 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
13868 is of @code{mmdf} type, and so on. These type predicates should return
13869 @code{nil} if the document is not of the correct type; @code{t} if it is
13870 of the correct type; and a number if the document might be of the
13871 correct type. A high number means high probability; a low number means
13872 low probability with @samp{0} being the lowest valid number.
13880 In the PC world people often talk about ``offline'' newsreaders. These
13881 are thingies that are combined reader/news transport monstrosities.
13882 With built-in modem programs. Yecchh!
13884 Of course, us Unix Weenie types of human beans use things like
13885 @code{uucp} and, like, @code{nntpd} and set up proper news and mail
13886 transport things like Ghod intended. And then we just use normal
13889 However, it can sometimes be convenient to do something that's a bit
13890 easier on the brain if you have a very slow modem, and you're not really
13891 that interested in doing things properly.
13893 A file format called @sc{soup} has been developed for transporting news
13894 and mail from servers to home machines and back again. It can be a bit
13897 First some terminology:
13902 This is the machine that is connected to the outside world and where you
13903 get news and/or mail from.
13906 This is the machine that you want to do the actual reading and responding
13907 on. It is typically not connected to the rest of the world in any way.
13910 Something that contains messages and/or commands. There are two kinds
13914 @item message packets
13915 These are packets made at the server, and typically contain lots of
13916 messages for you to read. These are called @file{SoupoutX.tgz} by
13917 default, where @var{x} is a number.
13919 @item response packets
13920 These are packets made at the home machine, and typically contains
13921 replies that you've written. These are called @file{SoupinX.tgz} by
13922 default, where @var{x} is a number.
13932 You log in on the server and create a @sc{soup} packet. You can either
13933 use a dedicated @sc{soup} thingie (like the @code{awk} program), or you
13934 can use Gnus to create the packet with its @sc{soup} commands (@kbd{O
13935 s} and/or @kbd{G s b}; and then @kbd{G s p}) (@pxref{SOUP Commands}).
13938 You transfer the packet home. Rail, boat, car or modem will do fine.
13941 You put the packet in your home directory.
13944 You fire up Gnus on your home machine using the @code{nnsoup} backend as
13945 the native or secondary server.
13948 You read articles and mail and answer and followup to the things you
13949 want (@pxref{SOUP Replies}).
13952 You do the @kbd{G s r} command to pack these replies into a @sc{soup}
13956 You transfer this packet to the server.
13959 You use Gnus to mail this packet out with the @kbd{G s s} command.
13962 You then repeat until you die.
13966 So you basically have a bipartite system---you use @code{nnsoup} for
13967 reading and Gnus for packing/sending these @sc{soup} packets.
13970 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
13971 * SOUP Groups:: A backend for reading @sc{soup} packets.
13972 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
13976 @node SOUP Commands
13977 @subsubsection SOUP Commands
13979 These are commands for creating and manipulating @sc{soup} packets.
13983 @kindex G s b (Group)
13984 @findex gnus-group-brew-soup
13985 Pack all unread articles in the current group
13986 (@code{gnus-group-brew-soup}). This command understands the
13987 process/prefix convention.
13990 @kindex G s w (Group)
13991 @findex gnus-soup-save-areas
13992 Save all @sc{soup} data files (@code{gnus-soup-save-areas}).
13995 @kindex G s s (Group)
13996 @findex gnus-soup-send-replies
13997 Send all replies from the replies packet
13998 (@code{gnus-soup-send-replies}).
14001 @kindex G s p (Group)
14002 @findex gnus-soup-pack-packet
14003 Pack all files into a @sc{soup} packet (@code{gnus-soup-pack-packet}).
14006 @kindex G s r (Group)
14007 @findex nnsoup-pack-replies
14008 Pack all replies into a replies packet (@code{nnsoup-pack-replies}).
14011 @kindex O s (Summary)
14012 @findex gnus-soup-add-article
14013 This summary-mode command adds the current article to a @sc{soup} packet
14014 (@code{gnus-soup-add-article}). It understands the process/prefix
14015 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
14020 There are a few variables to customize where Gnus will put all these
14025 @item gnus-soup-directory
14026 @vindex gnus-soup-directory
14027 Directory where Gnus will save intermediate files while composing
14028 @sc{soup} packets. The default is @file{~/SoupBrew/}.
14030 @item gnus-soup-replies-directory
14031 @vindex gnus-soup-replies-directory
14032 This is what Gnus will use as a temporary directory while sending our
14033 reply packets. @file{~/SoupBrew/SoupReplies/} is the default.
14035 @item gnus-soup-prefix-file
14036 @vindex gnus-soup-prefix-file
14037 Name of the file where Gnus stores the last used prefix. The default is
14038 @samp{gnus-prefix}.
14040 @item gnus-soup-packer
14041 @vindex gnus-soup-packer
14042 A format string command for packing a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
14043 @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupout%d.tgz}.
14045 @item gnus-soup-unpacker
14046 @vindex gnus-soup-unpacker
14047 Format string command for unpacking a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
14048 @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
14050 @item gnus-soup-packet-directory
14051 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-directory
14052 Where Gnus will look for reply packets. The default is @file{~/}.
14054 @item gnus-soup-packet-regexp
14055 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-regexp
14056 Regular expression matching @sc{soup} reply packets in
14057 @code{gnus-soup-packet-directory}.
14063 @subsubsection @sc{soup} Groups
14066 @code{nnsoup} is the backend for reading @sc{soup} packets. It will
14067 read incoming packets, unpack them, and put them in a directory where
14068 you can read them at leisure.
14070 These are the variables you can use to customize its behavior:
14074 @item nnsoup-tmp-directory
14075 @vindex nnsoup-tmp-directory
14076 When @code{nnsoup} unpacks a @sc{soup} packet, it does it in this
14077 directory. (@file{/tmp/} by default.)
14079 @item nnsoup-directory
14080 @vindex nnsoup-directory
14081 @code{nnsoup} then moves each message and index file to this directory.
14082 The default is @file{~/SOUP/}.
14084 @item nnsoup-replies-directory
14085 @vindex nnsoup-replies-directory
14086 All replies will be stored in this directory before being packed into a
14087 reply packet. The default is @file{~/SOUP/replies/"}.
14089 @item nnsoup-replies-format-type
14090 @vindex nnsoup-replies-format-type
14091 The @sc{soup} format of the replies packets. The default is @samp{?n}
14092 (rnews), and I don't think you should touch that variable. I probably
14093 shouldn't even have documented it. Drats! Too late!
14095 @item nnsoup-replies-index-type
14096 @vindex nnsoup-replies-index-type
14097 The index type of the replies packet. The default is @samp{?n}, which
14098 means ``none''. Don't fiddle with this one either!
14100 @item nnsoup-active-file
14101 @vindex nnsoup-active-file
14102 Where @code{nnsoup} stores lots of information. This is not an ``active
14103 file'' in the @code{nntp} sense; it's an Emacs Lisp file. If you lose
14104 this file or mess it up in any way, you're dead. The default is
14105 @file{~/SOUP/active}.
14107 @item nnsoup-packer
14108 @vindex nnsoup-packer
14109 Format string command for packing a reply @sc{soup} packet. The default
14110 is @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupin%d.tgz}.
14112 @item nnsoup-unpacker
14113 @vindex nnsoup-unpacker
14114 Format string command for unpacking incoming @sc{soup} packets. The
14115 default is @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
14117 @item nnsoup-packet-directory
14118 @vindex nnsoup-packet-directory
14119 Where @code{nnsoup} will look for incoming packets. The default is
14122 @item nnsoup-packet-regexp
14123 @vindex nnsoup-packet-regexp
14124 Regular expression matching incoming @sc{soup} packets. The default is
14127 @item nnsoup-always-save
14128 @vindex nnsoup-always-save
14129 If non-@code{nil}, save the replies buffer after each posted message.
14135 @subsubsection SOUP Replies
14137 Just using @code{nnsoup} won't mean that your postings and mailings end
14138 up in @sc{soup} reply packets automagically. You have to work a bit
14139 more for that to happen.
14141 @findex nnsoup-set-variables
14142 The @code{nnsoup-set-variables} command will set the appropriate
14143 variables to ensure that all your followups and replies end up in the
14146 In specific, this is what it does:
14149 (setq message-send-news-function 'nnsoup-request-post)
14150 (setq message-send-mail-function 'nnsoup-request-mail)
14153 And that's it, really. If you only want news to go into the @sc{soup}
14154 system you just use the first line. If you only want mail to be
14155 @sc{soup}ed you use the second.
14158 @node Mail-To-News Gateways
14159 @subsection Mail-To-News Gateways
14160 @cindex mail-to-news gateways
14163 If your local @code{nntp} server doesn't allow posting, for some reason
14164 or other, you can post using one of the numerous mail-to-news gateways.
14165 The @code{nngateway} backend provides the interface.
14167 Note that you can't read anything from this backend---it can only be
14173 @item nngateway-address
14174 @vindex nngateway-address
14175 This is the address of the mail-to-news gateway.
14177 @item nngateway-header-transformation
14178 @vindex nngateway-header-transformation
14179 News headers often have to be transformed in some odd way or other
14180 for the mail-to-news gateway to accept it. This variable says what
14181 transformation should be called, and defaults to
14182 @code{nngateway-simple-header-transformation}. The function is called
14183 narrowed to the headers to be transformed and with one parameter---the
14186 This default function just inserts a new @code{To} header based on the
14187 @code{Newsgroups} header and the gateway address.
14188 For instance, an article with this @code{Newsgroups} header:
14191 Newsgroups: alt.religion.emacs
14194 will get this @code{From} header inserted:
14197 To: alt-religion-emacs@@GATEWAY
14200 The following pre-defined functions exist:
14202 @findex nngateway-simple-header-transformation
14205 @item nngateway-simple-header-transformation
14206 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
14207 @var{newsgroup}@@@code{nngateway-address}.
14209 @findex nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
14211 @item nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
14212 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
14213 @code{nngateway-address}.
14218 (setq gnus-post-method
14220 "mail2news@@replay.com"
14221 (nngateway-header-transformation
14222 nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation)))
14230 So, to use this, simply say something like:
14233 (setq gnus-post-method '(nngateway "GATEWAY.ADDRESS"))
14239 @subsection @sc{imap}
14243 @sc{imap} is a network protocol for reading mail (or news, or ...),
14244 think of it as a modernized @sc{nntp}. Connecting to a @sc{imap}
14245 server is much similar to connecting to a news server, you just
14246 specify the network address of the server.
14248 @sc{imap} has two properties. First, @sc{imap} can do everything that
14249 POP can, it can hence be viewed as POP++. Secondly, @sc{imap} is a
14250 mail storage protocol, similar to @sc{nntp} being a news storage
14251 protocol. (@sc{imap} offers more features than @sc{nntp} because news
14252 is more or less read-only whereas mail is read-write.)
14254 If you want to use @sc{imap} as POP++, use an imap entry in
14255 mail-sources. With this, Gnus will fetch mails from the @sc{imap}
14256 server and store them on the local disk. This is not the usage
14257 described in this section. @xref{Mail Sources}.
14259 If you want to use @sc{imap} as a mail storage protocol, use an nnimap
14260 entry in gnus-secondary-select-methods. With this, Gnus will
14261 manipulate mails stored on the @sc{imap} server. This is the kind of
14262 usage explained in this section.
14264 A server configuration in @code{~/.gnus} with a few @sc{imap} servers
14265 might look something like this:
14268 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
14269 '((nnimap "simpleserver") ; no special configuration
14270 ; perhaps a ssh port forwarded server:
14272 (nnimap-address "localhost")
14273 (nnimap-server-port 1430))
14274 ; a UW server running on localhost
14276 (nnimap-server-port 143)
14277 (nnimap-address "localhost")
14278 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "mail/*")))
14279 ; anonymous public cyrus server:
14280 (nnimap "cyrus.andrew.cmu.edu"
14281 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous)
14282 (nnimap-list-pattern "archive.*")
14283 (nnimap-stream network))
14284 ; a ssl server on a non-standard port:
14286 (nnimap-address "vic20.somewhere.com")
14287 (nnimap-server-port 9930)
14288 (nnimap-stream ssl))))
14291 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nnimap}
14296 @item nnimap-address
14297 @vindex nnimap-address
14299 The address of the remote @sc{imap} server. Defaults to the virtual
14300 server name if not specified.
14302 @item nnimap-server-port
14303 @vindex nnimap-server-port
14304 Port on server to contact. Defaults to port 143, or 993 for SSL.
14306 Note that this should be a integer, example server specification:
14309 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
14310 (nnimap-server-port 4711))
14313 @item nnimap-list-pattern
14314 @vindex nnimap-list-pattern
14315 String or list of strings of mailboxes to limit available groups to.
14316 This is used when the server has very many mailboxes and you're only
14317 interested in a few -- some servers export your home directory via
14318 @sc{imap}, you'll probably want to limit the mailboxes to those in
14319 @file{~/Mail/*} then.
14321 The string can also be a cons of REFERENCE and the string as above, what
14322 REFERENCE is used for is server specific, but on the University of
14323 Washington server it's a directory that will be concatenated with the
14326 Example server specification:
14329 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
14330 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "Mail/*" "alt.sex.*"
14331 ("~friend/Mail/" . "list/*"))))
14334 @item nnimap-stream
14335 @vindex nnimap-stream
14336 The type of stream used to connect to your server. By default, nnimap
14337 will detect and automatically use all of the below, with the exception
14338 of SSL. (SSL is being replaced by STARTTLS, which can be automatically
14339 detected, but it's not widely deployed yet).
14341 Example server specification:
14344 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
14345 (nnimap-stream ssl))
14348 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-stream} is a symbol!
14352 @dfn{gssapi:} Connect with GSSAPI (usually kerberos 5). Requires the
14353 @samp{imtest} program.
14355 @dfn{kerberos4:} Connect with kerberos 4. Requires the @samp{imtest} program.
14357 @dfn{starttls:} Connect via the STARTTLS extension (similar to
14358 SSL). Requires the external library @samp{starttls.el} and program
14361 @dfn{ssl:} Connect through SSL. Requires OpenSSL (the
14362 program @samp{openssl}) or SSLeay (@samp{s_client}).
14364 @dfn{shell:} Use a shell command to start @sc{imap} connection.
14366 @dfn{network:} Plain, TCP/IP network connection.
14369 @vindex imap-kerberos4-program
14370 The @samp{imtest} program is shipped with Cyrus IMAPD. If you're
14371 using @samp{imtest} from Cyrus IMAPD < 2.0.14 (which includes version
14372 1.5.x and 1.6.x) you need to frob @code{imap-process-connection-type}
14373 to make @code{imap.el} use a pty instead of a pipe when communicating
14374 with @samp{imtest}. You will then suffer from a line length
14375 restrictions on IMAP commands, which might make Gnus seem to hang
14376 indefinitely if you have many articles in a mailbox. The variable
14377 @code{imap-kerberos4-program} contain parameters to pass to the imtest
14380 @vindex imap-ssl-program
14381 For SSL connections, the OpenSSL program is available from
14382 @uref{http://www.openssl.org/}. OpenSSL was formerly known as SSLeay,
14383 and nnimap support it too - altough the most recent versions of
14384 SSLeay, 0.9.x, are known to have serious bugs making it
14385 useless. Earlier versions, especially 0.8.x, of SSLeay are known to
14386 work. The variable @code{imap-ssl-program} contain parameters to pass
14389 @vindex imap-shell-program
14390 @vindex imap-shell-host
14391 For @sc{imap} connections using the @code{shell} stream, the variable
14392 @code{imap-shell-program} specify what program to call.
14394 @item nnimap-authenticator
14395 @vindex nnimap-authenticator
14397 The authenticator used to connect to the server. By default, nnimap
14398 will use the most secure authenticator your server is capable of.
14400 Example server specification:
14403 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
14404 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous))
14407 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-authenticator} is a symbol!
14411 @dfn{gssapi:} GSSAPI (usually kerberos 5) authentication. Require
14412 external program @code{imtest}.
14414 @dfn{kerberos4:} Kerberos authentication. Require external program
14417 @dfn{digest-md5:} Encrypted username/password via DIGEST-MD5. Require
14418 external library @code{digest-md5.el}.
14420 @dfn{cram-md5:} Encrypted username/password via CRAM-MD5.
14422 @dfn{login:} Plain-text username/password via LOGIN.
14424 @dfn{anonymous:} Login as `anonymous', supplying your emailadress as password.
14427 @item nnimap-expunge-on-close
14429 @vindex nnimap-expunge-on-close
14430 Unlike Parmenides the @sc{imap} designers has decided that things that
14431 doesn't exist actually does exist. More specifically, @sc{imap} has
14432 this concept of marking articles @code{Deleted} which doesn't actually
14433 delete them, and this (marking them @code{Deleted}, that is) is what
14434 nnimap does when you delete a article in Gnus (with @kbd{G DEL} or
14437 Since the articles aren't really removed when we mark them with the
14438 @code{Deleted} flag we'll need a way to actually delete them. Feel like
14439 running in circles yet?
14441 Traditionally, nnimap has removed all articles marked as @code{Deleted}
14442 when closing a mailbox but this is now configurable by this server
14445 The possible options are:
14450 The default behavior, delete all articles marked as "Deleted" when
14453 Never actually delete articles. Currently there is no way of showing
14454 the articles marked for deletion in nnimap, but other @sc{imap} clients
14455 may allow you to do this. If you ever want to run the EXPUNGE command
14456 manually, @xref{Expunging mailboxes}.
14458 When closing mailboxes, nnimap will ask if you wish to expunge deleted
14463 @item nnimap-importantize-dormant
14464 @vindex nnimap-importantize-dormant
14466 If non-nil, marks dormant articles as ticked (as well), for other IMAP
14467 clients. Within Gnus, dormant articles will naturally still (only) be
14468 marked as ticked. This is to make dormant articles stand out, just
14469 like ticked articles, in other IMAP clients. (In other words, Gnus has
14470 two ``Tick'' marks and IMAP has only one.)
14472 Probably the only reason for frobing this would be if you're trying
14473 enable per-user persistant dormant flags, using something like:
14476 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-flag-alist)
14477 (format "gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
14478 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-predicate-alist)
14479 (format "KEYWORD gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
14482 In this case, you would not want the per-user dormant flag showing up
14483 as ticked for other users.
14485 @item nnimap-expunge-search-string
14487 @vindex nnimap-expunge-search-string
14489 This variable contain the IMAP search command sent to server when
14490 searching for articles eligible for expiring. The default is
14491 @code{"UID %s NOT SINCE %s"}, where the first @code{%s} is replaced by
14492 UID set and the second @code{%s} is replaced by a date.
14494 Probably the only useful value to change this to is
14495 @code{"UID %s NOT SENTSINCE %s"}, which makes nnimap use the Date: in
14496 messages instead of the internal article date. See section 6.4.4 of
14497 RFC 2060 for more information on valid strings.
14499 @item nnimap-authinfo-file
14500 @vindex nnimap-authinfo-file
14502 A file containing credentials used to log in on servers. The format is
14503 (almost) the same as the @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file. See the
14504 variable @code{nntp-authinfo-file} for exact syntax; also see
14510 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
14511 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
14512 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a "compress mailbox" button.
14517 @node Splitting in IMAP
14518 @subsubsection Splitting in @sc{imap}
14519 @cindex splitting imap mail
14521 Splitting is something Gnus users has loved and used for years, and now
14522 the rest of the world is catching up. Yeah, dream on, not many
14523 @sc{imap} server has server side splitting and those that have splitting
14524 seem to use some non-standard protocol. This means that @sc{imap}
14525 support for Gnus has to do it's own splitting.
14529 Here are the variables of interest:
14533 @item nnimap-split-crosspost
14534 @cindex splitting, crosspost
14536 @vindex nnimap-split-crosspost
14538 If non-nil, do crossposting if several split methods match the mail. If
14539 nil, the first match in @code{nnimap-split-rule} found will be used.
14541 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-crosspost}.
14543 @item nnimap-split-inbox
14544 @cindex splitting, inbox
14546 @vindex nnimap-split-inbox
14548 A string or a list of strings that gives the name(s) of @sc{imap}
14549 mailboxes to split from. Defaults to nil, which means that splitting is
14553 (setq nnimap-split-inbox
14554 '("INBOX" ("~/friend/Mail" . "lists/*") "lists.imap"))
14557 No nnmail equivalent.
14559 @item nnimap-split-rule
14560 @cindex Splitting, rules
14561 @vindex nnimap-split-rule
14563 New mail found in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be split according to
14566 This variable contains a list of lists, where the first element in the
14567 sublist gives the name of the @sc{imap} mailbox to move articles
14568 matching the regexp in the second element in the sublist. Got that?
14569 Neither did I, we need examples.
14572 (setq nnimap-split-rule
14574 "^Sender: owner-nnimap@@vic20.globalcom.se")
14575 ("INBOX.junk" "^Subject:.*MAKE MONEY")
14576 ("INBOX.private" "")))
14579 This will put all articles from the nnimap mailing list into mailbox
14580 INBOX.nnimap, all articles containing MAKE MONEY in the Subject: line
14581 into INBOX.junk and everything else in INBOX.private.
14583 The first string may contain `\\1' forms, like the ones used by
14584 replace-match to insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For
14588 ("INBOX.lists.\\1" "^Sender: owner-\\([a-z-]+\\)@@")
14591 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
14592 called with the first element of the rule as the argument, in a buffer
14593 containing the headers of the article. It should return a non-nil value
14594 if it thinks that the mail belongs in that group.
14596 Nnmail users might recollect that the last regexp had to be empty to
14597 match all articles (like in the example above). This is not required in
14598 nnimap. Articles not matching any of the regexps will not be moved out
14599 of your inbox. (This might affect performance if you keep lots of
14600 unread articles in your inbox, since the splitting code would go over
14601 them every time you fetch new mail.)
14603 These rules are processed from the beginning of the alist toward the
14604 end. The first rule to make a match will "win", unless you have
14605 crossposting enabled. In that case, all matching rules will "win".
14607 This variable can also have a function as its value, the function will
14608 be called with the headers narrowed and should return a group where it
14609 thinks the article should be split to. See @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
14611 The splitting code tries to create mailboxes if it need too.
14613 To allow for different split rules on different virtual servers, and
14614 even different split rules in different inboxes on the same server,
14615 the syntax of this variable have been extended along the lines of:
14618 (setq nnimap-split-rule
14619 '(("my1server" (".*" (("ding" "ding@@gnus.org")
14620 ("junk" "From:.*Simon")))
14621 ("my2server" ("INBOX" nnimap-split-fancy))
14622 ("my[34]server" (".*" (("private" "To:.*Simon")
14623 ("junk" my-junk-func)))))
14626 The virtual server name is in fact a regexp, so that the same rules
14627 may apply to several servers. In the example, the servers
14628 @code{my3server} and @code{my4server} both use the same rules.
14629 Similarly, the inbox string is also a regexp. The actual splitting
14630 rules are as before, either a function, or a list with group/regexp or
14631 group/function elements.
14633 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
14635 @item nnimap-split-predicate
14637 @vindex nnimap-split-predicate
14639 Mail matching this predicate in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be
14640 split, it is a string and the default is @samp{UNSEEN UNDELETED}.
14642 This might be useful if you use another @sc{imap} client to read mail in
14643 your inbox but would like Gnus to split all articles in the inbox
14644 regardless of readedness. Then you might change this to
14647 @item nnimap-split-fancy
14648 @cindex splitting, fancy
14649 @findex nnimap-split-fancy
14650 @vindex nnimap-split-fancy
14652 It's possible to set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
14653 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} if you want to use fancy
14654 splitting. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
14656 However, to be able to have different fancy split rules for nnmail and
14657 nnimap backends you can set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
14658 @code{nnimap-split-fancy} and define the nnimap specific fancy split
14659 rule in @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
14664 (setq nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
14665 nnimap-split-fancy ...)
14668 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
14672 @node Editing IMAP ACLs
14673 @subsubsection Editing @sc{imap} ACLs
14674 @cindex editing imap acls
14675 @cindex Access Control Lists
14676 @cindex Editing @sc{imap} ACLs
14678 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-edit-acl
14680 ACL stands for Access Control List. ACLs are used in @sc{imap} for
14681 limiting (or enabling) other users access to your mail boxes. Not all
14682 @sc{imap} servers support this, this function will give an error if it
14685 To edit a ACL for a mailbox, type @kbd{G l}
14686 (@code{gnus-group-edit-nnimap-acl}) and you'll be presented with a ACL
14687 editing window with detailed instructions.
14689 Some possible uses:
14693 Giving "anyone" the "lrs" rights (lookup, read, keep seen/unseen flags)
14694 on your mailing list mailboxes enables other users on the same server to
14695 follow the list without subscribing to it.
14697 At least with the Cyrus server, you are required to give the user
14698 "anyone" posting ("p") capabilities to have "plussing" work (that is,
14699 mail sent to user+mailbox@@domain ending up in the @sc{imap} mailbox
14703 @node Expunging mailboxes
14704 @subsubsection Expunging mailboxes
14708 @cindex Manual expunging
14710 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-expunge
14712 If you're using the @code{never} setting of @code{nnimap-expunge-on-close},
14713 you may want the option of expunging all deleted articles in a mailbox
14714 manually. This is exactly what @kbd{G x} does.
14716 Currently there is no way of showing deleted articles, you can just
14721 @node Combined Groups
14722 @section Combined Groups
14724 Gnus allows combining a mixture of all the other group types into bigger
14728 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
14729 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
14733 @node Virtual Groups
14734 @subsection Virtual Groups
14736 @cindex virtual groups
14737 @cindex merging groups
14739 An @dfn{nnvirtual group} is really nothing more than a collection of
14742 For instance, if you are tired of reading many small groups, you can
14743 put them all in one big group, and then grow tired of reading one
14744 big, unwieldy group. The joys of computing!
14746 You specify @code{nnvirtual} as the method. The address should be a
14747 regexp to match component groups.
14749 All marks in the virtual group will stick to the articles in the
14750 component groups. So if you tick an article in a virtual group, the
14751 article will also be ticked in the component group from whence it came.
14752 (And vice versa---marks from the component groups will also be shown in
14753 the virtual group.)
14755 Here's an example @code{nnvirtual} method that collects all Andrea Dworkin
14756 newsgroups into one, big, happy newsgroup:
14759 (nnvirtual "^alt\\.fan\\.andrea-dworkin$\\|^rec\\.dworkin.*")
14762 The component groups can be native or foreign; everything should work
14763 smoothly, but if your computer explodes, it was probably my fault.
14765 Collecting the same group from several servers might actually be a good
14766 idea if users have set the Distribution header to limit distribution.
14767 If you would like to read @samp{soc.motss} both from a server in Japan
14768 and a server in Norway, you could use the following as the group regexp:
14771 "^nntp\\+server\\.jp:soc\\.motss$\\|^nntp\\+server\\.no:soc\\.motss$"
14774 (Remember, though, that if you're creating the group with @kbd{G m}, you
14775 shouldn't double the backslashes, and you should leave off the quote
14776 characters at the beginning and the end of the string.)
14778 This should work kinda smoothly---all articles from both groups should
14779 end up in this one, and there should be no duplicates. Threading (and
14780 the rest) will still work as usual, but there might be problems with the
14781 sequence of articles. Sorting on date might be an option here
14782 (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
14784 One limitation, however---all groups included in a virtual
14785 group have to be alive (i.e., subscribed or unsubscribed). Killed or
14786 zombie groups can't be component groups for @code{nnvirtual} groups.
14788 @vindex nnvirtual-always-rescan
14789 If the @code{nnvirtual-always-rescan} is non-@code{nil},
14790 @code{nnvirtual} will always scan groups for unread articles when
14791 entering a virtual group. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
14792 default) and you read articles in a component group after the virtual
14793 group has been activated, the read articles from the component group
14794 will show up when you enter the virtual group. You'll also see this
14795 effect if you have two virtual groups that have a component group in
14796 common. If that's the case, you should set this variable to @code{t}.
14797 Or you can just tap @code{M-g} on the virtual group every time before
14798 you enter it---it'll have much the same effect.
14800 @code{nnvirtual} can have both mail and news groups as component groups.
14801 When responding to articles in @code{nnvirtual} groups, @code{nnvirtual}
14802 has to ask the backend of the component group the article comes from
14803 whether it is a news or mail backend. However, when you do a @kbd{^},
14804 there is typically no sure way for the component backend to know this,
14805 and in that case @code{nnvirtual} tells Gnus that the article came from a
14806 not-news backend. (Just to be on the safe side.)
14808 @kbd{C-c C-t} in the message buffer will insert the @code{Newsgroups}
14809 line from the article you respond to in these cases.
14813 @node Kibozed Groups
14814 @subsection Kibozed Groups
14818 @dfn{Kibozing} is defined by @sc{oed} as ``grepping through (parts of)
14819 the news feed''. @code{nnkiboze} is a backend that will do this for
14820 you. Oh joy! Now you can grind any @sc{nntp} server down to a halt
14821 with useless requests! Oh happiness!
14823 @kindex G k (Group)
14824 To create a kibozed group, use the @kbd{G k} command in the group
14827 The address field of the @code{nnkiboze} method is, as with
14828 @code{nnvirtual}, a regexp to match groups to be ``included'' in the
14829 @code{nnkiboze} group. That's where most similarities between @code{nnkiboze}
14830 and @code{nnvirtual} end.
14832 In addition to this regexp detailing component groups, an @code{nnkiboze} group
14833 must have a score file to say what articles are to be included in
14834 the group (@pxref{Scoring}).
14836 @kindex M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups
14837 @findex nnkiboze-generate-groups
14838 You must run @kbd{M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups} after creating the
14839 @code{nnkiboze} groups you want to have. This command will take time. Lots of
14840 time. Oodles and oodles of time. Gnus has to fetch the headers from
14841 all the articles in all the component groups and run them through the
14842 scoring process to determine if there are any articles in the groups
14843 that are to be part of the @code{nnkiboze} groups.
14845 Please limit the number of component groups by using restrictive
14846 regexps. Otherwise your sysadmin may become annoyed with you, and the
14847 @sc{nntp} site may throw you off and never let you back in again.
14848 Stranger things have happened.
14850 @code{nnkiboze} component groups do not have to be alive---they can be dead,
14851 and they can be foreign. No restrictions.
14853 @vindex nnkiboze-directory
14854 The generation of an @code{nnkiboze} group means writing two files in
14855 @code{nnkiboze-directory}, which is @file{~/News/} by default. One
14856 contains the @sc{nov} header lines for all the articles in the group,
14857 and the other is an additional @file{.newsrc} file to store information
14858 on what groups have been searched through to find component articles.
14860 Articles marked as read in the @code{nnkiboze} group will have
14861 their @sc{nov} lines removed from the @sc{nov} file.
14864 @node Gnus Unplugged
14865 @section Gnus Unplugged
14870 @cindex Gnus Unplugged
14872 In olden times (ca. February '88), people used to run their newsreaders
14873 on big machines with permanent connections to the net. News transport
14874 was dealt with by news servers, and all the newsreaders had to do was to
14875 read news. Believe it or not.
14877 Nowadays most people read news and mail at home, and use some sort of
14878 modem to connect to the net. To avoid running up huge phone bills, it
14879 would be nice to have a way to slurp down all the news and mail, hang up
14880 the phone, read for several hours, and then upload any responses you
14881 have to make. And then you repeat the procedure.
14883 Of course, you can use news servers for doing this as well. I've used
14884 @code{inn} together with @code{slurp}, @code{pop} and @code{sendmail}
14885 for some years, but doing that's a bore. Moving the news server
14886 functionality up to the newsreader makes sense if you're the only person
14887 reading news on a machine.
14889 Using Gnus as an ``offline'' newsreader is quite simple.
14893 First, set up Gnus as you would do if you were running it on a machine
14894 that has full connection to the net. Go ahead. I'll still be waiting
14898 Then, put the following magical incantation at the end of your
14899 @file{.gnus.el} file:
14906 That's it. Gnus is now an ``offline'' newsreader.
14908 Of course, to use it as such, you have to learn a few new commands.
14911 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
14912 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
14913 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
14914 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
14915 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with IMAP.
14916 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
14917 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
14918 * Example Setup:: An example @file{.gnus.el} file for offline people.
14919 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
14920 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
14925 @subsection Agent Basics
14927 First, let's get some terminology out of the way.
14929 The Gnus Agent is said to be @dfn{unplugged} when you have severed the
14930 connection to the net (and notified the Agent that this is the case).
14931 When the connection to the net is up again (and Gnus knows this), the
14932 Agent is @dfn{plugged}.
14934 The @dfn{local} machine is the one you're running on, and which isn't
14935 connected to the net continuously.
14937 @dfn{Downloading} means fetching things from the net to your local
14938 machine. @dfn{Uploading} is doing the opposite.
14940 Let's take a typical Gnus session using the Agent.
14945 You start Gnus with @code{gnus-unplugged}. This brings up the Gnus
14946 Agent in a disconnected state. You can read all the news that you have
14947 already fetched while in this mode.
14950 You then decide to see whether any new news has arrived. You connect
14951 your machine to the net (using PPP or whatever), and then hit @kbd{J j}
14952 to make Gnus become @dfn{plugged} and use @kbd{g} to check for new mail
14953 as usual. To check for new mail in unplugged mode, see (@pxref{Mail
14954 Source Specifiers}).
14957 You can then read the new news immediately, or you can download the news
14958 onto your local machine. If you want to do the latter, you press @kbd{g}
14959 to check if there are any new news and then @kbd{J
14960 s} to fetch all the eligible articles in all the groups. (To let Gnus
14961 know which articles you want to download, @pxref{Agent Categories}.)
14964 After fetching the articles, you press @kbd{J j} to make Gnus become
14965 unplugged again, and you shut down the PPP thing (or whatever). And
14966 then you read the news offline.
14969 And then you go to step 2.
14972 Here are some things you should do the first time (or so) that you use
14978 Decide which servers should be covered by the Agent. If you have a mail
14979 backend, it would probably be nonsensical to have it covered by the
14980 Agent. Go to the server buffer (@kbd{^} in the group buffer) and press
14981 @kbd{J a} the server (or servers) that you wish to have covered by the
14982 Agent (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}). This will typically be only the
14983 primary select method, which is listed on the bottom in the buffer.
14986 Decide on download policy. @xref{Agent Categories}.
14993 @node Agent Categories
14994 @subsection Agent Categories
14996 One of the main reasons to integrate the news transport layer into the
14997 newsreader is to allow greater control over what articles to download.
14998 There's not much point in downloading huge amounts of articles, just to
14999 find out that you're not interested in reading any of them. It's better
15000 to be somewhat more conservative in choosing what to download, and then
15001 mark the articles for downloading manually if it should turn out that
15002 you're interested in the articles anyway.
15004 The main way to control what is to be downloaded is to create a
15005 @dfn{category} and then assign some (or all) groups to this category.
15006 Groups that do not belong in any other category belong to the
15007 @code{default} category. Gnus has its own buffer for creating and
15008 managing categories.
15011 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
15012 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
15013 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
15017 @node Category Syntax
15018 @subsubsection Category Syntax
15020 A category consists of two things.
15024 A predicate which (generally) gives a rough outline of which articles
15025 are eligible for downloading; and
15028 a score rule which (generally) gives you a finer granularity when
15029 deciding what articles to download. (Note that this @dfn{download
15030 score} is not necessarily related to normal scores.)
15033 A predicate in its simplest form can be a single predicate such as
15034 @code{true} or @code{false}. These two will download every available
15035 article or nothing respectively. In the case of these two special
15036 predicates an additional score rule is superfluous.
15038 Predicates of @code{high} or @code{low} download articles in respect of
15039 their scores in relationship to @code{gnus-agent-high-score} and
15040 @code{gnus-agent-low-score} as described below.
15042 To gain even finer control of what is to be regarded eligible for
15043 download a predicate can consist of a number of predicates with logical
15044 operators sprinkled in between.
15046 Perhaps some examples are in order.
15048 Here's a simple predicate. (It's the default predicate, in fact, used
15049 for all groups that don't belong to any other category.)
15055 Quite simple, eh? This predicate is true if and only if the article is
15056 short (for some value of ``short'').
15058 Here's a more complex predicate:
15067 This means that an article should be downloaded if it has a high score,
15068 or if the score is not low and the article is not long. You get the
15071 The available logical operators are @code{or}, @code{and} and
15072 @code{not}. (If you prefer, you can use the more ``C''-ish operators
15073 @samp{|}, @code{&} and @code{!} instead.)
15075 The following predicates are pre-defined, but if none of these fit what
15076 you want to do, you can write your own.
15080 True iff the article is shorter than @code{gnus-agent-short-article}
15081 lines; default 100.
15084 True iff the article is longer than @code{gnus-agent-long-article}
15085 lines; default 200.
15088 True iff the article has a download score less than
15089 @code{gnus-agent-low-score}; default 0.
15092 True iff the article has a download score greater than
15093 @code{gnus-agent-high-score}; default 0.
15096 True iff the Gnus Agent guesses that the article is spam. The
15097 heuristics may change over time, but at present it just computes a
15098 checksum and sees whether articles match.
15107 If you want to create your own predicate function, here's what you have
15108 to know: The functions are called with no parameters, but the
15109 @code{gnus-headers} and @code{gnus-score} dynamic variables are bound to
15112 For example, you could decide that you don't want to download articles
15113 that were posted more than a certain number of days ago (e.g. posted
15114 more than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} ago) you might write a function
15115 something along the lines of the following:
15118 (defun my-article-old-p ()
15119 "Say whether an article is old."
15120 (< (time-to-days (date-to-time (mail-header-date gnus-headers)))
15121 (- (time-to-days (current-time)) gnus-agent-expire-days)))
15124 with the predicate then defined as:
15127 (not my-article-old-p)
15130 or you could append your predicate to the predefined
15131 @code{gnus-category-predicate-alist} in your @file{~/.gnus.el} or
15132 wherever. (Note: this would have to be at a point *after*
15133 @code{gnus-agent} has been loaded via @code{(gnus-agentize)})
15136 (setq gnus-category-predicate-alist
15137 (append gnus-category-predicate-alist
15138 '((old . my-article-old-p))))
15141 and simply specify your predicate as:
15147 If/when using something like the above, be aware that there are many
15148 misconfigured systems/mailers out there and so an article's date is not
15149 always a reliable indication of when it was posted. Hell, some people
15150 just don't give a damn.
15152 The above predicates apply to *all* the groups which belong to the
15153 category. However, if you wish to have a specific predicate for an
15154 individual group within a category, or you're just too lazy to set up a
15155 new category, you can enter a group's individual predicate in it's group
15156 parameters like so:
15159 (agent-predicate . short)
15162 This is the group parameter equivalent of the agent category default.
15163 Note that when specifying a single word predicate like this, the
15164 @code{agent-predicate} specification must be in dotted pair notation.
15166 The equivalent of the longer example from above would be:
15169 (agent-predicate or high (and (not low) (not long)))
15172 The outer parenthesis required in the category specification are not
15173 entered here as, not being in dotted pair notation, the value of the
15174 predicate is assumed to be a list.
15177 Now, the syntax of the download score is the same as the syntax of
15178 normal score files, except that all elements that require actually
15179 seeing the article itself are verboten. This means that only the
15180 following headers can be scored on: @code{Subject}, @code{From},
15181 @code{Date}, @code{Message-ID}, @code{References}, @code{Chars},
15182 @code{Lines}, and @code{Xref}.
15184 As with predicates, the specification of the @code{download score rule}
15185 to use in respect of a group can be in either the category definition if
15186 it's to be applicable to all groups in therein, or a group's parameters
15187 if it's to be specific to that group.
15189 In both of these places the @code{download score rule} can take one of
15196 This has the same syntax as a normal gnus score file except only a
15197 subset of scoring keywords are available as mentioned above.
15203 Category specification
15207 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
15213 Group Parameter specification
15216 (agent-score ("from"
15217 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
15222 Again, note the omission of the outermost parenthesis here.
15228 These score files must *only* contain the permitted scoring keywords
15235 Category specification
15238 ("~/News/agent.SCORE")
15244 ("~/News/agent.SCORE" "~/News/agent.group.SCORE")
15248 Group Parameter specification
15251 (agent-score "~/News/agent.SCORE")
15254 Additional score files can be specified as above. Need I say anything
15259 Use @code{normal} score files
15261 If you don't want to maintain two sets of scoring rules for a group, and
15262 your desired @code{downloading} criteria for a group are the same as your
15263 @code{reading} criteria then you can tell the agent to refer to your
15264 @code{normal} score files when deciding what to download.
15266 These directives in either the category definition or a group's
15267 parameters will cause the agent to read in all the applicable score
15268 files for a group, *filtering out* those sections that do not
15269 relate to one of the permitted subset of scoring keywords.
15273 Category Specification
15280 Group Parameter specification
15283 (agent-score . file)
15288 @node Category Buffer
15289 @subsubsection Category Buffer
15291 You'd normally do all category maintenance from the category buffer.
15292 When you enter it for the first time (with the @kbd{J c} command from
15293 the group buffer), you'll only see the @code{default} category.
15295 The following commands are available in this buffer:
15299 @kindex q (Category)
15300 @findex gnus-category-exit
15301 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-category-exit}).
15304 @kindex k (Category)
15305 @findex gnus-category-kill
15306 Kill the current category (@code{gnus-category-kill}).
15309 @kindex c (Category)
15310 @findex gnus-category-copy
15311 Copy the current category (@code{gnus-category-copy}).
15314 @kindex a (Category)
15315 @findex gnus-category-add
15316 Add a new category (@code{gnus-category-add}).
15319 @kindex p (Category)
15320 @findex gnus-category-edit-predicate
15321 Edit the predicate of the current category
15322 (@code{gnus-category-edit-predicate}).
15325 @kindex g (Category)
15326 @findex gnus-category-edit-groups
15327 Edit the list of groups belonging to the current category
15328 (@code{gnus-category-edit-groups}).
15331 @kindex s (Category)
15332 @findex gnus-category-edit-score
15333 Edit the download score rule of the current category
15334 (@code{gnus-category-edit-score}).
15337 @kindex l (Category)
15338 @findex gnus-category-list
15339 List all the categories (@code{gnus-category-list}).
15343 @node Category Variables
15344 @subsubsection Category Variables
15347 @item gnus-category-mode-hook
15348 @vindex gnus-category-mode-hook
15349 Hook run in category buffers.
15351 @item gnus-category-line-format
15352 @vindex gnus-category-line-format
15353 Format of the lines in the category buffer (@pxref{Formatting
15354 Variables}). Valid elements are:
15358 The name of the category.
15361 The number of groups in the category.
15364 @item gnus-category-mode-line-format
15365 @vindex gnus-category-mode-line-format
15366 Format of the category mode line (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}).
15368 @item gnus-agent-short-article
15369 @vindex gnus-agent-short-article
15370 Articles that have fewer lines than this are short. Default 100.
15372 @item gnus-agent-long-article
15373 @vindex gnus-agent-long-article
15374 Articles that have more lines than this are long. Default 200.
15376 @item gnus-agent-low-score
15377 @vindex gnus-agent-low-score
15378 Articles that have a score lower than this have a low score. Default
15381 @item gnus-agent-high-score
15382 @vindex gnus-agent-high-score
15383 Articles that have a score higher than this have a high score. Default
15389 @node Agent Commands
15390 @subsection Agent Commands
15392 All the Gnus Agent commands are on the @kbd{J} submap. The @kbd{J j}
15393 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-plugged} command works in all modes, and
15394 toggles the plugged/unplugged state of the Gnus Agent.
15398 * Group Agent Commands::
15399 * Summary Agent Commands::
15400 * Server Agent Commands::
15403 You can run a complete batch fetch from the command line with the
15404 following incantation:
15406 @cindex gnus-agent-batch-fetch
15408 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-agent-batch-fetch
15413 @node Group Agent Commands
15414 @subsubsection Group Agent Commands
15418 @kindex J u (Agent Group)
15419 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-groups
15420 Fetch all eligible articles in the current group
15421 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-groups}).
15424 @kindex J c (Agent Group)
15425 @findex gnus-enter-category-buffer
15426 Enter the Agent category buffer (@code{gnus-enter-category-buffer}).
15429 @kindex J s (Agent Group)
15430 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-session
15431 Fetch all eligible articles in all groups
15432 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-session}).
15435 @kindex J S (Agent Group)
15436 @findex gnus-group-send-drafts
15437 Send all sendable messages in the draft group
15438 (@code{gnus-group-send-drafts}). @xref{Drafts}.
15441 @kindex J a (Agent Group)
15442 @findex gnus-agent-add-group
15443 Add the current group to an Agent category
15444 (@code{gnus-agent-add-group}). This command understands the
15445 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
15448 @kindex J r (Agent Group)
15449 @findex gnus-agent-remove-group
15450 Remove the current group from its category, if any
15451 (@code{gnus-agent-remove-group}). This command understands the
15452 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
15455 @kindex J Y (Agent Group)
15456 @findex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
15457 Synchronize flags changed while unplugged with remote server, if any.
15463 @node Summary Agent Commands
15464 @subsubsection Summary Agent Commands
15468 @kindex J # (Agent Summary)
15469 @findex gnus-agent-mark-article
15470 Mark the article for downloading (@code{gnus-agent-mark-article}).
15473 @kindex J M-# (Agent Summary)
15474 @findex gnus-agent-unmark-article
15475 Remove the downloading mark from the article
15476 (@code{gnus-agent-unmark-article}).
15479 @kindex @@ (Agent Summary)
15480 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-mark
15481 Toggle whether to download the article (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-mark}).
15484 @kindex J c (Agent Summary)
15485 @findex gnus-agent-catchup
15486 Mark all undownloaded articles as read (@code{gnus-agent-catchup}).
15491 @node Server Agent Commands
15492 @subsubsection Server Agent Commands
15496 @kindex J a (Agent Server)
15497 @findex gnus-agent-add-server
15498 Add the current server to the list of servers covered by the Gnus Agent
15499 (@code{gnus-agent-add-server}).
15502 @kindex J r (Agent Server)
15503 @findex gnus-agent-remove-server
15504 Remove the current server from the list of servers covered by the Gnus
15505 Agent (@code{gnus-agent-remove-server}).
15511 @subsection Agent Expiry
15513 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
15514 @findex gnus-agent-expire
15515 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire
15516 @cindex Agent expiry
15517 @cindex Gnus Agent expiry
15520 @code{nnagent} doesn't handle expiry. Instead, there's a special
15521 @code{gnus-agent-expire} command that will expire all read articles that
15522 are older than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} days. It can be run
15523 whenever you feel that you're running out of space. It's not
15524 particularly fast or efficient, and it's not a particularly good idea to
15525 interrupt it (with @kbd{C-g} or anything else) once you've started it.
15527 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-all
15528 if @code{gnus-agent-expire-all} is non-@code{nil}, this command will
15529 expire all articles---unread, read, ticked and dormant. If @code{nil}
15530 (which is the default), only read articles are eligible for expiry, and
15531 unread, ticked and dormant articles will be kept indefinitely.
15534 @node Agent and IMAP
15535 @subsection Agent and IMAP
15537 The Agent work with any Gnus backend, including nnimap. However,
15538 since there are some conceptual differences between @sc{nntp} and
15539 @sc{imap}, this section (should) provide you with some information to
15540 make Gnus Agent work smoother as a @sc{imap} Disconnected Mode client.
15542 The first thing to keep in mind is that all flags (read, ticked, etc)
15543 are kept on the @sc{imap} server, rather than in @code{.newsrc} as is the
15544 case for nntp. Thus Gnus need to remember flag changes when
15545 disconnected, and synchronize these flags when you plug back in.
15547 Gnus keep track of flag changes when reading nnimap groups under the
15548 Agent by default. When you plug back in, by default Gnus will check if
15549 you have any changed any flags and ask if you wish to synchronize these
15550 with the server. This behavior is customizable with
15551 @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags}.
15553 @vindex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
15554 If @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} is @code{nil}, the Agent will
15555 never automatically synchronize flags. If it is @code{ask}, the
15556 default, the Agent will check if you made any changes and if so ask if
15557 you wish to synchronize these when you re-connect. If it has any other
15558 value, all flags will be synchronized automatically.
15560 If you do not wish to automatically synchronize flags when you
15561 re-connect, this can be done manually with the
15562 @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} command that is bound to @kbd{J Y}
15563 in the group buffer by default.
15565 Some things are currently not implemented in the Agent that you'd might
15566 expect from a disconnected @sc{imap} client, including:
15571 Copying/moving articles into nnimap groups when unplugged.
15574 Creating/deleting nnimap groups when unplugged.
15578 Technical note: the synchronization algorithm does not work by "pushing"
15579 all local flags to the server, but rather incrementally update the
15580 server view of flags by changing only those flags that were changed by
15581 the user. Thus, if you set one flag on a article, quit the group and
15582 re-select the group and remove the flag; the flag will be set and
15583 removed from the server when you "synchronize". The queued flag
15584 operations can be found in the per-server @code{flags} file in the Agent
15585 directory. It's emptied when you synchronize flags.
15588 @node Outgoing Messages
15589 @subsection Outgoing Messages
15591 When Gnus is unplugged, all outgoing messages (both mail and news) are
15592 stored in the draft groups (@pxref{Drafts}). You can view them there
15593 after posting, and edit them at will.
15595 When Gnus is plugged again, you can send the messages either from the
15596 draft group with the special commands available there, or you can use
15597 the @kbd{J S} command in the group buffer to send all the sendable
15598 messages in the draft group.
15602 @node Agent Variables
15603 @subsection Agent Variables
15606 @item gnus-agent-directory
15607 @vindex gnus-agent-directory
15608 Where the Gnus Agent will store its files. The default is
15609 @file{~/News/agent/}.
15611 @item gnus-agent-handle-level
15612 @vindex gnus-agent-handle-level
15613 Groups on levels (@pxref{Group Levels}) higher than this variable will
15614 be ignored by the Agent. The default is @code{gnus-level-subscribed},
15615 which means that only subscribed group will be considered by the Agent
15618 @item gnus-agent-plugged-hook
15619 @vindex gnus-agent-plugged-hook
15620 Hook run when connecting to the network.
15622 @item gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
15623 @vindex gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
15624 Hook run when disconnecting from the network.
15629 @node Example Setup
15630 @subsection Example Setup
15632 If you don't want to read this manual, and you have a fairly standard
15633 setup, you may be able to use something like the following as your
15634 @file{.gnus.el} file to get started.
15637 ;;; Define how Gnus is to fetch news. We do this over @sc{nntp}
15638 ;;; from your ISP's server.
15639 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.your-isp.com"))
15641 ;;; Define how Gnus is to read your mail. We read mail from
15642 ;;; your ISP's POP server.
15643 (setq mail-sources '((pop :server "pop.your-isp.com")))
15645 ;;; Say how Gnus is to store the mail. We use nnml groups.
15646 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
15648 ;;; Make Gnus into an offline newsreader.
15652 That should be it, basically. Put that in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file,
15653 edit to suit your needs, start up PPP (or whatever), and type @kbd{M-x
15656 If this is the first time you've run Gnus, you will be subscribed
15657 automatically to a few default newsgroups. You'll probably want to
15658 subscribe to more groups, and to do that, you have to query the
15659 @sc{nntp} server for a complete list of groups with the @kbd{A A}
15660 command. This usually takes quite a while, but you only have to do it
15663 After reading and parsing a while, you'll be presented with a list of
15664 groups. Subscribe to the ones you want to read with the @kbd{u}
15665 command. @kbd{l} to make all the killed groups disappear after you've
15666 subscribe to all the groups you want to read. (@kbd{A k} will bring
15667 back all the killed groups.)
15669 You can now read the groups at once, or you can download the articles
15670 with the @kbd{J s} command. And then read the rest of this manual to
15671 find out which of the other gazillion things you want to customize.
15674 @node Batching Agents
15675 @subsection Batching Agents
15677 Having the Gnus Agent fetch articles (and post whatever messages you've
15678 written) is quite easy once you've gotten things set up properly. The
15679 following shell script will do everything that is necessary:
15683 emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -f gnus-agent-batch >/dev/null
15687 @node Agent Caveats
15688 @subsection Agent Caveats
15690 The Gnus Agent doesn't seem to work like most other offline
15691 newsreaders. Here are some common questions that some imaginary people
15695 @item If I read an article while plugged, do they get entered into the
15700 @item If I read an article while plugged, and the article already exists
15701 in the Agent, will it get downloaded once more?
15707 In short, when Gnus is unplugged, it only looks into the locally stored
15708 articles; when it's plugged, it only talks to your ISP.
15715 Other people use @dfn{kill files}, but we here at Gnus Towers like
15716 scoring better than killing, so we'd rather switch than fight. They do
15717 something completely different as well, so sit up straight and pay
15720 @vindex gnus-summary-mark-below
15721 All articles have a default score (@code{gnus-summary-default-score}),
15722 which is 0 by default. This score may be raised or lowered either
15723 interactively or by score files. Articles that have a score lower than
15724 @code{gnus-summary-mark-below} are marked as read.
15726 Gnus will read any @dfn{score files} that apply to the current group
15727 before generating the summary buffer.
15729 There are several commands in the summary buffer that insert score
15730 entries based on the current article. You can, for instance, ask Gnus to
15731 lower or increase the score of all articles with a certain subject.
15733 There are two sorts of scoring entries: Permanent and temporary.
15734 Temporary score entries are self-expiring entries. Any entries that are
15735 temporary and have not been used for, say, a week, will be removed
15736 silently to help keep the sizes of the score files down.
15739 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
15740 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
15741 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
15742 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
15743 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
15744 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
15745 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
15746 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
15747 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
15748 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
15749 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
15750 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
15751 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
15752 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
15753 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
15754 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
15758 @node Summary Score Commands
15759 @section Summary Score Commands
15760 @cindex score commands
15762 The score commands that alter score entries do not actually modify real
15763 score files. That would be too inefficient. Gnus maintains a cache of
15764 previously loaded score files, one of which is considered the
15765 @dfn{current score file alist}. The score commands simply insert
15766 entries into this list, and upon group exit, this list is saved.
15768 The current score file is by default the group's local score file, even
15769 if no such score file actually exists. To insert score commands into
15770 some other score file (e.g. @file{all.SCORE}), you must first make this
15771 score file the current one.
15773 General score commands that don't actually change the score file:
15778 @kindex V s (Summary)
15779 @findex gnus-summary-set-score
15780 Set the score of the current article (@code{gnus-summary-set-score}).
15783 @kindex V S (Summary)
15784 @findex gnus-summary-current-score
15785 Display the score of the current article
15786 (@code{gnus-summary-current-score}).
15789 @kindex V t (Summary)
15790 @findex gnus-score-find-trace
15791 Display all score rules that have been used on the current article
15792 (@code{gnus-score-find-trace}).
15795 @kindex V R (Summary)
15796 @findex gnus-summary-rescore
15797 Run the current summary through the scoring process
15798 (@code{gnus-summary-rescore}). This might be useful if you're playing
15799 around with your score files behind Gnus' back and want to see the
15800 effect you're having.
15803 @kindex V c (Summary)
15804 @findex gnus-score-change-score-file
15805 Make a different score file the current
15806 (@code{gnus-score-change-score-file}).
15809 @kindex V e (Summary)
15810 @findex gnus-score-edit-current-scores
15811 Edit the current score file (@code{gnus-score-edit-current-scores}).
15812 You will be popped into a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score
15816 @kindex V f (Summary)
15817 @findex gnus-score-edit-file
15818 Edit a score file and make this score file the current one
15819 (@code{gnus-score-edit-file}).
15822 @kindex V F (Summary)
15823 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
15824 Flush the score cache (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}). This is useful
15825 after editing score files.
15828 @kindex V C (Summary)
15829 @findex gnus-score-customize
15830 Customize a score file in a visually pleasing manner
15831 (@code{gnus-score-customize}).
15835 The rest of these commands modify the local score file.
15840 @kindex V m (Summary)
15841 @findex gnus-score-set-mark-below
15842 Prompt for a score, and mark all articles with a score below this as
15843 read (@code{gnus-score-set-mark-below}).
15846 @kindex V x (Summary)
15847 @findex gnus-score-set-expunge-below
15848 Prompt for a score, and add a score rule to the current score file to
15849 expunge all articles below this score
15850 (@code{gnus-score-set-expunge-below}).
15853 The keystrokes for actually making score entries follow a very regular
15854 pattern, so there's no need to list all the commands. (Hundreds of
15857 @findex gnus-summary-increase-score
15858 @findex gnus-summary-lower-score
15862 The first key is either @kbd{I} (upper case i) for increasing the score
15863 or @kbd{L} for lowering the score.
15865 The second key says what header you want to score on. The following
15866 keys are available:
15870 Score on the author name.
15873 Score on the subject line.
15876 Score on the @code{Xref} line---i.e., the cross-posting line.
15879 Score on the @code{References} line.
15885 Score on the number of lines.
15888 Score on the @code{Message-ID} header.
15891 Score on followups---this matches the author name, and adds scores to
15892 the followups to this author. (Using this key leads to the creation of
15893 @file{ADAPT} files.)
15902 Score on thread. (Using this key leads to the creation of @file{ADAPT}
15908 The third key is the match type. Which match types are valid depends on
15909 what headers you are scoring on.
15921 Substring matching.
15924 Fuzzy matching (@pxref{Fuzzy Matching}).
15953 Greater than number.
15958 The fourth and final key says whether this is a temporary (i.e., expiring)
15959 score entry, or a permanent (i.e., non-expiring) score entry, or whether
15960 it is to be done immediately, without adding to the score file.
15964 Temporary score entry.
15967 Permanent score entry.
15970 Immediately scoring.
15975 So, let's say you want to increase the score on the current author with
15976 exact matching permanently: @kbd{I a e p}. If you want to lower the
15977 score based on the subject line, using substring matching, and make a
15978 temporary score entry: @kbd{L s s t}. Pretty easy.
15980 To make things a bit more complicated, there are shortcuts. If you use
15981 a capital letter on either the second or third keys, Gnus will use
15982 defaults for the remaining one or two keystrokes. The defaults are
15983 ``substring'' and ``temporary''. So @kbd{I A} is the same as @kbd{I a s
15984 t}, and @kbd{I a R} is the same as @kbd{I a r t}.
15986 These functions take both the numerical prefix and the symbolic prefix
15987 (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}). A numerical prefix says how much to lower
15988 (or increase) the score of the article. A symbolic prefix of @code{a}
15989 says to use the @file{all.SCORE} file for the command instead of the
15990 current score file.
15992 @vindex gnus-score-mimic-keymap
15993 The @code{gnus-score-mimic-keymap} says whether these commands will
15994 pretend they are keymaps or not.
15997 @node Group Score Commands
15998 @section Group Score Commands
15999 @cindex group score commands
16001 There aren't many of these as yet, I'm afraid.
16006 @kindex W f (Group)
16007 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
16008 Gnus maintains a cache of score alists to avoid having to reload them
16009 all the time. This command will flush the cache
16010 (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}).
16014 You can do scoring from the command line by saying something like:
16016 @findex gnus-batch-score
16017 @cindex batch scoring
16019 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-batch-score
16023 @node Score Variables
16024 @section Score Variables
16025 @cindex score variables
16029 @item gnus-use-scoring
16030 @vindex gnus-use-scoring
16031 If @code{nil}, Gnus will not check for score files, and will not, in
16032 general, do any score-related work. This is @code{t} by default.
16034 @item gnus-kill-killed
16035 @vindex gnus-kill-killed
16036 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will never apply score files to
16037 articles that have already been through the kill process. While this
16038 may save you lots of time, it also means that if you apply a kill file
16039 to a group, and then change the kill file and want to run it over you
16040 group again to kill more articles, it won't work. You have to set this
16041 variable to @code{t} to do that. (It is @code{t} by default.)
16043 @item gnus-kill-files-directory
16044 @vindex gnus-kill-files-directory
16045 All kill and score files will be stored in this directory, which is
16046 initialized from the @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable by default.
16047 This is @file{~/News/} by default.
16049 @item gnus-score-file-suffix
16050 @vindex gnus-score-file-suffix
16051 Suffix to add to the group name to arrive at the score file name
16052 (@samp{SCORE} by default.)
16054 @item gnus-score-uncacheable-files
16055 @vindex gnus-score-uncacheable-files
16056 @cindex score cache
16057 All score files are normally cached to avoid excessive re-loading of
16058 score files. However, if this might make your Emacs grow big and
16059 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
16060 @file{all.SCORE}, while it might be a good idea to not cache
16061 @file{comp.infosystems.www.authoring.misc.ADAPT}. In fact, this
16062 variable is @samp{ADAPT$} by default, so no adaptive score files will
16065 @item gnus-save-score
16066 @vindex gnus-save-score
16067 If you have really complicated score files, and do lots of batch
16068 scoring, then you might set this variable to @code{t}. This will make
16069 Gnus save the scores into the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
16071 If you do not set this to @code{t}, then manual scores (like those set
16072 with @kbd{V s} (@code{gnus-summary-set-score})) will not be preserved
16073 across group visits.
16075 @item gnus-score-interactive-default-score
16076 @vindex gnus-score-interactive-default-score
16077 Score used by all the interactive raise/lower commands to raise/lower
16078 score with. Default is 1000, which may seem excessive, but this is to
16079 ensure that the adaptive scoring scheme gets enough room to play with.
16080 We don't want the small changes from the adaptive scoring to overwrite
16081 manually entered data.
16083 @item gnus-summary-default-score
16084 @vindex gnus-summary-default-score
16085 Default score of an article, which is 0 by default.
16087 @item gnus-summary-expunge-below
16088 @vindex gnus-summary-expunge-below
16089 Don't display the summary lines of articles that have scores lower than
16090 this variable. This is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
16091 articles will be hidden. This variable is local to the summary buffers,
16092 and has to be set from @code{gnus-summary-mode-hook}.
16094 @item gnus-score-over-mark
16095 @vindex gnus-score-over-mark
16096 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score over the
16097 default. Default is @samp{+}.
16099 @item gnus-score-below-mark
16100 @vindex gnus-score-below-mark
16101 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score below the
16102 default. Default is @samp{-}.
16104 @item gnus-score-find-score-files-function
16105 @vindex gnus-score-find-score-files-function
16106 Function used to find score files for the current group. This function
16107 is called with the name of the group as the argument.
16109 Predefined functions available are:
16112 @item gnus-score-find-single
16113 @findex gnus-score-find-single
16114 Only apply the group's own score file.
16116 @item gnus-score-find-bnews
16117 @findex gnus-score-find-bnews
16118 Apply all score files that match, using bnews syntax. This is the
16119 default. If the current group is @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}, for instance,
16120 @file{all.emacs.all.SCORE}, @file{not.alt.all.SCORE} and
16121 @file{gnu.all.SCORE} would all apply. In short, the instances of
16122 @samp{all} in the score file names are translated into @samp{.*}, and
16123 then a regexp match is done.
16125 This means that if you have some score entries that you want to apply to
16126 all groups, then you put those entries in the @file{all.SCORE} file.
16128 The score files are applied in a semi-random order, although Gnus will
16129 try to apply the more general score files before the more specific score
16130 files. It does this by looking at the number of elements in the score
16131 file names---discarding the @samp{all} elements.
16133 @item gnus-score-find-hierarchical
16134 @findex gnus-score-find-hierarchical
16135 Apply all score files from all the parent groups. This means that you
16136 can't have score files like @file{all.SCORE}, but you can have
16137 @file{SCORE}, @file{comp.SCORE} and @file{comp.emacs.SCORE} for each
16141 This variable can also be a list of functions. In that case, all these
16142 functions will be called with the group name as argument, and all the
16143 returned lists of score files will be applied. These functions can also
16144 return lists of score alists directly. In that case, the functions that
16145 return these non-file score alists should probably be placed before the
16146 ``real'' score file functions, to ensure that the last score file
16147 returned is the local score file. Phu.
16149 For example, to do hierarchical scoring but use a non-server-specific
16150 overall score file, you could use the value
16152 (list (lambda (group) ("all.SCORE"))
16153 'gnus-score-find-hierarchical)
16156 @item gnus-score-expiry-days
16157 @vindex gnus-score-expiry-days
16158 This variable says how many days should pass before an unused score file
16159 entry is expired. If this variable is @code{nil}, no score file entries
16160 are expired. It's 7 by default.
16162 @item gnus-update-score-entry-dates
16163 @vindex gnus-update-score-entry-dates
16164 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, matching score entries will have
16165 their dates updated. (This is how Gnus controls expiry---all
16166 non-matching entries will become too old while matching entries will
16167 stay fresh and young.) However, if you set this variable to @code{nil},
16168 even matching entries will grow old and will have to face that oh-so
16171 @item gnus-score-after-write-file-function
16172 @vindex gnus-score-after-write-file-function
16173 Function called with the name of the score file just written.
16175 @item gnus-score-thread-simplify
16176 @vindex gnus-score-thread-simplify
16177 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, article subjects will be simplified
16178 for subject scoring purposes in the same manner as with
16179 threading---according to the current value of
16180 gnus-simplify-subject-functions. If the scoring entry uses
16181 @code{substring} or @code{exact} matching, the match will also be
16182 simplified in this manner.
16187 @node Score File Format
16188 @section Score File Format
16189 @cindex score file format
16191 A score file is an @code{emacs-lisp} file that normally contains just a
16192 single form. Casual users are not expected to edit these files;
16193 everything can be changed from the summary buffer.
16195 Anyway, if you'd like to dig into it yourself, here's an example:
16199 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" -10000)
16201 ("larsi\\|lmi" -50000 nil R))
16203 ("Ding is Badd" nil 728373))
16205 ("alt.politics" -1000 728372 s))
16210 (mark-and-expunge -10)
16214 (files "/hom/larsi/News/gnu.SCORE")
16215 (exclude-files "all.SCORE")
16216 (local (gnus-newsgroup-auto-expire t)
16217 (gnus-summary-make-false-root empty))
16221 This example demonstrates most score file elements. For a different
16222 approach, see @pxref{Advanced Scoring}.
16224 Even though this looks much like lisp code, nothing here is actually
16225 @code{eval}ed. The lisp reader is used to read this form, though, so it
16226 has to be valid syntactically, if not semantically.
16228 Six keys are supported by this alist:
16233 If the key is a string, it is the name of the header to perform the
16234 match on. Scoring can only be performed on these eight headers:
16235 @code{From}, @code{Subject}, @code{References}, @code{Message-ID},
16236 @code{Xref}, @code{Lines}, @code{Chars} and @code{Date}. In addition to
16237 these headers, there are three strings to tell Gnus to fetch the entire
16238 article and do the match on larger parts of the article: @code{Body}
16239 will perform the match on the body of the article, @code{Head} will
16240 perform the match on the head of the article, and @code{All} will
16241 perform the match on the entire article. Note that using any of these
16242 last three keys will slow down group entry @emph{considerably}. The
16243 final ``header'' you can score on is @code{Followup}. These score
16244 entries will result in new score entries being added for all follow-ups
16245 to articles that matches these score entries.
16247 Following this key is a arbitrary number of score entries, where each
16248 score entry has one to four elements.
16252 The first element is the @dfn{match element}. On most headers this will
16253 be a string, but on the Lines and Chars headers, this must be an
16257 If the second element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{score
16258 element}. This number should be an integer in the neginf to posinf
16259 interval. This number is added to the score of the article if the match
16260 is successful. If this element is not present, the
16261 @code{gnus-score-interactive-default-score} number will be used
16262 instead. This is 1000 by default.
16265 If the third element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{date
16266 element}. This date says when the last time this score entry matched,
16267 which provides a mechanism for expiring the score entries. It this
16268 element is not present, the score entry is permanent. The date is
16269 represented by the number of days since December 31, 1 BCE.
16272 If the fourth element is present, it should be a symbol---the @dfn{type
16273 element}. This element specifies what function should be used to see
16274 whether this score entry matches the article. What match types that can
16275 be used depends on what header you wish to perform the match on.
16278 @item From, Subject, References, Xref, Message-ID
16279 For most header types, there are the @code{r} and @code{R} (regexp), as
16280 well as @code{s} and @code{S} (substring) types, and @code{e} and
16281 @code{E} (exact match), and @code{w} (word match) types. If this
16282 element is not present, Gnus will assume that substring matching should
16283 be used. @code{R}, @code{S}, and @code{E} differ from the others in
16284 that the matches will be done in a case-sensitive manner. All these
16285 one-letter types are really just abbreviations for the @code{regexp},
16286 @code{string}, @code{exact}, and @code{word} types, which you can use
16287 instead, if you feel like.
16290 These two headers use different match types: @code{<}, @code{>},
16291 @code{=}, @code{>=} and @code{<=}.
16293 These predicates are true if
16296 (PREDICATE HEADER MATCH)
16299 evaluates to non-@code{nil}. For instance, the advanced match
16300 @code{("lines" 4 <)} (@pxref{Advanced Scoring}) will result in the
16307 Or to put it another way: When using @code{<} on @code{Lines} with 4 as
16308 the match, we get the score added if the article has less than 4 lines.
16309 (It's easy to get confused and think it's the other way around. But
16310 it's not. I think.)
16312 When matching on @code{Lines}, be careful because some backends (like
16313 @code{nndir}) do not generate @code{Lines} header, so every article ends
16314 up being marked as having 0 lines. This can lead to strange results if
16315 you happen to lower score of the articles with few lines.
16318 For the Date header we have three kinda silly match types:
16319 @code{before}, @code{at} and @code{after}. I can't really imagine this
16320 ever being useful, but, like, it would feel kinda silly not to provide
16321 this function. Just in case. You never know. Better safe than sorry.
16322 Once burnt, twice shy. Don't judge a book by its cover. Never not have
16323 sex on a first date. (I have been told that at least one person, and I
16324 quote, ``found this function indispensable'', however.)
16328 A more useful match type is @code{regexp}. With it, you can match the
16329 date string using a regular expression. The date is normalized to
16330 ISO8601 compact format first---@var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS}. If
16331 you want to match all articles that have been posted on April 1st in
16332 every year, you could use @samp{....0401.........} as a match string,
16333 for instance. (Note that the date is kept in its original time zone, so
16334 this will match articles that were posted when it was April 1st where
16335 the article was posted from. Time zones are such wholesome fun for the
16338 @item Head, Body, All
16339 These three match keys use the same match types as the @code{From} (etc)
16343 This match key is somewhat special, in that it will match the
16344 @code{From} header, and affect the score of not only the matching
16345 articles, but also all followups to the matching articles. This allows
16346 you e.g. increase the score of followups to your own articles, or
16347 decrease the score of followups to the articles of some known
16348 trouble-maker. Uses the same match types as the @code{From} header
16349 uses. (Using this match key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT}
16353 This match key works along the same lines as the @code{Followup} match
16354 key. If you say that you want to score on a (sub-)thread started by an
16355 article with a @code{Message-ID} @var{x}, then you add a @samp{thread}
16356 match. This will add a new @samp{thread} match for each article that
16357 has @var{x} in its @code{References} header. (These new @samp{thread}
16358 matches will use the @code{Message-ID}s of these matching articles.)
16359 This will ensure that you can raise/lower the score of an entire thread,
16360 even though some articles in the thread may not have complete
16361 @code{References} headers. Note that using this may lead to
16362 undeterministic scores of the articles in the thread. (Using this match
16363 key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT} files.)
16367 @cindex Score File Atoms
16369 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
16370 lower than this number will be marked as read.
16373 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
16374 lower than this number will be removed from the summary buffer.
16376 @item mark-and-expunge
16377 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
16378 lower than this number will be marked as read and removed from the
16381 @item thread-mark-and-expunge
16382 The value of this entry should be a number. All articles that belong to
16383 a thread that has a total score below this number will be marked as read
16384 and removed from the summary buffer. @code{gnus-thread-score-function}
16385 says how to compute the total score for a thread.
16388 The value of this entry should be any number of file names. These files
16389 are assumed to be score files as well, and will be loaded the same way
16392 @item exclude-files
16393 The clue of this entry should be any number of files. These files will
16394 not be loaded, even though they would normally be so, for some reason or
16398 The value of this entry will be @code{eval}el. This element will be
16399 ignored when handling global score files.
16402 Read-only score files will not be updated or saved. Global score files
16403 should feature this atom (@pxref{Global Score Files}). (Note:
16404 @dfn{Global} here really means @dfn{global}; not your personal
16405 apply-to-all-groups score files.)
16408 The value of this entry should be a number. Articles that do not have
16409 parents will get this number added to their scores. Imagine you follow
16410 some high-volume newsgroup, like @samp{comp.lang.c}. Most likely you
16411 will only follow a few of the threads, also want to see any new threads.
16413 You can do this with the following two score file entries:
16417 (mark-and-expunge -100)
16420 When you enter the group the first time, you will only see the new
16421 threads. You then raise the score of the threads that you find
16422 interesting (with @kbd{I T} or @kbd{I S}), and ignore (@kbd{C y}) the
16423 rest. Next time you enter the group, you will see new articles in the
16424 interesting threads, plus any new threads.
16426 I.e.---the orphan score atom is for high-volume groups where a few
16427 interesting threads which can't be found automatically by ordinary
16428 scoring rules exist.
16431 This entry controls the adaptive scoring. If it is @code{t}, the
16432 default adaptive scoring rules will be used. If it is @code{ignore}, no
16433 adaptive scoring will be performed on this group. If it is a list, this
16434 list will be used as the adaptive scoring rules. If it isn't present,
16435 or is something other than @code{t} or @code{ignore}, the default
16436 adaptive scoring rules will be used. If you want to use adaptive
16437 scoring on most groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
16438 @code{t}, and insert an @code{(adapt ignore)} in the groups where you do
16439 not want adaptive scoring. If you only want adaptive scoring in a few
16440 groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to @code{nil}, and
16441 insert @code{(adapt t)} in the score files of the groups where you want
16445 All adaptive score entries will go to the file named by this entry. It
16446 will also be applied when entering the group. This atom might be handy
16447 if you want to adapt on several groups at once, using the same adaptive
16448 file for a number of groups.
16451 @cindex local variables
16452 The value of this entry should be a list of @code{(VAR VALUE)} pairs.
16453 Each @var{var} will be made buffer-local to the current summary buffer,
16454 and set to the value specified. This is a convenient, if somewhat
16455 strange, way of setting variables in some groups if you don't like hooks
16456 much. Note that the @var{value} won't be evaluated.
16460 @node Score File Editing
16461 @section Score File Editing
16463 You normally enter all scoring commands from the summary buffer, but you
16464 might feel the urge to edit them by hand as well, so we've supplied you
16465 with a mode for that.
16467 It's simply a slightly customized @code{emacs-lisp} mode, with these
16468 additional commands:
16473 @kindex C-c C-c (Score)
16474 @findex gnus-score-edit-done
16475 Save the changes you have made and return to the summary buffer
16476 (@code{gnus-score-edit-done}).
16479 @kindex C-c C-d (Score)
16480 @findex gnus-score-edit-insert-date
16481 Insert the current date in numerical format
16482 (@code{gnus-score-edit-insert-date}). This is really the day number, if
16483 you were wondering.
16486 @kindex C-c C-p (Score)
16487 @findex gnus-score-pretty-print
16488 The adaptive score files are saved in an unformatted fashion. If you
16489 intend to read one of these files, you want to @dfn{pretty print} it
16490 first. This command (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) does that for
16495 Type @kbd{M-x gnus-score-mode} to use this mode.
16497 @vindex gnus-score-mode-hook
16498 @code{gnus-score-menu-hook} is run in score mode buffers.
16500 In the summary buffer you can use commands like @kbd{V f} and @kbd{V
16501 e} to begin editing score files.
16504 @node Adaptive Scoring
16505 @section Adaptive Scoring
16506 @cindex adaptive scoring
16508 If all this scoring is getting you down, Gnus has a way of making it all
16509 happen automatically---as if by magic. Or rather, as if by artificial
16510 stupidity, to be precise.
16512 @vindex gnus-use-adaptive-scoring
16513 When you read an article, or mark an article as read, or kill an
16514 article, you leave marks behind. On exit from the group, Gnus can sniff
16515 these marks and add score elements depending on what marks it finds.
16516 You turn on this ability by setting @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
16517 @code{t} or @code{(line)}. If you want score adaptively on separate
16518 words appearing in the subjects, you should set this variable to
16519 @code{(word)}. If you want to use both adaptive methods, set this
16520 variable to @code{(word line)}.
16522 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
16523 To give you complete control over the scoring process, you can customize
16524 the @code{gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist} variable. For instance, it
16525 might look something like this:
16528 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
16529 '((gnus-unread-mark)
16530 (gnus-ticked-mark (from 4))
16531 (gnus-dormant-mark (from 5))
16532 (gnus-del-mark (from -4) (subject -1))
16533 (gnus-read-mark (from 4) (subject 2))
16534 (gnus-expirable-mark (from -1) (subject -1))
16535 (gnus-killed-mark (from -1) (subject -3))
16536 (gnus-kill-file-mark)
16537 (gnus-ancient-mark)
16538 (gnus-low-score-mark)
16539 (gnus-catchup-mark (from -1) (subject -1))))
16542 As you see, each element in this alist has a mark as a key (either a
16543 variable name or a ``real'' mark---a character). Following this key is
16544 a arbitrary number of header/score pairs. If there are no header/score
16545 pairs following the key, no adaptive scoring will be done on articles
16546 that have that key as the article mark. For instance, articles with
16547 @code{gnus-unread-mark} in the example above will not get adaptive score
16550 Each article can have only one mark, so just a single of these rules
16551 will be applied to each article.
16553 To take @code{gnus-del-mark} as an example---this alist says that all
16554 articles that have that mark (i.e., are marked with @samp{D}) will have a
16555 score entry added to lower based on the @code{From} header by -4, and
16556 lowered by @code{Subject} by -1. Change this to fit your prejudices.
16558 If you have marked 10 articles with the same subject with
16559 @code{gnus-del-mark}, the rule for that mark will be applied ten times.
16560 That means that that subject will get a score of ten times -1, which
16561 should be, unless I'm much mistaken, -10.
16563 If you have auto-expirable (mail) groups (@pxref{Expiring Mail}), all
16564 the read articles will be marked with the @samp{E} mark. This'll
16565 probably make adaptive scoring slightly impossible, so auto-expiring and
16566 adaptive scoring doesn't really mix very well.
16568 The headers you can score on are @code{from}, @code{subject},
16569 @code{message-id}, @code{references}, @code{xref}, @code{lines},
16570 @code{chars} and @code{date}. In addition, you can score on
16571 @code{followup}, which will create an adaptive score entry that matches
16572 on the @code{References} header using the @code{Message-ID} of the
16573 current article, thereby matching the following thread.
16575 You can also score on @code{thread}, which will try to score all
16576 articles that appear in a thread. @code{thread} matches uses a
16577 @code{Message-ID} to match on the @code{References} header of the
16578 article. If the match is made, the @code{Message-ID} of the article is
16579 added to the @code{thread} rule. (Think about it. I'd recommend two
16580 aspirins afterwards.)
16582 If you use this scheme, you should set the score file atom @code{mark}
16583 to something small---like -300, perhaps, to avoid having small random
16584 changes result in articles getting marked as read.
16586 After using adaptive scoring for a week or so, Gnus should start to
16587 become properly trained and enhance the authors you like best, and kill
16588 the authors you like least, without you having to say so explicitly.
16590 You can control what groups the adaptive scoring is to be performed on
16591 by using the score files (@pxref{Score File Format}). This will also
16592 let you use different rules in different groups.
16594 @vindex gnus-adaptive-file-suffix
16595 The adaptive score entries will be put into a file where the name is the
16596 group name with @code{gnus-adaptive-file-suffix} appended. The default
16599 @vindex gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit
16600 When doing adaptive scoring, substring or fuzzy matching would probably
16601 give you the best results in most cases. However, if the header one
16602 matches is short, the possibility for false positives is great, so if
16603 the length of the match is less than
16604 @code{gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit}, exact matching will be used. If
16605 this variable is @code{nil}, exact matching will always be used to avoid
16608 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
16609 As mentioned above, you can adapt either on individual words or entire
16610 headers. If you adapt on words, the
16611 @code{gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist} variable says what score
16612 each instance of a word should add given a mark.
16615 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
16616 `((,gnus-read-mark . 30)
16617 (,gnus-catchup-mark . -10)
16618 (,gnus-killed-mark . -20)
16619 (,gnus-del-mark . -15)))
16622 This is the default value. If you have adaption on words enabled, every
16623 word that appears in subjects of articles marked with
16624 @code{gnus-read-mark} will result in a score rule that increase the
16625 score with 30 points.
16627 @vindex gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words
16628 @vindex gnus-ignored-adaptive-words
16629 Words that appear in the @code{gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words} list
16630 will be ignored. If you wish to add more words to be ignored, use the
16631 @code{gnus-ignored-adaptive-words} list instead.
16633 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit
16634 Some may feel that short words shouldn't count when doing adaptive
16635 scoring. If so, you may set @code{gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit} to
16636 an integer. Words shorter than this number will be ignored. This
16637 variable defaults til @code{nil}.
16639 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table
16640 When the scoring is done, @code{gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table} is the
16641 syntax table in effect. It is similar to the standard syntax table, but
16642 it considers numbers to be non-word-constituent characters.
16644 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-minimum
16645 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} is set to a number, the adaptive
16646 word scoring process will never bring down the score of an article to
16647 below this number. The default is @code{nil}.
16649 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words
16650 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words} is set to @code{t}, gnus
16651 won't adaptively word score any of the words in the group name. Useful
16652 for groups like @samp{comp.editors.emacs}, where most of the subject
16653 lines contain the word @samp{emacs}.
16655 After using this scheme for a while, it might be nice to write a
16656 @code{gnus-psychoanalyze-user} command to go through the rules and see
16657 what words you like and what words you don't like. Or perhaps not.
16659 Note that the adaptive word scoring thing is highly experimental and is
16660 likely to change in the future. Initial impressions seem to indicate
16661 that it's totally useless as it stands. Some more work (involving more
16662 rigorous statistical methods) will have to be done to make this useful.
16665 @node Home Score File
16666 @section Home Score File
16668 The score file where new score file entries will go is called the
16669 @dfn{home score file}. This is normally (and by default) the score file
16670 for the group itself. For instance, the home score file for
16671 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} is @file{gnu.emacs.gnus.SCORE}.
16673 However, this may not be what you want. It is often convenient to share
16674 a common home score file among many groups---all @samp{emacs} groups
16675 could perhaps use the same home score file.
16677 @vindex gnus-home-score-file
16678 The variable that controls this is @code{gnus-home-score-file}. It can
16683 A string. Then this file will be used as the home score file for all
16687 A function. The result of this function will be used as the home score
16688 file. The function will be called with the name of the group as the
16692 A list. The elements in this list can be:
16696 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{file-name})}. If the @var{regexp} matches the
16697 group name, the @var{file-name} will be used as the home score file.
16700 A function. If the function returns non-nil, the result will be used as
16701 the home score file.
16704 A string. Use the string as the home score file.
16707 The list will be traversed from the beginning towards the end looking
16712 So, if you want to use just a single score file, you could say:
16715 (setq gnus-home-score-file
16716 "my-total-score-file.SCORE")
16719 If you want to use @file{gnu.SCORE} for all @samp{gnu} groups and
16720 @file{rec.SCORE} for all @samp{rec} groups (and so on), you can say:
16722 @findex gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file
16724 (setq gnus-home-score-file
16725 'gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file)
16728 This is a ready-made function provided for your convenience.
16729 Other functions include
16732 @item gnus-current-home-score-file
16733 @findex gnus-current-home-score-file
16734 Return the ``current'' regular score file. This will make scoring
16735 commands add entry to the ``innermost'' matching score file.
16739 If you want to have one score file for the @samp{emacs} groups and
16740 another for the @samp{comp} groups, while letting all other groups use
16741 their own home score files:
16744 (setq gnus-home-score-file
16745 ;; All groups that match the regexp "\\.emacs"
16746 '(("\\.emacs" "emacs.SCORE")
16747 ;; All the comp groups in one score file
16748 ("^comp" "comp.SCORE")))
16751 @vindex gnus-home-adapt-file
16752 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file} works exactly the same way as
16753 @code{gnus-home-score-file}, but says what the home adaptive score file
16754 is instead. All new adaptive file entries will go into the file
16755 specified by this variable, and the same syntax is allowed.
16757 In addition to using @code{gnus-home-score-file} and
16758 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file}, you can also use group parameters
16759 (@pxref{Group Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
16760 Parameters}) to achieve much the same. Group and topic parameters take
16761 precedence over this variable.
16764 @node Followups To Yourself
16765 @section Followups To Yourself
16767 Gnus offers two commands for picking out the @code{Message-ID} header in
16768 the current buffer. Gnus will then add a score rule that scores using
16769 this @code{Message-ID} on the @code{References} header of other
16770 articles. This will, in effect, increase the score of all articles that
16771 respond to the article in the current buffer. Quite useful if you want
16772 to easily note when people answer what you've said.
16776 @item gnus-score-followup-article
16777 @findex gnus-score-followup-article
16778 This will add a score to articles that directly follow up your own
16781 @item gnus-score-followup-thread
16782 @findex gnus-score-followup-thread
16783 This will add a score to all articles that appear in a thread ``below''
16787 @vindex message-sent-hook
16788 These two functions are both primarily meant to be used in hooks like
16789 @code{message-sent-hook}, like this:
16791 (add-hook 'message-sent-hook 'gnus-score-followup-thread)
16795 If you look closely at your own @code{Message-ID}, you'll notice that
16796 the first two or three characters are always the same. Here's two of
16800 <x6u3u47icf.fsf@@eyesore.no>
16801 <x6sp9o7ibw.fsf@@eyesore.no>
16804 So ``my'' ident on this machine is @samp{x6}. This can be
16805 exploited---the following rule will raise the score on all followups to
16810 ("<x6[0-9a-z]+\\.fsf\\(_-_\\)?@@.*eyesore\\.no>"
16814 Whether it's the first two or first three characters that are ``yours''
16815 is system-dependent.
16819 @section Scoring Tips
16820 @cindex scoring tips
16826 @cindex scoring crossposts
16827 If you want to lower the score of crossposts, the line to match on is
16828 the @code{Xref} header.
16830 ("xref" (" talk.politics.misc:" -1000))
16833 @item Multiple crossposts
16834 If you want to lower the score of articles that have been crossposted to
16835 more than, say, 3 groups:
16838 ("[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+"
16842 @item Matching on the body
16843 This is generally not a very good idea---it takes a very long time.
16844 Gnus actually has to fetch each individual article from the server. But
16845 you might want to anyway, I guess. Even though there are three match
16846 keys (@code{Head}, @code{Body} and @code{All}), you should choose one
16847 and stick with it in each score file. If you use any two, each article
16848 will be fetched @emph{twice}. If you want to match a bit on the
16849 @code{Head} and a bit on the @code{Body}, just use @code{All} for all
16852 @item Marking as read
16853 You will probably want to mark articles that have scores below a certain
16854 number as read. This is most easily achieved by putting the following
16855 in your @file{all.SCORE} file:
16859 You may also consider doing something similar with @code{expunge}.
16861 @item Negated character classes
16862 If you say stuff like @code{[^abcd]*}, you may get unexpected results.
16863 That will match newlines, which might lead to, well, The Unknown. Say
16864 @code{[^abcd\n]*} instead.
16868 @node Reverse Scoring
16869 @section Reverse Scoring
16870 @cindex reverse scoring
16872 If you want to keep just articles that have @samp{Sex with Emacs} in the
16873 subject header, and expunge all other articles, you could put something
16874 like this in your score file:
16878 ("Sex with Emacs" 2))
16883 So, you raise all articles that match @samp{Sex with Emacs} and mark the
16884 rest as read, and expunge them to boot.
16887 @node Global Score Files
16888 @section Global Score Files
16889 @cindex global score files
16891 Sure, other newsreaders have ``global kill files''. These are usually
16892 nothing more than a single kill file that applies to all groups, stored
16893 in the user's home directory. Bah! Puny, weak newsreaders!
16895 What I'm talking about here are Global Score Files. Score files from
16896 all over the world, from users everywhere, uniting all nations in one
16897 big, happy score file union! Ange-score! New and untested!
16899 @vindex gnus-global-score-files
16900 All you have to do to use other people's score files is to set the
16901 @code{gnus-global-score-files} variable. One entry for each score file,
16902 or each score file directory. Gnus will decide by itself what score
16903 files are applicable to which group.
16905 To use the score file
16906 @file{/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE} and
16907 all score files in the @file{/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score} directory,
16911 (setq gnus-global-score-files
16912 '("/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE"
16913 "/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score/"))
16916 @findex gnus-score-search-global-directories
16918 Simple, eh? Directory names must end with a @samp{/}. These
16919 directories are typically scanned only once during each Gnus session.
16920 If you feel the need to manually re-scan the remote directories, you can
16921 use the @code{gnus-score-search-global-directories} command.
16923 Note that, at present, using this option will slow down group entry
16924 somewhat. (That is---a lot.)
16926 If you want to start maintaining score files for other people to use,
16927 just put your score file up for anonymous ftp and announce it to the
16928 world. Become a retro-moderator! Participate in the retro-moderator
16929 wars sure to ensue, where retro-moderators battle it out for the
16930 sympathy of the people, luring them to use their score files on false
16931 premises! Yay! The net is saved!
16933 Here are some tips for the would-be retro-moderator, off the top of my
16939 Articles heavily crossposted are probably junk.
16941 To lower a single inappropriate article, lower by @code{Message-ID}.
16943 Particularly brilliant authors can be raised on a permanent basis.
16945 Authors that repeatedly post off-charter for the group can safely be
16946 lowered out of existence.
16948 Set the @code{mark} and @code{expunge} atoms to obliterate the nastiest
16949 articles completely.
16952 Use expiring score entries to keep the size of the file down. You
16953 should probably have a long expiry period, though, as some sites keep
16954 old articles for a long time.
16957 ... I wonder whether other newsreaders will support global score files
16958 in the future. @emph{Snicker}. Yup, any day now, newsreaders like Blue
16959 Wave, xrn and 1stReader are bound to implement scoring. Should we start
16960 holding our breath yet?
16964 @section Kill Files
16967 Gnus still supports those pesky old kill files. In fact, the kill file
16968 entries can now be expiring, which is something I wrote before Daniel
16969 Quinlan thought of doing score files, so I've left the code in there.
16971 In short, kill processing is a lot slower (and I do mean @emph{a lot})
16972 than score processing, so it might be a good idea to rewrite your kill
16973 files into score files.
16975 Anyway, a kill file is a normal @code{emacs-lisp} file. You can put any
16976 forms into this file, which means that you can use kill files as some
16977 sort of primitive hook function to be run on group entry, even though
16978 that isn't a very good idea.
16980 Normal kill files look like this:
16983 (gnus-kill "From" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
16984 (gnus-kill "Subject" "ding")
16988 This will mark every article written by me as read, and remove the
16989 marked articles from the summary buffer. Very useful, you'll agree.
16991 Other programs use a totally different kill file syntax. If Gnus
16992 encounters what looks like a @code{rn} kill file, it will take a stab at
16995 Two summary functions for editing a GNUS kill file:
17000 @kindex M-k (Summary)
17001 @findex gnus-summary-edit-local-kill
17002 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-local-kill}).
17005 @kindex M-K (Summary)
17006 @findex gnus-summary-edit-global-kill
17007 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-global-kill}).
17010 Two group mode functions for editing the kill files:
17015 @kindex M-k (Group)
17016 @findex gnus-group-edit-local-kill
17017 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-local-kill}).
17020 @kindex M-K (Group)
17021 @findex gnus-group-edit-global-kill
17022 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-global-kill}).
17025 Kill file variables:
17028 @item gnus-kill-file-name
17029 @vindex gnus-kill-file-name
17030 A kill file for the group @samp{soc.motss} is normally called
17031 @file{soc.motss.KILL}. The suffix appended to the group name to get
17032 this file name is detailed by the @code{gnus-kill-file-name} variable.
17033 The ``global'' kill file (not in the score file sense of ``global'', of
17034 course) is just called @file{KILL}.
17036 @vindex gnus-kill-save-kill-file
17037 @item gnus-kill-save-kill-file
17038 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will save the
17039 kill file after processing, which is necessary if you use expiring
17042 @item gnus-apply-kill-hook
17043 @vindex gnus-apply-kill-hook
17044 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored
17045 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file
17046 A hook called to apply kill files to a group. It is
17047 @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file)} by default. If you want to ignore the
17048 kill file if you have a score file for the same group, you can set this
17049 hook to @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored)}. If you don't want
17050 kill files to be processed, you should set this variable to @code{nil}.
17052 @item gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
17053 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
17054 A hook called in kill-file mode buffers.
17059 @node Converting Kill Files
17060 @section Converting Kill Files
17062 @cindex converting kill files
17064 If you have loads of old kill files, you may want to convert them into
17065 score files. If they are ``regular'', you can use
17066 the @file{gnus-kill-to-score.el} package; if not, you'll have to do it
17069 The kill to score conversion package isn't included in Gnus by default.
17070 You can fetch it from
17071 @uref{http://www.stud.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/ding-various/gnus-kill-to-score.el}.
17073 If your old kill files are very complex---if they contain more
17074 non-@code{gnus-kill} forms than not, you'll have to convert them by
17075 hand. Or just let them be as they are. Gnus will still use them as
17083 GroupLens is a collaborative filtering system that helps you work
17084 together with other people to find the quality news articles out of the
17085 huge volume of news articles generated every day.
17087 To accomplish this the GroupLens system combines your opinions about
17088 articles you have already read with the opinions of others who have done
17089 likewise and gives you a personalized prediction for each unread news
17090 article. Think of GroupLens as a matchmaker. GroupLens watches how you
17091 rate articles, and finds other people that rate articles the same way.
17092 Once it has found some people you agree with it tells you, in the form
17093 of a prediction, what they thought of the article. You can use this
17094 prediction to help you decide whether or not you want to read the
17098 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
17099 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
17100 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
17101 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
17105 @node Using GroupLens
17106 @subsection Using GroupLens
17108 To use GroupLens you must register a pseudonym with your local Better
17110 @uref{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/bbb.html} is the only
17111 better bit in town at the moment.
17113 Once you have registered you'll need to set a couple of variables.
17117 @item gnus-use-grouplens
17118 @vindex gnus-use-grouplens
17119 Setting this variable to a non-@code{nil} value will make Gnus hook into
17120 all the relevant GroupLens functions.
17122 @item grouplens-pseudonym
17123 @vindex grouplens-pseudonym
17124 This variable should be set to the pseudonym you got when registering
17125 with the Better Bit Bureau.
17127 @item grouplens-newsgroups
17128 @vindex grouplens-newsgroups
17129 A list of groups that you want to get GroupLens predictions for.
17133 That's the minimum of what you need to get up and running with GroupLens.
17134 Once you've registered, GroupLens will start giving you scores for
17135 articles based on the average of what other people think. But, to get
17136 the real benefit of GroupLens you need to start rating articles
17137 yourself. Then the scores GroupLens gives you will be personalized for
17138 you, based on how the people you usually agree with have already rated.
17141 @node Rating Articles
17142 @subsection Rating Articles
17144 In GroupLens, an article is rated on a scale from 1 to 5, inclusive.
17145 Where 1 means something like this article is a waste of bandwidth and 5
17146 means that the article was really good. The basic question to ask
17147 yourself is, "on a scale from 1 to 5 would I like to see more articles
17150 There are four ways to enter a rating for an article in GroupLens.
17155 @kindex r (GroupLens)
17156 @findex bbb-summary-rate-article
17157 This function will prompt you for a rating on a scale of one to five.
17160 @kindex k (GroupLens)
17161 @findex grouplens-score-thread
17162 This function will prompt you for a rating, and rate all the articles in
17163 the thread. This is really useful for some of those long running giant
17164 threads in rec.humor.
17168 The next two commands, @kbd{n} and @kbd{,} take a numerical prefix to be
17169 the score of the article you're reading.
17174 @kindex n (GroupLens)
17175 @findex grouplens-next-unread-article
17176 Rate the article and go to the next unread article.
17179 @kindex , (GroupLens)
17180 @findex grouplens-best-unread-article
17181 Rate the article and go to the next unread article with the highest score.
17185 If you want to give the current article a score of 4 and then go to the
17186 next article, just type @kbd{4 n}.
17189 @node Displaying Predictions
17190 @subsection Displaying Predictions
17192 GroupLens makes a prediction for you about how much you will like a
17193 news article. The predictions from GroupLens are on a scale from 1 to
17194 5, where 1 is the worst and 5 is the best. You can use the predictions
17195 from GroupLens in one of three ways controlled by the variable
17196 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring}.
17198 @vindex gnus-grouplens-override-scoring
17199 There are three ways to display predictions in grouplens. You may
17200 choose to have the GroupLens scores contribute to, or override the
17201 regular gnus scoring mechanism. override is the default; however, some
17202 people prefer to see the Gnus scores plus the grouplens scores. To get
17203 the separate scoring behavior you need to set
17204 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'separate}. To have the
17205 GroupLens predictions combined with the grouplens scores set it to
17206 @code{'override} and to combine the scores set
17207 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'combine}. When you use
17208 the combine option you will also want to set the values for
17209 @code{grouplens-prediction-offset} and
17210 @code{grouplens-score-scale-factor}.
17212 @vindex grouplens-prediction-display
17213 In either case, GroupLens gives you a few choices for how you would like
17214 to see your predictions displayed. The display of predictions is
17215 controlled by the @code{grouplens-prediction-display} variable.
17217 The following are valid values for that variable.
17220 @item prediction-spot
17221 The higher the prediction, the further to the right an @samp{*} is
17224 @item confidence-interval
17225 A numeric confidence interval.
17227 @item prediction-bar
17228 The higher the prediction, the longer the bar.
17230 @item confidence-bar
17231 Numerical confidence.
17233 @item confidence-spot
17234 The spot gets bigger with more confidence.
17236 @item prediction-num
17237 Plain-old numeric value.
17239 @item confidence-plus-minus
17240 Prediction +/- confidence.
17245 @node GroupLens Variables
17246 @subsection GroupLens Variables
17250 @item gnus-summary-grouplens-line-format
17251 The summary line format used in GroupLens-enhanced summary buffers. It
17252 accepts the same specs as the normal summary line format (@pxref{Summary
17253 Buffer Lines}). The default is @samp{%U%R%z%l%I%(%[%4L: %-20,20n%]%)
17256 @item grouplens-bbb-host
17257 Host running the bbbd server. @samp{grouplens.cs.umn.edu} is the
17260 @item grouplens-bbb-port
17261 Port of the host running the bbbd server. The default is 9000.
17263 @item grouplens-score-offset
17264 Offset the prediction by this value. In other words, subtract the
17265 prediction value by this number to arrive at the effective score. The
17268 @item grouplens-score-scale-factor
17269 This variable allows the user to magnify the effect of GroupLens scores.
17270 The scale factor is applied after the offset. The default is 1.
17275 @node Advanced Scoring
17276 @section Advanced Scoring
17278 Scoring on Subjects and From headers is nice enough, but what if you're
17279 really interested in what a person has to say only when she's talking
17280 about a particular subject? Or what if you really don't want to
17281 read what person A has to say when she's following up to person B, but
17282 want to read what she says when she's following up to person C?
17284 By using advanced scoring rules you may create arbitrarily complex
17288 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
17289 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
17290 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
17294 @node Advanced Scoring Syntax
17295 @subsection Advanced Scoring Syntax
17297 Ordinary scoring rules have a string as the first element in the rule.
17298 Advanced scoring rules have a list as the first element. The second
17299 element is the score to be applied if the first element evaluated to a
17300 non-@code{nil} value.
17302 These lists may consist of three logical operators, one redirection
17303 operator, and various match operators.
17310 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
17311 one that evaluates to @code{false}, and then it'll stop. If all arguments
17312 evaluate to @code{true} values, then this operator will return
17317 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
17318 one that evaluates to @code{true}. If no arguments are @code{true},
17319 then this operator will return @code{false}.
17324 This logical operator only takes a single argument. It returns the
17325 logical negation of the value of its argument.
17329 There is an @dfn{indirection operator} that will make its arguments
17330 apply to the ancestors of the current article being scored. For
17331 instance, @code{1-} will make score rules apply to the parent of the
17332 current article. @code{2-} will make score rules apply to the
17333 grandparent of the current article. Alternatively, you can write
17334 @code{^^}, where the number of @code{^}s (carets) says how far back into
17335 the ancestry you want to go.
17337 Finally, we have the match operators. These are the ones that do the
17338 real work. Match operators are header name strings followed by a match
17339 and a match type. A typical match operator looks like @samp{("from"
17340 "Lars Ingebrigtsen" s)}. The header names are the same as when using
17341 simple scoring, and the match types are also the same.
17344 @node Advanced Scoring Examples
17345 @subsection Advanced Scoring Examples
17347 Let's say you want to increase the score of articles written by Lars
17348 when he's talking about Gnus:
17352 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
17353 ("subject" "Gnus"))
17359 When he writes long articles, he sometimes has something nice to say:
17363 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
17370 However, when he responds to things written by Reig Eigil Logge, you
17371 really don't want to read what he's written:
17375 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
17376 (1- ("from" "Reig Eigir Logge")))
17380 Everybody that follows up Redmondo when he writes about disappearing
17381 socks should have their scores raised, but only when they talk about
17382 white socks. However, when Lars talks about socks, it's usually not
17389 ("from" "redmondo@@.*no" r)
17390 ("body" "disappearing.*socks" t)))
17391 (! ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen"))
17392 ("body" "white.*socks"))
17396 The possibilities are endless.
17399 @node Advanced Scoring Tips
17400 @subsection Advanced Scoring Tips
17402 The @code{&} and @code{|} logical operators do short-circuit logic.
17403 That is, they stop processing their arguments when it's clear what the
17404 result of the operation will be. For instance, if one of the arguments
17405 of an @code{&} evaluates to @code{false}, there's no point in evaluating
17406 the rest of the arguments. This means that you should put slow matches
17407 (@samp{body}, @samp{header}) last and quick matches (@samp{from},
17408 @samp{subject}) first.
17410 The indirection arguments (@code{1-} and so on) will make their
17411 arguments work on previous generations of the thread. If you say
17422 Then that means "score on the from header of the grandparent of the
17423 current article". An indirection is quite fast, but it's better to say:
17429 ("subject" "Gnus")))
17436 (1- ("from" "Lars"))
17437 (1- ("subject" "Gnus")))
17442 @section Score Decays
17443 @cindex score decays
17446 You may find that your scores have a tendency to grow without
17447 bounds, especially if you're using adaptive scoring. If scores get too
17448 big, they lose all meaning---they simply max out and it's difficult to
17449 use them in any sensible way.
17451 @vindex gnus-decay-scores
17452 @findex gnus-decay-score
17453 @vindex gnus-decay-score-function
17454 Gnus provides a mechanism for decaying scores to help with this problem.
17455 When score files are loaded and @code{gnus-decay-scores} is
17456 non-@code{nil}, Gnus will run the score files through the decaying
17457 mechanism thereby lowering the scores of all non-permanent score rules.
17458 The decay itself if performed by the @code{gnus-decay-score-function}
17459 function, which is @code{gnus-decay-score} by default. Here's the
17460 definition of that function:
17463 (defun gnus-decay-score (score)
17465 This is done according to `gnus-score-decay-constant'
17466 and `gnus-score-decay-scale'."
17469 (* (if (< score 0) 1 -1)
17471 (max gnus-score-decay-constant
17473 gnus-score-decay-scale)))))))
17476 @vindex gnus-score-decay-scale
17477 @vindex gnus-score-decay-constant
17478 @code{gnus-score-decay-constant} is 3 by default and
17479 @code{gnus-score-decay-scale} is 0.05. This should cause the following:
17483 Scores between -3 and 3 will be set to 0 when this function is called.
17486 Scores with magnitudes between 3 and 60 will be shrunk by 3.
17489 Scores with magnitudes greater than 60 will be shrunk by 5% of the
17493 If you don't like this decay function, write your own. It is called
17494 with the score to be decayed as its only parameter, and it should return
17495 the new score, which should be an integer.
17497 Gnus will try to decay scores once a day. If you haven't run Gnus for
17498 four days, Gnus will decay the scores four times, for instance.
17505 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
17506 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
17507 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
17508 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
17509 * Windows Configuration:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
17510 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
17511 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
17512 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
17513 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
17514 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
17515 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
17516 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
17517 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
17518 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
17519 * XEmacs Enhancements:: There are more pictures and stuff under XEmacs.
17520 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
17521 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
17522 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
17526 @node Process/Prefix
17527 @section Process/Prefix
17528 @cindex process/prefix convention
17530 Many functions, among them functions for moving, decoding and saving
17531 articles, use what is known as the @dfn{Process/Prefix convention}.
17533 This is a method for figuring out what articles the user wants the
17534 command to be performed on.
17538 If the numeric prefix is N, perform the operation on the next N
17539 articles, starting with the current one. If the numeric prefix is
17540 negative, perform the operation on the previous N articles, starting
17541 with the current one.
17543 @vindex transient-mark-mode
17544 If @code{transient-mark-mode} in non-@code{nil} and the region is
17545 active, all articles in the region will be worked upon.
17547 If there is no numeric prefix, but some articles are marked with the
17548 process mark, perform the operation on the articles marked with
17551 If there is neither a numeric prefix nor any articles marked with the
17552 process mark, just perform the operation on the current article.
17554 Quite simple, really, but it needs to be made clear so that surprises
17557 Commands that react to the process mark will push the current list of
17558 process marked articles onto a stack and will then clear all process
17559 marked articles. You can restore the previous configuration with the
17560 @kbd{M P y} command (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
17562 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
17563 One thing that seems to shock & horrify lots of people is that, for
17564 instance, @kbd{3 d} does exactly the same as @kbd{d} @kbd{d} @kbd{d}.
17565 Since each @kbd{d} (which marks the current article as read) by default
17566 goes to the next unread article after marking, this means that @kbd{3 d}
17567 will mark the next three unread articles as read, no matter what the
17568 summary buffer looks like. Set @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} to
17569 @code{nil} for a more straightforward action.
17571 Many commands do not use the process/prefix convention. All commands
17572 that do explicitly say so in this manual. To apply the process/prefix
17573 convention to commands that do not use it, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
17574 command. For instance, to mark all the articles in the group as
17575 expirable, you could say `M P b M-& E'.
17579 @section Interactive
17580 @cindex interaction
17584 @item gnus-novice-user
17585 @vindex gnus-novice-user
17586 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you are either a newcomer to the
17587 World of Usenet, or you are very cautious, which is a nice thing to be,
17588 really. You will be given questions of the type ``Are you sure you want
17589 to do this?'' before doing anything dangerous. This is @code{t} by
17592 @item gnus-expert-user
17593 @vindex gnus-expert-user
17594 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you will seldom be asked any
17595 questions by Gnus. It will simply assume you know what you're doing, no
17596 matter how strange.
17598 @item gnus-interactive-catchup
17599 @vindex gnus-interactive-catchup
17600 Require confirmation before catching up a group if non-@code{nil}. It
17601 is @code{t} by default.
17603 @item gnus-interactive-exit
17604 @vindex gnus-interactive-exit
17605 Require confirmation before exiting Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
17610 @node Symbolic Prefixes
17611 @section Symbolic Prefixes
17612 @cindex symbolic prefixes
17614 Quite a lot of Emacs commands react to the (numeric) prefix. For
17615 instance, @kbd{C-u 4 C-f} moves point four characters forward, and
17616 @kbd{C-u 9 0 0 I s s p} adds a permanent @code{Subject} substring score
17617 rule of 900 to the current article.
17619 This is all nice and well, but what if you want to give a command some
17620 additional information? Well, what most commands do is interpret the
17621 ``raw'' prefix in some special way. @kbd{C-u 0 C-x C-s} means that one
17622 doesn't want a backup file to be created when saving the current buffer,
17623 for instance. But what if you want to save without making a backup
17624 file, and you want Emacs to flash lights and play a nice tune at the
17625 same time? You can't, and you're probably perfectly happy that way.
17627 @kindex M-i (Summary)
17628 @findex gnus-symbolic-argument
17629 I'm not, so I've added a second prefix---the @dfn{symbolic prefix}. The
17630 prefix key is @kbd{M-i} (@code{gnus-symbolic-argument}), and the next
17631 character typed in is the value. You can stack as many @kbd{M-i}
17632 prefixes as you want. @kbd{M-i a M-C-u} means ``feed the @kbd{M-C-u}
17633 command the symbolic prefix @code{a}''. @kbd{M-i a M-i b M-C-u} means
17634 ``feed the @kbd{M-C-u} command the symbolic prefixes @code{a} and
17635 @code{b}''. You get the drift.
17637 Typing in symbolic prefixes to commands that don't accept them doesn't
17638 hurt, but it doesn't do any good either. Currently not many Gnus
17639 functions make use of the symbolic prefix.
17641 If you're interested in how Gnus implements this, @pxref{Extended
17645 @node Formatting Variables
17646 @section Formatting Variables
17647 @cindex formatting variables
17649 Throughout this manual you've probably noticed lots of variables called
17650 things like @code{gnus-group-line-format} and
17651 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. These control how Gnus is to
17652 output lines in the various buffers. There's quite a lot of them.
17653 Fortunately, they all use the same syntax, so there's not that much to
17656 Here's an example format spec (from the group buffer): @samp{%M%S%5y:
17657 %(%g%)\n}. We see that it is indeed extremely ugly, and that there are
17658 lots of percentages everywhere.
17661 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
17662 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
17663 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
17664 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
17665 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
17668 Currently Gnus uses the following formatting variables:
17669 @code{gnus-group-line-format}, @code{gnus-summary-line-format},
17670 @code{gnus-server-line-format}, @code{gnus-topic-line-format},
17671 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format},
17672 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format},
17673 @code{gnus-article-mode-line-format},
17674 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format}, and
17675 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format}.
17677 All these format variables can also be arbitrary elisp forms. In that
17678 case, they will be @code{eval}ed to insert the required lines.
17680 @kindex M-x gnus-update-format
17681 @findex gnus-update-format
17682 Gnus includes a command to help you while creating your own format
17683 specs. @kbd{M-x gnus-update-format} will @code{eval} the current form,
17684 update the spec in question and pop you to a buffer where you can
17685 examine the resulting lisp code to be run to generate the line.
17689 @node Formatting Basics
17690 @subsection Formatting Basics
17692 Each @samp{%} element will be replaced by some string or other when the
17693 buffer in question is generated. @samp{%5y} means ``insert the @samp{y}
17694 spec, and pad with spaces to get a 5-character field''.
17696 As with normal C and Emacs Lisp formatting strings, the numerical
17697 modifier between the @samp{%} and the formatting type character will
17698 @dfn{pad} the output so that it is always at least that long.
17699 @samp{%5y} will make the field always (at least) five characters wide by
17700 padding with spaces to the left. If you say @samp{%-5y}, it will pad to
17703 You may also wish to limit the length of the field to protect against
17704 particularly wide values. For that you can say @samp{%4,6y}, which
17705 means that the field will never be more than 6 characters wide and never
17706 less than 4 characters wide.
17709 @node Mode Line Formatting
17710 @subsection Mode Line Formatting
17712 Mode line formatting variables (e.g.,
17713 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}) follow the same rules as other,
17714 buffer line oriented formatting variables (@pxref{Formatting Basics})
17715 with the following two differences:
17720 There must be no newline (@samp{\n}) at the end.
17723 The special @samp{%%b} spec can be used to display the buffer name.
17724 Well, it's no spec at all, really---@samp{%%} is just a way to quote
17725 @samp{%} to allow it to pass through the formatting machinery unmangled,
17726 so that Emacs receives @samp{%b}, which is something the Emacs mode line
17727 display interprets to mean ``show the buffer name''. For a full list of
17728 mode line specs Emacs understands, see the documentation of the
17729 @code{mode-line-format} variable.
17734 @node Advanced Formatting
17735 @subsection Advanced Formatting
17737 It is frequently useful to post-process the fields in some way.
17738 Padding, limiting, cutting off parts and suppressing certain values can
17739 be achieved by using @dfn{tilde modifiers}. A typical tilde spec might
17740 look like @samp{%~(cut 3)~(ignore "0")y}.
17742 These are the valid modifiers:
17747 Pad the field to the left with spaces until it reaches the required
17751 Pad the field to the right with spaces until it reaches the required
17756 Cut off characters from the left until it reaches the specified length.
17759 Cut off characters from the right until it reaches the specified
17764 Cut off the specified number of characters from the left.
17767 Cut off the specified number of characters from the right.
17770 Return an empty string if the field is equal to the specified value.
17773 Use the specified form as the field value when the @samp{@@} spec is
17777 Let's take an example. The @samp{%o} spec in the summary mode lines
17778 will return a date in compact ISO8601 format---@samp{19960809T230410}.
17779 This is quite a mouthful, so we want to shave off the century number and
17780 the time, leaving us with a six-character date. That would be
17781 @samp{%~(cut-left 2)~(max-right 6)~(pad 6)o}. (Cutting is done before
17782 maxing, and we need the padding to ensure that the date is never less
17783 than 6 characters to make it look nice in columns.)
17785 Ignoring is done first; then cutting; then maxing; and then as the very
17786 last operation, padding.
17788 If you use lots of these advanced thingies, you'll find that Gnus gets
17789 quite slow. This can be helped enormously by running @kbd{M-x
17790 gnus-compile} when you are satisfied with the look of your lines.
17791 @xref{Compilation}.
17794 @node User-Defined Specs
17795 @subsection User-Defined Specs
17797 All the specs allow for inserting user defined specifiers---@samp{u}.
17798 The next character in the format string should be a letter. Gnus
17799 will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where
17800 @samp{X} is the letter following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed
17801 a single parameter---what the parameter means depends on what buffer
17802 it's being called from. The function should return a string, which will
17803 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
17804 specifier. This function may also be called with dummy values, so it
17805 should protect against that.
17807 You can also use tilde modifiers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting} to achieve
17808 much the same without defining new functions. Here's an example:
17809 @samp{%~(form (count-lines (point-min) (point)))@@}. The form
17810 given here will be evaluated to yield the current line number, and then
17814 @node Formatting Fonts
17815 @subsection Formatting Fonts
17817 There are specs for highlighting, and these are shared by all the format
17818 variables. Text inside the @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} specifiers will get
17819 the special @code{mouse-face} property set, which means that it will be
17820 highlighted (with @code{gnus-mouse-face}) when you put the mouse pointer
17823 Text inside the @samp{%@{} and @samp{%@}} specifiers will have their
17824 normal faces set using @code{gnus-face-0}, which is @code{bold} by
17825 default. If you say @samp{%1@{}, you'll get @code{gnus-face-1} instead,
17826 and so on. Create as many faces as you wish. The same goes for the
17827 @code{mouse-face} specs---you can say @samp{%3(hello%)} to have
17828 @samp{hello} mouse-highlighted with @code{gnus-mouse-face-3}.
17830 Text inside the @samp{%<} and @samp{%>} specifiers will get the special
17831 @code{balloon-help} property set to @code{gnus-balloon-face-0}. If you
17832 say @samp{%1<}, you'll get @code{gnus-balloon-face-1} and so on. The
17833 @code{gnus-balloon-face-*} variables should be either strings or symbols
17834 naming functions that return a string. Under @code{balloon-help-mode},
17835 when the mouse passes over text with this property set, a balloon window
17836 will appear and display the string. Please refer to the doc string of
17837 @code{balloon-help-mode} for more information on this.
17839 Here's an alternative recipe for the group buffer:
17842 ;; Create three face types.
17843 (setq gnus-face-1 'bold)
17844 (setq gnus-face-3 'italic)
17846 ;; We want the article count to be in
17847 ;; a bold and green face. So we create
17848 ;; a new face called `my-green-bold'.
17849 (copy-face 'bold 'my-green-bold)
17851 (set-face-foreground 'my-green-bold "ForestGreen")
17852 (setq gnus-face-2 'my-green-bold)
17854 ;; Set the new & fancy format.
17855 (setq gnus-group-line-format
17856 "%M%S%3@{%5y%@}%2[:%] %(%1@{%g%@}%)\n")
17859 I'm sure you'll be able to use this scheme to create totally unreadable
17860 and extremely vulgar displays. Have fun!
17862 Note that the @samp{%(} specs (and friends) do not make any sense on the
17863 mode-line variables.
17866 @node Windows Configuration
17867 @section Windows Configuration
17868 @cindex windows configuration
17870 No, there's nothing here about X, so be quiet.
17872 @vindex gnus-use-full-window
17873 If @code{gnus-use-full-window} non-@code{nil}, Gnus will delete all
17874 other windows and occupy the entire Emacs screen by itself. It is
17875 @code{t} by default.
17877 Setting this variable to @code{nil} kinda works, but there are
17878 glitches. Use at your own peril.
17880 @vindex gnus-buffer-configuration
17881 @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} describes how much space each Gnus
17882 buffer should be given. Here's an excerpt of this variable:
17885 ((group (vertical 1.0 (group 1.0 point)
17886 (if gnus-carpal (group-carpal 4))))
17887 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
17891 This is an alist. The @dfn{key} is a symbol that names some action or
17892 other. For instance, when displaying the group buffer, the window
17893 configuration function will use @code{group} as the key. A full list of
17894 possible names is listed below.
17896 The @dfn{value} (i.e., the @dfn{split}) says how much space each buffer
17897 should occupy. To take the @code{article} split as an example -
17900 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
17904 This @dfn{split} says that the summary buffer should occupy 25% of upper
17905 half of the screen, and that it is placed over the article buffer. As
17906 you may have noticed, 100% + 25% is actually 125% (yup, I saw y'all
17907 reaching for that calculator there). However, the special number
17908 @code{1.0} is used to signal that this buffer should soak up all the
17909 rest of the space available after the rest of the buffers have taken
17910 whatever they need. There should be only one buffer with the @code{1.0}
17911 size spec per split.
17913 Point will be put in the buffer that has the optional third element
17914 @code{point}. In a @code{frame} split, the last subsplit having a leaf
17915 split where the tag @code{frame-focus} is a member (i.e. is the third or
17916 fourth element in the list, depending on whether the @code{point} tag is
17917 present) gets focus.
17919 Here's a more complicated example:
17922 (article (vertical 1.0 (group 4)
17923 (summary 0.25 point)
17924 (if gnus-carpal (summary-carpal 4))
17928 If the size spec is an integer instead of a floating point number,
17929 then that number will be used to say how many lines a buffer should
17930 occupy, not a percentage.
17932 If the @dfn{split} looks like something that can be @code{eval}ed (to be
17933 precise---if the @code{car} of the split is a function or a subr), this
17934 split will be @code{eval}ed. If the result is non-@code{nil}, it will
17935 be used as a split. This means that there will be three buffers if
17936 @code{gnus-carpal} is @code{nil}, and four buffers if @code{gnus-carpal}
17939 Not complicated enough for you? Well, try this on for size:
17942 (article (horizontal 1.0
17947 (summary 0.25 point)
17952 Whoops. Two buffers with the mystery 100% tag. And what's that
17953 @code{horizontal} thingie?
17955 If the first element in one of the split is @code{horizontal}, Gnus will
17956 split the window horizontally, giving you two windows side-by-side.
17957 Inside each of these strips you may carry on all you like in the normal
17958 fashion. The number following @code{horizontal} says what percentage of
17959 the screen is to be given to this strip.
17961 For each split, there @emph{must} be one element that has the 100% tag.
17962 The splitting is never accurate, and this buffer will eat any leftover
17963 lines from the splits.
17965 To be slightly more formal, here's a definition of what a valid split
17969 split = frame | horizontal | vertical | buffer | form
17970 frame = "(frame " size *split ")"
17971 horizontal = "(horizontal " size *split ")"
17972 vertical = "(vertical " size *split ")"
17973 buffer = "(" buf-name " " size *[ "point" ] *[ "frame-focus"] ")"
17974 size = number | frame-params
17975 buf-name = group | article | summary ...
17978 The limitations are that the @code{frame} split can only appear as the
17979 top-level split. @var{form} should be an Emacs Lisp form that should
17980 return a valid split. We see that each split is fully recursive, and
17981 may contain any number of @code{vertical} and @code{horizontal} splits.
17983 @vindex gnus-window-min-width
17984 @vindex gnus-window-min-height
17985 @cindex window height
17986 @cindex window width
17987 Finding the right sizes can be a bit complicated. No window may be less
17988 than @code{gnus-window-min-height} (default 1) characters high, and all
17989 windows must be at least @code{gnus-window-min-width} (default 1)
17990 characters wide. Gnus will try to enforce this before applying the
17991 splits. If you want to use the normal Emacs window width/height limit,
17992 you can just set these two variables to @code{nil}.
17994 If you're not familiar with Emacs terminology, @code{horizontal} and
17995 @code{vertical} splits may work the opposite way of what you'd expect.
17996 Windows inside a @code{horizontal} split are shown side-by-side, and
17997 windows within a @code{vertical} split are shown above each other.
17999 @findex gnus-configure-frame
18000 If you want to experiment with window placement, a good tip is to call
18001 @code{gnus-configure-frame} directly with a split. This is the function
18002 that does all the real work when splitting buffers. Below is a pretty
18003 nonsensical configuration with 5 windows; two for the group buffer and
18004 three for the article buffer. (I said it was nonsensical.) If you
18005 @code{eval} the statement below, you can get an idea of how that would
18006 look straight away, without going through the normal Gnus channels.
18007 Play with it until you're satisfied, and then use
18008 @code{gnus-add-configuration} to add your new creation to the buffer
18009 configuration list.
18012 (gnus-configure-frame
18016 (article 0.3 point))
18024 You might want to have several frames as well. No prob---just use the
18025 @code{frame} split:
18028 (gnus-configure-frame
18031 (summary 0.25 point frame-focus)
18033 (vertical ((height . 5) (width . 15)
18034 (user-position . t)
18035 (left . -1) (top . 1))
18040 This split will result in the familiar summary/article window
18041 configuration in the first (or ``main'') frame, while a small additional
18042 frame will be created where picons will be shown. As you can see,
18043 instead of the normal @code{1.0} top-level spec, each additional split
18044 should have a frame parameter alist as the size spec.
18045 @xref{Frame Parameters, , Frame Parameters, elisp, The GNU Emacs Lisp
18046 Reference Manual}. Under XEmacs, a frame property list will be
18047 accepted, too---for instance, @code{(height 5 width 15 left -1 top 1)}
18049 The list of all possible keys for @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} can
18050 be found in its default value.
18052 Note that the @code{message} key is used for both
18053 @code{gnus-group-mail} and @code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}. If
18054 it is desirable to distinguish between the two, something like this
18058 (message (horizontal 1.0
18059 (vertical 1.0 (message 1.0 point))
18061 (if (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer)
18066 One common desire for a multiple frame split is to have a separate frame
18067 for composing mail and news while leaving the original frame intact. To
18068 accomplish that, something like the following can be done:
18073 (if (not (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer))
18074 (car (cdr (assoc 'group gnus-buffer-configuration)))
18075 (car (cdr (assoc 'summary gnus-buffer-configuration))))
18076 (vertical ((user-position . t) (top . 1) (left . 1)
18077 (name . "Message"))
18078 (message 1.0 point))))
18081 @findex gnus-add-configuration
18082 Since the @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} variable is so long and
18083 complicated, there's a function you can use to ease changing the config
18084 of a single setting: @code{gnus-add-configuration}. If, for instance,
18085 you want to change the @code{article} setting, you could say:
18088 (gnus-add-configuration
18089 '(article (vertical 1.0
18091 (summary .25 point)
18095 You'd typically stick these @code{gnus-add-configuration} calls in your
18096 @file{.gnus.el} file or in some startup hook---they should be run after
18097 Gnus has been loaded.
18099 @vindex gnus-always-force-window-configuration
18100 If all windows mentioned in the configuration are already visible, Gnus
18101 won't change the window configuration. If you always want to force the
18102 ``right'' window configuration, you can set
18103 @code{gnus-always-force-window-configuration} to non-@code{nil}.
18105 If you're using tree displays (@pxref{Tree Display}), and the tree
18106 window is displayed vertically next to another window, you may also want
18107 to fiddle with @code{gnus-tree-minimize-window} to avoid having the
18110 @subsection Example Window Configurations
18114 Narrow left hand side occupied by group buffer. Right hand side split
18115 between summary buffer (top one-sixth) and article buffer (bottom).
18130 (gnus-add-configuration
18133 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
18135 (summary 0.16 point)
18138 (gnus-add-configuration
18141 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
18142 (vertical 1.0 (summary 1.0 point)))))
18148 @node Faces and Fonts
18149 @section Faces and Fonts
18154 Fiddling with fonts and faces used to be very difficult, but these days
18155 it is very simple. You simply say @kbd{M-x customize-face}, pick out
18156 the face you want to alter, and alter it via the standard Customize
18161 @section Compilation
18162 @cindex compilation
18163 @cindex byte-compilation
18165 @findex gnus-compile
18167 Remember all those line format specification variables?
18168 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}, @code{gnus-group-line-format}, and so
18169 on. Now, Gnus will of course heed whatever these variables are, but,
18170 unfortunately, changing them will mean a quite significant slow-down.
18171 (The default values of these variables have byte-compiled functions
18172 associated with them, while the user-generated versions do not, of
18175 To help with this, you can run @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} after you've
18176 fiddled around with the variables and feel that you're (kind of)
18177 satisfied. This will result in the new specs being byte-compiled, and
18178 you'll get top speed again. Gnus will save these compiled specs in the
18179 @file{.newsrc.eld} file. (User-defined functions aren't compiled by
18180 this function, though---you should compile them yourself by sticking
18181 them into the @code{.gnus.el} file and byte-compiling that file.)
18185 @section Mode Lines
18188 @vindex gnus-updated-mode-lines
18189 @code{gnus-updated-mode-lines} says what buffers should keep their mode
18190 lines updated. It is a list of symbols. Supported symbols include
18191 @code{group}, @code{article}, @code{summary}, @code{server},
18192 @code{browse}, and @code{tree}. If the corresponding symbol is present,
18193 Gnus will keep that mode line updated with information that may be
18194 pertinent. If this variable is @code{nil}, screen refresh may be
18197 @cindex display-time
18199 @vindex gnus-mode-non-string-length
18200 By default, Gnus displays information on the current article in the mode
18201 lines of the summary and article buffers. The information Gnus wishes
18202 to display (e.g. the subject of the article) is often longer than the
18203 mode lines, and therefore have to be cut off at some point. The
18204 @code{gnus-mode-non-string-length} variable says how long the other
18205 elements on the line is (i.e., the non-info part). If you put
18206 additional elements on the mode line (e.g. a clock), you should modify
18209 @c Hook written by Francesco Potorti` <pot@cnuce.cnr.it>
18211 (add-hook 'display-time-hook
18212 (lambda () (setq gnus-mode-non-string-length
18214 (if line-number-mode 5 0)
18215 (if column-number-mode 4 0)
18216 (length display-time-string)))))
18219 If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the default), the mode line
18220 strings won't be chopped off, and they won't be padded either. Note
18221 that the default is unlikely to be desirable, as even the percentage
18222 complete in the buffer may be crowded off the mode line; the user should
18223 configure this variable appropriately for her configuration.
18226 @node Highlighting and Menus
18227 @section Highlighting and Menus
18229 @cindex highlighting
18232 @vindex gnus-visual
18233 The @code{gnus-visual} variable controls most of the Gnus-prettifying
18234 aspects. If @code{nil}, Gnus won't attempt to create menus or use fancy
18235 colors or fonts. This will also inhibit loading the @file{gnus-vis.el}
18238 This variable can be a list of visual properties that are enabled. The
18239 following elements are valid, and are all included by default:
18242 @item group-highlight
18243 Do highlights in the group buffer.
18244 @item summary-highlight
18245 Do highlights in the summary buffer.
18246 @item article-highlight
18247 Do highlights in the article buffer.
18249 Turn on highlighting in all buffers.
18251 Create menus in the group buffer.
18253 Create menus in the summary buffers.
18255 Create menus in the article buffer.
18257 Create menus in the browse buffer.
18259 Create menus in the server buffer.
18261 Create menus in the score buffers.
18263 Create menus in all buffers.
18266 So if you only want highlighting in the article buffer and menus in all
18267 buffers, you could say something like:
18270 (setq gnus-visual '(article-highlight menu))
18273 If you want highlighting only and no menus whatsoever, you'd say:
18276 (setq gnus-visual '(highlight))
18279 If @code{gnus-visual} is @code{t}, highlighting and menus will be used
18280 in all Gnus buffers.
18282 Other general variables that influence the look of all buffers include:
18285 @item gnus-mouse-face
18286 @vindex gnus-mouse-face
18287 This is the face (i.e., font) used for mouse highlighting in Gnus. No
18288 mouse highlights will be done if @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
18292 There are hooks associated with the creation of all the different menus:
18296 @item gnus-article-menu-hook
18297 @vindex gnus-article-menu-hook
18298 Hook called after creating the article mode menu.
18300 @item gnus-group-menu-hook
18301 @vindex gnus-group-menu-hook
18302 Hook called after creating the group mode menu.
18304 @item gnus-summary-menu-hook
18305 @vindex gnus-summary-menu-hook
18306 Hook called after creating the summary mode menu.
18308 @item gnus-server-menu-hook
18309 @vindex gnus-server-menu-hook
18310 Hook called after creating the server mode menu.
18312 @item gnus-browse-menu-hook
18313 @vindex gnus-browse-menu-hook
18314 Hook called after creating the browse mode menu.
18316 @item gnus-score-menu-hook
18317 @vindex gnus-score-menu-hook
18318 Hook called after creating the score mode menu.
18329 Those new-fangled @dfn{mouse} contraptions is very popular with the
18330 young, hep kids who don't want to learn the proper way to do things
18331 these days. Why, I remember way back in the summer of '89, when I was
18332 using Emacs on a Tops 20 system. Three hundred users on one single
18333 machine, and every user was running Simula compilers. Bah!
18337 @vindex gnus-carpal
18338 Well, you can make Gnus display bufferfuls of buttons you can click to
18339 do anything by setting @code{gnus-carpal} to @code{t}. Pretty simple,
18340 really. Tell the chiropractor I sent you.
18345 @item gnus-carpal-mode-hook
18346 @vindex gnus-carpal-mode-hook
18347 Hook run in all carpal mode buffers.
18349 @item gnus-carpal-button-face
18350 @vindex gnus-carpal-button-face
18351 Face used on buttons.
18353 @item gnus-carpal-header-face
18354 @vindex gnus-carpal-header-face
18355 Face used on carpal buffer headers.
18357 @item gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
18358 @vindex gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
18359 Buttons in the group buffer.
18361 @item gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
18362 @vindex gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
18363 Buttons in the summary buffer.
18365 @item gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
18366 @vindex gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
18367 Buttons in the server buffer.
18369 @item gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
18370 @vindex gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
18371 Buttons in the browse buffer.
18374 All the @code{buttons} variables are lists. The elements in these list
18375 are either cons cells where the @code{car} contains a text to be displayed and
18376 the @code{cdr} contains a function symbol, or a simple string.
18384 Gnus, being larger than any program ever written (allegedly), does lots
18385 of strange stuff that you may wish to have done while you're not
18386 present. For instance, you may want it to check for new mail once in a
18387 while. Or you may want it to close down all connections to all servers
18388 when you leave Emacs idle. And stuff like that.
18390 Gnus will let you do stuff like that by defining various
18391 @dfn{handlers}. Each handler consists of three elements: A
18392 @var{function}, a @var{time}, and an @var{idle} parameter.
18394 Here's an example of a handler that closes connections when Emacs has
18395 been idle for thirty minutes:
18398 (gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
18401 Here's a handler that scans for PGP headers every hour when Emacs is
18405 (gnus-demon-scan-pgp 60 t)
18408 This @var{time} parameter and than @var{idle} parameter work together
18409 in a strange, but wonderful fashion. Basically, if @var{idle} is
18410 @code{nil}, then the function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
18412 If @var{idle} is @code{t}, then the function will be called after
18413 @var{time} minutes only if Emacs is idle. So if Emacs is never idle,
18414 the function will never be called. But once Emacs goes idle, the
18415 function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
18417 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is a number, the function will
18418 be called every @var{time} minutes only when Emacs has been idle for
18419 @var{idle} minutes.
18421 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is @code{nil}, the function
18422 will be called once every time Emacs has been idle for @var{idle}
18425 And if @var{time} is a string, it should look like @samp{07:31}, and
18426 the function will then be called once every day somewhere near that
18427 time. Modified by the @var{idle} parameter, of course.
18429 @vindex gnus-demon-timestep
18430 (When I say ``minute'' here, I really mean @code{gnus-demon-timestep}
18431 seconds. This is 60 by default. If you change that variable,
18432 all the timings in the handlers will be affected.)
18434 So, if you want to add a handler, you could put something like this in
18435 your @file{.gnus} file:
18437 @findex gnus-demon-add-handler
18439 (gnus-demon-add-handler 'gnus-demon-close-connections 30 t)
18442 @findex gnus-demon-add-nocem
18443 @findex gnus-demon-add-scanmail
18444 @findex gnus-demon-add-rescan
18445 @findex gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps
18446 @findex gnus-demon-add-disconnection
18447 Some ready-made functions to do this have been created:
18448 @code{gnus-demon-add-nocem}, @code{gnus-demon-add-disconnection},
18449 @code{gnus-demon-add-nntp-close-connection},
18450 @code{gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps}, @code{gnus-demon-add-rescan}, and
18451 @code{gnus-demon-add-scanmail}. Just put those functions in your
18452 @file{.gnus} if you want those abilities.
18454 @findex gnus-demon-init
18455 @findex gnus-demon-cancel
18456 @vindex gnus-demon-handlers
18457 If you add handlers to @code{gnus-demon-handlers} directly, you should
18458 run @code{gnus-demon-init} to make the changes take hold. To cancel all
18459 daemons, you can use the @code{gnus-demon-cancel} function.
18461 Note that adding daemons can be pretty naughty if you over do it. Adding
18462 functions that scan all news and mail from all servers every two seconds
18463 is a sure-fire way of getting booted off any respectable system. So
18472 @dfn{Spamming} is posting the same article lots and lots of times.
18473 Spamming is bad. Spamming is evil.
18475 Spamming is usually canceled within a day or so by various anti-spamming
18476 agencies. These agencies usually also send out @dfn{NoCeM} messages.
18477 NoCeM is pronounced ``no see-'em'', and means what the name
18478 implies---these are messages that make the offending articles, like, go
18481 What use are these NoCeM messages if the articles are canceled anyway?
18482 Some sites do not honor cancel messages and some sites just honor cancels
18483 from a select few people. Then you may wish to make use of the NoCeM
18484 messages, which are distributed in the @samp{alt.nocem.misc} newsgroup.
18486 Gnus can read and parse the messages in this group automatically, and
18487 this will make spam disappear.
18489 There are some variables to customize, of course:
18492 @item gnus-use-nocem
18493 @vindex gnus-use-nocem
18494 Set this variable to @code{t} to set the ball rolling. It is @code{nil}
18497 @item gnus-nocem-groups
18498 @vindex gnus-nocem-groups
18499 Gnus will look for NoCeM messages in the groups in this list. The
18500 default is @code{("news.lists.filters" "news.admin.net-abuse.bulletins"
18501 "alt.nocem.misc" "news.admin.net-abuse.announce")}.
18503 @item gnus-nocem-issuers
18504 @vindex gnus-nocem-issuers
18505 There are many people issuing NoCeM messages. This list says what
18506 people you want to listen to. The default is @code{("Automoose-1"
18507 "clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" "cosmo.roadkill" "SpamHippo"
18508 "hweede@@snafu.de")}; fine, upstanding citizens all of them.
18510 Known despammers that you can put in this list are listed at
18511 @uref{http://www.xs4all.nl/~rosalind/nocemreg/nocemreg.html}.
18513 You do not have to heed NoCeM messages from all these people---just the
18514 ones you want to listen to. You also don't have to accept all NoCeM
18515 messages from the people you like. Each NoCeM message has a @dfn{type}
18516 header that gives the message a (more or less, usually less) rigorous
18517 definition. Common types are @samp{spam}, @samp{spew}, @samp{mmf},
18518 @samp{binary}, and @samp{troll}. To specify this, you have to use
18519 @code{(@var{issuer} @var{conditions} @dots{})} elements in the list.
18520 Each condition is either a string (which is a regexp that matches types
18521 you want to use) or a list on the form @code{(not @var{string})}, where
18522 @var{string} is a regexp that matches types you don't want to use.
18524 For instance, if you want all NoCeM messages from Chris Lewis except his
18525 @samp{troll} messages, you'd say:
18528 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" ".*" (not "troll"))
18531 On the other hand, if you just want nothing but his @samp{spam} and
18532 @samp{spew} messages, you'd say:
18535 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" (not ".*") "spew" "spam")
18538 The specs are applied left-to-right.
18541 @item gnus-nocem-verifyer
18542 @vindex gnus-nocem-verifyer
18544 This should be a function for verifying that the NoCeM issuer is who she
18545 says she is. The default is @code{mc-verify}, which is a Mailcrypt
18546 function. If this is too slow and you don't care for verification
18547 (which may be dangerous), you can set this variable to @code{nil}.
18549 If you want signed NoCeM messages to be verified and unsigned messages
18550 not to be verified (but used anyway), you could do something like:
18553 (setq gnus-nocem-verifyer 'my-gnus-mc-verify)
18555 (defun my-gnus-mc-verify ()
18563 This might be dangerous, though.
18565 @item gnus-nocem-directory
18566 @vindex gnus-nocem-directory
18567 This is where Gnus will store its NoCeM cache files. The default is
18568 @file{~/News/NoCeM/}.
18570 @item gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
18571 @vindex gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
18572 The number of days before removing old NoCeM entries from the cache.
18573 The default is 15. If you make it shorter Gnus will be faster, but you
18574 might then see old spam.
18576 @item gnus-nocem-check-from
18577 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-from
18578 Non-@code{nil} means check for valid issuers in message bodies.
18579 Otherwise don't bother fetching articles unless their author matches a
18580 valid issuer; that is much faster if you are selective about the
18583 @item gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
18584 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
18585 If non-@code{nil}, the maximum number of articles to check in any NoCeM
18586 group. NoCeM groups can be huge and very slow to process.
18590 Using NoCeM could potentially be a memory hog. If you have many living
18591 (i. e., subscribed or unsubscribed groups), your Emacs process will grow
18592 big. If this is a problem, you should kill off all (or most) of your
18593 unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Subscription Commands}).
18600 It is very useful to be able to undo actions one has done. In normal
18601 Emacs buffers, it's easy enough---you just push the @code{undo} button.
18602 In Gnus buffers, however, it isn't that simple.
18604 The things Gnus displays in its buffer is of no value whatsoever to
18605 Gnus---it's all just data designed to look nice to the user.
18606 Killing a group in the group buffer with @kbd{C-k} makes the line
18607 disappear, but that's just a side-effect of the real action---the
18608 removal of the group in question from the internal Gnus structures.
18609 Undoing something like that can't be done by the normal Emacs
18610 @code{undo} function.
18612 Gnus tries to remedy this somewhat by keeping track of what the user
18613 does and coming up with actions that would reverse the actions the user
18614 takes. When the user then presses the @code{undo} key, Gnus will run
18615 the code to reverse the previous action, or the previous actions.
18616 However, not all actions are easily reversible, so Gnus currently offers
18617 a few key functions to be undoable. These include killing groups,
18618 yanking groups, and changing the list of read articles of groups.
18619 That's it, really. More functions may be added in the future, but each
18620 added function means an increase in data to be stored, so Gnus will
18621 never be totally undoable.
18623 @findex gnus-undo-mode
18624 @vindex gnus-use-undo
18626 The undoability is provided by the @code{gnus-undo-mode} minor mode. It
18627 is used if @code{gnus-use-undo} is non-@code{nil}, which is the
18628 default. The @kbd{M-C-_} key performs the @code{gnus-undo}
18629 command, which should feel kinda like the normal Emacs @code{undo}
18634 @section Moderation
18637 If you are a moderator, you can use the @file{gnus-mdrtn.el} package.
18638 It is not included in the standard Gnus package. Write a mail to
18639 @samp{larsi@@gnus.org} and state what group you moderate, and you'll
18642 The moderation package is implemented as a minor mode for summary
18646 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-moderate)
18649 in your @file{.gnus.el} file.
18651 If you are the moderator of @samp{rec.zoofle}, this is how it's
18656 You split your incoming mail by matching on
18657 @samp{Newsgroups:.*rec.zoofle}, which will put all the to-be-posted
18658 articles in some mail group---for instance, @samp{nnml:rec.zoofle}.
18661 You enter that group once in a while and post articles using the @kbd{e}
18662 (edit-and-post) or @kbd{s} (just send unedited) commands.
18665 If, while reading the @samp{rec.zoofle} newsgroup, you happen upon some
18666 articles that weren't approved by you, you can cancel them with the
18670 To use moderation mode in these two groups, say:
18673 (setq gnus-moderated-list
18674 "^nnml:rec.zoofle$\\|^rec.zoofle$")
18678 @node XEmacs Enhancements
18679 @section XEmacs Enhancements
18682 XEmacs is able to display pictures and stuff, so Gnus has taken
18686 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what your reading.
18687 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
18688 * Toolbar:: Click'n'drool.
18689 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
18702 So@dots{} You want to slow down your news reader even more! This is a
18703 good way to do so. Its also a great way to impress people staring
18704 over your shoulder as you read news.
18707 * Picon Basics:: What are picons and How do I get them.
18708 * Picon Requirements:: Don't go further if you aren't using XEmacs.
18709 * Easy Picons:: Displaying Picons---the easy way.
18710 * Hard Picons:: The way you should do it. You'll learn something.
18711 * Picon Useless Configuration:: Other variables you can trash/tweak/munge/play with.
18716 @subsubsection Picon Basics
18718 What are Picons? To quote directly from the Picons Web site:
18727 @dfn{Picons} is short for ``personal icons''. They're small,
18728 constrained images used to represent users and domains on the net,
18729 organized into databases so that the appropriate image for a given
18730 e-mail address can be found. Besides users and domains, there are picon
18731 databases for Usenet newsgroups and weather forecasts. The picons are
18732 in either monochrome @code{XBM} format or color @code{XPM} and
18733 @code{GIF} formats.
18736 @vindex gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
18737 If you have a permanent connection to the Internet you can use Steve
18738 Kinzler's Picons Search engine by setting
18739 @code{gnus-picons-piconsearch-url} to the string @*
18740 @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/search.html}.
18742 @vindex gnus-picons-database
18743 Otherwise you need a local copy of his database. For instructions on
18744 obtaining and installing the picons databases, point your Web browser at @*
18745 @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/ftp/index.html}. Gnus expects
18746 picons to be installed into a location pointed to by
18747 @code{gnus-picons-database}.
18750 @node Picon Requirements
18751 @subsubsection Picon Requirements
18753 To have Gnus display Picons for you, you must be running XEmacs
18754 19.13 or greater since all other versions of Emacs aren't yet able to
18757 Additionally, you must have @code{x} support compiled into XEmacs. To
18758 display color picons which are much nicer than the black & white one,
18759 you also need one of @code{xpm} or @code{gif} compiled into XEmacs.
18761 @vindex gnus-picons-convert-x-face
18762 If you want to display faces from @code{X-Face} headers, you should have
18763 the @code{xface} support compiled into XEmacs. Otherwise you must have
18764 the @code{netpbm} utilities installed, or munge the
18765 @code{gnus-picons-convert-x-face} variable to use something else.
18769 @subsubsection Easy Picons
18771 To enable displaying picons, simply put the following line in your
18772 @file{~/.gnus} file and start Gnus.
18775 (setq gnus-use-picons t)
18776 (setq gnus-treat-display-picons t)
18779 and make sure @code{gnus-picons-database} points to the directory
18780 containing the Picons databases.
18782 Alternatively if you want to use the web piconsearch engine add this:
18785 (setq gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
18786 "http://www.cs.indiana.edu:800/piconsearch")
18791 @subsubsection Hard Picons
18799 Gnus can display picons for you as you enter and leave groups and
18800 articles. It knows how to interact with three sections of the picons
18801 database. Namely, it can display the picons newsgroup pictures,
18802 author's face picture(s), and the authors domain. To enable this
18803 feature, you need to select where to get the picons from, and where to
18808 @item gnus-picons-database
18809 @vindex gnus-picons-database
18810 The location of the picons database. Should point to a directory
18811 containing the @file{news}, @file{domains}, @file{users} (and so on)
18812 subdirectories. This is only useful if
18813 @code{gnus-picons-piconsearch-url} is @code{nil}. Defaults to
18814 @file{/usr/local/faces/}.
18816 @item gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
18817 @vindex gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
18818 The URL for the web picons search engine. The only currently known
18819 engine is @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu:800/piconsearch}. To
18820 workaround network delays, icons will be fetched in the background. If
18821 this is @code{nil} 'the default), then picons are fetched from local
18822 database indicated by @code{gnus-picons-database}.
18824 @item gnus-picons-display-where
18825 @vindex gnus-picons-display-where
18826 Where the picon images should be displayed. It is @code{picons} by
18827 default (which by default maps to the buffer @samp{*Picons*}). Other
18828 valid places could be @code{article}, @code{summary}, or
18829 @samp{*scratch*} for all I care. Just make sure that you've made the
18830 buffer visible using the standard Gnus window configuration
18831 routines---@pxref{Windows Configuration}.
18833 @item gnus-picons-group-excluded-groups
18834 @vindex gnus-picons-group-excluded-groups
18835 Groups that are matched by this regexp won't have their group icons
18840 Note: If you set @code{gnus-use-picons} to @code{t}, it will set up your
18841 window configuration for you to include the @code{picons} buffer.
18843 Now that you've made those decision, you need to add the following
18844 functions to the appropriate hooks so these pictures will get displayed
18847 @vindex gnus-picons-display-where
18849 @item gnus-article-display-picons
18850 @findex gnus-article-display-picons
18851 Looks up and displays the picons for the author and the author's domain
18852 in the @code{gnus-picons-display-where} buffer.
18854 @item gnus-picons-article-display-x-face
18855 @findex gnus-article-display-picons
18856 Decodes and displays the X-Face header if present.
18862 @node Picon Useless Configuration
18863 @subsubsection Picon Useless Configuration
18871 The following variables offer further control over how things are
18872 done, where things are located, and other useless stuff you really
18873 don't need to worry about.
18877 @item gnus-picons-news-directories
18878 @vindex gnus-picons-news-directories
18879 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for
18880 newsgroups faces. @code{("news")} is the default.
18882 @item gnus-picons-user-directories
18883 @vindex gnus-picons-user-directories
18884 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for user
18885 faces. @code{("local" "users" "usenix" "misc")} is the default.
18887 @item gnus-picons-domain-directories
18888 @vindex gnus-picons-domain-directories
18889 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for
18890 domain name faces. Defaults to @code{("domains")}. Some people may
18891 want to add @samp{"unknown"} to this list.
18893 @item gnus-picons-convert-x-face
18894 @vindex gnus-picons-convert-x-face
18895 If you don't have @code{xface} support builtin XEmacs, this is the
18896 command to use to convert the @code{X-Face} header to an X bitmap
18897 (@code{xbm}). Defaults to @code{(format "@{ echo '/* Width=48,
18898 Height=48 */'; uncompface; @} | icontopbm | pbmtoxbm > %s"
18899 gnus-picons-x-face-file-name)}
18901 @item gnus-picons-x-face-file-name
18902 @vindex gnus-picons-x-face-file-name
18903 Names a temporary file to store the @code{X-Face} bitmap in. Defaults
18904 to @code{(format "/tmp/picon-xface.%s.xbm" (user-login-name))}.
18906 @item gnus-picons-has-modeline-p
18907 @vindex gnus-picons-has-modeline-p
18908 If you have set @code{gnus-picons-display-where} to @code{picons}, your
18909 XEmacs frame will become really cluttered. To alleviate this a bit you
18910 can set @code{gnus-picons-has-modeline-p} to @code{nil}; this will
18911 remove the mode line from the Picons buffer. This is only useful if
18912 @code{gnus-picons-display-where} is @code{picons}.
18914 @item gnus-picons-refresh-before-display
18915 @vindex gnus-picons-refresh-before-display
18916 If non-nil, display the article buffer before computing the picons.
18917 Defaults to @code{nil}.
18919 @item gnus-picons-display-as-address
18920 @vindex gnus-picons-display-as-address
18921 If @code{t} display textual email addresses along with pictures.
18922 Defaults to @code{t}.
18924 @item gnus-picons-file-suffixes
18925 @vindex gnus-picons-file-suffixes
18926 Ordered list of suffixes on picon file names to try. Defaults to
18927 @code{("xpm" "gif" "xbm")} minus those not builtin your XEmacs.
18929 @item gnus-picons-setup-hook
18930 @vindex gnus-picons-setup-hook
18931 Hook run in the picon buffer, if that is displayed.
18933 @item gnus-picons-display-article-move-p
18934 @vindex gnus-picons-display-article-move-p
18935 Whether to move point to first empty line when displaying picons. This
18936 has only an effect if `gnus-picons-display-where' has value `article'.
18938 If @code{nil}, display the picons in the @code{From} and
18939 @code{Newsgroups} lines. This is the default.
18941 @item gnus-picons-clear-cache-on-shutdown
18942 @vindex gnus-picons-clear-cache-on-shutdown
18943 Whether to clear the picons cache when exiting gnus. Gnus caches every
18944 picons it finds while it is running. This saves some time in the search
18945 process but eats some memory. If this variable is set to @code{nil},
18946 Gnus will never clear the cache itself; you will have to manually call
18947 @code{gnus-picons-clear-cache} to clear it. Otherwise the cache will be
18948 cleared every time you exit Gnus. Defaults to @code{t}.
18959 @subsection Smileys
18964 \gnusfig{-3cm}{0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=tmp/BigFace.ps,height=20cm}}
18969 @dfn{Smiley} is a package separate from Gnus, but since Gnus is
18970 currently the only package that uses Smiley, it is documented here.
18972 In short---to use Smiley in Gnus, put the following in your
18973 @file{.gnus.el} file:
18976 (setq gnus-treat-display-smileys t)
18979 Smiley maps text smiley faces---@samp{:-)}, @samp{:-=}, @samp{:-(} and
18980 the like---to pictures and displays those instead of the text smiley
18981 faces. The conversion is controlled by a list of regexps that matches
18982 text and maps that to file names.
18984 @vindex smiley-nosey-regexp-alist
18985 @vindex smiley-deformed-regexp-alist
18986 Smiley supplies two example conversion alists by default:
18987 @code{smiley-deformed-regexp-alist} (which matches @samp{:)}, @samp{:(}
18988 and so on), and @code{smiley-nosey-regexp-alist} (which matches
18989 @samp{:-)}, @samp{:-(} and so on).
18991 The alist used is specified by the @code{smiley-regexp-alist} variable,
18992 which defaults to the value of @code{smiley-deformed-regexp-alist}.
18994 The first item in each element is the regexp to be matched; the second
18995 element is the regexp match group that is to be replaced by the picture;
18996 and the third element is the name of the file to be displayed.
18998 The following variables customize where Smiley will look for these
18999 files, as well as the color to be used and stuff:
19003 @item smiley-data-directory
19004 @vindex smiley-data-directory
19005 Where Smiley will look for smiley faces files.
19007 @item smiley-flesh-color
19008 @vindex smiley-flesh-color
19009 Skin color. The default is @samp{yellow}, which is really racist.
19011 @item smiley-features-color
19012 @vindex smiley-features-color
19013 Color of the features of the face. The default is @samp{black}.
19015 @item smiley-tongue-color
19016 @vindex smiley-tongue-color
19017 Color of the tongue. The default is @samp{red}.
19019 @item smiley-circle-color
19020 @vindex smiley-circle-color
19021 Color of the circle around the face. The default is @samp{black}.
19023 @item smiley-mouse-face
19024 @vindex smiley-mouse-face
19025 Face used for mouse highlighting over the smiley face.
19031 @subsection Toolbar
19041 @item gnus-use-toolbar
19042 @vindex gnus-use-toolbar
19043 If @code{nil}, don't display toolbars. If non-@code{nil}, it should be
19044 one of @code{default-toolbar}, @code{top-toolbar}, @code{bottom-toolbar},
19045 @code{right-toolbar}, or @code{left-toolbar}.
19047 @item gnus-group-toolbar
19048 @vindex gnus-group-toolbar
19049 The toolbar in the group buffer.
19051 @item gnus-summary-toolbar
19052 @vindex gnus-summary-toolbar
19053 The toolbar in the summary buffer.
19055 @item gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
19056 @vindex gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
19057 The toolbar in the summary buffer of mail groups.
19063 @subsection Various XEmacs Variables
19066 @item gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
19067 @vindex gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
19068 This is where Gnus will look for pictures. Gnus will normally
19069 auto-detect this directory, but you may set it manually if you have an
19070 unusual directory structure.
19072 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
19073 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
19074 This is an alist where the key is a type symbol and the values are the
19075 foreground and background color of the splash page glyph.
19077 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
19078 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
19079 This is the key used to look up the color in the alist described above.
19080 Valid values include @code{flame}, @code{pine}, @code{moss},
19081 @code{irish}, @code{sky}, @code{tin}, @code{velvet}, @code{grape},
19082 @code{labia}, @code{berry}, @code{neutral}, and @code{september}.
19084 @item gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
19085 @vindex gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
19086 A glyph displayed in all Gnus mode lines. It is a tiny gnu head by
19100 @node Fuzzy Matching
19101 @section Fuzzy Matching
19102 @cindex fuzzy matching
19104 Gnus provides @dfn{fuzzy matching} of @code{Subject} lines when doing
19105 things like scoring, thread gathering and thread comparison.
19107 As opposed to regular expression matching, fuzzy matching is very fuzzy.
19108 It's so fuzzy that there's not even a definition of what @dfn{fuzziness}
19109 means, and the implementation has changed over time.
19111 Basically, it tries to remove all noise from lines before comparing.
19112 @samp{Re: }, parenthetical remarks, white space, and so on, are filtered
19113 out of the strings before comparing the results. This often leads to
19114 adequate results---even when faced with strings generated by text
19115 manglers masquerading as newsreaders.
19118 @node Thwarting Email Spam
19119 @section Thwarting Email Spam
19123 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
19125 In these last days of the Usenet, commercial vultures are hanging about
19126 and grepping through news like crazy to find email addresses they can
19127 foist off their scams and products to. As a reaction to this, many
19128 people have started putting nonsense addresses into their @code{From}
19129 lines. I think this is counterproductive---it makes it difficult for
19130 people to send you legitimate mail in response to things you write, as
19131 well as making it difficult to see who wrote what. This rewriting may
19132 perhaps be a bigger menace than the unsolicited commercial email itself
19135 The biggest problem I have with email spam is that it comes in under
19136 false pretenses. I press @kbd{g} and Gnus merrily informs me that I
19137 have 10 new emails. I say ``Golly gee! Happy is me!'' and select the
19138 mail group, only to find two pyramid schemes, seven advertisements
19139 (``New! Miracle tonic for growing full, lustrous hair on your toes!'')
19140 and one mail asking me to repent and find some god.
19144 The way to deal with this is having Gnus split out all spam into a
19145 @samp{spam} mail group (@pxref{Splitting Mail}).
19147 First, pick one (1) valid mail address that you can be reached at, and
19148 put it in your @code{From} header of all your news articles. (I've
19149 chosen @samp{larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no}, but for many addresses on the form
19150 @samp{larsi+usenet@@ifi.uio.no} will be a better choice. Ask your
19151 sysadmin whether your sendmail installation accepts keywords in the local
19152 part of the mail address.)
19155 (setq message-default-news-headers
19156 "From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no>\n")
19159 Then put the following split rule in @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
19160 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
19165 (to "larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no"
19166 (| ("subject" "re:.*" "misc")
19167 ("references" ".*@@.*" "misc")
19173 This says that all mail to this address is suspect, but if it has a
19174 @code{Subject} that starts with a @samp{Re:} or has a @code{References}
19175 header, it's probably ok. All the rest goes to the @samp{spam} group.
19176 (This idea probably comes from Tim Pierce.)
19178 In addition, many mail spammers talk directly to your @code{smtp} server
19179 and do not include your email address explicitly in the @code{To}
19180 header. Why they do this is unknown---perhaps it's to thwart this
19181 thwarting scheme? In any case, this is trivial to deal with---you just
19182 put anything not addressed to you in the @samp{spam} group by ending
19183 your fancy split rule in this way:
19188 (to "larsi" "misc")
19192 In my experience, this will sort virtually everything into the right
19193 group. You still have to check the @samp{spam} group from time to time to
19194 check for legitimate mail, though. If you feel like being a good net
19195 citizen, you can even send off complaints to the proper authorities on
19196 each unsolicited commercial email---at your leisure.
19198 If you are also a lazy net citizen, you will probably prefer complaining
19199 automatically with the @file{gnus-junk.el} package, available FOR FREE
19200 at @* @uref{http://stud2.tuwien.ac.at/~e9426626/gnus-junk.html}.
19201 Since most e-mail spam is sent automatically, this may reconcile the
19202 cosmic balance somewhat.
19204 This works for me. It allows people an easy way to contact me (they can
19205 just press @kbd{r} in the usual way), and I'm not bothered at all with
19206 spam. It's a win-win situation. Forging @code{From} headers to point
19207 to non-existent domains is yucky, in my opinion.
19210 @node Various Various
19211 @section Various Various
19217 @item gnus-home-directory
19218 All Gnus path variables will be initialized from this variable, which
19219 defaults to @file{~/}.
19221 @item gnus-directory
19222 @vindex gnus-directory
19223 Most Gnus storage path variables will be initialized from this variable,
19224 which defaults to the @samp{SAVEDIR} environment variable, or
19225 @file{~/News/} if that variable isn't set.
19227 Note that Gnus is mostly loaded when the @file{.gnus.el} file is read.
19228 This means that other directory variables that are initialized from this
19229 variable won't be set properly if you set this variable in
19230 @file{.gnus.el}. Set this variable in @file{.emacs} instead.
19232 @item gnus-default-directory
19233 @vindex gnus-default-directory
19234 Not related to the above variable at all---this variable says what the
19235 default directory of all Gnus buffers should be. If you issue commands
19236 like @kbd{C-x C-f}, the prompt you'll get starts in the current buffer's
19237 default directory. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
19238 default), the default directory will be the default directory of the
19239 buffer you were in when you started Gnus.
19242 @vindex gnus-verbose
19243 This variable is an integer between zero and ten. The higher the value,
19244 the more messages will be displayed. If this variable is zero, Gnus
19245 will never flash any messages, if it is seven (which is the default),
19246 most important messages will be shown, and if it is ten, Gnus won't ever
19247 shut up, but will flash so many messages it will make your head swim.
19249 @item gnus-verbose-backends
19250 @vindex gnus-verbose-backends
19251 This variable works the same way as @code{gnus-verbose}, but it applies
19252 to the Gnus backends instead of Gnus proper.
19254 @item nnheader-max-head-length
19255 @vindex nnheader-max-head-length
19256 When the backends read straight heads of articles, they all try to read
19257 as little as possible. This variable (default 4096) specifies
19258 the absolute max length the backends will try to read before giving up
19259 on finding a separator line between the head and the body. If this
19260 variable is @code{nil}, there is no upper read bound. If it is
19261 @code{t}, the backends won't try to read the articles piece by piece,
19262 but read the entire articles. This makes sense with some versions of
19263 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs}.
19265 @item nnheader-head-chop-length
19266 @vindex nnheader-head-chop-length
19267 This variable (default 2048) says how big a piece of each article to
19268 read when doing the operation described above.
19270 @item nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
19271 @vindex nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
19273 @cindex invalid characters in file names
19274 @cindex characters in file names
19275 This is an alist that says how to translate characters in file names.
19276 For instance, if @samp{:} is invalid as a file character in file names
19277 on your system (you OS/2 user you), you could say something like:
19280 (setq nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
19284 In fact, this is the default value for this variable on OS/2 and MS
19285 Windows (phooey) systems.
19287 @item gnus-hidden-properties
19288 @vindex gnus-hidden-properties
19289 This is a list of properties to use to hide ``invisible'' text. It is
19290 @code{(invisible t intangible t)} by default on most systems, which
19291 makes invisible text invisible and intangible.
19293 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
19294 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
19295 A hook called before parsing headers. It can be used, for instance, to
19296 gather statistics on the headers fetched, or perhaps you'd like to prune
19297 some headers. I don't see why you'd want that, though.
19299 @item gnus-shell-command-separator
19300 @vindex gnus-shell-command-separator
19301 String used to separate two shell commands. The default is @samp{;}.
19303 @item gnus-invalid-group-regexp
19304 @vindex gnus-invalid-group-regexp
19306 Regexp to match ``invalid'' group names when querying user for a group
19307 name. The default value catches some @strong{really} invalid group
19308 names who could possibly mess up Gnus internally (like allowing
19309 @samp{:} in a group name, which is normally used to delimit method and
19312 @sc{imap} users might want to allow @samp{/} in group names though.
19321 Well, that's the manual---you can get on with your life now. Keep in
19322 touch. Say hello to your cats from me.
19324 My @strong{ghod}---I just can't stand goodbyes. Sniffle.
19326 Ol' Charles Reznikoff said it pretty well, so I leave the floor to him:
19332 Not because of victories @*
19335 but for the common sunshine,@*
19337 the largess of the spring.
19341 but for the day's work done@*
19342 as well as I was able;@*
19343 not for a seat upon the dais@*
19344 but at the common table.@*
19349 @chapter Appendices
19352 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
19353 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
19354 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
19355 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
19356 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
19357 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
19358 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
19359 * Frequently Asked Questions:: A question-and-answer session.
19367 @sc{gnus} was written by Masanobu @sc{Umeda}. When autumn crept up in
19368 '94, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen grew bored and decided to rewrite Gnus.
19370 If you want to investigate the person responsible for this outrage,
19371 you can point your (feh!) web browser to
19372 @uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/}. This is also the primary
19373 distribution point for the new and spiffy versions of Gnus, and is
19374 known as The Site That Destroys Newsrcs And Drives People Mad.
19376 During the first extended alpha period of development, the new Gnus was
19377 called ``(ding) Gnus''. @dfn{(ding)} is, of course, short for
19378 @dfn{ding is not Gnus}, which is a total and utter lie, but who cares?
19379 (Besides, the ``Gnus'' in this abbreviation should probably be
19380 pronounced ``news'' as @sc{Umeda} intended, which makes it a more
19381 appropriate name, don't you think?)
19383 In any case, after spending all that energy on coming up with a new and
19384 spunky name, we decided that the name was @emph{too} spunky, so we
19385 renamed it back again to ``Gnus''. But in mixed case. ``Gnus'' vs.
19386 ``@sc{gnus}''. New vs. old.
19389 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
19390 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
19391 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
19392 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
19393 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
19394 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
19395 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
19396 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
19397 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
19401 @node Gnus Versions
19402 @subsection Gnus Versions
19403 @cindex Pterodactyl Gnus
19405 @cindex September Gnus
19406 @cindex Quassia Gnus
19408 The first ``proper'' release of Gnus 5 was done in November 1995 when it
19409 was included in the Emacs 19.30 distribution (132 (ding) Gnus releases
19410 plus 15 Gnus 5.0 releases).
19412 In May 1996 the next Gnus generation (aka. ``September Gnus'' (after 99
19413 releases)) was released under the name ``Gnus 5.2'' (40 releases).
19415 On July 28th 1996 work on Red Gnus was begun, and it was released on
19416 January 25th 1997 (after 84 releases) as ``Gnus 5.4'' (67 releases).
19418 On September 13th 1997, Quassia Gnus was started and lasted 37 releases.
19419 If was released as ``Gnus 5.6'' on March 8th 1998 (46 releases).
19421 Gnus 5.6 begat Pterodactyl Gnus on August 29th 1998 and was released as
19422 ``Gnus 5.8'' (after 99 releases and a CVS repository) on December 3rd
19425 On the 26th of October 2000, Oort Gnus was begun.
19427 If you happen upon a version of Gnus that has a prefixed name --
19428 ``(ding) Gnus'', ``September Gnus'', ``Red Gnus'', ``Quassia Gnus'',
19429 ``Pterodactyl Gnus'', ``Oort Gnus'' -- don't panic. Don't let it know
19430 that you're frightened. Back away. Slowly. Whatever you do, don't
19431 run. Walk away, calmly, until you're out of its reach. Find a proper
19432 released version of Gnus and snuggle up to that instead.
19435 @node Other Gnus Versions
19436 @subsection Other Gnus Versions
19439 In addition to the versions of Gnus which have had their releases
19440 coordinated by Lars, one major development has been Semi-gnus from
19441 Japan. It's based on a library called @sc{semi}, which provides
19442 @sc{mime} capabilities.
19444 These Gnusae are based mainly on Gnus 5.6 and Pterodactyl Gnus.
19445 Collectively, they are called ``Semi-gnus'', and different strains are
19446 called T-gnus, ET-gnus, Nana-gnus and Chaos. These provide powerful
19447 @sc{mime} and multilingualization things, especially important for
19454 What's the point of Gnus?
19456 I want to provide a ``rad'', ``happening'', ``way cool'' and ``hep''
19457 newsreader, that lets you do anything you can think of. That was my
19458 original motivation, but while working on Gnus, it has become clear to
19459 me that this generation of newsreaders really belong in the stone age.
19460 Newsreaders haven't developed much since the infancy of the net. If the
19461 volume continues to rise with the current rate of increase, all current
19462 newsreaders will be pretty much useless. How do you deal with
19463 newsgroups that have thousands of new articles each day? How do you
19464 keep track of millions of people who post?
19466 Gnus offers no real solutions to these questions, but I would very much
19467 like to see Gnus being used as a testing ground for new methods of
19468 reading and fetching news. Expanding on @sc{Umeda}-san's wise decision
19469 to separate the newsreader from the backends, Gnus now offers a simple
19470 interface for anybody who wants to write new backends for fetching mail
19471 and news from different sources. I have added hooks for customizations
19472 everywhere I could imagine it being useful. By doing so, I'm inviting
19473 every one of you to explore and invent.
19475 May Gnus never be complete. @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-emacs} and
19476 @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-xemacs}.
19479 @node Compatibility
19480 @subsection Compatibility
19482 @cindex compatibility
19483 Gnus was designed to be fully compatible with @sc{gnus}. Almost all key
19484 bindings have been kept. More key bindings have been added, of course,
19485 but only in one or two obscure cases have old bindings been changed.
19490 @center In a cloud bones of steel.
19494 All commands have kept their names. Some internal functions have changed
19497 The @code{gnus-uu} package has changed drastically. @xref{Decoding
19500 One major compatibility question is the presence of several summary
19501 buffers. All variables relevant while reading a group are
19502 buffer-local to the summary buffer they belong in. Although many
19503 important variables have their values copied into their global
19504 counterparts whenever a command is executed in the summary buffer, this
19505 change might lead to incorrect values being used unless you are careful.
19507 All code that relies on knowledge of @sc{gnus} internals will probably
19508 fail. To take two examples: Sorting @code{gnus-newsrc-alist} (or
19509 changing it in any way, as a matter of fact) is strictly verboten. Gnus
19510 maintains a hash table that points to the entries in this alist (which
19511 speeds up many functions), and changing the alist directly will lead to
19515 @cindex highlighting
19516 Old hilit19 code does not work at all. In fact, you should probably
19517 remove all hilit code from all Gnus hooks
19518 (@code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} and @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook}).
19519 Gnus provides various integrated functions for highlighting. These are
19520 faster and more accurate. To make life easier for everybody, Gnus will
19521 by default remove all hilit calls from all hilit hooks. Uncleanliness!
19524 Packages like @code{expire-kill} will no longer work. As a matter of
19525 fact, you should probably remove all old @sc{gnus} packages (and other
19526 code) when you start using Gnus. More likely than not, Gnus already
19527 does what you have written code to make @sc{gnus} do. (Snicker.)
19529 Even though old methods of doing things are still supported, only the
19530 new methods are documented in this manual. If you detect a new method of
19531 doing something while reading this manual, that does not mean you have
19532 to stop doing it the old way.
19534 Gnus understands all @sc{gnus} startup files.
19536 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
19538 @cindex reporting bugs
19540 Overall, a casual user who hasn't written much code that depends on
19541 @sc{gnus} internals should suffer no problems. If problems occur,
19542 please let me know by issuing that magic command @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}.
19544 @vindex gnus-bug-create-help-buffer
19545 If you are in the habit of sending bug reports @emph{very} often, you
19546 may find the helpful help buffer annoying after a while. If so, set
19547 @code{gnus-bug-create-help-buffer} to @code{nil} to avoid having it pop
19552 @subsection Conformity
19554 No rebels without a clue here, ma'am. We conform to all standards known
19555 to (wo)man. Except for those standards and/or conventions we disagree
19562 There are no known breaches of this standard.
19566 There are no known breaches of this standard, either.
19568 @item Son-of-RFC 1036
19569 @cindex Son-of-RFC 1036
19570 We do have some breaches to this one.
19576 These are considered to be ``vanity headers'', while I consider them
19577 to be consumer information. After seeing so many badly formatted
19578 articles coming from @code{tin} and @code{Netscape} I know not to use
19579 either of those for posting articles. I would not have known that if
19580 it wasn't for the @code{X-Newsreader} header.
19585 USEFOR is an IETF working group writing a successor to RFC 1036, based
19586 on Son-of-RFC 1036. They have produced a number of drafts proposing
19587 various changes to the format of news articles. The Gnus towers will
19588 look into implementing the changes when the draft is accepted as an RFC.
19592 If you ever notice Gnus acting non-compliant with regards to the texts
19593 mentioned above, don't hesitate to drop a note to Gnus Towers and let us
19598 @subsection Emacsen
19604 Gnus should work on :
19612 XEmacs 20.4 and up.
19616 This Gnus version will absolutely not work on any Emacsen older than
19617 that. Not reliably, at least. Older versions of Gnus may work on older
19620 There are some vague differences between Gnus on the various
19621 platforms---XEmacs features more graphics (a logo and a toolbar)---but
19622 other than that, things should look pretty much the same under all
19626 @node Gnus Development
19627 @subsection Gnus Development
19629 Gnus is developed in a two-phased cycle. The first phase involves much
19630 discussion on the @samp{ding@@gnus.org} mailing list, where people
19631 propose changes and new features, post patches and new backends. This
19632 phase is called the @dfn{alpha} phase, since the Gnusae released in this
19633 phase are @dfn{alpha releases}, or (perhaps more commonly in other
19634 circles) @dfn{snapshots}. During this phase, Gnus is assumed to be
19635 unstable and should not be used by casual users. Gnus alpha releases
19636 have names like ``Red Gnus'' and ``Quassia Gnus''.
19638 After futzing around for 50-100 alpha releases, Gnus is declared
19639 @dfn{frozen}, and only bug fixes are applied. Gnus loses the prefix,
19640 and is called things like ``Gnus 5.6.32'' instead. Normal people are
19641 supposed to be able to use these, and these are mostly discussed on the
19642 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} newsgroup.
19645 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
19646 Some variable defaults differ between alpha Gnusae and released Gnusae.
19647 In particular, @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} defaults to @code{nil} in
19648 alpha Gnusae and @code{t} in released Gnusae. This is to prevent
19649 lossage of mail if an alpha release hiccups while handling the mail.
19651 The division of discussion between the ding mailing list and the Gnus
19652 newsgroup is not purely based on publicity concerns. It's true that
19653 having people write about the horrible things that an alpha Gnus release
19654 can do (sometimes) in a public forum may scare people off, but more
19655 importantly, talking about new experimental features that have been
19656 introduced may confuse casual users. New features are frequently
19657 introduced, fiddled with, and judged to be found wanting, and then
19658 either discarded or totally rewritten. People reading the mailing list
19659 usually keep up with these rapid changes, while people on the newsgroup
19660 can't be assumed to do so.
19665 @subsection Contributors
19666 @cindex contributors
19668 The new Gnus version couldn't have been done without the help of all the
19669 people on the (ding) mailing list. Every day for over a year I have
19670 gotten billions of nice bug reports from them, filling me with joy,
19671 every single one of them. Smooches. The people on the list have been
19672 tried beyond endurance, what with my ``oh, that's a neat idea <type
19673 type>, yup, I'll release it right away <ship off> no wait, that doesn't
19674 work at all <type type>, yup, I'll ship that one off right away <ship
19675 off> no, wait, that absolutely does not work'' policy for releases.
19676 Micro$oft---bah. Amateurs. I'm @emph{much} worse. (Or is that
19677 ``worser''? ``much worser''? ``worsest''?)
19679 I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Academy for... oops,
19685 Masanobu @sc{Umeda}---the writer of the original @sc{gnus}.
19688 Shenghuo Zhu---uudecode.el, mm-uu.el, rfc1843.el, webmail.el,
19689 nnwarchive and many, many other things connected with @sc{mime} and
19690 other types of en/decoding, as well as general bug fixing, new
19691 functionality and stuff.
19694 Per Abrahamsen---custom, scoring, highlighting and @sc{soup} code (as
19695 well as numerous other things).
19698 Luis Fernandes---design and graphics.
19701 Justin Sheehy--the FAQ maintainer.
19704 Erik Naggum---help, ideas, support, code and stuff.
19707 Wes Hardaker---@file{gnus-picon.el} and the manual section on
19708 @dfn{picons} (@pxref{Picons}).
19711 Kim-Minh Kaplan---further work on the picon code.
19714 Brad Miller---@file{gnus-gl.el} and the GroupLens manual section
19715 (@pxref{GroupLens}).
19718 Sudish Joseph---innumerable bug fixes.
19721 Ilja Weis---@file{gnus-topic.el}.
19724 Steven L. Baur---lots and lots and lots of bugs detections and fixes.
19727 Vladimir Alexiev---the refcard and reference booklets.
19730 Felix Lee & Jamie Zawinski---I stole some pieces from the XGnus
19731 distribution by Felix Lee and JWZ.
19734 Scott Byer---@file{nnfolder.el} enhancements & rewrite.
19737 Peter Mutsaers---orphan article scoring code.
19740 Ken Raeburn---POP mail support.
19743 Hallvard B Furuseth---various bits and pieces, especially dealing with
19747 Brian Edmonds---@file{gnus-bbdb.el}.
19750 David Moore---rewrite of @file{nnvirtual.el} and many other things.
19753 Kevin Davidson---came up with the name @dfn{ding}, so blame him.
19756 François Pinard---many, many interesting and thorough bug reports, as
19757 well as autoconf support.
19761 This manual was proof-read by Adrian Aichner, with Ricardo Nassif, Mark
19762 Borges, and Jost Krieger proof-reading parts of the manual.
19764 The following people have contributed many patches and suggestions:
19773 Jason L. Tibbitts, III,
19777 Also thanks to the following for patches and stuff:
19787 Alexei V. Barantsev,
19802 Massimo Campostrini,
19807 Jae-you Chung, @c ?
19808 James H. Cloos, Jr.,
19812 Andrew J. Cosgriff,
19815 Geoffrey T. Dairiki,
19821 Michael Welsh Duggan,
19826 Enami Tsugutomo, @c Enami
19830 Nelson Jose dos Santos Ferreira,
19838 Arne Georg Gleditsch,
19840 Michelangelo Grigni,
19844 Kenichi Handa, @c Handa
19846 Yoshiki Hayashi, @c ?
19848 Hisashige Kenji, @c Hisashige
19855 François Felix Ingrand,
19856 Tatsuya Ichikawa, @c ?
19857 Ishikawa Ichiro, @c Ishikawa
19859 Iwamuro Motonori, @c Iwamuro
19870 Peter Skov Knudsen,
19871 Shuhei Kobayashi, @c Kobayashi
19873 Koseki Yoshinori, @c Koseki
19874 Thor Kristoffersen,
19877 Seokchan Lee, @c Lee
19895 Morioka Tomohiko, @c Morioka
19896 Erik Toubro Nielsen,
19903 Masaharu Onishi, @c Onishi
19908 Jens-Ulrik Holger Petersen,
19912 John McClary Prevost,
19918 Lars Balker Rasmussen,
19923 Christian von Roques,
19926 Wolfgang Rupprecht,
19933 Philippe Schnoebelen,
19935 Randal L. Schwartz,
19949 Kiyokazu Suto, @c Suto
19954 Tozawa Akihiko, @c Tozawa
19970 Katsumi Yamaoka @c Yamaoka
19975 For a full overview of what each person has done, the ChangeLogs
19976 included in the Gnus alpha distributions should give ample reading
19977 (550kB and counting).
19979 Apologies to everybody that I've forgotten, of which there are many, I'm
19982 Gee, that's quite a list of people. I guess that must mean that there
19983 actually are people who are using Gnus. Who'd'a thunk it!
19987 @subsection New Features
19988 @cindex new features
19991 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
19992 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
19993 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
19994 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
19995 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
19998 These lists are, of course, just @emph{short} overviews of the
19999 @emph{most} important new features. No, really. There are tons more.
20000 Yes, we have feeping creaturism in full effect.
20003 @subsubsection (ding) Gnus
20005 New features in Gnus 5.0/5.1:
20010 The look of all buffers can be changed by setting format-like variables
20011 (@pxref{Group Buffer Format} and @pxref{Summary Buffer Format}).
20014 Local spool and several @sc{nntp} servers can be used at once
20015 (@pxref{Select Methods}).
20018 You can combine groups into virtual groups (@pxref{Virtual Groups}).
20021 You can read a number of different mail formats (@pxref{Getting Mail}).
20022 All the mail backends implement a convenient mail expiry scheme
20023 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
20026 Gnus can use various strategies for gathering threads that have lost
20027 their roots (thereby gathering loose sub-threads into one thread) or it
20028 can go back and retrieve enough headers to build a complete thread
20029 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
20032 Killed groups can be displayed in the group buffer, and you can read
20033 them as well (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
20036 Gnus can do partial group updates---you do not have to retrieve the
20037 entire active file just to check for new articles in a few groups
20038 (@pxref{The Active File}).
20041 Gnus implements a sliding scale of subscribedness to groups
20042 (@pxref{Group Levels}).
20045 You can score articles according to any number of criteria
20046 (@pxref{Scoring}). You can even get Gnus to find out how to score
20047 articles for you (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
20050 Gnus maintains a dribble buffer that is auto-saved the normal Emacs
20051 manner, so it should be difficult to lose much data on what you have
20052 read if your machine should go down (@pxref{Auto Save}).
20055 Gnus now has its own startup file (@file{.gnus}) to avoid cluttering up
20056 the @file{.emacs} file.
20059 You can set the process mark on both groups and articles and perform
20060 operations on all the marked items (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
20063 You can grep through a subset of groups and create a group from the
20064 results (@pxref{Kibozed Groups}).
20067 You can list subsets of groups according to, well, anything
20068 (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
20071 You can browse foreign servers and subscribe to groups from those
20072 servers (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
20075 Gnus can fetch articles, asynchronously, on a second connection to the
20076 server (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
20079 You can cache articles locally (@pxref{Article Caching}).
20082 The uudecode functions have been expanded and generalized
20083 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
20086 You can still post uuencoded articles, which was a little-known feature
20087 of @sc{gnus}' past (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
20090 Fetching parents (and other articles) now actually works without
20091 glitches (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
20094 Gnus can fetch FAQs and group descriptions (@pxref{Group Information}).
20097 Digests (and other files) can be used as the basis for groups
20098 (@pxref{Document Groups}).
20101 Articles can be highlighted and customized (@pxref{Customizing
20105 URLs and other external references can be buttonized (@pxref{Article
20109 You can do lots of strange stuff with the Gnus window & frame
20110 configuration (@pxref{Windows Configuration}).
20113 You can click on buttons instead of using the keyboard
20119 @node September Gnus
20120 @subsubsection September Gnus
20124 \gnusfig{-28cm}{0cm}{\epsfig{figure=tmp/september.ps,height=20cm}}
20128 New features in Gnus 5.2/5.3:
20133 A new message composition mode is used. All old customization variables
20134 for @code{mail-mode}, @code{rnews-reply-mode} and @code{gnus-msg} are
20138 Gnus is now able to generate @dfn{sparse} threads---threads where
20139 missing articles are represented by empty nodes (@pxref{Customizing
20143 (setq gnus-build-sparse-threads 'some)
20147 Outgoing articles are stored on a special archive server
20148 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
20151 Partial thread regeneration now happens when articles are
20155 Gnus can make use of GroupLens predictions (@pxref{GroupLens}).
20158 Picons (personal icons) can be displayed under XEmacs (@pxref{Picons}).
20161 A @code{trn}-like tree buffer can be displayed (@pxref{Tree Display}).
20164 (setq gnus-use-trees t)
20168 An @code{nn}-like pick-and-read minor mode is available for the summary
20169 buffers (@pxref{Pick and Read}).
20172 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
20176 In binary groups you can use a special binary minor mode (@pxref{Binary
20180 Groups can be grouped in a folding topic hierarchy (@pxref{Group
20184 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
20188 Gnus can re-send and bounce mail (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
20191 Groups can now have a score, and bubbling based on entry frequency
20192 is possible (@pxref{Group Score}).
20195 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-exit-hook 'gnus-summary-bubble-group)
20199 Groups can be process-marked, and commands can be performed on
20200 groups of groups (@pxref{Marking Groups}).
20203 Caching is possible in virtual groups.
20206 @code{nndoc} now understands all kinds of digests, mail boxes, rnews
20207 news batches, ClariNet briefs collections, and just about everything
20208 else (@pxref{Document Groups}).
20211 Gnus has a new backend (@code{nnsoup}) to create/read SOUP packets
20215 The Gnus cache is much faster.
20218 Groups can be sorted according to many criteria (@pxref{Sorting
20222 New group parameters have been introduced to set list-addresses and
20223 expiry times (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
20226 All formatting specs allow specifying faces to be used
20227 (@pxref{Formatting Fonts}).
20230 There are several more commands for setting/removing/acting on process
20231 marked articles on the @kbd{M P} submap (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
20234 The summary buffer can be limited to show parts of the available
20235 articles based on a wide range of criteria. These commands have been
20236 bound to keys on the @kbd{/} submap (@pxref{Limiting}).
20239 Articles can be made persistent with the @kbd{*} command
20240 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
20243 All functions for hiding article elements are now toggles.
20246 Article headers can be buttonized (@pxref{Article Washing}).
20249 All mail backends support fetching articles by @code{Message-ID}.
20252 Duplicate mail can now be treated properly (@pxref{Duplicates}).
20255 All summary mode commands are available directly from the article
20256 buffer (@pxref{Article Keymap}).
20259 Frames can be part of @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} (@pxref{Windows
20263 Mail can be re-scanned by a daemonic process (@pxref{Daemons}).
20266 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=tmp/fseptember.ps,height=5cm}]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/fseptember.ps,height=5cm}}
20271 Gnus can make use of NoCeM files to weed out spam (@pxref{NoCeM}).
20274 (setq gnus-use-nocem t)
20278 Groups can be made permanently visible (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
20281 (setq gnus-permanently-visible-groups "^nnml:")
20285 Many new hooks have been introduced to make customizing easier.
20288 Gnus respects the @code{Mail-Copies-To} header.
20291 Threads can be gathered by looking at the @code{References} header
20292 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
20295 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
20296 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
20300 Read articles can be stored in a special backlog buffer to avoid
20301 refetching (@pxref{Article Backlog}).
20304 (setq gnus-keep-backlog 50)
20308 A clean copy of the current article is always stored in a separate
20309 buffer to allow easier treatment.
20312 Gnus can suggest where to save articles (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
20315 Gnus doesn't have to do as much prompting when saving (@pxref{Saving
20319 (setq gnus-prompt-before-saving t)
20323 @code{gnus-uu} can view decoded files asynchronously while fetching
20324 articles (@pxref{Other Decode Variables}).
20327 (setq gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions 'gnus-uu-grab-view)
20331 Filling in the article buffer now works properly on cited text
20332 (@pxref{Article Washing}).
20335 Hiding cited text adds buttons to toggle hiding, and how much
20336 cited text to hide is now customizable (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
20339 (setq gnus-cited-lines-visible 2)
20343 Boring headers can be hidden (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
20346 Default scoring values can now be set from the menu bar.
20349 Further syntax checking of outgoing articles have been added.
20355 @subsubsection Red Gnus
20357 New features in Gnus 5.4/5.5:
20361 \gnusfig{-5.5cm}{-4cm}{\epsfig{figure=tmp/red.ps,height=20cm}}
20368 @file{nntp.el} has been totally rewritten in an asynchronous fashion.
20371 Article prefetching functionality has been moved up into
20372 Gnus (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
20375 Scoring can now be performed with logical operators like @code{and},
20376 @code{or}, @code{not}, and parent redirection (@pxref{Advanced
20380 Article washing status can be displayed in the
20381 article mode line (@pxref{Misc Article}).
20384 @file{gnus.el} has been split into many smaller files.
20387 Suppression of duplicate articles based on Message-ID can be done
20388 (@pxref{Duplicate Suppression}).
20391 (setq gnus-suppress-duplicates t)
20395 New variables for specifying what score and adapt files are to be
20396 considered home score and adapt files (@pxref{Home Score File}) have
20400 @code{nndoc} was rewritten to be easily extendable (@pxref{Document
20401 Server Internals}).
20404 Groups can inherit group parameters from parent topics (@pxref{Topic
20408 Article editing has been revamped and is now actually usable.
20411 Signatures can be recognized in more intelligent fashions
20412 (@pxref{Article Signature}).
20415 Summary pick mode has been made to look more @code{nn}-like. Line
20416 numbers are displayed and the @kbd{.} command can be used to pick
20417 articles (@code{Pick and Read}).
20420 Commands for moving the @file{.newsrc.eld} from one server to
20421 another have been added (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
20424 There's a way now to specify that ``uninteresting'' fields be suppressed
20425 when generating lines in buffers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting}).
20428 Several commands in the group buffer can be undone with @kbd{M-C-_}
20432 Scoring can be done on words using the new score type @code{w}
20433 (@pxref{Score File Format}).
20436 Adaptive scoring can be done on a Subject word-by-word basis
20437 (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
20440 (setq gnus-use-adaptive-scoring '(word))
20444 Scores can be decayed (@pxref{Score Decays}).
20447 (setq gnus-decay-scores t)
20451 Scoring can be performed using a regexp on the Date header. The Date is
20452 normalized to compact ISO 8601 format first (@pxref{Score File Format}).
20455 A new command has been added to remove all data on articles from
20456 the native server (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
20459 A new command for reading collections of documents
20460 (@code{nndoc} with @code{nnvirtual} on top) has been added---@kbd{M-C-d}
20461 (@pxref{Really Various Summary Commands}).
20464 Process mark sets can be pushed and popped (@pxref{Setting Process
20468 A new mail-to-news backend makes it possible to post even when the @sc{nntp}
20469 server doesn't allow posting (@pxref{Mail-To-News Gateways}).
20472 A new backend for reading searches from Web search engines
20473 (@dfn{DejaNews}, @dfn{Alta Vista}, @dfn{InReference}) has been added
20474 (@pxref{Web Searches}).
20477 Groups inside topics can now be sorted using the standard sorting
20478 functions, and each topic can be sorted independently (@pxref{Topic
20482 Subsets of the groups can be sorted independently (@code{Sorting
20486 Cached articles can be pulled into the groups (@pxref{Summary Generation
20490 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=tmp/fred.ps,width=3cm}]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/fred.ps,width=3cm}}
20495 Score files are now applied in a more reliable order (@pxref{Score
20499 Reports on where mail messages end up can be generated (@pxref{Splitting
20503 More hooks and functions have been added to remove junk from incoming
20504 mail before saving the mail (@pxref{Washing Mail}).
20507 Emphasized text can be properly fontisized:
20513 @subsubsection Quassia Gnus
20515 New features in Gnus 5.6:
20520 New functionality for using Gnus as an offline newsreader has been
20521 added. A plethora of new commands and modes have been added. See
20522 @pxref{Gnus Unplugged} for the full story.
20525 The @code{nndraft} backend has returned, but works differently than
20526 before. All Message buffers are now also articles in the @code{nndraft}
20527 group, which is created automatically.
20530 @code{gnus-alter-header-function} can now be used to alter header
20534 @code{gnus-summary-goto-article} now accept Message-ID's.
20537 A new Message command for deleting text in the body of a message
20538 outside the region: @kbd{C-c C-v}.
20541 You can now post to component group in @code{nnvirtual} groups with
20545 @code{nntp-rlogin-program}---new variable to ease customization.
20548 @code{C-u C-c C-c} in @code{gnus-article-edit-mode} will now inhibit
20549 re-highlighting of the article buffer.
20552 New element in @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}---@code{long-to}.
20555 @kbd{M-i} symbolic prefix command. See the section "Symbolic
20556 Prefixes" in the Gnus manual for details.
20559 @kbd{L} and @kbd{I} in the summary buffer now take the symbolic prefix
20560 @kbd{a} to add the score rule to the "all.SCORE" file.
20563 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions} variable to allow greater
20564 control over simplification.
20567 @kbd{A T}---new command for fetching the current thread.
20570 @kbd{/ T}---new command for including the current thread in the
20574 @kbd{M-RET} is a new Message command for breaking cited text.
20577 @samp{\\1}-expressions are now valid in @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
20580 The @code{custom-face-lookup} function has been removed.
20581 If you used this function in your initialization files, you must
20582 rewrite them to use @code{face-spec-set} instead.
20585 Canceling now uses the current select method. Symbolic prefix
20586 @kbd{a} forces normal posting method.
20589 New command to translate M******** sm*rtq**t*s into proper
20593 For easier debugging of @code{nntp}, you can set
20594 @code{nntp-record-commands} to a non-@code{nil} value.
20597 @code{nntp} now uses @file{~/.authinfo}, a @file{.netrc}-like file, for
20598 controlling where and how to send @sc{authinfo} to @sc{nntp} servers.
20601 A command for editing group parameters from the summary buffer
20605 A history of where mails have been split is available.
20608 A new article date command has been added---@code{article-date-iso8601}.
20611 Subjects can be simplified when threading by setting
20612 @code{gnus-score-thread-simplify}.
20615 A new function for citing in Message has been
20616 added---@code{message-cite-original-without-signature}.
20619 @code{article-strip-all-blank-lines}---new article command.
20622 A new Message command to kill to the end of the article has
20626 A minimum adaptive score can be specified by using the
20627 @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} variable.
20630 The "lapsed date" article header can be kept continually
20631 updated by the @code{gnus-start-date-timer} command.
20634 Web listserv archives can be read with the @code{nnlistserv} backend.
20637 Old dejanews archives can now be read by @code{nnweb}.
20641 @node Pterodactyl Gnus
20642 @subsubsection Pterodactyl Gnus
20644 New features in Gnus 5.8:
20648 @item The mail-fetching functions have changed. See the manual for the
20649 many details. In particular, all procmail fetching variables are gone.
20651 If you used procmail like in
20654 (setq nnmail-use-procmail t)
20655 (setq nnmail-spool-file 'procmail)
20656 (setq nnmail-procmail-directory "~/mail/incoming/")
20657 (setq nnmail-procmail-suffix "\\.in")
20660 this now has changed to
20664 '((directory :path "~/mail/incoming/"
20668 More information is available in the info doc at Select Methods ->
20669 Getting Mail -> Mail Sources
20671 @item Gnus is now a MIME-capable reader. This affects many parts of
20672 Gnus, and adds a slew of new commands. See the manual for details.
20674 @item Gnus has also been multilingualized. This also affects too
20675 many parts of Gnus to summarize here, and adds many new variables.
20677 @item @code{gnus-auto-select-first} can now be a function to be
20678 called to position point.
20680 @item The user can now decide which extra headers should be included in
20681 summary buffers and NOV files.
20683 @item @code{gnus-article-display-hook} has been removed. Instead, a number
20684 of variables starting with @code{gnus-treat-} have been added.
20686 @item The Gnus posting styles have been redone again and now works in a
20687 subtly different manner.
20689 @item New web-based backends have been added: @code{nnslashdot},
20690 @code{nnwarchive} and @code{nnultimate}. nnweb has been revamped,
20691 again, to keep up with ever-changing layouts.
20693 @item Gnus can now read IMAP mail via @code{nnimap}.
20701 @section The Manual
20705 This manual was generated from a TeXinfo file and then run through
20706 either @code{texi2dvi}
20708 or my own home-brewed TeXinfo to \LaTeX\ transformer,
20709 and then run through @code{latex} and @code{dvips}
20711 to get what you hold in your hands now.
20713 The following conventions have been used:
20718 This is a @samp{string}
20721 This is a @kbd{keystroke}
20724 This is a @file{file}
20727 This is a @code{symbol}
20731 So if I were to say ``set @code{flargnoze} to @samp{yes}'', that would
20735 (setq flargnoze "yes")
20738 If I say ``set @code{flumphel} to @code{yes}'', that would mean:
20741 (setq flumphel 'yes)
20744 @samp{yes} and @code{yes} are two @emph{very} different things---don't
20745 ever get them confused.
20749 Of course, everything in this manual is of vital interest, so you should
20750 read it all. Several times. However, if you feel like skimming the
20751 manual, look for that gnu head you should see in the margin over
20752 there---it means that what's being discussed is of more importance than
20753 the rest of the stuff. (On the other hand, if everything is infinitely
20754 important, how can anything be more important than that? Just one more
20755 of the mysteries of this world, I guess.)
20761 @node On Writing Manuals
20762 @section On Writing Manuals
20764 I guess most manuals are written after-the-fact; documenting a program
20765 that's already there. This is not how this manual is written. When
20766 implementing something, I write the manual entry for that something
20767 straight away. I then see that it's difficult to explain the
20768 functionality, so I write how it's supposed to be, and then I change the
20769 implementation. Writing the documentation and writing the code goes
20772 This, of course, means that this manual has no, or little, flow. It
20773 documents absolutely everything in Gnus, but often not where you're
20774 looking for it. It is a reference manual, and not a guide to how to get
20777 That would be a totally different book, that should be written using the
20778 reference manual as source material. It would look quite differently.
20783 @section Terminology
20785 @cindex terminology
20790 This is what you are supposed to use this thing for---reading news.
20791 News is generally fetched from a nearby @sc{nntp} server, and is
20792 generally publicly available to everybody. If you post news, the entire
20793 world is likely to read just what you have written, and they'll all
20794 snigger mischievously. Behind your back.
20798 Everything that's delivered to you personally is mail. Some news/mail
20799 readers (like Gnus) blur the distinction between mail and news, but
20800 there is a difference. Mail is private. News is public. Mailing is
20801 not posting, and replying is not following up.
20805 Send a mail to the person who has written what you are reading.
20809 Post an article to the current newsgroup responding to the article you
20814 Gnus gets fed articles from a number of backends, both news and mail
20815 backends. Gnus does not handle the underlying media, so to speak---this
20816 is all done by the backends.
20820 Gnus will always use one method (and backend) as the @dfn{native}, or
20821 default, way of getting news.
20825 You can also have any number of foreign groups active at the same time.
20826 These are groups that use non-native non-secondary backends for getting
20831 Secondary backends are somewhere half-way between being native and being
20832 foreign, but they mostly act like they are native.
20836 A message that has been posted as news.
20839 @cindex mail message
20840 A message that has been mailed.
20844 A mail message or news article
20848 The top part of a message, where administrative information (etc.) is
20853 The rest of an article. Everything not in the head is in the
20858 A line from the head of an article.
20862 A collection of such lines, or a collection of heads. Or even a
20863 collection of @sc{nov} lines.
20867 When Gnus enters a group, it asks the backend for the headers of all
20868 unread articles in the group. Most servers support the News OverView
20869 format, which is more compact and much faster to read and parse than the
20870 normal @sc{head} format.
20874 Each group is subscribed at some @dfn{level} or other (1-9). The ones
20875 that have a lower level are ``more'' subscribed than the groups with a
20876 higher level. In fact, groups on levels 1-5 are considered
20877 @dfn{subscribed}; 6-7 are @dfn{unsubscribed}; 8 are @dfn{zombies}; and 9
20878 are @dfn{killed}. Commands for listing groups and scanning for new
20879 articles will all use the numeric prefix as @dfn{working level}.
20881 @item killed groups
20882 @cindex killed groups
20883 No information on killed groups is stored or updated, which makes killed
20884 groups much easier to handle than subscribed groups.
20886 @item zombie groups
20887 @cindex zombie groups
20888 Just like killed groups, only slightly less dead.
20891 @cindex active file
20892 The news server has to keep track of what articles it carries, and what
20893 groups exist. All this information in stored in the active file, which
20894 is rather large, as you might surmise.
20897 @cindex bogus groups
20898 A group that exists in the @file{.newsrc} file, but isn't known to the
20899 server (i.e., it isn't in the active file), is a @emph{bogus group}.
20900 This means that the group probably doesn't exist (any more).
20903 @cindex activating groups
20904 The act of asking the server for info on a group and computing the
20905 number of unread articles is called @dfn{activating the group}.
20906 Un-activated groups are listed with @samp{*} in the group buffer.
20910 A machine one can connect to and get news (or mail) from.
20912 @item select method
20913 @cindex select method
20914 A structure that specifies the backend, the server and the virtual
20917 @item virtual server
20918 @cindex virtual server
20919 A named select method. Since a select method defines all there is to
20920 know about connecting to a (physical) server, taking the thing as a
20921 whole is a virtual server.
20925 Taking a buffer and running it through a filter of some sort. The
20926 result will (more often than not) be cleaner and more pleasing than the
20929 @item ephemeral groups
20930 @cindex ephemeral groups
20931 Most groups store data on what articles you have read. @dfn{Ephemeral}
20932 groups are groups that will have no data stored---when you exit the
20933 group, it'll disappear into the aether.
20936 @cindex solid groups
20937 This is the opposite of ephemeral groups. All groups listed in the
20938 group buffer are solid groups.
20940 @item sparse articles
20941 @cindex sparse articles
20942 These are article placeholders shown in the summary buffer when
20943 @code{gnus-build-sparse-threads} has been switched on.
20947 To put responses to articles directly after the articles they respond
20948 to---in a hierarchical fashion.
20952 @cindex thread root
20953 The first article in a thread is the root. It is the ancestor of all
20954 articles in the thread.
20958 An article that has responses.
20962 An article that responds to a different article---its parent.
20966 A collection of messages in one file. The most common digest format is
20967 specified by RFC 1153.
20973 @node Customization
20974 @section Customization
20975 @cindex general customization
20977 All variables are properly documented elsewhere in this manual. This
20978 section is designed to give general pointers on how to customize Gnus
20979 for some quite common situations.
20982 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
20983 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
20984 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
20985 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
20989 @node Slow/Expensive Connection
20990 @subsection Slow/Expensive @sc{nntp} Connection
20992 If you run Emacs on a machine locally, and get your news from a machine
20993 over some very thin strings, you want to cut down on the amount of data
20994 Gnus has to get from the @sc{nntp} server.
20998 @item gnus-read-active-file
20999 Set this to @code{nil}, which will inhibit Gnus from requesting the
21000 entire active file from the server. This file is often v. large. You
21001 also have to set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
21002 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make sure that Gnus
21003 doesn't suddenly decide to fetch the active file anyway.
21005 @item gnus-nov-is-evil
21006 This one has to be @code{nil}. If not, grabbing article headers from
21007 the @sc{nntp} server will not be very fast. Not all @sc{nntp} servers
21008 support @sc{xover}; Gnus will detect this by itself.
21012 @node Slow Terminal Connection
21013 @subsection Slow Terminal Connection
21015 Let's say you use your home computer for dialing up the system that runs
21016 Emacs and Gnus. If your modem is slow, you want to reduce (as much as
21017 possible) the amount of data sent over the wires.
21021 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
21022 Set this to @code{nil} to inhibit Gnus from re-centering the summary
21023 buffer all the time. If it is @code{vertical}, do only vertical
21024 re-centering. If it is neither @code{nil} nor @code{vertical}, do both
21025 horizontal and vertical recentering.
21027 @item gnus-visible-headers
21028 Cut down on the headers included in the articles to the
21029 minimum. You can, in fact, make do without them altogether---most of the
21030 useful data is in the summary buffer, anyway. Set this variable to
21031 @samp{^NEVVVVER} or @samp{From:}, or whatever you feel you need.
21033 Set this hook to all the available hiding commands:
21035 (setq gnus-treat-hide-headers 'head
21036 gnus-treat-hide-signature t
21037 gnus-treat-hide-citation t)
21040 @item gnus-use-full-window
21041 By setting this to @code{nil}, you can make all the windows smaller.
21042 While this doesn't really cut down much generally, it means that you
21043 have to see smaller portions of articles before deciding that you didn't
21044 want to read them anyway.
21046 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
21047 If this is non-@code{nil}, all threads in the summary buffer will be
21050 @item gnus-updated-mode-lines
21051 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not put information in the buffer mode
21052 lines, which might save some time.
21056 @node Little Disk Space
21057 @subsection Little Disk Space
21060 The startup files can get rather large, so you may want to cut their
21061 sizes a bit if you are running out of space.
21065 @item gnus-save-newsrc-file
21066 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never save @file{.newsrc}---it will
21067 only save @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
21068 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
21071 @item gnus-read-newsrc-file
21072 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never read @file{.newsrc}---it will
21073 only read @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
21074 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
21077 @item gnus-save-killed-list
21078 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not save the list of dead groups. You
21079 should also set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{ask-server}
21080 and @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} if you set this
21081 variable to @code{nil}. This variable is @code{t} by default.
21087 @subsection Slow Machine
21088 @cindex slow machine
21090 If you have a slow machine, or are just really impatient, there are a
21091 few things you can do to make Gnus run faster.
21093 Set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
21094 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make startup faster.
21096 Set @code{gnus-show-threads}, @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} and
21097 @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{nil} to make entering and exiting the
21098 summary buffer faster.
21102 @node Troubleshooting
21103 @section Troubleshooting
21104 @cindex troubleshooting
21106 Gnus works @emph{so} well straight out of the box---I can't imagine any
21114 Make sure your computer is switched on.
21117 Make sure that you really load the current Gnus version. If you have
21118 been running @sc{gnus}, you need to exit Emacs and start it up again before
21122 Try doing an @kbd{M-x gnus-version}. If you get something that looks
21123 like @samp{Gnus v5.46; nntp 4.0} you have the right files loaded. If,
21124 on the other hand, you get something like @samp{NNTP 3.x} or @samp{nntp
21125 flee}, you have some old @file{.el} files lying around. Delete these.
21128 Read the help group (@kbd{G h} in the group buffer) for a FAQ and a
21132 @vindex max-lisp-eval-depth
21133 Gnus works on many recursive structures, and in some extreme (and very
21134 rare) cases Gnus may recurse down ``too deeply'' and Emacs will beep at
21135 you. If this happens to you, set @code{max-lisp-eval-depth} to 500 or
21136 something like that.
21139 If all else fails, report the problem as a bug.
21142 @cindex reporting bugs
21144 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
21146 If you find a bug in Gnus, you can report it with the @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}
21147 command. @kbd{M-x set-variable RET debug-on-error RET t RET}, and send
21148 me the backtrace. I will fix bugs, but I can only fix them if you send
21149 me a precise description as to how to reproduce the bug.
21151 You really can never be too detailed in a bug report. Always use the
21152 @kbd{M-x gnus-bug} command when you make bug reports, even if it creates
21153 a 10Kb mail each time you use it, and even if you have sent me your
21154 environment 500 times before. I don't care. I want the full info each
21157 It is also important to remember that I have no memory whatsoever. If
21158 you send a bug report, and I send you a reply, and then you just send
21159 back ``No, it's not! Moron!'', I will have no idea what you are
21160 insulting me about. Always over-explain everything. It's much easier
21161 for all of us---if I don't have all the information I need, I will just
21162 mail you and ask for more info, and everything takes more time.
21164 If the problem you're seeing is very visual, and you can't quite explain
21165 it, copy the Emacs window to a file (with @code{xwd}, for instance), put
21166 it somewhere it can be reached, and include the URL of the picture in
21169 If you just need help, you are better off asking on
21170 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}. I'm not very helpful.
21172 @cindex gnu.emacs.gnus
21173 @cindex ding mailing list
21174 You can also ask on the ding mailing list---@samp{ding@@gnus.org}.
21175 Write to @samp{ding-request@@gnus.org} to subscribe.
21179 @node Gnus Reference Guide
21180 @section Gnus Reference Guide
21182 It is my hope that other people will figure out smart stuff that Gnus
21183 can do, and that other people will write those smart things as well. To
21184 facilitate that I thought it would be a good idea to describe the inner
21185 workings of Gnus. And some of the not-so-inner workings, while I'm at
21188 You can never expect the internals of a program not to change, but I
21189 will be defining (in some details) the interface between Gnus and its
21190 backends (this is written in stone), the format of the score files
21191 (ditto), data structures (some are less likely to change than others)
21192 and general methods of operation.
21195 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
21196 * Backend Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
21197 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
21198 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
21199 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
21200 * Group Info:: The group info format.
21201 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
21202 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
21203 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
21207 @node Gnus Utility Functions
21208 @subsection Gnus Utility Functions
21209 @cindex Gnus utility functions
21210 @cindex utility functions
21212 @cindex internal variables
21214 When writing small functions to be run from hooks (and stuff), it's
21215 vital to have access to the Gnus internal functions and variables.
21216 Below is a list of the most common ones.
21220 @item gnus-newsgroup-name
21221 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-name
21222 This variable holds the name of the current newsgroup.
21224 @item gnus-find-method-for-group
21225 @findex gnus-find-method-for-group
21226 A function that returns the select method for @var{group}.
21228 @item gnus-group-real-name
21229 @findex gnus-group-real-name
21230 Takes a full (prefixed) Gnus group name, and returns the unprefixed
21233 @item gnus-group-prefixed-name
21234 @findex gnus-group-prefixed-name
21235 Takes an unprefixed group name and a select method, and returns the full
21236 (prefixed) Gnus group name.
21238 @item gnus-get-info
21239 @findex gnus-get-info
21240 Returns the group info list for @var{group}.
21242 @item gnus-group-unread
21243 @findex gnus-group-unread
21244 The number of unread articles in @var{group}, or @code{t} if that is
21248 @findex gnus-active
21249 The active entry for @var{group}.
21251 @item gnus-set-active
21252 @findex gnus-set-active
21253 Set the active entry for @var{group}.
21255 @item gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
21256 @findex gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
21257 Adds the current buffer to the list of buffers to be killed on Gnus
21260 @item gnus-continuum-version
21261 @findex gnus-continuum-version
21262 Takes a Gnus version string as a parameter and returns a floating point
21263 number. Earlier versions will always get a lower number than later
21266 @item gnus-group-read-only-p
21267 @findex gnus-group-read-only-p
21268 Says whether @var{group} is read-only or not.
21270 @item gnus-news-group-p
21271 @findex gnus-news-group-p
21272 Says whether @var{group} came from a news backend.
21274 @item gnus-ephemeral-group-p
21275 @findex gnus-ephemeral-group-p
21276 Says whether @var{group} is ephemeral or not.
21278 @item gnus-server-to-method
21279 @findex gnus-server-to-method
21280 Returns the select method corresponding to @var{server}.
21282 @item gnus-server-equal
21283 @findex gnus-server-equal
21284 Says whether two virtual servers are equal.
21286 @item gnus-group-native-p
21287 @findex gnus-group-native-p
21288 Says whether @var{group} is native or not.
21290 @item gnus-group-secondary-p
21291 @findex gnus-group-secondary-p
21292 Says whether @var{group} is secondary or not.
21294 @item gnus-group-foreign-p
21295 @findex gnus-group-foreign-p
21296 Says whether @var{group} is foreign or not.
21298 @item group-group-find-parameter
21299 @findex group-group-find-parameter
21300 Returns the parameter list of @var{group}. If given a second parameter,
21301 returns the value of that parameter for @var{group}.
21303 @item gnus-group-set-parameter
21304 @findex gnus-group-set-parameter
21305 Takes three parameters; @var{group}, @var{parameter} and @var{value}.
21307 @item gnus-narrow-to-body
21308 @findex gnus-narrow-to-body
21309 Narrows the current buffer to the body of the article.
21311 @item gnus-check-backend-function
21312 @findex gnus-check-backend-function
21313 Takes two parameters, @var{function} and @var{group}. If the backend
21314 @var{group} comes from supports @var{function}, return non-@code{nil}.
21317 (gnus-check-backend-function "request-scan" "nnml:misc")
21321 @item gnus-read-method
21322 @findex gnus-read-method
21323 Prompts the user for a select method.
21328 @node Backend Interface
21329 @subsection Backend Interface
21331 Gnus doesn't know anything about @sc{nntp}, spools, mail or virtual
21332 groups. It only knows how to talk to @dfn{virtual servers}. A virtual
21333 server is a @dfn{backend} and some @dfn{backend variables}. As examples
21334 of the first, we have @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and @code{nnmbox}. As
21335 examples of the latter we have @code{nntp-port-number} and
21336 @code{nnmbox-directory}.
21338 When Gnus asks for information from a backend---say @code{nntp}---on
21339 something, it will normally include a virtual server name in the
21340 function parameters. (If not, the backend should use the ``current''
21341 virtual server.) For instance, @code{nntp-request-list} takes a virtual
21342 server as its only (optional) parameter. If this virtual server hasn't
21343 been opened, the function should fail.
21345 Note that a virtual server name has no relation to some physical server
21346 name. Take this example:
21350 (nntp-address "ifi.uio.no")
21351 (nntp-port-number 4324))
21354 Here the virtual server name is @samp{odd-one} while the name of
21355 the physical server is @samp{ifi.uio.no}.
21357 The backends should be able to switch between several virtual servers.
21358 The standard backends implement this by keeping an alist of virtual
21359 server environments that they pull down/push up when needed.
21361 There are two groups of interface functions: @dfn{required functions},
21362 which must be present, and @dfn{optional functions}, which Gnus will
21363 always check for presence before attempting to call 'em.
21365 All these functions are expected to return data in the buffer
21366 @code{nntp-server-buffer} (@samp{ *nntpd*}), which is somewhat
21367 unfortunately named, but we'll have to live with it. When I talk about
21368 @dfn{resulting data}, I always refer to the data in that buffer. When I
21369 talk about @dfn{return value}, I talk about the function value returned by
21370 the function call. Functions that fail should return @code{nil} as the
21373 Some backends could be said to be @dfn{server-forming} backends, and
21374 some might be said not to be. The latter are backends that generally
21375 only operate on one group at a time, and have no concept of ``server''
21376 -- they have a group, and they deliver info on that group and nothing
21379 Gnus identifies each message by way of group name and article number. A
21380 few remarks about these article numbers might be useful. First of all,
21381 the numbers are positive integers. Secondly, it is normally not
21382 possible for later articles to `re-use' older article numbers without
21383 confusing Gnus. That is, if a group has ever contained a message
21384 numbered 42, then no other message may get that number, or Gnus will get
21385 mightily confused.@footnote{See the function
21386 @code{nnchoke-request-update-info}, @ref{Optional Backend Functions}.}
21387 Third, article numbers must be assigned in order of arrival in the
21388 group; this is not necessarily the same as the date of the message.
21390 The previous paragraph already mentions all the `hard' restrictions that
21391 article numbers must fulfill. But it seems that it might be useful to
21392 assign @emph{consecutive} article numbers, for Gnus gets quite confused
21393 if there are holes in the article numbering sequence. However, due to
21394 the `no-reuse' restriction, holes cannot be avoided altogether. It's
21395 also useful for the article numbers to start at 1 to avoid running out
21396 of numbers as long as possible.
21398 In the examples and definitions I will refer to the imaginary backend
21401 @cindex @code{nnchoke}
21404 * Required Backend Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
21405 * Optional Backend Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
21406 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
21407 * Writing New Backends:: Extending old backends.
21408 * Hooking New Backends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
21409 * Mail-like Backends:: Some tips on mail backends.
21413 @node Required Backend Functions
21414 @subsubsection Required Backend Functions
21418 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-headers ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FETCH-OLD)
21420 @var{articles} is either a range of article numbers or a list of
21421 @code{Message-ID}s. Current backends do not fully support either---only
21422 sequences (lists) of article numbers, and most backends do not support
21423 retrieval of @code{Message-ID}s. But they should try for both.
21425 The result data should either be HEADs or NOV lines, and the result
21426 value should either be @code{headers} or @code{nov} to reflect this.
21427 This might later be expanded to @code{various}, which will be a mixture
21428 of HEADs and NOV lines, but this is currently not supported by Gnus.
21430 If @var{fetch-old} is non-@code{nil} it says to try fetching "extra
21431 headers", in some meaning of the word. This is generally done by
21432 fetching (at most) @var{fetch-old} extra headers less than the smallest
21433 article number in @code{articles}, and filling the gaps as well. The
21434 presence of this parameter can be ignored if the backend finds it
21435 cumbersome to follow the request. If this is non-@code{nil} and not a
21436 number, do maximum fetches.
21438 Here's an example HEAD:
21441 221 1056 Article retrieved.
21442 Path: ifi.uio.no!sturles
21443 From: sturles@@ifi.uio.no (Sturle Sunde)
21444 Newsgroups: ifi.discussion
21445 Subject: Re: Something very droll
21446 Date: 27 Oct 1994 14:02:57 +0100
21447 Organization: Dept. of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway
21449 Message-ID: <38o8e1$a0o@@holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no>
21450 References: <38jdmq$4qu@@visbur.ifi.uio.no>
21451 NNTP-Posting-Host: holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no
21455 So a @code{headers} return value would imply that there's a number of
21456 these in the data buffer.
21458 Here's a BNF definition of such a buffer:
21462 head = error / valid-head
21463 error-message = [ "4" / "5" ] 2number " " <error message> eol
21464 valid-head = valid-message *header "." eol
21465 valid-message = "221 " <number> " Article retrieved." eol
21466 header = <text> eol
21469 If the return value is @code{nov}, the data buffer should contain
21470 @dfn{network overview database} lines. These are basically fields
21474 nov-buffer = *nov-line
21475 nov-line = 8*9 [ field <TAB> ] eol
21476 field = <text except TAB>
21479 For a closer look at what should be in those fields,
21483 @item (nnchoke-open-server SERVER &optional DEFINITIONS)
21485 @var{server} is here the virtual server name. @var{definitions} is a
21486 list of @code{(VARIABLE VALUE)} pairs that define this virtual server.
21488 If the server can't be opened, no error should be signaled. The backend
21489 may then choose to refuse further attempts at connecting to this
21490 server. In fact, it should do so.
21492 If the server is opened already, this function should return a
21493 non-@code{nil} value. There should be no data returned.
21496 @item (nnchoke-close-server &optional SERVER)
21498 Close connection to @var{server} and free all resources connected
21499 to it. Return @code{nil} if the server couldn't be closed for some
21502 There should be no data returned.
21505 @item (nnchoke-request-close)
21507 Close connection to all servers and free all resources that the backend
21508 have reserved. All buffers that have been created by that backend
21509 should be killed. (Not the @code{nntp-server-buffer}, though.) This
21510 function is generally only called when Gnus is shutting down.
21512 There should be no data returned.
21515 @item (nnchoke-server-opened &optional SERVER)
21517 If @var{server} is the current virtual server, and the connection to the
21518 physical server is alive, then this function should return a
21519 non-@code{nil} vlue. This function should under no circumstances
21520 attempt to reconnect to a server we have lost connection to.
21522 There should be no data returned.
21525 @item (nnchoke-status-message &optional SERVER)
21527 This function should return the last error message from @var{server}.
21529 There should be no data returned.
21532 @item (nnchoke-request-article ARTICLE &optional GROUP SERVER TO-BUFFER)
21534 The result data from this function should be the article specified by
21535 @var{article}. This might either be a @code{Message-ID} or a number.
21536 It is optional whether to implement retrieval by @code{Message-ID}, but
21537 it would be nice if that were possible.
21539 If @var{to-buffer} is non-@code{nil}, the result data should be returned
21540 in this buffer instead of the normal data buffer. This is to make it
21541 possible to avoid copying large amounts of data from one buffer to
21542 another, while Gnus mainly requests articles to be inserted directly
21543 into its article buffer.
21545 If it is at all possible, this function should return a cons cell where
21546 the @code{car} is the group name the article was fetched from, and the @code{cdr} is
21547 the article number. This will enable Gnus to find out what the real
21548 group and article numbers are when fetching articles by
21549 @code{Message-ID}. If this isn't possible, @code{t} should be returned
21550 on successful article retrieval.
21553 @item (nnchoke-request-group GROUP &optional SERVER FAST)
21555 Get data on @var{group}. This function also has the side effect of
21556 making @var{group} the current group.
21558 If @var{fast}, don't bother to return useful data, just make @var{group}
21561 Here's an example of some result data and a definition of the same:
21564 211 56 1000 1059 ifi.discussion
21567 The first number is the status, which should be 211. Next is the
21568 total number of articles in the group, the lowest article number, the
21569 highest article number, and finally the group name. Note that the total
21570 number of articles may be less than one might think while just
21571 considering the highest and lowest article numbers, but some articles
21572 may have been canceled. Gnus just discards the total-number, so
21573 whether one should take the bother to generate it properly (if that is a
21574 problem) is left as an exercise to the reader.
21577 group-status = [ error / info ] eol
21578 error = [ "4" / "5" ] 2<number> " " <Error message>
21579 info = "211 " 3* [ <number> " " ] <string>
21583 @item (nnchoke-close-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
21585 Close @var{group} and free any resources connected to it. This will be
21586 a no-op on most backends.
21588 There should be no data returned.
21591 @item (nnchoke-request-list &optional SERVER)
21593 Return a list of all groups available on @var{server}. And that means
21596 Here's an example from a server that only carries two groups:
21599 ifi.test 0000002200 0000002000 y
21600 ifi.discussion 3324 3300 n
21603 On each line we have a group name, then the highest article number in
21604 that group, the lowest article number, and finally a flag.
21607 active-file = *active-line
21608 active-line = name " " <number> " " <number> " " flags eol
21610 flags = "n" / "y" / "m" / "x" / "j" / "=" name
21613 The flag says whether the group is read-only (@samp{n}), is moderated
21614 (@samp{m}), is dead (@samp{x}), is aliased to some other group
21615 (@samp{=other-group}) or none of the above (@samp{y}).
21618 @item (nnchoke-request-post &optional SERVER)
21620 This function should post the current buffer. It might return whether
21621 the posting was successful or not, but that's not required. If, for
21622 instance, the posting is done asynchronously, it has generally not been
21623 completed by the time this function concludes. In that case, this
21624 function should set up some kind of sentinel to beep the user loud and
21625 clear if the posting could not be completed.
21627 There should be no result data from this function.
21632 @node Optional Backend Functions
21633 @subsubsection Optional Backend Functions
21637 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-groups GROUPS &optional SERVER)
21639 @var{groups} is a list of groups, and this function should request data
21640 on all those groups. How it does it is of no concern to Gnus, but it
21641 should attempt to do this in a speedy fashion.
21643 The return value of this function can be either @code{active} or
21644 @code{group}, which says what the format of the result data is. The
21645 former is in the same format as the data from
21646 @code{nnchoke-request-list}, while the latter is a buffer full of lines
21647 in the same format as @code{nnchoke-request-group} gives.
21650 group-buffer = *active-line / *group-status
21654 @item (nnchoke-request-update-info GROUP INFO &optional SERVER)
21656 A Gnus group info (@pxref{Group Info}) is handed to the backend for
21657 alterations. This comes in handy if the backend really carries all the
21658 information (as is the case with virtual and imap groups). This
21659 function should destructively alter the info to suit its needs, and
21660 should return the (altered) group info.
21662 There should be no result data from this function.
21665 @item (nnchoke-request-type GROUP &optional ARTICLE)
21667 When the user issues commands for ``sending news'' (@kbd{F} in the
21668 summary buffer, for instance), Gnus has to know whether the article the
21669 user is following up on is news or mail. This function should return
21670 @code{news} if @var{article} in @var{group} is news, @code{mail} if it
21671 is mail and @code{unknown} if the type can't be decided. (The
21672 @var{article} parameter is necessary in @code{nnvirtual} groups which
21673 might very well combine mail groups and news groups.) Both @var{group}
21674 and @var{article} may be @code{nil}.
21676 There should be no result data from this function.
21679 @item (nnchoke-request-set-mark GROUP ACTION &optional SERVER)
21681 Set/remove/add marks on articles. Normally Gnus handles the article
21682 marks (such as read, ticked, expired etc) internally, and store them in
21683 @code{~/.newsrc.eld}. Some backends (such as @sc{imap}) however carry
21684 all information about the articles on the server, so Gnus need to
21685 propagate the mark information to the server.
21687 ACTION is a list of mark setting requests, having this format:
21690 (RANGE ACTION MARK)
21693 RANGE is a range of articles you wish to update marks on. ACTION is
21694 @code{set}, @code{add} or @code{del}, respectively used for removing all
21695 existing marks and setting them as specified, adding (preserving the
21696 marks not mentioned) mark and removing (preserving the marks not
21697 mentioned) marks. MARK is a list of marks; where each mark is a symbol.
21698 Currently used marks are @code{read}, @code{tick}, @code{reply},
21699 @code{expire}, @code{killed}, @code{dormant}, @code{save},
21700 @code{download} and @code{unsend}, but your backend should, if possible,
21701 not limit itself to these.
21703 Given contradictory actions, the last action in the list should be the
21704 effective one. That is, if your action contains a request to add the
21705 @code{tick} mark on article 1 and, later in the list, a request to
21706 remove the mark on the same article, the mark should in fact be removed.
21708 An example action list:
21711 (((5 12 30) 'del '(tick))
21712 ((10 . 90) 'add '(read expire))
21713 ((92 94) 'del '(read)))
21716 The function should return a range of articles it wasn't able to set the
21717 mark on (currently not used for anything).
21719 There should be no result data from this function.
21721 @item (nnchoke-request-update-mark GROUP ARTICLE MARK)
21723 If the user tries to set a mark that the backend doesn't like, this
21724 function may change the mark. Gnus will use whatever this function
21725 returns as the mark for @var{article} instead of the original
21726 @var{mark}. If the backend doesn't care, it must return the original
21727 @var{mark}, and not @code{nil} or any other type of garbage.
21729 The only use for this I can see is what @code{nnvirtual} does with
21730 it---if a component group is auto-expirable, marking an article as read
21731 in the virtual group should result in the article being marked as
21734 There should be no result data from this function.
21737 @item (nnchoke-request-scan &optional GROUP SERVER)
21739 This function may be called at any time (by Gnus or anything else) to
21740 request that the backend check for incoming articles, in one way or
21741 another. A mail backend will typically read the spool file or query the
21742 POP server when this function is invoked. The @var{group} doesn't have
21743 to be heeded---if the backend decides that it is too much work just
21744 scanning for a single group, it may do a total scan of all groups. It
21745 would be nice, however, to keep things local if that's practical.
21747 There should be no result data from this function.
21750 @item (nnchoke-request-group-description GROUP &optional SERVER)
21752 The result data from this function should be a description of
21756 description-line = name <TAB> description eol
21758 description = <text>
21761 @item (nnchoke-request-list-newsgroups &optional SERVER)
21763 The result data from this function should be the description of all
21764 groups available on the server.
21767 description-buffer = *description-line
21771 @item (nnchoke-request-newgroups DATE &optional SERVER)
21773 The result data from this function should be all groups that were
21774 created after @samp{date}, which is in normal human-readable date
21775 format. The data should be in the active buffer format.
21778 @item (nnchoke-request-create-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
21780 This function should create an empty group with name @var{group}.
21782 There should be no return data.
21785 @item (nnchoke-request-expire-articles ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FORCE)
21787 This function should run the expiry process on all articles in the
21788 @var{articles} range (which is currently a simple list of article
21789 numbers.) It is left up to the backend to decide how old articles
21790 should be before they are removed by this function. If @var{force} is
21791 non-@code{nil}, all @var{articles} should be deleted, no matter how new
21794 This function should return a list of articles that it did not/was not
21797 There should be no result data returned.
21800 @item (nnchoke-request-move-article ARTICLE GROUP SERVER ACCEPT-FORM
21803 This function should move @var{article} (which is a number) from
21804 @var{group} by calling @var{accept-form}.
21806 This function should ready the article in question for moving by
21807 removing any header lines it has added to the article, and generally
21808 should ``tidy up'' the article. Then it should @code{eval}
21809 @var{accept-form} in the buffer where the ``tidy'' article is. This
21810 will do the actual copying. If this @code{eval} returns a
21811 non-@code{nil} value, the article should be removed.
21813 If @var{last} is @code{nil}, that means that there is a high likelihood
21814 that there will be more requests issued shortly, so that allows some
21817 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
21818 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
21820 There should be no data returned.
21823 @item (nnchoke-request-accept-article GROUP &optional SERVER LAST)
21825 This function takes the current buffer and inserts it into @var{group}.
21826 If @var{last} in @code{nil}, that means that there will be more calls to
21827 this function in short order.
21829 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
21830 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
21832 There should be no data returned.
21835 @item (nnchoke-request-replace-article ARTICLE GROUP BUFFER)
21837 This function should remove @var{article} (which is a number) from
21838 @var{group} and insert @var{buffer} there instead.
21840 There should be no data returned.
21843 @item (nnchoke-request-delete-group GROUP FORCE &optional SERVER)
21845 This function should delete @var{group}. If @var{force}, it should
21846 really delete all the articles in the group, and then delete the group
21847 itself. (If there is such a thing as ``the group itself''.)
21849 There should be no data returned.
21852 @item (nnchoke-request-rename-group GROUP NEW-NAME &optional SERVER)
21854 This function should rename @var{group} into @var{new-name}. All
21855 articles in @var{group} should move to @var{new-name}.
21857 There should be no data returned.
21862 @node Error Messaging
21863 @subsubsection Error Messaging
21865 @findex nnheader-report
21866 @findex nnheader-get-report
21867 The backends should use the function @code{nnheader-report} to report
21868 error conditions---they should not raise errors when they aren't able to
21869 perform a request. The first argument to this function is the backend
21870 symbol, and the rest are interpreted as arguments to @code{format} if
21871 there are multiple of them, or just a string if there is one of them.
21872 This function must always returns @code{nil}.
21875 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "You did something totally bogus")
21877 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "Could not request group %s" group)
21880 Gnus, in turn, will call @code{nnheader-get-report} when it gets a
21881 @code{nil} back from a server, and this function returns the most
21882 recently reported message for the backend in question. This function
21883 takes one argument---the server symbol.
21885 Internally, these functions access @var{backend}@code{-status-string},
21886 so the @code{nnchoke} backend will have its error message stored in
21887 @code{nnchoke-status-string}.
21890 @node Writing New Backends
21891 @subsubsection Writing New Backends
21893 Many backends are quite similar. @code{nnml} is just like
21894 @code{nnspool}, but it allows you to edit the articles on the server.
21895 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, but it doesn't use an active file,
21896 and it doesn't maintain overview databases. @code{nndir} is just like
21897 @code{nnml}, but it has no concept of ``groups'', and it doesn't allow
21900 It would make sense if it were possible to ``inherit'' functions from
21901 backends when writing new backends. And, indeed, you can do that if you
21902 want to. (You don't have to if you don't want to, of course.)
21904 All the backends declare their public variables and functions by using a
21905 package called @code{nnoo}.
21907 To inherit functions from other backends (and allow other backends to
21908 inherit functions from the current backend), you should use the
21914 This macro declares the first parameter to be a child of the subsequent
21915 parameters. For instance:
21918 (nnoo-declare nndir
21922 @code{nndir} has declared here that it intends to inherit functions from
21923 both @code{nnml} and @code{nnmh}.
21926 This macro is equivalent to @code{defvar}, but registers the variable as
21927 a public server variable. Most state-oriented variables should be
21928 declared with @code{defvoo} instead of @code{defvar}.
21930 In addition to the normal @code{defvar} parameters, it takes a list of
21931 variables in the parent backends to map the variable to when executing
21932 a function in those backends.
21935 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
21936 "Where nndir will look for groups."
21937 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
21940 This means that @code{nnml-current-directory} will be set to
21941 @code{nndir-directory} when an @code{nnml} function is called on behalf
21942 of @code{nndir}. (The same with @code{nnmh}.)
21944 @item nnoo-define-basics
21945 This macro defines some common functions that almost all backends should
21949 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
21953 This macro is just like @code{defun} and takes the same parameters. In
21954 addition to doing the normal @code{defun} things, it registers the
21955 function as being public so that other backends can inherit it.
21957 @item nnoo-map-functions
21958 This macro allows mapping of functions from the current backend to
21959 functions from the parent backends.
21962 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
21963 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
21964 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0))
21967 This means that when @code{nndir-retrieve-headers} is called, the first,
21968 third, and fourth parameters will be passed on to
21969 @code{nnml-retrieve-headers}, while the second parameter is set to the
21970 value of @code{nndir-current-group}.
21973 This macro allows importing functions from backends. It should be the
21974 last thing in the source file, since it will only define functions that
21975 haven't already been defined.
21981 nnmh-request-newgroups)
21985 This means that calls to @code{nndir-request-list} should just be passed
21986 on to @code{nnmh-request-list}, while all public functions from
21987 @code{nnml} that haven't been defined in @code{nndir} yet should be
21992 Below is a slightly shortened version of the @code{nndir} backend.
21995 ;;; nndir.el --- single directory newsgroup access for Gnus
21996 ;; Copyright (C) 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
22000 (require 'nnheader)
22004 (eval-when-compile (require 'cl))
22006 (nnoo-declare nndir
22009 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
22010 "Where nndir will look for groups."
22011 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
22013 (defvoo nndir-nov-is-evil nil
22014 "*Non-nil means that nndir will never retrieve NOV headers."
22017 (defvoo nndir-current-group ""
22019 nnml-current-group nnmh-current-group)
22020 (defvoo nndir-top-directory nil nil nnml-directory nnmh-directory)
22021 (defvoo nndir-get-new-mail nil nil nnml-get-new-mail nnmh-get-new-mail)
22023 (defvoo nndir-status-string "" nil nnmh-status-string)
22024 (defconst nndir-version "nndir 1.0")
22026 ;;; Interface functions.
22028 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
22030 (deffoo nndir-open-server (server &optional defs)
22031 (setq nndir-directory
22032 (or (cadr (assq 'nndir-directory defs))
22034 (unless (assq 'nndir-directory defs)
22035 (push `(nndir-directory ,server) defs))
22036 (push `(nndir-current-group
22037 ,(file-name-nondirectory
22038 (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
22040 (push `(nndir-top-directory
22041 ,(file-name-directory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
22043 (nnoo-change-server 'nndir server defs))
22045 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
22046 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
22047 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
22048 (nnmh-request-group nndir-current-group 0 0)
22049 (nnmh-close-group nndir-current-group 0))
22053 nnmh-status-message
22055 nnmh-request-newgroups))
22061 @node Hooking New Backends Into Gnus
22062 @subsubsection Hooking New Backends Into Gnus
22064 @vindex gnus-valid-select-methods
22065 Having Gnus start using your new backend is rather easy---you just
22066 declare it with the @code{gnus-declare-backend} functions. This will
22067 enter the backend into the @code{gnus-valid-select-methods} variable.
22069 @code{gnus-declare-backend} takes two parameters---the backend name and
22070 an arbitrary number of @dfn{abilities}.
22075 (gnus-declare-backend "nnchoke" 'mail 'respool 'address)
22078 The abilities can be:
22082 This is a mailish backend---followups should (probably) go via mail.
22084 This is a newsish backend---followups should (probably) go via news.
22086 This backend supports both mail and news.
22088 This is neither a post nor mail backend---it's something completely
22091 It supports respooling---or rather, it is able to modify its source
22092 articles and groups.
22094 The name of the server should be in the virtual server name. This is
22095 true for almost all backends.
22096 @item prompt-address
22097 The user should be prompted for an address when doing commands like
22098 @kbd{B} in the group buffer. This is true for backends like
22099 @code{nntp}, but not @code{nnmbox}, for instance.
22103 @node Mail-like Backends
22104 @subsubsection Mail-like Backends
22106 One of the things that separate the mail backends from the rest of the
22107 backends is the heavy dependence by the mail backends on common
22108 functions in @file{nnmail.el}. For instance, here's the definition of
22109 @code{nnml-request-scan}:
22112 (deffoo nnml-request-scan (&optional group server)
22113 (setq nnml-article-file-alist nil)
22114 (nnmail-get-new-mail 'nnml 'nnml-save-nov nnml-directory group))
22117 It simply calls @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} with a few parameters,
22118 and @code{nnmail} takes care of all the moving and splitting of the
22121 This function takes four parameters.
22125 This should be a symbol to designate which backend is responsible for
22128 @item exit-function
22129 This function should be called after the splitting has been performed.
22131 @item temp-directory
22132 Where the temporary files should be stored.
22135 This optional argument should be a group name if the splitting is to be
22136 performed for one group only.
22139 @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} will call @var{backend}@code{-save-mail} to
22140 save each article. @var{backend}@code{-active-number} will be called to
22141 find the article number assigned to this article.
22143 The function also uses the following variables:
22144 @var{backend}@code{-get-new-mail} (to see whether to get new mail for
22145 this backend); and @var{backend}@code{-group-alist} and
22146 @var{backend}@code{-active-file} to generate the new active file.
22147 @var{backend}@code{-group-alist} should be a group-active alist, like
22151 (("a-group" (1 . 10))
22152 ("some-group" (34 . 39)))
22156 @node Score File Syntax
22157 @subsection Score File Syntax
22159 Score files are meant to be easily parseable, but yet extremely
22160 mallable. It was decided that something that had the same read syntax
22161 as an Emacs Lisp list would fit that spec.
22163 Here's a typical score file:
22167 ("win95" -10000 nil s)
22174 BNF definition of a score file:
22177 score-file = "" / "(" *element ")"
22178 element = rule / atom
22179 rule = string-rule / number-rule / date-rule
22180 string-rule = "(" quote string-header quote space *string-match ")"
22181 number-rule = "(" quote number-header quote space *number-match ")"
22182 date-rule = "(" quote date-header quote space *date-match ")"
22184 string-header = "subject" / "from" / "references" / "message-id" /
22185 "xref" / "body" / "head" / "all" / "followup"
22186 number-header = "lines" / "chars"
22187 date-header = "date"
22188 string-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
22189 space date [ "" / [ space string-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
22190 score = "nil" / <integer>
22191 date = "nil" / <natural number>
22192 string-match-t = "nil" / "s" / "substring" / "S" / "Substring" /
22193 "r" / "regex" / "R" / "Regex" /
22194 "e" / "exact" / "E" / "Exact" /
22195 "f" / "fuzzy" / "F" / "Fuzzy"
22196 number-match = "(" <integer> [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
22197 space date [ "" / [ space number-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
22198 number-match-t = "nil" / "=" / "<" / ">" / ">=" / "<="
22199 date-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
22200 space date [ "" / [ space date-match-t ] ] ] ] ")"
22201 date-match-t = "nil" / "at" / "before" / "after"
22202 atom = "(" [ required-atom / optional-atom ] ")"
22203 required-atom = mark / expunge / mark-and-expunge / files /
22204 exclude-files / read-only / touched
22205 optional-atom = adapt / local / eval
22206 mark = "mark" space nil-or-number
22207 nil-or-number = "nil" / <integer>
22208 expunge = "expunge" space nil-or-number
22209 mark-and-expunge = "mark-and-expunge" space nil-or-number
22210 files = "files" *[ space <string> ]
22211 exclude-files = "exclude-files" *[ space <string> ]
22212 read-only = "read-only" [ space "nil" / space "t" ]
22213 adapt = "adapt" [ space "ignore" / space "t" / space adapt-rule ]
22214 adapt-rule = "(" *[ <string> *[ "(" <string> <integer> ")" ] ")"
22215 local = "local" *[ space "(" <string> space <form> ")" ]
22216 eval = "eval" space <form>
22217 space = *[ " " / <TAB> / <NEWLINE> ]
22220 Any unrecognized elements in a score file should be ignored, but not
22223 As you can see, white space is needed, but the type and amount of white
22224 space is irrelevant. This means that formatting of the score file is
22225 left up to the programmer---if it's simpler to just spew it all out on
22226 one looong line, then that's ok.
22228 The meaning of the various atoms are explained elsewhere in this
22229 manual (@pxref{Score File Format}).
22233 @subsection Headers
22235 Internally Gnus uses a format for storing article headers that
22236 corresponds to the @sc{nov} format in a mysterious fashion. One could
22237 almost suspect that the author looked at the @sc{nov} specification and
22238 just shamelessly @emph{stole} the entire thing, and one would be right.
22240 @dfn{Header} is a severely overloaded term. ``Header'' is used in
22241 RFC 1036 to talk about lines in the head of an article (e.g.,
22242 @code{From}). It is used by many people as a synonym for
22243 ``head''---``the header and the body''. (That should be avoided, in my
22244 opinion.) And Gnus uses a format internally that it calls ``header'',
22245 which is what I'm talking about here. This is a 9-element vector,
22246 basically, with each header (ouch) having one slot.
22248 These slots are, in order: @code{number}, @code{subject}, @code{from},
22249 @code{date}, @code{id}, @code{references}, @code{chars}, @code{lines},
22250 @code{xref}, and @code{extra}. There are macros for accessing and
22251 setting these slots---they all have predictable names beginning with
22252 @code{mail-header-} and @code{mail-header-set-}, respectively.
22254 All these slots contain strings, except the @code{extra} slot, which
22255 contains an alist of header/value pairs (@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
22261 @sc{gnus} introduced a concept that I found so useful that I've started
22262 using it a lot and have elaborated on it greatly.
22264 The question is simple: If you have a large amount of objects that are
22265 identified by numbers (say, articles, to take a @emph{wild} example)
22266 that you want to qualify as being ``included'', a normal sequence isn't
22267 very useful. (A 200,000 length sequence is a bit long-winded.)
22269 The solution is as simple as the question: You just collapse the
22273 (1 2 3 4 5 6 10 11 12)
22276 is transformed into
22279 ((1 . 6) (10 . 12))
22282 To avoid having those nasty @samp{(13 . 13)} elements to denote a
22283 lonesome object, a @samp{13} is a valid element:
22286 ((1 . 6) 7 (10 . 12))
22289 This means that comparing two ranges to find out whether they are equal
22290 is slightly tricky:
22293 ((1 . 5) 7 8 (10 . 12))
22299 ((1 . 5) (7 . 8) (10 . 12))
22302 are equal. In fact, any non-descending list is a range:
22308 is a perfectly valid range, although a pretty long-winded one. This is
22315 and is equal to the previous range.
22317 Here's a BNF definition of ranges. Of course, one must remember the
22318 semantic requirement that the numbers are non-descending. (Any number
22319 of repetition of the same number is allowed, but apt to disappear in
22323 range = simple-range / normal-range
22324 simple-range = "(" number " . " number ")"
22325 normal-range = "(" start-contents ")"
22326 contents = "" / simple-range *[ " " contents ] /
22327 number *[ " " contents ]
22330 Gnus currently uses ranges to keep track of read articles and article
22331 marks. I plan on implementing a number of range operators in C if The
22332 Powers That Be are willing to let me. (I haven't asked yet, because I
22333 need to do some more thinking on what operators I need to make life
22334 totally range-based without ever having to convert back to normal
22339 @subsection Group Info
22341 Gnus stores all permanent info on groups in a @dfn{group info} list.
22342 This list is from three to six elements (or more) long and exhaustively
22343 describes the group.
22345 Here are two example group infos; one is a very simple group while the
22346 second is a more complex one:
22349 ("no.group" 5 ((1 . 54324)))
22351 ("nnml:my.mail" 3 ((1 . 5) 9 (20 . 55))
22352 ((tick (15 . 19)) (replied 3 6 (19 . 3)))
22354 ((auto-expire . t) (to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")))
22357 The first element is the @dfn{group name}---as Gnus knows the group,
22358 anyway. The second element is the @dfn{subscription level}, which
22359 normally is a small integer. (It can also be the @dfn{rank}, which is a
22360 cons cell where the @code{car} is the level and the @code{cdr} is the
22361 score.) The third element is a list of ranges of read articles. The
22362 fourth element is a list of lists of article marks of various kinds.
22363 The fifth element is the select method (or virtual server, if you like).
22364 The sixth element is a list of @dfn{group parameters}, which is what
22365 this section is about.
22367 Any of the last three elements may be missing if they are not required.
22368 In fact, the vast majority of groups will normally only have the first
22369 three elements, which saves quite a lot of cons cells.
22371 Here's a BNF definition of the group info format:
22374 info = "(" group space ralevel space read
22375 [ "" / [ space marks-list [ "" / [ space method [ "" /
22376 space parameters ] ] ] ] ] ")"
22377 group = quote <string> quote
22378 ralevel = rank / level
22379 level = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
22380 rank = "(" level "." score ")"
22381 score = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
22383 marks-lists = nil / "(" *marks ")"
22384 marks = "(" <string> range ")"
22385 method = "(" <string> *elisp-forms ")"
22386 parameters = "(" *elisp-forms ")"
22389 Actually that @samp{marks} rule is a fib. A @samp{marks} is a
22390 @samp{<string>} consed on to a @samp{range}, but that's a bitch to say
22393 If you have a Gnus info and want to access the elements, Gnus offers a
22394 series of macros for getting/setting these elements.
22397 @item gnus-info-group
22398 @itemx gnus-info-set-group
22399 @findex gnus-info-group
22400 @findex gnus-info-set-group
22401 Get/set the group name.
22403 @item gnus-info-rank
22404 @itemx gnus-info-set-rank
22405 @findex gnus-info-rank
22406 @findex gnus-info-set-rank
22407 Get/set the group rank (@pxref{Group Score}).
22409 @item gnus-info-level
22410 @itemx gnus-info-set-level
22411 @findex gnus-info-level
22412 @findex gnus-info-set-level
22413 Get/set the group level.
22415 @item gnus-info-score
22416 @itemx gnus-info-set-score
22417 @findex gnus-info-score
22418 @findex gnus-info-set-score
22419 Get/set the group score (@pxref{Group Score}).
22421 @item gnus-info-read
22422 @itemx gnus-info-set-read
22423 @findex gnus-info-read
22424 @findex gnus-info-set-read
22425 Get/set the ranges of read articles.
22427 @item gnus-info-marks
22428 @itemx gnus-info-set-marks
22429 @findex gnus-info-marks
22430 @findex gnus-info-set-marks
22431 Get/set the lists of ranges of marked articles.
22433 @item gnus-info-method
22434 @itemx gnus-info-set-method
22435 @findex gnus-info-method
22436 @findex gnus-info-set-method
22437 Get/set the group select method.
22439 @item gnus-info-params
22440 @itemx gnus-info-set-params
22441 @findex gnus-info-params
22442 @findex gnus-info-set-params
22443 Get/set the group parameters.
22446 All the getter functions take one parameter---the info list. The setter
22447 functions take two parameters---the info list and the new value.
22449 The last three elements in the group info aren't mandatory, so it may be
22450 necessary to extend the group info before setting the element. If this
22451 is necessary, you can just pass on a non-@code{nil} third parameter to
22452 the three final setter functions to have this happen automatically.
22455 @node Extended Interactive
22456 @subsection Extended Interactive
22457 @cindex interactive
22458 @findex gnus-interactive
22460 Gnus extends the standard Emacs @code{interactive} specification
22461 slightly to allow easy use of the symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic
22462 Prefixes}). Here's an example of how this is used:
22465 (defun gnus-summary-increase-score (&optional score symp)
22466 (interactive (gnus-interactive "P\ny"))
22471 The best thing to do would have been to implement
22472 @code{gnus-interactive} as a macro which would have returned an
22473 @code{interactive} form, but this isn't possible since Emacs checks
22474 whether a function is interactive or not by simply doing an @code{assq}
22475 on the lambda form. So, instead we have @code{gnus-interactive}
22476 function that takes a string and returns values that are usable to
22477 @code{interactive}.
22479 This function accepts (almost) all normal @code{interactive} specs, but
22484 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbol
22485 The current symbolic prefix---the @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol}
22489 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbols
22490 A list of the current symbolic prefixes---the
22491 @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol} variable.
22494 The current article number---the @code{gnus-summary-article-number}
22498 The current article header---the @code{gnus-summary-article-header}
22502 The current group name---the @code{gnus-group-group-name}
22508 @node Emacs/XEmacs Code
22509 @subsection Emacs/XEmacs Code
22513 While Gnus runs under Emacs, XEmacs and Mule, I decided that one of the
22514 platforms must be the primary one. I chose Emacs. Not because I don't
22515 like XEmacs or Mule, but because it comes first alphabetically.
22517 This means that Gnus will byte-compile under Emacs with nary a warning,
22518 while XEmacs will pump out gigabytes of warnings while byte-compiling.
22519 As I use byte-compilation warnings to help me root out trivial errors in
22520 Gnus, that's very useful.
22522 I've also consistently used Emacs function interfaces, but have used
22523 Gnusey aliases for the functions. To take an example: Emacs defines a
22524 @code{run-at-time} function while XEmacs defines a @code{start-itimer}
22525 function. I then define a function called @code{gnus-run-at-time} that
22526 takes the same parameters as the Emacs @code{run-at-time}. When running
22527 Gnus under Emacs, the former function is just an alias for the latter.
22528 However, when running under XEmacs, the former is an alias for the
22529 following function:
22532 (defun gnus-xmas-run-at-time (time repeat function &rest args)
22536 (,function ,@@args))
22540 This sort of thing has been done for bunches of functions. Gnus does
22541 not redefine any native Emacs functions while running under XEmacs---it
22542 does this @code{defalias} thing with Gnus equivalents instead. Cleaner
22545 In the cases where the XEmacs function interface was obviously cleaner,
22546 I used it instead. For example @code{gnus-region-active-p} is an alias
22547 for @code{region-active-p} in XEmacs, whereas in Emacs it is a function.
22549 Of course, I could have chosen XEmacs as my native platform and done
22550 mapping functions the other way around. But I didn't. The performance
22551 hit these indirections impose on Gnus under XEmacs should be slight.
22554 @node Various File Formats
22555 @subsection Various File Formats
22558 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
22559 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
22563 @node Active File Format
22564 @subsubsection Active File Format
22566 The active file lists all groups available on the server in
22567 question. It also lists the highest and lowest current article numbers
22570 Here's an excerpt from a typical active file:
22573 soc.motss 296030 293865 y
22574 alt.binaries.pictures.fractals 3922 3913 n
22575 comp.sources.unix 1605 1593 m
22576 comp.binaries.ibm.pc 5097 5089 y
22577 no.general 1000 900 y
22580 Here's a pseudo-BNF definition of this file:
22583 active = *group-line
22584 group-line = group spc high-number spc low-number spc flag <NEWLINE>
22585 group = <non-white-space string>
22587 high-number = <non-negative integer>
22588 low-number = <positive integer>
22589 flag = "y" / "n" / "m" / "j" / "x" / "=" group
22592 For a full description of this file, see the manual pages for
22593 @samp{innd}, in particular @samp{active(5)}.
22596 @node Newsgroups File Format
22597 @subsubsection Newsgroups File Format
22599 The newsgroups file lists groups along with their descriptions. Not all
22600 groups on the server have to be listed, and not all groups in the file
22601 have to exist on the server. The file is meant purely as information to
22604 The format is quite simple; a group name, a tab, and the description.
22605 Here's the definition:
22609 line = group tab description <NEWLINE>
22610 group = <non-white-space string>
22612 description = <string>
22617 @node Emacs for Heathens
22618 @section Emacs for Heathens
22620 Believe it or not, but some people who use Gnus haven't really used
22621 Emacs much before they embarked on their journey on the Gnus Love Boat.
22622 If you are one of those unfortunates whom ``@kbd{M-C-a}'', ``kill the
22623 region'', and ``set @code{gnus-flargblossen} to an alist where the key
22624 is a regexp that is used for matching on the group name'' are magical
22625 phrases with little or no meaning, then this appendix is for you. If
22626 you are already familiar with Emacs, just ignore this and go fondle your
22630 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
22631 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
22636 @subsection Keystrokes
22640 Q: What is an experienced Emacs user?
22643 A: A person who wishes that the terminal had pedals.
22646 Yes, when you use Emacs, you are apt to use the control key, the shift
22647 key and the meta key a lot. This is very annoying to some people
22648 (notably @code{vi}le users), and the rest of us just love the hell out
22649 of it. Just give up and submit. Emacs really does stand for
22650 ``Escape-Meta-Alt-Control-Shift'', and not ``Editing Macros'', as you
22651 may have heard from other disreputable sources (like the Emacs author).
22653 The shift keys are normally located near your pinky fingers, and are
22654 normally used to get capital letters and stuff. You probably use it all
22655 the time. The control key is normally marked ``CTRL'' or something like
22656 that. The meta key is, funnily enough, never marked as such on any
22657 keyboard. The one I'm currently at has a key that's marked ``Alt'',
22658 which is the meta key on this keyboard. It's usually located somewhere
22659 to the left hand side of the keyboard, usually on the bottom row.
22661 Now, us Emacs people don't say ``press the meta-control-m key'',
22662 because that's just too inconvenient. We say ``press the @kbd{M-C-m}
22663 key''. @kbd{M-} is the prefix that means ``meta'' and ``C-'' is the
22664 prefix that means ``control''. So ``press @kbd{C-k}'' means ``press
22665 down the control key, and hold it down while you press @kbd{k}''.
22666 ``Press @kbd{M-C-k}'' means ``press down and hold down the meta key and
22667 the control key and then press @kbd{k}''. Simple, ay?
22669 This is somewhat complicated by the fact that not all keyboards have a
22670 meta key. In that case you can use the ``escape'' key. Then @kbd{M-k}
22671 means ``press escape, release escape, press @kbd{k}''. That's much more
22672 work than if you have a meta key, so if that's the case, I respectfully
22673 suggest you get a real keyboard with a meta key. You can't live without
22679 @subsection Emacs Lisp
22681 Emacs is the King of Editors because it's really a Lisp interpreter.
22682 Each and every key you tap runs some Emacs Lisp code snippet, and since
22683 Emacs Lisp is an interpreted language, that means that you can configure
22684 any key to run any arbitrary code. You just, like, do it.
22686 Gnus is written in Emacs Lisp, and is run as a bunch of interpreted
22687 functions. (These are byte-compiled for speed, but it's still
22688 interpreted.) If you decide that you don't like the way Gnus does
22689 certain things, it's trivial to have it do something a different way.
22690 (Well, at least if you know how to write Lisp code.) However, that's
22691 beyond the scope of this manual, so we are simply going to talk about
22692 some common constructs that you normally use in your @file{.emacs} file
22695 If you want to set the variable @code{gnus-florgbnize} to four (4), you
22696 write the following:
22699 (setq gnus-florgbnize 4)
22702 This function (really ``special form'') @code{setq} is the one that can
22703 set a variable to some value. This is really all you need to know. Now
22704 you can go and fill your @code{.emacs} file with lots of these to change
22707 If you have put that thing in your @code{.emacs} file, it will be read
22708 and @code{eval}ed (which is lisp-ese for ``run'') the next time you
22709 start Emacs. If you want to change the variable right away, simply say
22710 @kbd{C-x C-e} after the closing parenthesis. That will @code{eval} the
22711 previous ``form'', which is a simple @code{setq} statement here.
22713 Go ahead---just try it, if you're located at your Emacs. After you
22714 @kbd{C-x C-e}, you will see @samp{4} appear in the echo area, which
22715 is the return value of the form you @code{eval}ed.
22719 If the manual says ``set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{some}'',
22723 (setq gnus-read-active-file 'some)
22726 On the other hand, if the manual says ``set @code{gnus-nntp-server} to
22727 @samp{nntp.ifi.uio.no}'', that means:
22730 (setq gnus-nntp-server "nntp.ifi.uio.no")
22733 So be careful not to mix up strings (the latter) with symbols (the
22734 former). The manual is unambiguous, but it can be confusing.
22737 @include gnus-faq.texi
22758 % LocalWords: Backend BNF mucho Backends backends detailmenu cindex kindex kbd
22759 % LocalWords: findex Gnusae vindex dfn dfn samp nntp setq nnspool nntpserver
22760 % LocalWords: nnmbox backend newusers Blllrph NEWGROUPS dingnusdingnusdingnus
22761 % LocalWords: pre fab rec comp nnslashdot regex ga ga sci nnml nnbabyl nnmh
22762 % LocalWords: nnfolder emph looong eld newsreaders defun init elc pxref