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4 @settitle Quassia Gnus 0.3 Manual
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255 \gnusauthor{by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen}
262 \thispagestyle{empty}
264 Copyright \copyright{} 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
266 Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of
267 this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice
268 are preserved on all copies.
270 Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this
271 manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided that the
272 entire resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a
273 permission notice identical to this one.
275 Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual
276 into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions.
285 This file documents Gnus, the GNU Emacs newsreader.
287 Copyright (C) 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
289 Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of
290 this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice
291 are preserved on all copies.
294 Permission is granted to process this file through Tex and print the
295 results, provided the printed document carries copying permission
296 notice identical to this one except for the removal of this paragraph
297 (this paragraph not being relevant to the printed manual).
300 Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this
301 manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided also that the
302 entire resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a
303 permission notice identical to this one.
305 Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual
306 into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions.
312 @title Quassia Gnus 0.3 Manual
314 @author by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen
317 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
318 Copyright @copyright{} 1995,96,97 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
320 Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of
321 this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice
322 are preserved on all copies.
324 Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this
325 manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided that the
326 entire resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a
327 permission notice identical to this one.
329 Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual
330 into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions.
339 @top The Gnus Newsreader
343 You can read news (and mail) from within Emacs by using Gnus. The news
344 can be gotten by any nefarious means you can think of---@sc{nntp}, local
345 spool or your mbox file. All at the same time, if you want to push your
348 This manual corresponds to Quassia Gnus 0.3.
359 Gnus is the advanced, self-documenting, customizable, extensible
360 unreal-time newsreader for GNU Emacs.
362 Oops. That sounds oddly familiar, so let's start over again to avoid
363 being accused of plagiarism:
365 Gnus is a message-reading laboratory. It will let you look at just
366 about anything as if it were a newsgroup. You can read mail with it,
367 you can browse directories with it, you can @code{ftp} with it---you can
368 even read news with it!
370 Gnus tries to empower people who read news the same way Emacs empowers
371 people who edit text. Gnus sets no limits to what the user should be
372 allowed to do. Users are encouraged to extend Gnus to make it behave
373 like they want it to behave. A program should not control people;
374 people should be empowered to do what they want by using (or abusing)
381 * Starting Up:: Finding news can be a pain.
382 * The Group Buffer:: Selecting, subscribing and killing groups.
383 * The Summary Buffer:: Reading, saving and posting articles.
384 * The Article Buffer:: Displaying and handling articles.
385 * Composing Messages:: Information on sending mail and news.
386 * Select Methods:: Gnus reads all messages from various select methods.
387 * Scoring:: Assigning values to articles.
388 * Various:: General purpose settings.
389 * The End:: Farewell and goodbye.
390 * Appendices:: Terminology, Emacs intro, FAQ, History, Internals.
391 * Index:: Variable, function and concept index.
392 * Key Index:: Key Index.
396 @chapter Starting Gnus
401 If your system administrator has set things up properly, starting Gnus
402 and reading news is extremely easy---you just type @kbd{M-x gnus} in
405 @findex gnus-other-frame
406 @kindex M-x gnus-other-frame
407 If you want to start Gnus in a different frame, you can use the command
408 @kbd{M-x gnus-other-frame} instead.
410 If things do not go smoothly at startup, you have to twiddle some
414 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
415 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
416 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
417 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
418 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
419 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
420 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
421 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
422 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
423 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
424 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
428 @node Finding the News
429 @section Finding the News
432 @vindex gnus-select-method
434 The @code{gnus-select-method} variable says where Gnus should look for
435 news. This variable should be a list where the first element says
436 @dfn{how} and the second element says @dfn{where}. This method is your
437 native method. All groups not fetched with this method are
440 For instance, if the @samp{news.somewhere.edu} @sc{nntp} server is where
441 you want to get your daily dosage of news from, you'd say:
444 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"))
447 If you want to read directly from the local spool, say:
450 (setq gnus-select-method '(nnspool ""))
453 If you can use a local spool, you probably should, as it will almost
454 certainly be much faster.
456 @vindex gnus-nntpserver-file
458 @cindex @sc{nntp} server
459 If this variable is not set, Gnus will take a look at the
460 @code{NNTPSERVER} environment variable. If that variable isn't set,
461 Gnus will see whether @code{gnus-nntpserver-file}
462 (@file{/etc/nntpserver} by default) has any opinions on the matter. If
463 that fails as well, Gnus will try to use the machine running Emacs as an @sc{nntp} server. That's a long shot, though.
465 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
466 If @code{gnus-nntp-server} is set, this variable will override
467 @code{gnus-select-method}. You should therefore set
468 @code{gnus-nntp-server} to @code{nil}, which is what it is by default.
470 @vindex gnus-secondary-servers
471 You can also make Gnus prompt you interactively for the name of an
472 @sc{nntp} server. If you give a non-numerical prefix to @code{gnus}
473 (i.e., @kbd{C-u M-x gnus}), Gnus will let you choose between the servers
474 in the @code{gnus-secondary-servers} list (if any). You can also just
475 type in the name of any server you feel like visiting.
477 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
479 However, if you use one @sc{nntp} server regularly and are just
480 interested in a couple of groups from a different server, you would be
481 better served by using the @kbd{B} command in the group buffer. It will
482 let you have a look at what groups are available, and you can subscribe
483 to any of the groups you want to. This also makes @file{.newsrc}
484 maintenance much tidier. @xref{Foreign Groups}.
486 @vindex gnus-secondary-select-methods
488 A slightly different approach to foreign groups is to set the
489 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} variable. The select methods
490 listed in this variable are in many ways just as native as the
491 @code{gnus-select-method} server. They will also be queried for active
492 files during startup (if that's required), and new newsgroups that
493 appear on these servers will be subscribed (or not) just as native
496 For instance, if you use the @code{nnmbox} backend to read your mail, you
497 would typically set this variable to
500 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnmbox "")))
505 @section The First Time
506 @cindex first time usage
508 If no startup files exist, Gnus will try to determine what groups should
509 be subscribed by default.
511 @vindex gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups
512 If the variable @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is set, Gnus
513 will subscribe you to just those groups in that list, leaving the rest
514 killed. Your system administrator should have set this variable to
517 Since she hasn't, Gnus will just subscribe you to a few arbitrarily
518 picked groups (i.e., @samp{*.newusers}). (@dfn{Arbitrary} is defined
519 here as @dfn{whatever Lars thinks you should read}.)
521 You'll also be subscribed to the Gnus documentation group, which should
522 help you with most common problems.
524 If @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is @code{t}, Gnus will just
525 use the normal functions for handling new groups, and not do anything
529 @node The Server is Down
530 @section The Server is Down
531 @cindex server errors
533 If the default server is down, Gnus will understandably have some
534 problems starting. However, if you have some mail groups in addition to
535 the news groups, you may want to start Gnus anyway.
537 Gnus, being the trusting sort of program, will ask whether to proceed
538 without a native select method if that server can't be contacted. This
539 will happen whether the server doesn't actually exist (i.e., you have
540 given the wrong address) or the server has just momentarily taken ill
541 for some reason or other. If you decide to continue and have no foreign
542 groups, you'll find it difficult to actually do anything in the group
543 buffer. But, hey, that's your problem. Blllrph!
545 @findex gnus-no-server
546 @kindex M-x gnus-no-server
548 If you know that the server is definitely down, or you just want to read
549 your mail without bothering with the server at all, you can use the
550 @code{gnus-no-server} command to start Gnus. That might come in handy
551 if you're in a hurry as well. This command will not attempt to contact
552 your primary server---instead, it will just activate all groups on level
553 1 and 2. (You should preferably keep no native groups on those two
558 @section Slave Gnusae
561 You might want to run more than one Emacs with more than one Gnus at the
562 same time. If you are using different @file{.newsrc} files (e.g., if you
563 are using the two different Gnusae to read from two different servers),
564 that is no problem whatsoever. You just do it.
566 The problem appears when you want to run two Gnusae that use the same
569 To work around that problem some, we here at the Think-Tank at the Gnus
570 Towers have come up with a new concept: @dfn{Masters} and
571 @dfn{slaves}. (We have applied for a patent on this concept, and have
572 taken out a copyright on those words. If you wish to use those words in
573 conjunction with each other, you have to send $1 per usage instance to
574 me. Usage of the patent (@dfn{Master/Slave Relationships In Computer
575 Applications}) will be much more expensive, of course.)
577 Anyways, you start one Gnus up the normal way with @kbd{M-x gnus} (or
578 however you do it). Each subsequent slave Gnusae should be started with
579 @kbd{M-x gnus-slave}. These slaves won't save normal @file{.newsrc}
580 files, but instead save @dfn{slave files} that contain information only
581 on what groups have been read in the slave session. When a master Gnus
582 starts, it will read (and delete) these slave files, incorporating all
583 information from them. (The slave files will be read in the sequence
584 they were created, so the latest changes will have precedence.)
586 Information from the slave files has, of course, precedence over the
587 information in the normal (i.e., master) @code{.newsrc} file.
590 @node Fetching a Group
591 @section Fetching a Group
592 @cindex fetching a group
594 @findex gnus-fetch-group
595 It is sometimes convenient to be able to just say ``I want to read this
596 group and I don't care whether Gnus has been started or not''. This is
597 perhaps more useful for people who write code than for users, but the
598 command @code{gnus-fetch-group} provides this functionality in any case.
599 It takes the group name as a parameter.
607 @vindex gnus-check-new-newsgroups
608 If you are satisfied that you really never want to see any new groups,
609 you can set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil}. This will
610 also save you some time at startup. Even if this variable is
611 @code{nil}, you can always subscribe to the new groups just by pressing
612 @kbd{U} in the group buffer (@pxref{Group Maintenance}). This variable
613 is @code{ask-server} by default. If you set this variable to
614 @code{always}, then Gnus will query the backends for new groups even
615 when you do the @kbd{g} command (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
618 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
619 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
620 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
624 @node Checking New Groups
625 @subsection Checking New Groups
627 Gnus normally determines whether a group is new or not by comparing the
628 list of groups from the active file(s) with the lists of subscribed and
629 dead groups. This isn't a particularly fast method. If
630 @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} is @code{ask-server}, Gnus will ask the
631 server for new groups since the last time. This is both faster and
632 cheaper. This also means that you can get rid of the list of killed
633 groups altogether, so you may set @code{gnus-save-killed-list} to
634 @code{nil}, which will save time both at startup, at exit, and all over.
635 Saves disk space, too. Why isn't this the default, then?
636 Unfortunately, not all servers support this command.
638 I bet I know what you're thinking now: How do I find out whether my
639 server supports @code{ask-server}? No? Good, because I don't have a
640 fail-safe answer. I would suggest just setting this variable to
641 @code{ask-server} and see whether any new groups appear within the next
642 few days. If any do, then it works. If none do, then it doesn't
643 work. I could write a function to make Gnus guess whether the server
644 supports @code{ask-server}, but it would just be a guess. So I won't.
645 You could @code{telnet} to the server and say @code{HELP} and see
646 whether it lists @samp{NEWGROUPS} among the commands it understands. If
647 it does, then it might work. (But there are servers that lists
648 @samp{NEWGROUPS} without supporting the function properly.)
650 This variable can also be a list of select methods. If so, Gnus will
651 issue an @code{ask-server} command to each of the select methods, and
652 subscribe them (or not) using the normal methods. This might be handy
653 if you are monitoring a few servers for new groups. A side effect is
654 that startup will take much longer, so you can meditate while waiting.
655 Use the mantra ``dingnusdingnusdingnus'' to achieve permanent bliss.
658 @node Subscription Methods
659 @subsection Subscription Methods
661 @vindex gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method
662 What Gnus does when it encounters a new group is determined by the
663 @code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} variable.
665 This variable should contain a function. This function will be called
666 with the name of the new group as the only parameter.
668 Some handy pre-fab functions are:
672 @item gnus-subscribe-zombies
673 @vindex gnus-subscribe-zombies
674 Make all new groups zombies. This is the default. You can browse the
675 zombies later (with @kbd{A z}) and either kill them all off properly
676 (with @kbd{S z}), or subscribe to them (with @kbd{u}).
678 @item gnus-subscribe-randomly
679 @vindex gnus-subscribe-randomly
680 Subscribe all new groups randomly.
682 @item gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
683 @vindex gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
684 Subscribe all new groups alphabetically.
686 @item gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
687 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
688 Subscribe all new groups hierarchically. The difference between this
689 function and @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} is slight.
690 @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} will subscribe new groups in a strictly
691 alphabetical fashion, while this function will enter groups into it's
692 hierarchy. So if you want to have the @samp{rec} hierarchy before the
693 @samp{comp} hierarchy, this function will not mess that configuration
694 up. Or something like that.
696 @item gnus-subscribe-interactively
697 @vindex gnus-subscribe-interactively
698 Subscribe new groups interactively. This means that Gnus will ask
699 you about @strong{all} new groups.
701 @item gnus-subscribe-killed
702 @vindex gnus-subscribe-killed
707 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive
708 A closely related variable is
709 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. (That's quite a
710 mouthful.) If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will ask you in a
711 hierarchical fashion whether to subscribe to new groups or not. Gnus
712 will ask you for each sub-hierarchy whether you want to descend the
715 One common mistake is to set the variable a few paragraphs above
716 (@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method}) to
717 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. This is an error. This
718 will not work. This is ga-ga. So don't do it.
721 @node Filtering New Groups
722 @subsection Filtering New Groups
724 A nice and portable way to control which new newsgroups should be
725 subscribed (or ignored) is to put an @dfn{options} line at the start of
726 the @file{.newsrc} file. Here's an example:
729 options -n !alt.all !rec.all sci.all
732 @vindex gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method
733 This line obviously belongs to a serious-minded intellectual scientific
734 person (or she may just be plain old boring), because it says that all
735 groups that have names beginning with @samp{alt} and @samp{rec} should
736 be ignored, and all groups with names beginning with @samp{sci} should
737 be subscribed. Gnus will not use the normal subscription method for
738 subscribing these groups.
739 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method} is used instead. This
740 variable defaults to @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically}.
742 @vindex gnus-options-not-subscribe
743 @vindex gnus-options-subscribe
744 If you don't want to mess with your @file{.newsrc} file, you can just
745 set the two variables @code{gnus-options-subscribe} and
746 @code{gnus-options-not-subscribe}. These two variables do exactly the
747 same as the @file{.newsrc} @samp{options -n} trick. Both are regexps,
748 and if the new group matches the former, it will be unconditionally
749 subscribed, and if it matches the latter, it will be ignored.
751 @vindex gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
752 Yet another variable that meddles here is
753 @code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups}. It works exactly like
754 @code{gnus-options-subscribe}, and is therefore really superfluous, but I
755 thought it would be nice to have two of these. This variable is more
756 meant for setting some ground rules, while the other variable is used
757 more for user fiddling. By default this variable makes all new groups
758 that come from mail backends (@code{nnml}, @code{nnbabyl},
759 @code{nnfolder}, @code{nnmbox}, and @code{nnmh}) subscribed. If you
760 don't like that, just set this variable to @code{nil}.
762 New groups that match this regexp are subscribed using
763 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method}.
766 @node Changing Servers
767 @section Changing Servers
768 @cindex changing servers
770 Sometimes it is necessary to move from one @sc{nntp} server to another.
771 This happens very rarely, but perhaps you change jobs, or one server is
772 very flaky and you want to use another.
774 Changing the server is pretty easy, right? You just change
775 @code{gnus-select-method} to point to the new server?
779 Article numbers are not (in any way) kept synchronized between different
780 @sc{nntp} servers, and the only way Gnus keeps track of what articles
781 you have read is by keeping track of article numbers. So when you
782 change @code{gnus-select-method}, your @file{.newsrc} file becomes
785 Gnus provides a few functions to attempt to translate a @file{.newsrc}
786 file from one server to another. They all have one thing in
787 common---they take a looong time to run. You don't want to use these
788 functions more than absolutely necessary.
790 @kindex M-x gnus-change-server
791 @findex gnus-change-server
792 If you have access to both servers, Gnus can request the headers for all
793 the articles you have read and compare @code{Message-ID}s and map the
794 article numbers of the read articles and article marks. The @kbd{M-x
795 gnus-change-server} command will do this for all your native groups. It
796 will prompt for the method you want to move to.
798 @kindex M-x gnus-group-move-group-to-server
799 @findex gnus-group-move-group-to-server
800 You can also move individual groups with the @kbd{M-x
801 gnus-group-move-group-to-server} command. This is useful if you want to
802 move a (foreign) group from one server to another.
804 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
805 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
806 If you don't have access to both the old and new server, all your marks
807 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use the @kbd{M-x
808 gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} command to clear out all data
809 that you have on your native groups. Use with caution.
813 @section Startup Files
814 @cindex startup files
819 Now, you all know about the @file{.newsrc} file. All subscription
820 information is traditionally stored in this file.
822 Things got a bit more complicated with @sc{gnus}. In addition to
823 keeping the @file{.newsrc} file updated, it also used a file called
824 @file{.newsrc.el} for storing all the information that didn't fit into
825 the @file{.newsrc} file. (Actually, it also duplicated everything in
826 the @file{.newsrc} file.) @sc{gnus} would read whichever one of these
827 files was the most recently saved, which enabled people to swap between
828 @sc{gnus} and other newsreaders.
830 That was kinda silly, so Gnus went one better: In addition to the
831 @file{.newsrc} and @file{.newsrc.el} files, Gnus also has a file called
832 @file{.newsrc.eld}. It will read whichever of these files that are most
833 recent, but it will never write a @file{.newsrc.el} file.
835 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-file
836 You can turn off writing the @file{.newsrc} file by setting
837 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-file} to @code{nil}, which means you can delete
838 the file and save some space, as well as making exit from Gnus faster.
839 However, this will make it impossible to use other newsreaders than
840 Gnus. But hey, who would want to, right?
842 @vindex gnus-save-killed-list
843 If @code{gnus-save-killed-list} (default @code{t}) is @code{nil}, Gnus
844 will not save the list of killed groups to the startup file. This will
845 save both time (when starting and quitting) and space (on disk). It
846 will also mean that Gnus has no record of what groups are new or old,
847 so the automatic new groups subscription methods become meaningless.
848 You should always set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil} or
849 @code{ask-server} if you set this variable to @code{nil} (@pxref{New
850 Groups}). This variable can also be a regular expression. If that's
851 the case, remove all groups that do not match this regexp before
852 saving. This can be useful in certain obscure situations that involve
853 several servers where not all servers support @code{ask-server}.
855 @vindex gnus-startup-file
856 The @code{gnus-startup-file} variable says where the startup files are.
857 The default value is @file{~/.newsrc}, with the Gnus (El Dingo) startup
858 file being whatever that one is, with a @samp{.eld} appended.
860 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-hook
861 @vindex gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook
862 @vindex gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook
863 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-hook} is called before saving any of the newsrc
864 files, while @code{gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook} is called just before
865 saving the @file{.newsrc.eld} file, and
866 @code{gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook} is called just before saving the
867 @file{.newsrc} file. The latter two are commonly used to turn version
868 control on or off. Version control is on by default when saving the
869 startup files. If you want to turn backup creation off, say something like:
872 (defun turn-off-backup ()
873 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
875 (add-hook 'gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
876 (add-hook 'gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
879 @vindex gnus-init-file
880 When Gnus starts, it will read the @code{gnus-site-init-file}
881 (@file{.../site-lisp/gnus} by default) and @code{gnus-init-file}
882 (@file{~/.gnus} by default) files. These are normal Emacs Lisp files
883 and can be used to avoid cluttering your @file{~/.emacs} and
884 @file{site-init} files with Gnus stuff. Gnus will also check for files
885 with the same names as these, but with @file{.elc} and @file{.el}
886 suffixes. In other words, if you have set @code{gnus-init-file} to
887 @file{~/.gnus}, it will look for @file{~/.gnus.elc}, @file{~/.gnus.el},
888 and finally @file{~/.gnus} (in this order).
897 Whenever you do something that changes the Gnus data (reading articles,
898 catching up, killing/subscribing groups), the change is added to a
899 special @dfn{dribble buffer}. This buffer is auto-saved the normal
900 Emacs way. If your Emacs should crash before you have saved the
901 @file{.newsrc} files, all changes you have made can be recovered from
904 If Gnus detects this file at startup, it will ask the user whether to
905 read it. The auto save file is deleted whenever the real startup file is
908 @vindex gnus-use-dribble-file
909 If @code{gnus-use-dribble-file} is @code{nil}, Gnus won't create and
910 maintain a dribble buffer. The default is @code{t}.
912 @vindex gnus-dribble-directory
913 Gnus will put the dribble file(s) in @code{gnus-dribble-directory}. If
914 this variable is @code{nil}, which it is by default, Gnus will dribble
915 into the directory where the @file{.newsrc} file is located. (This is
916 normally the user's home directory.) The dribble file will get the same
917 file permissions as the @code{.newsrc} file.
920 @node The Active File
921 @section The Active File
923 @cindex ignored groups
925 When Gnus starts, or indeed whenever it tries to determine whether new
926 articles have arrived, it reads the active file. This is a very large
927 file that lists all the active groups and articles on the server.
929 @vindex gnus-ignored-newsgroups
930 Before examining the active file, Gnus deletes all lines that match the
931 regexp @code{gnus-ignored-newsgroups}. This is done primarily to reject
932 any groups with bogus names, but you can use this variable to make Gnus
933 ignore hierarchies you aren't ever interested in. However, this is not
934 recommended. In fact, it's highly discouraged. Instead, @pxref{New
935 Groups} for an overview of other variables that can be used instead.
938 @c @code{nil} by default, and will slow down active file handling somewhat
939 @c if you set it to anything else.
941 @vindex gnus-read-active-file
943 The active file can be rather Huge, so if you have a slow network, you
944 can set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{nil} to prevent Gnus from
945 reading the active file. This variable is @code{some} by default.
947 Gnus will try to make do by getting information just on the groups that
948 you actually subscribe to.
950 Note that if you subscribe to lots and lots of groups, setting this
951 variable to @code{nil} will probably make Gnus slower, not faster. At
952 present, having this variable @code{nil} will slow Gnus down
953 considerably, unless you read news over a 2400 baud modem.
955 This variable can also have the value @code{some}. Gnus will then
956 attempt to read active info only on the subscribed groups. On some
957 servers this is quite fast (on sparkling, brand new INN servers that
958 support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command), on others this isn't fast
959 at all. In any case, @code{some} should be faster than @code{nil}, and
960 is certainly faster than @code{t} over slow lines.
962 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will ask for group info in total
963 lock-step, which isn't very fast. If it is @code{some} and you use an
964 @sc{nntp} server, Gnus will pump out commands as fast as it can, and
965 read all the replies in one swoop. This will normally result in better
966 performance, but if the server does not support the aforementioned
967 @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, this isn't very nice to the server.
969 In any case, if you use @code{some} or @code{nil}, you should definitely
970 kill all groups that you aren't interested in to speed things up.
972 Note that this variable also affects active file retrieval from
973 secondary select methods.
976 @node Startup Variables
977 @section Startup Variables
982 @vindex gnus-load-hook
983 A hook run while Gnus is being loaded. Note that this hook will
984 normally be run just once in each Emacs session, no matter how many
985 times you start Gnus.
987 @item gnus-before-startup-hook
988 @vindex gnus-before-startup-hook
989 A hook run after starting up Gnus successfully.
991 @item gnus-startup-hook
992 @vindex gnus-startup-hook
993 A hook run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
995 @item gnus-started-hook
996 @vindex gnus-started-hook
997 A hook that is run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1000 @item gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1001 @vindex gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1002 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will check for and delete all bogus groups at
1003 startup. A @dfn{bogus group} is a group that you have in your
1004 @file{.newsrc} file, but doesn't exist on the news server. Checking for
1005 bogus groups can take quite a while, so to save time and resources it's
1006 best to leave this option off, and do the checking for bogus groups once
1007 in a while from the group buffer instead (@pxref{Group Maintenance}).
1009 @item gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1010 @vindex gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1011 If non-@code{nil}, the startup message won't be displayed. That way,
1012 your boss might not notice as easily that you are reading news instead
1013 of doing your job. Note that this variable is used before
1014 @file{.gnus.el} is loaded, so it should be set in @code{.emacs} instead.
1016 @item gnus-no-groups-message
1017 @vindex gnus-no-groups-message
1018 Message displayed by Gnus when no groups are available.
1020 @item gnus-play-startup-jingle
1021 @vindex gnus-play-startup-jingle
1022 If non-@code{nil}, play the Gnus jingle at startup.
1024 @item gnus-startup-jingle
1025 @vindex gnus-startup-jingle
1026 Jingle to be played if the above variable is non-@code{nil}. The
1027 default is @samp{Tuxedomoon.Jingle4.au}.
1032 @node The Group Buffer
1033 @chapter The Group Buffer
1034 @cindex group buffer
1036 The @dfn{group buffer} lists all (or parts) of the available groups. It
1037 is the first buffer shown when Gnus starts, and will never be killed as
1038 long as Gnus is active.
1042 \gnusfigure{The Group Buffer}{320}{
1043 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=tmp/group.ps,height=9cm}}
1044 \put(120,37){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Buffer name}}
1045 \put(120,38){\vector(1,2){10}}
1046 \put(40,60){\makebox(0,0)[r]{Mode line}}
1047 \put(40,58){\vector(1,0){30}}
1048 \put(200,28){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Native select method}}
1049 \put(200,26){\vector(-1,2){15}}
1055 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
1056 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
1057 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
1058 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
1059 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
1060 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
1061 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
1062 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
1063 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
1064 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
1065 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
1066 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
1067 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
1068 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
1069 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
1070 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
1071 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
1075 @node Group Buffer Format
1076 @section Group Buffer Format
1079 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
1080 * Group Modeline Specification:: The group buffer modeline.
1081 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
1085 @node Group Line Specification
1086 @subsection Group Line Specification
1087 @cindex group buffer format
1089 The default format of the group buffer is nice and dull, but you can
1090 make it as exciting and ugly as you feel like.
1092 Here's a couple of example group lines:
1095 25: news.announce.newusers
1096 * 0: alt.fan.andrea-dworkin
1101 You can see that there are 25 unread articles in
1102 @samp{news.announce.newusers}. There are no unread articles, but some
1103 ticked articles, in @samp{alt.fan.andrea-dworkin} (see that little
1104 asterisk at the beginning of the line?).
1106 @vindex gnus-group-line-format
1107 You can change that format to whatever you want by fiddling with the
1108 @code{gnus-group-line-format} variable. This variable works along the
1109 lines of a @code{format} specification, which is pretty much the same as
1110 a @code{printf} specifications, for those of you who use (feh!) C.
1111 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
1113 @samp{%M%S%5y: %(%g%)\n} is the value that produced those lines above.
1115 There should always be a colon on the line; the cursor always moves to
1116 the colon after performing an operation. Nothing else is required---not
1117 even the group name. All displayed text is just window dressing, and is
1118 never examined by Gnus. Gnus stores all real information it needs using
1121 (Note that if you make a really strange, wonderful, spreadsheet-like
1122 layout, everybody will believe you are hard at work with the accounting
1123 instead of wasting time reading news.)
1125 Here's a list of all available format characters:
1130 An asterisk if the group only has marked articles.
1133 Whether the group is subscribed.
1136 Level of subscribedness.
1139 Number of unread articles.
1142 Number of dormant articles.
1145 Number of ticked articles.
1148 Number of read articles.
1151 Estimated total number of articles. (This is really @var{max-number}
1152 minus @var{min-number} plus 1.)
1155 Number of unread, unticked, non-dormant articles.
1158 Number of ticked and dormant articles.
1167 Newsgroup description.
1170 @samp{m} if moderated.
1173 @samp{(m)} if moderated.
1182 A string that looks like @samp{<%s:%n>} if a foreign select method is
1186 Indentation based on the level of the topic (@pxref{Group Topics}).
1189 @vindex gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels
1190 Short (collapsed) group name. The @code{gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels}
1191 variable says how many levels to leave at the end of the group name.
1192 The default is 1---this will mean that group names like
1193 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} will be shortened to @samp{g.emacs.gnus}.
1196 @vindex gnus-new-mail-mark
1198 @samp{%} (@code{gnus-new-mail-mark}) if there has arrived new mail to
1202 A string that says when you last read the group (@pxref{Group
1206 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
1207 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
1208 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
1209 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed a single dummy
1210 parameter as argument. The function should return a string, which will
1211 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
1216 All the ``number-of'' specs will be filled with an asterisk (@samp{*})
1217 if no info is available---for instance, if it is a non-activated foreign
1218 group, or a bogus native group.
1221 @node Group Modeline Specification
1222 @subsection Group Modeline Specification
1223 @cindex group modeline
1225 @vindex gnus-group-mode-line-format
1226 The mode line can be changed by setting
1227 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). It
1228 doesn't understand that many format specifiers:
1232 The native news server.
1234 The native select method.
1238 @node Group Highlighting
1239 @subsection Group Highlighting
1240 @cindex highlighting
1241 @cindex group highlighting
1243 @vindex gnus-group-highlight
1244 Highlighting in the group buffer is controlled by the
1245 @code{gnus-group-highlight} variable. This is an alist with elements
1246 that look like @var{(form . face)}. If @var{form} evaluates to
1247 something non-@code{nil}, the @var{face} will be used on the line.
1249 Here's an example value for this variable that might look nice if the
1253 (setq gnus-group-highlight
1255 ,(custom-face-lookup "Red" nil nil t nil nil))
1256 ((and (< level 3) (zerop unread)) .
1257 ,(custom-face-lookup "SeaGreen" nil nil t nil nil))
1259 ,(custom-face-lookup "SpringGreen" nil nil t nil nil))
1261 ,(custom-face-lookup "SteelBlue" nil nil t nil nil))
1263 ,(custom-face-lookup "SkyBlue" nil nil t nil nil))))
1266 Variables that are dynamically bound when the forms are evaluated
1273 The number of unread articles in the group.
1277 Whether the group is a mail group.
1279 The level of the group.
1281 The score of the group.
1283 The number of ticked articles in the group.
1285 The total number of articles in the group. Or rather, MAX-NUMBER minus
1286 MIN-NUMBER plus one.
1288 When using the topic minor mode, this variable is bound to the current
1289 topic being inserted.
1292 When the forms are @code{eval}ed, point is at the beginning of the line
1293 of the group in question, so you can use many of the normal Gnus
1294 functions for snarfing info on the group.
1296 @vindex gnus-group-update-hook
1297 @findex gnus-group-highlight-line
1298 @code{gnus-group-update-hook} is called when a group line is changed.
1299 It will not be called when @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}. This hook
1300 calls @code{gnus-group-highlight-line} by default.
1303 @node Group Maneuvering
1304 @section Group Maneuvering
1305 @cindex group movement
1307 All movement commands understand the numeric prefix and will behave as
1308 expected, hopefully.
1314 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group
1315 Go to the next group that has unread articles
1316 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group}).
1322 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group
1323 Go to the previous group that has unread articles
1324 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group}).
1328 @findex gnus-group-next-group
1329 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
1333 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
1334 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
1338 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level
1339 Go to the next unread group on the same (or lower) level
1340 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level}).
1344 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level
1345 Go to the previous unread group on the same (or lower) level
1346 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level}).
1349 Three commands for jumping to groups:
1355 @findex gnus-group-jump-to-group
1356 Jump to a group (and make it visible if it isn't already)
1357 (@code{gnus-group-jump-to-group}). Killed groups can be jumped to, just
1362 @findex gnus-group-best-unread-group
1363 Jump to the unread group with the lowest level
1364 (@code{gnus-group-best-unread-group}).
1368 @findex gnus-group-first-unread-group
1369 Jump to the first group with unread articles
1370 (@code{gnus-group-first-unread-group}).
1373 @vindex gnus-group-goto-unread
1374 If @code{gnus-group-goto-unread} is @code{nil}, all the movement
1375 commands will move to the next group, not the next unread group. Even
1376 the commands that say they move to the next unread group. The default
1380 @node Selecting a Group
1381 @section Selecting a Group
1382 @cindex group selection
1387 @kindex SPACE (Group)
1388 @findex gnus-group-read-group
1389 Select the current group, switch to the summary buffer and display the
1390 first unread article (@code{gnus-group-read-group}). If there are no
1391 unread articles in the group, or if you give a non-numerical prefix to
1392 this command, Gnus will offer to fetch all the old articles in this
1393 group from the server. If you give a numerical prefix @var{N}, @var{N}
1394 determines the number of articles Gnus will fetch. If @var{N} is
1395 positive, Gnus fetches the @var{N} newest articles, if @var{N} is
1396 negative, Gnus fetches the @var{abs(N)} oldest articles.
1400 @findex gnus-group-select-group
1401 Select the current group and switch to the summary buffer
1402 (@code{gnus-group-select-group}). Takes the same arguments as
1403 @code{gnus-group-read-group}---the only difference is that this command
1404 does not display the first unread article automatically upon group
1408 @kindex M-RET (Group)
1409 @findex gnus-group-quick-select-group
1410 This does the same as the command above, but tries to do it with the
1411 minimum amount of fuzz (@code{gnus-group-quick-select-group}). No
1412 scoring/killing will be performed, there will be no highlights and no
1413 expunging. This might be useful if you're in a real hurry and have to
1414 enter some humongous group. If you give a 0 prefix to this command
1415 (i.e., @kbd{0 M-RET}), Gnus won't even generate the summary buffer.
1416 This might be useful if you want to toggle threading before entering the
1420 @kindex M-SPACE (Group)
1421 @findex gnus-group-visible-select-group
1422 This is yet one more command that does the same as the @kbd{RET}
1423 command, but this one does it without expunging and hiding dormants
1424 (@code{gnus-group-visible-select-group}).
1427 @kindex M-C-RET (Group)
1428 @findex gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally
1429 Finally, this command selects the current group ephemerally without
1430 doing any processing of its contents
1431 (@code{gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally}). Even threading has been
1432 turned off. Everything you do in the group after selecting it in this
1433 manner will have no permanent effects.
1437 @vindex gnus-large-newsgroup
1438 The @code{gnus-large-newsgroup} variable says what Gnus should consider
1439 to be a big group. This is 200 by default. If the group has more
1440 (unread and/or ticked) articles than this, Gnus will query the user
1441 before entering the group. The user can then specify how many articles
1442 should be fetched from the server. If the user specifies a negative
1443 number (@code{-n}), the @code{n} oldest articles will be fetched. If it
1444 is positive, the @code{n} articles that have arrived most recently will
1447 @vindex gnus-select-group-hook
1448 @vindex gnus-auto-select-first
1449 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} control whether any articles are selected
1450 automatically when entering a group with the @kbd{SPACE} command.
1455 Don't select any articles when entering the group. Just display the
1456 full summary buffer.
1459 Select the first unread article when entering the group.
1462 Select the most high-scored article in the group when entering the
1466 If you want to prevent automatic selection in some group (say, in a
1467 binary group with Huge articles) you can set this variable to @code{nil}
1468 in @code{gnus-select-group-hook}, which is called when a group is
1472 @node Subscription Commands
1473 @section Subscription Commands
1474 @cindex subscription
1482 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group
1483 @c @icon{gnus-group-unsubscribe}
1484 Toggle subscription to the current group
1485 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group}).
1491 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-group
1492 Prompt for a group to subscribe, and then subscribe it. If it was
1493 subscribed already, unsubscribe it instead
1494 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-group}).
1500 @findex gnus-group-kill-group
1501 @c @icon{gnus-group-kill-group}
1502 Kill the current group (@code{gnus-group-kill-group}).
1508 @findex gnus-group-yank-group
1509 Yank the last killed group (@code{gnus-group-yank-group}).
1512 @kindex C-x C-t (Group)
1513 @findex gnus-group-transpose-groups
1514 Transpose two groups (@code{gnus-group-transpose-groups}). This isn't
1515 really a subscription command, but you can use it instead of a
1516 kill-and-yank sequence sometimes.
1522 @findex gnus-group-kill-region
1523 Kill all groups in the region (@code{gnus-group-kill-region}).
1527 @findex gnus-group-kill-all-zombies
1528 Kill all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-kill-all-zombies}).
1531 @kindex S C-k (Group)
1532 @findex gnus-group-kill-level
1533 Kill all groups on a certain level (@code{gnus-group-kill-level}).
1534 These groups can't be yanked back after killing, so this command should
1535 be used with some caution. The only time where this command comes in
1536 really handy is when you have a @file{.newsrc} with lots of unsubscribed
1537 groups that you want to get rid off. @kbd{S C-k} on level 7 will
1538 kill off all unsubscribed groups that do not have message numbers in the
1539 @file{.newsrc} file.
1543 Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
1553 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current
1554 @vindex gnus-group-catchup-group-hook
1555 @c @icon{gnus-group-catchup-current}
1556 Mark all unticked articles in this group as read
1557 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current}).
1558 @code{gnus-group-catchup-group-hook} is called when catching up a group from
1563 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current-all
1564 Mark all articles in this group, even the ticked ones, as read
1565 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current-all}).
1569 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
1570 Clear the data from the current group---nix out marks and the list of
1571 read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
1573 @item M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1574 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1575 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1576 If you have switched from one @sc{nntp} server to another, all your marks
1577 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use this command to
1578 clear out all data that you have on your native groups. Use with
1585 @section Group Levels
1589 All groups have a level of @dfn{subscribedness}. For instance, if a
1590 group is on level 2, it is more subscribed than a group on level 5. You
1591 can ask Gnus to just list groups on a given level or lower
1592 (@pxref{Listing Groups}), or to just check for new articles in groups on
1593 a given level or lower (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
1595 Remember: The higher the level of the group, the less important it is.
1601 @findex gnus-group-set-current-level
1602 Set the level of the current group. If a numeric prefix is given, the
1603 next @var{n} groups will have their levels set. The user will be
1604 prompted for a level.
1607 @vindex gnus-level-killed
1608 @vindex gnus-level-zombie
1609 @vindex gnus-level-unsubscribed
1610 @vindex gnus-level-subscribed
1611 Gnus considers groups from levels 1 to
1612 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (inclusive) (default 5) to be subscribed,
1613 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (exclusive) and
1614 @code{gnus-level-unsubscribed} (inclusive) (default 7) to be
1615 unsubscribed, @code{gnus-level-zombie} to be zombies (walking dead)
1616 (default 8) and @code{gnus-level-killed} to be killed (completely dead)
1617 (default 9). Gnus treats subscribed and unsubscribed groups exactly the
1618 same, but zombie and killed groups have no information on what articles
1619 you have read, etc, stored. This distinction between dead and living
1620 groups isn't done because it is nice or clever, it is done purely for
1621 reasons of efficiency.
1623 It is recommended that you keep all your mail groups (if any) on quite
1624 low levels (e.g. 1 or 2).
1626 If you want to play with the level variables, you should show some care.
1627 Set them once, and don't touch them ever again. Better yet, don't touch
1628 them at all unless you know exactly what you're doing.
1630 @vindex gnus-level-default-unsubscribed
1631 @vindex gnus-level-default-subscribed
1632 Two closely related variables are @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}
1633 (default 3) and @code{gnus-level-default-unsubscribed} (default 6),
1634 which are the levels that new groups will be put on if they are
1635 (un)subscribed. These two variables should, of course, be inside the
1636 relevant valid ranges.
1638 @vindex gnus-keep-same-level
1639 If @code{gnus-keep-same-level} is non-@code{nil}, some movement commands
1640 will only move to groups of the same level (or lower). In
1641 particular, going from the last article in one group to the next group
1642 will go to the next group of the same level (or lower). This might be
1643 handy if you want to read the most important groups before you read the
1646 @vindex gnus-group-default-list-level
1647 All groups with a level less than or equal to
1648 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level} will be listed in the group buffer
1651 @vindex gnus-group-list-inactive-groups
1652 If @code{gnus-group-list-inactive-groups} is non-@code{nil}, non-active
1653 groups will be listed along with the unread groups. This variable is
1654 @code{t} by default. If it is @code{nil}, inactive groups won't be
1657 @vindex gnus-group-use-permanent-levels
1658 If @code{gnus-group-use-permanent-levels} is non-@code{nil}, once you
1659 give a level prefix to @kbd{g} or @kbd{l}, all subsequent commands will
1660 use this level as the ``work'' level.
1662 @vindex gnus-activate-level
1663 Gnus will normally just activate groups on level
1664 @code{gnus-activate-level} or less. If you don't want to activate
1665 unsubscribed groups, for instance, you might set this variable to
1666 5. The default is 6.
1670 @section Group Score
1673 You would normally keep important groups on high levels, but that scheme
1674 is somewhat restrictive. Don't you wish you could have Gnus sort the
1675 group buffer according to how often you read groups, perhaps? Within
1678 This is what @dfn{group score} is for. You can assign a score to each
1679 group. You can then sort the group buffer based on this score.
1680 Alternatively, you can sort on score and then level. (Taken together,
1681 the level and the score is called the @dfn{rank} of the group. A group
1682 that is on level 4 and has a score of 1 has a higher rank than a group
1683 on level 5 that has a score of 300. (The level is the most significant
1684 part and the score is the least significant part.))
1686 @findex gnus-summary-bubble-group
1687 If you want groups you read often to get higher scores than groups you
1688 read seldom you can add the @code{gnus-summary-bubble-group} function to
1689 the @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} hook. This will result (after
1690 sorting) in a bubbling sort of action. If you want to see that in
1691 action after each summary exit, you can add
1692 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank} or
1693 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score} to the same hook, but that will
1694 slow things down somewhat.
1697 @node Marking Groups
1698 @section Marking Groups
1699 @cindex marking groups
1701 If you want to perform some command on several groups, and they appear
1702 subsequently in the group buffer, you would normally just give a
1703 numerical prefix to the command. Most group commands will then do your
1704 bidding on those groups.
1706 However, if the groups are not in sequential order, you can still
1707 perform a command on several groups. You simply mark the groups first
1708 with the process mark and then execute the command.
1716 @findex gnus-group-mark-group
1717 Set the mark on the current group (@code{gnus-group-mark-group}).
1723 @findex gnus-group-unmark-group
1724 Remove the mark from the current group
1725 (@code{gnus-group-unmark-group}).
1729 @findex gnus-group-unmark-all-groups
1730 Remove the mark from all groups (@code{gnus-group-unmark-all-groups}).
1734 @findex gnus-group-mark-region
1735 Mark all groups between point and mark (@code{gnus-group-mark-region}).
1739 @findex gnus-group-mark-buffer
1740 Mark all groups in the buffer (@code{gnus-group-mark-buffer}).
1744 @findex gnus-group-mark-regexp
1745 Mark all groups that match some regular expression
1746 (@code{gnus-group-mark-regexp}).
1749 Also @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
1751 @findex gnus-group-universal-argument
1752 If you want to execute some command on all groups that have been marked
1753 with the process mark, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
1754 (@code{gnus-group-universal-argument}) command. It will prompt you for
1755 the command to be executed.
1758 @node Foreign Groups
1759 @section Foreign Groups
1760 @cindex foreign groups
1762 Below are some group mode commands for making and editing general foreign
1763 groups, as well as commands to ease the creation of a few
1764 special-purpose groups. All these commands insert the newly created
1765 groups under point---@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} is not
1772 @findex gnus-group-make-group
1773 @cindex making groups
1774 Make a new group (@code{gnus-group-make-group}). Gnus will prompt you
1775 for a name, a method and possibly an @dfn{address}. For an easier way
1776 to subscribe to @sc{nntp} groups, @pxref{Browse Foreign Server}.
1780 @findex gnus-group-rename-group
1781 @cindex renaming groups
1782 Rename the current group to something else
1783 (@code{gnus-group-rename-group}). This is valid only on some
1784 groups---mail groups mostly. This command might very well be quite slow
1790 @findex gnus-group-customize
1791 Customize the group parameters (@code{gnus-group-customize}).
1795 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-method
1796 @cindex renaming groups
1797 Enter a buffer where you can edit the select method of the current
1798 group (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method}).
1802 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-parameters
1803 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group parameters
1804 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-parameters}).
1808 @findex gnus-group-edit-group
1809 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group info
1810 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group}).
1814 @findex gnus-group-make-directory-group
1816 Make a directory group (@pxref{Directory Groups}). You will be prompted
1817 for a directory name (@code{gnus-group-make-directory-group}).
1822 @findex gnus-group-make-help-group
1823 Make the Gnus help group (@code{gnus-group-make-help-group}).
1827 @cindex (ding) archive
1828 @cindex archive group
1829 @findex gnus-group-make-archive-group
1830 @vindex gnus-group-archive-directory
1831 @vindex gnus-group-recent-archive-directory
1832 Make a Gnus archive group (@code{gnus-group-make-archive-group}). By
1833 default a group pointing to the most recent articles will be created
1834 (@code{gnus-group-recent-archive-directory}), but given a prefix, a full
1835 group will be created from @code{gnus-group-archive-directory}.
1839 @findex gnus-group-make-kiboze-group
1841 Make a kiboze group. You will be prompted for a name, for a regexp to
1842 match groups to be ``included'' in the kiboze group, and a series of
1843 strings to match on headers (@code{gnus-group-make-kiboze-group}).
1844 @xref{Kibozed Groups}.
1848 @findex gnus-group-enter-directory
1850 Read an arbitrary directory as if it were a newsgroup with the
1851 @code{nneething} backend (@code{gnus-group-enter-directory}).
1852 @xref{Anything Groups}.
1856 @findex gnus-group-make-doc-group
1857 @cindex ClariNet Briefs
1859 Make a group based on some file or other
1860 (@code{gnus-group-make-doc-group}). If you give a prefix to this
1861 command, you will be prompted for a file name and a file type.
1862 Currently supported types are @code{babyl}, @code{mbox}, @code{digest},
1863 @code{mmdf}, @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{clari-briefs},
1864 @code{rfc934}, @code{rfc822-forward}, and @code{forward}. If you run
1865 this command without a prefix, Gnus will guess at the file type.
1866 @xref{Document Groups}.
1870 @findex gnus-group-make-web-group
1875 Make an ephemeral group based on a web search
1876 (@code{gnus-group-make-web-group}). If you give a prefix to this
1877 command, make a solid group instead. You will be prompted for the
1878 search engine type and the search string. Valid search engine types
1879 include @code{dejanews}, @code{altavista} and @code{reference}.
1880 @xref{Web Searches}.
1883 @kindex G DEL (Group)
1884 @findex gnus-group-delete-group
1885 This function will delete the current group
1886 (@code{gnus-group-delete-group}). If given a prefix, this function will
1887 actually delete all the articles in the group, and forcibly remove the
1888 group itself from the face of the Earth. Use a prefix only if you are
1889 absolutely sure of what you are doing.
1893 @findex gnus-group-make-empty-virtual
1894 Make a new, fresh, empty @code{nnvirtual} group
1895 (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}). @xref{Virtual Groups}.
1899 @findex gnus-group-add-to-virtual
1900 Add the current group to an @code{nnvirtual} group
1901 (@code{gnus-group-add-to-virtual}). Uses the process/prefix convention.
1904 @xref{Select Methods} for more information on the various select
1907 @vindex gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups
1908 If @code{gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups} is a positive number,
1909 Gnus will check all foreign groups with this level or lower at startup.
1910 This might take quite a while, especially if you subscribe to lots of
1911 groups from different @sc{nntp} servers.
1914 @node Group Parameters
1915 @section Group Parameters
1916 @cindex group parameters
1918 The group parameters store information local to a particular group:
1923 If the group parameter list contains an element that looks like
1924 @code{(to-address . "some@@where.com")}, that address will be used by
1925 the backend when doing followups and posts. This is primarily useful in
1926 mail groups that represent closed mailing lists---mailing lists where
1927 it's expected that everybody that writes to the mailing list is
1928 subscribed to it. Since using this parameter ensures that the mail only
1929 goes to the mailing list itself, it means that members won't receive two
1930 copies of your followups.
1932 Using @code{to-address} will actually work whether the group is foreign
1933 or not. Let's say there's a group on the server that is called
1934 @samp{fa.4ad-l}. This is a real newsgroup, but the server has gotten
1935 the articles from a mail-to-news gateway. Posting directly to this
1936 group is therefore impossible---you have to send mail to the mailing
1937 list address instead.
1941 If the group parameter list has an element that looks like
1942 @code{(to-list . "some@@where.com")}, that address will be used when
1943 doing a @kbd{a} in that group. It is totally ignored when doing a
1944 followup---except that if it is present in a news group, you'll get mail
1945 group semantics when doing @kbd{f}.
1947 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you don't have a
1948 @code{to-list} group parameter, one will be added automatically upon
1949 sending the message.
1953 If the group parameter list has the element @code{(visible . t)},
1954 that group will always be visible in the Group buffer, regardless
1955 of whether it has any unread articles.
1957 @item broken-reply-to
1958 @cindex broken-reply-to
1959 Elements like @code{(broken-reply-to . t)} signals that @code{Reply-To}
1960 headers in this group are to be ignored. This can be useful if you're
1961 reading a mailing list group where the listserv has inserted
1962 @code{Reply-To} headers that point back to the listserv itself. This is
1963 broken behavior. So there!
1967 Elements like @code{(to-group . "some.group.name")} means that all
1968 posts in that group will be sent to @code{some.group.name}.
1972 If this symbol is present in the group parameter list, Gnus will treat
1973 all responses as if they were responses to news articles. This can be
1974 useful if you have a mail group that's really a mirror of a news group.
1978 If this symbol is present in the group parameter list and set to
1979 @code{t}, newly composed messages will be @code{Gcc}'d to the current
1980 group. If it is present and set to @code{none}, no @code{Gcc:} header
1981 will be generated, if it is present and a string, this string will be
1982 inserted literally as a @code{gcc} header (this symbol takes precedence over
1983 any default @code{Gcc} rules as described later).
1987 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(auto-expire
1988 . t)}, all articles read will be marked as expirable. For an
1989 alternative approach, @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
1992 @cindex total-expire
1993 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
1994 @code{(total-expire . t)}, all read articles will be put through the
1995 expiry process, even if they are not marked as expirable. Use with
1996 caution. Unread, ticked and dormant articles are not eligible for
2001 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
2002 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(expiry-wait
2003 . 10)}, this value will override any @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} and
2004 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} when expiring expirable messages.
2005 The value can either be a number of days (not necessarily an integer) or
2006 the symbols @code{never} or @code{immediate}.
2009 @cindex score file group parameter
2010 Elements that look like @code{(score-file . "file")} will make
2011 @file{file} into the current adaptive score file for the group in
2012 question. All adaptive score entries will be put into this file.
2015 @cindex adapt file group parameter
2016 Elements that look like @code{(adapt-file . "file")} will make
2017 @file{file} into the current adaptive file for the group in question.
2018 All adaptive score entries will be put into this file.
2021 When unsubscribing from a mailing list you should never send the
2022 unsubscription notice to the mailing list itself. Instead, you'd send
2023 messages to the administrative address. This parameter allows you to
2024 put the admin address somewhere convenient.
2027 Elements that look like @code{(display . MODE)} say which articles to
2028 display on entering the group. Valid values are:
2032 Display all articles, both read and unread.
2035 Display the default visible articles, which normally includes unread and
2040 Elements that look like @code{(comment . "This is a comment")}
2041 are arbitrary comments on the group. They are currently ignored by
2042 Gnus, but provide a place for you to store information on particular
2045 @item @var{(variable form)}
2046 You can use the group parameters to set variables local to the group you
2047 are entering. If you want to turn threading off in @samp{news.answers},
2048 you could put @code{(gnus-show-threads nil)} in the group parameters of
2049 that group. @code{gnus-show-threads} will be made into a local variable
2050 in the summary buffer you enter, and the form @code{nil} will be
2051 @code{eval}ed there.
2053 This can also be used as a group-specific hook function, if you'd like.
2054 If you want to hear a beep when you enter a group, you could put
2055 something like @code{(dummy-variable (ding))} in the parameters of that
2056 group. @code{dummy-variable} will be set to the result of the
2057 @code{(ding)} form, but who cares?
2061 Use the @kbd{G p} command to edit group parameters of a group.
2063 @pxref{Topic Parameters}.
2065 Here's an example group parameter list:
2068 ((to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")
2073 @node Listing Groups
2074 @section Listing Groups
2075 @cindex group listing
2077 These commands all list various slices of the groups available.
2085 @findex gnus-group-list-groups
2086 List all groups that have unread articles
2087 (@code{gnus-group-list-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used, this
2088 command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default, it
2089 only lists groups of level five (i. e.,
2090 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level}) or lower (i.e., just subscribed
2097 @findex gnus-group-list-all-groups
2098 List all groups, whether they have unread articles or not
2099 (@code{gnus-group-list-all-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used,
2100 this command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default,
2101 it lists groups of level seven or lower (i.e., just subscribed and
2102 unsubscribed groups).
2106 @findex gnus-group-list-level
2107 List all unread groups on a specific level
2108 (@code{gnus-group-list-level}). If given a prefix, also list the groups
2109 with no unread articles.
2113 @findex gnus-group-list-killed
2114 List all killed groups (@code{gnus-group-list-killed}). If given a
2115 prefix argument, really list all groups that are available, but aren't
2116 currently (un)subscribed. This could entail reading the active file
2121 @findex gnus-group-list-zombies
2122 List all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-list-zombies}).
2126 @findex gnus-group-list-matching
2127 List all unread, subscribed groups with names that match a regexp
2128 (@code{gnus-group-list-matching}).
2132 @findex gnus-group-list-all-matching
2133 List groups that match a regexp (@code{gnus-group-list-all-matching}).
2137 @findex gnus-group-list-active
2138 List absolutely all groups in the active file(s) of the
2139 server(s) you are connected to (@code{gnus-group-list-active}). This
2140 might very well take quite a while. It might actually be a better idea
2141 to do a @kbd{A M} to list all matching, and just give @samp{.} as the
2142 thing to match on. Also note that this command may list groups that
2143 don't exist (yet)---these will be listed as if they were killed groups.
2144 Take the output with some grains of salt.
2148 @findex gnus-group-apropos
2149 List all groups that have names that match a regexp
2150 (@code{gnus-group-apropos}).
2154 @findex gnus-group-description-apropos
2155 List all groups that have names or descriptions that match a regexp
2156 (@code{gnus-group-description-apropos}).
2160 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
2161 @cindex visible group parameter
2162 Groups that match the @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} regexp will
2163 always be shown, whether they have unread articles or not. You can also
2164 add the @code{visible} element to the group parameters in question to
2165 get the same effect.
2167 @vindex gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles
2168 Groups that have just ticked articles in it are normally listed in the
2169 group buffer. If @code{gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles} is
2170 @code{nil}, these groups will be treated just like totally empty
2171 groups. It is @code{t} by default.
2174 @node Sorting Groups
2175 @section Sorting Groups
2176 @cindex sorting groups
2178 @kindex C-c C-s (Group)
2179 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups
2180 @vindex gnus-group-sort-function
2181 The @kbd{C-c C-s} (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups}) command sorts the
2182 group buffer according to the function(s) given by the
2183 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable. Available sorting functions
2188 @item gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
2189 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
2190 Sort the group names alphabetically. This is the default.
2192 @item gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
2193 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
2194 Sort the group alphabetically on the real (unprefixed) group names.
2196 @item gnus-group-sort-by-level
2197 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-level
2198 Sort by group level.
2200 @item gnus-group-sort-by-score
2201 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-score
2202 Sort by group score.
2204 @item gnus-group-sort-by-rank
2205 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-rank
2206 Sort by group score and then the group level. The level and the score
2207 are, when taken together, the group's @dfn{rank}.
2209 @item gnus-group-sort-by-unread
2210 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-unread
2211 Sort by number of unread articles.
2213 @item gnus-group-sort-by-method
2214 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-method
2215 Sort alphabetically on the select method.
2220 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} can also be a list of sorting
2221 functions. In that case, the most significant sort key function must be
2225 There are also a number of commands for sorting directly according to
2226 some sorting criteria:
2230 @kindex G S a (Group)
2231 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet
2232 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by group name
2233 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
2236 @kindex G S u (Group)
2237 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread
2238 Sort the group buffer by the number of unread articles
2239 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread}).
2242 @kindex G S l (Group)
2243 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level
2244 Sort the group buffer by group level
2245 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level}).
2248 @kindex G S v (Group)
2249 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score
2250 Sort the group buffer by group score
2251 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score}).
2254 @kindex G S r (Group)
2255 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank
2256 Sort the group buffer by group rank
2257 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank}).
2260 @kindex G S m (Group)
2261 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method
2262 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by backend name
2263 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method}).
2267 When given a prefix, all these commands will sort in reverse order.
2269 You can also sort a subset of the groups:
2273 @kindex G P a (Group)
2274 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet
2275 Sort the process/prefixed groups in the group buffer alphabetically by
2276 group name (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet}).
2279 @kindex G P u (Group)
2280 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread
2281 Sort the process/prefixed groups in the group buffer by the number of
2282 unread articles (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread}).
2285 @kindex G P l (Group)
2286 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level
2287 Sort the process/prefixed groups in the group buffer by group level
2288 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level}).
2291 @kindex G P v (Group)
2292 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score
2293 Sort the process/prefixed groups in the group buffer by group score
2294 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score}).
2297 @kindex G P r (Group)
2298 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank
2299 Sort the process/prefixed groups in the group buffer by group rank
2300 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank}).
2303 @kindex G P m (Group)
2304 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method
2305 Sort the process/prefixed groups in the group buffer alphabetically by
2306 backend name (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method}).
2312 @node Group Maintenance
2313 @section Group Maintenance
2314 @cindex bogus groups
2319 @findex gnus-group-check-bogus-groups
2320 Find bogus groups and delete them
2321 (@code{gnus-group-check-bogus-groups}).
2325 @findex gnus-group-find-new-groups
2326 Find new groups and process them (@code{gnus-group-find-new-groups}).
2327 If given a prefix, use the @code{ask-server} method to query the server
2331 @kindex C-c C-x (Group)
2332 @findex gnus-group-expire-articles
2333 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
2334 process (if any) (@code{gnus-group-expire-articles}).
2337 @kindex C-c M-C-x (Group)
2338 @findex gnus-group-expire-all-groups
2339 Run all articles in all groups through the expiry process
2340 (@code{gnus-group-expire-all-groups}).
2345 @node Browse Foreign Server
2346 @section Browse Foreign Server
2347 @cindex foreign servers
2348 @cindex browsing servers
2353 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
2354 You will be queried for a select method and a server name. Gnus will
2355 then attempt to contact this server and let you browse the groups there
2356 (@code{gnus-group-browse-foreign-server}).
2359 @findex gnus-browse-mode
2360 A new buffer with a list of available groups will appear. This buffer
2361 will use the @code{gnus-browse-mode}. This buffer looks a bit (well,
2362 a lot) like a normal group buffer.
2364 Here's a list of keystrokes available in the browse mode:
2369 @findex gnus-group-next-group
2370 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
2374 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
2375 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
2378 @kindex SPACE (Browse)
2379 @findex gnus-browse-read-group
2380 Enter the current group and display the first article
2381 (@code{gnus-browse-read-group}).
2384 @kindex RET (Browse)
2385 @findex gnus-browse-select-group
2386 Enter the current group (@code{gnus-browse-select-group}).
2390 @findex gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group
2391 Unsubscribe to the current group, or, as will be the case here,
2392 subscribe to it (@code{gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group}).
2398 @findex gnus-browse-exit
2399 Exit browse mode (@code{gnus-browse-exit}).
2403 @findex gnus-browse-describe-briefly
2404 Describe browse mode briefly (well, there's not much to describe, is
2405 there) (@code{gnus-browse-describe-briefly}).
2410 @section Exiting Gnus
2411 @cindex exiting Gnus
2413 Yes, Gnus is ex(c)iting.
2418 @findex gnus-group-suspend
2419 Suspend Gnus (@code{gnus-group-suspend}). This doesn't really exit Gnus,
2420 but it kills all buffers except the Group buffer. I'm not sure why this
2421 is a gain, but then who am I to judge?
2425 @findex gnus-group-exit
2426 @c @icon{gnus-group-exit}
2427 Quit Gnus (@code{gnus-group-exit}).
2431 @findex gnus-group-quit
2432 Quit Gnus without saving the @file{.newsrc} files (@code{gnus-group-quit}).
2433 The dribble file will be saved, though (@pxref{Auto Save}).
2436 @vindex gnus-exit-gnus-hook
2437 @vindex gnus-suspend-gnus-hook
2438 @code{gnus-suspend-gnus-hook} is called when you suspend Gnus and
2439 @code{gnus-exit-gnus-hook} is called when you quit Gnus, while
2440 @code{gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook} is called as the final item when
2445 If you wish to completely unload Gnus and all its adherents, you can use
2446 the @code{gnus-unload} command. This command is also very handy when
2447 trying to customize meta-variables.
2452 Miss Lisa Cannifax, while sitting in English class, felt her feet go
2453 numbly heavy and herself fall into a hazy trance as the boy sitting
2454 behind her drew repeated lines with his pencil across the back of her
2460 @section Group Topics
2463 If you read lots and lots of groups, it might be convenient to group
2464 them hierarchically according to topics. You put your Emacs groups over
2465 here, your sex groups over there, and the rest (what, two groups or so?)
2466 you put in some misc section that you never bother with anyway. You can
2467 even group the Emacs sex groups as a sub-topic to either the Emacs
2468 groups or the sex groups---or both! Go wild!
2472 \gnusfigure{Group Topics}{400}{
2473 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=tmp/group-topic.ps,height=9cm}}
2484 2: alt.religion.emacs
2487 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
2489 8: comp.binaries.fractals
2490 13: comp.sources.unix
2493 @findex gnus-topic-mode
2495 To get this @emph{fab} functionality you simply turn on (ooh!) the
2496 @code{gnus-topic} minor mode---type @kbd{t} in the group buffer. (This
2497 is a toggling command.)
2499 Go ahead, just try it. I'll still be here when you get back. La de
2500 dum... Nice tune, that... la la la... What, you're back? Yes, and now
2501 press @kbd{l}. There. All your groups are now listed under
2502 @samp{misc}. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy? Hot and
2505 If you want this permanently enabled, you should add that minor mode to
2506 the hook for the group mode:
2509 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
2513 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
2514 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
2515 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
2516 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
2517 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
2521 @node Topic Variables
2522 @subsection Topic Variables
2523 @cindex topic variables
2525 Now, if you select a topic, it will fold/unfold that topic, which is
2526 really neat, I think.
2528 @vindex gnus-topic-line-format
2529 The topic lines themselves are created according to the
2530 @code{gnus-topic-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
2543 Number of groups in the topic.
2545 Number of unread articles in the topic.
2547 Number of unread articles in the topic and all its subtopics.
2550 @vindex gnus-topic-indent-level
2551 Each sub-topic (and the groups in the sub-topics) will be indented with
2552 @code{gnus-topic-indent-level} times the topic level number of spaces.
2555 @vindex gnus-topic-mode-hook
2556 @code{gnus-topic-mode-hook} is called in topic minor mode buffers.
2558 @vindex gnus-topic-display-empty-topics
2559 The @code{gnus-topic-display-empty-topics} says whether to display even
2560 topics that have no unread articles in them. The default is @code{t}.
2563 @node Topic Commands
2564 @subsection Topic Commands
2565 @cindex topic commands
2567 When the topic minor mode is turned on, a new @kbd{T} submap will be
2568 available. In addition, a few of the standard keys change their
2569 definitions slightly.
2575 @findex gnus-topic-create-topic
2576 Prompt for a new topic name and create it
2577 (@code{gnus-topic-create-topic}).
2581 @findex gnus-topic-move-group
2582 Move the current group to some other topic
2583 (@code{gnus-topic-move-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
2584 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
2588 @findex gnus-topic-copy-group
2589 Copy the current group to some other topic
2590 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
2591 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
2595 @findex gnus-topic-remove-group
2596 Remove a group from the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-remove-group}).
2597 This command uses the process/prefix convention
2598 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
2602 @findex gnus-topic-move-matching
2603 Move all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
2604 (@code{gnus-topic-move-matching}).
2608 @findex gnus-topic-copy-matching
2609 Copy all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
2610 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-matching}).
2614 @findex gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics
2615 Toggle hiding empty topics
2616 (@code{gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics}).
2620 @findex gnus-topic-mark-topic
2621 Mark all groups in the current topic with the process mark
2622 (@code{gnus-topic-mark-topic}).
2625 @kindex T M-# (Topic)
2626 @findex gnus-topic-unmark-topic
2627 Remove the process mark from all groups in the current topic
2628 (@code{gnus-topic-unmark-topic}).
2632 @findex gnus-topic-select-group
2634 Either select a group or fold a topic (@code{gnus-topic-select-group}).
2635 When you perform this command on a group, you'll enter the group, as
2636 usual. When done on a topic line, the topic will be folded (if it was
2637 visible) or unfolded (if it was folded already). So it's basically a
2638 toggling command on topics. In addition, if you give a numerical
2639 prefix, group on that level (and lower) will be displayed.
2642 @kindex T TAB (Topic)
2643 @findex gnus-topic-indent
2644 ``Indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
2645 previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-indent}). If given a prefix,
2646 ``un-indent'' the topic instead.
2650 @findex gnus-topic-kill-group
2651 Kill a group or topic (@code{gnus-topic-kill-group}). All groups in the
2652 topic will be removed along with the topic.
2656 @findex gnus-topic-yank-group
2657 Yank the previously killed group or topic
2658 (@code{gnus-topic-yank-group}). Note that all topics will be yanked
2663 @findex gnus-topic-rename
2664 Rename a topic (@code{gnus-topic-rename}).
2667 @kindex T DEL (Topic)
2668 @findex gnus-topic-delete
2669 Delete an empty topic (@code{gnus-topic-delete}).
2673 @findex gnus-topic-list-active
2674 List all groups that Gnus knows about in a topics-ified way
2675 (@code{gnus-topic-list-active}).
2679 @findex gnus-topic-edit-parameters
2680 @cindex group parameters
2681 @cindex topic parameters
2683 Edit the topic parameters (@code{gnus-topic-edit-parameters}).
2684 @xref{Topic Parameters}.
2690 @subsection Topic Sorting
2691 @cindex topic sorting
2693 You can sort the groups in each topic individually with the following
2699 @kindex T S a (Topic)
2700 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet
2701 Sort the current topic alphabetically by group name
2702 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
2705 @kindex T S u (Topic)
2706 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread
2707 Sort the current topic by the number of unread articles
2708 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread}).
2711 @kindex T S l (Topic)
2712 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level
2713 Sort the current topic by group level
2714 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level}).
2717 @kindex T S v (Topic)
2718 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score
2719 Sort the current topic by group score
2720 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score}).
2723 @kindex T S r (Topic)
2724 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank
2725 Sort the current topic by group rank
2726 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank}).
2729 @kindex T S m (Topic)
2730 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method
2731 Sort the current topic alphabetically by backend name
2732 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method}).
2736 @xref{Sorting Groups} for more information about group sorting.
2739 @node Topic Topology
2740 @subsection Topic Topology
2741 @cindex topic topology
2744 So, let's have a look at an example group buffer:
2750 2: alt.religion.emacs
2753 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
2755 8: comp.binaries.fractals
2756 13: comp.sources.unix
2759 So, here we have one top-level topic (@samp{Gnus}), two topics under
2760 that, and one sub-topic under one of the sub-topics. (There is always
2761 just one (1) top-level topic). This topology can be expressed as
2766 (("Emacs -- I wuw it!" visible)
2767 (("Naughty Emacs" visible)))
2771 @vindex gnus-topic-topology
2772 This is in fact how the variable @code{gnus-topic-topology} would look
2773 for the display above. That variable is saved in the @file{.newsrc.eld}
2774 file, and shouldn't be messed with manually---unless you really want
2775 to. Since this variable is read from the @file{.newsrc.eld} file,
2776 setting it in any other startup files will have no effect.
2778 This topology shows what topics are sub-topics of what topics (right),
2779 and which topics are visible. Two settings are currently
2780 allowed---@code{visible} and @code{invisible}.
2783 @node Topic Parameters
2784 @subsection Topic Parameters
2785 @cindex topic parameters
2787 All groups in a topic will inherit group parameters from the parent (and
2788 ancestor) topic parameters. All valid group parameters are valid topic
2789 parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
2791 Group parameters (of course) override topic parameters, and topic
2792 parameters in sub-topics override topic parameters in super-topics. You
2793 know. Normal inheritance rules. (@dfn{Rules} is here a noun, not a
2794 verb, although you may feel free to disagree with me here.)
2800 2: alt.religion.emacs
2804 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
2806 8: comp.binaries.fractals
2807 13: comp.sources.unix
2811 The @samp{Emacs} topic has the topic parameter @code{(score-file
2812 . "emacs.SCORE")}; the @samp{Relief} topic has the topic parameter
2813 @code{(score-file . "relief.SCORE")}; and the @samp{Misc} topic has the
2814 topic parameter @code{(score-file . "emacs.SCORE")}. In addition,
2815 @samp{alt.religion.emacs} has the group parameter @code{(score-file
2816 . "religion.SCORE")}.
2818 Now, when you enter @samp{alt.sex.emacs} in the @samp{Relief} topic, you
2819 will get the @file{relief.SCORE} home score file. If you enter the same
2820 group in the @samp{Emacs} topic, you'll get the @file{emacs.SCORE} home
2821 score file. If you enter the group @samp{alt.religion.emacs}, you'll
2822 get the @file{religion.SCORE} home score file.
2824 This seems rather simple and self-evident, doesn't it? Well, yes. But
2825 there are some problems, especially with the @code{total-expiry}
2826 parameter. Say you have a mail group in two topics; one with
2827 @code{total-expiry} and one without. What happens when you do @kbd{M-x
2828 gnus-expire-all-expirable-groups}? Gnus has no way of telling which one
2829 of these topics you mean to expire articles from, so anything may
2830 happen. In fact, I hereby declare that it is @dfn{undefined} what
2831 happens. You just have to be careful if you do stuff like that.
2834 @node Misc Group Stuff
2835 @section Misc Group Stuff
2838 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
2839 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
2840 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
2841 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
2848 @findex gnus-group-enter-server-mode
2849 Enter the server buffer (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}).
2850 @xref{The Server Buffer}.
2854 @findex gnus-group-post-news
2855 Post an article to a group (@code{gnus-group-post-news}). The current
2856 group name will be used as the default.
2860 @findex gnus-group-mail
2861 Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}).
2865 Variables for the group buffer:
2869 @item gnus-group-mode-hook
2870 @vindex gnus-group-mode-hook
2871 is called after the group buffer has been
2874 @item gnus-group-prepare-hook
2875 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
2876 is called after the group buffer is
2877 generated. It may be used to modify the buffer in some strange,
2880 @item gnus-permanently-visible-groups
2881 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
2882 Groups matching this regexp will always be listed in the group buffer,
2883 whether they are empty or not.
2888 @node Scanning New Messages
2889 @subsection Scanning New Messages
2890 @cindex new messages
2891 @cindex scanning new news
2897 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news
2898 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news}
2899 Check the server(s) for new articles. If the numerical prefix is used,
2900 this command will check only groups of level @var{arg} and lower
2901 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news}). If given a non-numerical prefix, this
2902 command will force a total re-reading of the active file(s) from the
2907 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group
2908 @vindex gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating
2909 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}
2910 Check whether new articles have arrived in the current group
2911 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}).
2912 @code{gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating} says whether this command is
2913 to move point to the next group or not. It is @code{t} by default.
2915 @findex gnus-activate-all-groups
2916 @cindex activating groups
2918 @kindex C-c M-g (Group)
2919 Activate absolutely all groups (@code{gnus-activate-all-groups}).
2924 @findex gnus-group-restart
2925 Restart Gnus (@code{gnus-group-restart}). This saves the @file{.newsrc}
2926 file(s), closes the connection to all servers, clears up all run-time
2927 Gnus variables, and then starts Gnus all over again.
2931 @vindex gnus-get-new-news-hook
2932 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is run just before checking for new news.
2934 @vindex gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook
2935 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook} is run after checking for new
2939 @node Group Information
2940 @subsection Group Information
2941 @cindex group information
2942 @cindex information on groups
2949 @findex gnus-group-fetch-faq
2950 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
2953 Try to fetch the FAQ for the current group
2954 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the FAQ from
2955 @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory on a
2956 remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories. In
2957 that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
2958 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} (or @code{efs}) will be used
2959 for fetching the file.
2961 If fetching from the first site is unsuccessful, Gnus will attempt to go
2962 through @code{gnus-group-faq-directory} and try to open them one by one.
2966 @c @icon{gnus-group-describe-group}
2968 @kindex C-c C-d (Group)
2969 @cindex describing groups
2970 @cindex group description
2971 @findex gnus-group-describe-group
2972 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-group-describe-group}). If given
2973 a prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description from the server.
2977 @findex gnus-group-describe-all-groups
2978 Describe all groups (@code{gnus-group-describe-all-groups}). If given a
2979 prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description file from the server.
2986 @findex gnus-version
2987 Display current Gnus version numbers (@code{gnus-version}).
2991 @findex gnus-group-describe-briefly
2992 Give a very short help message (@code{gnus-group-describe-briefly}).
2995 @kindex C-c C-i (Group)
2998 @findex gnus-info-find-node
2999 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
3003 @node Group Timestamp
3004 @subsection Group Timestamp
3006 @cindex group timestamps
3008 It can be convenient to let Gnus keep track of when you last read a
3009 group. To set the ball rolling, you should add
3010 @code{gnus-group-set-timestamp} to @code{gnus-select-group-hook}:
3013 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook 'gnus-group-set-timestamp)
3016 After doing this, each time you enter a group, it'll be recorded.
3018 This information can be displayed in various ways---the easiest is to
3019 use the @samp{%d} spec in the group line format:
3022 (setq gnus-group-line-format
3023 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %d\n")
3026 This will result in lines looking like:
3029 * 0: mail.ding 19961002T012943
3030 0: custom 19961002T012713
3033 As you can see, the date is displayed in compact ISO 8601 format. This
3034 may be a bit too much, so to just display the date, you could say
3038 (setq gnus-group-line-format
3039 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %6,6~(cut 2)d\n")
3044 @subsection File Commands
3045 @cindex file commands
3051 @findex gnus-group-read-init-file
3052 @vindex gnus-init-file
3053 @cindex reading init file
3054 Re-read the init file (@code{gnus-init-file}, which defaults to
3055 @file{~/.gnus}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
3059 @findex gnus-group-save-newsrc
3060 @cindex saving .newsrc
3061 Save the @file{.newsrc.eld} file (and @file{.newsrc} if wanted)
3062 (@code{gnus-group-save-newsrc}). If given a prefix, force saving the
3063 file(s) whether Gnus thinks it is necessary or not.
3066 @c @kindex Z (Group)
3067 @c @findex gnus-group-clear-dribble
3068 @c Clear the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-group-clear-dribble}).
3073 @node The Summary Buffer
3074 @chapter The Summary Buffer
3075 @cindex summary buffer
3077 A line for each article is displayed in the summary buffer. You can
3078 move around, read articles, post articles and reply to articles.
3080 The most common way to a summary buffer is to select a group from the
3081 group buffer (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
3083 You can have as many summary buffers open as you wish.
3086 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
3087 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
3088 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
3089 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
3090 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
3091 * Canceling and Superseding:: ``Whoops, I shouldn't have called him that.''
3092 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
3093 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
3094 * Threading:: How threads are made.
3095 * Sorting:: How articles and threads are sorted.
3096 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
3097 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
3098 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
3099 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
3100 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
3101 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
3102 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
3103 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
3104 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
3105 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
3106 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
3107 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
3108 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
3109 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
3110 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer.
3111 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
3112 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
3116 @node Summary Buffer Format
3117 @section Summary Buffer Format
3118 @cindex summary buffer format
3122 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{180}{
3123 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary.ps,width=7.5cm}}
3124 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-article.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
3130 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
3131 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
3132 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
3135 @findex mail-extract-address-components
3136 @findex gnus-extract-address-components
3137 @vindex gnus-extract-address-components
3138 Gnus will use the value of the @code{gnus-extract-address-components}
3139 variable as a function for getting the name and address parts of a
3140 @code{From} header. Two pre-defined functions exist:
3141 @code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is the default, quite
3142 fast, and too simplistic solution; and
3143 @code{mail-extract-address-components}, which works very nicely, but is
3144 slower. The default function will return the wrong answer in 5% of the
3145 cases. If this is unacceptable to you, use the other function instead.
3147 @vindex gnus-summary-same-subject
3148 @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} is a string indicating that the current
3149 article has the same subject as the previous. This string will be used
3150 with those specs that require it. The default is @samp{}.
3153 @node Summary Buffer Lines
3154 @subsection Summary Buffer Lines
3156 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
3157 You can change the format of the lines in the summary buffer by changing
3158 the @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable. It works along the same
3159 lines as a normal @code{format} string, with some extensions
3160 (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
3162 The default string is @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-20,20n%]%) %s\n}.
3164 The following format specification characters are understood:
3172 Subject if the article is the root or the previous article had a
3173 different subject, @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} otherwise.
3174 (@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} defaults to @samp{}.)
3176 Full @code{From} header.
3178 The name (from the @code{From} header).
3180 The name (from the @code{From} header). This differs from the @code{n}
3181 spec in that it uses the function designated by the
3182 @code{gnus-extract-address-components} variable, which is slower, but
3183 may be more thorough.
3185 The address (from the @code{From} header). This works the same way as
3188 Number of lines in the article.
3190 Number of characters in the article.
3192 Indentation based on thread level (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
3194 Nothing if the article is a root and lots of spaces if it isn't (it
3195 pushes everything after it off the screen).
3197 Opening bracket, which is normally @samp{[}, but can also be @samp{<}
3198 for adopted articles (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
3200 Closing bracket, which is normally @samp{]}, but can also be @samp{>}
3201 for adopted articles.
3203 One space for each thread level.
3205 Twenty minus thread level spaces.
3213 @vindex gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz
3214 Zcore, @samp{+} if above the default level and @samp{-} if below the
3215 default level. If the difference between
3216 @code{gnus-summary-default-level} and the score is less than
3217 @code{gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz}, this spec will not be used.
3225 The @code{Date} in @code{DD-MMM} format.
3227 The @code{Date} in @var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS} format.
3233 Number of articles in the current sub-thread. Using this spec will slow
3234 down summary buffer generation somewhat.
3236 An @samp{=} (@code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark}) will be displayed if the
3237 article has any children.
3243 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
3244 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
3245 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
3246 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current header as
3247 argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
3248 into the summary just like information from any other summary specifier.
3251 The @samp{%U} (status), @samp{%R} (replied) and @samp{%z} (zcore) specs
3252 have to be handled with care. For reasons of efficiency, Gnus will
3253 compute what column these characters will end up in, and ``hard-code''
3254 that. This means that it is invalid to have these specs after a
3255 variable-length spec. Well, you might not be arrested, but your summary
3256 buffer will look strange, which is bad enough.
3258 The smart choice is to have these specs as far to the left as possible.
3259 (Isn't that the case with everything, though? But I digress.)
3261 This restriction may disappear in later versions of Gnus.
3264 @node Summary Buffer Mode Line
3265 @subsection Summary Buffer Mode Line
3267 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-line-format
3268 You can also change the format of the summary mode bar. Set
3269 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} to whatever you like. The default
3270 is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}.
3272 Here are the elements you can play with:
3278 Unprefixed group name.
3280 Current article number.
3284 Number of unread articles in this group.
3286 Number of unselected articles in this group.
3288 A string with the number of unread and unselected articles represented
3289 either as @samp{<%U(+%e) more>} if there are both unread and unselected
3290 articles, and just as @samp{<%U more>} if there are just unread articles
3291 and no unselected ones.
3293 Shortish group name. For instance, @samp{rec.arts.anime} will be
3294 shortened to @samp{r.a.anime}.
3296 Subject of the current article.
3300 Name of the current score file.
3302 Number of dormant articles.
3304 Number of ticked articles.
3306 Number of articles that have been marked as read in this session.
3308 Number of articles expunged by the score files.
3312 @node Summary Highlighting
3313 @subsection Summary Highlighting
3317 @item gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
3318 @vindex gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
3319 This hook is run after selecting an article. It is meant to be used for
3320 highlighting the article in some way. It is not run if
3321 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
3323 @item gnus-summary-update-hook
3324 @vindex gnus-summary-update-hook
3325 This hook is called when a summary line is changed. It is not run if
3326 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
3328 @item gnus-summary-selected-face
3329 @vindex gnus-summary-selected-face
3330 This is the face (or @dfn{font} as some people call it) used to
3331 highlight the current article in the summary buffer.
3333 @item gnus-summary-highlight
3334 @vindex gnus-summary-highlight
3335 Summary lines are highlighted according to this variable, which is a
3336 list where the elements are of the format @var{(FORM . FACE)}. If you
3337 would, for instance, like ticked articles to be italic and high-scored
3338 articles to be bold, you could set this variable to something like
3340 (((eq mark gnus-ticked-mark) . italic)
3341 ((> score default) . bold))
3343 As you may have guessed, if @var{FORM} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
3344 @var{FACE} will be applied to the line.
3348 @node Summary Maneuvering
3349 @section Summary Maneuvering
3350 @cindex summary movement
3352 All the straight movement commands understand the numeric prefix and
3353 behave pretty much as you'd expect.
3355 None of these commands select articles.
3360 @kindex M-n (Summary)
3361 @kindex G M-n (Summary)
3362 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-subject
3363 Go to the next summary line of an unread article
3364 (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-subject}).
3368 @kindex M-p (Summary)
3369 @kindex G M-p (Summary)
3370 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject
3371 Go to the previous summary line of an unread article
3372 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject}).
3377 @kindex G j (Summary)
3378 @findex gnus-summary-goto-article
3379 Ask for an article number and then go to that article
3380 (@code{gnus-summary-goto-article}).
3383 @kindex G g (Summary)
3384 @findex gnus-summary-goto-subject
3385 Ask for an article number and then go to the summary line of that article
3386 without displaying the article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-subject}).
3389 If Gnus asks you to press a key to confirm going to the next group, you
3390 can use the @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} keys to move around the group
3391 buffer, searching for the next group to read without actually returning
3392 to the group buffer.
3394 Variables related to summary movement:
3398 @vindex gnus-auto-select-next
3399 @item gnus-auto-select-next
3400 If you issue one of the movement commands (like @kbd{n}) and there are
3401 no more unread articles after the current one, Gnus will offer to go to
3402 the next group. If this variable is @code{t} and the next group is
3403 empty, Gnus will exit summary mode and return to the group buffer. If
3404 this variable is neither @code{t} nor @code{nil}, Gnus will select the
3405 next group, no matter whether it has any unread articles or not. As a
3406 special case, if this variable is @code{quietly}, Gnus will select the
3407 next group without asking for confirmation. If this variable is
3408 @code{almost-quietly}, the same will happen only if you are located on
3409 the last article in the group. Finally, if this variable is
3410 @code{slightly-quietly}, the @kbd{Z n} command will go to the next group
3411 without confirmation. Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
3413 @item gnus-auto-select-same
3414 @vindex gnus-auto-select-same
3415 If non-@code{nil}, all the movement commands will try to go to the next
3416 article with the same subject as the current. (@dfn{Same} here might
3417 mean @dfn{roughly equal}. See @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}
3418 for details (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).) This variable is not
3419 particularly useful if you use a threaded display.
3421 @item gnus-summary-check-current
3422 @vindex gnus-summary-check-current
3423 If non-@code{nil}, all the ``unread'' movement commands will not proceed
3424 to the next (or previous) article if the current article is unread.
3425 Instead, they will choose the current article.
3427 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
3428 @vindex gnus-auto-center-summary
3429 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will keep the point in the summary buffer
3430 centered at all times. This makes things quite tidy, but if you have a
3431 slow network connection, or simply do not like this un-Emacsism, you can
3432 set this variable to @code{nil} to get the normal Emacs scrolling
3433 action. This will also inhibit horizontal re-centering of the summary
3434 buffer, which might make it more inconvenient to read extremely long
3440 @node Choosing Articles
3441 @section Choosing Articles
3442 @cindex selecting articles
3445 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
3446 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
3450 @node Choosing Commands
3451 @subsection Choosing Commands
3453 None of the following movement commands understand the numeric prefix,
3454 and they all select and display an article.
3458 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
3459 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
3460 Select the current article, or, if that one's read already, the next
3461 unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
3466 @kindex G n (Summary)
3467 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-article
3468 @c @icon{gnus-summary-next-unread}
3469 Go to next unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-article}).
3474 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-article
3475 @c @icon{gnus-summary-prev-unread}
3476 Go to previous unread article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-article}).
3481 @kindex G N (Summary)
3482 @findex gnus-summary-next-article
3483 Go to the next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-article}).
3488 @kindex G P (Summary)
3489 @findex gnus-summary-prev-article
3490 Go to the previous article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-article}).
3493 @kindex G C-n (Summary)
3494 @findex gnus-summary-next-same-subject
3495 Go to the next article with the same subject
3496 (@code{gnus-summary-next-same-subject}).
3499 @kindex G C-p (Summary)
3500 @findex gnus-summary-prev-same-subject
3501 Go to the previous article with the same subject
3502 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-same-subject}).
3506 @kindex G f (Summary)
3508 @findex gnus-summary-first-unread-article
3509 Go to the first unread article
3510 (@code{gnus-summary-first-unread-article}).
3514 @kindex G b (Summary)
3516 @findex gnus-summary-best-unread-article
3517 Go to the article with the highest score
3518 (@code{gnus-summary-best-unread-article}).
3523 @kindex G l (Summary)
3524 @findex gnus-summary-goto-last-article
3525 Go to the previous article read (@code{gnus-summary-goto-last-article}).
3528 @kindex G o (Summary)
3529 @findex gnus-summary-pop-article
3530 Pop an article off the summary history and go to this article
3531 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-article}). This command differs from the
3532 command above in that you can pop as many previous articles off the
3533 history as you like.
3537 @node Choosing Variables
3538 @subsection Choosing Variables
3540 Some variables relevant for moving and selecting articles:
3543 @item gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
3544 @vindex gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
3545 All the movement commands will try to go to the previous (or next)
3546 article, even if that article isn't displayed in the Summary buffer if
3547 this variable is non-@code{nil}. Gnus will then fetch the article from
3548 the server and display it in the article buffer.
3550 @item gnus-select-article-hook
3551 @vindex gnus-select-article-hook
3552 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. By default it
3553 exposes any threads hidden under the selected article.
3555 @item gnus-mark-article-hook
3556 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
3557 @findex gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read
3558 @findex gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read
3559 @findex gnus-unread-mark
3560 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. It is intended to
3561 be used for marking articles as read. The default value is
3562 @code{gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read}, and will change the
3563 mark of almost any article you read to @code{gnus-unread-mark}. The
3564 only articles not affected by this function are ticked, dormant, and
3565 expirable articles. If you'd instead like to just have unread articles
3566 marked as read, you can use @code{gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read}
3567 instead. It will leave marks like @code{gnus-low-score-mark},
3568 @code{gnus-del-mark} (and so on) alone.
3573 @node Paging the Article
3574 @section Scrolling the Article
3575 @cindex article scrolling
3580 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
3581 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
3582 Pressing @kbd{SPACE} will scroll the current article forward one page,
3583 or, if you have come to the end of the current article, will choose the
3584 next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
3587 @kindex DEL (Summary)
3588 @findex gnus-summary-prev-page
3589 Scroll the current article back one page (@code{gnus-summary-prev-page}).
3592 @kindex RET (Summary)
3593 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-up
3594 Scroll the current article one line forward
3595 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-up}).
3599 @kindex A g (Summary)
3601 @findex gnus-summary-show-article
3602 (Re)fetch the current article (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). If
3603 given a prefix, fetch the current article, but don't run any of the
3604 article treatment functions. This will give you a ``raw'' article, just
3605 the way it came from the server.
3610 @kindex A < (Summary)
3611 @findex gnus-summary-beginning-of-article
3612 Scroll to the beginning of the article
3613 (@code{gnus-summary-beginning-of-article}).
3618 @kindex A > (Summary)
3619 @findex gnus-summary-end-of-article
3620 Scroll to the end of the article (@code{gnus-summary-end-of-article}).
3624 @kindex A s (Summary)
3626 @findex gnus-summary-isearch-article
3627 Perform an isearch in the article buffer
3628 (@code{gnus-summary-isearch-article}).
3633 @node Reply Followup and Post
3634 @section Reply, Followup and Post
3637 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
3638 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
3642 @node Summary Mail Commands
3643 @subsection Summary Mail Commands
3645 @cindex composing mail
3647 Commands for composing a mail message:
3653 @kindex S r (Summary)
3655 @findex gnus-summary-reply
3656 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-reply}
3657 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply}
3658 Mail a reply to the author of the current article
3659 (@code{gnus-summary-reply}).
3664 @kindex S R (Summary)
3665 @findex gnus-summary-reply-with-original
3666 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}
3667 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
3668 original message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This
3669 command uses the process/prefix convention.
3672 @kindex S w (Summary)
3673 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply
3674 Mail a wide reply to the author of the current article
3675 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{wide reply} is a reply that
3676 goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
3677 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers.
3680 @kindex S W (Summary)
3681 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original
3682 Mail a wide reply to the current article and include the original
3683 message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This command uses
3684 the process/prefix convention.
3687 @kindex S o m (Summary)
3688 @findex gnus-summary-mail-forward
3689 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-forward}
3690 Forward the current article to some other person
3691 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-forward}). If given a prefix, include the full
3692 headers of the forwarded article.
3697 @kindex S m (Summary)
3698 @findex gnus-summary-mail-other-window
3699 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-originate}
3700 Send a mail to some other person
3701 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}).
3704 @kindex S D b (Summary)
3705 @findex gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail
3706 @cindex bouncing mail
3707 If you have sent a mail, but the mail was bounced back to you for some
3708 reason (wrong address, transient failure), you can use this command to
3709 resend that bounced mail (@code{gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail}). You
3710 will be popped into a mail buffer where you can edit the headers before
3711 sending the mail off again. If you give a prefix to this command, and
3712 the bounced mail is a reply to some other mail, Gnus will try to fetch
3713 that mail and display it for easy perusal of its headers. This might
3714 very well fail, though.
3717 @kindex S D r (Summary)
3718 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message
3719 Not to be confused with the previous command,
3720 @code{gnus-summary-resend-message} will prompt you for an address to
3721 send the current message off to, and then send it to that place. The
3722 headers of the message won't be altered---but lots of headers that say
3723 @code{Resent-To}, @code{Resent-From} and so on will be added. This
3724 means that you actually send a mail to someone that has a @code{To}
3725 header that (probably) points to yourself. This will confuse people.
3726 So, natcherly you'll only do that if you're really eVIl.
3728 This command is mainly used if you have several accounts and want to
3729 ship a mail to a different account of yours. (If you're both
3730 @code{root} and @code{postmaster} and get a mail for @code{postmaster}
3731 to the @code{root} account, you may want to resend it to
3732 @code{postmaster}. Ordnung muß sein!
3734 This command understands the process/prefix convention
3735 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3738 @kindex S O m (Summary)
3739 @findex gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward
3740 Digest the current series and forward the result using mail
3741 (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command uses the
3742 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3745 @kindex S M-c (Summary)
3746 @findex gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint
3747 @cindex crossposting
3748 @cindex excessive crossposting
3749 Send a complaint about excessive crossposting to the author of the
3750 current article (@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint}).
3752 @findex gnus-crosspost-complaint
3753 This command is provided as a way to fight back agains the current
3754 crossposting pandemic that's sweeping Usenet. It will compose a reply
3755 using the @code{gnus-crosspost-complaint} variable as a preamble. This
3756 command understands the process/prefix convention
3757 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) and will prompt you before sending each mail.
3762 @node Summary Post Commands
3763 @subsection Summary Post Commands
3765 @cindex composing news
3767 Commands for posting a news article:
3773 @kindex S p (Summary)
3774 @findex gnus-summary-post-news
3775 @c @icon{gnus-summary-post-news}
3776 Post an article to the current group
3777 (@code{gnus-summary-post-news}).
3782 @kindex S f (Summary)
3783 @findex gnus-summary-followup
3784 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup}
3785 Post a followup to the current article (@code{gnus-summary-followup}).
3789 @kindex S F (Summary)
3791 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}
3792 @findex gnus-summary-followup-with-original
3793 Post a followup to the current article and include the original message
3794 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}). This command uses the
3795 process/prefix convention.
3798 @kindex S n (Summary)
3799 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail
3800 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
3801 message through mail (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail}).
3804 @kindex S n (Summary)
3805 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail
3806 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
3807 message through mail and include the original message
3808 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original}). This command uses
3809 the process/prefix convention.
3812 @kindex S o p (Summary)
3813 @findex gnus-summary-post-forward
3814 Forward the current article to a newsgroup
3815 (@code{gnus-summary-post-forward}). If given a prefix, include the full
3816 headers of the forwarded article.
3819 @kindex S O p (Summary)
3820 @findex gnus-uu-digest-post-forward
3822 @cindex making digests
3823 Digest the current series and forward the result to a newsgroup
3824 (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command uses the
3825 process/prefix convention.
3828 @kindex S u (Summary)
3829 @findex gnus-uu-post-news
3830 @c @icon{gnus-uu-post-news}
3831 Uuencode a file, split it into parts, and post it as a series
3832 (@code{gnus-uu-post-news}). (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
3836 @node Canceling and Superseding
3837 @section Canceling Articles
3838 @cindex canceling articles
3839 @cindex superseding articles
3841 Have you ever written something, and then decided that you really,
3842 really, really wish you hadn't posted that?
3844 Well, you can't cancel mail, but you can cancel posts.
3846 @findex gnus-summary-cancel-article
3848 @c @icon{gnus-summary-cancel-article}
3849 Find the article you wish to cancel (you can only cancel your own
3850 articles, so don't try any funny stuff). Then press @kbd{C} or @kbd{S
3851 c} (@code{gnus-summary-cancel-article}). Your article will be
3852 canceled---machines all over the world will be deleting your article.
3854 Be aware, however, that not all sites honor cancels, so your article may
3855 live on here and there, while most sites will delete the article in
3858 If you discover that you have made some mistakes and want to do some
3859 corrections, you can post a @dfn{superseding} article that will replace
3860 your original article.
3862 @findex gnus-summary-supersede-article
3864 Go to the original article and press @kbd{S s}
3865 (@code{gnus-summary-supersede-article}). You will be put in a buffer
3866 where you can edit the article all you want before sending it off the
3869 The same goes for superseding as for canceling, only more so: Some
3870 sites do not honor superseding. On those sites, it will appear that you
3871 have posted almost the same article twice.
3873 If you have just posted the article, and change your mind right away,
3874 there is a trick you can use to cancel/supersede the article without
3875 waiting for the article to appear on your site first. You simply return
3876 to the post buffer (which is called @code{*sent ...*}). There you will
3877 find the article you just posted, with all the headers intact. Change
3878 the @code{Message-ID} header to a @code{Cancel} or @code{Supersedes}
3879 header by substituting one of those words for the word
3880 @code{Message-ID}. Then just press @kbd{C-c C-c} to send the article as
3881 you would do normally. The previous article will be
3882 canceled/superseded.
3884 Just remember, kids: There is no 'c' in 'supersede'.
3887 @node Marking Articles
3888 @section Marking Articles
3889 @cindex article marking
3890 @cindex article ticking
3893 There are several marks you can set on an article.
3895 You have marks that decide the @dfn{readedness} (whoo, neato-keano
3896 neologism ohoy!) of the article. Alphabetic marks generally mean
3897 @dfn{read}, while non-alphabetic characters generally mean @dfn{unread}.
3899 In addition, you also have marks that do not affect readedness.
3902 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
3903 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
3904 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
3908 There's a plethora of commands for manipulating these marks:
3912 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
3913 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
3917 @node Unread Articles
3918 @subsection Unread Articles
3920 The following marks mark articles as (kinda) unread, in one form or
3925 @vindex gnus-ticked-mark
3926 Marked as ticked (@code{gnus-ticked-mark}).
3928 @dfn{Ticked articles} are articles that will remain visible always. If
3929 you see an article that you find interesting, or you want to put off
3930 reading it, or replying to it, until sometime later, you'd typically
3931 tick it. However, articles can be expired, so if you want to keep an
3932 article forever, you'll have to make it persistent (@pxref{Persistent
3936 @vindex gnus-dormant-mark
3937 Marked as dormant (@code{gnus-dormant-mark}).
3939 @dfn{Dormant articles} will only appear in the summary buffer if there
3940 are followups to it.
3943 @vindex gnus-unread-mark
3944 Markes as unread (@code{gnus-unread-mark}).
3946 @dfn{Unread articles} are articles that haven't been read at all yet.
3951 @subsection Read Articles
3952 @cindex expirable mark
3954 All the following marks mark articles as read.
3959 @vindex gnus-del-mark
3960 These are articles that the user has marked as read with the @kbd{d}
3961 command manually, more or less (@code{gnus-del-mark}).
3964 @vindex gnus-read-mark
3965 Articles that have actually been read (@code{gnus-read-mark}).
3968 @vindex gnus-ancient-mark
3969 Articles that were marked as read in previous sessions and are now
3970 @dfn{old} (@code{gnus-ancient-mark}).
3973 @vindex gnus-killed-mark
3974 Marked as killed (@code{gnus-killed-mark}).
3977 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mark
3978 Marked as killed by kill files (@code{gnus-kill-file-mark}).
3981 @vindex gnus-low-score-mark
3982 Marked as read by having too low a score (@code{gnus-low-score-mark}).
3985 @vindex gnus-catchup-mark
3986 Marked as read by a catchup (@code{gnus-catchup-mark}).
3989 @vindex gnus-canceled-mark
3990 Canceled article (@code{gnus-canceled-mark})
3993 @vindex gnus-souped-mark
3994 @sc{SOUP}ed article (@code{gnus-souped-mark}). @xref{SOUP}.
3997 @vindex gnus-sparse-mark
3998 Sparsely reffed article (@code{gnus-sparse-mark}). @xref{Customizing
4002 @vindex gnus-duplicate-mark
4003 Article marked as read by duplicate suppression
4004 (@code{gnus-duplicated-mark}). @xref{Duplicate Suppression}.
4008 All these marks just mean that the article is marked as read, really.
4009 They are interpreted differently when doing adaptive scoring, though.
4011 One more special mark, though:
4015 @vindex gnus-expirable-mark
4016 Marked as expirable (@code{gnus-expirable-mark}).
4018 Marking articles as @dfn{expirable} (or have them marked as such
4019 automatically) doesn't make much sense in normal groups---a user doesn't
4020 control expiring of news articles, but in mail groups, for instance,
4021 articles marked as @dfn{expirable} can be deleted by Gnus at
4027 @subsection Other Marks
4028 @cindex process mark
4031 There are some marks that have nothing to do with whether the article is
4037 You can set a bookmark in the current article. Say you are reading a
4038 long thesis on cats' urinary tracts, and have to go home for dinner
4039 before you've finished reading the thesis. You can then set a bookmark
4040 in the article, and Gnus will jump to this bookmark the next time it
4041 encounters the article. @xref{Setting Marks}
4044 @vindex gnus-replied-mark
4045 All articles that you have replied to or made a followup to (i.e., have
4046 answered) will be marked with an @samp{A} in the second column
4047 (@code{gnus-replied-mark}).
4050 @vindex gnus-cached-mark
4051 Articles stored in the article cache will be marked with an
4052 @samp{*} in the second column (@code{gnus-cached-mark}).
4055 @vindex gnus-saved-mark
4056 Articles ``saved'' (in some manner or other; not necessarily
4057 religiously) are marked with an @samp{S} in the second column
4058 (@code{gnus-saved-mark}).
4061 @vindex gnus-not-empty-thread-mark
4062 @vindex gnus-empty-thread-mark
4063 If the @samp{%e} spec is used, the presence of threads or not will be
4064 marked with @code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark} and
4065 @code{gnus-empty-thread-mark} in the third column, respectively.
4068 @vindex gnus-process-mark
4069 Finally we have the @dfn{process mark} (@code{gnus-process-mark}). A
4070 variety of commands react to the presence of the process mark. For
4071 instance, @kbd{X u} (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}) will uudecode and view
4072 all articles that have been marked with the process mark. Articles
4073 marked with the process mark have a @samp{#} in the second column.
4077 You might have noticed that most of these ``non-readedness'' marks
4078 appear in the second column by default. So if you have a cached, saved,
4079 replied article that you have process-marked, what will that look like?
4081 Nothing much. The precedence rules go as follows: process -> cache ->
4082 replied -> saved. So if the article is in the cache and is replied,
4083 you'll only see the cache mark and not the replied mark.
4087 @subsection Setting Marks
4088 @cindex setting marks
4090 All the marking commands understand the numeric prefix.
4096 @kindex M t (Summary)
4097 @findex gnus-summary-tick-article-forward
4098 Tick the current article (@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}).
4103 @kindex M ? (Summary)
4104 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant
4105 Mark the current article as dormant
4106 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant}).
4110 @kindex M d (Summary)
4112 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward
4113 Mark the current article as read
4114 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward}).
4118 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward
4119 Mark the current article as read and move point to the previous line
4120 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward}).
4125 @kindex M k (Summary)
4126 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select
4127 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read,
4128 and then select the next unread article
4129 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select}).
4133 @kindex M K (Summary)
4134 @kindex C-k (Summary)
4135 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject
4136 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read
4137 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject}).
4140 @kindex M C (Summary)
4141 @findex gnus-summary-catchup
4142 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup}
4143 Mark all unread articles as read (@code{gnus-summary-catchup}).
4146 @kindex M C-c (Summary)
4147 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all
4148 Mark all articles in the group as read---even the ticked and dormant
4149 articles (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all}).
4152 @kindex M H (Summary)
4153 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-to-here
4154 Catchup the current group to point
4155 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-to-here}).
4158 @kindex C-w (Summary)
4159 @findex gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read
4160 Mark all articles between point and mark as read
4161 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read}).
4164 @kindex M V k (Summary)
4165 @findex gnus-summary-kill-below
4166 Kill all articles with scores below the default score (or below the
4167 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-kill-below}).
4171 @kindex M c (Summary)
4172 @kindex M-u (Summary)
4173 @findex gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward
4174 @cindex mark as unread
4175 Clear all readedness-marks from the current article
4176 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward}).
4180 @kindex M e (Summary)
4182 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable
4183 Mark the current article as expirable
4184 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable}).
4187 @kindex M b (Summary)
4188 @findex gnus-summary-set-bookmark
4189 Set a bookmark in the current article
4190 (@code{gnus-summary-set-bookmark}).
4193 @kindex M B (Summary)
4194 @findex gnus-summary-remove-bookmark
4195 Remove the bookmark from the current article
4196 (@code{gnus-summary-remove-bookmark}).
4199 @kindex M V c (Summary)
4200 @findex gnus-summary-clear-above
4201 Clear all marks from articles with scores over the default score (or
4202 over the numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
4205 @kindex M V u (Summary)
4206 @findex gnus-summary-tick-above
4207 Tick all articles with scores over the default score (or over the
4208 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-tick-above}).
4211 @kindex M V m (Summary)
4212 @findex gnus-summary-mark-above
4213 Prompt for a mark, and mark all articles with scores over the default
4214 score (or over the numeric prefix) with this mark
4215 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
4218 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
4219 The @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} variable controls what action should
4220 be taken after setting a mark. If non-@code{nil}, point will move to
4221 the next/previous unread article. If @code{nil}, point will just move
4222 one line up or down. As a special case, if this variable is
4223 @code{never}, all the marking commands as well as other commands (like
4224 @kbd{SPACE}) will move to the next article, whether it is unread or not.
4225 The default is @code{t}.
4228 @node Setting Process Marks
4229 @subsection Setting Process Marks
4230 @cindex setting process marks
4237 @kindex M P p (Summary)
4238 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
4239 Mark the current article with the process mark
4240 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}).
4241 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
4245 @kindex M P u (Summary)
4246 @kindex M-# (Summary)
4247 Remove the process mark, if any, from the current article
4248 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
4251 @kindex M P U (Summary)
4252 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
4253 Remove the process mark from all articles
4254 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
4257 @kindex M P i (Summary)
4258 @findex gnus-uu-invert-processable
4259 Invert the list of process marked articles
4260 (@code{gnus-uu-invert-processable}).
4263 @kindex M P R (Summary)
4264 @findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
4265 Mark articles by a regular expression (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
4268 @kindex M P r (Summary)
4269 @findex gnus-uu-mark-region
4270 Mark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
4273 @kindex M P t (Summary)
4274 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
4275 Mark all articles in the current (sub)thread
4276 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
4279 @kindex M P T (Summary)
4280 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
4281 Unmark all articles in the current (sub)thread
4282 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
4285 @kindex M P v (Summary)
4286 @findex gnus-uu-mark-over
4287 Mark all articles that have a score above the prefix argument
4288 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-over}).
4291 @kindex M P s (Summary)
4292 @findex gnus-uu-mark-series
4293 Mark all articles in the current series (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
4296 @kindex M P S (Summary)
4297 @findex gnus-uu-mark-sparse
4298 Mark all series that have already had some articles marked
4299 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-sparse}).
4302 @kindex M P a (Summary)
4303 @findex gnus-uu-mark-all
4304 Mark all articles in series order (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
4307 @kindex M P b (Summary)
4308 @findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
4309 Mark all articles in the buffer in the order they appear
4310 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
4313 @kindex M P k (Summary)
4314 @findex gnus-summary-kill-process-mark
4315 Push the current process mark set onto the stack and unmark all articles
4316 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-process-mark}).
4319 @kindex M P y (Summary)
4320 @findex gnus-summary-yank-process-mark
4321 Pop the previous process mark set from the stack and restore it
4322 (@code{gnus-summary-yank-process-mark}).
4325 @kindex M P w (Summary)
4326 @findex gnus-summary-save-process-mark
4327 Push the current process mark set onto the stack
4328 (@code{gnus-summary-save-process-mark}).
4337 It can be convenient to limit the summary buffer to just show some
4338 subset of the articles currently in the group. The effect most limit
4339 commands have is to remove a few (or many) articles from the summary
4346 @kindex / / (Summary)
4347 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-subject
4348 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some subject
4349 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-subject}).
4352 @kindex / a (Summary)
4353 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-author
4354 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some author
4355 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-author}).
4359 @kindex / u (Summary)
4361 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unread
4362 Limit the summary buffer to articles not marked as read
4363 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unread}). If given a prefix, limit the
4364 buffer to articles strictly unread. This means that ticked and
4365 dormant articles will also be excluded.
4368 @kindex / m (Summary)
4369 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-marks
4370 Ask for a mark and then limit to all articles that have not been marked
4371 with that mark (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}).
4374 @kindex / t (Summary)
4375 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-age
4376 Ask for a number and then limit the summary buffer to articles older than (or equal to) that number of days
4377 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}). If given a prefix, limit to
4378 articles younger than that number of days.
4381 @kindex / n (Summary)
4382 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-articles
4383 Limit the summary buffer to the current article
4384 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-articles}). Uses the process/prefix
4385 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
4388 @kindex / w (Summary)
4389 @findex gnus-summary-pop-limit
4390 Pop the previous limit off the stack and restore it
4391 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-limit}). If given a prefix, pop all limits off
4395 @kindex / v (Summary)
4396 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-score
4397 Limit the summary buffer to articles that have a score at or above some
4398 score (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-score}).
4402 @kindex M S (Summary)
4403 @kindex / E (Summary)
4404 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged
4405 Display all expunged articles
4406 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged}).
4409 @kindex / D (Summary)
4410 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant
4411 Display all dormant articles (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant}).
4414 @kindex / d (Summary)
4415 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant
4416 Hide all dormant articles (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant}).
4419 @kindex / c (Summary)
4420 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant
4421 Hide all dormant articles that have no children
4422 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant}).
4425 @kindex / C (Summary)
4426 @findex gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read
4427 Mark all excluded unread articles as read
4428 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read}). If given a prefix,
4429 also mark excluded ticked and dormant articles as read.
4437 @cindex article threading
4439 Gnus threads articles by default. @dfn{To thread} is to put responses
4440 to articles directly after the articles they respond to---in a
4441 hierarchical fashion.
4444 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
4445 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
4449 @node Customizing Threading
4450 @subsection Customizing Threading
4451 @cindex customizing threading
4457 @item gnus-show-threads
4458 @vindex gnus-show-threads
4459 If this variable is @code{nil}, no threading will be done, and all of
4460 the rest of the variables here will have no effect. Turning threading
4461 off will speed group selection up a bit, but it is sure to make reading
4462 slower and more awkward.
4464 @item gnus-fetch-old-headers
4465 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-headers
4466 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will attempt to build old threads by fetching
4467 more old headers---headers to articles marked as read. If you
4468 would like to display as few summary lines as possible, but still
4469 connect as many loose threads as possible, you should set this variable
4470 to @code{some} or a number. If you set it to a number, no more than
4471 that number of extra old headers will be fetched. In either case,
4472 fetching old headers only works if the backend you are using carries
4473 overview files---this would normally be @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and
4474 @code{nnml}. Also remember that if the root of the thread has been
4475 expired by the server, there's not much Gnus can do about that.
4477 @item gnus-build-sparse-threads
4478 @vindex gnus-build-sparse-threads
4479 Fetching old headers can be slow. A low-rent similar effect can be
4480 gotten by setting this variable to @code{some}. Gnus will then look at
4481 the complete @code{References} headers of all articles and try to string
4482 together articles that belong in the same thread. This will leave
4483 @dfn{gaps} in the threading display where Gnus guesses that an article
4484 is missing from the thread. (These gaps appear like normal summary
4485 lines. If you select a gap, Gnus will try to fetch the article in
4486 question.) If this variable is @code{t}, Gnus will display all these
4487 ``gaps'' without regard for whether they are useful for completing the
4488 thread or not. Finally, if this variable is @code{more}, Gnus won't cut
4489 off sparse leaf nodes that don't lead anywhere. This variable is
4490 @code{nil} by default.
4492 @item gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
4493 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
4494 Loose threads are gathered by comparing subjects of articles. If this
4495 variable is @code{nil}, Gnus requires an exact match between the
4496 subjects of the loose threads before gathering them into one big
4497 super-thread. This might be too strict a requirement, what with the
4498 presence of stupid newsreaders that chop off long subject lines. If
4499 you think so, set this variable to, say, 20 to require that only the
4500 first 20 characters of the subjects have to match. If you set this
4501 variable to a really low number, you'll find that Gnus will gather
4502 everything in sight into one thread, which isn't very helpful.
4504 @cindex fuzzy article gathering
4505 If you set this variable to the special value @code{fuzzy}, Gnus will
4506 use a fuzzy string comparison algorithm on the subjects (@pxref{Fuzzy
4509 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
4510 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
4511 This can either be a regular expression or list of regular expressions
4512 that match strings that will be removed from subjects if fuzzy subject
4513 simplification is used.
4515 @item gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
4516 @vindex gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
4517 If you set @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit} to something as low
4518 as 10, you might consider setting this variable to something sensible:
4520 @c Written by Michael Ernst <mernst@cs.rice.edu>
4522 (setq gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
4528 "wanted" "followup" "summary\\( of\\)?"
4529 "help" "query" "problem" "question"
4530 "answer" "reference" "announce"
4531 "How can I" "How to" "Comparison of"
4536 (mapconcat 'identity
4537 '("for" "for reference" "with" "about")
4539 "\\)?\\]?:?[ \t]*"))
4542 All words that match this regexp will be removed before comparing two
4545 @item gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
4546 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
4547 Since loose thread gathering is done on subjects only, that might lead
4548 to many false hits, especially with certain common subjects like
4549 @samp{} and @samp{(none)}. To make the situation slightly better,
4550 you can use the regexp @code{gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject} to say
4551 what subjects should be excluded from the gathering process.@*
4552 The default is @samp{^ *$\\|^(none)$}.
4554 @item gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
4555 @vindex gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
4556 Gnus gathers threads by looking at @code{Subject} headers. This means
4557 that totally unrelated articles may end up in the same ``thread'', which
4558 is confusing. An alternate approach is to look at all the
4559 @code{Message-ID}s in all the @code{References} headers to find matches.
4560 This will ensure that no gathered threads ever include unrelated
4561 articles, but it also means that people who have posted with broken
4562 newsreaders won't be gathered properly. The choice is yours---plague or
4566 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
4567 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
4568 This function is the default gathering function and looks at
4569 @code{Subject}s exclusively.
4571 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-references
4572 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-references
4573 This function looks at @code{References} headers exclusively.
4576 If you want to test gathering by @code{References}, you could say
4580 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
4581 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
4584 @item gnus-summary-make-false-root
4585 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root
4586 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will gather all loose subtrees into one big tree
4587 and create a dummy root at the top. (Wait a minute. Root at the top?
4588 Yup.) Loose subtrees occur when the real root has expired, or you've
4589 read or killed the root in a previous session.
4591 When there is no real root of a thread, Gnus will have to fudge
4592 something. This variable says what fudging method Gnus should use.
4593 There are four possible values:
4597 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{390}{
4598 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-adopt.ps,width=7.5cm}}
4599 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-empty.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
4600 \put(0,400){\makebox(0,0)[tl]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-none.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
4601 \put(445,400){\makebox(0,0)[tr]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-dummy.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
4606 @cindex adopting articles
4611 Gnus will make the first of the orphaned articles the parent. This
4612 parent will adopt all the other articles. The adopted articles will be
4613 marked as such by pointy brackets (@samp{<>}) instead of the standard
4614 square brackets (@samp{[]}). This is the default method.
4617 @vindex gnus-summary-dummy-line-format
4618 Gnus will create a dummy summary line that will pretend to be the
4619 parent. This dummy line does not correspond to any real article, so
4620 selecting it will just select the first real article after the dummy
4621 article. @code{gnus-summary-dummy-line-format} is used to specify the
4622 format of the dummy roots. It accepts only one format spec: @samp{S},
4623 which is the subject of the article. @xref{Formatting Variables}.
4626 Gnus won't actually make any article the parent, but simply leave the
4627 subject field of all orphans except the first empty. (Actually, it will
4628 use @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} as the subject (@pxref{Summary
4632 Don't make any article parent at all. Just gather the threads and
4633 display them after one another.
4636 Don't gather loose threads.
4639 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
4640 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-subtree
4641 If non-@code{nil}, all threads will be hidden when the summary buffer is
4644 @item gnus-thread-expunge-below
4645 @vindex gnus-thread-expunge-below
4646 All threads that have a total score (as defined by
4647 @code{gnus-thread-score-function}) less than this number will be
4648 expunged. This variable is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
4649 threads are expunged.
4651 @item gnus-thread-hide-killed
4652 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-killed
4653 if you kill a thread and this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subtree
4656 @item gnus-thread-ignore-subject
4657 @vindex gnus-thread-ignore-subject
4658 Sometimes somebody changes the subject in the middle of a thread. If
4659 this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subject change is ignored. If it
4660 is @code{nil}, which is the default, a change in the subject will result
4663 @item gnus-thread-indent-level
4664 @vindex gnus-thread-indent-level
4665 This is a number that says how much each sub-thread should be indented.
4668 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
4669 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
4670 Hook run before parsing any headers. The default value is
4671 @code{(gnus-decode-rfc1522)}, which means that QPized headers will be
4672 slightly decoded in a hackish way. This is likely to change in the
4673 future when Gnus becomes @sc{MIME}ified.
4678 @node Thread Commands
4679 @subsection Thread Commands
4680 @cindex thread commands
4686 @kindex T k (Summary)
4687 @kindex M-C-k (Summary)
4688 @findex gnus-summary-kill-thread
4689 Mark all articles in the current (sub-)thread as read
4690 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}). If the prefix argument is positive,
4691 remove all marks instead. If the prefix argument is negative, tick
4696 @kindex T l (Summary)
4697 @kindex M-C-l (Summary)
4698 @findex gnus-summary-lower-thread
4699 Lower the score of the current (sub-)thread
4700 (@code{gnus-summary-lower-thread}).
4703 @kindex T i (Summary)
4704 @findex gnus-summary-raise-thread
4705 Increase the score of the current (sub-)thread
4706 (@code{gnus-summary-raise-thread}).
4709 @kindex T # (Summary)
4710 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
4711 Set the process mark on the current (sub-)thread
4712 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
4715 @kindex T M-# (Summary)
4716 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
4717 Remove the process mark from the current (sub-)thread
4718 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
4721 @kindex T T (Summary)
4722 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-threads
4723 Toggle threading (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-threads}).
4726 @kindex T s (Summary)
4727 @findex gnus-summary-show-thread
4728 Expose the (sub-)thread hidden under the current article, if any
4729 (@code{gnus-summary-show-thread}).
4732 @kindex T h (Summary)
4733 @findex gnus-summary-hide-thread
4734 Hide the current (sub-)thread (@code{gnus-summary-hide-thread}).
4737 @kindex T S (Summary)
4738 @findex gnus-summary-show-all-threads
4739 Expose all hidden threads (@code{gnus-summary-show-all-threads}).
4742 @kindex T H (Summary)
4743 @findex gnus-summary-hide-all-threads
4744 Hide all threads (@code{gnus-summary-hide-all-threads}).
4747 @kindex T t (Summary)
4748 @findex gnus-summary-rethread-current
4749 Re-thread the current article's thread
4750 (@code{gnus-summary-rethread-current}). This works even when the
4751 summary buffer is otherwise unthreaded.
4754 @kindex T ^ (Summary)
4755 @findex gnus-summary-reparent-thread
4756 Make the current article the child of the marked (or previous) article
4757 (@code{gnus-summary-reparent-thread}).
4761 The following commands are thread movement commands. They all
4762 understand the numeric prefix.
4767 @kindex T n (Summary)
4768 @findex gnus-summary-next-thread
4769 Go to the next thread (@code{gnus-summary-next-thread}).
4772 @kindex T p (Summary)
4773 @findex gnus-summary-prev-thread
4774 Go to the previous thread (@code{gnus-summary-prev-thread}).
4777 @kindex T d (Summary)
4778 @findex gnus-summary-down-thread
4779 Descend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-down-thread}).
4782 @kindex T u (Summary)
4783 @findex gnus-summary-up-thread
4784 Ascend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-up-thread}).
4787 @kindex T o (Summary)
4788 @findex gnus-summary-top-thread
4789 Go to the top of the thread (@code{gnus-summary-top-thread}).
4792 @vindex gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject
4793 If you ignore subject while threading, you'll naturally end up with
4794 threads that have several different subjects in them. If you then issue
4795 a command like `T k' (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}) you might not
4796 wish to kill the entire thread, but just those parts of the thread that
4797 have the same subject as the current article. If you like this idea,
4798 you can fiddle with @code{gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject}. If it
4799 is non-@code{nil} (which it is by default), subjects will be ignored
4800 when doing thread commands. If this variable is @code{nil}, articles in
4801 the same thread with different subjects will not be included in the
4802 operation in question. If this variable is @code{fuzzy}, only articles
4803 that have subjects fuzzily equal will be included (@pxref{Fuzzy
4810 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score
4811 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date
4812 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-score
4813 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
4814 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-author
4815 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-number
4816 @vindex gnus-thread-sort-functions
4817 If you are using a threaded summary display, you can sort the threads by
4818 setting @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, which is a list of functions.
4819 By default, sorting is done on article numbers. Ready-made sorting
4820 predicate functions include @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number},
4821 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-subject},
4822 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-score}, and
4823 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score}.
4825 Each function takes two threads and returns non-@code{nil} if the first
4826 thread should be sorted before the other. Note that sorting really is
4827 normally done by looking only at the roots of each thread. If you use
4828 more than one function, the primary sort key should be the last function
4829 in the list. You should probably always include
4830 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number} in the list of sorting
4831 functions---preferably first. This will ensure that threads that are
4832 equal with respect to the other sort criteria will be displayed in
4833 ascending article order.
4835 If you would like to sort by score, then by subject, and finally by
4836 number, you could do something like:
4839 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
4840 '(gnus-thread-sort-by-number
4841 gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
4842 gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score))
4845 The threads that have highest score will be displayed first in the
4846 summary buffer. When threads have the same score, they will be sorted
4847 alphabetically. The threads that have the same score and the same
4848 subject will be sorted by number, which is (normally) the sequence in
4849 which the articles arrived.
4851 If you want to sort by score and then reverse arrival order, you could
4855 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
4857 (not (gnus-thread-sort-by-number t2 t1)))
4858 gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
4861 @vindex gnus-thread-score-function
4862 The function in the @code{gnus-thread-score-function} variable (default
4863 @code{+}) is used for calculating the total score of a thread. Useful
4864 functions might be @code{max}, @code{min}, or squared means, or whatever
4867 @findex gnus-article-sort-functions
4868 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-date
4869 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-score
4870 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-subject
4871 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-author
4872 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-number
4873 If you are using an unthreaded display for some strange reason or other,
4874 you have to fiddle with the @code{gnus-article-sort-functions} variable.
4875 It is very similar to the @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, except that
4876 it uses slightly different functions for article comparison. Available
4877 sorting predicate functions are @code{gnus-article-sort-by-number},
4878 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-article-sort-by-subject},
4879 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-date}, and @code{gnus-article-sort-by-score}.
4881 If you want to sort an unthreaded summary display by subject, you could
4885 (setq gnus-article-sort-functions
4886 '(gnus-article-sort-by-number
4887 gnus-article-sort-by-subject))
4892 @node Asynchronous Fetching
4893 @section Asynchronous Article Fetching
4894 @cindex asynchronous article fetching
4895 @cindex article pre-fetch
4898 If you read your news from an @sc{nntp} server that's far away, the
4899 network latencies may make reading articles a chore. You have to wait
4900 for a while after pressing @kbd{n} to go to the next article before the
4901 article appears. Why can't Gnus just go ahead and fetch the article
4902 while you are reading the previous one? Why not, indeed.
4904 First, some caveats. There are some pitfalls to using asynchronous
4905 article fetching, especially the way Gnus does it.
4907 Let's say you are reading article 1, which is short, and article 2 is
4908 quite long, and you are not interested in reading that. Gnus does not
4909 know this, so it goes ahead and fetches article 2. You decide to read
4910 article 3, but since Gnus is in the process of fetching article 2, the
4911 connection is blocked.
4913 To avoid these situations, Gnus will open two (count 'em two)
4914 connections to the server. Some people may think this isn't a very nice
4915 thing to do, but I don't see any real alternatives. Setting up that
4916 extra connection takes some time, so Gnus startup will be slower.
4918 Gnus will fetch more articles than you will read. This will mean that
4919 the link between your machine and the @sc{nntp} server will become more
4920 loaded than if you didn't use article pre-fetch. The server itself will
4921 also become more loaded---both with the extra article requests, and the
4924 Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing... unless
4927 @vindex gnus-asynchronous
4928 Here's how: Set @code{gnus-asynchronous} to @code{t}. The rest should
4929 happen automatically.
4931 @vindex gnus-use-article-prefetch
4932 You can control how many articles are to be pre-fetched by setting
4933 @code{gnus-use-article-prefetch}. This is 30 by default, which means
4934 that when you read an article in the group, the backend will pre-fetch
4935 the next 30 articles. If this variable is @code{t}, the backend will
4936 pre-fetch all the articles it can without bound. If it is
4937 @code{nil}, no pre-fetching will be done.
4939 @vindex gnus-async-prefetch-article-p
4940 @findex gnus-async-read-p
4941 There are probably some articles that you don't want to pre-fetch---read
4942 articles, for instance. The @code{gnus-async-prefetch-article-p} variable controls whether an article is to be pre-fetched. This function should
4943 return non-@code{nil} when the article in question is to be
4944 pre-fetched. The default is @code{gnus-async-read-p}, which returns
4945 @code{nil} on read articles. The function is called with an article
4946 data structure as the only parameter.
4948 If, for instance, you wish to pre-fetch only unread articles shorter than 100 lines, you could say something like:
4951 (defun my-async-short-unread-p (data)
4952 "Return non-nil for short, unread articles."
4953 (and (gnus-data-unread-p data)
4954 (< (mail-header-lines (gnus-data-header data))
4957 (setq gnus-async-prefetch-article-p 'my-async-short-unread-p)
4960 These functions will be called many, many times, so they should
4961 preferably be short and sweet to avoid slowing down Gnus too much.
4962 It's probably a good idea to byte-compile things like this.
4964 @vindex gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy
4965 Articles have to be removed from the asynch buffer sooner or later. The
4966 @code{gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy} says when to remove
4967 articles. This is a list that may contain the following elements:
4971 Remove articles when they are read.
4974 Remove articles when exiting the group.
4977 The default value is @code{(read exit)}.
4979 @vindex gnus-use-header-prefetch
4980 If @code{gnus-use-header-prefetch} is non-@code{nil}, prefetch articles
4981 from the next group.
4984 @node Article Caching
4985 @section Article Caching
4986 @cindex article caching
4989 If you have an @emph{extremely} slow @sc{nntp} connection, you may
4990 consider turning article caching on. Each article will then be stored
4991 locally under your home directory. As you may surmise, this could
4992 potentially use @emph{huge} amounts of disk space, as well as eat up all
4993 your inodes so fast it will make your head swim. In vodka.
4995 Used carefully, though, it could be just an easier way to save articles.
4997 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
4998 @vindex gnus-cache-directory
4999 @vindex gnus-use-cache
5000 To turn caching on, set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{t}. By default,
5001 all articles ticked or marked as dormant will then be copied
5002 over to your local cache (@code{gnus-cache-directory}). Whether this
5003 cache is flat or hierarchal is controlled by the
5004 @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable, as usual.
5006 When re-selecting a ticked or dormant article, it will be fetched from the
5007 cache instead of from the server. As articles in your cache will never
5008 expire, this might serve as a method of saving articles while still
5009 keeping them where they belong. Just mark all articles you want to save
5010 as dormant, and don't worry.
5012 When an article is marked as read, is it removed from the cache.
5014 @vindex gnus-cache-remove-articles
5015 @vindex gnus-cache-enter-articles
5016 The entering/removal of articles from the cache is controlled by the
5017 @code{gnus-cache-enter-articles} and @code{gnus-cache-remove-articles}
5018 variables. Both are lists of symbols. The first is @code{(ticked
5019 dormant)} by default, meaning that ticked and dormant articles will be
5020 put in the cache. The latter is @code{(read)} by default, meaning that
5021 articles marked as read are removed from the cache. Possibly
5022 symbols in these two lists are @code{ticked}, @code{dormant},
5023 @code{unread} and @code{read}.
5025 @findex gnus-jog-cache
5026 So where does the massive article-fetching and storing come into the
5027 picture? The @code{gnus-jog-cache} command will go through all
5028 subscribed newsgroups, request all unread articles, and store them in
5029 the cache. You should only ever, ever ever ever, use this command if 1)
5030 your connection to the @sc{nntp} server is really, really, really slow
5031 and 2) you have a really, really, really huge disk. Seriously.
5033 @vindex gnus-uncacheable-groups
5034 It is likely that you do not want caching on some groups. For instance,
5035 if your @code{nnml} mail is located under your home directory, it makes no
5036 sense to cache it somewhere else under your home directory. Unless you
5037 feel that it's neat to use twice as much space. To limit the caching,
5038 you could set the @code{gnus-uncacheable-groups} regexp to
5039 @samp{^nnml}, for instance. This variable is @code{nil} by
5042 @findex gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases
5043 @findex gnus-cache-generate-active
5044 @vindex gnus-cache-active-file
5045 The cache stores information on what articles it contains in its active
5046 file (@code{gnus-cache-active-file}). If this file (or any other parts
5047 of the cache) becomes all messed up for some reason or other, Gnus
5048 offers two functions that will try to set things right. @kbd{M-x
5049 gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases} will (re)build all the @sc{nov}
5050 files, and @kbd{gnus-cache-generate-active} will (re)generate the active
5054 @node Persistent Articles
5055 @section Persistent Articles
5056 @cindex persistent articles
5058 Closely related to article caching, we have @dfn{persistent articles}.
5059 In fact, it's just a different way of looking at caching, and much more
5060 useful in my opinion.
5062 Say you're reading a newsgroup, and you happen on to some valuable gem
5063 that you want to keep and treasure forever. You'd normally just save it
5064 (using one of the many saving commands) in some file. The problem with
5065 that is that it's just, well, yucky. Ideally you'd prefer just having
5066 the article remain in the group where you found it forever; untouched by
5067 the expiry going on at the news server.
5069 This is what a @dfn{persistent article} is---an article that just won't
5070 be deleted. It's implemented using the normal cache functions, but
5071 you use two explicit commands for managing persistent articles:
5077 @findex gnus-cache-enter-article
5078 Make the current article persistent (@code{gnus-cache-enter-article}).
5081 @kindex M-* (Summary)
5082 @findex gnus-cache-remove-article
5083 Remove the current article from the persistent articles
5084 (@code{gnus-cache-remove-article}). This will normally delete the
5088 Both these commands understand the process/prefix convention.
5090 To avoid having all ticked articles (and stuff) entered into the cache,
5091 you should set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{passive} if you're just
5092 interested in persistent articles:
5095 (setq gnus-use-cache 'passive)
5099 @node Article Backlog
5100 @section Article Backlog
5102 @cindex article backlog
5104 If you have a slow connection, but the idea of using caching seems
5105 unappealing to you (and it is, really), you can help the situation some
5106 by switching on the @dfn{backlog}. This is where Gnus will buffer
5107 already read articles so that it doesn't have to re-fetch articles
5108 you've already read. This only helps if you are in the habit of
5109 re-selecting articles you've recently read, of course. If you never do
5110 that, turning the backlog on will slow Gnus down a little bit, and
5111 increase memory usage some.
5113 @vindex gnus-keep-backlog
5114 If you set @code{gnus-keep-backlog} to a number @var{n}, Gnus will store
5115 at most @var{n} old articles in a buffer for later re-fetching. If this
5116 variable is non-@code{nil} and is not a number, Gnus will store
5117 @emph{all} read articles, which means that your Emacs will grow without
5118 bound before exploding and taking your machine down with you. I put
5119 that in there just to keep y'all on your toes.
5121 This variable is @code{nil} by default.
5124 @node Saving Articles
5125 @section Saving Articles
5126 @cindex saving articles
5128 Gnus can save articles in a number of ways. Below is the documentation
5129 for saving articles in a fairly straight-forward fashion (i.e., little
5130 processing of the article is done before it is saved). For a different
5131 approach (uudecoding, unsharing) you should use @code{gnus-uu}
5132 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
5134 @vindex gnus-save-all-headers
5135 If @code{gnus-save-all-headers} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will not delete
5136 unwanted headers before saving the article.
5138 @vindex gnus-saved-headers
5139 If the preceding variable is @code{nil}, all headers that match the
5140 @code{gnus-saved-headers} regexp will be kept, while the rest will be
5141 deleted before saving.
5147 @kindex O o (Summary)
5149 @findex gnus-summary-save-article
5150 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article}
5151 Save the current article using the default article saver
5152 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article}).
5155 @kindex O m (Summary)
5156 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-mail
5157 Save the current article in mail format
5158 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-mail}).
5161 @kindex O r (Summary)
5162 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-rmail
5163 Save the current article in rmail format
5164 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-rmail}).
5167 @kindex O f (Summary)
5168 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-file
5169 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article-file}
5170 Save the current article in plain file format
5171 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-file}).
5174 @kindex O F (Summary)
5175 @findex gnus-summary-write-article-file
5176 Write the current article in plain file format, overwriting any previous
5177 file contents (@code{gnus-summary-write-article-file}).
5180 @kindex O b (Summary)
5181 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-body-file
5182 Save the current article body in plain file format
5183 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-body-file}).
5186 @kindex O h (Summary)
5187 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-folder
5188 Save the current article in mh folder format
5189 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-folder}).
5192 @kindex O v (Summary)
5193 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-vm
5194 Save the current article in a VM folder
5195 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-vm}).
5198 @kindex O p (Summary)
5199 @findex gnus-summary-pipe-output
5200 Save the current article in a pipe. Uhm, like, what I mean is---Pipe
5201 the current article to a process (@code{gnus-summary-pipe-output}).
5204 @vindex gnus-prompt-before-saving
5205 All these commands use the process/prefix convention
5206 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). If you save bunches of articles using these
5207 functions, you might get tired of being prompted for files to save each
5208 and every article in. The prompting action is controlled by
5209 the @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} variable, which is @code{always} by
5210 default, giving you that excessive prompting action you know and
5211 loathe. If you set this variable to @code{t} instead, you'll be prompted
5212 just once for each series of articles you save. If you like to really
5213 have Gnus do all your thinking for you, you can even set this variable
5214 to @code{nil}, which means that you will never be prompted for files to
5215 save articles in. Gnus will simply save all the articles in the default
5219 @vindex gnus-default-article-saver
5220 You can customize the @code{gnus-default-article-saver} variable to make
5221 Gnus do what you want it to. You can use any of the four ready-made
5222 functions below, or you can create your own.
5226 @item gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
5227 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
5228 @vindex gnus-rmail-save-name
5229 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
5230 This is the default format, @dfn{babyl}. Uses the function in the
5231 @code{gnus-rmail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
5232 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
5234 @item gnus-summary-save-in-mail
5235 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-mail
5236 @vindex gnus-mail-save-name
5237 Save in a Unix mail (mbox) file. Uses the function in the
5238 @code{gnus-mail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
5239 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
5241 @item gnus-summary-save-in-file
5242 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-file
5243 @vindex gnus-file-save-name
5244 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
5245 Append the article straight to an ordinary file. Uses the function in
5246 the @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
5247 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
5249 @item gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
5250 @findex gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
5251 Append the article body to an ordinary file. Uses the function in the
5252 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
5253 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
5255 @item gnus-summary-save-in-folder
5256 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-folder
5257 @findex gnus-folder-save-name
5258 @findex gnus-Folder-save-name
5259 @vindex gnus-folder-save-name
5262 Save the article to an MH folder using @code{rcvstore} from the MH
5263 library. Uses the function in the @code{gnus-folder-save-name} variable
5264 to get a file name to save the article in. The default is
5265 @code{gnus-folder-save-name}, but you can also use
5266 @code{gnus-Folder-save-name}, which creates capitalized names.
5268 @item gnus-summary-save-in-vm
5269 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-vm
5270 Save the article in a VM folder. You have to have the VM mail
5271 reader to use this setting.
5274 @vindex gnus-article-save-directory
5275 All of these functions, except for the last one, will save the article
5276 in the @code{gnus-article-save-directory}, which is initialized from the
5277 @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable. This is @file{~/News/} by
5280 As you can see above, the functions use different functions to find a
5281 suitable name of a file to save the article in. Below is a list of
5282 available functions that generate names:
5286 @item gnus-Numeric-save-name
5287 @findex gnus-Numeric-save-name
5288 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
5290 @item gnus-numeric-save-name
5291 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
5292 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
5294 @item gnus-Plain-save-name
5295 @findex gnus-Plain-save-name
5296 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin}.
5298 @item gnus-plain-save-name
5299 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
5300 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.
5303 @vindex gnus-split-methods
5304 You can have Gnus suggest where to save articles by plonking a regexp into
5305 the @code{gnus-split-methods} alist. For instance, if you would like to
5306 save articles related to Gnus in the file @file{gnus-stuff}, and articles
5307 related to VM in @code{vm-stuff}, you could set this variable to something
5311 (("^Subject:.*gnus\\|^Newsgroups:.*gnus" "gnus-stuff")
5312 ("^Subject:.*vm\\|^Xref:.*vm" "vm-stuff")
5313 (my-choosing-function "../other-dir/my-stuff")
5314 ((equal gnus-newsgroup-name "mail.misc") "mail-stuff"))
5317 We see that this is a list where each element is a list that has two
5318 elements---the @dfn{match} and the @dfn{file}. The match can either be
5319 a string (in which case it is used as a regexp to match on the article
5320 head); it can be a symbol (which will be called as a function with the
5321 group name as a parameter); or it can be a list (which will be
5322 @code{eval}ed). If any of these actions have a non-@code{nil} result,
5323 the @dfn{file} will be used as a default prompt. In addition, the
5324 result of the operation itself will be used if the function or form
5325 called returns a string or a list of strings.
5327 You basically end up with a list of file names that might be used when
5328 saving the current article. (All ``matches'' will be used.) You will
5329 then be prompted for what you really want to use as a name, with file
5330 name completion over the results from applying this variable.
5332 This variable is @code{((gnus-article-archive-name))} by default, which
5333 means that Gnus will look at the articles it saves for an
5334 @code{Archive-name} line and use that as a suggestion for the file
5337 Here's an example function to clean up file names somewhat. If you have
5338 lots of mail groups called things like
5339 @samp{nnml:mail.whatever}, you may want to chop off the beginning of
5340 these group names before creating the file name to save to. The
5341 following will do just that:
5344 (defun my-save-name (group)
5345 (when (string-match "^nnml:mail." group)
5346 (substring group (match-end 0))))
5348 (setq gnus-split-methods
5349 '((gnus-article-archive-name)
5354 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
5355 Finally, you have the @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable. If it is
5356 @code{nil}, all the preceding functions will replace all periods
5357 (@samp{.}) in the group names with slashes (@samp{/})---which means that
5358 the functions will generate hierarchies of directories instead of having
5359 all the files in the toplevel directory
5360 (@file{~/News/alt/andrea-dworkin} instead of
5361 @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.) This variable is @code{t} by default
5362 on most systems. However, for historical reasons, this is @code{nil} on
5363 Xenix and usg-unix-v machines by default.
5365 This function also affects kill and score file names. If this variable
5366 is a list, and the list contains the element @code{not-score}, long file
5367 names will not be used for score files, if it contains the element
5368 @code{not-save}, long file names will not be used for saving, and if it
5369 contains the element @code{not-kill}, long file names will not be used
5372 If you'd like to save articles in a hierarchy that looks something like
5376 (setq gnus-use-long-file-name '(not-save)) ; to get a hierarchy
5377 (setq gnus-default-article-saver 'gnus-summary-save-in-file) ; no encoding
5380 Then just save with @kbd{o}. You'd then read this hierarchy with
5381 ephemeral @code{nneething} groups---@kbd{G D} in the group buffer, and
5382 the toplevel directory as the argument (@file{~/News/}). Then just walk
5383 around to the groups/directories with @code{nneething}.
5386 @node Decoding Articles
5387 @section Decoding Articles
5388 @cindex decoding articles
5390 Sometime users post articles (or series of articles) that have been
5391 encoded in some way or other. Gnus can decode them for you.
5394 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
5395 * Shared Articles:: Unshar articles.
5396 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
5397 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
5398 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
5399 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
5402 All these functions use the process/prefix convention
5403 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) for finding out what articles to work on, with
5404 the extension that a ``single article'' means ``a single series''. Gnus
5405 can find out by itself what articles belong to a series, decode all the
5406 articles and unpack/view/save the resulting file(s).
5408 Gnus guesses what articles are in the series according to the following
5409 simplish rule: The subjects must be (nearly) identical, except for the
5410 last two numbers of the line. (Spaces are largely ignored, however.)
5412 For example: If you choose a subject called @samp{cat.gif (2/3)}, Gnus
5413 will find all the articles that match the regexp @samp{^cat.gif
5414 ([0-9]+/[0-9]+).*$}.
5416 Subjects that are non-standard, like @samp{cat.gif (2/3) Part 6 of a
5417 series}, will not be properly recognized by any of the automatic viewing
5418 commands, and you have to mark the articles manually with @kbd{#}.
5421 @node Uuencoded Articles
5422 @subsection Uuencoded Articles
5424 @cindex uuencoded articles
5429 @kindex X u (Summary)
5430 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu
5431 @c @icon{gnus-uu-decode-uu}
5432 Uudecodes the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}).
5435 @kindex X U (Summary)
5436 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save
5437 Uudecodes and saves the current series
5438 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
5441 @kindex X v u (Summary)
5442 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-view
5443 Uudecodes and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-view}).
5446 @kindex X v U (Summary)
5447 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view
5448 Uudecodes, views and saves the current series
5449 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view}).
5453 Remember that these all react to the presence of articles marked with
5454 the process mark. If, for instance, you'd like to decode and save an
5455 entire newsgroup, you'd typically do @kbd{M P a}
5456 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}) and then @kbd{X U}
5457 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
5459 All this is very much different from how @code{gnus-uu} worked with
5460 @sc{gnus 4.1}, where you had explicit keystrokes for everything under
5461 the sun. This version of @code{gnus-uu} generally assumes that you mark
5462 articles in some way (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}) and then press
5465 @vindex gnus-uu-notify-files
5466 Note: When trying to decode articles that have names matching
5467 @code{gnus-uu-notify-files}, which is hard-coded to
5468 @samp{[Cc][Ii][Nn][Dd][Yy][0-9]+.\\(gif\\|jpg\\)}, @code{gnus-uu} will
5469 automatically post an article on @samp{comp.unix.wizards} saying that
5470 you have just viewed the file in question. This feature can't be turned
5474 @node Shared Articles
5475 @subsection Shared Articles
5477 @cindex shared articles
5482 @kindex X s (Summary)
5483 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar
5484 Unshars the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar}).
5487 @kindex X S (Summary)
5488 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save
5489 Unshars and saves the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save}).
5492 @kindex X v s (Summary)
5493 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view
5494 Unshars and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view}).
5497 @kindex X v S (Summary)
5498 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view
5499 Unshars, views and saves the current series
5500 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view}).
5504 @node PostScript Files
5505 @subsection PostScript Files
5511 @kindex X p (Summary)
5512 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript
5513 Unpack the current PostScript series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript}).
5516 @kindex X P (Summary)
5517 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save
5518 Unpack and save the current PostScript series
5519 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save}).
5522 @kindex X v p (Summary)
5523 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view
5524 View the current PostScript series
5525 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view}).
5528 @kindex X v P (Summary)
5529 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view
5530 View and save the current PostScript series
5531 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view}).
5536 @subsection Other Files
5540 @kindex X o (Summary)
5541 @findex gnus-uu-decode-save
5542 Save the current series
5543 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-save}).
5546 @kindex X b (Summary)
5547 @findex gnus-uu-decode-binhex
5548 Unbinhex the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-binhex}). This
5549 doesn't really work yet.
5553 @node Decoding Variables
5554 @subsection Decoding Variables
5556 Adjective, not verb.
5559 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
5560 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
5561 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
5565 @node Rule Variables
5566 @subsubsection Rule Variables
5567 @cindex rule variables
5569 Gnus uses @dfn{rule variables} to decide how to view a file. All these
5570 variables are of the form
5573 (list '(regexp1 command2)
5580 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules
5581 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules
5583 This variable is consulted first when viewing files. If you wish to use,
5584 for instance, @code{sox} to convert an @samp{.au} sound file, you could
5587 (setq gnus-uu-user-view-rules
5588 (list '(\"\\\\.au$\" \"sox %s -t .aiff > /dev/audio\")))
5591 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
5592 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
5593 This variable is consulted if Gnus couldn't make any matches from the
5594 user and default view rules.
5596 @item gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
5597 @vindex gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
5598 This variable can be used to say what commands should be used to unpack
5603 @node Other Decode Variables
5604 @subsubsection Other Decode Variables
5607 @vindex gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
5609 @item gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
5610 All functions in this list will be called right after each file has been
5611 successfully decoded---so that you can move or view files right away,
5612 and don't have to wait for all files to be decoded before you can do
5613 anything. Ready-made functions you can put in this list are:
5617 @item gnus-uu-grab-view
5618 @findex gnus-uu-grab-view
5621 @item gnus-uu-grab-move
5622 @findex gnus-uu-grab-move
5623 Move the file (if you're using a saving function.)
5626 @item gnus-uu-be-dangerous
5627 @vindex gnus-uu-be-dangerous
5628 Specifies what to do if unusual situations arise during decoding. If
5629 @code{nil}, be as conservative as possible. If @code{t}, ignore things
5630 that didn't work, and overwrite existing files. Otherwise, ask each
5633 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
5634 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
5635 Files with name matching this regular expression won't be viewed.
5637 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
5638 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
5639 Files with a @sc{mime} type matching this variable won't be viewed.
5640 Note that Gnus tries to guess what type the file is based on the name.
5641 @code{gnus-uu} is not a @sc{mime} package (yet), so this is slightly
5644 @item gnus-uu-tmp-dir
5645 @vindex gnus-uu-tmp-dir
5646 Where @code{gnus-uu} does its work.
5648 @item gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
5649 @vindex gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
5650 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} won't peek inside archives
5651 looking for files to display.
5653 @item gnus-uu-view-and-save
5654 @vindex gnus-uu-view-and-save
5655 Non-@code{nil} means that the user will always be asked to save a file
5658 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
5659 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
5660 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default viewing
5663 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
5664 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
5665 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default archive
5668 @item gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
5669 @vindex gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
5670 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will strip all carriage returns
5673 @item gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
5674 @vindex gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
5675 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will mark unsuccessfully
5676 decoded articles as unread.
5678 @item gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
5679 @vindex gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
5680 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will @emph{try} to fix
5681 uuencoded files that have had trailing spaces deleted.
5683 @item gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
5684 @vindex gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
5686 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the viewing
5687 commands defined by the rule variables and just fudge a @sc{mime}
5688 content type based on the file name. The result will be fed to
5689 @code{metamail} for viewing.
5691 @item gnus-uu-save-in-digest
5692 @vindex gnus-uu-save-in-digest
5693 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu}, when asked to save without
5694 decoding, will save in digests. If this variable is @code{nil},
5695 @code{gnus-uu} will just save everything in a file without any
5696 embellishments. The digesting almost conforms to RFC1153---no easy way
5697 to specify any meaningful volume and issue numbers were found, so I
5698 simply dropped them.
5703 @node Uuencoding and Posting
5704 @subsubsection Uuencoding and Posting
5708 @item gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
5709 @vindex gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
5710 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ask for a file to encode
5711 before you compose the article. If this variable is @code{t}, you can
5712 either include an encoded file with @kbd{C-c C-i} or have one included
5713 for you when you post the article.
5715 @item gnus-uu-post-length
5716 @vindex gnus-uu-post-length
5717 Maximum length of an article. The encoded file will be split into how
5718 many articles it takes to post the entire file.
5720 @item gnus-uu-post-threaded
5721 @vindex gnus-uu-post-threaded
5722 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will post the encoded file in a
5723 thread. This may not be smart, as no other decoder I have seen is able
5724 to follow threads when collecting uuencoded articles. (Well, I have
5725 seen one package that does that---@code{gnus-uu}, but somehow, I don't
5726 think that counts...) Default is @code{nil}.
5728 @item gnus-uu-post-separate-description
5729 @vindex gnus-uu-post-separate-description
5730 Non-@code{nil} means that the description will be posted in a separate
5731 article. The first article will typically be numbered (0/x). If this
5732 variable is @code{nil}, the description the user enters will be included
5733 at the beginning of the first article, which will be numbered (1/x).
5734 Default is @code{t}.
5740 @subsection Viewing Files
5741 @cindex viewing files
5742 @cindex pseudo-articles
5744 After decoding, if the file is some sort of archive, Gnus will attempt
5745 to unpack the archive and see if any of the files in the archive can be
5746 viewed. For instance, if you have a gzipped tar file @file{pics.tar.gz}
5747 containing the files @file{pic1.jpg} and @file{pic2.gif}, Gnus will
5748 uncompress and de-tar the main file, and then view the two pictures.
5749 This unpacking process is recursive, so if the archive contains archives
5750 of archives, it'll all be unpacked.
5752 Finally, Gnus will normally insert a @dfn{pseudo-article} for each
5753 extracted file into the summary buffer. If you go to these
5754 ``articles'', you will be prompted for a command to run (usually Gnus
5755 will make a suggestion), and then the command will be run.
5757 @vindex gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously
5758 If @code{gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously} is @code{nil}, Emacs will wait
5759 until the viewing is done before proceeding.
5761 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos
5762 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos} is @code{automatic}, Gnus will not insert
5763 the pseudo-articles into the summary buffer, but view them
5764 immediately. If this variable is @code{not-confirm}, the user won't even
5765 be asked for a confirmation before viewing is done.
5767 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos-separately
5768 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos-separately} is non-@code{nil}, one
5769 pseudo-article will be created for each file to be viewed. If
5770 @code{nil}, all files that use the same viewing command will be given as
5771 a list of parameters to that command.
5773 @vindex gnus-insert-pseudo-articles
5774 If @code{gnus-insert-pseudo-articles} is non-@code{nil}, insert
5775 pseudo-articles when decoding. It is @code{t} by default.
5777 So; there you are, reading your @emph{pseudo-articles} in your
5778 @emph{virtual newsgroup} from the @emph{virtual server}; and you think:
5779 Why isn't anything real anymore? How did we get here?
5782 @node Article Treatment
5783 @section Article Treatment
5785 Reading through this huge manual, you may have quite forgotten that the
5786 object of newsreaders is to actually, like, read what people have
5787 written. Reading articles. Unfortunately, people are quite bad at
5788 writing, so there are tons of functions and variables to make reading
5789 these articles easier.
5792 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
5793 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look niced.
5794 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
5795 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
5796 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
5797 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
5798 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
5802 @node Article Highlighting
5803 @subsection Article Highlighting
5806 Not only do you want your article buffer to look like fruit salad, but
5807 you want it to look like technicolor fruit salad.
5812 @kindex W H a (Summary)
5813 @findex gnus-article-highlight
5814 Highlight the current article (@code{gnus-article-highlight}).
5817 @kindex W H h (Summary)
5818 @findex gnus-article-highlight-headers
5819 @vindex gnus-header-face-alist
5820 Highlight the headers (@code{gnus-article-highlight-headers}). The
5821 highlighting will be done according to the @code{gnus-header-face-alist}
5822 variable, which is a list where each element has the form @var{(regexp
5823 name content)}. @var{regexp} is a regular expression for matching the
5824 header, @var{name} is the face used for highlighting the header name and
5825 @var{content} is the face for highlighting the header value. The first
5826 match made will be used. Note that @var{regexp} shouldn't have @samp{^}
5827 prepended---Gnus will add one.
5830 @kindex W H c (Summary)
5831 @findex gnus-article-highlight-citation
5832 Highlight cited text (@code{gnus-article-highlight-citation}).
5834 Some variables to customize the citation highlights:
5837 @vindex gnus-cite-parse-max-size
5839 @item gnus-cite-parse-max-size
5840 If the article size if bigger than this variable (which is 25000 by
5841 default), no citation highlighting will be performed.
5843 @item gnus-cite-prefix-regexp
5844 @vindex gnus-cite-prefix-regexp
5845 Regexp matching the longest possible citation prefix on a line.
5847 @item gnus-cite-max-prefix
5848 @vindex gnus-cite-max-prefix
5849 Maximum possible length for a citation prefix (default 20).
5851 @item gnus-cite-face-list
5852 @vindex gnus-cite-face-list
5853 List of faces used for highlighting citations. When there are citations
5854 from multiple articles in the same message, Gnus will try to give each
5855 citation from each article its own face. This should make it easier to
5858 @item gnus-supercite-regexp
5859 @vindex gnus-supercite-regexp
5860 Regexp matching normal Supercite attribution lines.
5862 @item gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
5863 @vindex gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
5864 Regexp matching mangled Supercite attribution lines.
5866 @item gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
5867 @vindex gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
5868 Minimum number of identical prefixes we have to see before we believe
5869 that it's a citation.
5871 @item gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
5872 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
5873 Regexp matching the beginning of an attribution line.
5875 @item gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
5876 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
5877 Regexp matching the end of an attribution line.
5879 @item gnus-cite-attribution-face
5880 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-face
5881 Face used for attribution lines. It is merged with the face for the
5882 cited text belonging to the attribution.
5888 @kindex W H s (Summary)
5889 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
5890 @vindex gnus-signature-face
5891 @findex gnus-article-highlight-signature
5892 Highlight the signature (@code{gnus-article-highlight-signature}).
5893 Everything after @code{gnus-signature-separator} (@pxref{Article
5894 Signature}) in an article will be considered a signature and will be
5895 highlighted with @code{gnus-signature-face}, which is @code{italic} by
5901 @node Article Fontisizing
5902 @subsection Article Fontisizing
5904 @cindex article emphasis
5906 @findex gnus-article-emphasize
5907 @kindex W e (Summary)
5908 People commonly add emphasis to words in news articles by writing things
5909 like @samp{_this_} or @samp{*this*}. Gnus can make this look nicer by
5910 running the article through the @kbd{W e}
5911 (@code{gnus-article-emphasize}) command.
5913 @vindex gnus-article-emphasis
5914 How the emphasis is computed is controlled by the
5915 @code{gnus-article-emphasis} variable. This is an alist where the first
5916 element is a regular expression to be matched. The second is a number
5917 that says what regular expression grouping is used to find the entire
5918 emphasized word. The third is a number that says what regexp grouping
5919 should be displayed and highlighted. (The text between these two
5920 groupings will be hidden.) The fourth is the face used for
5924 (setq gnus-article-emphasis
5925 '(("_\\(\\w+\\)_" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-underline)
5926 ("\\*\\(\\w+\\)\\*" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-bold)))
5929 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline
5930 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold
5931 @vindex gnus-emphasis-italic
5932 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold
5933 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-italic
5934 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold-italic
5935 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic
5936 By default, there are seven rules, and they use the following faces:
5937 @code{gnus-emphasis-bold}, @code{gnus-emphasis-italic},
5938 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline}, @code{gnus-emphasis-bold-italic},
5939 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-italic},
5940 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold}, and
5941 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic}.
5943 If you want to change these faces, you can either use @kbd{M-x
5944 customize}, or you can use @code{copy-face}. For instance, if you want
5945 to make @code{gnus-emphasis-italic} use a red face instead, you could
5949 (copy-face 'red 'gnus-emphasis-italic)
5953 @node Article Hiding
5954 @subsection Article Hiding
5955 @cindex article hiding
5957 Or rather, hiding certain things in each article. There usually is much
5958 too much cruft in most articles.
5963 @kindex W W a (Summary)
5964 @findex gnus-article-hide
5965 Do maximum hiding on the summary buffer (@kbd{gnus-article-hide}).
5968 @kindex W W h (Summary)
5969 @findex gnus-article-hide-headers
5970 Hide headers (@code{gnus-article-hide-headers}). @xref{Hiding
5974 @kindex W W b (Summary)
5975 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
5976 Hide headers that aren't particularly interesting
5977 (@code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers}). @xref{Hiding Headers}.
5980 @kindex W W s (Summary)
5981 @findex gnus-article-hide-signature
5982 Hide signature (@code{gnus-article-hide-signature}). @xref{Article
5986 @kindex W W p (Summary)
5987 @findex gnus-article-hide-pgp
5988 @vindex gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook
5989 Hide @sc{pgp} signatures (@code{gnus-article-hide-pgp}). The
5990 @code{gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook} hook will be run after a @sc{pgp}
5991 signature has been hidden.
5994 @kindex W W P (Summary)
5995 @findex gnus-article-hide-pem
5996 Hide @sc{pem} (privacy enhanced messages) cruft
5997 (@code{gnus-article-hide-pem}).
6000 @kindex W W c (Summary)
6001 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation
6002 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation}). Some variables for
6003 customizing the hiding:
6007 @item gnus-cite-hide-percentage
6008 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-percentage
6009 If the cited text is of a bigger percentage than this variable (default
6010 50), hide the cited text.
6012 @item gnus-cite-hide-absolute
6013 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-absolute
6014 The cited text must have at least this length (default 10) before it
6017 @item gnus-cited-text-button-line-format
6018 @vindex gnus-cited-text-button-line-format
6019 Gnus adds buttons to show where the cited text has been hidden, and to
6020 allow toggle hiding the text. The format of the variable is specified
6021 by this format-like variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). These
6026 Start point of the hidden text.
6028 End point of the hidden text.
6030 Length of the hidden text.
6033 @item gnus-cited-lines-visible
6034 @vindex gnus-cited-lines-visible
6035 The number of lines at the beginning of the cited text to leave shown.
6040 @kindex W W C (Summary)
6041 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups
6042 Hide cited text in articles that aren't roots
6043 (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups}). This isn't very
6044 useful as an interactive command, but might be a handy function to stick
6045 in @code{gnus-article-display-hook} (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
6049 All these ``hiding'' commands are toggles, but if you give a negative
6050 prefix to these commands, they will show what they have previously
6051 hidden. If you give a positive prefix, they will always hide.
6053 Also @pxref{Article Highlighting} for further variables for
6054 citation customization.
6057 @node Article Washing
6058 @subsection Article Washing
6060 @cindex article washing
6062 We call this ``article washing'' for a really good reason. Namely, the
6063 @kbd{A} key was taken, so we had to use the @kbd{W} key instead.
6065 @dfn{Washing} is defined by us as ``changing something from something to
6066 something else'', but normally results in something looking better.
6072 @kindex W l (Summary)
6073 @findex gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking
6074 Remove page breaks from the current article
6075 (@code{gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking}).
6078 @kindex W r (Summary)
6079 @findex gnus-summary-caesar-message
6080 @c @icon{gnus-summary-caesar-message}
6081 Do a Caesar rotate (rot13) on the article buffer
6082 (@code{gnus-summary-caesar-message}).
6085 @kindex W t (Summary)
6086 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-header
6087 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer
6088 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-header}).
6091 @kindex W v (Summary)
6092 @findex gnus-summary-verbose-header
6093 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer permanently
6094 (@code{gnus-summary-verbose-header}).
6097 @kindex W m (Summary)
6098 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-mime
6099 Toggle whether to run the article through @sc{mime} before displaying
6100 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-mime}).
6103 @kindex W o (Summary)
6104 @findex gnus-article-treat-overstrike
6105 Treat overstrike (@code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}).
6108 @kindex W w (Summary)
6109 @findex gnus-article-fill-cited-article
6110 Do word wrap (@code{gnus-article-fill-cited-article}). If you use this
6111 function in @code{gnus-article-display-hook}, it should be run fairly
6112 late and certainly after any highlighting.
6114 You can give the command a numerical prefix to specify the width to use
6118 @kindex W c (Summary)
6119 @findex gnus-article-remove-cr
6120 Remove CR (@code{gnus-article-remove-cr}).
6123 @kindex W q (Summary)
6124 @findex gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable
6125 Treat quoted-printable (@code{gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable}).
6128 @kindex W f (Summary)
6130 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
6131 @findex gnus-article-x-face-command
6132 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-command
6133 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly
6136 \gnusxface{tmp/xface-karlheg.ps}
6137 \gnusxface{tmp/xface-kyle.ps}
6138 \gnusxface{tmp/xface-smb.ps}
6141 Look for and display any X-Face headers
6142 (@code{gnus-article-display-x-face}). The command executed by this
6143 function is given by the @code{gnus-article-x-face-command} variable.
6144 If this variable is a string, this string will be executed in a
6145 sub-shell. If it is a function, this function will be called with the
6146 face as the argument. If the @code{gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly} (which
6147 is a regexp) matches the @code{From} header, the face will not be shown.
6148 The default action under Emacs is to fork off an @code{xv} to view the
6149 face; under XEmacs the default action is to display the face before the
6150 @code{From} header. (It's nicer if XEmacs has been compiled with X-Face
6151 support---that will make display somewhat faster. If there's no native
6152 X-Face support, Gnus will try to convert the @code{X-Face} header using
6153 external programs from the @code{pbmplus} package and friends.) If you
6154 want to have this function in the display hook, it should probably come
6158 @kindex W b (Summary)
6159 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons
6160 Add clickable buttons to the article (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons}).
6163 @kindex W B (Summary)
6164 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head
6165 Add clickable buttons to the article headers
6166 (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head}).
6169 @kindex W E l (Summary)
6170 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines
6171 Remove all blank lines from the beginning of the article
6172 (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines}).
6175 @kindex W E m (Summary)
6176 @findex gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines
6177 Replace all blank lines with empty lines and then all multiple empty
6178 lines with a single empty line.
6179 (@code{gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines}).
6182 @kindex W E t (Summary)
6183 @findex gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines
6184 Remove all blank lines at the end of the article
6185 (@code{gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines}).
6188 @kindex W E a (Summary)
6189 @findex gnus-article-strip-blank-lines
6190 Do all the three commands above
6191 (@code{gnus-article-strip-blank-lines}).
6194 @kindex W E s (Summary)
6195 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-space
6196 Remove all white space from the beginning of all lines of the article
6197 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-space}).
6202 @node Article Buttons
6203 @subsection Article Buttons
6206 People often include references to other stuff in articles, and it would
6207 be nice if Gnus could just fetch whatever it is that people talk about
6208 with the minimum of fuzz.
6210 Gnus adds @dfn{buttons} to certain standard references by default:
6211 Well-formed URLs, mail addresses and Message-IDs. This is controlled by
6212 two variables, one that handles article bodies and one that handles
6217 @item gnus-button-alist
6218 @vindex gnus-button-alist
6219 This is an alist where each entry has this form:
6222 (REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
6228 All text that match this regular expression will be considered an
6229 external reference. Here's a typical regexp that matches embedded URLs:
6230 @samp{<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>}.
6233 Gnus has to know which parts of the matches is to be highlighted. This
6234 is a number that says what sub-expression of the regexp is to be
6235 highlighted. If you want it all highlighted, you use 0 here.
6238 This form will be @code{eval}ed, and if the result is non-@code{nil},
6239 this is considered a match. This is useful if you want extra sifting to
6240 avoid false matches.
6243 This function will be called when you click on this button.
6246 As with @var{button-par}, this is a sub-expression number, but this one
6247 says which part of the match is to be sent as data to @var{function}.
6251 So the full entry for buttonizing URLs is then
6254 ("<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>" 0 t gnus-button-url 1)
6257 @item gnus-header-button-alist
6258 @vindex gnus-header-button-alist
6259 This is just like the other alist, except that it is applied to the
6260 article head only, and that each entry has an additional element that is
6261 used to say what headers to apply the buttonize coding to:
6264 (HEADER REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
6267 @var{HEADER} is a regular expression.
6269 @item gnus-button-url-regexp
6270 @vindex gnus-button-url-regexp
6271 A regular expression that matches embedded URLs. It is used in the
6272 default values of the variables above.
6274 @item gnus-article-button-face
6275 @vindex gnus-article-button-face
6276 Face used on buttons.
6278 @item gnus-article-mouse-face
6279 @vindex gnus-article-mouse-face
6280 Face used when the mouse cursor is over a button.
6286 @subsection Article Date
6288 The date is most likely generated in some obscure timezone you've never
6289 heard of, so it's quite nice to be able to find out what the time was
6290 when the article was sent.
6295 @kindex W T u (Summary)
6296 @findex gnus-article-date-ut
6297 Display the date in UT (aka. GMT, aka ZULU)
6298 (@code{gnus-article-date-ut}).
6301 @kindex W T l (Summary)
6302 @findex gnus-article-date-local
6303 Display the date in the local timezone (@code{gnus-article-date-local}).
6306 @kindex W T s (Summary)
6307 @vindex gnus-article-time-format
6308 @findex gnus-article-date-user
6309 @findex format-time-string
6310 Display the date using a user-defined format
6311 (@code{gnus-article-date-user}). The format is specified by the
6312 @code{gnus-article-time-format} variable, and is a string that's passed
6313 to @code{format-time-string}. See the documentation of that variable
6314 for a list of possible format specs.
6317 @kindex W T e (Summary)
6318 @findex gnus-article-date-lapsed
6319 Say how much time has elapsed between the article was posted and now
6320 (@code{gnus-article-date-lapsed}).
6323 @kindex W T o (Summary)
6324 @findex gnus-article-date-original
6325 Display the original date (@code{gnus-article-date-original}). This can
6326 be useful if you normally use some other conversion function and are
6327 worried that it might be doing something totally wrong. Say, claiming
6328 that the article was posted in 1854. Although something like that is
6329 @emph{totally} impossible. Don't you trust me? *titter*
6334 @node Article Signature
6335 @subsection Article Signature
6337 @cindex article signature
6339 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
6340 Each article is divided into two parts---the head and the body. The
6341 body can be divided into a signature part and a text part. The variable
6342 that says what is to be considered a signature is
6343 @code{gnus-signature-separator}. This is normally the standard
6344 @samp{^-- $} as mandated by son-of-RFC 1036. However, many people use
6345 non-standard signature separators, so this variable can also be a list
6346 of regular expressions to be tested, one by one. (Searches are done
6347 from the end of the body towards the beginning.) One likely value is:
6350 (setq gnus-signature-separator
6351 '("^-- $" ; The standard
6352 "^-- *$" ; A common mangling
6353 "^-------*$" ; Many people just use a looong
6354 ; line of dashes. Shame!
6355 "^ *--------*$" ; Double-shame!
6356 "^________*$" ; Underscores are also popular
6357 "^========*$")) ; Pervert!
6360 The more permissive you are, the more likely it is that you'll get false
6363 @vindex gnus-signature-limit
6364 @code{gnus-signature-limit} provides a limit to what is considered a
6369 If it is an integer, no signature may be longer (in characters) than
6372 If it is a floating point number, no signature may be longer (in lines)
6375 If it is a function, the function will be called without any parameters,
6376 and if it returns @code{nil}, there is no signature in the buffer.
6378 If it is a string, it will be used as a regexp. If it matches, the text
6379 in question is not a signature.
6382 This variable can also be a list where the elements may be of the types
6386 @node Article Commands
6387 @section Article Commands
6394 @kindex A P (Summary)
6395 @vindex gnus-ps-print-hook
6396 @findex gnus-summary-print-article
6397 Generate and print a PostScript image of the article buffer
6398 (@code{gnus-summary-print-article}). @code{gnus-ps-print-hook} will be
6399 run just before printing the buffer.
6404 @node Summary Sorting
6405 @section Summary Sorting
6406 @cindex summary sorting
6408 You can have the summary buffer sorted in various ways, even though I
6409 can't really see why you'd want that.
6414 @kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
6415 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-number
6416 Sort by article number (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-number}).
6419 @kindex C-c C-s C-a (Summary)
6420 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-author
6421 Sort by author (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-author}).
6424 @kindex C-c C-s C-s (Summary)
6425 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-subject
6426 Sort by subject (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-subject}).
6429 @kindex C-c C-s C-d (Summary)
6430 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-date
6431 Sort by date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-date}).
6434 @kindex C-c C-s C-l (Summary)
6435 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-lines
6436 Sort by lines (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-lines}).
6439 @kindex C-c C-s C-i (Summary)
6440 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-score
6441 Sort by score (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-score}).
6444 These functions will work both when you use threading and when you don't
6445 use threading. In the latter case, all summary lines will be sorted,
6446 line by line. In the former case, sorting will be done on a
6447 root-by-root basis, which might not be what you were looking for. To
6448 toggle whether to use threading, type @kbd{T T} (@pxref{Thread
6452 @node Finding the Parent
6453 @section Finding the Parent
6454 @cindex parent articles
6455 @cindex referring articles
6457 @findex gnus-summary-refer-parent-article
6459 If you'd like to read the parent of the current article, and it is not
6460 displayed in the summary buffer, you might still be able to. That is,
6461 if the current group is fetched by @sc{nntp}, the parent hasn't expired
6462 and the @code{References} in the current article are not mangled, you
6463 can just press @kbd{^} or @kbd{A r}
6464 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article}). If everything goes well,
6465 you'll get the parent. If the parent is already displayed in the
6466 summary buffer, point will just move to this article.
6468 If given a positive numerical prefix, fetch that many articles back into
6469 the ancestry. If given a negative numerical prefix, fetch just that
6470 ancestor. So if you say @kbd{3 ^}, Gnus will fetch the parent, the
6471 grandparent and the grandgrandparent of the current article. If you say
6472 @kbd{-3 ^}, Gnus will only fetch the grandgrandparent of the current
6475 @findex gnus-summary-refer-references
6476 @kindex A R (Summary)
6477 You can have Gnus fetch all articles mentioned in the @code{References}
6478 header of the article by pushing @kbd{A R}
6479 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-references}).
6481 @findex gnus-summary-refer-article
6482 @kindex M-^ (Summary)
6484 @cindex fetching by Message-ID
6485 You can also ask the @sc{nntp} server for an arbitrary article, no
6486 matter what group it belongs to. @kbd{M-^}
6487 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-article}) will ask you for a
6488 @code{Message-ID}, which is one of those long, hard-to-read thingies
6489 that look something like @samp{<38o6up$6f2@@hymir.ifi.uio.no>}. You
6490 have to get it all exactly right. No fuzzy searches, I'm afraid.
6492 The current select method will be used when fetching by
6493 @code{Message-ID} from non-news select method, but you can override this
6494 by giving this command a prefix.
6496 @vindex gnus-refer-article-method
6497 If the group you are reading is located on a backend that does not
6498 support fetching by @code{Message-ID} very well (like @code{nnspool}),
6499 you can set @code{gnus-refer-article-method} to an @sc{nntp} method. It
6500 would, perhaps, be best if the @sc{nntp} server you consult is the one
6501 updating the spool you are reading from, but that's not really
6504 Most of the mail backends support fetching by @code{Message-ID}, but do
6505 not do a particularly excellent job at it. That is, @code{nnmbox} and
6506 @code{nnbabyl} are able to locate articles from any groups, while
6507 @code{nnml} and @code{nnfolder} are only able to locate articles that
6508 have been posted to the current group. (Anything else would be too time
6509 consuming.) @code{nnmh} does not support this at all.
6512 @node Alternative Approaches
6513 @section Alternative Approaches
6515 Different people like to read news using different methods. This being
6516 Gnus, we offer a small selection of minor modes for the summary buffers.
6519 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
6520 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
6525 @subsection Pick and Read
6526 @cindex pick and read
6528 Some newsreaders (like @code{nn} and, uhm, @code{Netnews} on VM/CMS) use
6529 a two-phased reading interface. The user first marks in a summary
6530 buffer the articles she wants to read. Then she starts reading the
6531 articles with just an article buffer displayed.
6533 @findex gnus-pick-mode
6534 @kindex M-x gnus-pick-mode
6535 Gnus provides a summary buffer minor mode that allows
6536 this---@code{gnus-pick-mode}. This basically means that a few process
6537 mark commands become one-keystroke commands to allow easy marking, and
6538 it provides one additional command for switching to the summary buffer.
6540 Here are the available keystrokes when using pick mode:
6545 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
6546 Pick the article on the current line
6547 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}). If given a numerical prefix,
6548 go to that article and pick it. (The line number is normally displayed
6549 at the beginning of the summary pick lines.)
6552 @kindex SPACE (Pick)
6553 @findex gnus-pick-next-page
6554 Scroll the summary buffer up one page (@code{gnus-pick-next-page}). If
6555 at the end of the buffer, start reading the picked articles.
6559 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
6560 Unpick the article (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
6564 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
6565 Unpick all articles (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
6569 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
6570 Pick the thread (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
6574 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
6575 Unpick the thread (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
6579 @findex gnus-uu-mark-region
6580 Pick the region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
6584 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-region
6585 Unpick the region (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-region}).
6589 @findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
6590 Pick articles that match a regexp (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
6594 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp
6595 Unpick articles that match a regexp (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp}).
6599 @findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
6600 Pick the buffer (@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
6604 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-buffer
6605 Unpick the buffer (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-buffer}).
6609 @findex gnus-pick-start-reading
6610 @vindex gnus-pick-display-summary
6611 Start reading the picked articles (@code{gnus-pick-start-reading}). If
6612 given a prefix, mark all unpicked articles as read first. If
6613 @code{gnus-pick-display-summary} is non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer
6614 will still be visible when you are reading.
6618 If this sounds like a good idea to you, you could say:
6621 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
6624 @vindex gnus-pick-mode-hook
6625 @code{gnus-pick-mode-hook} is run in pick minor mode buffers.
6627 @vindex gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read
6628 If @code{gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read} is non-@code{nil}, mark
6629 all unpicked articles as read. The default is @code{nil}.
6631 @vindex gnus-summary-pick-line-format
6632 The summary line format in pick mode is slightly different from the
6633 standard format. At the beginning of each line the line number is
6634 displayed. The pick mode line format is controlled by the
6635 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting
6636 Variables}). It accepts the same format specs that
6637 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} does (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}).
6641 @subsection Binary Groups
6642 @cindex binary groups
6644 @findex gnus-binary-mode
6645 @kindex M-x gnus-binary-mode
6646 If you spend much time in binary groups, you may grow tired of hitting
6647 @kbd{X u}, @kbd{n}, @kbd{RET} all the time. @kbd{M-x gnus-binary-mode}
6648 is a minor mode for summary buffers that makes all ordinary Gnus article
6649 selection functions uudecode series of articles and display the result
6650 instead of just displaying the articles the normal way.
6653 @findex gnus-binary-show-article
6654 The only way, in fact, to see the actual articles is the @kbd{g}
6655 command, when you have turned on this mode
6656 (@code{gnus-binary-show-article}).
6658 @vindex gnus-binary-mode-hook
6659 @code{gnus-binary-mode-hook} is called in binary minor mode buffers.
6663 @section Tree Display
6666 @vindex gnus-use-trees
6667 If you don't like the normal Gnus summary display, you might try setting
6668 @code{gnus-use-trees} to @code{t}. This will create (by default) an
6669 additional @dfn{tree buffer}. You can execute all summary mode commands
6672 There are a few variables to customize the tree display, of course:
6675 @item gnus-tree-mode-hook
6676 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-hook
6677 A hook called in all tree mode buffers.
6679 @item gnus-tree-mode-line-format
6680 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-line-format
6681 A format string for the mode bar in the tree mode buffers. The default
6682 is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}. For a list of valid specs, @pxref{Summary
6685 @item gnus-selected-tree-face
6686 @vindex gnus-selected-tree-face
6687 Face used for highlighting the selected article in the tree buffer. The
6688 default is @code{modeline}.
6690 @item gnus-tree-line-format
6691 @vindex gnus-tree-line-format
6692 A format string for the tree nodes. The name is a bit of a misnomer,
6693 though---it doesn't define a line, but just the node. The default value
6694 is @samp{%(%[%3,3n%]%)}, which displays the first three characters of
6695 the name of the poster. It is vital that all nodes are of the same
6696 length, so you @emph{must} use @samp{%4,4n}-like specifiers.
6702 The name of the poster.
6704 The @code{From} header.
6706 The number of the article.
6708 The opening bracket.
6710 The closing bracket.
6715 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
6717 Variables related to the display are:
6720 @item gnus-tree-brackets
6721 @vindex gnus-tree-brackets
6722 This is used for differentiating between ``real'' articles and
6723 ``sparse'' articles. The format is @var{((real-open . real-close)
6724 (sparse-open . sparse-close) (dummy-open . dummy-close))}, and the
6725 default is @code{((?[ . ?]) (?( . ?)) (?@{ . ?@}))}.
6727 @item gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
6728 @vindex gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
6729 This is a list that contains the characters used for connecting parent
6730 nodes to their children. The default is @code{(?- ?\\ ?|)}.
6734 @item gnus-tree-minimize-window
6735 @vindex gnus-tree-minimize-window
6736 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will try to keep the tree
6737 buffer as small as possible to allow more room for the other Gnus
6738 windows. If this variable is a number, the tree buffer will never be
6739 higher than that number. The default is @code{t}. Note that if you
6740 have several windows displayed side-by-side in a frame and the tree
6741 buffer is one of these, minimizing the tree window will also resize all
6742 other windows displayed next to it.
6744 @item gnus-generate-tree-function
6745 @vindex gnus-generate-tree-function
6746 @findex gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
6747 @findex gnus-generate-vertical-tree
6748 The function that actually generates the thread tree. Two predefined
6749 functions are available: @code{gnus-generate-horizontal-tree} and
6750 @code{gnus-generate-vertical-tree} (which is the default).
6754 Here's an example from a horizontal tree buffer:
6757 @{***@}-(***)-[odd]-[Gun]
6767 Here's the same thread displayed in a vertical tree buffer:
6771 |--------------------------\-----\-----\
6772 (***) [Bjo] [Gun] [Gun]
6774 [odd] [Jan] [odd] (***) [Jor]
6776 [Gun] [Eri] [Eri] [odd]
6781 If you're using horizontal trees, it might be nice to display the trees
6782 side-by-side with the summary buffer. You could add something like the
6783 following to your @file{.gnus.el} file:
6786 (setq gnus-use-trees t
6787 gnus-generate-tree-function 'gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
6788 gnus-tree-minimize-window nil)
6789 (gnus-add-configuration
6793 (summary 0.75 point)
6798 @xref{Windows Configuration}.
6801 @node Mail Group Commands
6802 @section Mail Group Commands
6803 @cindex mail group commands
6805 Some commands only make sense in mail groups. If these commands are
6806 invalid in the current group, they will raise a hell and let you know.
6808 All these commands (except the expiry and edit commands) use the
6809 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
6814 @kindex B e (Summary)
6815 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles
6816 Expire all expirable articles in the group
6817 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles}).
6820 @kindex B M-C-e (Summary)
6821 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles-now
6822 Delete all the expirable articles in the group
6823 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles-now}). This means that @strong{all}
6824 articles eligible for expiry in the current group will
6825 disappear forever into that big @file{/dev/null} in the sky.
6828 @kindex B DEL (Summary)
6829 @findex gnus-summary-delete-article
6830 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-delete}
6831 Delete the mail article. This is ``delete'' as in ``delete it from your
6832 disk forever and ever, never to return again.'' Use with caution.
6833 (@code{gnus-summary-delete-article}).
6836 @kindex B m (Summary)
6838 @findex gnus-summary-move-article
6839 Move the article from one mail group to another
6840 (@code{gnus-summary-move-article}).
6843 @kindex B c (Summary)
6845 @findex gnus-summary-copy-article
6846 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-copy}
6847 Copy the article from one group (mail group or not) to a mail group
6848 (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}).
6851 @kindex B C (Summary)
6852 @cindex crosspost mail
6853 @findex gnus-summary-crosspost-article
6854 Crosspost the current article to some other group
6855 (@code{gnus-summary-crosspost-article}). This will create a new copy of
6856 the article in the other group, and the Xref headers of the article will
6857 be properly updated.
6860 @kindex B i (Summary)
6861 @findex gnus-summary-import-article
6862 Import an arbitrary file into the current mail newsgroup
6863 (@code{gnus-summary-import-article}). You will be prompted for a file
6864 name, a @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
6867 @kindex B r (Summary)
6868 @findex gnus-summary-respool-article
6869 Respool the mail article (@code{gnus-summary-move-article}).
6870 @code{gnus-summary-respool-default-method} will be used as the default
6871 select method when respooling. This variable is @code{nil} by default,
6872 which means that the current group select method will be used instead.
6876 @kindex B w (Summary)
6878 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article
6879 @kindex C-c C-c (Article)
6880 Edit the current article (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article}). To finish
6881 editing and make the changes permanent, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
6882 (@kbd{gnus-summary-edit-article-done}).
6885 @kindex B q (Summary)
6886 @findex gnus-summary-respool-query
6887 If you want to re-spool an article, you might be curious as to what group
6888 the article will end up in before you do the re-spooling. This command
6889 will tell you (@code{gnus-summary-respool-query}).
6892 @kindex B p (Summary)
6893 @findex gnus-summary-article-posted-p
6894 Some people have a tendency to send you "courtesy" copies when they
6895 follow up to articles you have posted. These usually have a
6896 @code{Newsgroups} header in them, but not always. This command
6897 (@code{gnus-summary-article-posted-p}) will try to fetch the current
6898 article from your news server (or rather, from
6899 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} or @code{gnus-select-method}) and will
6900 report back whether it found the article or not. Even if it says that
6901 it didn't find the article, it may have been posted anyway---mail
6902 propagation is much faster than news propagation, and the news copy may
6903 just not have arrived yet.
6907 @vindex gnus-move-split-methods
6908 @cindex moving articles
6909 If you move (or copy) articles regularly, you might wish to have Gnus
6910 suggest where to put the articles. @code{gnus-move-split-methods} is a
6911 variable that uses the same syntax as @code{gnus-split-methods}
6912 (@pxref{Saving Articles}). You may customize that variable to create
6913 suggestions you find reasonable.
6916 (setq gnus-move-split-methods
6917 '(("^From:.*Lars Magne" "nnml:junk")
6918 ("^Subject:.*gnus" "nnfolder:important")
6919 (".*" "nnml:misc")))
6923 @node Various Summary Stuff
6924 @section Various Summary Stuff
6927 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
6928 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
6929 * Summary Generation Commands:: (Re)generating the summary buffer.
6930 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
6934 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-hook
6935 @item gnus-summary-mode-hook
6936 This hook is called when creating a summary mode buffer.
6938 @vindex gnus-summary-generate-hook
6939 @item gnus-summary-generate-hook
6940 This is called as the last thing before doing the threading and the
6941 generation of the summary buffer. It's quite convenient for customizing
6942 the threading variables based on what data the newsgroup has. This hook
6943 is called from the summary buffer after most summary buffer variables
6946 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-hook
6947 @item gnus-summary-prepare-hook
6948 It is called after the summary buffer has been generated. You might use
6949 it to, for instance, highlight lines or modify the look of the buffer in
6950 some other ungodly manner. I don't care.
6952 @vindex gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
6953 @item gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
6954 When Gnus discovers two articles that have the same @code{Message-ID},
6955 it has to do something drastic. No articles are allowed to have the
6956 same @code{Message-ID}, but this may happen when reading mail from some
6957 sources. Gnus allows you to customize what happens with this variable.
6958 If it is @code{nil} (which is the default), Gnus will rename the
6959 @code{Message-ID} (for display purposes only) and display the article as
6960 any other article. If this variable is @code{t}, it won't display the
6961 article---it'll be as if it never existed.
6966 @node Summary Group Information
6967 @subsection Summary Group Information
6972 @kindex H f (Summary)
6973 @findex gnus-summary-fetch-faq
6974 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
6975 Try to fetch the FAQ (list of frequently asked questions) for the
6976 current group (@code{gnus-summary-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the
6977 FAQ from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory
6978 on a remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories.
6979 In that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
6980 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will probably
6981 be used for fetching the file.
6984 @kindex H d (Summary)
6985 @findex gnus-summary-describe-group
6986 Give a brief description of the current group
6987 (@code{gnus-summary-describe-group}). If given a prefix, force
6988 rereading the description from the server.
6991 @kindex H h (Summary)
6992 @findex gnus-summary-describe-briefly
6993 Give an extremely brief description of the most important summary
6994 keystrokes (@code{gnus-summary-describe-briefly}).
6997 @kindex H i (Summary)
6998 @findex gnus-info-find-node
6999 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
7003 @node Searching for Articles
7004 @subsection Searching for Articles
7009 @kindex M-s (Summary)
7010 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
7011 Search through all subsequent articles for a regexp
7012 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-forward}).
7015 @kindex M-r (Summary)
7016 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-backward
7017 Search through all previous articles for a regexp
7018 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-backward}).
7022 @findex gnus-summary-execute-command
7023 This command will prompt you for a header field, a regular expression to
7024 match on this field, and a command to be executed if the match is made
7025 (@code{gnus-summary-execute-command}). If given a prefix, search
7029 @kindex M-& (Summary)
7030 @findex gnus-summary-universal-argument
7031 Perform any operation on all articles that have been marked with
7032 the process mark (@code{gnus-summary-universal-argument}).
7035 @node Summary Generation Commands
7036 @subsection Summary Generation Commands
7041 @kindex Y g (Summary)
7042 @findex gnus-summary-prepare
7043 Regenerate the current summary buffer (@code{gnus-summary-prepare}).
7046 @kindex Y c (Summary)
7047 @findex gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles
7048 Pull all cached articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
7049 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}).
7054 @node Really Various Summary Commands
7055 @subsection Really Various Summary Commands
7060 @kindex C-d (Summary)
7061 @findex gnus-summary-enter-digest-group
7062 If the current article is a collection of other articles (for instance,
7063 a digest), you might use this command to enter a group based on the that
7064 article (@code{gnus-summary-enter-digest-group}). Gnus will try to
7065 guess what article type is currently displayed unless you give a prefix
7066 to this command, which forces a ``digest'' interpretation. Basically,
7067 whenever you see a message that is a collection of other messages of
7068 some format, you @kbd{C-d} and read these messages in a more convenient
7072 @kindex M-C-d (Summary)
7073 @findex gnus-summary-read-document
7074 This command is very similar to the one above, but lets you gather
7075 several documents into one biiig group
7076 (@code{gnus-summary-read-document}). It does this by opening several
7077 @code{nndoc} groups for each document, and then opening an
7078 @code{nnvirtual} group on top of these @code{nndoc} groups. This
7079 command understands the process/prefix convention
7080 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
7083 @kindex C-t (Summary)
7084 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-truncation
7085 Toggle truncation of summary lines
7086 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-truncation}). This will probably confuse the
7087 line centering function in the summary buffer, so it's not a good idea
7088 to have truncation switched off while reading articles.
7092 @findex gnus-summary-expand-window
7093 Expand the summary buffer window (@code{gnus-summary-expand-window}).
7094 If given a prefix, force an @code{article} window configuration.
7099 @node Exiting the Summary Buffer
7100 @section Exiting the Summary Buffer
7101 @cindex summary exit
7102 @cindex exiting groups
7104 Exiting from the summary buffer will normally update all info on the
7105 group and return you to the group buffer.
7111 @kindex Z Z (Summary)
7113 @findex gnus-summary-exit
7114 @vindex gnus-summary-exit-hook
7115 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook
7116 @c @icon{gnus-summary-exit}
7117 Exit the current group and update all information on the group
7118 (@code{gnus-summary-exit}). @code{gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook} is
7119 called before doing much of the exiting, which calls
7120 @code{gnus-summary-expire-articles} by default.
7121 @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} is called after finishing the exit
7122 process. @code{gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook} is run when returning to
7123 group mode having no more (unread) groups.
7127 @kindex Z E (Summary)
7129 @findex gnus-summary-exit-no-update
7130 Exit the current group without updating any information on the group
7131 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}).
7135 @kindex Z c (Summary)
7137 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit
7138 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}
7139 Mark all unticked articles in the group as read and then exit
7140 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}).
7143 @kindex Z C (Summary)
7144 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit
7145 Mark all articles, even the ticked ones, as read and then exit
7146 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit}).
7149 @kindex Z n (Summary)
7150 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group
7151 Mark all articles as read and go to the next group
7152 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group}).
7155 @kindex Z R (Summary)
7156 @findex gnus-summary-reselect-current-group
7157 Exit this group, and then enter it again
7158 (@code{gnus-summary-reselect-current-group}). If given a prefix, select
7159 all articles, both read and unread.
7163 @kindex Z G (Summary)
7164 @kindex M-g (Summary)
7165 @findex gnus-summary-rescan-group
7166 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-get}
7167 Exit the group, check for new articles in the group, and select the
7168 group (@code{gnus-summary-rescan-group}). If given a prefix, select all
7169 articles, both read and unread.
7172 @kindex Z N (Summary)
7173 @findex gnus-summary-next-group
7174 Exit the group and go to the next group
7175 (@code{gnus-summary-next-group}).
7178 @kindex Z P (Summary)
7179 @findex gnus-summary-prev-group
7180 Exit the group and go to the previous group
7181 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-group}).
7184 @kindex Z s (Summary)
7185 @findex gnus-summary-save-newsrc
7186 Save the current number of read/marked articles in the dribble buffer
7187 and then save the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-summary-save-newsrc}). If
7188 given a prefix, also save the @file{.newsrc} file(s). Using this
7189 command will make exit without updating (the @kbd{Q} command) worthless.
7192 @vindex gnus-exit-group-hook
7193 @code{gnus-exit-group-hook} is called when you exit the current
7196 @findex gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead
7197 @findex gnus-dead-summary-mode
7198 @vindex gnus-kill-summary-on-exit
7199 If you're in the habit of exiting groups, and then changing your mind
7200 about it, you might set @code{gnus-kill-summary-on-exit} to @code{nil}.
7201 If you do that, Gnus won't kill the summary buffer when you exit it.
7202 (Quelle surprise!) Instead it will change the name of the buffer to
7203 something like @samp{*Dead Summary ... *} and install a minor mode
7204 called @code{gnus-dead-summary-mode}. Now, if you switch back to this
7205 buffer, you'll find that all keys are mapped to a function called
7206 @code{gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead}. So tapping any keys in a dead
7207 summary buffer will result in a live, normal summary buffer.
7209 There will never be more than one dead summary buffer at any one time.
7211 @vindex gnus-use-cross-reference
7212 The data on the current group will be updated (which articles you have
7213 read, which articles you have replied to, etc.) when you exit the
7214 summary buffer. If the @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} variable is
7215 @code{t} (which is the default), articles that are cross-referenced to
7216 this group and are marked as read, will also be marked as read in the
7217 other subscribed groups they were cross-posted to. If this variable is
7218 neither @code{nil} nor @code{t}, the article will be marked as read in
7219 both subscribed and unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}).
7222 @node Crosspost Handling
7223 @section Crosspost Handling
7227 Marking cross-posted articles as read ensures that you'll never have to
7228 read the same article more than once. Unless, of course, somebody has
7229 posted it to several groups separately. Posting the same article to
7230 several groups (not cross-posting) is called @dfn{spamming}, and you are
7231 by law required to send nasty-grams to anyone who perpetrates such a
7232 heinous crime. You may want to try NoCeM handling to filter out spam
7235 Remember: Cross-posting is kinda ok, but posting the same article
7236 separately to several groups is not. Massive cross-posting (aka.
7237 @dfn{velveeta}) is to be avoided at all costs, and you can even use the
7238 @code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint} command to complain about
7239 excessive crossposting (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
7241 @cindex cross-posting
7244 One thing that may cause Gnus to not do the cross-posting thing
7245 correctly is if you use an @sc{nntp} server that supports @sc{xover}
7246 (which is very nice, because it speeds things up considerably) which
7247 does not include the @code{Xref} header in its @sc{nov} lines. This is
7248 Evil, but all too common, alas, alack. Gnus tries to Do The Right Thing
7249 even with @sc{xover} by registering the @code{Xref} lines of all
7250 articles you actually read, but if you kill the articles, or just mark
7251 them as read without reading them, Gnus will not get a chance to snoop
7252 the @code{Xref} lines out of these articles, and will be unable to use
7253 the cross reference mechanism.
7255 @cindex LIST overview.fmt
7256 @cindex overview.fmt
7257 To check whether your @sc{nntp} server includes the @code{Xref} header
7258 in its overview files, try @samp{telnet your.nntp.server nntp},
7259 @samp{MODE READER} on @code{inn} servers, and then say @samp{LIST
7260 overview.fmt}. This may not work, but if it does, and the last line you
7261 get does not read @samp{Xref:full}, then you should shout and whine at
7262 your news admin until she includes the @code{Xref} header in the
7265 @vindex gnus-nov-is-evil
7266 If you want Gnus to get the @code{Xref}s right all the time, you have to
7267 set @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{t}, which slows things down
7272 For an alternative approach, @pxref{Duplicate Suppression}.
7275 @node Duplicate Suppression
7276 @section Duplicate Suppression
7278 By default, Gnus tries to make sure that you don't have to read the same
7279 article more than once by utilizing the crossposting mechanism
7280 (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}). However, that simple and efficient
7281 approach may not work satisfactory for some users for various
7286 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to generate the @code{Xref} header. This
7287 is evil and not very common.
7290 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to include the @code{Xref} header in the
7291 @file{.overview} data bases. This is evil and all too common, alas.
7294 You may be reading the same group (or several related groups) from
7295 different @sc{nntp} servers.
7298 You may be getting mail that duplicates articles posted to groups.
7301 I'm sure there are other situations where @code{Xref} handling fails as
7302 well, but these four are the most common situations.
7304 If, and only if, @code{Xref} handling fails for you, then you may
7305 consider switching on @dfn{duplicate suppression}. If you do so, Gnus
7306 will remember the @code{Message-ID}s of all articles you have read or
7307 otherwise marked as read, and then, as if by magic, mark them as read
7308 all subsequent times you see them---in @emph{all} groups. Using this
7309 mechanism is quite likely to be somewhat inefficient, but not overly
7310 so. It's certainly preferable to reading the same articles more than
7313 Duplicate suppression is not a very subtle instrument. It's more like a
7314 sledge hammer than anything else. It works in a very simple
7315 fashion---if you have marked an article as read, it adds this Message-ID
7316 to a cache. The next time it sees this Message-ID, it will mark the
7317 article as read with the @samp{M} mark. It doesn't care what group it
7321 @item gnus-suppress-duplicates
7322 @vindex gnus-suppress-duplicates
7323 If non-@code{nil}, suppress duplicates.
7325 @item gnus-save-duplicate-list
7326 @vindex gnus-save-duplicate-list
7327 If non-@code{nil}, save the list of duplicates to a file. This will
7328 make startup and shutdown take longer, so the default is @code{nil}.
7329 However, this means that only duplicate articles read in a single Gnus
7330 session are suppressed.
7332 @item gnus-duplicate-list-length
7333 @vindex gnus-duplicate-list-length
7334 This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the duplicate
7335 suppression list. The default is 10000.
7337 @item gnus-duplicate-file
7338 @vindex gnus-duplicate-file
7339 The name of the file to store the duplicate suppression list in. The
7340 default is @file{~/News/suppression}.
7343 If you have a tendency to stop and start Gnus often, setting
7344 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{t} is probably a good idea. If
7345 you leave Gnus running for weeks on end, you may have it @code{nil}. On
7346 the other hand, saving the list makes startup and shutdown much slower,
7347 so that means that if you stop and start Gnus often, you should set
7348 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{nil}. Uhm. I'll leave this up
7349 to you to figure out, I think.
7352 @node The Article Buffer
7353 @chapter The Article Buffer
7354 @cindex article buffer
7356 The articles are displayed in the article buffer, of which there is only
7357 one. All the summary buffers share the same article buffer unless you
7358 tell Gnus otherwise.
7361 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
7362 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @sc{mime} before reading them.
7363 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
7364 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
7365 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
7369 @node Hiding Headers
7370 @section Hiding Headers
7371 @cindex hiding headers
7372 @cindex deleting headers
7374 The top section of each article is the @dfn{head}. (The rest is the
7375 @dfn{body}, but you may have guessed that already.)
7377 @vindex gnus-show-all-headers
7378 There is a lot of useful information in the head: the name of the person
7379 who wrote the article, the date it was written and the subject of the
7380 article. That's well and nice, but there's also lots of information
7381 most people do not want to see---what systems the article has passed
7382 through before reaching you, the @code{Message-ID}, the
7383 @code{References}, etc. ad nauseum---and you'll probably want to get rid
7384 of some of those lines. If you want to keep all those lines in the
7385 article buffer, you can set @code{gnus-show-all-headers} to @code{t}.
7387 Gnus provides you with two variables for sifting headers:
7391 @item gnus-visible-headers
7392 @vindex gnus-visible-headers
7393 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a regular expression
7394 that says what headers you wish to keep in the article buffer. All
7395 headers that do not match this variable will be hidden.
7397 For instance, if you only want to see the name of the person who wrote
7398 the article and the subject, you'd say:
7401 (setq gnus-visible-headers "^From:\\|^Subject:")
7404 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
7407 @item gnus-ignored-headers
7408 @vindex gnus-ignored-headers
7409 This variable is the reverse of @code{gnus-visible-headers}. If this
7410 variable is set (and @code{gnus-visible-headers} is @code{nil}), it
7411 should be a regular expression that matches all lines that you want to
7412 hide. All lines that do not match this variable will remain visible.
7414 For instance, if you just want to get rid of the @code{References} line
7415 and the @code{Xref} line, you might say:
7418 (setq gnus-ignored-headers "^References:\\|^Xref:")
7421 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
7424 Note that if @code{gnus-visible-headers} is non-@code{nil}, this
7425 variable will have no effect.
7429 @vindex gnus-sorted-header-list
7430 Gnus can also sort the headers for you. (It does this by default.) You
7431 can control the sorting by setting the @code{gnus-sorted-header-list}
7432 variable. It is a list of regular expressions that says in what order
7433 the headers are to be displayed.
7435 For instance, if you want the name of the author of the article first,
7436 and then the subject, you might say something like:
7439 (setq gnus-sorted-header-list '("^From:" "^Subject:"))
7442 Any headers that are to remain visible, but are not listed in this
7443 variable, will be displayed in random order after all the headers listed in this variable.
7445 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
7446 @vindex gnus-article-display-hook
7447 @vindex gnus-boring-article-headers
7448 You can hide further boring headers by entering
7449 @code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers} into
7450 @code{gnus-article-display-hook}. What this function does depends on
7451 the @code{gnus-boring-article-headers} variable. It's a list, but this
7452 list doesn't actually contain header names. Instead is lists various
7453 @dfn{boring conditions} that Gnus can check and remove from sight.
7455 These conditions are:
7458 Remove all empty headers.
7460 Remove the @code{Newsgroups} header if it only contains the current group
7463 Remove the @code{Followup-To} header if it is identical to the
7464 @code{Newsgroups} header.
7466 Remove the @code{Reply-To} header if it lists the same address as the
7469 Remove the @code{Date} header if the article is less than three days
7473 To include the four first elements, you could say something like;
7476 (setq gnus-boring-article-headers
7477 '(empty newsgroups followup-to reply-to))
7480 This is also the default value for this variable.
7484 @section Using @sc{mime}
7487 Mime is a standard for waving your hands through the air, aimlessly,
7488 while people stand around yawning.
7490 @sc{mime}, however, is a standard for encoding your articles, aimlessly,
7491 while all newsreaders die of fear.
7493 @sc{mime} may specify what character set the article uses, the encoding
7494 of the characters, and it also makes it possible to embed pictures and
7495 other naughty stuff in innocent-looking articles.
7497 @vindex gnus-show-mime
7498 @vindex gnus-show-mime-method
7499 @vindex gnus-strict-mime
7500 @findex metamail-buffer
7501 Gnus handles @sc{mime} by pushing the articles through
7502 @code{gnus-show-mime-method}, which is @code{metamail-buffer} by
7503 default. Set @code{gnus-show-mime} to @code{t} if you want to use
7504 @sc{mime} all the time. However, if @code{gnus-strict-mime} is
7505 non-@code{nil}, the @sc{mime} method will only be used if there are
7506 @sc{mime} headers in the article. If you have @code{gnus-show-mime}
7507 set, then you'll see some unfortunate display glitches in the article
7508 buffer. These can't be avoided.
7510 It might be best to just use the toggling functions from the summary
7511 buffer to avoid getting nasty surprises. (For instance, you enter the
7512 group @samp{alt.sing-a-long} and, before you know it, @sc{mime} has
7513 decoded the sound file in the article and some horrible sing-a-long song
7514 comes screaming out your speakers, and you can't find the volume
7515 button, because there isn't one, and people are starting to look at you,
7516 and you try to stop the program, but you can't, and you can't find the
7517 program to control the volume, and everybody else in the room suddenly
7518 decides to look at you disdainfully, and you'll feel rather stupid.)
7520 Any similarity to real events and people is purely coincidental. Ahem.
7523 @node Customizing Articles
7524 @section Customizing Articles
7525 @cindex article customization
7527 @vindex gnus-article-display-hook
7528 The @code{gnus-article-display-hook} is called after the article has
7529 been inserted into the article buffer. It is meant to handle all
7530 treatment of the article before it is displayed.
7532 @findex gnus-article-maybe-highlight
7533 By default this hook just contains @code{gnus-article-hide-headers},
7534 @code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}, and
7535 @code{gnus-article-maybe-highlight}, but there are thousands, nay
7536 millions, of functions you can put in this hook. For an overview of
7537 functions @pxref{Article Highlighting}, @pxref{Article Hiding},
7538 @pxref{Article Washing}, @pxref{Article Buttons} and @pxref{Article
7539 Date}. Note that the order of functions in this hook might affect
7540 things, so you may have to fiddle a bit to get the desired results.
7542 You can, of course, write your own functions. The functions are called
7543 from the article buffer, and you can do anything you like, pretty much.
7544 There is no information that you have to keep in the buffer---you can
7545 change everything. However, you shouldn't delete any headers. Instead
7546 make them invisible if you want to make them go away.
7549 @node Article Keymap
7550 @section Article Keymap
7552 Most of the keystrokes in the summary buffer can also be used in the
7553 article buffer. They should behave as if you typed them in the summary
7554 buffer, which means that you don't actually have to have a summary
7555 buffer displayed while reading. You can do it all from the article
7558 A few additional keystrokes are available:
7563 @kindex SPACE (Article)
7564 @findex gnus-article-next-page
7565 Scroll forwards one page (@code{gnus-article-next-page}).
7568 @kindex DEL (Article)
7569 @findex gnus-article-prev-page
7570 Scroll backwards one page (@code{gnus-article-prev-page}).
7573 @kindex C-c ^ (Article)
7574 @findex gnus-article-refer-article
7575 If point is in the neighborhood of a @code{Message-ID} and you press
7576 @kbd{r}, Gnus will try to get that article from the server
7577 (@code{gnus-article-refer-article}).
7580 @kindex C-c C-m (Article)
7581 @findex gnus-article-mail
7582 Send a reply to the address near point (@code{gnus-article-mail}). If
7583 given a prefix, include the mail.
7587 @findex gnus-article-show-summary
7588 Reconfigure the buffers so that the summary buffer becomes visible
7589 (@code{gnus-article-show-summary}).
7593 @findex gnus-article-describe-briefly
7594 Give a very brief description of the available keystrokes
7595 (@code{gnus-article-describe-briefly}).
7598 @kindex TAB (Article)
7599 @findex gnus-article-next-button
7600 Go to the next button, if any (@code{gnus-article-next-button}). This
7601 only makes sense if you have buttonizing turned on.
7604 @kindex M-TAB (Article)
7605 @findex gnus-article-prev-button
7606 Go to the previous button, if any (@code{gnus-article-prev-button}).
7612 @section Misc Article
7616 @item gnus-single-article-buffer
7617 @vindex gnus-single-article-buffer
7618 If non-@code{nil}, use the same article buffer for all the groups.
7619 (This is the default.) If @code{nil}, each group will have its own
7622 @vindex gnus-article-prepare-hook
7623 @item gnus-article-prepare-hook
7624 This hook is called right after the article has been inserted into the
7625 article buffer. It is mainly intended for functions that do something
7626 depending on the contents; it should probably not be used for changing
7627 the contents of the article buffer.
7629 @vindex gnus-article-display-hook
7630 @item gnus-article-display-hook
7631 This hook is called as the last thing when displaying an article, and is
7632 intended for modifying the contents of the buffer, doing highlights,
7633 hiding headers, and the like.
7635 @item gnus-article-mode-hook
7636 @vindex gnus-article-mode-hook
7637 Hook called in article mode buffers.
7639 @item gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
7640 @vindex gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
7641 Syntax table used in article buffers. It is initialized from
7642 @code{text-mode-syntax-table}.
7644 @vindex gnus-article-mode-line-format
7645 @item gnus-article-mode-line-format
7646 This variable is a format string along the same lines as
7647 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. It accepts the same
7648 format specifications as that variable, with one extension:
7652 The @dfn{wash status} of the article. This is a short string with one
7653 character for each possible article wash operation that may have been
7657 @vindex gnus-break-pages
7659 @item gnus-break-pages
7660 Controls whether @dfn{page breaking} is to take place. If this variable
7661 is non-@code{nil}, the articles will be divided into pages whenever a
7662 page delimiter appears in the article. If this variable is @code{nil},
7663 paging will not be done.
7665 @item gnus-page-delimiter
7666 @vindex gnus-page-delimiter
7667 This is the delimiter mentioned above. By default, it is @samp{^L}
7672 @node Composing Messages
7673 @chapter Composing Messages
7678 @kindex C-c C-c (Post)
7679 All commands for posting and mailing will put you in a message buffer
7680 where you can edit the article all you like, before you send the article
7681 by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}. @xref{Top, , Top, message, The Message
7682 Manual}. If you are in a foreign news group, and you wish to post the
7683 article using the foreign server, you can give a prefix to @kbd{C-c C-c}
7684 to make Gnus try to post using the foreign server.
7687 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
7688 * Post:: Posting and following up.
7689 * Posting Server:: What server should you post via?
7690 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
7691 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
7692 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
7693 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
7696 Also see @pxref{Canceling and Superseding} for information on how to
7697 remove articles you shouldn't have posted.
7703 Variables for customizing outgoing mail:
7706 @item gnus-uu-digest-headers
7707 @vindex gnus-uu-digest-headers
7708 List of regexps to match headers included in digested messages. The
7709 headers will be included in the sequence they are matched.
7711 @item gnus-add-to-list
7712 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
7713 If non-@code{nil}, add a @code{to-list} group parameter to mail groups
7714 that have none when you do a @kbd{a}.
7722 Variables for composing news articles:
7725 @item gnus-sent-message-ids-file
7726 @vindex gnus-sent-message-ids-file
7727 Gnus will keep a @code{Message-ID} history file of all the mails it has
7728 sent. If it discovers that it has already sent a mail, it will ask the
7729 user whether to re-send the mail. (This is primarily useful when
7730 dealing with @sc{soup} packets and the like where one is apt to send the
7731 same packet multiple times.) This variable says what the name of this
7732 history file is. It is @file{~/News/Sent-Message-IDs} by default. Set
7733 this variable to @code{nil} if you don't want Gnus to keep a history
7736 @item gnus-sent-message-ids-length
7737 @vindex gnus-sent-message-ids-length
7738 This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the history
7739 file. It is 1000 by default.
7744 @node Posting Server
7745 @section Posting Server
7747 When you press those magical @kbd{C-c C-c} keys to ship off your latest
7748 (extremely intelligent, of course) article, where does it go?
7750 Thank you for asking. I hate you.
7752 @vindex gnus-post-method
7754 It can be quite complicated. Normally, Gnus will use the same native
7755 server. However. If your native server doesn't allow posting, just
7756 reading, you probably want to use some other server to post your
7757 (extremely intelligent and fabulously interesting) articles. You can
7758 then set the @code{gnus-post-method} to some other method:
7761 (setq gnus-post-method '(nnspool ""))
7764 Now, if you've done this, and then this server rejects your article, or
7765 this server is down, what do you do then? To override this variable you
7766 can use a non-zero prefix to the @kbd{C-c C-c} command to force using
7767 the ``current'' server for posting.
7769 If you give a zero prefix (i.e., @kbd{C-u 0 C-c C-c}) to that command,
7770 Gnus will prompt you for what method to use for posting.
7772 You can also set @code{gnus-post-method} to a list of select methods.
7773 If that's the case, Gnus will always prompt you for what method to use
7778 @section Mail and Post
7780 Here's a list of variables relevant to both mailing and
7784 @item gnus-mailing-list-groups
7785 @findex gnus-mailing-list-groups
7786 @cindex mailing lists
7788 If your news server offers groups that are really mailing lists
7789 gatewayed to the @sc{nntp} server, you can read those groups without
7790 problems, but you can't post/followup to them without some difficulty.
7791 One solution is to add a @code{to-address} to the group parameters
7792 (@pxref{Group Parameters}). An easier thing to do is set the
7793 @code{gnus-mailing-list-groups} to a regexp that matches the groups that
7794 really are mailing lists. Then, at least, followups to the mailing
7795 lists will work most of the time. Posting to these groups (@kbd{a}) is
7796 still a pain, though.
7800 You may want to do spell-checking on messages that you send out. Or, if
7801 you don't want to spell-check by hand, you could add automatic
7802 spell-checking via the @code{ispell} package:
7805 @findex ispell-message
7807 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'ispell-message)
7811 @node Archived Messages
7812 @section Archived Messages
7813 @cindex archived messages
7814 @cindex sent messages
7816 Gnus provides a few different methods for storing the mail and news you
7817 send. The default method is to use the @dfn{archive virtual server} to
7818 store the messages. If you want to disable this completely, the
7819 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable should be @code{nil}, which
7822 @vindex gnus-message-archive-method
7823 @code{gnus-message-archive-method} says what virtual server Gnus is to
7824 use to store sent messages. The default is:
7828 (nnfolder-directory "~/Mail/archive/"))
7831 You can, however, use any mail select method (@code{nnml},
7832 @code{nnmbox}, etc.). @code{nnfolder} is a quite likeable select method
7833 for doing this sort of thing, though. If you don't like the default
7834 directory chosen, you could say something like:
7837 (setq gnus-message-archive-method
7838 '(nnfolder "archive"
7839 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t)
7840 (nnfolder-active-file "~/News/sent-mail/active")
7841 (nnfolder-directory "~/News/sent-mail/")))
7844 @vindex gnus-message-archive-group
7846 Gnus will insert @code{Gcc} headers in all outgoing messages that point
7847 to one or more group(s) on that server. Which group to use is
7848 determined by the @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable.
7850 This variable can be used to do the following:
7854 Messages will be saved in that group.
7855 @item a list of strings
7856 Messages will be saved in all those groups.
7857 @item an alist of regexps, functions and forms
7858 When a key ``matches'', the result is used.
7860 No message archiving will take place. This is the default.
7865 Just saving to a single group called @samp{MisK}:
7867 (setq gnus-message-archive-group "MisK")
7870 Saving to two groups, @samp{MisK} and @samp{safe}:
7872 (setq gnus-message-archive-group '("MisK" "safe"))
7875 Save to different groups based on what group you are in:
7877 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
7878 '(("^alt" "sent-to-alt")
7879 ("mail" "sent-to-mail")
7880 (".*" "sent-to-misc")))
7885 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
7886 '((if (message-news-p)
7891 How about storing all news messages in one file, but storing all mail
7892 messages in one file per month:
7895 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
7896 '((if (message-news-p)
7898 (concat "mail." (format-time-string
7899 "%Y-%m" (current-time))))))
7902 (XEmacs 19.13 doesn't have @code{format-time-string}, so you'll have to
7903 use a different value for @code{gnus-message-archive-group} there.)
7905 Now, when you send a message off, it will be stored in the appropriate
7906 group. (If you want to disable storing for just one particular message,
7907 you can just remove the @code{Gcc} header that has been inserted.) The
7908 archive group will appear in the group buffer the next time you start
7909 Gnus, or the next time you press @kbd{F} in the group buffer. You can
7910 enter it and read the articles in it just like you'd read any other
7911 group. If the group gets really big and annoying, you can simply rename
7912 if (using @kbd{G r} in the group buffer) to something
7913 nice---@samp{misc-mail-september-1995}, or whatever. New messages will
7914 continue to be stored in the old (now empty) group.
7916 That's the default method of archiving sent messages. Gnus offers a
7917 different way for the people who don't like the default method. In that
7918 case you should set @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{nil};
7919 this will disable archiving.
7922 @item gnus-outgoing-message-group
7923 @vindex gnus-outgoing-message-group
7924 All outgoing messages will be put in this group. If you want to store
7925 all your outgoing mail and articles in the group @samp{nnml:archive},
7926 you set this variable to that value. This variable can also be a list of
7929 If you want to have greater control over what group to put each
7930 message in, you can set this variable to a function that checks the
7931 current newsgroup name and then returns a suitable group name (or list
7934 This variable can be used instead of @code{gnus-message-archive-group},
7935 but the latter is the preferred method.
7939 @c @node Posting Styles
7940 @c @section Posting Styles
7941 @c @cindex posting styles
7944 @c All them variables, they make my head swim.
7946 @c So what if you want a different @code{Organization} and signature based
7947 @c on what groups you post to? And you post both from your home machine
7948 @c and your work machine, and you want different @code{From} lines, and so
7951 @c @vindex gnus-posting-styles
7952 @c One way to do stuff like that is to write clever hooks that change the
7953 @c variables you need to have changed. That's a bit boring, so somebody
7954 @c came up with the bright idea of letting the user specify these things in
7955 @c a handy alist. Here's an example of a @code{gnus-posting-styles}
7960 @c (signature . "Peace and happiness")
7961 @c (organization . "What me?"))
7963 @c (signature . "Death to everybody"))
7964 @c ("comp.emacs.i-love-it"
7965 @c (organization . "Emacs is it")))
7968 @c As you might surmise from this example, this alist consists of several
7969 @c @dfn{styles}. Each style will be applicable if the first element
7970 @c ``matches'', in some form or other. The entire alist will be iterated
7971 @c over, from the beginning towards the end, and each match will be
7972 @c applied, which means that attributes in later styles that match override
7973 @c the same attributes in earlier matching styles. So
7974 @c @samp{comp.programming.literate} will have the @samp{Death to everybody}
7975 @c signature and the @samp{What me?} @code{Organization} header.
7977 @c The first element in each style is called the @code{match}. If it's a
7978 @c string, then Gnus will try to regexp match it against the group name.
7979 @c If it's a function symbol, that function will be called with no
7980 @c arguments. If it's a variable symbol, then the variable will be
7981 @c referenced. If it's a list, then that list will be @code{eval}ed. In
7982 @c any case, if this returns a non-@code{nil} value, then the style is said
7985 @c Each style may contain a arbitrary amount of @dfn{attributes}. Each
7986 @c attribute consists of a @var{(name . value)} pair. The attribute name
7987 @c can be one of @code{signature}, @code{organization} or @code{from}. The
7988 @c attribute name can also be a string. In that case, this will be used as
7989 @c a header name, and the value will be inserted in the headers of the
7992 @c The attribute value can be a string (used verbatim), a function (the
7993 @c return value will be used), a variable (its value will be used) or a
7994 @c list (it will be @code{eval}ed and the return value will be used).
7996 @c So here's a new example:
7999 @c (setq gnus-posting-styles
8001 @c (signature . "~/.signature")
8002 @c (from . "user@@foo (user)")
8003 @c ("X-Home-Page" . (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
8004 @c (organization . "People's Front Against MWM"))
8006 @c (signature . my-funny-signature-randomizer))
8007 @c ((equal (system-name) "gnarly")
8008 @c (signature . my-quote-randomizer))
8009 @c (posting-from-work-p
8010 @c (signature . "~/.work-signature")
8011 @c (from . "user@@bar.foo (user)")
8012 @c (organization . "Important Work, Inc"))
8014 @c (signature . "~/.mail-signature"))))
8021 If you are writing a message (mail or news) and suddenly remember that
8022 you have a steak in the oven (or some pesto in the food processor, you
8023 craazy vegetarians), you'll probably wish there was a method to save the
8024 message you are writing so that you can continue editing it some other
8025 day, and send it when you feel its finished.
8027 Well, don't worry about it. Whenever you start composing a message of
8028 some sort using the Gnus mail and post commands, the buffer you get will
8029 automatically associate to an article in a special @dfn{draft} group.
8030 If you save the buffer the normal way (@kbd{C-x C-s}, for instance), the
8031 article will be saved there. (Auto-save files also go to the draft
8035 @vindex gnus-draft-group-directory
8036 The draft group is a special group (which is implemented as an
8037 @code{nndraft} group, if you absolutely have to know) called
8038 @samp{nndraft:drafts}. The variable @code{gnus-draft-group-directory}
8039 controls both the name of the group and the location---the leaf element
8040 in the path will be used as the name of the group. What makes this
8041 group special is that you can't tick any articles in it or mark any
8042 articles as read---all articles in the group are permanently unread.
8044 If the group doesn't exist, it will be created and you'll be subscribed
8047 @findex gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft
8048 @kindex C-c M-d (Mail)
8049 @kindex C-c M-d (Post)
8050 @findex gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft
8051 @kindex C-c C-d (Mail)
8052 @kindex C-c C-d (Post)
8053 If you're writing some super-secret message that you later want to
8054 encode with PGP before sending, you may wish to turn the auto-saving
8055 (and association with the draft group) off. You never know who might be
8056 interested in reading all your extremely valuable and terribly horrible
8057 and interesting secrets. The @kbd{C-c M-d}
8058 (@code{gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft}) command does that for you.
8059 If you change your mind and want to turn the auto-saving back on again,
8060 @kbd{C-c C-d} (@code{gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft} does that.
8062 @vindex gnus-use-draft
8063 To leave association with the draft group off by default, set
8064 @code{gnus-use-draft} to @code{nil}. It is @code{t} by default.
8066 @findex gnus-summary-send-draft
8067 @kindex S D c (Summary)
8068 When you want to continue editing the article, you simply enter the
8069 draft group and push @kbd{S D c} (@code{gnus-summary-send-draft}) to do
8070 that. You will be placed in a buffer where you left off.
8072 Rejected articles will also be put in this draft group (@pxref{Rejected
8075 @findex gnus-summary-send-all-drafts
8076 If you have lots of rejected messages you want to post (or mail) without
8077 doing further editing, you can use the @kbd{S D a} command
8078 (@code{gnus-summary-send-all-drafts}). This command understands the
8079 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
8082 @node Rejected Articles
8083 @section Rejected Articles
8084 @cindex rejected articles
8086 Sometimes a news server will reject an article. Perhaps the server
8087 doesn't like your face. Perhaps it just feels miserable. Perhaps
8088 @emph{there be demons}. Perhaps you have included too much cited text.
8089 Perhaps the disk is full. Perhaps the server is down.
8091 These situations are, of course, totally beyond the control of Gnus.
8092 (Gnus, of course, loves the way you look, always feels great, has angels
8093 fluttering around inside of it, doesn't care about how much cited text
8094 you include, never runs full and never goes down.) So Gnus saves these
8095 articles until some later time when the server feels better.
8097 The rejected articles will automatically be put in a special draft group
8098 (@pxref{Drafts}). When the server comes back up again, you'd then
8099 typically enter that group and send all the articles off.
8102 @node Select Methods
8103 @chapter Select Methods
8104 @cindex foreign groups
8105 @cindex select methods
8107 A @dfn{foreign group} is a group not read by the usual (or
8108 default) means. It could be, for instance, a group from a different
8109 @sc{nntp} server, it could be a virtual group, or it could be your own
8110 personal mail group.
8112 A foreign group (or any group, really) is specified by a @dfn{name} and
8113 a @dfn{select method}. To take the latter first, a select method is a
8114 list where the first element says what backend to use (e.g. @code{nntp},
8115 @code{nnspool}, @code{nnml}) and the second element is the @dfn{server
8116 name}. There may be additional elements in the select method, where the
8117 value may have special meaning for the backend in question.
8119 One could say that a select method defines a @dfn{virtual server}---so
8120 we do just that (@pxref{The Server Buffer}).
8122 The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the backend will recognize the
8125 For instance, the group @samp{soc.motss} on the @sc{nntp} server
8126 @samp{some.where.edu} will have the name @samp{soc.motss} and select
8127 method @code{(nntp "some.where.edu")}. Gnus will call this group
8128 @samp{nntp+some.where.edu:soc.motss}, even though the @code{nntp}
8129 backend just knows this group as @samp{soc.motss}.
8131 The different methods all have their peculiarities, of course.
8134 * The Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
8135 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
8136 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
8137 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
8138 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
8139 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
8143 @node The Server Buffer
8144 @section The Server Buffer
8146 Traditionally, a @dfn{server} is a machine or a piece of software that
8147 one connects to, and then requests information from. Gnus does not
8148 connect directly to any real servers, but does all transactions through
8149 one backend or other. But that's just putting one layer more between
8150 the actual media and Gnus, so we might just as well say that each
8151 backend represents a virtual server.
8153 For instance, the @code{nntp} backend may be used to connect to several
8154 different actual @sc{nntp} servers, or, perhaps, to many different ports
8155 on the same actual @sc{nntp} server. You tell Gnus which backend to
8156 use, and what parameters to set by specifying a @dfn{select method}.
8158 These select method specifications can sometimes become quite
8159 complicated---say, for instance, that you want to read from the
8160 @sc{nntp} server @samp{news.funet.fi} on port number 13, which
8161 hangs if queried for @sc{nov} headers and has a buggy select. Ahem.
8162 Anyways, if you had to specify that for each group that used this
8163 server, that would be too much work, so Gnus offers a way of naming
8164 select methods, which is what you do in the server buffer.
8166 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
8167 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
8170 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
8171 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
8172 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
8173 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
8174 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
8175 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
8176 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
8179 @vindex gnus-server-mode-hook
8180 @code{gnus-server-mode-hook} is run when creating the server buffer.
8183 @node Server Buffer Format
8184 @subsection Server Buffer Format
8185 @cindex server buffer format
8187 @vindex gnus-server-line-format
8188 You can change the look of the server buffer lines by changing the
8189 @code{gnus-server-line-format} variable. This is a @code{format}-like
8190 variable, with some simple extensions:
8195 How the news is fetched---the backend name.
8198 The name of this server.
8201 Where the news is to be fetched from---the address.
8204 The opened/closed/denied status of the server.
8207 @vindex gnus-server-mode-line-format
8208 The mode line can also be customized by using the
8209 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format} variable. The following specs are
8220 Also @pxref{Formatting Variables}.
8223 @node Server Commands
8224 @subsection Server Commands
8225 @cindex server commands
8231 @findex gnus-server-add-server
8232 Add a new server (@code{gnus-server-add-server}).
8236 @findex gnus-server-edit-server
8237 Edit a server (@code{gnus-server-edit-server}).
8240 @kindex SPACE (Server)
8241 @findex gnus-server-read-server
8242 Browse the current server (@code{gnus-server-read-server}).
8246 @findex gnus-server-exit
8247 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-server-exit}).
8251 @findex gnus-server-kill-server
8252 Kill the current server (@code{gnus-server-kill-server}).
8256 @findex gnus-server-yank-server
8257 Yank the previously killed server (@code{gnus-server-yank-server}).
8261 @findex gnus-server-copy-server
8262 Copy the current server (@code{gnus-server-copy-server}).
8266 @findex gnus-server-list-servers
8267 List all servers (@code{gnus-server-list-servers}).
8271 @findex gnus-server-scan-server
8272 Request that the server scan its sources for new articles
8273 (@code{gnus-server-scan-server}). This is mainly sensible with mail
8278 @findex gnus-server-regenerate-server
8279 Request that the server regenerate all its data structures
8280 (@code{gnus-server-regenerate-server}). This can be useful if you have
8281 a mail backend that has gotten out of synch.
8286 @node Example Methods
8287 @subsection Example Methods
8289 Most select methods are pretty simple and self-explanatory:
8292 (nntp "news.funet.fi")
8295 Reading directly from the spool is even simpler:
8301 As you can see, the first element in a select method is the name of the
8302 backend, and the second is the @dfn{address}, or @dfn{name}, if you
8305 After these two elements, there may be an arbitrary number of
8306 @var{(variable form)} pairs.
8308 To go back to the first example---imagine that you want to read from
8309 port 15 on that machine. This is what the select method should
8313 (nntp "news.funet.fi" (nntp-port-number 15))
8316 You should read the documentation to each backend to find out what
8317 variables are relevant, but here's an @code{nnmh} example:
8319 @code{nnmh} is a mail backend that reads a spool-like structure. Say
8320 you have two structures that you wish to access: One is your private
8321 mail spool, and the other is a public one. Here's the possible spec for
8325 (nnmh "private" (nnmh-directory "~/private/mail/"))
8328 (This server is then called @samp{private}, but you may have guessed
8331 Here's the method for a public spool:
8335 (nnmh-directory "/usr/information/spool/")
8336 (nnmh-get-new-mail nil))
8339 If you are behind a firewall and only have access to the @sc{nntp}
8340 server from the firewall machine, you can instruct Gnus to @code{rlogin}
8341 on the firewall machine and telnet from there to the @sc{nntp} server.
8342 Doing this can be rather fiddly, but your virtual server definition
8343 should probably look something like this:
8347 (nntp-address "the.firewall.machine")
8348 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-rlogin)
8349 (nntp-end-of-line "\n")
8350 (nntp-rlogin-parameters
8351 ("telnet" "the.real.nntp.host" "nntp")))
8356 @node Creating a Virtual Server
8357 @subsection Creating a Virtual Server
8359 If you're saving lots of articles in the cache by using persistent
8360 articles, you may want to create a virtual server to read the cache.
8362 First you need to add a new server. The @kbd{a} command does that. It
8363 would probably be best to use @code{nnspool} to read the cache. You
8364 could also use @code{nnml} or @code{nnmh}, though.
8366 Type @kbd{a nnspool RET cache RET}.
8368 You should now have a brand new @code{nnspool} virtual server called
8369 @samp{cache}. You now need to edit it to have the right definitions.
8370 Type @kbd{e} to edit the server. You'll be entered into a buffer that
8371 will contain the following:
8381 (nnspool-spool-directory "~/News/cache/")
8382 (nnspool-nov-directory "~/News/cache/")
8383 (nnspool-active-file "~/News/cache/active"))
8386 Type @kbd{C-c C-c} to return to the server buffer. If you now press
8387 @kbd{RET} over this virtual server, you should be entered into a browse
8388 buffer, and you should be able to enter any of the groups displayed.
8391 @node Server Variables
8392 @subsection Server Variables
8394 One sticky point when defining variables (both on backends and in Emacs
8395 in general) is that some variables are typically initialized from other
8396 variables when the definition of the variables is being loaded. If you
8397 change the "base" variable after the variables have been loaded, you
8398 won't change the "derived" variables.
8400 This typically affects directory and file variables. For instance,
8401 @code{nnml-directory} is @file{~/Mail/} by default, and all @code{nnml}
8402 directory variables are initialized from that variable, so
8403 @code{nnml-active-file} will be @file{~/Mail/active}. If you define a
8404 new virtual @code{nnml} server, it will @emph{not} suffice to set just
8405 @code{nnml-directory}---you have to explicitly set all the file
8406 variables to be what you want them to be. For a complete list of
8407 variables for each backend, see each backend's section later in this
8408 manual, but here's an example @code{nnml} definition:
8412 (nnml-directory "~/my-mail/")
8413 (nnml-active-file "~/my-mail/active")
8414 (nnml-newsgroups-file "~/my-mail/newsgroups"))
8418 @node Servers and Methods
8419 @subsection Servers and Methods
8421 Wherever you would normally use a select method
8422 (e.g. @code{gnus-secondary-select-method}, in the group select method,
8423 when browsing a foreign server) you can use a virtual server name
8424 instead. This could potentially save lots of typing. And it's nice all
8428 @node Unavailable Servers
8429 @subsection Unavailable Servers
8431 If a server seems to be unreachable, Gnus will mark that server as
8432 @code{denied}. That means that any subsequent attempt to make contact
8433 with that server will just be ignored. ``It can't be opened,'' Gnus
8434 will tell you, without making the least effort to see whether that is
8435 actually the case or not.
8437 That might seem quite naughty, but it does make sense most of the time.
8438 Let's say you have 10 groups subscribed to on server
8439 @samp{nephelococcygia.com}. This server is located somewhere quite far
8440 away from you and the machine is quite slow, so it takes 1 minute just
8441 to find out that it refuses connection to you today. If Gnus were to
8442 attempt to do that 10 times, you'd be quite annoyed, so Gnus won't
8443 attempt to do that. Once it has gotten a single ``connection refused'',
8444 it will regard that server as ``down''.
8446 So, what happens if the machine was only feeling unwell temporarily?
8447 How do you test to see whether the machine has come up again?
8449 You jump to the server buffer (@pxref{The Server Buffer}) and poke it
8450 with the following commands:
8456 @findex gnus-server-open-server
8457 Try to establish connection to the server on the current line
8458 (@code{gnus-server-open-server}).
8462 @findex gnus-server-close-server
8463 Close the connection (if any) to the server
8464 (@code{gnus-server-close-server}).
8468 @findex gnus-server-deny-server
8469 Mark the current server as unreachable
8470 (@code{gnus-server-deny-server}).
8473 @kindex M-o (Server)
8474 @findex gnus-server-open-all-servers
8475 Open the connections to all servers in the buffer
8476 (@code{gnus-server-open-all-servers}).
8479 @kindex M-c (Server)
8480 @findex gnus-server-close-all-servers
8481 Close the connections to all servers in the buffer
8482 (@code{gnus-server-close-all-servers}).
8486 @findex gnus-server-remove-denials
8487 Remove all marks to whether Gnus was denied connection from any servers
8488 (@code{gnus-server-remove-denials}).
8494 @section Getting News
8495 @cindex reading news
8496 @cindex news backends
8498 A newsreader is normally used for reading news. Gnus currently provides
8499 only two methods of getting news---it can read from an @sc{nntp} server,
8500 or it can read from a local spool.
8503 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
8504 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
8509 @subsection @sc{nntp}
8512 Subscribing to a foreign group from an @sc{nntp} server is rather easy.
8513 You just specify @code{nntp} as method and the address of the @sc{nntp}
8514 server as the, uhm, address.
8516 If the @sc{nntp} server is located at a non-standard port, setting the
8517 third element of the select method to this port number should allow you
8518 to connect to the right port. You'll have to edit the group info for
8519 that (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
8521 The name of the foreign group can be the same as a native group. In
8522 fact, you can subscribe to the same group from as many different servers
8523 you feel like. There will be no name collisions.
8525 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nntp}
8530 @item nntp-server-opened-hook
8531 @vindex nntp-server-opened-hook
8532 @cindex @sc{mode reader}
8534 @cindex authentification
8535 @cindex nntp authentification
8536 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
8537 @findex nntp-send-mode-reader
8538 is run after a connection has been made. It can be used to send
8539 commands to the @sc{nntp} server after it has been contacted. By
8540 default it sends the command @code{MODE READER} to the server with the
8541 @code{nntp-send-mode-reader} function. This function should always be
8542 present in this hook.
8544 @item nntp-authinfo-function
8545 @vindex nntp-authinfo-function
8546 This function will be used to send @samp{AUTHINFO} to the @sc{nntp}
8547 server. Available functions include:
8550 @item nntp-send-authinfo
8551 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
8552 This function will use your current login name as the user name and will
8553 prompt you for the password. This is the default.
8555 @item nntp-send-nosy-authinfo
8556 @findex nntp-send-nosy-authinfo
8557 This function will prompt you for both user name and password.
8559 @item nntp-send-authinfo-from-file
8560 @findex nntp-send-authinfo-from-file
8561 This function will use your current login name as the user name and will
8562 read the @sc{nntp} password from @file{~/.nntp-authinfo}.
8565 @item nntp-server-action-alist
8566 @vindex nntp-server-action-alist
8567 This is a list of regexps to match on server types and actions to be
8568 taken when matches are made. For instance, if you want Gnus to beep
8569 every time you connect to innd, you could say something like:
8572 (setq nntp-server-action-alist
8576 You probably don't want to do that, though.
8578 The default value is
8581 '(("nntpd 1\\.5\\.11t"
8582 (remove-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook 'nntp-send-mode-reader)))
8585 This ensures that Gnus doesn't send the @code{MODE READER} command to
8586 nntpd 1.5.11t, since that command chokes that server, I've been told.
8588 @item nntp-maximum-request
8589 @vindex nntp-maximum-request
8590 If the @sc{nntp} server doesn't support @sc{nov} headers, this backend
8591 will collect headers by sending a series of @code{head} commands. To
8592 speed things up, the backend sends lots of these commands without
8593 waiting for reply, and then reads all the replies. This is controlled
8594 by the @code{nntp-maximum-request} variable, and is 400 by default. If
8595 your network is buggy, you should set this to 1.
8597 @item nntp-connection-timeout
8598 @vindex nntp-connection-timeout
8599 If you have lots of foreign @code{nntp} groups that you connect to
8600 regularly, you're sure to have problems with @sc{nntp} servers not
8601 responding properly, or being too loaded to reply within reasonable
8602 time. This is can lead to awkward problems, which can be helped
8603 somewhat by setting @code{nntp-connection-timeout}. This is an integer
8604 that says how many seconds the @code{nntp} backend should wait for a
8605 connection before giving up. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default,
8606 no timeouts are done.
8608 @item nntp-command-timeout
8609 @vindex nntp-command-timeout
8610 @cindex PPP connections
8611 @cindex dynamic IP addresses
8612 If you're running Gnus on a machine that has a dynamically assigned
8613 address, Gnus may become confused. If the address of your machine
8614 changes after connecting to the @sc{nntp} server, Gnus will simply sit
8615 waiting forever for replies from the server. To help with this
8616 unfortunate problem, you can set this command to a number. Gnus will
8617 then, if it sits waiting for a reply from the server longer than that
8618 number of seconds, shut down the connection, start a new one, and resend
8619 the command. This should hopefully be transparent to the user. A
8620 likely number is 30 seconds.
8622 @item nntp-retry-on-break
8623 @vindex nntp-retry-on-break
8624 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you can also @kbd{C-g} if Gnus
8625 hangs. This will have much the same effect as the command timeout
8628 @item nntp-server-hook
8629 @vindex nntp-server-hook
8630 This hook is run as the last step when connecting to an @sc{nntp}
8633 @findex nntp-open-rlogin
8634 @findex nntp-open-telnet
8635 @findex nntp-open-network-stream
8636 @item nntp-open-connection-function
8637 @vindex nntp-open-connection-function
8638 This function is used to connect to the remote system. Three pre-made
8639 functions are @code{nntp-open-network-stream}, which is the default, and
8640 simply connects to some port or other on the remote system. The other
8641 two are @code{nntp-open-rlogin}, which does an @samp{rlogin} on the
8642 remote system, and then does a @samp{telnet} to the @sc{nntp} server
8643 available there, and @code{nntp-open-telnet}, which does a @samp{telnet}
8644 to the remote system and then another @samp{telnet} to get to the
8647 @code{nntp-open-rlogin}-related variables:
8651 @item nntp-rlogin-parameters
8652 @vindex nntp-rlogin-parameters
8653 This list will be used as the parameter list given to @code{rsh}.
8655 @item nntp-rlogin-user-name
8656 @vindex nntp-rlogin-user-name
8657 User name on the remote system.
8661 @code{nntp-open-telnet}-related variables:
8664 @item nntp-telnet-command
8665 @vindex nntp-telnet-command
8666 Command used to start @code{telnet}.
8668 @item nntp-telnet-switches
8669 @vindex nntp-telnet-switches
8670 List of strings to be used as the switches to the @code{telnet} command.
8672 @item nntp-telnet-user-name
8673 @vindex nntp-telnet-user-name
8674 User name for log in on the remote system.
8676 @item nntp-telnet-passwd
8677 @vindex nntp-telnet-passwd
8678 Password to use when logging in.
8680 @item nntp-telnet-parameters
8681 @vindex nntp-telnet-parameters
8682 A list of strings executed as a command after logging in
8687 @item nntp-end-of-line
8688 @vindex nntp-end-of-line
8689 String to use as end-of-line marker when talking to the @sc{nntp}
8690 server. This is @samp{\r\n} by default, but should be @samp{\n} when
8691 using @code{rlogin} to talk to the server.
8693 @item nntp-rlogin-user-name
8694 @vindex nntp-rlogin-user-name
8695 User name on the remote system when using the @code{rlogin} connect
8699 @vindex nntp-address
8700 The address of the remote system running the @sc{nntp} server.
8702 @item nntp-port-number
8703 @vindex nntp-port-number
8704 Port number to connect to when using the @code{nntp-open-network-stream}
8707 @item nntp-buggy-select
8708 @vindex nntp-buggy-select
8709 Set this to non-@code{nil} if your select routine is buggy.
8711 @item nntp-nov-is-evil
8712 @vindex nntp-nov-is-evil
8713 If the @sc{nntp} server does not support @sc{nov}, you could set this
8714 variable to @code{t}, but @code{nntp} usually checks automatically whether @sc{nov}
8717 @item nntp-xover-commands
8718 @vindex nntp-xover-commands
8721 List of strings used as commands to fetch @sc{nov} lines from a
8722 server. The default value of this variable is @code{("XOVER"
8726 @vindex nntp-nov-gap
8727 @code{nntp} normally sends just one big request for @sc{nov} lines to
8728 the server. The server responds with one huge list of lines. However,
8729 if you have read articles 2-5000 in the group, and only want to read
8730 article 1 and 5001, that means that @code{nntp} will fetch 4999 @sc{nov}
8731 lines that you will not need. This variable says how
8732 big a gap between two consecutive articles is allowed to be before the
8733 @code{XOVER} request is split into several request. Note that if your
8734 network is fast, setting this variable to a really small number means
8735 that fetching will probably be slower. If this variable is @code{nil},
8736 @code{nntp} will never split requests. The default is 5.
8738 @item nntp-prepare-server-hook
8739 @vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
8740 A hook run before attempting to connect to an @sc{nntp} server.
8742 @item nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
8743 @vindex nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
8744 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, some noise will be made when a
8745 server closes connection.
8751 @subsection News Spool
8755 Subscribing to a foreign group from the local spool is extremely easy,
8756 and might be useful, for instance, to speed up reading groups that
8757 contain very big articles---@samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}, for
8760 Anyways, you just specify @code{nnspool} as the method and @samp{} (or
8761 anything else) as the address.
8763 If you have access to a local spool, you should probably use that as the
8764 native select method (@pxref{Finding the News}). It is normally faster
8765 than using an @code{nntp} select method, but might not be. It depends.
8766 You just have to try to find out what's best at your site.
8770 @item nnspool-inews-program
8771 @vindex nnspool-inews-program
8772 Program used to post an article.
8774 @item nnspool-inews-switches
8775 @vindex nnspool-inews-switches
8776 Parameters given to the inews program when posting an article.
8778 @item nnspool-spool-directory
8779 @vindex nnspool-spool-directory
8780 Where @code{nnspool} looks for the articles. This is normally
8781 @file{/usr/spool/news/}.
8783 @item nnspool-nov-directory
8784 @vindex nnspool-nov-directory
8785 Where @code{nnspool} will look for @sc{nov} files. This is normally
8786 @file{/usr/spool/news/over.view/}.
8788 @item nnspool-lib-dir
8789 @vindex nnspool-lib-dir
8790 Where the news lib dir is (@file{/usr/lib/news/} by default).
8792 @item nnspool-active-file
8793 @vindex nnspool-active-file
8794 The path to the active file.
8796 @item nnspool-newsgroups-file
8797 @vindex nnspool-newsgroups-file
8798 The path to the group descriptions file.
8800 @item nnspool-history-file
8801 @vindex nnspool-history-file
8802 The path to the news history file.
8804 @item nnspool-active-times-file
8805 @vindex nnspool-active-times-file
8806 The path to the active date file.
8808 @item nnspool-nov-is-evil
8809 @vindex nnspool-nov-is-evil
8810 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnspool} won't try to use any @sc{nov} files
8813 @item nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
8814 @vindex nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
8816 If non-@code{nil}, which is the default, use @code{sed} to get the
8817 relevant portion from the overview file. If nil, @code{nnspool} will
8818 load the entire file into a buffer and process it there.
8824 @section Getting Mail
8825 @cindex reading mail
8828 Reading mail with a newsreader---isn't that just plain WeIrD? But of
8832 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
8833 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
8834 * Mail Backend Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
8835 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
8836 * Mail and Procmail:: Reading mail groups that procmail create.
8837 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
8838 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
8839 * Washing Mail:: Removing gruft from the mail you get.
8840 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
8841 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail backends for reading other files.
8842 * Choosing a Mail Backend:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
8846 @node Getting Started Reading Mail
8847 @subsection Getting Started Reading Mail
8849 It's quite easy to use Gnus to read your new mail. You just plonk the
8850 mail backend of your choice into @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods},
8851 and things will happen automatically.
8853 For instance, if you want to use @code{nnml} (which is a "one file per
8854 mail" backend), you could put the following in your @file{.gnus} file:
8857 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
8858 '((nnml "private")))
8861 Now, the next time you start Gnus, this backend will be queried for new
8862 articles, and it will move all the messages in your spool file to its
8863 directory, which is @code{~/Mail/} by default. The new group that will
8864 be created (@samp{mail.misc}) will be subscribed, and you can read it
8865 like any other group.
8867 You will probably want to split the mail into several groups, though:
8870 (setq nnmail-split-methods
8871 '(("junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
8872 ("crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
8876 This will result in three new @code{nnml} mail groups being created:
8877 @samp{nnml:junk}, @samp{nnml:crazy}, and @samp{nnml:other}. All the
8878 mail that doesn't fit into the first two groups will be placed in the
8881 This should be sufficient for reading mail with Gnus. You might want to
8882 give the other sections in this part of the manual a perusal, though.
8883 Especially @pxref{Choosing a Mail Backend} and @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
8886 @node Splitting Mail
8887 @subsection Splitting Mail
8888 @cindex splitting mail
8889 @cindex mail splitting
8891 @vindex nnmail-split-methods
8892 The @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable says how the incoming mail is
8893 to be split into groups.
8896 (setq nnmail-split-methods
8897 '(("mail.junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
8898 ("mail.crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
8902 This variable is a list of lists, where the first element of each of
8903 these lists is the name of the mail group (they do not have to be called
8904 something beginning with @samp{mail}, by the way), and the second
8905 element is a regular expression used on the header of each mail to
8906 determine if it belongs in this mail group.
8908 If the first element is the special symbol @code{junk}, then messages
8909 that match the regexp will disappear into the aether. Use with
8912 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
8913 called narrowed to the headers with the first element of the rule as the
8914 argument. It should return a non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the
8915 mail belongs in that group.
8917 The last of these groups should always be a general one, and the regular
8918 expression should @emph{always} be @samp{} so that it matches any mails
8919 that haven't been matched by any of the other regexps. (These rules are
8920 processed from the beginning of the alist toward the end. The first
8921 rule to make a match will "win", unless you have crossposting enabled.
8922 In that case, all matching rules will "win".)
8924 If you like to tinker with this yourself, you can set this variable to a
8925 function of your choice. This function will be called without any
8926 arguments in a buffer narrowed to the headers of an incoming mail
8927 message. The function should return a list of group names that it
8928 thinks should carry this mail message.
8930 Note that the mail backends are free to maul the poor, innocent,
8931 incoming headers all they want to. They all add @code{Lines} headers;
8932 some add @code{X-Gnus-Group} headers; most rename the Unix mbox
8933 @code{From<SPACE>} line to something else.
8935 @vindex nnmail-crosspost
8936 The mail backends all support cross-posting. If several regexps match,
8937 the mail will be ``cross-posted'' to all those groups.
8938 @code{nnmail-crosspost} says whether to use this mechanism or not. Note
8939 that no articles are crossposted to the general (@samp{}) group.
8941 @vindex nnmail-crosspost-link-function
8944 @code{nnmh} and @code{nnml} makes crossposts by creating hard links to
8945 the crossposted articles. However, not all file systems support hard
8946 links. If that's the case for you, set
8947 @code{nnmail-crosspost-link-function} to @code{copy-file}. (This
8948 variable is @code{add-name-to-file} by default.)
8950 @kindex M-x nnmail-split-history
8951 @kindex nnmail-split-history
8952 If you wish to see where the previous mail split put the messages, you
8953 can use the @kbd{M-x nnmail-split-history} command.
8955 Gnus gives you all the opportunity you could possibly want for shooting
8956 yourself in the foot. Let's say you create a group that will contain
8957 all the mail you get from your boss. And then you accidentally
8958 unsubscribe from the group. Gnus will still put all the mail from your
8959 boss in the unsubscribed group, and so, when your boss mails you ``Have
8960 that report ready by Monday or you're fired!'', you'll never see it and,
8961 come Tuesday, you'll still believe that you're gainfully employed while
8962 you really should be out collecting empty bottles to save up for next
8966 @node Mail Backend Variables
8967 @subsection Mail Backend Variables
8969 These variables are (for the most part) pertinent to all the various
8973 @vindex nnmail-read-incoming-hook
8974 @item nnmail-read-incoming-hook
8975 The mail backends all call this hook after reading new mail. You can
8976 use this hook to notify any mail watch programs, if you want to.
8978 @vindex nnmail-spool-file
8979 @item nnmail-spool-file
8983 @vindex nnmail-pop-password
8984 @vindex nnmail-pop-password-required
8985 The backends will look for new mail in this file. If this variable is
8986 @code{nil}, the mail backends will never attempt to fetch mail by
8987 themselves. If you are using a POP mail server and your name is
8988 @samp{larsi}, you should set this variable to @samp{po:larsi}. If
8989 your name is not @samp{larsi}, you should probably modify that
8990 slightly, but you may have guessed that already, you smart & handsome
8991 devil! You can also set this variable to @code{pop}, and Gnus will try
8992 to figure out the POP mail string by itself. In any case, Gnus will
8993 call @code{movemail} which will contact the POP server named in the
8994 @code{MAILHOST} environment variable. If the POP server needs a
8995 password, you can either set @code{nnmail-pop-password-required} to
8996 @code{t} and be prompted for the password, or set
8997 @code{nnmail-pop-password} to the password itself.
8999 @code{nnmail-spool-file} can also be a list of mailboxes.
9001 Your Emacs has to have been configured with @samp{--with-pop} before
9002 compilation. This is the default, but some installations have it
9005 When you use a mail backend, Gnus will slurp all your mail from your
9006 inbox and plonk it down in your home directory. Gnus doesn't move any
9007 mail if you're not using a mail backend---you have to do a lot of magic
9008 invocations first. At the time when you have finished drawing the
9009 pentagram, lightened the candles, and sacrificed the goat, you really
9010 shouldn't be too surprised when Gnus moves your mail.
9012 @vindex nnmail-use-procmail
9013 @vindex nnmail-procmail-suffix
9014 @item nnmail-use-procmail
9015 If non-@code{nil}, the mail backends will look in
9016 @code{nnmail-procmail-directory} for incoming mail. All the files in
9017 that directory that have names ending in @code{nnmail-procmail-suffix}
9018 will be considered incoming mailboxes, and will be searched for new
9021 @vindex nnmail-crash-box
9022 @item nnmail-crash-box
9023 When a mail backend reads a spool file, mail is first moved to this
9024 file, which is @file{~/.gnus-crash-box} by default. If this file
9025 already exists, it will always be read (and incorporated) before any
9028 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
9029 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
9030 This is run in a buffer that holds all the new incoming mail, and can be
9031 used for, well, anything, really.
9033 @vindex nnmail-split-hook
9034 @item nnmail-split-hook
9035 @findex article-decode-rfc1522
9036 @findex RFC1522 decoding
9037 Hook run in the buffer where the mail headers of each message is kept
9038 just before the splitting based on these headers is done. The hook is
9039 free to modify the buffer contents in any way it sees fit---the buffer
9040 is discarded after the splitting has been done, and no changes performed
9041 in the buffer will show up in any files. @code{gnus-article-decode-rfc1522}
9042 is one likely function to add to this hook.
9044 @vindex nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
9045 @vindex nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
9046 @item nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
9047 @itemx nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
9048 These are two useful hooks executed when treating new incoming
9049 mail---@code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook} (is called just before
9050 starting to handle the new mail) and
9051 @code{nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook} (is called when the mail handling
9052 is done). Here's and example of using these two hooks to change the
9053 default file modes the new mail files get:
9056 (add-hook 'gnus-pre-get-new-mail-hook
9057 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 511)))
9059 (add-hook 'gnus-post-get-new-mail-hook
9060 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 551)))
9063 @item nnmail-tmp-directory
9064 @vindex nnmail-tmp-directory
9065 This variable says where to move incoming mail to -- while processing
9066 it. This is usually done in the same directory that the mail backend
9067 inhabits (e.g., @file{~/Mail/}), but if this variable is non-@code{nil},
9068 it will be used instead.
9070 @item nnmail-movemail-program
9071 @vindex nnmail-movemail-program
9072 This program is executed to move mail from the user's inbox to her home
9073 directory. The default is @samp{movemail}.
9075 This can also be a function. In that case, the function will be called
9076 with two parameters -- the name of the inbox, and the file to be moved
9079 @item nnmail-delete-incoming
9080 @vindex nnmail-delete-incoming
9081 @cindex incoming mail files
9082 @cindex deleting incoming files
9083 If non-@code{nil}, the mail backends will delete the temporary incoming
9084 file after splitting mail into the proper groups. This is @code{t} by
9087 @c This is @code{nil} by
9088 @c default for reasons of security.
9090 @c Since Red Gnus is an alpha release, it is to be expected to lose mail.
9091 (No Gnus release since (ding) Gnus 0.10 (or something like that) have
9092 lost mail, I think, but that's not the point. (Except certain versions
9093 of Red Gnus.)) By not deleting the Incoming* files, one can be sure not
9094 to lose mail -- if Gnus totally whacks out, one can always recover what
9097 You may delete the @file{Incoming*} files at will.
9099 @item nnmail-use-long-file-names
9100 @vindex nnmail-use-long-file-names
9101 If non-@code{nil}, the mail backends will use long file and directory
9102 names. Groups like @samp{mail.misc} will end up in directories
9103 (assuming use of @code{nnml} backend) or files (assuming use of
9104 @code{nnfolder} backend) like @file{mail.misc}. If it is @code{nil},
9105 the same group will end up in @file{mail/misc}.
9107 @item nnmail-delete-file-function
9108 @vindex nnmail-delete-file-function
9110 Function called to delete files. It is @code{delete-file} by default.
9112 @item nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
9113 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
9114 If non-@code{nil}, put the @code{Message-ID}s of articles imported into
9115 the backend (via @code{Gcc}, for instance) into the mail duplication
9116 discovery cache. The default is @code{nil}.
9121 @node Fancy Mail Splitting
9122 @subsection Fancy Mail Splitting
9123 @cindex mail splitting
9124 @cindex fancy mail splitting
9126 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy
9127 @findex nnmail-split-fancy
9128 If the rather simple, standard method for specifying how to split mail
9129 doesn't allow you to do what you want, you can set
9130 @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. Then you can
9131 play with the @code{nnmail-split-fancy} variable.
9133 Let's look at an example value of this variable first:
9136 ;; Messages from the mailer daemon are not crossposted to any of
9137 ;; the ordinary groups. Warnings are put in a separate group
9138 ;; from real errors.
9139 (| ("from" mail (| ("subject" "warn.*" "mail.warning")
9141 ;; Non-error messages are crossposted to all relevant
9142 ;; groups, but we don't crosspost between the group for the
9143 ;; (ding) list and the group for other (ding) related mail.
9144 (& (| (any "ding@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "ding.list")
9145 ("subject" "ding" "ding.misc"))
9146 ;; Other mailing lists...
9147 (any "procmail@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "procmail.list")
9148 (any "SmartList@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "SmartList.list")
9150 (any "larsi@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "people.Lars_Magne_Ingebrigtsen"))
9151 ;; Unmatched mail goes to the catch all group.
9155 This variable has the format of a @dfn{split}. A split is a (possibly)
9156 recursive structure where each split may contain other splits. Here are
9157 the five possible split syntaxes:
9162 @samp{group}: If the split is a string, that will be taken as a group name.
9165 @var{(FIELD VALUE SPLIT)}: If the split is a list, the first element of
9166 which is a string, then store the message as specified by SPLIT, if
9167 header FIELD (a regexp) contains VALUE (also a regexp).
9170 @var{(| SPLIT...)}: If the split is a list, and the first element is
9171 @code{|} (vertical bar), then process each SPLIT until one of them
9172 matches. A SPLIT is said to match if it will cause the mail message to
9173 be stored in one or more groups.
9176 @var{(& SPLIT...)}: If the split is a list, and the first element is
9177 @code{&}, then process all SPLITs in the list.
9180 @code{junk}: If the split is the symbol @code{junk}, then don't save
9181 this message anywhere.
9184 @var{(: function arg1 arg2 ...)}: If the split is a list, and the first
9185 element is @code{:}, then the second element will be called as a
9186 function with @var{args} given as arguments. The function should return
9191 In these splits, @var{FIELD} must match a complete field name.
9192 @var{VALUE} must match a complete word according to the fundamental mode
9193 syntax table. You can use @code{.*} in the regexps to match partial
9194 field names or words. In other words, all @var{VALUE}'s are wrapped in
9195 @samp{\<} and @samp{\>} pairs.
9197 @vindex nnmail-split-abbrev-alist
9198 @var{FIELD} and @var{VALUE} can also be lisp symbols, in that case they
9199 are expanded as specified by the variable
9200 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist}. This is an alist of cons cells, where
9201 the @code{car} of a cell contains the key, and the @code{cdr} contains the associated
9204 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table
9205 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table} is the syntax table in effect
9206 when all this splitting is performed.
9208 If you want to have Gnus create groups dynamically based on some
9209 information in the headers (i.e., do @code{replace-match}-like
9210 substitions in the group names), you can say things like:
9213 (any "debian-\(\\w*\\)@@lists.debian.org" "mail.debian.\\1")
9216 @node Mail and Procmail
9217 @subsection Mail and Procmail
9222 Many people use @code{procmail} (or some other mail filter program or
9223 external delivery agent---@code{slocal}, @code{elm}, etc) to split
9224 incoming mail into groups. If you do that, you should set
9225 @code{nnmail-spool-file} to @code{procmail} to ensure that the mail
9226 backends never ever try to fetch mail by themselves.
9228 This also means that you probably don't want to set
9229 @code{nnmail-split-methods} either, which has some, perhaps, unexpected
9232 When a mail backend is queried for what groups it carries, it replies
9233 with the contents of that variable, along with any groups it has figured
9234 out that it carries by other means. None of the backends, except
9235 @code{nnmh}, actually go out to the disk and check what groups actually
9236 exist. (It's not trivial to distinguish between what the user thinks is
9237 a basis for a newsgroup and what is just a plain old file or directory.)
9239 This means that you have to tell Gnus (and the backends) by hand what
9242 Let's take the @code{nnmh} backend as an example:
9244 The folders are located in @code{nnmh-directory}, say, @file{~/Mail/}.
9245 There are three folders, @file{foo}, @file{bar} and @file{mail.baz}.
9247 Go to the group buffer and type @kbd{G m}. When prompted, answer
9248 @samp{foo} for the name and @samp{nnmh} for the method. Repeat
9249 twice for the two other groups, @samp{bar} and @samp{mail.baz}. Be sure
9250 to include all your mail groups.
9252 That's it. You are now set to read your mail. An active file for this
9253 method will be created automatically.
9255 @vindex nnmail-procmail-suffix
9256 @vindex nnmail-procmail-directory
9257 If you use @code{nnfolder} or any other backend that store more than a
9258 single article in each file, you should never have procmail add mails to
9259 the file that Gnus sees. Instead, procmail should put all incoming mail
9260 in @code{nnmail-procmail-directory}. To arrive at the file name to put
9261 the incoming mail in, append @code{nnmail-procmail-suffix} to the group
9262 name. The mail backends will read the mail from these files.
9264 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
9265 When Gnus reads a file called @file{mail.misc.spool}, this mail will be
9266 put in the @code{mail.misc}, as one would expect. However, if you want
9267 Gnus to split the mail the normal way, you could set
9268 @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming} to @code{t}.
9270 @vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
9271 If you use @code{procmail} to split things directly into an @code{nnmh}
9272 directory (which you shouldn't do), you should set
9273 @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} to non-@code{nil} to prevent Gnus from
9274 ever expiring the final article (i.e., the article with the highest
9275 article number) in a mail newsgroup. This is quite, quite important.
9277 Here's an example setup: The incoming spools are located in
9278 @file{~/incoming/} and have @samp{""} as suffixes (i.e., the incoming
9279 spool files have the same names as the equivalent groups). The
9280 @code{nnfolder} backend is to be used as the mail interface, and the
9281 @code{nnfolder} directory is @file{~/fMail/}.
9284 (setq nnfolder-directory "~/fMail/")
9285 (setq nnmail-spool-file 'procmail)
9286 (setq nnmail-procmail-directory "~/incoming/")
9287 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnfolder "")))
9288 (setq nnmail-procmail-suffix "")
9292 @node Incorporating Old Mail
9293 @subsection Incorporating Old Mail
9295 Most people have lots of old mail stored in various file formats. If
9296 you have set up Gnus to read mail using one of the spiffy Gnus mail
9297 backends, you'll probably wish to have that old mail incorporated into
9300 Doing so can be quite easy.
9302 To take an example: You're reading mail using @code{nnml}
9303 (@pxref{Mail Spool}), and have set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to a
9304 satisfactory value (@pxref{Splitting Mail}). You have an old Unix mbox
9305 file filled with important, but old, mail. You want to move it into
9306 your @code{nnml} groups.
9312 Go to the group buffer.
9315 Type `G f' and give the path to the mbox file when prompted to create an
9316 @code{nndoc} group from the mbox file (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
9319 Type `SPACE' to enter the newly created group.
9322 Type `M P b' to process-mark all articles in this group's buffer
9323 (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
9326 Type `B r' to respool all the process-marked articles, and answer
9327 @samp{nnml} when prompted (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
9330 All the mail messages in the mbox file will now also be spread out over
9331 all your @code{nnml} groups. Try entering them and check whether things
9332 have gone without a glitch. If things look ok, you may consider
9333 deleting the mbox file, but I wouldn't do that unless I was absolutely
9334 sure that all the mail has ended up where it should be.
9336 Respooling is also a handy thing to do if you're switching from one mail
9337 backend to another. Just respool all the mail in the old mail groups
9338 using the new mail backend.
9342 @subsection Expiring Mail
9343 @cindex article expiry
9345 Traditional mail readers have a tendency to remove mail articles when
9346 you mark them as read, in some way. Gnus takes a fundamentally
9347 different approach to mail reading.
9349 Gnus basically considers mail just to be news that has been received in
9350 a rather peculiar manner. It does not think that it has the power to
9351 actually change the mail, or delete any mail messages. If you enter a
9352 mail group, and mark articles as ``read'', or kill them in some other
9353 fashion, the mail articles will still exist on the system. I repeat:
9354 Gnus will not delete your old, read mail. Unless you ask it to, of
9357 To make Gnus get rid of your unwanted mail, you have to mark the
9358 articles as @dfn{expirable}. This does not mean that the articles will
9359 disappear right away, however. In general, a mail article will be
9360 deleted from your system if, 1) it is marked as expirable, AND 2) it is
9361 more than one week old. If you do not mark an article as expirable, it
9362 will remain on your system until hell freezes over. This bears
9363 repeating one more time, with some spurious capitalizations: IF you do
9364 NOT mark articles as EXPIRABLE, Gnus will NEVER delete those ARTICLES.
9366 @vindex gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
9367 You do not have to mark articles as expirable by hand. Groups that
9368 match the regular expression @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups} will
9369 have all articles that you read marked as expirable automatically. All
9370 articles marked as expirable have an @samp{E} in the first
9371 column in the summary buffer.
9373 By default, if you have auto expiry switched on, Gnus will mark all the
9374 articles you read as expirable, no matter if they were read or unread
9375 before. To avoid having articles marked as read marked as expirable
9376 automatically, you can put something like the following in your
9379 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
9381 (remove-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook
9382 'gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read)
9383 (add-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook 'gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read)
9386 Note that making a group auto-expirable doesn't mean that all read
9387 articles are expired---only the articles marked as expirable
9388 will be expired. Also note that using the @kbd{d} command won't make
9389 groups expirable---only semi-automatic marking of articles as read will
9390 mark the articles as expirable in auto-expirable groups.
9392 Let's say you subscribe to a couple of mailing lists, and you want the
9393 articles you have read to disappear after a while:
9396 (setq gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
9397 "mail.nonsense-list\\|mail.nice-list")
9400 Another way to have auto-expiry happen is to have the element
9401 @code{auto-expire} in the group parameters of the group.
9403 If you use adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}) and
9404 auto-expiring, you'll have problems. Auto-expiring and adaptive scoring
9405 don't really mix very well.
9407 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait
9408 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable supplies the default time an
9409 expirable article has to live. Gnus starts counting days from when the
9410 message @emph{arrived}, not from when it was sent. The default is seven
9413 Gnus also supplies a function that lets you fine-tune how long articles
9414 are to live, based on what group they are in. Let's say you want to
9415 have one month expiry period in the @samp{mail.private} group, a one day
9416 expiry period in the @samp{mail.junk} group, and a six day expiry period
9419 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
9421 (setq nnmail-expiry-wait-function
9423 (cond ((string= group "mail.private")
9425 ((string= group "mail.junk")
9427 ((string= group "important")
9433 The group names this function is fed are ``unadorned'' group
9434 names---no @samp{nnml:} prefixes and the like.
9436 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable and
9437 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} function can either be a number (not
9438 necessarily an integer) or one of the symbols @code{immediate} or
9441 You can also use the @code{expiry-wait} group parameter to selectively
9442 change the expiry period (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
9444 @vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
9445 If @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will never
9446 expire the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is to make life
9447 easier for procmail users.
9449 @vindex gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups
9450 By the way: That line up there, about Gnus never expiring non-expirable
9451 articles, is a lie. If you put @code{total-expire} in the group
9452 parameters, articles will not be marked as expirable, but all read
9453 articles will be put through the expiry process. Use with extreme
9454 caution. Even more dangerous is the
9455 @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups} variable. All groups that match
9456 this regexp will have all read articles put through the expiry process,
9457 which means that @emph{all} old mail articles in the groups in question
9458 will be deleted after a while. Use with extreme caution, and don't come
9459 crying to me when you discover that the regexp you used matched the
9460 wrong group and all your important mail has disappeared. Be a
9461 @emph{man}! Or a @emph{woman}! Whatever you feel more comfortable
9464 Most people make most of their mail groups total-expirable, though.
9468 @subsection Washing Mail
9469 @cindex mail washing
9470 @cindex list server brain damage
9471 @cindex incoming mail treatment
9473 Mailers and list servers are notorious for doing all sorts of really,
9474 really stupid things with mail. ``Hey, RFC822 doesn't explicitly
9475 prohibit us from adding the string @code{wE aRe ElItE!!!!!1!!} to the
9476 end of all lines passing through our server, so let's do that!!!!1!''
9477 Yes, but RFC822 wasn't designed to be read by morons. Things that were
9478 considered to be self-evident were not discussed. So. Here we are.
9480 Case in point: The German version of Microsoft Exchange adds @samp{AW:
9481 } to the subjects of replies instead of @samp{Re: }. I could pretend to
9482 be shocked and dismayed by this, but I haven't got the energy. It is to
9485 Gnus provides a plethora of functions for washing articles while
9486 displaying them, but it might be nicer to do the filtering before
9487 storing the mail to disc. For that purpose, we have three hooks and
9488 various functions that can be put in these hooks.
9491 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
9492 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
9493 This hook is called before doing anything with the mail and is meant for
9494 grand, sweeping gestures. Functions to be used include:
9497 @item nnheader-ms-strip-cr
9498 @findex nnheader-ms-strip-cr
9499 Remove trailing carriage returns from each line. This is default on
9500 Emacs running on MS machines.
9504 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
9505 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
9506 This hook is called narrowed to each header. It can be used when
9507 cleaning up the headers. Functions that can be used include:
9510 @item nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
9511 @findex nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
9512 Clear leading white space that ``helpful'' listservs have added to the
9513 headers to make them look nice. Aaah.
9515 @item nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
9516 @findex nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
9517 Some list servers add an identifier---for example, @samp{(idm)}---to the
9518 beginning of all @code{Subject} headers. I'm sure that's nice for
9519 people who use stone age mail readers. This function will remove
9520 strings that match the @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} regexp, which can
9521 also be a list of regexp.
9523 For instance, if you want to remove the @samp{(idm)} and the
9524 @samp{nagnagnag} identifiers:
9527 (setq nnmail-list-identifiers
9528 '("(idm)" "nagnagnag"))
9531 @item nnmail-remove-tabs
9532 @findex nnmail-remove-tabs
9533 Translate all @samp{TAB} characters into @samp{SPACE} characters.
9537 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
9538 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
9539 This hook is called narrowed to each message. Functions to be used
9543 @item article-de-quoted-unreadable
9544 @findex article-de-quoted-unreadable
9545 Decode Quoted Readable encoding.
9552 @subsection Duplicates
9554 @vindex nnmail-treat-duplicates
9555 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-length
9556 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-file
9557 @cindex duplicate mails
9558 If you are a member of a couple of mailing lists, you will sometimes
9559 receive two copies of the same mail. This can be quite annoying, so
9560 @code{nnmail} checks for and treats any duplicates it might find. To do
9561 this, it keeps a cache of old @code{Message-ID}s---
9562 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, which is @file{~/.nnmail-cache} by
9563 default. The approximate maximum number of @code{Message-ID}s stored
9564 there is controlled by the @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length}
9565 variable, which is 1000 by default. (So 1000 @code{Message-ID}s will be
9566 stored.) If all this sounds scary to you, you can set
9567 @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to @code{warn} (which is what it is by
9568 default), and @code{nnmail} won't delete duplicate mails. Instead it
9569 will insert a warning into the head of the mail saying that it thinks
9570 that this is a duplicate of a different message.
9572 This variable can also be a function. If that's the case, the function
9573 will be called from a buffer narrowed to the message in question with
9574 the @code{Message-ID} as a parameter. The function must return either
9575 @code{nil}, @code{warn}, or @code{delete}.
9577 You can turn this feature off completely by setting the variable to
9580 If you want all the duplicate mails to be put into a special
9581 @dfn{duplicates} group, you could do that using the normal mail split
9585 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
9586 '(| ;; Messages duplicates go to a separate group.
9587 ("gnus-warning" "duplication of message" "duplicate")
9588 ;; Message from daemons, postmaster, and the like to another.
9589 (any mail "mail.misc")
9596 (setq nnmail-split-methods
9597 '(("duplicates" "^Gnus-Warning:")
9602 Here's a neat feature: If you know that the recipient reads her mail
9603 with Gnus, and that she has @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} set to
9604 @code{delete}, you can send her as many insults as you like, just by
9605 using a @code{Message-ID} of a mail that you know that she's already
9606 received. Think of all the fun! She'll never see any of it! Whee!
9609 @node Not Reading Mail
9610 @subsection Not Reading Mail
9612 If you start using any of the mail backends, they have the annoying
9613 habit of assuming that you want to read mail with them. This might not
9614 be unreasonable, but it might not be what you want.
9616 If you set @code{nnmail-spool-file} to @code{nil}, none of the backends
9617 will ever attempt to read incoming mail, which should help.
9619 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
9620 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
9621 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
9622 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
9623 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
9624 This might be too much, if, for instance, you are reading mail quite
9625 happily with @code{nnml} and just want to peek at some old @sc{rmail}
9626 file you have stashed away with @code{nnbabyl}. All backends have
9627 variables called backend-@code{get-new-mail}. If you want to disable
9628 the @code{nnbabyl} mail reading, you edit the virtual server for the
9629 group to have a setting where @code{nnbabyl-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}.
9631 All the mail backends will call @code{nn}*@code{-prepare-save-mail-hook}
9632 narrowed to the article to be saved before saving it when reading
9636 @node Choosing a Mail Backend
9637 @subsection Choosing a Mail Backend
9639 Gnus will read the mail spool when you activate a mail group. The mail
9640 file is first copied to your home directory. What happens after that
9641 depends on what format you want to store your mail in.
9644 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
9645 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
9646 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
9647 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like backend.
9648 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
9653 @subsubsection Unix Mail Box
9655 @cindex unix mail box
9657 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
9658 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
9659 The @dfn{nnmbox} backend will use the standard Un*x mbox file to store
9660 mail. @code{nnmbox} will add extra headers to each mail article to say
9661 which group it belongs in.
9663 Virtual server settings:
9666 @item nnmbox-mbox-file
9667 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
9668 The name of the mail box in the user's home directory.
9670 @item nnmbox-active-file
9671 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
9672 The name of the active file for the mail box.
9674 @item nnmbox-get-new-mail
9675 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
9676 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmbox} will read incoming mail and split it
9682 @subsubsection Rmail Babyl
9686 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
9687 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
9688 The @dfn{nnbabyl} backend will use a babyl mail box (aka. @dfn{rmail
9689 mbox}) to store mail. @code{nnbabyl} will add extra headers to each mail
9690 article to say which group it belongs in.
9692 Virtual server settings:
9695 @item nnbabyl-mbox-file
9696 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
9697 The name of the rmail mbox file.
9699 @item nnbabyl-active-file
9700 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
9701 The name of the active file for the rmail box.
9703 @item nnbabyl-get-new-mail
9704 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
9705 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnbabyl} will read incoming mail.
9710 @subsubsection Mail Spool
9712 @cindex mail @sc{nov} spool
9714 The @dfn{nnml} spool mail format isn't compatible with any other known
9715 format. It should be used with some caution.
9717 @vindex nnml-directory
9718 If you use this backend, Gnus will split all incoming mail into files,
9719 one file for each mail, and put the articles into the corresponding
9720 directories under the directory specified by the @code{nnml-directory}
9721 variable. The default value is @file{~/Mail/}.
9723 You do not have to create any directories beforehand; Gnus will take
9726 If you have a strict limit as to how many files you are allowed to store
9727 in your account, you should not use this backend. As each mail gets its
9728 own file, you might very well occupy thousands of inodes within a few
9729 weeks. If this is no problem for you, and it isn't a problem for you
9730 having your friendly systems administrator walking around, madly,
9731 shouting ``Who is eating all my inodes?! Who? Who!?!'', then you should
9732 know that this is probably the fastest format to use. You do not have
9733 to trudge through a big mbox file just to read your new mail.
9735 @code{nnml} is probably the slowest backend when it comes to article
9736 splitting. It has to create lots of files, and it also generates
9737 @sc{nov} databases for the incoming mails. This makes it the fastest
9738 backend when it comes to reading mail.
9740 Virtual server settings:
9743 @item nnml-directory
9744 @vindex nnml-directory
9745 All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory.
9747 @item nnml-active-file
9748 @vindex nnml-active-file
9749 The active file for the @code{nnml} server.
9751 @item nnml-newsgroups-file
9752 @vindex nnml-newsgroups-file
9753 The @code{nnml} group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
9756 @item nnml-get-new-mail
9757 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
9758 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail.
9760 @item nnml-nov-is-evil
9761 @vindex nnml-nov-is-evil
9762 If non-@code{nil}, this backend will ignore any @sc{nov} files.
9764 @item nnml-nov-file-name
9765 @vindex nnml-nov-file-name
9766 The name of the @sc{nov} files. The default is @file{.overview}.
9768 @item nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
9769 @vindex nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
9770 Hook run narrowed to an article before saving.
9774 @findex nnml-generate-nov-databases
9775 If your @code{nnml} groups and @sc{nov} files get totally out of whack,
9776 you can do a complete update by typing @kbd{M-x
9777 nnml-generate-nov-databases}. This command will trawl through the
9778 entire @code{nnml} hierarchy, looking at each and every article, so it
9779 might take a while to complete. A better interface to this
9780 functionality can be found in the server buffer (@pxref{Server
9785 @subsubsection MH Spool
9787 @cindex mh-e mail spool
9789 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, except that is doesn't generate
9790 @sc{nov} databases and it doesn't keep an active file. This makes
9791 @code{nnmh} a @emph{much} slower backend than @code{nnml}, but it also
9792 makes it easier to write procmail scripts for.
9794 Virtual server settings:
9797 @item nnmh-directory
9798 @vindex nnmh-directory
9799 All @code{nnmh} directories will be located under this directory.
9801 @item nnmh-get-new-mail
9802 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
9803 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail.
9806 @vindex nnmh-be-safe
9807 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will go to ridiculous lengths to make
9808 sure that the articles in the folder are actually what Gnus thinks they
9809 are. It will check date stamps and stat everything in sight, so
9810 setting this to @code{t} will mean a serious slow-down. If you never
9811 use anything but Gnus to read the @code{nnmh} articles, you do not have
9812 to set this variable to @code{t}.
9817 @subsubsection Mail Folders
9819 @cindex mbox folders
9820 @cindex mail folders
9822 @code{nnfolder} is a backend for storing each mail group in a separate
9823 file. Each file is in the standard Un*x mbox format. @code{nnfolder}
9824 will add extra headers to keep track of article numbers and arrival
9827 Virtual server settings:
9830 @item nnfolder-directory
9831 @vindex nnfolder-directory
9832 All the @code{nnfolder} mail boxes will be stored under this directory.
9834 @item nnfolder-active-file
9835 @vindex nnfolder-active-file
9836 The name of the active file.
9838 @item nnfolder-newsgroups-file
9839 @vindex nnfolder-newsgroups-file
9840 The name of the group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File Format}.
9842 @item nnfolder-get-new-mail
9843 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
9844 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail.
9847 @findex nnfolder-generate-active-file
9848 @kindex M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file
9849 If you have lots of @code{nnfolder}-like files you'd like to read with
9850 @code{nnfolder}, you can use the @kbd{M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file}
9851 command to make @code{nnfolder} aware of all likely files in
9852 @code{nnfolder-directory}.
9856 @section Other Sources
9858 Gnus can do more than just read news or mail. The methods described
9859 below allow Gnus to view directories and files as if they were
9863 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
9864 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
9865 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
9866 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{SOUP} packets ``offline''.
9867 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
9868 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
9872 @node Directory Groups
9873 @subsection Directory Groups
9875 @cindex directory groups
9877 If you have a directory that has lots of articles in separate files in
9878 it, you might treat it as a newsgroup. The files have to have numerical
9881 This might be an opportune moment to mention @code{ange-ftp} (and its
9882 successor @code{efs}), that most wonderful of all wonderful Emacs
9883 packages. When I wrote @code{nndir}, I didn't think much about it---a
9884 backend to read directories. Big deal.
9886 @code{ange-ftp} changes that picture dramatically. For instance, if you
9887 enter the @code{ange-ftp} file name
9888 @file{/ftp.hpc.uh.edu:/pub/emacs/ding-list/} as the directory name,
9889 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will actually allow you to read this
9890 directory over at @samp{sina} as a newsgroup. Distributed news ahoy!
9892 @code{nndir} will use @sc{nov} files if they are present.
9894 @code{nndir} is a ``read-only'' backend---you can't delete or expire
9895 articles with this method. You can use @code{nnmh} or @code{nnml} for
9896 whatever you use @code{nndir} for, so you could switch to any of those
9897 methods if you feel the need to have a non-read-only @code{nndir}.
9900 @node Anything Groups
9901 @subsection Anything Groups
9904 From the @code{nndir} backend (which reads a single spool-like
9905 directory), it's just a hop and a skip to @code{nneething}, which
9906 pretends that any arbitrary directory is a newsgroup. Strange, but
9909 When @code{nneething} is presented with a directory, it will scan this
9910 directory and assign article numbers to each file. When you enter such
9911 a group, @code{nneething} must create ``headers'' that Gnus can use.
9912 After all, Gnus is a newsreader, in case you're
9913 forgetting. @code{nneething} does this in a two-step process. First, it
9914 snoops each file in question. If the file looks like an article (i.e.,
9915 the first few lines look like headers), it will use this as the head.
9916 If this is just some arbitrary file without a head (e.g. a C source
9917 file), @code{nneething} will cobble up a header out of thin air. It
9918 will use file ownership, name and date and do whatever it can with these
9921 All this should happen automatically for you, and you will be presented
9922 with something that looks very much like a newsgroup. Totally like a
9923 newsgroup, to be precise. If you select an article, it will be displayed
9924 in the article buffer, just as usual.
9926 If you select a line that represents a directory, Gnus will pop you into
9927 a new summary buffer for this @code{nneething} group. And so on. You can
9928 traverse the entire disk this way, if you feel like, but remember that
9929 Gnus is not dired, really, and does not intend to be, either.
9931 There are two overall modes to this action---ephemeral or solid. When
9932 doing the ephemeral thing (i.e., @kbd{G D} from the group buffer), Gnus
9933 will not store information on what files you have read, and what files
9934 are new, and so on. If you create a solid @code{nneething} group the
9935 normal way with @kbd{G m}, Gnus will store a mapping table between
9936 article numbers and file names, and you can treat this group like any
9937 other groups. When you activate a solid @code{nneething} group, you will
9938 be told how many unread articles it contains, etc., etc.
9943 @item nneething-map-file-directory
9944 @vindex nneething-map-file-directory
9945 All the mapping files for solid @code{nneething} groups will be stored
9946 in this directory, which defaults to @file{~/.nneething/}.
9948 @item nneething-exclude-files
9949 @vindex nneething-exclude-files
9950 All files that match this regexp will be ignored. Nice to use to exclude
9951 auto-save files and the like, which is what it does by default.
9953 @item nneething-map-file
9954 @vindex nneething-map-file
9955 Name of the map files.
9959 @node Document Groups
9960 @subsection Document Groups
9962 @cindex documentation group
9965 @code{nndoc} is a cute little thing that will let you read a single file
9966 as a newsgroup. Several files types are supported:
9973 The babyl (rmail) mail box.
9978 The standard Unix mbox file.
9980 @cindex MMDF mail box
9982 The MMDF mail box format.
9985 Several news articles appended into a file.
9988 @cindex rnews batch files
9989 The rnews batch transport format.
9990 @cindex forwarded messages
9999 @cindex RFC 1153 digest
10000 @cindex RFC 341 digest
10001 MIME (RFC 1341) digest format.
10003 @item standard-digest
10004 The standard (RFC 1153) digest format.
10007 Non-standard digest format---matches most things, but does it badly.
10010 You can also use the special ``file type'' @code{guess}, which means
10011 that @code{nndoc} will try to guess what file type it is looking at.
10012 @code{digest} means that @code{nndoc} should guess what digest type the
10015 @code{nndoc} will not try to change the file or insert any extra headers into
10016 it---it will simply, like, let you use the file as the basis for a
10017 group. And that's it.
10019 If you have some old archived articles that you want to insert into your
10020 new & spiffy Gnus mail backend, @code{nndoc} can probably help you with
10021 that. Say you have an old @file{RMAIL} file with mail that you now want
10022 to split into your new @code{nnml} groups. You look at that file using
10023 @code{nndoc} (using the @kbd{G f} command in the group buffer
10024 (@pxref{Foreign Groups})), set the process mark on all the articles in
10025 the buffer (@kbd{M P b}, for instance), and then re-spool (@kbd{B r})
10026 using @code{nnml}. If all goes well, all the mail in the @file{RMAIL}
10027 file is now also stored in lots of @code{nnml} directories, and you can
10028 delete that pesky @file{RMAIL} file. If you have the guts!
10030 Virtual server variables:
10033 @item nndoc-article-type
10034 @vindex nndoc-article-type
10035 This should be one of @code{mbox}, @code{babyl}, @code{digest},
10036 @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward}, @code{rfc934},
10037 @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-digest}, @code{standard-digest},
10038 @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs} or @code{guess}.
10040 @item nndoc-post-type
10041 @vindex nndoc-post-type
10042 This variable says whether Gnus is to consider the group a news group or
10043 a mail group. There are two valid values: @code{mail} (the default)
10048 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
10052 @node Document Server Internals
10053 @subsubsection Document Server Internals
10055 Adding new document types to be recognized by @code{nndoc} isn't
10056 difficult. You just have to whip up a definition of what the document
10057 looks like, write a predicate function to recognize that document type,
10058 and then hook into @code{nndoc}.
10060 First, here's an example document type definition:
10064 (article-begin . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n")
10065 (body-end . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n"))
10068 The definition is simply a unique @dfn{name} followed by a series of
10069 regexp pseudo-variable settings. Below are the possible
10070 variables---don't be daunted by the number of variables; most document
10071 types can be defined with very few settings:
10074 @item first-article
10075 If present, @code{nndoc} will skip past all text until it finds
10076 something that match this regexp. All text before this will be
10079 @item article-begin
10080 This setting has to be present in all document type definitions. It
10081 says what the beginning of each article looks like.
10083 @item head-begin-function
10084 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the head of
10087 @item nndoc-head-begin
10088 If present, this should be a regexp that matches the head of the
10091 @item nndoc-head-end
10092 This should match the end of the head of the article. It defaults to
10093 @samp{^$}---the empty line.
10095 @item body-begin-function
10096 If present, this function should move point to the beginning of the body
10100 This should match the beginning of the body of the article. It defaults
10103 @item body-end-function
10104 If present, this function should move point to the end of the body of
10108 If present, this should match the end of the body of the article.
10111 If present, this should match the end of the file. All text after this
10112 regexp will be totally ignored.
10116 So, using these variables @code{nndoc} is able to dissect a document
10117 file into a series of articles, each with a head and a body. However, a
10118 few more variables are needed since not all document types are all that
10119 news-like---variables needed to transform the head or the body into
10120 something that's palatable for Gnus:
10123 @item prepare-body-function
10124 If present, this function will be called when requesting an article. It
10125 will be called with point at the start of the body, and is useful if the
10126 document has encoded some parts of its contents.
10128 @item article-transform-function
10129 If present, this function is called when requesting an article. It's
10130 meant to be used for more wide-ranging transformation of both head and
10131 body of the article.
10133 @item generate-head-function
10134 If present, this function is called to generate a head that Gnus can
10135 understand. It is called with the article number as a parameter, and is
10136 expected to generate a nice head for the article in question. It is
10137 called when requesting the headers of all articles.
10141 Let's look at the most complicated example I can come up with---standard
10146 (first-article . ,(concat "^" (make-string 70 ?-) "\n\n+"))
10147 (article-begin . ,(concat "\n\n" (make-string 30 ?-) "\n\n+"))
10148 (prepare-body-function . nndoc-unquote-dashes)
10149 (body-end-function . nndoc-digest-body-end)
10150 (head-end . "^ ?$")
10151 (body-begin . "^ ?\n")
10152 (file-end . "^End of .*digest.*[0-9].*\n\\*\\*\\|^End of.*Digest *$")
10153 (subtype digest guess))
10156 We see that all text before a 70-width line of dashes is ignored; all
10157 text after a line that starts with that @samp{^End of} is also ignored;
10158 each article begins with a 30-width line of dashes; the line separating
10159 the head from the body may contain a single space; and that the body is
10160 run through @code{nndoc-unquote-dashes} before being delivered.
10162 To hook your own document definition into @code{nndoc}, use the
10163 @code{nndoc-add-type} function. It takes two parameters---the first is
10164 the definition itself and the second (optional) parameter says where in
10165 the document type definition alist to put this definition. The alist is
10166 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
10167 is of @code{mmdf} type, and so on. These type predicates should return
10168 @code{nil} if the document is not of the correct type; @code{t} if it is
10169 of the correct type; and a number if the document might be of the
10170 correct type. A high number means high probability; a low number means
10171 low probability with @samp{0} being the lowest valid number.
10179 In the PC world people often talk about ``offline'' newsreaders. These
10180 are thingies that are combined reader/news transport monstrosities.
10181 With built-in modem programs. Yecchh!
10183 Of course, us Unix Weenie types of human beans use things like
10184 @code{uucp} and, like, @code{nntpd} and set up proper news and mail
10185 transport things like Ghod intended. And then we just use normal
10188 However, it can sometimes be convenient to do something a that's a bit
10189 easier on the brain if you have a very slow modem, and you're not really
10190 that interested in doing things properly.
10192 A file format called @sc{soup} has been developed for transporting news
10193 and mail from servers to home machines and back again. It can be a bit
10196 First some terminology:
10201 This is the machine that is connected to the outside world and where you
10202 get news and/or mail from.
10205 This is the machine that you want to do the actual reading and responding
10206 on. It is typically not connected to the rest of the world in any way.
10209 Something that contains messages and/or commands. There are two kinds
10213 @item message packets
10214 These are packets made at the server, and typically contain lots of
10215 messages for you to read. These are called @file{SoupoutX.tgz} by
10216 default, where @var{X} is a number.
10218 @item response packets
10219 These are packets made at the home machine, and typically contains
10220 replies that you've written. These are called @file{SoupinX.tgz} by
10221 default, where @var{X} is a number.
10231 You log in on the server and create a @sc{soup} packet. You can either
10232 use a dedicated @sc{soup} thingie (like the @code{awk} program), or you
10233 can use Gnus to create the packet with its @sc{soup} commands (@kbd{O
10234 s} and/or @kbd{G s b}; and then @kbd{G s p}) (@pxref{SOUP Commands}).
10237 You transfer the packet home. Rail, boat, car or modem will do fine.
10240 You put the packet in your home directory.
10243 You fire up Gnus on your home machine using the @code{nnsoup} backend as
10244 the native or secondary server.
10247 You read articles and mail and answer and followup to the things you
10248 want (@pxref{SOUP Replies}).
10251 You do the @kbd{G s r} command to pack these replies into a @sc{soup}
10255 You transfer this packet to the server.
10258 You use Gnus to mail this packet out with the @kbd{G s s} command.
10261 You then repeat until you die.
10265 So you basically have a bipartite system---you use @code{nnsoup} for
10266 reading and Gnus for packing/sending these @sc{soup} packets.
10269 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
10270 * SOUP Groups:: A backend for reading @sc{soup} packets.
10271 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
10275 @node SOUP Commands
10276 @subsubsection SOUP Commands
10278 These are commands for creating and manipulating @sc{soup} packets.
10282 @kindex G s b (Group)
10283 @findex gnus-group-brew-soup
10284 Pack all unread articles in the current group
10285 (@code{gnus-group-brew-soup}). This command understands the
10286 process/prefix convention.
10289 @kindex G s w (Group)
10290 @findex gnus-soup-save-areas
10291 Save all @sc{soup} data files (@code{gnus-soup-save-areas}).
10294 @kindex G s s (Group)
10295 @findex gnus-soup-send-replies
10296 Send all replies from the replies packet
10297 (@code{gnus-soup-send-replies}).
10300 @kindex G s p (Group)
10301 @findex gnus-soup-pack-packet
10302 Pack all files into a @sc{soup} packet (@code{gnus-soup-pack-packet}).
10305 @kindex G s r (Group)
10306 @findex nnsoup-pack-replies
10307 Pack all replies into a replies packet (@code{nnsoup-pack-replies}).
10310 @kindex O s (Summary)
10311 @findex gnus-soup-add-article
10312 This summary-mode command adds the current article to a @sc{soup} packet
10313 (@code{gnus-soup-add-article}). It understands the process/prefix
10314 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
10319 There are a few variables to customize where Gnus will put all these
10324 @item gnus-soup-directory
10325 @vindex gnus-soup-directory
10326 Directory where Gnus will save intermediate files while composing
10327 @sc{soup} packets. The default is @file{~/SoupBrew/}.
10329 @item gnus-soup-replies-directory
10330 @vindex gnus-soup-replies-directory
10331 This is what Gnus will use as a temporary directory while sending our
10332 reply packets. @file{~/SoupBrew/SoupReplies/} is the default.
10334 @item gnus-soup-prefix-file
10335 @vindex gnus-soup-prefix-file
10336 Name of the file where Gnus stores the last used prefix. The default is
10337 @samp{gnus-prefix}.
10339 @item gnus-soup-packer
10340 @vindex gnus-soup-packer
10341 A format string command for packing a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
10342 @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupout%d.tgz}.
10344 @item gnus-soup-unpacker
10345 @vindex gnus-soup-unpacker
10346 Format string command for unpacking a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
10347 @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
10349 @item gnus-soup-packet-directory
10350 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-directory
10351 Where Gnus will look for reply packets. The default is @file{~/}.
10353 @item gnus-soup-packet-regexp
10354 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-regexp
10355 Regular expression matching @sc{soup} reply packets in
10356 @code{gnus-soup-packet-directory}.
10362 @subsubsection @sc{soup} Groups
10365 @code{nnsoup} is the backend for reading @sc{soup} packets. It will
10366 read incoming packets, unpack them, and put them in a directory where
10367 you can read them at leisure.
10369 These are the variables you can use to customize its behavior:
10373 @item nnsoup-tmp-directory
10374 @vindex nnsoup-tmp-directory
10375 When @code{nnsoup} unpacks a @sc{soup} packet, it does it in this
10376 directory. (@file{/tmp/} by default.)
10378 @item nnsoup-directory
10379 @vindex nnsoup-directory
10380 @code{nnsoup} then moves each message and index file to this directory.
10381 The default is @file{~/SOUP/}.
10383 @item nnsoup-replies-directory
10384 @vindex nnsoup-replies-directory
10385 All replies will be stored in this directory before being packed into a
10386 reply packet. The default is @file{~/SOUP/replies/"}.
10388 @item nnsoup-replies-format-type
10389 @vindex nnsoup-replies-format-type
10390 The @sc{soup} format of the replies packets. The default is @samp{?n}
10391 (rnews), and I don't think you should touch that variable. I probably
10392 shouldn't even have documented it. Drats! Too late!
10394 @item nnsoup-replies-index-type
10395 @vindex nnsoup-replies-index-type
10396 The index type of the replies packet. The default is @samp{?n}, which
10397 means ``none''. Don't fiddle with this one either!
10399 @item nnsoup-active-file
10400 @vindex nnsoup-active-file
10401 Where @code{nnsoup} stores lots of information. This is not an ``active
10402 file'' in the @code{nntp} sense; it's an Emacs Lisp file. If you lose
10403 this file or mess it up in any way, you're dead. The default is
10404 @file{~/SOUP/active}.
10406 @item nnsoup-packer
10407 @vindex nnsoup-packer
10408 Format string command for packing a reply @sc{soup} packet. The default
10409 is @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupin%d.tgz}.
10411 @item nnsoup-unpacker
10412 @vindex nnsoup-unpacker
10413 Format string command for unpacking incoming @sc{soup} packets. The
10414 default is @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
10416 @item nnsoup-packet-directory
10417 @vindex nnsoup-packet-directory
10418 Where @code{nnsoup} will look for incoming packets. The default is
10421 @item nnsoup-packet-regexp
10422 @vindex nnsoup-packet-regexp
10423 Regular expression matching incoming @sc{soup} packets. The default is
10430 @subsubsection SOUP Replies
10432 Just using @code{nnsoup} won't mean that your postings and mailings end
10433 up in @sc{soup} reply packets automagically. You have to work a bit
10434 more for that to happen.
10436 @findex nnsoup-set-variables
10437 The @code{nnsoup-set-variables} command will set the appropriate
10438 variables to ensure that all your followups and replies end up in the
10441 In specific, this is what it does:
10444 (setq message-send-news-function 'nnsoup-request-post)
10445 (setq message-send-mail-function 'nnsoup-request-mail)
10448 And that's it, really. If you only want news to go into the @sc{soup}
10449 system you just use the first line. If you only want mail to be
10450 @sc{soup}ed you use the second.
10454 @subsection Web Searches
10458 @cindex InReference
10459 @cindex Usenet searches
10460 @cindex searching the Usenet
10462 It's, like, too neat to search the Usenet for articles that match a
10463 string, but it, like, totally @emph{sucks}, like, totally, to use one of
10464 those, like, Web browsers, and you, like, have to, rilly, like, look at
10465 the commercials, so, like, with Gnus you can do @emph{rad}, rilly,
10466 searches without having to use a browser.
10468 The @code{nnweb} backend allows an easy interface to the mighty search
10469 engine. You create an @code{nnweb} group, enter a search pattern, and
10470 then enter the group and read the articles like you would any normal
10471 group. The @kbd{G w} command in the group buffer (@pxref{Foreign
10472 Groups}) will do this in an easy-to-use fashion.
10474 @code{nnweb} groups don't really lend themselves to being solid
10475 groups---they have a very fleeting idea of article numbers. In fact,
10476 each time you enter an @code{nnweb} group (not even changing the search
10477 pattern), you are likely to get the articles ordered in a different
10478 manner. Not even using duplicate suppression (@pxref{Duplicate
10479 Suppression}) will help, since @code{nnweb} doesn't even know the
10480 @code{Message-ID} of the articles before reading them using some search
10481 engines (DejaNews, for instance). The only possible way to keep track
10482 of which articles you've read is by scoring on the @code{Date}
10483 header---mark all articles posted before the last date you read the
10486 If the search engine changes its output substantially, @code{nnweb}
10487 won't be able to parse it and will fail. One could hardly fault the Web
10488 providers if they were to do this---their @emph{raison d'être} is to
10489 make money off of advertisements, not to provide services to the
10490 community. Since @code{nnweb} washes the ads off all the articles, one
10491 might think that the providers might be somewhat miffed. We'll see.
10493 You must have the @code{url} and @code{w3} package installed to be able
10494 to use @code{nnweb}.
10496 Virtual server variables:
10501 What search engine type is being used. The currently supported types
10502 are @code{dejanews}, @code{altavista} and @code{reference}.
10505 @vindex nnweb-search
10506 The search string to feed to the search engine.
10508 @item nnweb-max-hits
10509 @vindex nnweb-max-hits
10510 Advisory maximum number of hits per search to display. The default is
10513 @item nnweb-type-definition
10514 @vindex nnweb-type-definition
10515 Type-to-definition alist. This alist says what @code{nnweb} should do
10516 with the various search engine types. The following elements must be
10521 Function to decode the article and provide something that Gnus
10525 Function to create an article number to message header and URL alist.
10528 Function to send the search string to the search engine.
10531 The address the aforementioned function should send the search string
10535 Format string URL to fetch an article by @code{Message-ID}.
10542 @node Mail-To-News Gateways
10543 @subsection Mail-To-News Gateways
10544 @cindex mail-to-news gateways
10547 If your local @code{nntp} server doesn't allow posting, for some reason
10548 or other, you can post using one of the numerous mail-to-news gateways.
10549 The @code{nngateway} backend provides the interface.
10551 Note that you can't read anything from this backend---it can only be
10557 @item nngateway-address
10558 @vindex nngateway-address
10559 This is the address of the mail-to-news gateway.
10561 @item nngateway-header-transformation
10562 @vindex nngateway-header-transformation
10563 News headers often have to be transformed in some odd way or other
10564 for the mail-to-news gateway to accept it. This variable says what
10565 transformation should be called, and defaults to
10566 @code{nngateway-simple-header-transformation}. The function is called
10567 narrowed to the headers to be transformed and with one parameter---the
10570 This default function just inserts a new @code{To} header based on the
10571 @code{Newsgroups} header and the gateway address.
10572 For instance, an article with this @code{Newsgroups} header:
10575 Newsgroups: alt.religion.emacs
10578 will get this @code{From} header inserted:
10581 To: alt-religion-emacs@@GATEWAY
10586 So, to use this, simply say something like:
10589 (setq gnus-post-method '(nngateway "GATEWAY.ADDRESS"))
10593 @node Combined Groups
10594 @section Combined Groups
10596 Gnus allows combining a mixture of all the other group types into bigger
10600 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
10601 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
10605 @node Virtual Groups
10606 @subsection Virtual Groups
10608 @cindex virtual groups
10610 An @dfn{nnvirtual group} is really nothing more than a collection of
10613 For instance, if you are tired of reading many small groups, you can
10614 put them all in one big group, and then grow tired of reading one
10615 big, unwieldy group. The joys of computing!
10617 You specify @code{nnvirtual} as the method. The address should be a
10618 regexp to match component groups.
10620 All marks in the virtual group will stick to the articles in the
10621 component groups. So if you tick an article in a virtual group, the
10622 article will also be ticked in the component group from whence it came.
10623 (And vice versa---marks from the component groups will also be shown in
10624 the virtual group.)
10626 Here's an example @code{nnvirtual} method that collects all Andrea Dworkin
10627 newsgroups into one, big, happy newsgroup:
10630 (nnvirtual "^alt\\.fan\\.andrea-dworkin$\\|^rec\\.dworkin.*")
10633 The component groups can be native or foreign; everything should work
10634 smoothly, but if your computer explodes, it was probably my fault.
10636 Collecting the same group from several servers might actually be a good
10637 idea if users have set the Distribution header to limit distribution.
10638 If you would like to read @samp{soc.motss} both from a server in Japan
10639 and a server in Norway, you could use the following as the group regexp:
10642 "^nntp+some.server.jp:soc.motss$\\|^nntp+some.server.no:soc.motss$"
10645 This should work kinda smoothly---all articles from both groups should
10646 end up in this one, and there should be no duplicates. Threading (and
10647 the rest) will still work as usual, but there might be problems with the
10648 sequence of articles. Sorting on date might be an option here
10649 (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
10651 One limitation, however---all groups included in a virtual
10652 group have to be alive (i.e., subscribed or unsubscribed). Killed or
10653 zombie groups can't be component groups for @code{nnvirtual} groups.
10655 @vindex nnvirtual-always-rescan
10656 If the @code{nnvirtual-always-rescan} is non-@code{nil},
10657 @code{nnvirtual} will always scan groups for unread articles when
10658 entering a virtual group. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
10659 default) and you read articles in a component group after the virtual
10660 group has been activated, the read articles from the component group
10661 will show up when you enter the virtual group. You'll also see this
10662 effect if you have two virtual groups that have a component group in
10663 common. If that's the case, you should set this variable to @code{t}.
10664 Or you can just tap @code{M-g} on the virtual group every time before
10665 you enter it---it'll have much the same effect.
10668 @node Kibozed Groups
10669 @subsection Kibozed Groups
10673 @dfn{Kibozing} is defined by @sc{oed} as ``grepping through (parts of)
10674 the news feed''. @code{nnkiboze} is a backend that will do this for
10675 you. Oh joy! Now you can grind any @sc{nntp} server down to a halt
10676 with useless requests! Oh happiness!
10678 @kindex G k (Group)
10679 To create a kibozed group, use the @kbd{G k} command in the group
10682 The address field of the @code{nnkiboze} method is, as with
10683 @code{nnvirtual}, a regexp to match groups to be ``included'' in the
10684 @code{nnkiboze} group. That's where most similarities between @code{nnkiboze}
10685 and @code{nnvirtual} end.
10687 In addition to this regexp detailing component groups, an @code{nnkiboze} group
10688 must have a score file to say what articles are to be included in
10689 the group (@pxref{Scoring}).
10691 @kindex M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups
10692 @findex nnkiboze-generate-groups
10693 You must run @kbd{M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups} after creating the
10694 @code{nnkiboze} groups you want to have. This command will take time. Lots of
10695 time. Oodles and oodles of time. Gnus has to fetch the headers from
10696 all the articles in all the component groups and run them through the
10697 scoring process to determine if there are any articles in the groups
10698 that are to be part of the @code{nnkiboze} groups.
10700 Please limit the number of component groups by using restrictive
10701 regexps. Otherwise your sysadmin may become annoyed with you, and the
10702 @sc{nntp} site may throw you off and never let you back in again.
10703 Stranger things have happened.
10705 @code{nnkiboze} component groups do not have to be alive---they can be dead,
10706 and they can be foreign. No restrictions.
10708 @vindex nnkiboze-directory
10709 The generation of an @code{nnkiboze} group means writing two files in
10710 @code{nnkiboze-directory}, which is @file{~/News/} by default. One
10711 contains the @sc{nov} header lines for all the articles in the group,
10712 and the other is an additional @file{.newsrc} file to store information
10713 on what groups have been searched through to find component articles.
10715 Articles marked as read in the @code{nnkiboze} group will have
10716 their @sc{nov} lines removed from the @sc{nov} file.
10719 @node Gnus Unplugged
10720 @section Gnus Unplugged
10725 @cindex Gnus Unplugged
10727 In olden times (ca. February '88), people used to run their newsreaders
10728 on big machines with permanent connections to the net. News transport
10729 was dealt with by news servers, and all the newsreaders had to do was to
10730 read news. Believe it or not.
10732 Nowadays most people read news and mail at home, and use some sort of
10733 modem to connect to the net. To avoid running up huge phone bills, it
10734 would be nice to have a way to slurp down all the news and mail, hang up
10735 the phone, read for several hours, and then upload any responses you
10736 have to make. And then you repeat the procedure.
10738 Of course, you can use news servers for doing this as well. I've used
10739 @code{inn} together with @code{slurp}, @code{pop} and @code{sendmail}
10740 for some years, but doing that's a bore. Moving the news server
10741 functionality up to the newsreader makes sense if you're the only person
10742 reading news on a machine.
10744 Using Gnus as an ``offline'' newsreader is quite simple.
10748 First, set ut Gnus as you would do if you were running it on a machine
10749 that has full connection to the net. Go ahead. I'll still be waiting
10753 Then, put the following magical incantation at the end of your
10754 @file{.gnus.el} file:
10761 That's it. Gnus is now an ``offline'' newsreader.
10763 Of course, to use it as such, you have to learn a few new commands.
10766 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
10767 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
10768 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
10769 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
10774 @subsection Agent Basics
10776 First, let's get some terminilogy out of the way.
10778 The Gnus Agent is said to be @dfn{unplugged} when you have severed the
10779 connection to the net (and notified the Agent that this is the case).
10780 When the connection to the net is up again (and Gnus knows this), the
10781 Agent is @dfn{plugged}.
10783 The @dfn{local} machine is the one you're running on, and which isn't
10784 connected to the net continously.
10786 @dfn{Downloading} means fetching things from the net to your local
10787 machine. @dfn{Uploading} is doing the opposite.
10789 Let's take a typical Gnus session using the Agent.
10794 You start Gnus with @code{gnus-unplugged}. This brings up the Gnus
10795 Agent in a disconnected state. You can read all the news that you have
10796 already fetched while in this mode.
10799 You then decide to see whether any new news has arrived. You connect
10800 your machine to the net (using PPP or whatever), and then hit @kbd{J j}
10801 to make Gnus become @dfn{plugged}.
10804 You can then read the new news immediately, or you can download the news
10805 onto your local machine. If you want to do the latter, you press @kbd{J
10806 s} to fetch all the eligible articles in all the groups. (To let Gnus
10807 know which articles you want to download, @pxref{Agent Categories}.)
10810 After fetching the articles, you press @kbd{J j} to make Gnus become
10811 unplugged again, and you shut down the PPP thing (or whatever). And
10812 then you read the news offline.
10815 And then you go to step 2.
10819 @node Agent Categories
10820 @subsection Agent Categories
10822 On of the main reasons to integrate the news transport layer into the
10823 newsreader is to allow greater control over what articles to download.
10824 There's not much point in downloading huge amounts of articles, just to
10825 find out that you're not interested in reading any of them. It's better
10826 to be somewhat more conservative in choosing what to download, and then
10827 mark the articles for downloading manually if it should turn out that
10828 you're interested in the articles anyway.
10830 The main way to control what is to be downloaded is to create a
10831 @dfn{category} and then assign some (or all) groups to this category.
10832 Gnus has its own buffer for creating and managing categories.
10835 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
10836 * The Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
10837 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
10841 @node Category Syntax
10842 @subsubsection Category Syntax
10844 A category consists of two things.
10848 A predicate which (generally) gives a rough outline of which articles
10849 are eligible for downloading; and
10852 a score rule which (generally) gives you a finer granularity when
10853 deciding what articles to download. (Note that this @dfn{download
10854 score} is wholly unrelated to normal scores.)
10857 A predicate consists of predicates with logical operators sprinkled in
10860 Perhaps some examples are in order.
10862 Here's a simple predicate. (It's the default predicate, in fact, used
10863 for all groups that don't belong to any other category.)
10869 Quite simple, eh? This predicate is true if and only if the article is
10870 short (for some value of ``short'').
10872 Here's a more complex predicate:
10881 This means that an article should be downloaded if it has a high score,
10882 or if the score is not low and the article is not long. You get the
10885 The available logical operators are @code{or}, @code{and} and
10886 @code{not}. (If you prefer, you can use the more ``C''-ish operators
10887 @samp{|}, @code{&} and @code{!} instead.)
10889 The following predicates are pre-defined, but if none of these fit what
10890 you want to do, you can write your own.
10894 True iff the article is shorter than @code{gnus-agent-short-article}
10895 lines; default 100.
10898 True iff the article is longer than @code{gnus-agent-long-article}
10899 lines; default 200.
10902 True iff the article has a download score less than
10903 @code{gnus-agent-low-score}; default 0.
10906 True iff the article has a download score greater than
10907 @code{gnus-agent-high-score}; default 0.
10910 True iff the Gnus Agent guesses that the article is spam. The
10911 heuristics may change over time, but at present it just computes a
10912 checksum and see whether articles match.
10921 If you want to create your own predicate function, here's what you have
10922 to know: The functions are called with no parameters, but the
10923 @code{gnus-headers} and @code{gnus-score} dynamic variables are bound to
10926 Now, the syntax of the download score is the same as the syntax of
10927 normal score files, except that all elements that require actually
10928 seeing the article itself is verboten. This means that only the
10929 following headers can be scored on: @code{From}, @code{Subject},
10930 @code{Date}, @code{Xref}, @code{Lines}, @code{Chars}, @code{Message-ID},
10931 and @code{References}.
10934 @node The Category Buffer
10935 @subsubsection The Category Buffer
10937 You'd normally do all category maintenance from the category buffer.
10938 When you enter it for the first time (with the @kbd{J c} command from
10939 the group buffer), you'll only see the @code{default} category.
10941 The following commands are available in this buffer:
10945 @kindex q (Category)
10946 @findex gnus-category-exit
10947 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-category-exit}).
10950 @kindex k (Category)
10951 @findex gnus-category-kill
10952 Kill the current category (@code{gnus-category-kill}).
10955 @kindex c (Category)
10956 @findex gnus-category-copy
10957 Copy the current category (@code{gnus-category-copy}).
10960 @kindex a (Category)
10961 @findex gnus-category-add
10962 Add a new category (@code{gnus-category-add}).
10965 @kindex p (Category)
10966 @findex gnus-category-edit-predicate
10967 Edit the predicate of the current category
10968 (@code{gnus-category-edit-predicate}).
10971 @kindex g (Category)
10972 @findex gnus-category-edit-groups
10973 Edit the list of groups belonging to the current category
10974 (@code{gnus-category-edit-groups}).
10977 @kindex s (Category)
10978 @findex gnus-category-edit-score
10979 Edit the download score rule of the current category
10980 (@code{gnus-category-edit-score}).
10983 @kindex l (Category)
10984 @findex gnus-category-list
10985 List all the categories (@code{gnus-category-list}).
10989 @node Category Variables
10990 @subsubsection Category Variables
10993 @item gnus-category-mode-hook
10994 @vindex gnus-category-mode-hook
10995 Hook run in category buffers.
10997 @item gnus-category-line-format
10998 @vindex gnus-category-line-format
10999 Format of the lines in the category buffer (@pxref{Formatting
11000 Variables}). Legal elements are:
11004 The name of the category.
11007 The number of groups in the category.
11010 @item gnus-category-mode-line-format
11011 @vindex gnus-category-mode-line-format
11012 Format of the category mode line.
11014 @item gnus-agent-short-article
11015 @vindex gnus-agent-short-article
11016 Articles that have fewer lines than this are short. Default 100.
11018 @item gnus-agent-long-article
11019 @vindex gnus-agent-long-article
11020 Articles that have more lines than this are long. Default 200.
11022 @item gnus-agent-low-score
11023 @vindex gnus-agent-low-score
11024 Articles that have a score lower than this have a low score. Default
11027 @item gnus-agent-high-score
11028 @vindex gnus-agent-high-score
11029 Articles that have a score higher than this have a high score. Default
11035 @node Agent Commands
11036 @subsection Agent Commands
11038 All the Gnus Agent commands is on the @kbd{J} submap. The @kbd{J j}
11039 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-plugged} command works in all modes, and
11040 toggles the plugged/unplugged state of the Gnus Agent.
11044 * Group Agent Commands::
11045 * Summary Agent Commands::
11046 * Server Agent Commands::
11050 @node Group Agent Commands
11051 @subsubsection Group Agent Commands
11055 @kindex J u (Agent Group)
11056 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-group
11057 Fetch all eligible articles in the current group
11058 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-group}).
11061 @kindex J c (Agent Group)
11062 @findex gnus-enter-category-buffer
11063 Enter the Agent category buffer (@code{gnus-enter-category-buffer}).
11066 @kindex J s (Agent Group)
11067 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-session
11068 Fetch all eligible articles in all groups
11069 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-session}).
11072 @kindex J a (Agent Group)
11073 @findex gnus-agent-add-group
11074 Add the current group to an Agent category
11075 (@code{gnus-agent-add-group}).
11080 @node Summary Agent Commands
11081 @subsubsection Summary Agent Commands
11085 @kindex J # (Agent Summary)
11086 @findex gnus-agent-mark-article
11087 Mark the article for downloading (@code{gnus-agent-mark-article}).
11090 @kindex J M-# (Agent Summary)
11091 @findex gnus-agent-unmark-article
11092 Remove the downloading mark from the article
11093 (@code{gnus-agent-unmark-article}).
11096 @kindex @@ (Agent Summary)
11097 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-mark
11098 Toggle whether to download the article (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-mark}).
11101 @kindex J c (Agent Summary)
11102 @findex gnus-agent-catchup
11103 Mark all undownloaded articles as read (@code{gnus-agent-catchup}).
11108 @node Server Agent Commands
11109 @subsubsection Server Agent Commands
11113 @kindex J a (Agent Server)
11114 @findex gnus-agent-add-server
11115 Add the current server to the list of servers covered by the Gnus Agent
11116 (@code{gnus-agent-add-server}).
11119 @kindex J r (Agent Server)
11120 @findex gnus-agent-remove-server
11121 Remove the current server from the list of servers covered by the Gnus
11122 Agent (@code{gnus-agent-remove-server}).
11127 @node Agent Variables
11128 @subsection Agent Variables
11131 @item gnus-agent-directory
11132 @vindex gnus-agent-directory
11133 Where the Gnus Agent will store its files. The default is
11134 @file{~/News/agent/}.
11136 @item gnus-agent-plugged-hook
11137 @vindex gnus-agent-plugged-hook
11138 Hook run when connecting to the network.
11140 @item gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
11141 @vindex gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
11142 Hook run when disconnecting from the network.
11151 Other people use @dfn{kill files}, but we here at Gnus Towers like
11152 scoring better than killing, so we'd rather switch than fight. They do
11153 something completely different as well, so sit up straight and pay
11156 @vindex gnus-summary-mark-below
11157 All articles have a default score (@code{gnus-summary-default-score}),
11158 which is 0 by default. This score may be raised or lowered either
11159 interactively or by score files. Articles that have a score lower than
11160 @code{gnus-summary-mark-below} are marked as read.
11162 Gnus will read any @dfn{score files} that apply to the current group
11163 before generating the summary buffer.
11165 There are several commands in the summary buffer that insert score
11166 entries based on the current article. You can, for instance, ask Gnus to
11167 lower or increase the score of all articles with a certain subject.
11169 There are two sorts of scoring entries: Permanent and temporary.
11170 Temporary score entries are self-expiring entries. Any entries that are
11171 temporary and have not been used for, say, a week, will be removed
11172 silently to help keep the sizes of the score files down.
11175 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
11176 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
11177 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
11178 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
11179 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
11180 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
11181 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
11182 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
11183 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
11184 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
11185 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
11186 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
11187 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
11188 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
11189 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
11190 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
11194 @node Summary Score Commands
11195 @section Summary Score Commands
11196 @cindex score commands
11198 The score commands that alter score entries do not actually modify real
11199 score files. That would be too inefficient. Gnus maintains a cache of
11200 previously loaded score files, one of which is considered the
11201 @dfn{current score file alist}. The score commands simply insert
11202 entries into this list, and upon group exit, this list is saved.
11204 The current score file is by default the group's local score file, even
11205 if no such score file actually exists. To insert score commands into
11206 some other score file (e.g. @file{all.SCORE}), you must first make this
11207 score file the current one.
11209 General score commands that don't actually change the score file:
11214 @kindex V s (Summary)
11215 @findex gnus-summary-set-score
11216 Set the score of the current article (@code{gnus-summary-set-score}).
11219 @kindex V S (Summary)
11220 @findex gnus-summary-current-score
11221 Display the score of the current article
11222 (@code{gnus-summary-current-score}).
11225 @kindex V t (Summary)
11226 @findex gnus-score-find-trace
11227 Display all score rules that have been used on the current article
11228 (@code{gnus-score-find-trace}).
11231 @kindex V R (Summary)
11232 @findex gnus-summary-rescore
11233 Run the current summary through the scoring process
11234 (@code{gnus-summary-rescore}). This might be useful if you're playing
11235 around with your score files behind Gnus' back and want to see the
11236 effect you're having.
11239 @kindex V a (Summary)
11240 @findex gnus-summary-score-entry
11241 Add a new score entry, and allow specifying all elements
11242 (@code{gnus-summary-score-entry}).
11245 @kindex V c (Summary)
11246 @findex gnus-score-change-score-file
11247 Make a different score file the current
11248 (@code{gnus-score-change-score-file}).
11251 @kindex V e (Summary)
11252 @findex gnus-score-edit-current-scores
11253 Edit the current score file (@code{gnus-score-edit-current-scores}).
11254 You will be popped into a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score
11258 @kindex V f (Summary)
11259 @findex gnus-score-edit-file
11260 Edit a score file and make this score file the current one
11261 (@code{gnus-score-edit-file}).
11264 @kindex V F (Summary)
11265 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
11266 Flush the score cache (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}). This is useful
11267 after editing score files.
11270 @kindex V C (Summary)
11271 @findex gnus-score-customize
11272 Customize a score file in a visually pleasing manner
11273 (@code{gnus-score-customize}).
11277 The rest of these commands modify the local score file.
11282 @kindex V m (Summary)
11283 @findex gnus-score-set-mark-below
11284 Prompt for a score, and mark all articles with a score below this as
11285 read (@code{gnus-score-set-mark-below}).
11288 @kindex V x (Summary)
11289 @findex gnus-score-set-expunge-below
11290 Prompt for a score, and add a score rule to the current score file to
11291 expunge all articles below this score
11292 (@code{gnus-score-set-expunge-below}).
11295 The keystrokes for actually making score entries follow a very regular
11296 pattern, so there's no need to list all the commands. (Hundreds of
11301 The first key is either @kbd{I} (upper case i) for increasing the score
11302 or @kbd{L} for lowering the score.
11304 The second key says what header you want to score on. The following
11305 keys are available:
11309 Score on the author name.
11312 Score on the subject line.
11315 Score on the Xref line---i.e., the cross-posting line.
11318 Score on thread---the References line.
11324 Score on the number of lines.
11327 Score on the Message-ID.
11330 Score on followups.
11340 The third key is the match type. Which match types are valid depends on
11341 what headers you are scoring on.
11353 Substring matching.
11356 Fuzzy matching (@pxref{Fuzzy Matching}).
11385 Greater than number.
11390 The fourth and final key says whether this is a temporary (i.e., expiring)
11391 score entry, or a permanent (i.e., non-expiring) score entry, or whether
11392 it is to be done immediately, without adding to the score file.
11396 Temporary score entry.
11399 Permanent score entry.
11402 Immediately scoring.
11407 So, let's say you want to increase the score on the current author with
11408 exact matching permanently: @kbd{I a e p}. If you want to lower the
11409 score based on the subject line, using substring matching, and make a
11410 temporary score entry: @kbd{L s s t}. Pretty easy.
11412 To make things a bit more complicated, there are shortcuts. If you use
11413 a capital letter on either the second or third keys, Gnus will use
11414 defaults for the remaining one or two keystrokes. The defaults are
11415 ``substring'' and ``temporary''. So @kbd{I A} is the same as @kbd{I a s
11416 t}, and @kbd{I a R} is the same as @kbd{I a r t}.
11418 @vindex gnus-score-mimic-keymap
11419 The @code{gnus-score-mimic-keymap} says whether these commands will
11420 pretend they are keymaps or not.
11423 @node Group Score Commands
11424 @section Group Score Commands
11425 @cindex group score commands
11427 There aren't many of these as yet, I'm afraid.
11432 @kindex W f (Group)
11433 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
11434 Gnus maintains a cache of score alists to avoid having to reload them
11435 all the time. This command will flush the cache
11436 (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}).
11441 @node Score Variables
11442 @section Score Variables
11443 @cindex score variables
11447 @item gnus-use-scoring
11448 @vindex gnus-use-scoring
11449 If @code{nil}, Gnus will not check for score files, and will not, in
11450 general, do any score-related work. This is @code{t} by default.
11452 @item gnus-kill-killed
11453 @vindex gnus-kill-killed
11454 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will never apply score files to
11455 articles that have already been through the kill process. While this
11456 may save you lots of time, it also means that if you apply a kill file
11457 to a group, and then change the kill file and want to run it over you
11458 group again to kill more articles, it won't work. You have to set this
11459 variable to @code{t} to do that. (It is @code{t} by default.)
11461 @item gnus-kill-files-directory
11462 @vindex gnus-kill-files-directory
11463 All kill and score files will be stored in this directory, which is
11464 initialized from the @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable by default.
11465 This is @file{~/News/} by default.
11467 @item gnus-score-file-suffix
11468 @vindex gnus-score-file-suffix
11469 Suffix to add to the group name to arrive at the score file name
11470 (@samp{SCORE} by default.)
11472 @item gnus-score-uncacheable-files
11473 @vindex gnus-score-uncacheable-files
11474 @cindex score cache
11475 All score files are normally cached to avoid excessive re-loading of
11476 score files. However, if this might make you Emacs grow big and
11477 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
11478 @file{all.SCORE}, while it might be a good idea to not cache
11479 @file{comp.infosystems.www.authoring.misc.ADAPT}. In fact, this
11480 variable is @samp{ADAPT$} by default, so no adaptive score files will
11483 @item gnus-save-score
11484 @vindex gnus-save-score
11485 If you have really complicated score files, and do lots of batch
11486 scoring, then you might set this variable to @code{t}. This will make
11487 Gnus save the scores into the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
11489 @item gnus-score-interactive-default-score
11490 @vindex gnus-score-interactive-default-score
11491 Score used by all the interactive raise/lower commands to raise/lower
11492 score with. Default is 1000, which may seem excessive, but this is to
11493 ensure that the adaptive scoring scheme gets enough room to play with.
11494 We don't want the small changes from the adaptive scoring to overwrite
11495 manually entered data.
11497 @item gnus-summary-default-score
11498 @vindex gnus-summary-default-score
11499 Default score of an article, which is 0 by default.
11501 @item gnus-summary-expunge-below
11502 @vindex gnus-summary-expunge-below
11503 Don't display the summary lines of articles that have scores lower than
11504 this variable. This is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
11505 articles will be hidden.
11507 @item gnus-score-over-mark
11508 @vindex gnus-score-over-mark
11509 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score over the
11510 default. Default is @samp{+}.
11512 @item gnus-score-below-mark
11513 @vindex gnus-score-below-mark
11514 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score below the
11515 default. Default is @samp{-}.
11517 @item gnus-score-find-score-files-function
11518 @vindex gnus-score-find-score-files-function
11519 Function used to find score files for the current group. This function
11520 is called with the name of the group as the argument.
11522 Predefined functions available are:
11525 @item gnus-score-find-single
11526 @findex gnus-score-find-single
11527 Only apply the group's own score file.
11529 @item gnus-score-find-bnews
11530 @findex gnus-score-find-bnews
11531 Apply all score files that match, using bnews syntax. This is the
11532 default. If the current group is @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}, for instance,
11533 @file{all.emacs.all.SCORE}, @file{not.alt.all.SCORE} and
11534 @file{gnu.all.SCORE} would all apply. In short, the instances of
11535 @samp{all} in the score file names are translated into @samp{.*}, and
11536 then a regexp match is done.
11538 This means that if you have some score entries that you want to apply to
11539 all groups, then you put those entries in the @file{all.SCORE} file.
11541 The score files are applied in a semi-random order, although Gnus will
11542 try to apply the more general score files before the more specific score
11543 files. It does this by looking at the number of elements in the score
11544 file names---discarding the @samp{all} elements.
11546 @item gnus-score-find-hierarchical
11547 @findex gnus-score-find-hierarchical
11548 Apply all score files from all the parent groups. This means that you
11549 can't have score files like @file{all.SCORE}, but you can have
11550 @file{SCORE}, @file{comp.SCORE} and @file{comp.emacs.SCORE}.
11553 This variable can also be a list of functions. In that case, all these
11554 functions will be called, and all the returned lists of score files will
11555 be applied. These functions can also return lists of score alists
11556 directly. In that case, the functions that return these non-file score
11557 alists should probably be placed before the ``real'' score file
11558 functions, to ensure that the last score file returned is the local
11561 @item gnus-score-expiry-days
11562 @vindex gnus-score-expiry-days
11563 This variable says how many days should pass before an unused score file
11564 entry is expired. If this variable is @code{nil}, no score file entries
11565 are expired. It's 7 by default.
11567 @item gnus-update-score-entry-dates
11568 @vindex gnus-update-score-entry-dates
11569 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, matching score entries will have
11570 their dates updated. (This is how Gnus controls expiry---all
11571 non-matching entries will become too old while matching entries will
11572 stay fresh and young.) However, if you set this variable to @code{nil},
11573 even matching entries will grow old and will have to face that oh-so
11576 @item gnus-score-after-write-file-function
11577 @vindex gnus-score-after-write-file-function
11578 Function called with the name of the score file just written.
11583 @node Score File Format
11584 @section Score File Format
11585 @cindex score file format
11587 A score file is an @code{emacs-lisp} file that normally contains just a
11588 single form. Casual users are not expected to edit these files;
11589 everything can be changed from the summary buffer.
11591 Anyway, if you'd like to dig into it yourself, here's an example:
11595 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" -10000)
11597 ("larsi\\|lmi" -50000 nil R))
11599 ("Ding is Badd" nil 728373))
11601 ("alt.politics" -1000 728372 s))
11606 (mark-and-expunge -10)
11610 (files "/hom/larsi/News/gnu.SCORE")
11611 (exclude-files "all.SCORE")
11612 (local (gnus-newsgroup-auto-expire t)
11613 (gnus-summary-make-false-root 'empty))
11617 This example demonstrates most score file elements. For a different
11618 approach, see @pxref{Advanced Scoring}.
11620 Even though this looks much like lisp code, nothing here is actually
11621 @code{eval}ed. The lisp reader is used to read this form, though, so it
11622 has to be valid syntactically, if not semantically.
11624 Six keys are supported by this alist:
11629 If the key is a string, it is the name of the header to perform the
11630 match on. Scoring can only be performed on these eight headers:
11631 @code{From}, @code{Subject}, @code{References}, @code{Message-ID},
11632 @code{Xref}, @code{Lines}, @code{Chars} and @code{Date}. In addition to
11633 these headers, there are three strings to tell Gnus to fetch the entire
11634 article and do the match on larger parts of the article: @code{Body}
11635 will perform the match on the body of the article, @code{Head} will
11636 perform the match on the head of the article, and @code{All} will
11637 perform the match on the entire article. Note that using any of these
11638 last three keys will slow down group entry @emph{considerably}. The
11639 final ``header'' you can score on is @code{Followup}. These score
11640 entries will result in new score entries being added for all follow-ups
11641 to articles that matches these score entries.
11643 Following this key is a arbitrary number of score entries, where each
11644 score entry has one to four elements.
11648 The first element is the @dfn{match element}. On most headers this will
11649 be a string, but on the Lines and Chars headers, this must be an
11653 If the second element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{score
11654 element}. This number should be an integer in the neginf to posinf
11655 interval. This number is added to the score of the article if the match
11656 is successful. If this element is not present, the
11657 @code{gnus-score-interactive-default-score} number will be used
11658 instead. This is 1000 by default.
11661 If the third element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{date
11662 element}. This date says when the last time this score entry matched,
11663 which provides a mechanism for expiring the score entries. It this
11664 element is not present, the score entry is permanent. The date is
11665 represented by the number of days since December 31, 1 BCE.
11668 If the fourth element is present, it should be a symbol---the @dfn{type
11669 element}. This element specifies what function should be used to see
11670 whether this score entry matches the article. What match types that can
11671 be used depends on what header you wish to perform the match on.
11674 @item From, Subject, References, Xref, Message-ID
11675 For most header types, there are the @code{r} and @code{R} (regexp), as
11676 well as @code{s} and @code{S} (substring) types, and @code{e} and
11677 @code{E} (exact match), and @code{w} (word match) types. If this
11678 element is not present, Gnus will assume that substring matching should
11679 be used. @code{R}, @code{S}, and @code{E} differ from the others in
11680 that the matches will be done in a case-sensitive manner. All these
11681 one-letter types are really just abbreviations for the @code{regexp},
11682 @code{string}, @code{exact}, and @code{word} types, which you can use
11683 instead, if you feel like.
11686 These two headers use different match types: @code{<}, @code{>},
11687 @code{=}, @code{>=} and @code{<=}. When matching on @code{Lines}, be
11688 careful because some backends (like @code{nndir}) do not generate
11689 @code{Lines} header, so every article ends up being marked as having 0
11690 lines. This can lead to strange results if you happen to lower score of
11691 the articles with few lines.
11694 For the Date header we have three kinda silly match types:
11695 @code{before}, @code{at} and @code{after}. I can't really imagine this
11696 ever being useful, but, like, it would feel kinda silly not to provide
11697 this function. Just in case. You never know. Better safe than sorry.
11698 Once burnt, twice shy. Don't judge a book by its cover. Never not have
11699 sex on a first date. (I have been told that at least one person, and I
11700 quote, ``found this function indispensable'', however.)
11704 A more useful match type is @code{regexp}. With it, you can match the
11705 date string using a regular expression. The date is normalized to
11706 ISO8601 compact format first---@var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS}. If
11707 you want to match all articles that have been posted on April 1st in
11708 every year, you could use @samp{....0401.........} as a match string,
11709 for instance. (Note that the date is kept in its original time zone, so
11710 this will match articles that were posted when it was April 1st where
11711 the article was posted from. Time zones are such wholesome fun for the
11714 @item Head, Body, All
11715 These three match keys use the same match types as the @code{From} (etc)
11719 This match key is somewhat special, in that it will match the
11720 @code{From} header, and affect the score of not only the matching
11721 articles, but also all followups to the matching articles. This allows
11722 you e.g. increase the score of followups to your own articles, or
11723 decrease the score of followups to the articles of some known
11724 trouble-maker. Uses the same match types as the @code{From} header
11725 uses. (Using this match key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT}
11729 This match key works along the same lines as the @code{Followup} match
11730 key. If you say that you want to score on a (sub-)thread started by an article with a @code{Message-ID} @var{X}, then you add a
11731 @samp{thread} match. This will add a new @samp{thread} match for each
11732 article that has @var{X} in its @code{References} header. (These new
11733 @samp{thread} matches will use the @code{Message-ID}s of these matching
11734 articles.) This will ensure that you can raise/lower the score of an
11735 entire thread, even though some articles in the thread may not have
11736 complete @code{References} headers. Note that using this may lead to
11737 undeterministic scores of the articles in the thread. (Using this match
11738 key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT} files.)
11742 @cindex Score File Atoms
11744 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
11745 lower than this number will be marked as read.
11748 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
11749 lower than this number will be removed from the summary buffer.
11751 @item mark-and-expunge
11752 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
11753 lower than this number will be marked as read and removed from the
11756 @item thread-mark-and-expunge
11757 The value of this entry should be a number. All articles that belong to
11758 a thread that has a total score below this number will be marked as read
11759 and removed from the summary buffer. @code{gnus-thread-score-function}
11760 says how to compute the total score for a thread.
11763 The value of this entry should be any number of file names. These files
11764 are assumed to be score files as well, and will be loaded the same way
11767 @item exclude-files
11768 The clue of this entry should be any number of files. These files will
11769 not be loaded, even though they would normally be so, for some reason or
11773 The value of this entry will be @code{eval}el. This element will be
11774 ignored when handling global score files.
11777 Read-only score files will not be updated or saved. Global score files
11778 should feature this atom (@pxref{Global Score Files}).
11781 The value of this entry should be a number. Articles that do not have
11782 parents will get this number added to their scores. Imagine you follow
11783 some high-volume newsgroup, like @samp{comp.lang.c}. Most likely you
11784 will only follow a few of the threads, also want to see any new threads.
11786 You can do this with the following two score file entries:
11790 (mark-and-expunge -100)
11793 When you enter the group the first time, you will only see the new
11794 threads. You then raise the score of the threads that you find
11795 interesting (with @kbd{I T} or @kbd{I S}), and ignore (@kbd{C y}) the
11796 rest. Next time you enter the group, you will see new articles in the
11797 interesting threads, plus any new threads.
11799 I.e.---the orphan score atom is for high-volume groups where there
11800 exist a few interesting threads which can't be found automatically by
11801 ordinary scoring rules.
11804 This entry controls the adaptive scoring. If it is @code{t}, the
11805 default adaptive scoring rules will be used. If it is @code{ignore}, no
11806 adaptive scoring will be performed on this group. If it is a list, this
11807 list will be used as the adaptive scoring rules. If it isn't present,
11808 or is something other than @code{t} or @code{ignore}, the default
11809 adaptive scoring rules will be used. If you want to use adaptive
11810 scoring on most groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
11811 @code{t}, and insert an @code{(adapt ignore)} in the groups where you do
11812 not want adaptive scoring. If you only want adaptive scoring in a few
11813 groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to @code{nil}, and
11814 insert @code{(adapt t)} in the score files of the groups where you want
11818 All adaptive score entries will go to the file named by this entry. It
11819 will also be applied when entering the group. This atom might be handy
11820 if you want to adapt on several groups at once, using the same adaptive
11821 file for a number of groups.
11824 @cindex local variables
11825 The value of this entry should be a list of @code{(VAR VALUE)} pairs.
11826 Each @var{var} will be made buffer-local to the current summary buffer,
11827 and set to the value specified. This is a convenient, if somewhat
11828 strange, way of setting variables in some groups if you don't like hooks
11833 @node Score File Editing
11834 @section Score File Editing
11836 You normally enter all scoring commands from the summary buffer, but you
11837 might feel the urge to edit them by hand as well, so we've supplied you
11838 with a mode for that.
11840 It's simply a slightly customized @code{emacs-lisp} mode, with these
11841 additional commands:
11846 @kindex C-c C-c (Score)
11847 @findex gnus-score-edit-done
11848 Save the changes you have made and return to the summary buffer
11849 (@code{gnus-score-edit-done}).
11852 @kindex C-c C-d (Score)
11853 @findex gnus-score-edit-insert-date
11854 Insert the current date in numerical format
11855 (@code{gnus-score-edit-insert-date}). This is really the day number, if
11856 you were wondering.
11859 @kindex C-c C-p (Score)
11860 @findex gnus-score-pretty-print
11861 The adaptive score files are saved in an unformatted fashion. If you
11862 intend to read one of these files, you want to @dfn{pretty print} it
11863 first. This command (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) does that for
11868 Type @kbd{M-x gnus-score-mode} to use this mode.
11870 @vindex gnus-score-mode-hook
11871 @code{gnus-score-menu-hook} is run in score mode buffers.
11873 In the summary buffer you can use commands like @kbd{V f} and @kbd{V
11874 e} to begin editing score files.
11877 @node Adaptive Scoring
11878 @section Adaptive Scoring
11879 @cindex adaptive scoring
11881 If all this scoring is getting you down, Gnus has a way of making it all
11882 happen automatically---as if by magic. Or rather, as if by artificial
11883 stupidity, to be precise.
11885 @vindex gnus-use-adaptive-scoring
11886 When you read an article, or mark an article as read, or kill an
11887 article, you leave marks behind. On exit from the group, Gnus can sniff
11888 these marks and add score elements depending on what marks it finds.
11889 You turn on this ability by setting @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
11890 @code{t} or @code{(line)}. If you want score adaptively on separate
11891 words appearing in the subjects, you should set this variable to
11892 @code{(word)}. If you want to use both adaptive methods, set this
11893 variable to @code{(word line)}.
11895 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
11896 To give you complete control over the scoring process, you can customize
11897 the @code{gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist} variable. For instance, it
11898 might look something like this:
11901 (defvar gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
11902 '((gnus-unread-mark)
11903 (gnus-ticked-mark (from 4))
11904 (gnus-dormant-mark (from 5))
11905 (gnus-del-mark (from -4) (subject -1))
11906 (gnus-read-mark (from 4) (subject 2))
11907 (gnus-expirable-mark (from -1) (subject -1))
11908 (gnus-killed-mark (from -1) (subject -3))
11909 (gnus-kill-file-mark)
11910 (gnus-ancient-mark)
11911 (gnus-low-score-mark)
11912 (gnus-catchup-mark (from -1) (subject -1))))
11915 As you see, each element in this alist has a mark as a key (either a
11916 variable name or a ``real'' mark---a character). Following this key is
11917 a arbitrary number of header/score pairs. If there are no header/score
11918 pairs following the key, no adaptive scoring will be done on articles
11919 that have that key as the article mark. For instance, articles with
11920 @code{gnus-unread-mark} in the example above will not get adaptive score
11923 Each article can have only one mark, so just a single of these rules
11924 will be applied to each article.
11926 To take @code{gnus-del-mark} as an example---this alist says that all
11927 articles that have that mark (i.e., are marked with @samp{D}) will have a
11928 score entry added to lower based on the @code{From} header by -4, and
11929 lowered by @code{Subject} by -1. Change this to fit your prejudices.
11931 If you have marked 10 articles with the same subject with
11932 @code{gnus-del-mark}, the rule for that mark will be applied ten times.
11933 That means that that subject will get a score of ten times -1, which
11934 should be, unless I'm much mistaken, -10.
11936 If you have auto-expirable (mail) groups (@pxref{Expiring Mail}), all
11937 the read articles will be marked with the @samp{E} mark. This'll
11938 probably make adaptive scoring slightly impossible, so auto-expiring and
11939 adaptive scoring doesn't really mix very well.
11941 The headers you can score on are @code{from}, @code{subject},
11942 @code{message-id}, @code{references}, @code{xref}, @code{lines},
11943 @code{chars} and @code{date}. In addition, you can score on
11944 @code{followup}, which will create an adaptive score entry that matches
11945 on the @code{References} header using the @code{Message-ID} of the
11946 current article, thereby matching the following thread.
11948 You can also score on @code{thread}, which will try to score all
11949 articles that appear in a thread. @code{thread} matches uses a
11950 @code{Message-ID} to match on the @code{References} header of the
11951 article. If the match is made, the @code{Message-ID} of the article is
11952 added to the @code{thread} rule. (Think about it. I'd recommend two
11953 aspirins afterwards.)
11955 If you use this scheme, you should set the score file atom @code{mark}
11956 to something small---like -300, perhaps, to avoid having small random
11957 changes result in articles getting marked as read.
11959 After using adaptive scoring for a week or so, Gnus should start to
11960 become properly trained and enhance the authors you like best, and kill
11961 the authors you like least, without you having to say so explicitly.
11963 You can control what groups the adaptive scoring is to be performed on
11964 by using the score files (@pxref{Score File Format}). This will also
11965 let you use different rules in different groups.
11967 @vindex gnus-adaptive-file-suffix
11968 The adaptive score entries will be put into a file where the name is the
11969 group name with @code{gnus-adaptive-file-suffix} appended. The default
11972 @vindex gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit
11973 When doing adaptive scoring, substring or fuzzy matching would probably
11974 give you the best results in most cases. However, if the header one
11975 matches is short, the possibility for false positives is great, so if
11976 the length of the match is less than
11977 @code{gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit}, exact matching will be used. If
11978 this variable is @code{nil}, exact matching will always be used to avoid
11981 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
11982 As mentioned above, you can adapt either on individual words or entire
11983 headers. If you adapt on words, the
11984 @code{gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist} variable says what score
11985 each instance of a word should add given a mark.
11988 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
11989 `((,gnus-read-mark . 30)
11990 (,gnus-catchup-mark . -10)
11991 (,gnus-killed-mark . -20)
11992 (,gnus-del-mark . -15)))
11995 This is the default value. If you have adaption on words enabled, every
11996 word that appears in subjects of articles marked with
11997 @code{gnus-read-mark} will result in a score rule that increase the
11998 score with 30 points.
12000 @vindex gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words
12001 @vindex gnus-ignored-adaptive-words
12002 Words that appear in the @code{gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words} list
12003 will be ignored. If you wish to add more words to be ignored, use the
12004 @code{gnus-ignored-adaptive-words} list instead.
12006 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table
12007 When the scoring is done, @code{gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table} is the
12008 syntax table in effect. It is similar to the standard syntax table, but
12009 it considers numbers to be non-word-constituent characters.
12011 After using this scheme for a while, it might be nice to write a
12012 @code{gnus-psychoanalyze-user} command to go through the rules and see
12013 what words you like and what words you don't like. Or perhaps not.
12015 Note that the adaptive word scoring thing is highly experimental and is
12016 likely to change in the future. Initial impressions seem to indicate
12017 that it's totally useless as it stands. Some more work (involving more
12018 rigorous statistical methods) will have to be done to make this useful.
12021 @node Home Score File
12022 @section Home Score File
12024 The score file where new score file entries will go is called the
12025 @dfn{home score file}. This is normally (and by default) the score file
12026 for the group itself. For instance, the home score file for
12027 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} is @file{gnu.emacs.gnus.SCORE}.
12029 However, this may not be what you want. It is often convenient to share
12030 a common home score file among many groups---all @samp{emacs} groups
12031 could perhaps use the same home score file.
12033 @vindex gnus-home-score-file
12034 The variable that controls this is @code{gnus-home-score-file}. It can
12039 A string. Then this file will be used as the home score file for all
12043 A function. The result of this function will be used as the home score
12044 file. The function will be called with the name of the group as the
12048 A list. The elements in this list can be:
12052 @var{(regexp file-name)}. If the @var{regexp} matches the group name,
12053 the @var{file-name} will will be used as the home score file.
12056 A function. If the function returns non-nil, the result will be used as
12057 the home score file.
12060 A string. Use the string as the home score file.
12063 The list will be traversed from the beginning towards the end looking
12068 So, if you want to use just a single score file, you could say:
12071 (setq gnus-home-score-file
12072 "my-total-score-file.SCORE")
12075 If you want to use @file{gnu.SCORE} for all @samp{gnu} groups and
12076 @file{rec.SCORE} for all @samp{rec} groups (and so on), you can say:
12079 (setq gnus-home-score-file
12080 'gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file)
12083 This is a ready-made function provided for your convenience.
12085 If you want to have one score file for the @samp{emacs} groups and
12086 another for the @samp{comp} groups, while letting all other groups use
12087 their own home score files:
12090 (setq gnus-home-score-file
12091 ;; All groups that match the regexp "\\.emacs"
12092 '("\\.emacs" "emacs.SCORE")
12093 ;; All the comp groups in one score file
12094 ("^comp" "comp.SCORE"))
12097 @vindex gnus-home-adapt-file
12098 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file} works exactly the same way as
12099 @code{gnus-home-score-file}, but says what the home adaptive score file
12100 is instead. All new adaptive file entries will go into the file
12101 specified by this variable, and the same syntax is allowed.
12103 In addition to using @code{gnus-home-score-file} and
12104 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file}, you can also use group parameters
12105 (@pxref{Group Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
12106 Parameters}) to achieve much the same. Group and topic parameters take
12107 precedence over this variable.
12110 @node Followups To Yourself
12111 @section Followups To Yourself
12113 Gnus offers two commands for picking out the @code{Message-ID} header in
12114 the current buffer. Gnus will then add a score rule that scores using
12115 this @code{Message-ID} on the @code{References} header of other
12116 articles. This will, in effect, increase the score of all articles that
12117 respond to the article in the current buffer. Quite useful if you want
12118 to easily note when people answer what you've said.
12122 @item gnus-score-followup-article
12123 @findex gnus-score-followup-article
12124 This will add a score to articles that directly follow up your own
12127 @item gnus-score-followup-thread
12128 @findex gnus-score-followup-thread
12129 This will add a score to all articles that appear in a thread ``below''
12133 @vindex message-sent-hook
12134 These two functions are both primarily meant to be used in hooks like
12135 @code{message-sent-hook}.
12137 If you look closely at your own @code{Message-ID}, you'll notice that
12138 the first two or three characters are always the same. Here's two of
12142 <x6u3u47icf.fsf@@eyesore.no>
12143 <x6sp9o7ibw.fsf@@eyesore.no>
12146 So ``my'' ident on this machine is @samp{x6}. This can be
12147 exploited---the following rule will raise the score on all followups to
12152 ("<x6[0-9a-z]+\\.fsf\\(_-_\\)?@@.*eyesore.no>"
12156 Whether it's the first two or first three characters that are ``yours''
12157 is system-dependent.
12161 @section Scoring Tips
12162 @cindex scoring tips
12168 @cindex scoring crossposts
12169 If you want to lower the score of crossposts, the line to match on is
12170 the @code{Xref} header.
12172 ("xref" (" talk.politics.misc:" -1000))
12175 @item Multiple crossposts
12176 If you want to lower the score of articles that have been crossposted to
12177 more than, say, 3 groups:
12179 ("xref" ("[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+" -1000 nil r))
12182 @item Matching on the body
12183 This is generally not a very good idea---it takes a very long time.
12184 Gnus actually has to fetch each individual article from the server. But
12185 you might want to anyway, I guess. Even though there are three match
12186 keys (@code{Head}, @code{Body} and @code{All}), you should choose one
12187 and stick with it in each score file. If you use any two, each article
12188 will be fetched @emph{twice}. If you want to match a bit on the
12189 @code{Head} and a bit on the @code{Body}, just use @code{All} for all
12192 @item Marking as read
12193 You will probably want to mark articles that has a score below a certain
12194 number as read. This is most easily achieved by putting the following
12195 in your @file{all.SCORE} file:
12199 You may also consider doing something similar with @code{expunge}.
12201 @item Negated character classes
12202 If you say stuff like @code{[^abcd]*}, you may get unexpected results.
12203 That will match newlines, which might lead to, well, The Unknown. Say
12204 @code{[^abcd\n]*} instead.
12208 @node Reverse Scoring
12209 @section Reverse Scoring
12210 @cindex reverse scoring
12212 If you want to keep just articles that have @samp{Sex with Emacs} in the
12213 subject header, and expunge all other articles, you could put something
12214 like this in your score file:
12218 ("Sex with Emacs" 2))
12223 So, you raise all articles that match @samp{Sex with Emacs} and mark the
12224 rest as read, and expunge them to boot.
12227 @node Global Score Files
12228 @section Global Score Files
12229 @cindex global score files
12231 Sure, other newsreaders have ``global kill files''. These are usually
12232 nothing more than a single kill file that applies to all groups, stored
12233 in the user's home directory. Bah! Puny, weak newsreaders!
12235 What I'm talking about here are Global Score Files. Score files from
12236 all over the world, from users everywhere, uniting all nations in one
12237 big, happy score file union! Ange-score! New and untested!
12239 @vindex gnus-global-score-files
12240 All you have to do to use other people's score files is to set the
12241 @code{gnus-global-score-files} variable. One entry for each score file,
12242 or each score file directory. Gnus will decide by itself what score
12243 files are applicable to which group.
12245 Say you want to use the score file
12246 @file{/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE} and
12247 all score files in the @file{/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score} directory:
12250 (setq gnus-global-score-files
12251 '("/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE"
12252 "/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score/"))
12255 @findex gnus-score-search-global-directories
12256 Simple, eh? Directory names must end with a @samp{/}. These
12257 directories are typically scanned only once during each Gnus session.
12258 If you feel the need to manually re-scan the remote directories, you can
12259 use the @code{gnus-score-search-global-directories} command.
12261 Note that, at present, using this option will slow down group entry
12262 somewhat. (That is---a lot.)
12264 If you want to start maintaining score files for other people to use,
12265 just put your score file up for anonymous ftp and announce it to the
12266 world. Become a retro-moderator! Participate in the retro-moderator
12267 wars sure to ensue, where retro-moderators battle it out for the
12268 sympathy of the people, luring them to use their score files on false
12269 premises! Yay! The net is saved!
12271 Here are some tips for the would-be retro-moderator, off the top of my
12277 Articles heavily crossposted are probably junk.
12279 To lower a single inappropriate article, lower by @code{Message-ID}.
12281 Particularly brilliant authors can be raised on a permanent basis.
12283 Authors that repeatedly post off-charter for the group can safely be
12284 lowered out of existence.
12286 Set the @code{mark} and @code{expunge} atoms to obliterate the nastiest
12287 articles completely.
12290 Use expiring score entries to keep the size of the file down. You
12291 should probably have a long expiry period, though, as some sites keep
12292 old articles for a long time.
12295 ... I wonder whether other newsreaders will support global score files
12296 in the future. @emph{Snicker}. Yup, any day now, newsreaders like Blue
12297 Wave, xrn and 1stReader are bound to implement scoring. Should we start
12298 holding our breath yet?
12302 @section Kill Files
12305 Gnus still supports those pesky old kill files. In fact, the kill file
12306 entries can now be expiring, which is something I wrote before Daniel
12307 Quinlan thought of doing score files, so I've left the code in there.
12309 In short, kill processing is a lot slower (and I do mean @emph{a lot})
12310 than score processing, so it might be a good idea to rewrite your kill
12311 files into score files.
12313 Anyway, a kill file is a normal @code{emacs-lisp} file. You can put any
12314 forms into this file, which means that you can use kill files as some
12315 sort of primitive hook function to be run on group entry, even though
12316 that isn't a very good idea.
12318 Normal kill files look like this:
12321 (gnus-kill "From" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
12322 (gnus-kill "Subject" "ding")
12326 This will mark every article written by me as read, and remove the
12327 marked articles from the summary buffer. Very useful, you'll agree.
12329 Other programs use a totally different kill file syntax. If Gnus
12330 encounters what looks like a @code{rn} kill file, it will take a stab at
12333 Two summary functions for editing a GNUS kill file:
12338 @kindex M-k (Summary)
12339 @findex gnus-summary-edit-local-kill
12340 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-local-kill}).
12343 @kindex M-K (Summary)
12344 @findex gnus-summary-edit-global-kill
12345 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-global-kill}).
12348 Two group mode functions for editing the kill files:
12353 @kindex M-k (Group)
12354 @findex gnus-group-edit-local-kill
12355 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-local-kill}).
12358 @kindex M-K (Group)
12359 @findex gnus-group-edit-global-kill
12360 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-global-kill}).
12363 Kill file variables:
12366 @item gnus-kill-file-name
12367 @vindex gnus-kill-file-name
12368 A kill file for the group @samp{soc.motss} is normally called
12369 @file{soc.motss.KILL}. The suffix appended to the group name to get
12370 this file name is detailed by the @code{gnus-kill-file-name} variable.
12371 The ``global'' kill file (not in the score file sense of ``global'', of
12372 course) is just called @file{KILL}.
12374 @vindex gnus-kill-save-kill-file
12375 @item gnus-kill-save-kill-file
12376 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will save the
12377 kill file after processing, which is necessary if you use expiring
12380 @item gnus-apply-kill-hook
12381 @vindex gnus-apply-kill-hook
12382 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored
12383 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file
12384 A hook called to apply kill files to a group. It is
12385 @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file)} by default. If you want to ignore the
12386 kill file if you have a score file for the same group, you can set this
12387 hook to @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored)}. If you don't want
12388 kill files to be processed, you should set this variable to @code{nil}.
12390 @item gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
12391 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
12392 A hook called in kill-file mode buffers.
12397 @node Converting Kill Files
12398 @section Converting Kill Files
12400 @cindex converting kill files
12402 If you have loads of old kill files, you may want to convert them into
12403 score files. If they are ``regular'', you can use
12404 the @file{gnus-kill-to-score.el} package; if not, you'll have to do it
12407 The kill to score conversion package isn't included in Gnus by default.
12408 You can fetch it from
12409 @file{http://www.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/ding-other/gnus-kill-to-score}.
12411 If your old kill files are very complex---if they contain more
12412 non-@code{gnus-kill} forms than not, you'll have to convert them by
12413 hand. Or just let them be as they are. Gnus will still use them as
12421 GroupLens is a collaborative filtering system that helps you work
12422 together with other people to find the quality news articles out of the
12423 huge volume of news articles generated every day.
12425 To accomplish this the GroupLens system combines your opinions about
12426 articles you have already read with the opinions of others who have done
12427 likewise and gives you a personalized prediction for each unread news
12428 article. Think of GroupLens as a matchmaker. GroupLens watches how you
12429 rate articles, and finds other people that rate articles the same way.
12430 Once it has found some people you agree with it tells you, in the form
12431 of a prediction, what they thought of the article. You can use this
12432 prediction to help you decide whether or not you want to read the
12436 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
12437 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
12438 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
12439 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
12443 @node Using GroupLens
12444 @subsection Using GroupLens
12446 To use GroupLens you must register a pseudonym with your local Better
12448 @samp{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/bbb.html} is the only
12449 better bit in town at the moment.
12451 Once you have registered you'll need to set a couple of variables.
12455 @item gnus-use-grouplens
12456 @vindex gnus-use-grouplens
12457 Setting this variable to a non-@code{nil} value will make Gnus hook into
12458 all the relevant GroupLens functions.
12460 @item grouplens-pseudonym
12461 @vindex grouplens-pseudonym
12462 This variable should be set to the pseudonym you got when registering
12463 with the Better Bit Bureau.
12465 @item grouplens-newsgroups
12466 @vindex grouplens-newsgroups
12467 A list of groups that you want to get GroupLens predictions for.
12471 That's the minimum of what you need to get up and running with GroupLens.
12472 Once you've registered, GroupLens will start giving you scores for
12473 articles based on the average of what other people think. But, to get
12474 the real benefit of GroupLens you need to start rating articles
12475 yourself. Then the scores GroupLens gives you will be personalized for
12476 you, based on how the people you usually agree with have already rated.
12479 @node Rating Articles
12480 @subsection Rating Articles
12482 In GroupLens, an article is rated on a scale from 1 to 5, inclusive.
12483 Where 1 means something like this article is a waste of bandwidth and 5
12484 means that the article was really good. The basic question to ask
12485 yourself is, "on a scale from 1 to 5 would I like to see more articles
12488 There are four ways to enter a rating for an article in GroupLens.
12493 @kindex r (GroupLens)
12494 @findex bbb-summary-rate-article
12495 This function will prompt you for a rating on a scale of one to five.
12498 @kindex k (GroupLens)
12499 @findex grouplens-score-thread
12500 This function will prompt you for a rating, and rate all the articles in
12501 the thread. This is really useful for some of those long running giant
12502 threads in rec.humor.
12506 The next two commands, @kbd{n} and @kbd{,} take a numerical prefix to be
12507 the score of the article you're reading.
12512 @kindex n (GroupLens)
12513 @findex grouplens-next-unread-article
12514 Rate the article and go to the next unread article.
12517 @kindex , (GroupLens)
12518 @findex grouplens-best-unread-article
12519 Rate the article and go to the next unread article with the highest score.
12523 If you want to give the current article a score of 4 and then go to the
12524 next article, just type @kbd{4 n}.
12527 @node Displaying Predictions
12528 @subsection Displaying Predictions
12530 GroupLens makes a prediction for you about how much you will like a
12531 news article. The predictions from GroupLens are on a scale from 1 to
12532 5, where 1 is the worst and 5 is the best. You can use the predictions
12533 from GroupLens in one of three ways controlled by the variable
12534 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring}.
12536 @vindex gnus-grouplens-override-scoring
12537 There are three ways to display predictions in grouplens. You may
12538 choose to have the GroupLens scores contribute to, or override the
12539 regular gnus scoring mechanism. override is the default; however, some
12540 people prefer to see the Gnus scores plus the grouplens scores. To get
12541 the separate scoring behavior you need to set
12542 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'separate}. To have the
12543 GroupLens predictions combined with the grouplens scores set it to
12544 @code{'override} and to combine the scores set
12545 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'combine}. When you use
12546 the combine option you will also want to set the values for
12547 @code{grouplens-prediction-offset} and
12548 @code{grouplens-score-scale-factor}.
12550 @vindex grouplens-prediction-display
12551 In either case, GroupLens gives you a few choices for how you would like
12552 to see your predictions displayed. The display of predictions is
12553 controlled by the @code{grouplens-prediction-display} variable.
12555 The following are valid values for that variable.
12558 @item prediction-spot
12559 The higher the prediction, the further to the right an @samp{*} is
12562 @item confidence-interval
12563 A numeric confidence interval.
12565 @item prediction-bar
12566 The higher the prediction, the longer the bar.
12568 @item confidence-bar
12569 Numerical confidence.
12571 @item confidence-spot
12572 The spot gets bigger with more confidence.
12574 @item prediction-num
12575 Plain-old numeric value.
12577 @item confidence-plus-minus
12578 Prediction +/- confidence.
12583 @node GroupLens Variables
12584 @subsection GroupLens Variables
12588 @item gnus-summary-grouplens-line-format
12589 The summary line format used in GroupLens-enhanced summary buffers. It
12590 accepts the same specs as the normal summary line format (@pxref{Summary
12591 Buffer Lines}). The default is @samp{%U%R%z%l%I%(%[%4L: %-20,20n%]%)
12594 @item grouplens-bbb-host
12595 Host running the bbbd server. @samp{grouplens.cs.umn.edu} is the
12598 @item grouplens-bbb-port
12599 Port of the host running the bbbd server. The default is 9000.
12601 @item grouplens-score-offset
12602 Offset the prediction by this value. In other words, subtract the
12603 prediction value by this number to arrive at the effective score. The
12606 @item grouplens-score-scale-factor
12607 This variable allows the user to magnify the effect of GroupLens scores.
12608 The scale factor is applied after the offset. The default is 1.
12613 @node Advanced Scoring
12614 @section Advanced Scoring
12616 Scoring on Subjects and From headers is nice enough, but what if you're
12617 really interested in what a person has to say only when she's talking
12618 about a particular subject? Or what if you really don't want to
12619 read what person A has to say when she's following up to person B, but
12620 want to read what she says when she's following up to person C?
12622 By using advanced scoring rules you may create arbitrarily complex
12626 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
12627 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
12628 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
12632 @node Advanced Scoring Syntax
12633 @subsection Advanced Scoring Syntax
12635 Ordinary scoring rules have a string as the first element in the rule.
12636 Advanced scoring rules have a list as the first element. The second
12637 element is the score to be applied if the first element evaluated to a
12638 non-@code{nil} value.
12640 These lists may consist of three logical operators, one redirection
12641 operator, and various match operators.
12648 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
12649 one that evaluates to @code{false}, and then it'll stop. If all arguments
12650 evaluate to @code{true} values, then this operator will return
12655 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
12656 one that evaluates to @code{true}. If no arguments are @code{true},
12657 then this operator will return @code{false}.
12662 This logical operator only takes a single argument. It returns the
12663 logical negation of the value of its argument.
12667 There is an @dfn{indirection operator} that will make its arguments
12668 apply to the ancestors of the current article being scored. For
12669 instance, @code{1-} will make score rules apply to the parent of the
12670 current article. @code{2-} will make score rules apply to the
12671 grandparent of the current article. Alternatively, you can write
12672 @code{^^}, where the number of @code{^}s (carets) says how far back into
12673 the ancestry you want to go.
12675 Finally, we have the match operators. These are the ones that do the
12676 real work. Match operators are header name strings followed by a match
12677 and a match type. A typical match operator looks like @samp{("from"
12678 "Lars Ingebrigtsen" s)}. The header names are the same as when using
12679 simple scoring, and the match types are also the same.
12682 @node Advanced Scoring Examples
12683 @subsection Advanced Scoring Examples
12685 Let's say you want to increase the score of articles written by Lars
12686 when he's talking about Gnus:
12690 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
12691 ("subject" "Gnus"))
12697 When he writes long articles, he sometimes has something nice to say:
12701 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
12708 However, when he responds to things written by Reig Eigil Logge, you
12709 really don't want to read what he's written:
12713 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
12714 (1- ("from" "Reig Eigir Logge")))
12718 Everybody that follows up Redmondo when he writes about disappearing
12719 socks should have their scores raised, but only when they talk about
12720 white socks. However, when Lars talks about socks, it's usually not
12727 ("from" "redmondo@@.*no" r)
12728 ("body" "disappearing.*socks" t)))
12729 (! ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen"))
12730 ("body" "white.*socks"))
12734 The possibilities are endless.
12737 @node Advanced Scoring Tips
12738 @subsection Advanced Scoring Tips
12740 The @code{&} and @code{|} logical operators do short-circuit logic.
12741 That is, they stop processing their arguments when it's clear what the
12742 result of the operation will be. For instance, if one of the arguments
12743 of an @code{&} evaluates to @code{false}, there's no point in evaluating
12744 the rest of the arguments. This means that you should put slow matches
12745 (@samp{body}, @samp{header}) last and quick matches (@samp{from},
12746 @samp{subject}) first.
12748 The indirection arguments (@code{1-} and so on) will make their
12749 arguments work on previous generations of the thread. If you say
12760 Then that means "score on the from header of the grandparent of the
12761 current article". An indirection is quite fast, but it's better to say:
12767 ("subject" "Gnus")))
12774 (1- ("from" "Lars"))
12775 (1- ("subject" "Gnus")))
12780 @section Score Decays
12781 @cindex score decays
12784 You may find that your scores have a tendency to grow without
12785 bounds, especially if you're using adaptive scoring. If scores get too
12786 big, they lose all meaning---they simply max out and it's difficult to
12787 use them in any sensible way.
12789 @vindex gnus-decay-scores
12790 @findex gnus-decay-score
12791 @vindex gnus-score-decay-function
12792 Gnus provides a mechanism for decaying scores to help with this problem.
12793 When score files are loaded and @code{gnus-decay-scores} is
12794 non-@code{nil}, Gnus will run the score files through the decaying
12795 mechanism thereby lowering the scores of all non-permanent score rules.
12796 The decay itself if performed by the @code{gnus-score-decay-function}
12797 function, which is @code{gnus-decay-score} by default. Here's the
12798 definition of that function:
12801 (defun gnus-decay-score (score)
12802 "Decay SCORE according to `gnus-score-decay-constant' and `gnus-score-decay-scale'."
12805 (* (if (< score 0) 1 -1)
12807 (max gnus-score-decay-constant
12809 gnus-score-decay-scale)))))))
12812 @vindex gnus-score-decay-scale
12813 @vindex gnus-score-decay-constant
12814 @code{gnus-score-decay-constant} is 3 by default and
12815 @code{gnus-score-decay-scale} is 0.05. This should cause the following:
12819 Scores between -3 and 3 will be set to 0 when this function is called.
12822 Scores with magnitudes between 3 and 60 will be shrunk by 3.
12825 Scores with magnitudes greater than 60 will be shrunk by 5% of the
12829 If you don't like this decay function, write your own. It is called
12830 with the score to be decayed as its only parameter, and it should return
12831 the new score, which should be an integer.
12833 Gnus will try to decay scores once a day. If you haven't run Gnus for
12834 four days, Gnus will decay the scores four times, for instance.
12841 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
12842 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
12843 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
12844 * Windows Configuration:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
12845 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
12846 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
12847 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
12848 * Buttons:: Get tendonitis in ten easy steps!
12849 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
12850 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
12851 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
12852 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
12853 * XEmacs Enhancements:: There are more pictures and stuff under XEmacs.
12854 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
12855 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolited commercial email.
12856 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
12860 @node Process/Prefix
12861 @section Process/Prefix
12862 @cindex process/prefix convention
12864 Many functions, among them functions for moving, decoding and saving
12865 articles, use what is known as the @dfn{Process/Prefix convention}.
12867 This is a method for figuring out what articles the user wants the
12868 command to be performed on.
12872 If the numeric prefix is N, perform the operation on the next N
12873 articles, starting with the current one. If the numeric prefix is
12874 negative, perform the operation on the previous N articles, starting
12875 with the current one.
12877 @vindex transient-mark-mode
12878 If @code{transient-mark-mode} in non-@code{nil} and the region is
12879 active, all articles in the region will be worked upon.
12881 If there is no numeric prefix, but some articles are marked with the
12882 process mark, perform the operation on the articles marked with
12885 If there is neither a numeric prefix nor any articles marked with the
12886 process mark, just perform the operation on the current article.
12888 Quite simple, really, but it needs to be made clear so that surprises
12891 Commands that react to the process mark will push the current list of
12892 process marked articles onto a stack and will then clear all process
12893 marked articles. You can restore the previous configuration with the
12894 @kbd{M P y} command (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
12896 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
12897 One thing that seems to shock & horrify lots of people is that, for
12898 instance, @kbd{3 d} does exactly the same as @kbd{d} @kbd{d} @kbd{d}.
12899 Since each @kbd{d} (which marks the current article as read) by default
12900 goes to the next unread article after marking, this means that @kbd{3 d}
12901 will mark the next three unread articles as read, no matter what the
12902 summary buffer looks like. Set @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} to
12903 @code{nil} for a more straightforward action.
12907 @section Interactive
12908 @cindex interaction
12912 @item gnus-novice-user
12913 @vindex gnus-novice-user
12914 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you are either a newcomer to the
12915 World of Usenet, or you are very cautious, which is a nice thing to be,
12916 really. You will be given questions of the type ``Are you sure you want
12917 to do this?'' before doing anything dangerous. This is @code{t} by
12920 @item gnus-expert-user
12921 @vindex gnus-expert-user
12922 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you will never ever be asked any
12923 questions by Gnus. It will simply assume you know what you're doing, no
12924 matter how strange.
12926 @item gnus-interactive-catchup
12927 @vindex gnus-interactive-catchup
12928 Require confirmation before catching up a group if non-@code{nil}. It
12929 is @code{t} by default.
12931 @item gnus-interactive-exit
12932 @vindex gnus-interactive-exit
12933 Require confirmation before exiting Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
12938 @node Formatting Variables
12939 @section Formatting Variables
12940 @cindex formatting variables
12942 Throughout this manual you've probably noticed lots of variables called things like @code{gnus-group-line-format} and
12943 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. These control how Gnus is to
12944 output lines in the various buffers. There's quite a lot of them.
12945 Fortunately, they all use the same syntax, so there's not that much to
12948 Here's an example format spec (from the group buffer): @samp{%M%S%5y:
12949 %(%g%)\n}. We see that it is indeed extremely ugly, and that there are
12950 lots of percentages everywhere.
12953 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
12954 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
12955 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
12956 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
12959 Currently Gnus uses the following formatting variables:
12960 @code{gnus-group-line-format}, @code{gnus-summary-line-format},
12961 @code{gnus-server-line-format}, @code{gnus-topic-line-format},
12962 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format},
12963 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format},
12964 @code{gnus-article-mode-line-format},
12965 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format}, and
12966 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format}.
12968 All these format variables can also be arbitrary elisp forms. In that
12969 case, they will be @code{eval}ed to insert the required lines.
12971 @kindex M-x gnus-update-format
12972 @findex gnus-update-format
12973 Gnus includes a command to help you while creating your own format
12974 specs. @kbd{M-x gnus-update-format} will @code{eval} the current form,
12975 update the spec in question and pop you to a buffer where you can
12976 examine the resulting lisp code to be run to generate the line.
12980 @node Formatting Basics
12981 @subsection Formatting Basics
12983 Each @samp{%} element will be replaced by some string or other when the
12984 buffer in question is generated. @samp{%5y} means ``insert the @samp{y}
12985 spec, and pad with spaces to get a 5-character field''.
12987 As with normal C and Emacs Lisp formatting strings, the numerical
12988 modifier between the @samp{%} and the formatting type character will
12989 @dfn{pad} the output so that it is always at least that long.
12990 @samp{%5y} will make the field always (at least) five characters wide by
12991 padding with spaces to the left. If you say @samp{%-5y}, it will pad to
12994 You may also wish to limit the length of the field to protect against
12995 particularly wide values. For that you can say @samp{%4,6y}, which
12996 means that the field will never be more than 6 characters wide and never
12997 less than 4 characters wide.
13000 @node Advanced Formatting
13001 @subsection Advanced Formatting
13003 It is frequently useful to post-process the fields in some way.
13004 Padding, limiting, cutting off parts and suppressing certain values can
13005 be achieved by using @dfn{tilde modifiers}. A typical tilde spec might
13006 look like @samp{%~(cut 3)~(ignore "0")y}.
13008 These are the valid modifiers:
13013 Pad the field to the left with spaces until it reaches the required
13017 Pad the field to the right with spaces until it reaches the required
13022 Cut off characters from the left until it reaches the specified length.
13025 Cut off characters from the right until it reaches the specified
13030 Cut off the specified number of characters from the left.
13033 Cut off the specified number of characters from the right.
13036 Return an empty string if the field is equal to the specified value.
13039 Use the specified form as the field value when the @samp{@@} spec is
13043 Let's take an example. The @samp{%o} spec in the summary mode lines
13044 will return a date in compact ISO8601 format---@samp{19960809T230410}.
13045 This is quite a mouthful, so we want to shave off the century number and
13046 the time, leaving us with a six-character date. That would be
13047 @samp{%~(cut-left 2)~(max-right 6)~(pad 6)o}. (Cutting is done before
13048 maxing, and we need the padding to ensure that the date is never less
13049 than 6 characters to make it look nice in columns.)
13051 Ignoring is done first; then cutting; then maxing; and then as the very
13052 last operation, padding.
13054 If you use lots of these advanced thingies, you'll find that Gnus gets
13055 quite slow. This can be helped enormously by running @kbd{M-x
13056 gnus-compile} when you are satisfied with the look of your lines.
13057 @xref{Compilation}.
13060 @node User-Defined Specs
13061 @subsection User-Defined Specs
13063 All the specs allow for inserting user defined specifiers---@samp{u}.
13064 The next character in the format string should be a letter. Gnus
13065 will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where
13066 @samp{X} is the letter following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed
13067 a single parameter---what the parameter means depends on what buffer
13068 it's being called from. The function should return a string, which will
13069 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
13070 specifier. This function may also be called with dummy values, so it
13071 should protect against that.
13073 You can also use tilde modifiers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting} to achieve
13074 much the same without defining new functions. Here's an example:
13075 @samp{%~(form (count-lines (point-min) (point)))@@}. The form
13076 given here will be evaluated to yield the current line number, and then
13080 @node Formatting Fonts
13081 @subsection Formatting Fonts
13083 There are specs for highlighting, and these are shared by all the format
13084 variables. Text inside the @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} specifiers will get
13085 the special @code{mouse-face} property set, which means that it will be
13086 highlighted (with @code{gnus-mouse-face}) when you put the mouse pointer
13089 Text inside the @samp{%[} and @samp{%]} specifiers will have their
13090 normal faces set using @code{gnus-face-0}, which is @code{bold} by
13091 default. If you say @samp{%1[}, you'll get @code{gnus-face-1} instead,
13092 and so on. Create as many faces as you wish. The same goes for the
13093 @code{mouse-face} specs---you can say @samp{%3(hello%)} to have
13094 @samp{hello} mouse-highlighted with @code{gnus-mouse-face-3}.
13096 Here's an alternative recipe for the group buffer:
13099 ;; Create three face types.
13100 (setq gnus-face-1 'bold)
13101 (setq gnus-face-3 'italic)
13103 ;; We want the article count to be in
13104 ;; a bold and green face. So we create
13105 ;; a new face called `my-green-bold'.
13106 (copy-face 'bold 'my-green-bold)
13108 (set-face-foreground 'my-green-bold "ForestGreen")
13109 (setq gnus-face-2 'my-green-bold)
13111 ;; Set the new & fancy format.
13112 (setq gnus-group-line-format
13113 "%M%S%3@{%5y%@}%2[:%] %(%1@{%g%@}%)\n")
13116 I'm sure you'll be able to use this scheme to create totally unreadable
13117 and extremely vulgar displays. Have fun!
13119 Note that the @samp{%(} specs (and friends) do not make any sense on the
13120 mode-line variables.
13123 @node Windows Configuration
13124 @section Windows Configuration
13125 @cindex windows configuration
13127 No, there's nothing here about X, so be quiet.
13129 @vindex gnus-use-full-window
13130 If @code{gnus-use-full-window} non-@code{nil}, Gnus will delete all
13131 other windows and occupy the entire Emacs screen by itself. It is
13132 @code{t} by default.
13134 @vindex gnus-buffer-configuration
13135 @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} describes how much space each Gnus
13136 buffer should be given. Here's an excerpt of this variable:
13139 ((group (vertical 1.0 (group 1.0 point)
13140 (if gnus-carpal (group-carpal 4))))
13141 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
13145 This is an alist. The @dfn{key} is a symbol that names some action or
13146 other. For instance, when displaying the group buffer, the window
13147 configuration function will use @code{group} as the key. A full list of
13148 possible names is listed below.
13150 The @dfn{value} (i.e., the @dfn{split}) says how much space each buffer
13151 should occupy. To take the @code{article} split as an example -
13154 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
13158 This @dfn{split} says that the summary buffer should occupy 25% of upper
13159 half of the screen, and that it is placed over the article buffer. As
13160 you may have noticed, 100% + 25% is actually 125% (yup, I saw y'all
13161 reaching for that calculator there). However, the special number
13162 @code{1.0} is used to signal that this buffer should soak up all the
13163 rest of the space available after the rest of the buffers have taken
13164 whatever they need. There should be only one buffer with the @code{1.0}
13165 size spec per split.
13167 Point will be put in the buffer that has the optional third element
13170 Here's a more complicated example:
13173 (article (vertical 1.0 (group 4)
13174 (summary 0.25 point)
13175 (if gnus-carpal (summary-carpal 4))
13179 If the size spec is an integer instead of a floating point number,
13180 then that number will be used to say how many lines a buffer should
13181 occupy, not a percentage.
13183 If the @dfn{split} looks like something that can be @code{eval}ed (to be
13184 precise---if the @code{car} of the split is a function or a subr), this
13185 split will be @code{eval}ed. If the result is non-@code{nil}, it will
13186 be used as a split. This means that there will be three buffers if
13187 @code{gnus-carpal} is @code{nil}, and four buffers if @code{gnus-carpal}
13190 Not complicated enough for you? Well, try this on for size:
13193 (article (horizontal 1.0
13198 (summary 0.25 point)
13203 Whoops. Two buffers with the mystery 100% tag. And what's that
13204 @code{horizontal} thingie?
13206 If the first element in one of the split is @code{horizontal}, Gnus will
13207 split the window horizontally, giving you two windows side-by-side.
13208 Inside each of these strips you may carry on all you like in the normal
13209 fashion. The number following @code{horizontal} says what percentage of
13210 the screen is to be given to this strip.
13212 For each split, there @emph{must} be one element that has the 100% tag.
13213 The splitting is never accurate, and this buffer will eat any leftover
13214 lines from the splits.
13216 To be slightly more formal, here's a definition of what a valid split
13220 split = frame | horizontal | vertical | buffer | form
13221 frame = "(frame " size *split ")"
13222 horizontal = "(horizontal " size *split ")"
13223 vertical = "(vertical " size *split ")"
13224 buffer = "(" buffer-name " " size *[ "point" ] ")"
13225 size = number | frame-params
13226 buffer-name = group | article | summary ...
13229 The limitations are that the @code{frame} split can only appear as the
13230 top-level split. @var{form} should be an Emacs Lisp form that should
13231 return a valid split. We see that each split is fully recursive, and
13232 may contain any number of @code{vertical} and @code{horizontal} splits.
13234 @vindex gnus-window-min-width
13235 @vindex gnus-window-min-height
13236 @cindex window height
13237 @cindex window width
13238 Finding the right sizes can be a bit complicated. No window may be less
13239 than @code{gnus-window-min-height} (default 1) characters high, and all
13240 windows must be at least @code{gnus-window-min-width} (default 1)
13241 characters wide. Gnus will try to enforce this before applying the
13242 splits. If you want to use the normal Emacs window width/height limit,
13243 you can just set these two variables to @code{nil}.
13245 If you're not familiar with Emacs terminology, @code{horizontal} and
13246 @code{vertical} splits may work the opposite way of what you'd expect.
13247 Windows inside a @code{horizontal} split are shown side-by-side, and
13248 windows within a @code{vertical} split are shown above each other.
13250 @findex gnus-configure-frame
13251 If you want to experiment with window placement, a good tip is to call
13252 @code{gnus-configure-frame} directly with a split. This is the function
13253 that does all the real work when splitting buffers. Below is a pretty
13254 nonsensical configuration with 5 windows; two for the group buffer and
13255 three for the article buffer. (I said it was nonsensical.) If you
13256 @code{eval} the statement below, you can get an idea of how that would
13257 look straight away, without going through the normal Gnus channels.
13258 Play with it until you're satisfied, and then use
13259 @code{gnus-add-configuration} to add your new creation to the buffer
13260 configuration list.
13263 (gnus-configure-frame
13267 (article 0.3 point))
13275 You might want to have several frames as well. No prob---just use the
13276 @code{frame} split:
13279 (gnus-configure-frame
13282 (summary 0.25 point)
13284 (vertical ((height . 5) (width . 15)
13285 (user-position . t)
13286 (left . -1) (top . 1))
13291 This split will result in the familiar summary/article window
13292 configuration in the first (or ``main'') frame, while a small additional
13293 frame will be created where picons will be shown. As you can see,
13294 instead of the normal @code{1.0} top-level spec, each additional split
13295 should have a frame parameter alist as the size spec.
13296 @xref{Frame Parameters, , Frame Parameters, elisp, The GNU Emacs Lisp
13297 Reference Manual}. Under XEmacs, a frame property list will be
13298 accepted, too---for instance, @code{(height 5 width 15 left -1 top 1)}
13301 Here's a list of all possible keys for
13302 @code{gnus-buffer-configuration}:
13304 @code{group}, @code{summary}, @code{article}, @code{server},
13305 @code{browse}, @code{message}, @code{pick}, @code{info},
13306 @code{summary-faq}, @code{edit-group}, @code{edit-server},
13307 @code{edit-score}, @code{post}, @code{reply}, @code{forward},
13308 @code{reply-yank}, @code{mail-bounce}, @code{draft}, @code{pipe},
13309 @code{bug}, @code{compose-bounce}, and @code{score-trace}.
13311 Note that the @code{message} key is used for both
13312 @code{gnus-group-mail} and @code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}. If
13313 it is desirable to distinguish between the two, something like this
13317 (message (horizontal 1.0
13318 (vertical 1.0 (message 1.0 point))
13320 (if (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer)
13325 @findex gnus-add-configuration
13326 Since the @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} variable is so long and
13327 complicated, there's a function you can use to ease changing the config
13328 of a single setting: @code{gnus-add-configuration}. If, for instance,
13329 you want to change the @code{article} setting, you could say:
13332 (gnus-add-configuration
13333 '(article (vertical 1.0
13335 (summary .25 point)
13339 You'd typically stick these @code{gnus-add-configuration} calls in your
13340 @file{.gnus.el} file or in some startup hook---they should be run after
13341 Gnus has been loaded.
13343 @vindex gnus-always-force-window-configuration
13344 If all windows mentioned in the configuration are already visible, Gnus
13345 won't change the window configuration. If you always want to force the
13346 ``right'' window configuration, you can set
13347 @code{gnus-always-force-window-configuration} to non-@code{nil}.
13351 @section Compilation
13352 @cindex compilation
13353 @cindex byte-compilation
13355 @findex gnus-compile
13357 Remember all those line format specification variables?
13358 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}, @code{gnus-group-line-format}, and so
13359 on. Now, Gnus will of course heed whatever these variables are, but,
13360 unfortunately, changing them will mean a quite significant slow-down.
13361 (The default values of these variables have byte-compiled functions
13362 associated with them, while the user-generated versions do not, of
13365 To help with this, you can run @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} after you've
13366 fiddled around with the variables and feel that you're (kind of)
13367 satisfied. This will result in the new specs being byte-compiled, and
13368 you'll get top speed again. Gnus will save these compiled specs in the
13369 @file{.newsrc.eld} file. (User-defined functions aren't compiled by
13370 this function, though---you should compile them yourself by sticking
13371 them into the @code{.gnus.el} file and byte-compiling that file.)
13375 @section Mode Lines
13378 @vindex gnus-updated-mode-lines
13379 @code{gnus-updated-mode-lines} says what buffers should keep their mode
13380 lines updated. It is a list of symbols. Supported symbols include
13381 @code{group}, @code{article}, @code{summary}, @code{server},
13382 @code{browse}, and @code{tree}. If the corresponding symbol is present,
13383 Gnus will keep that mode line updated with information that may be
13384 pertinent. If this variable is @code{nil}, screen refresh may be
13387 @cindex display-time
13389 @vindex gnus-mode-non-string-length
13390 By default, Gnus displays information on the current article in the mode
13391 lines of the summary and article buffers. The information Gnus wishes
13392 to display (e.g. the subject of the article) is often longer than the
13393 mode lines, and therefore have to be cut off at some point. The
13394 @code{gnus-mode-non-string-length} variable says how long the other
13395 elements on the line is (i.e., the non-info part). If you put
13396 additional elements on the mode line (e.g. a clock), you should modify
13399 @c Hook written by Francesco Potorti` <pot@cnuce.cnr.it>
13401 (add-hook 'display-time-hook
13402 (lambda () (setq gnus-mode-non-string-length
13404 (if line-number-mode 5 0)
13405 (if column-number-mode 4 0)
13406 (length display-time-string)))))
13409 If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the default), the mode line
13410 strings won't be chopped off, and they won't be padded either. Note
13411 that the default is unlikely to be desirable, as even the percentage
13412 complete in the buffer may be crowded off the mode line; the user should
13413 configure this variable appropriately for her configuration.
13416 @node Highlighting and Menus
13417 @section Highlighting and Menus
13419 @cindex highlighting
13422 @vindex gnus-visual
13423 The @code{gnus-visual} variable controls most of the Gnus-prettifying
13424 aspects. If @code{nil}, Gnus won't attempt to create menus or use fancy
13425 colors or fonts. This will also inhibit loading the @file{gnus-vis.el}
13428 This variable can be a list of visual properties that are enabled. The
13429 following elements are valid, and are all included by default:
13432 @item group-highlight
13433 Do highlights in the group buffer.
13434 @item summary-highlight
13435 Do highlights in the summary buffer.
13436 @item article-highlight
13437 Do highlights in the article buffer.
13439 Turn on highlighting in all buffers.
13441 Create menus in the group buffer.
13443 Create menus in the summary buffers.
13445 Create menus in the article buffer.
13447 Create menus in the browse buffer.
13449 Create menus in the server buffer.
13451 Create menus in the score buffers.
13453 Create menus in all buffers.
13456 So if you only want highlighting in the article buffer and menus in all
13457 buffers, you could say something like:
13460 (setq gnus-visual '(article-highlight menu))
13463 If you want highlighting only and no menus whatsoever, you'd say:
13466 (setq gnus-visual '(highlight))
13469 If @code{gnus-visual} is @code{t}, highlighting and menus will be used
13470 in all Gnus buffers.
13472 Other general variables that influence the look of all buffers include:
13475 @item gnus-mouse-face
13476 @vindex gnus-mouse-face
13477 This is the face (i.e., font) used for mouse highlighting in Gnus. No
13478 mouse highlights will be done if @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
13482 There are hooks associated with the creation of all the different menus:
13486 @item gnus-article-menu-hook
13487 @vindex gnus-article-menu-hook
13488 Hook called after creating the article mode menu.
13490 @item gnus-group-menu-hook
13491 @vindex gnus-group-menu-hook
13492 Hook called after creating the group mode menu.
13494 @item gnus-summary-menu-hook
13495 @vindex gnus-summary-menu-hook
13496 Hook called after creating the summary mode menu.
13498 @item gnus-server-menu-hook
13499 @vindex gnus-server-menu-hook
13500 Hook called after creating the server mode menu.
13502 @item gnus-browse-menu-hook
13503 @vindex gnus-browse-menu-hook
13504 Hook called after creating the browse mode menu.
13506 @item gnus-score-menu-hook
13507 @vindex gnus-score-menu-hook
13508 Hook called after creating the score mode menu.
13519 Those new-fangled @dfn{mouse} contraptions is very popular with the
13520 young, hep kids who don't want to learn the proper way to do things
13521 these days. Why, I remember way back in the summer of '89, when I was
13522 using Emacs on a Tops 20 system. Three hundred users on one single
13523 machine, and every user was running Simula compilers. Bah!
13527 @vindex gnus-carpal
13528 Well, you can make Gnus display bufferfuls of buttons you can click to
13529 do anything by setting @code{gnus-carpal} to @code{t}. Pretty simple,
13530 really. Tell the chiropractor I sent you.
13535 @item gnus-carpal-mode-hook
13536 @vindex gnus-carpal-mode-hook
13537 Hook run in all carpal mode buffers.
13539 @item gnus-carpal-button-face
13540 @vindex gnus-carpal-button-face
13541 Face used on buttons.
13543 @item gnus-carpal-header-face
13544 @vindex gnus-carpal-header-face
13545 Face used on carpal buffer headers.
13547 @item gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
13548 @vindex gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
13549 Buttons in the group buffer.
13551 @item gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
13552 @vindex gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
13553 Buttons in the summary buffer.
13555 @item gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
13556 @vindex gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
13557 Buttons in the server buffer.
13559 @item gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
13560 @vindex gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
13561 Buttons in the browse buffer.
13564 All the @code{buttons} variables are lists. The elements in these list
13565 are either cons cells where the @code{car} contains a text to be displayed and
13566 the @code{cdr} contains a function symbol, or a simple string.
13574 Gnus, being larger than any program ever written (allegedly), does lots
13575 of strange stuff that you may wish to have done while you're not
13576 present. For instance, you may want it to check for new mail once in a
13577 while. Or you may want it to close down all connections to all servers
13578 when you leave Emacs idle. And stuff like that.
13580 Gnus will let you do stuff like that by defining various
13581 @dfn{handlers}. Each handler consists of three elements: A
13582 @var{function}, a @var{time}, and an @var{idle} parameter.
13584 Here's an example of a handler that closes connections when Emacs has
13585 been idle for thirty minutes:
13588 (gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
13591 Here's a handler that scans for PGP headers every hour when Emacs is
13595 (gnus-demon-scan-pgp 60 t)
13598 This @var{time} parameter and than @var{idle} parameter work together
13599 in a strange, but wonderful fashion. Basically, if @var{idle} is
13600 @code{nil}, then the function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
13602 If @var{idle} is @code{t}, then the function will be called after
13603 @var{time} minutes only if Emacs is idle. So if Emacs is never idle,
13604 the function will never be called. But once Emacs goes idle, the
13605 function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
13607 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is a number, the function will
13608 be called every @var{time} minutes only when Emacs has been idle for
13609 @var{idle} minutes.
13611 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is @code{nil}, the function
13612 will be called once every time Emacs has been idle for @var{idle}
13615 And if @var{time} is a string, it should look like @samp{07:31}, and
13616 the function will then be called once every day somewhere near that
13617 time. Modified by the @var{idle} parameter, of course.
13619 @vindex gnus-demon-timestep
13620 (When I say ``minute'' here, I really mean @code{gnus-demon-timestep}
13621 seconds. This is 60 by default. If you change that variable,
13622 all the timings in the handlers will be affected.)
13624 @vindex gnus-use-demon
13625 To set the whole thing in motion, though, you have to set
13626 @code{gnus-use-demon} to @code{t}.
13628 So, if you want to add a handler, you could put something like this in
13629 your @file{.gnus} file:
13631 @findex gnus-demon-add-handler
13633 (gnus-demon-add-handler 'gnus-demon-close-connections 30 t)
13636 @findex gnus-demon-add-nocem
13637 @findex gnus-demon-add-scanmail
13638 @findex gnus-demon-add-rescan
13639 @findex gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps
13640 @findex gnus-demon-add-disconnection
13641 Some ready-made functions to do this have been created:
13642 @code{gnus-demon-add-nocem}, @code{gnus-demon-add-disconnection},
13643 @code{gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps}, @code{gnus-demon-add-rescan}, and
13644 @code{gnus-demon-add-scanmail}. Just put those functions in your
13645 @file{.gnus} if you want those abilities.
13647 @findex gnus-demon-init
13648 @findex gnus-demon-cancel
13649 @vindex gnus-demon-handlers
13650 If you add handlers to @code{gnus-demon-handlers} directly, you should
13651 run @code{gnus-demon-init} to make the changes take hold. To cancel all
13652 daemons, you can use the @code{gnus-demon-cancel} function.
13654 Note that adding daemons can be pretty naughty if you overdo it. Adding
13655 functions that scan all news and mail from all servers every two seconds
13656 is a sure-fire way of getting booted off any respectable system. So
13665 @dfn{Spamming} is posting the same article lots and lots of times.
13666 Spamming is bad. Spamming is evil.
13668 Spamming is usually canceled within a day or so by various anti-spamming
13669 agencies. These agencies usually also send out @dfn{NoCeM} messages.
13670 NoCeM is pronounced ``no see-'em'', and means what the name
13671 implies---these are messages that make the offending articles, like, go
13674 What use are these NoCeM messages if the articles are canceled anyway?
13675 Some sites do not honor cancel messages and some sites just honor cancels
13676 from a select few people. Then you may wish to make use of the NoCeM
13677 messages, which are distributed in the @samp{alt.nocem.misc} newsgroup.
13679 Gnus can read and parse the messages in this group automatically, and
13680 this will make spam disappear.
13682 There are some variables to customize, of course:
13685 @item gnus-use-nocem
13686 @vindex gnus-use-nocem
13687 Set this variable to @code{t} to set the ball rolling. It is @code{nil}
13690 @item gnus-nocem-groups
13691 @vindex gnus-nocem-groups
13692 Gnus will look for NoCeM messages in the groups in this list. The
13693 default is @code{("news.lists.filters" "news.admin.net-abuse.bulletins"
13694 "alt.nocem.misc" "news.admin.net-abuse.announce")}.
13696 @item gnus-nocem-issuers
13697 @vindex gnus-nocem-issuers
13698 There are many people issuing NoCeM messages. This list says what
13699 people you want to listen to. The default is @code{("Automoose-1"
13700 "clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca;" "jem@@xpat.com;" "red@@redpoll.mrfs.oh.us
13701 (Richard E. Depew)")}; fine, upstanding citizens all of them.
13703 Known despammers that you can put in this list include:
13706 @item clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca;
13707 @cindex Chris Lewis
13708 Chris Lewis---Major Canadian despammer who has probably canceled more
13709 usenet abuse than anybody else.
13712 @cindex CancelMoose[tm]
13713 The CancelMoose[tm] on autopilot. The CancelMoose[tm] is reputed to be
13714 Norwegian, and was the person(s) who invented NoCeM.
13716 @item jem@@xpat.com;
13718 John Milburn---despammer located in Korea who is getting very busy these
13721 @item red@@redpoll.mrfs.oh.us (Richard E. Depew)
13722 Richard E. Depew---lone American despammer. He mostly cancels binary
13723 postings to non-binary groups and removes spews (regurgitated articles).
13726 You do not have to heed NoCeM messages from all these people---just the
13727 ones you want to listen to.
13729 @item gnus-nocem-verifyer
13730 @vindex gnus-nocem-verifyer
13732 This should be a function for verifying that the NoCeM issuer is who she
13733 says she is. The default is @code{mc-verify}, which is a Mailcrypt
13734 function. If this is too slow and you don't care for verification
13735 (which may be dangerous), you can set this variable to @code{nil}.
13737 If you want signed NoCeM messages to be verified and unsigned messages
13738 not to be verified (but used anyway), you could do something like:
13741 (setq gnus-nocem-verifyer 'my-gnus-mc-verify)
13743 (defun my-gnus-mc-verify ()
13751 This might be dangerous, though.
13753 @item gnus-nocem-directory
13754 @vindex gnus-nocem-directory
13755 This is where Gnus will store its NoCeM cache files. The default is
13756 @file{~/News/NoCeM/}.
13758 @item gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
13759 @vindex gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
13760 The number of days before removing old NoCeM entries from the cache.
13761 The default is 15. If you make it shorter Gnus will be faster, but you
13762 might then see old spam.
13766 Using NoCeM could potentially be a memory hog. If you have many living
13767 (i. e., subscribed or unsubscribed groups), your Emacs process will grow
13768 big. If this is a problem, you should kill off all (or most) of your
13769 unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Subscription Commands}).
13776 It is very useful to be able to undo actions one has done. In normal
13777 Emacs buffers, it's easy enough---you just push the @code{undo} button.
13778 In Gnus buffers, however, it isn't that simple.
13780 The things Gnus displays in its buffer is of no value whatsoever to
13781 Gnus---it's all just data designed to look nice to the user.
13782 Killing a group in the group buffer with @kbd{C-k} makes the line
13783 disappear, but that's just a side-effect of the real action---the
13784 removal of the group in question from the internal Gnus structures.
13785 Undoing something like that can't be done by the normal Emacs
13786 @code{undo} function.
13788 Gnus tries to remedy this somewhat by keeping track of what the user
13789 does and coming up with actions that would reverse the actions the user
13790 takes. When the user then presses the @code{undo} key, Gnus will run
13791 the code to reverse the previous action, or the previous actions.
13792 However, not all actions are easily reversible, so Gnus currently offers
13793 a few key functions to be undoable. These include killing groups,
13794 yanking groups, and changing the list of read articles of groups.
13795 That's it, really. More functions may be added in the future, but each
13796 added function means an increase in data to be stored, so Gnus will
13797 never be totally undoable.
13799 @findex gnus-undo-mode
13800 @vindex gnus-use-undo
13802 The undoability is provided by the @code{gnus-undo-mode} minor mode. It
13803 is used if @code{gnus-use-undo} is non-@code{nil}, which is the
13804 default. The @kbd{M-C-_} key performs the @code{gnus-undo} command
13805 command, which should feel kinda like the normal Emacs @code{undo}
13810 @section Moderation
13813 If you are a moderator, you can use the @file{gnus-mdrtn.el} package.
13814 It is not included in the standard Gnus package. Write a mail to
13815 @samp{larsi@@gnus.org} and state what group you moderate, and you'll
13818 The moderation package is implemented as a minor mode for summary
13822 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-moderate)
13825 in your @file{.gnus.el} file.
13827 If you are the moderator of @samp{rec.zoofle}, this is how it's
13832 You split your incoming mail by matching on
13833 @samp{Newsgroups:.*rec.zoofle}, which will put all the to-be-posted
13834 articles in some mail group---for instance, @samp{nnml:rec.zoofle}.
13837 You enter that group once in a while and post articles using the @kbd{e}
13838 (edit-and-post) or @kbd{s} (just send unedited) commands.
13841 If, while reading the @samp{rec.zoofle} newsgroup, you happen upon some
13842 articles that weren't approved by you, you can cancel them with the
13846 To use moderation mode in these two groups, say:
13849 (setq gnus-moderated-list
13850 "^nnml:rec.zoofle$\\|^rec.zoofle$")
13854 @node XEmacs Enhancements
13855 @section XEmacs Enhancements
13858 XEmacs is able to display pictures and stuff, so Gnus has taken
13862 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what your reading.
13863 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
13864 * Toolbar:: Click'n'drool.
13865 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
13874 \gnuspicon{tmp/picons-att.ps}
13875 \gnuspicon{tmp/picons-berkeley.ps}
13876 \gnuspicon{tmp/picons-caltech.ps}
13877 \gnuspicon{tmp/picons-canada.ps}
13878 \gnuspicon{tmp/picons-cr.ps}
13879 \gnuspicon{tmp/picons-cygnus.ps}
13880 \gnuspicon{tmp/picons-gov.ps}
13881 \gnuspicon{tmp/picons-mit.ps}
13882 \gnuspicon{tmp/picons-nasa.ps}
13883 \gnuspicon{tmp/picons-qmw.ps}
13884 \gnuspicon{tmp/picons-rms.ps}
13885 \gnuspicon{tmp/picons-ruu.ps}
13889 So... You want to slow down your news reader even more! This is a
13890 good way to do so. Its also a great way to impress people staring
13891 over your shoulder as you read news.
13894 * Picon Basics:: What are picons and How do I get them.
13895 * Picon Requirements:: Don't go further if you aren't using XEmacs.
13896 * Easy Picons:: Displaying Picons---the easy way.
13897 * Hard Picons:: The way you should do it. You'll learn something.
13898 * Picon Configuration:: Other variables you can trash/tweak/munge/play with.
13903 @subsubsection Picon Basics
13905 What are Picons? To quote directly from the Picons Web site:
13908 @dfn{Picons} is short for ``personal icons''. They're small,
13909 constrained images used to represent users and domains on the net,
13910 organized into databases so that the appropriate image for a given
13911 e-mail address can be found. Besides users and domains, there are picon
13912 databases for Usenet newsgroups and weather forecasts. The picons are
13913 in either monochrome @code{XBM} format or color @code{XPM} and
13914 @code{GIF} formats.
13917 For instructions on obtaining and installing the picons databases, point
13918 your Web browser at
13919 @file{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/ftp/index.html}.
13921 @vindex gnus-picons-database
13922 Gnus expects picons to be installed into a location pointed to by
13923 @code{gnus-picons-database}.
13926 @node Picon Requirements
13927 @subsubsection Picon Requirements
13929 To have Gnus display Picons for you, you must be running XEmacs
13930 19.13 or greater since all other versions of Emacs aren't yet able to
13933 Additionally, you must have @code{xpm} support compiled into XEmacs.
13935 @vindex gnus-picons-convert-x-face
13936 If you want to display faces from @code{X-Face} headers, you must have
13937 the @code{netpbm} utilities installed, or munge the
13938 @code{gnus-picons-convert-x-face} variable to use something else.
13942 @subsubsection Easy Picons
13944 To enable displaying picons, simply put the following line in your
13945 @file{~/.gnus} file and start Gnus.
13948 (setq gnus-use-picons t)
13949 (add-hook 'gnus-article-display-hook 'gnus-article-display-picons t)
13950 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-prepare-hook 'gnus-group-display-picons t)
13951 (add-hook 'gnus-article-display-hook 'gnus-picons-article-display-x-face)
13956 @subsubsection Hard Picons
13958 Gnus can display picons for you as you enter and leave groups and
13959 articles. It knows how to interact with three sections of the picons
13960 database. Namely, it can display the picons newsgroup pictures,
13961 author's face picture(s), and the authors domain. To enable this
13962 feature, you need to first decide where to display them.
13966 @item gnus-picons-display-where
13967 @vindex gnus-picons-display-where
13968 Where the picon images should be displayed. It is @code{picons} by
13969 default (which by default maps to the buffer @samp{*Picons*}). Other
13970 valid places could be @code{article}, @code{summary}, or
13971 @samp{*scratch*} for all I care. Just make sure that you've made the
13972 buffer visible using the standard Gnus window configuration
13973 routines---@pxref{Windows Configuration}.
13979 \gnuspicon{tmp/picons-seuu.ps}
13980 \gnuspicon{tmp/picons-stanford.ps}
13981 \gnuspicon{tmp/picons-sun.ps}
13982 \gnuspicon{tmp/picons-ubc.ps}
13983 \gnuspicon{tmp/picons-ufl.ps}
13984 \gnuspicon{tmp/picons-uio.ps}
13985 \gnuspicon{tmp/picons-unit.ps}
13986 \gnuspicon{tmp/picons-upenn.ps}
13987 \gnuspicon{tmp/picons-wesleyan.ps}
13991 Note: If you set @code{gnus-use-picons} to @code{t}, it will set up your
13992 window configuration for you to include the @code{picons} buffer.
13994 Now that you've made that decision, you need to add the following
13995 functions to the appropriate hooks so these pictures will get
13996 displayed at the right time.
13998 @vindex gnus-article-display-hook
13999 @vindex gnus-picons-display-where
14001 @item gnus-article-display-picons
14002 @findex gnus-article-display-picons
14003 Looks up and displays the picons for the author and the author's domain
14004 in the @code{gnus-picons-display-where} buffer. Should be added to the
14005 @code{gnus-article-display-hook}.
14007 @item gnus-group-display-picons
14008 @findex gnus-article-display-picons
14009 Displays picons representing the current group. This function should
14010 be added to the @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook} or to the
14011 @code{gnus-article-display-hook} if @code{gnus-picons-display-where}
14012 is set to @code{article}.
14014 @item gnus-picons-article-display-x-face
14015 @findex gnus-article-display-picons
14016 Decodes and displays the X-Face header if present. This function
14017 should be added to @code{gnus-article-display-hook}.
14021 Note: You must append them to the hook, so make sure to specify 't'
14022 for the append flag of @code{add-hook}:
14025 (add-hook 'gnus-article-display-hook 'gnus-article-display-picons t)
14029 @node Picon Configuration
14030 @subsubsection Picon Configuration
14032 The following variables offer further control over how things are
14033 done, where things are located, and other useless stuff you really
14034 don't need to worry about.
14037 @item gnus-picons-database
14038 @vindex gnus-picons-database
14039 The location of the picons database. Should point to a directory
14040 containing the @file{news}, @file{domains}, @file{users} (and so on)
14041 subdirectories. Defaults to @file{/usr/local/faces}.
14043 @item gnus-picons-news-directory
14044 @vindex gnus-picons-news-directory
14045 Sub-directory of the faces database containing the icons for
14048 @item gnus-picons-user-directories
14049 @vindex gnus-picons-user-directories
14050 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for user
14051 faces. @code{("local" "users" "usenix" "misc")} is the default.
14053 @item gnus-picons-domain-directories
14054 @vindex gnus-picons-domain-directories
14055 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for
14056 domain name faces. Defaults to @code{("domains")}. Some people may
14057 want to add @samp{unknown} to this list.
14059 @item gnus-picons-convert-x-face
14060 @vindex gnus-picons-convert-x-face
14061 The command to use to convert the @code{X-Face} header to an X bitmap
14062 (@code{xbm}). Defaults to @code{(format "@{ echo '/* Width=48,
14063 Height=48 */'; uncompface; @} | icontopbm | pbmtoxbm > %s"
14064 gnus-picons-x-face-file-name)}
14066 @item gnus-picons-x-face-file-name
14067 @vindex gnus-picons-x-face-file-name
14068 Names a temporary file to store the @code{X-Face} bitmap in. Defaults
14069 to @code{(format "/tmp/picon-xface.%s.xbm" (user-login-name))}.
14071 @item gnus-picons-buffer
14072 @vindex gnus-picons-buffer
14073 The name of the buffer that @code{picons} points to. Defaults to
14074 @samp{*Icon Buffer*}.
14079 @subsection Smileys
14082 @dfn{Smiley} is a package separate from Gnus, but since Gnus is
14083 currently the only package that uses Smiley, it is documented here.
14085 In short---to use Smiley in Gnus, put the following in your
14086 @file{.gnus.el} file:
14089 (add-hook 'gnus-article-display-hook 'gnus-smiley-display t)
14092 Smiley maps text smiley faces---@samp{:-)}, @samp{:-=}, @samp{:-(} and
14093 the like---to pictures and displays those instead of the text smiley
14094 faces. The conversion is controlled by a list of regexps that matches
14095 text and maps that to file names.
14097 @vindex smiley-nosey-regexp-alist
14098 @vindex smiley-deformed-regexp-alist
14099 Smiley supplies two example conversion alists by default:
14100 @code{smiley-deformed-regexp-alist} (which matches @samp{:)}, @samp{:(}
14101 and so on), and @code{smiley-nosey-regexp-alist} (which matches
14102 @samp{:-)}, @samp{:-(} and so on).
14104 The alist used is specified by the @code{smiley-regexp-alist} variable,
14105 which defaults to the value of @code{smiley-deformed-regexp-alist}.
14107 Here's the default value of @code{smiley-smiley-regexp-alist}:
14110 (setq smiley-nosey-regexp-alist
14111 '(("\\(:-+[<«]+\\)\\W" 1 "FaceAngry.xpm")
14112 ("\\(:-+\\]+\\)\\W" 1 "FaceGoofy.xpm")
14113 ("\\(:-+D\\)\\W" 1 "FaceGrinning.xpm")
14114 ("\\(:-+[@}»]+\\)\\W" 1 "FaceHappy.xpm")
14115 ("\\(:-*)+\\)\\W" 1 "FaceHappy.xpm")
14116 ("\\(:-+[/\\\"]+\\)\\W" 1 "FaceIronic.xpm")
14117 ("\\([8|]-+[|Oo%]\\)\\W" 1 "FaceKOed.xpm")
14118 ("\\([:|]-+#+\\)\\W" 1 "FaceNyah.xpm")
14119 ("\\(:-+[(@{]+\\)\\W" 1 "FaceSad.xpm")
14120 ("\\(:-+[Oo\*]\\)\\W" 1 "FaceStartled.xpm")
14121 ("\\(:-+|\\)\\W" 1 "FaceStraight.xpm")
14122 ("\\(:-+p\\)\\W" 1 "FaceTalking.xpm")
14123 ("\\(:-+d\\)\\W" 1 "FaceTasty.xpm")
14124 ("\\(;-+[>)@}»]+\\)\\W" 1 "FaceWinking.xpm")
14125 ("\\(:-+[Vvµ]\\)\\W" 1 "FaceWry.xpm")
14126 ("\\(][:8B]-[)>]\\)\\W" 1 "FaceDevilish.xpm")
14127 ("\\([:|]-+P\\)\\W" 1 "FaceYukky.xpm")))
14130 The first item in each element is the regexp to be matched; the second
14131 element is the regexp match group that is to be replaced by the picture;
14132 and the third element is the name of the file to be displayed.
14134 The following variables customize where Smiley will look for these
14135 files, as well as the color to be used and stuff:
14139 @item smiley-data-directory
14140 @vindex smiley-data-directory
14141 Where Smiley will look for smiley faces files.
14143 @item smiley-flesh-color
14144 @vindex smiley-flesh-color
14145 Skin color. The default is @samp{yellow}, which is really racist.
14147 @item smiley-features-color
14148 @vindex smiley-features-color
14149 Color of the features of the face. The default is @samp{black}.
14151 @item smiley-tongue-color
14152 @vindex smiley-tongue-color
14153 Color of the tongue. The default is @samp{red}.
14155 @item smiley-circle-color
14156 @vindex smiley-circle-color
14157 Color of the circle around the face. The default is @samp{black}.
14159 @item smiley-mouse-face
14160 @vindex smiley-mouse-face
14161 Face used for mouse highlighting over the smiley face.
14167 @subsection Toolbar
14171 @item gnus-use-toolbar
14172 @vindex gnus-use-toolbar
14173 If @code{nil}, don't display toolbars. If non-@code{nil}, it should be
14174 one of @code{default-toolbar}, @code{top-toolbar}, @code{bottom-toolbar},
14175 @code{right-toolbar}, or @code{left-toolbar}.
14177 @item gnus-group-toolbar
14178 @vindex gnus-group-toolbar
14179 The toolbar in the group buffer.
14181 @item gnus-summary-toolbar
14182 @vindex gnus-summary-toolbar
14183 The toolbar in the summary buffer.
14185 @item gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
14186 @vindex gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
14187 The toolbar in the summary buffer of mail groups.
14193 @subsection Various XEmacs Variables
14196 @item gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
14197 @vindex gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
14198 This is where Gnus will look for pictures. Gnus will normally
14199 auto-detect this directory, but you may set it manually if you have an
14200 unusual directory structure.
14202 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
14203 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
14204 This is an alist where the key is a type symbol and the values are the
14205 foreground and background color of the splash page glyph.
14207 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
14208 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
14209 This is the key used to look up the color in the alist described above.
14210 Legal values include @code{flame}, @code{pine}, @code{moss},
14211 @code{irish}, @code{sky}, @code{tin}, @code{velvet}, @code{grape},
14212 @code{labia}, @code{berry}, @code{neutral}, and @code{september}.
14214 @item gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
14215 @vindex gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
14216 A glyph displayed in all Gnus mode lines. It is a tiny gnu head by
14224 @node Fuzzy Matching
14225 @section Fuzzy Matching
14226 @cindex fuzzy matching
14228 Gnus provides @dfn{fuzzy matching} of @code{Subject} lines when doing
14229 things like scoring, thread gathering and thread comparison.
14231 As opposed to regular expression matching, fuzzy matching is very fuzzy.
14232 It's so fuzzy that there's not even a definition of what @dfn{fuzziness}
14233 means, and the implementation has changed over time.
14235 Basically, it tries to remove all noise from lines before comparing.
14236 @samp{Re: }, parenthetical remarks, white space, and so on, are filtered
14237 out of the strings before comparing the results. This often leads to
14238 adequate results---even when faced with strings generated by text
14239 manglers masquerading as newsreaders.
14242 @node Thwarting Email Spam
14243 @section Thwarting Email Spam
14247 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
14249 In these last days of the Usenet, commercial vultures are hanging about
14250 and grepping through news like crazy to find email addresses they can
14251 foist off their scams and products to. As a reaction to this, many
14252 people have started putting nonsense addresses into their @code{From}
14253 lines. I think this is counterproductive---it makes it difficult for
14254 people to send you legitimate mail in response to things you write, as
14255 well as making it difficult to see who wrote what. This rewriting may
14256 perhaps be a bigger menace than the unsolicited commercial email itself
14259 The biggest problem I have with email spam is that it comes in under
14260 false pretenses. I press @kbd{g} and Gnus merrily informs me that I
14261 have 10 new emails. I say ``Golly gee! Happy is me!'' and select the
14262 mail group, only to find two pyramid schemes, seven advertisements
14263 (``New! Miracle tonic for growing full, lustrouos hair on your toes!'')
14264 and one mail asking me to repent and find some god.
14268 The way to deal with this is having Gnus split out all spam into a
14269 @samp{spam} mail group (@pxref{Splitting Mail}).
14271 First, pick one (1) valid mail address that you can be reached at, and
14272 put it in your @code{From} header of all your news articles. (I've
14273 chosen @samp{larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no}, but for many addresses on the form
14274 @samp{larsi+usenet@@ifi.uio.no} will be a better choice. Ask your
14275 sysadm whether your sendmail installation accepts keywords in the local
14276 part of the mail address.)
14279 (setq message-default-news-headers
14280 "From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no>\n")
14283 Then put the following split rule in @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
14284 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
14289 (to "larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no"
14290 (| ("subject" "re:.*" "misc")
14291 ("references" ".*@@.*" "misc")
14297 This says that all mail to this address is suspect, but if it has a
14298 @code{Subject} that starts with a @samp{Re:} or has a @code{References}
14299 header, it's probably ok. All the rest goes to the @samp{spam} group.
14300 (This idea probably comes from Tim Pierce.)
14302 In addition, many mail spammers talk directly to your @code{smtp} server
14303 and do not include your email address explicitly in the @code{To}
14304 header. Why they do this is unknown---perhaps it's to thwart this
14305 twarting scheme? In any case, this is trivial to deal with---you just
14306 put anything not addressed to you in the @samp{spam} group by ending
14307 your fancy split rule in this way:
14312 (to "larsi" "misc")
14316 In my experience, this will sort virtually everything into the right
14317 group. You still have to check the @samp{spam} group from time to time to
14318 check for legitimate mail, though. If you feel like being a good net
14319 citizen, you can even send off complaints to the proper authorities on
14320 each unsolicited commercial email---at your leisure.
14322 If you are also a lazy net citizen, you will probably prefer complaining
14323 automatically with the @file{gnus-junk.el} package, availiable FOR FREE
14324 at @file{<URL:http://stud2.tuwien.ac.at/~e9426626/gnus-junk.html>}.
14325 Since most e-mail spam is sent automatically, this may reconcile the
14326 cosmic balance somewhat.
14328 This works for me. It allows people an easy way to contact me (they can
14329 just press @kbd{r} in the usual way), and I'm not bothered at all with
14330 spam. It's a win-win situation. Forging @code{From} headers to point
14331 to non-existant domains is yucky, in my opinion.
14334 @node Various Various
14335 @section Various Various
14341 @item gnus-home-directory
14342 All Gnus path variables will be initialized from this variable, which
14343 defaults to @file{~/}.
14345 @item gnus-directory
14346 @vindex gnus-directory
14347 Most Gnus storage path variables will be initialized from this variable,
14348 which defaults to the @samp{SAVEDIR} environment variable, or
14349 @file{~/News/} if that variable isn't set.
14351 @item gnus-default-directory
14352 @vindex gnus-default-directory
14353 Not related to the above variable at all---this variable says what the
14354 default directory of all Gnus buffers should be. If you issue commands
14355 like @kbd{C-x C-f}, the prompt you'll get starts in the current buffer's
14356 default directory. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
14357 default), the default directory will be the default directory of the
14358 buffer you were in when you started Gnus.
14361 @vindex gnus-verbose
14362 This variable is an integer between zero and ten. The higher the value,
14363 the more messages will be displayed. If this variable is zero, Gnus
14364 will never flash any messages, if it is seven (which is the default),
14365 most important messages will be shown, and if it is ten, Gnus won't ever
14366 shut up, but will flash so many messages it will make your head swim.
14368 @item gnus-verbose-backends
14369 @vindex gnus-verbose-backends
14370 This variable works the same way as @code{gnus-verbose}, but it applies
14371 to the Gnus backends instead of Gnus proper.
14373 @item nnheader-max-head-length
14374 @vindex nnheader-max-head-length
14375 When the backends read straight heads of articles, they all try to read
14376 as little as possible. This variable (default 4096) specifies
14377 the absolute max length the backends will try to read before giving up
14378 on finding a separator line between the head and the body. If this
14379 variable is @code{nil}, there is no upper read bound. If it is
14380 @code{t}, the backends won't try to read the articles piece by piece,
14381 but read the entire articles. This makes sense with some versions of
14382 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs}.
14384 @item nnheader-head-chop-length
14385 @vindex nnheader-head-chop-length
14386 This variable (default 2048) says how big a piece of each article to
14387 read when doing the operation described above.
14389 @item nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
14390 @vindex nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
14392 @cindex invalid characters in file names
14393 @cindex characters in file names
14394 This is an alist that says how to translate characters in file names.
14395 For instance, if @samp{:} is invalid as a file character in file names
14396 on your system (you OS/2 user you), you could say something like:
14399 (setq nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
14403 In fact, this is the default value for this variable on OS/2 and MS
14404 Windows (phooey) systems.
14406 @item gnus-hidden-properties
14407 @vindex gnus-hidden-properties
14408 This is a list of properties to use to hide ``invisible'' text. It is
14409 @code{(invisible t intangible t)} by default on most systems, which
14410 makes invisible text invisible and intangible.
14412 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
14413 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
14414 A hook called before parsing headers. It can be used, for instance, to
14415 gather statistics on the headers fetched, or perhaps you'd like to prune
14416 some headers. I don't see why you'd want that, though.
14418 @item gnus-shell-command-separator
14419 @vindex gnus-shell-command-separator
14420 String used to separate two shell commands. The default is @samp{;}.
14429 Well, that's the manual---you can get on with your life now. Keep in
14430 touch. Say hello to your cats from me.
14432 My @strong{ghod}---I just can't stand goodbyes. Sniffle.
14434 Ol' Charles Reznikoff said it pretty well, so I leave the floor to him:
14440 Not because of victories @*
14443 but for the common sunshine,@*
14445 the largess of the spring.
14449 but for the day's work done@*
14450 as well as I was able;@*
14451 not for a seat upon the dais@*
14452 but at the common table.@*
14457 @chapter Appendices
14460 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
14461 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
14462 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
14463 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
14464 * A Programmers Guide to Gnus:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
14465 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
14466 * Frequently Asked Questions:: A question-and-answer session.
14474 @sc{gnus} was written by Masanobu @sc{Umeda}. When autumn crept up in
14475 '94, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen grew bored and decided to rewrite Gnus.
14477 If you want to investigate the person responsible for this outrage, you
14478 can point your (feh!) web browser to
14479 @file{http://www.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/}. This is also the primary
14480 distribution point for the new and spiffy versions of Gnus, and is known
14481 as The Site That Destroys Newsrcs And Drives People Mad.
14483 During the first extended alpha period of development, the new Gnus was
14484 called ``(ding) Gnus''. @dfn{(ding)} is, of course, short for
14485 @dfn{ding is not Gnus}, which is a total and utter lie, but who cares?
14486 (Besides, the ``Gnus'' in this abbreviation should probably be
14487 pronounced ``news'' as @sc{Umeda} intended, which makes it a more
14488 appropriate name, don't you think?)
14490 In any case, after spending all that energy on coming up with a new and
14491 spunky name, we decided that the name was @emph{too} spunky, so we
14492 renamed it back again to ``Gnus''. But in mixed case. ``Gnus'' vs.
14493 ``@sc{gnus}''. New vs. old.
14495 The first ``proper'' release of Gnus 5 was done in November 1995 when it
14496 was included in the Emacs 19.30 distribution (132 (ding) Gnus releases
14497 plus 15 Gnus 5.0 releases).
14499 In May 1996 the next Gnus generation (aka. ``September Gnus'' (after 99
14500 releases)) was released under the name ``Gnus 5.2'' (40 releases).
14502 On July 28th 1996 work on Red Gnus was begun, and it was released on
14503 January 25th 1997 (after 84 releases) as ``Gnus 5.4''.
14505 If you happen upon a version of Gnus that has a prefixed name --
14506 ``(ding) Gnus'', ``September Gnus'', ``Red Gnus'', ``Quassia Gnus'' --
14507 don't panic. Don't let it know that you're frightened. Back away.
14508 Slowly. Whatever you do, don't run. Walk away, calmly, until you're
14509 out of its reach. Find a proper released version of Gnus and snuggle up
14513 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
14514 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
14515 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
14516 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
14517 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
14518 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
14519 * Newest Features:: Features so new that they haven't been written yet.
14526 What's the point of Gnus?
14528 I want to provide a ``rad'', ``happening'', ``way cool'' and ``hep''
14529 newsreader, that lets you do anything you can think of. That was my
14530 original motivation, but while working on Gnus, it has become clear to
14531 me that this generation of newsreaders really belong in the stone age.
14532 Newsreaders haven't developed much since the infancy of the net. If the
14533 volume continues to rise with the current rate of increase, all current
14534 newsreaders will be pretty much useless. How do you deal with
14535 newsgroups that have thousands of new articles each day? How do you
14536 keep track of millions of people who post?
14538 Gnus offers no real solutions to these questions, but I would very much
14539 like to see Gnus being used as a testing ground for new methods of
14540 reading and fetching news. Expanding on @sc{Umeda}-san's wise decision
14541 to separate the newsreader from the backends, Gnus now offers a simple
14542 interface for anybody who wants to write new backends for fetching mail
14543 and news from different sources. I have added hooks for customizations
14544 everywhere I could imagine it being useful. By doing so, I'm inviting
14545 every one of you to explore and invent.
14547 May Gnus never be complete. @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-emacs} and
14548 @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-xemacs}.
14551 @node Compatibility
14552 @subsection Compatibility
14554 @cindex compatibility
14555 Gnus was designed to be fully compatible with @sc{gnus}. Almost all key
14556 bindings have been kept. More key bindings have been added, of course,
14557 but only in one or two obscure cases have old bindings been changed.
14562 @center In a cloud bones of steel.
14566 All commands have kept their names. Some internal functions have changed
14569 The @code{gnus-uu} package has changed drastically. @xref{Decoding
14572 One major compatibility question is the presence of several summary
14573 buffers. All variables relevant while reading a group are
14574 buffer-local to the summary buffer they belong in. Although many
14575 important variables have their values copied into their global
14576 counterparts whenever a command is executed in the summary buffer, this
14577 change might lead to incorrect values being used unless you are careful.
14579 All code that relies on knowledge of @sc{gnus} internals will probably
14580 fail. To take two examples: Sorting @code{gnus-newsrc-alist} (or
14581 changing it in any way, as a matter of fact) is strictly verboten. Gnus
14582 maintains a hash table that points to the entries in this alist (which
14583 speeds up many functions), and changing the alist directly will lead to
14587 @cindex highlighting
14588 Old hilit19 code does not work at all. In fact, you should probably
14589 remove all hilit code from all Gnus hooks
14590 (@code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} and @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook}).
14591 Gnus provides various integrated functions for highlighting. These are
14592 faster and more accurate. To make life easier for everybody, Gnus will
14593 by default remove all hilit calls from all hilit hooks. Uncleanliness!
14596 Packages like @code{expire-kill} will no longer work. As a matter of
14597 fact, you should probably remove all old @sc{gnus} packages (and other
14598 code) when you start using Gnus. More likely than not, Gnus already
14599 does what you have written code to make @sc{gnus} do. (Snicker.)
14601 Even though old methods of doing things are still supported, only the
14602 new methods are documented in this manual. If you detect a new method of
14603 doing something while reading this manual, that does not mean you have
14604 to stop doing it the old way.
14606 Gnus understands all @sc{gnus} startup files.
14608 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
14610 @cindex reporting bugs
14612 Overall, a casual user who hasn't written much code that depends on
14613 @sc{gnus} internals should suffer no problems. If problems occur,
14614 please let me know by issuing that magic command @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}.
14618 @subsection Conformity
14620 No rebels without a clue here, ma'am. We conform to all standards known
14621 to (wo)man. Except for those standards and/or conventions we disagree
14628 There are no known breaches of this standard.
14632 There are no known breaches of this standard, either.
14634 @item Good Net-Keeping Seal of Approval
14635 @cindex Good Net-Keeping Seal of Approval
14636 Gnus has been through the Seal process and failed. I think it'll pass
14637 the next inspection.
14639 @item Son-of-RFC 1036
14640 @cindex Son-of-RFC 1036
14641 We do have some breaches to this one.
14646 Gnus does no MIME handling, and this standard-to-be seems to think that
14647 MIME is the bees' knees, so we have major breakage here.
14650 This is considered to be a ``vanity header'', while I consider it to be
14651 consumer information. After seeing so many badly formatted articles
14652 coming from @code{tin} and @code{Netscape} I know not to use either of
14653 those for posting articles. I would not have known that if it wasn't
14654 for the @code{X-Newsreader} header.
14659 If you ever notice Gnus acting non-compliant with regards to the texts
14660 mentioned above, don't hesitate to drop a note to Gnus Towers and let us
14665 @subsection Emacsen
14671 Gnus should work on :
14676 Emacs 19.32 and up.
14679 XEmacs 19.14 and up.
14682 Mule versions based on Emacs 19.32 and up.
14686 Gnus will absolutely not work on any Emacsen older than that. Not
14687 reliably, at least.
14689 There are some vague differences between Gnus on the various
14690 platforms---XEmacs features more graphics (a logo and a toolbar)---but
14691 other than that, things should look pretty much the same under all
14696 @subsection Contributors
14697 @cindex contributors
14699 The new Gnus version couldn't have been done without the help of all the
14700 people on the (ding) mailing list. Every day for over a year I have
14701 gotten billions of nice bug reports from them, filling me with joy,
14702 every single one of them. Smooches. The people on the list have been
14703 tried beyond endurance, what with my ``oh, that's a neat idea <type
14704 type>, yup, I'll release it right away <ship off> no wait, that doesn't
14705 work at all <type type>, yup, I'll ship that one off right away <ship
14706 off> no, wait, that absolutely does not work'' policy for releases.
14707 Micro$oft---bah. Amateurs. I'm @emph{much} worse. (Or is that
14708 ``worser''? ``much worser''? ``worsest''?)
14710 I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Academy for... oops,
14716 Masanobu @sc{Umeda}---the writer of the original @sc{gnus}.
14719 Per Abrahamsen---custom, scoring, highlighting and @sc{soup} code (as
14720 well as numerous other things).
14723 Luis Fernandes---design and graphics.
14726 Erik Naggum---help, ideas, support, code and stuff.
14729 Wes Hardaker---@file{gnus-picon.el} and the manual section on
14730 @dfn{picons} (@pxref{Picons}).
14733 Kim-Minh Kaplan---further work on the picon code.
14736 Brad Miller---@file{gnus-gl.el} and the GroupLens manual section
14737 (@pxref{GroupLens}).
14740 Sudish Joseph---innumerable bug fixes.
14743 Ilja Weis---@file{gnus-topic.el}.
14746 Steven L. Baur---lots and lots and lots of bugs detections and fixes.
14749 Vladimir Alexiev---the refcard and reference booklets.
14752 Felix Lee & Jamie Zawinsky---I stole some pieces from the XGnus
14753 distribution by Felix Lee and JWZ.
14756 Scott Byer---@file{nnfolder.el} enhancements & rewrite.
14759 Peter Mutsaers---orphan article scoring code.
14762 Ken Raeburn---POP mail support.
14765 Hallvard B Furuseth---various bits and pieces, especially dealing with
14769 Brian Edmonds---@file{gnus-bbdb.el}.
14772 David Moore---rewrite of @file{nnvirtual.el} and many other things.
14775 Kevin Davidson---came up with the name @dfn{ding}, so blame him.
14778 François Pinard---many, many interesting and thorough bug reports.
14782 This manual was proof-read by Adrian Aichner, with Ricardo Nassif, Mark
14783 Borges, and Jost Krieger proof-reading parts of the manual.
14785 The following people have contributed many patches and suggestions:
14794 Jason L. Tibbitts, III,
14798 Also thanks to the following for patches and stuff:
14813 Massimo Campostrini,
14818 Geoffrey T. Dairiki,
14823 Michael Welsh Duggan,
14830 Arne Georg Gleditsch,
14835 Hisashige Kenji, @c Hisashige
14839 François Felix Ingrand,
14840 Ishikawa Ichiro, @c Ishikawa
14847 Peter Skov Knudsen,
14848 Shuhei Kobayashi, @c Kobayashi
14849 Thor Kristoffersen,
14864 Morioka Tomohiko, @c Morioka
14865 Erik Toubro Nielsen,
14871 Masaharu Onishi, @c Onishi
14876 John McClary Prevost,
14884 Philippe Schnoebelen,
14885 Randal L. Schwartz,
14906 Katsumi Yamaoka. @c Yamaoka
14908 For a full overview of what each person has done, the ChangeLogs
14909 included in the Gnus alpha distributions should give ample reading
14910 (550kB and counting).
14912 Apologies to everybody that I've forgotten, of which there are many, I'm
14915 Gee, that's quite a list of people. I guess that must mean that there
14916 actually are people who are using Gnus. Who'd'a thunk it!
14920 @subsection New Features
14921 @cindex new features
14924 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
14925 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.3/5.3.
14926 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
14929 These lists are, of course, just @emph{short} overviews of the
14930 @emph{most} important new features. No, really. There are tons more.
14931 Yes, we have feeping creaturism in full effect.
14935 @subsubsection (ding) Gnus
14937 New features in Gnus 5.0/5.1:
14942 The look of all buffers can be changed by setting format-like variables
14943 (@pxref{Group Buffer Format} and @pxref{Summary Buffer Format}).
14946 Local spool and several @sc{nntp} servers can be used at once
14947 (@pxref{Select Methods}).
14950 You can combine groups into virtual groups (@pxref{Virtual Groups}).
14953 You can read a number of different mail formats (@pxref{Getting Mail}).
14954 All the mail backends implement a convenient mail expiry scheme
14955 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
14958 Gnus can use various strategies for gathering threads that have lost
14959 their roots (thereby gathering loose sub-threads into one thread) or it
14960 can go back and retrieve enough headers to build a complete thread
14961 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
14964 Killed groups can be displayed in the group buffer, and you can read
14965 them as well (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
14968 Gnus can do partial group updates---you do not have to retrieve the
14969 entire active file just to check for new articles in a few groups
14970 (@pxref{The Active File}).
14973 Gnus implements a sliding scale of subscribedness to groups
14974 (@pxref{Group Levels}).
14977 You can score articles according to any number of criteria
14978 (@pxref{Scoring}). You can even get Gnus to find out how to score
14979 articles for you (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
14982 Gnus maintains a dribble buffer that is auto-saved the normal Emacs
14983 manner, so it should be difficult to lose much data on what you have
14984 read if your machine should go down (@pxref{Auto Save}).
14987 Gnus now has its own startup file (@file{.gnus}) to avoid cluttering up
14988 the @file{.emacs} file.
14991 You can set the process mark on both groups and articles and perform
14992 operations on all the marked items (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
14995 You can grep through a subset of groups and create a group from the
14996 results (@pxref{Kibozed Groups}).
14999 You can list subsets of groups according to, well, anything
15000 (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
15003 You can browse foreign servers and subscribe to groups from those
15004 servers (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
15007 Gnus can fetch articles, asynchronously, on a second connection to the
15008 server (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
15011 You can cache articles locally (@pxref{Article Caching}).
15014 The uudecode functions have been expanded and generalized
15015 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
15018 You can still post uuencoded articles, which was a little-known feature
15019 of @sc{gnus}' past (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
15022 Fetching parents (and other articles) now actually works without
15023 glitches (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
15026 Gnus can fetch FAQs and group descriptions (@pxref{Group Information}).
15029 Digests (and other files) can be used as the basis for groups
15030 (@pxref{Document Groups}).
15033 Articles can be highlighted and customized (@pxref{Customizing
15037 URLs and other external references can be buttonized (@pxref{Article
15041 You can do lots of strange stuff with the Gnus window & frame
15042 configuration (@pxref{Windows Configuration}).
15045 You can click on buttons instead of using the keyboard
15051 @node September Gnus
15052 @subsubsection September Gnus
15054 New features in Gnus 5.2/5.3:
15059 A new message composition mode is used. All old customization variables
15060 for @code{mail-mode}, @code{rnews-reply-mode} and @code{gnus-msg} are
15064 Gnus is now able to generate @dfn{sparse} threads---threads where
15065 missing articles are represented by empty nodes (@pxref{Customizing
15069 (setq gnus-build-sparse-threads 'some)
15073 Outgoing articles are stored on a special archive server
15074 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
15077 Partial thread regeneration now happens when articles are
15081 Gnus can make use of GroupLens predictions (@pxref{GroupLens}).
15084 Picons (personal icons) can be displayed under XEmacs (@pxref{Picons}).
15087 A @code{trn}-like tree buffer can be displayed (@pxref{Tree Display}).
15090 (setq gnus-use-trees t)
15094 An @code{nn}-like pick-and-read minor mode is available for the summary
15095 buffers (@pxref{Pick and Read}).
15098 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
15102 In binary groups you can use a special binary minor mode (@pxref{Binary
15106 Groups can be grouped in a folding topic hierarchy (@pxref{Group
15110 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
15114 Gnus can re-send and bounce mail (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
15117 Groups can now have a score, and bubbling based on entry frequency
15118 is possible (@pxref{Group Score}).
15121 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-exit-hook 'gnus-summary-bubble-group)
15125 Groups can be process-marked, and commands can be performed on
15126 groups of groups (@pxref{Marking Groups}).
15129 Caching is possible in virtual groups.
15132 @code{nndoc} now understands all kinds of digests, mail boxes, rnews
15133 news batches, ClariNet briefs collections, and just about everything
15134 else (@pxref{Document Groups}).
15137 Gnus has a new backend (@code{nnsoup}) to create/read SOUP packets
15141 The Gnus cache is much faster.
15144 Groups can be sorted according to many criteria (@pxref{Sorting
15148 New group parameters have been introduced to set list-addresses and
15149 expiry times (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
15152 All formatting specs allow specifying faces to be used
15153 (@pxref{Formatting Fonts}).
15156 There are several more commands for setting/removing/acting on process
15157 marked articles on the @kbd{M P} submap (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
15160 The summary buffer can be limited to show parts of the available
15161 articles based on a wide range of criteria. These commands have been
15162 bound to keys on the @kbd{/} submap (@pxref{Limiting}).
15165 Articles can be made persistent with the @kbd{*} command
15166 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
15169 All functions for hiding article elements are now toggles.
15172 Article headers can be buttonized (@pxref{Article Washing}).
15175 (add-hook 'gnus-article-display-hook
15176 'gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head)
15180 All mail backends support fetching articles by @code{Message-ID}.
15183 Duplicate mail can now be treated properly (@pxref{Duplicates}).
15186 All summary mode commands are available directly from the article
15187 buffer (@pxref{Article Keymap}).
15190 Frames can be part of @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} (@pxref{Windows
15194 Mail can be re-scanned by a daemonic process (@pxref{Daemons}).
15197 Gnus can make use of NoCeM files to weed out spam (@pxref{NoCeM}).
15200 (setq gnus-use-nocem t)
15204 Groups can be made permanently visible (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
15207 (setq gnus-permanently-visible-groups "^nnml:")
15211 Many new hooks have been introduced to make customizing easier.
15214 Gnus respects the @code{Mail-Copies-To} header.
15217 Threads can be gathered by looking at the @code{References} header
15218 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
15221 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
15222 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
15226 Read articles can be stored in a special backlog buffer to avoid
15227 refetching (@pxref{Article Backlog}).
15230 (setq gnus-keep-backlog 50)
15234 A clean copy of the current article is always stored in a separate
15235 buffer to allow easier treatment.
15238 Gnus can suggest where to save articles (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
15241 Gnus doesn't have to do as much prompting when saving (@pxref{Saving
15245 (setq gnus-prompt-before-saving t)
15249 @code{gnus-uu} can view decoded files asynchronously while fetching
15250 articles (@pxref{Other Decode Variables}).
15253 (setq gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions 'gnus-uu-grab-view)
15257 Filling in the article buffer now works properly on cited text
15258 (@pxref{Article Washing}).
15261 Hiding cited text adds buttons to toggle hiding, and how much
15262 cited text to hide is now customizable (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
15265 (setq gnus-cited-lines-visible 2)
15269 Boring headers can be hidden (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
15272 (add-hook 'gnus-article-display-hook
15273 'gnus-article-hide-boring-headers t)
15277 Default scoring values can now be set from the menu bar.
15280 Further syntax checking of outgoing articles have been added.
15286 @subsubsection Red Gnus
15288 New features in Gnus 5.4/5.5:
15293 @file{nntp.el} has been totally rewritten in an asynchronous fashion.
15296 Article prefetching functionality has been moved up into
15297 Gnus (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
15300 Scoring can now be performed with logical operators like @code{and},
15301 @code{or}, @code{not}, and parent redirection (@pxref{Advanced
15305 Article washing status can be displayed in the
15306 article mode line (@pxref{Misc Article}).
15309 @file{gnus.el} has been split into many smaller files.
15312 Suppression of duplicate articles based on Message-ID can be done
15313 (@pxref{Duplicate Suppression}).
15316 (setq gnus-suppress-duplicates t)
15320 New variables for specifying what score and adapt files are to be
15321 considered home score and adapt files (@pxref{Home Score File}) have
15325 @code{nndoc} was rewritten to be easily extendable (@pxref{Document
15326 Server Internals}).
15329 Groups can inherit group parameters from parent topics (@pxref{Topic
15333 Article editing has been revamped and is now actually usable.
15336 Signatures can be recognized in more intelligent fashions
15337 (@pxref{Article Signature}).
15340 Summary pick mode has been made to look more @code{nn}-like. Line
15341 numbers are displayed and the @kbd{.} command can be used to pick
15342 articles (@code{Pick and Read}).
15345 Commands for moving the @file{.newsrc.eld} from one server to
15346 another have been added (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
15349 There's a way now to specify that ``uninteresting'' fields be suppressed
15350 when generating lines in buffers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting}).
15353 Several commands in the group buffer can be undone with @kbd{M-C-_}
15357 Scoring can be done on words using the new score type @code{w}
15358 (@pxref{Score File Format}).
15361 Adaptive scoring can be done on a Subject word-by-word basis
15362 (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
15365 (setq gnus-use-adaptive-scoring '(word))
15369 Scores can be decayed (@pxref{Score Decays}).
15372 (setq gnus-decay-scores t)
15376 Scoring can be performed using a regexp on the Date header. The Date is
15377 normalized to compact ISO 8601 format first (@pxref{Score File Format}).
15380 A new command has been added to remove all data on articles from
15381 the native server (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
15384 A new command for reading collections of documents
15385 (@code{nndoc} with @code{nnvirtual} on top) has been added---@kbd{M-C-d}
15386 (@pxref{Really Various Summary Commands}).
15389 Process mark sets can be pushed and popped (@pxref{Setting Process
15393 A new mail-to-news backend makes it possible to post even when the NNTP
15394 server doesn't allow posting (@pxref{Mail-To-News Gateways}).
15397 A new backend for reading searches from Web search engines
15398 (@dfn{DejaNews}, @dfn{Alta Vista}, @dfn{InReference}) has been added
15399 (@pxref{Web Searches}).
15402 Groups inside topics can now be sorted using the standard sorting
15403 functions, and each topic can be sorted independently (@pxref{Topic
15407 Subsets of the groups can be sorted independently (@code{Sorting
15411 Cached articles can be pulled into the groups (@pxref{Summary Generation
15415 Score files are now applied in a more reliable order (@pxref{Score
15419 Reports on where mail messages end up can be generated (@pxref{Splitting
15423 More hooks and functions have been added to remove junk from incoming
15424 mail before saving the mail (@pxref{Washing Mail}).
15427 Emphasized text can be properly fontisized:
15430 (add-hook 'gnus-article-display-hook 'gnus-article-emphasize)
15436 @node Newest Features
15437 @subsection Newest Features
15440 Also known as the @dfn{todo list}. Sure to be implemented before the
15443 Be afraid. Be very afraid.
15447 Native @sc{mime} support is something that should be done.
15449 Really do unbinhexing.
15452 And much, much, much more. There is more to come than has already been
15453 implemented. (But that's always true, isn't it?)
15455 @file{<URL:http://www.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/rgnus/todo>} is where the actual
15456 up-to-the-second todo list is located, so if you're really curious, you
15457 could point your Web browser over that-a-way.
15462 @section The Manual
15466 This manual was generated from a TeXinfo file and then run through
15467 either @code{texi2dvi}
15469 or my own home-brewed TeXinfo to \LaTeX\ transformer,
15470 and then run through @code{latex} and @code{dvips}
15472 to get what you hold in your hands now.
15474 The following conventions have been used:
15479 This is a @samp{string}
15482 This is a @kbd{keystroke}
15485 This is a @file{file}
15488 This is a @code{symbol}
15492 So if I were to say ``set @code{flargnoze} to @samp{yes}'', that would
15496 (setq flargnoze "yes")
15499 If I say ``set @code{flumphel} to @code{yes}'', that would mean:
15502 (setq flumphel 'yes)
15505 @samp{yes} and @code{yes} are two @emph{very} different things---don't
15506 ever get them confused.
15510 Of course, everything in this manual is of vital interest, so you should
15511 read it all. Several times. However, if you feel like skimming the
15512 manual, look for that gnu head you should see in the margin over
15513 there---it means that what's being discussed is of more importance than
15514 the rest of the stuff. (On the other hand, if everything is infinitely
15515 important, how can anything be more important than that? Just one more
15516 of the mysteries of this world, I guess.)
15523 @section Terminology
15525 @cindex terminology
15530 This is what you are supposed to use this thing for---reading news.
15531 News is generally fetched from a nearby @sc{nntp} server, and is
15532 generally publicly available to everybody. If you post news, the entire
15533 world is likely to read just what you have written, and they'll all
15534 snigger mischievously. Behind your back.
15538 Everything that's delivered to you personally is mail. Some news/mail
15539 readers (like Gnus) blur the distinction between mail and news, but
15540 there is a difference. Mail is private. News is public. Mailing is
15541 not posting, and replying is not following up.
15545 Send a mail to the person who has written what you are reading.
15549 Post an article to the current newsgroup responding to the article you
15554 Gnus gets fed articles from a number of backends, both news and mail
15555 backends. Gnus does not handle the underlying media, so to speak---this
15556 is all done by the backends.
15560 Gnus will always use one method (and backend) as the @dfn{native}, or
15561 default, way of getting news.
15565 You can also have any number of foreign groups active at the same time.
15566 These are groups that use non-native non-secondary backends for getting
15571 Secondary backends are somewhere half-way between being native and being
15572 foreign, but they mostly act like they are native.
15576 A message that has been posted as news.
15579 @cindex mail message
15580 A message that has been mailed.
15584 A mail message or news article
15588 The top part of a message, where administrative information (etc.) is
15593 The rest of an article. Everything not in the head is in the
15598 A line from the head of an article.
15602 A collection of such lines, or a collection of heads. Or even a
15603 collection of @sc{nov} lines.
15607 When Gnus enters a group, it asks the backend for the headers of all
15608 unread articles in the group. Most servers support the News OverView
15609 format, which is more compact and much faster to read and parse than the
15610 normal @sc{head} format.
15614 Each group is subscribed at some @dfn{level} or other (1-9). The ones
15615 that have a lower level are ``more'' subscribed than the groups with a
15616 higher level. In fact, groups on levels 1-5 are considered
15617 @dfn{subscribed}; 6-7 are @dfn{unsubscribed}; 8 are @dfn{zombies}; and 9
15618 are @dfn{killed}. Commands for listing groups and scanning for new
15619 articles will all use the numeric prefix as @dfn{working level}.
15621 @item killed groups
15622 @cindex killed groups
15623 No information on killed groups is stored or updated, which makes killed
15624 groups much easier to handle than subscribed groups.
15626 @item zombie groups
15627 @cindex zombie groups
15628 Just like killed groups, only slightly less dead.
15631 @cindex active file
15632 The news server has to keep track of what articles it carries, and what
15633 groups exist. All this information in stored in the active file, which
15634 is rather large, as you might surmise.
15637 @cindex bogus groups
15638 A group that exists in the @file{.newsrc} file, but isn't known to the
15639 server (i.e., it isn't in the active file), is a @emph{bogus group}.
15640 This means that the group probably doesn't exist (any more).
15644 A machine one can connect to and get news (or mail) from.
15646 @item select method
15647 @cindex select method
15648 A structure that specifies the backend, the server and the virtual
15651 @item virtual server
15652 @cindex virtual server
15653 A named select method. Since a select method defines all there is to
15654 know about connecting to a (physical) server, taking the thing as a
15655 whole is a virtual server.
15659 Taking a buffer and running it through a filter of some sort. The
15660 result will (more often than not) be cleaner and more pleasing than the
15663 @item ephemeral groups
15664 @cindex ephemeral groups
15665 Most groups store data on what articles you have read. @dfn{Ephemeral}
15666 groups are groups that will have no data stored---when you exit the
15667 group, it'll disappear into the aether.
15670 @cindex solid groups
15671 This is the opposite of ephemeral groups. All groups listed in the
15672 group buffer are solid groups.
15674 @item sparse articles
15675 @cindex sparse articles
15676 These are article placeholders shown in the summary buffer when
15677 @code{gnus-build-sparse-threads} has been switched on.
15682 @node Customization
15683 @section Customization
15684 @cindex general customization
15686 All variables are properly documented elsewhere in this manual. This
15687 section is designed to give general pointers on how to customize Gnus
15688 for some quite common situations.
15691 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
15692 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
15693 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
15694 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
15698 @node Slow/Expensive Connection
15699 @subsection Slow/Expensive @sc{nntp} Connection
15701 If you run Emacs on a machine locally, and get your news from a machine
15702 over some very thin strings, you want to cut down on the amount of data
15703 Gnus has to get from the @sc{nntp} server.
15707 @item gnus-read-active-file
15708 Set this to @code{nil}, which will inhibit Gnus from requesting the
15709 entire active file from the server. This file is often v. large. You
15710 also have to set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
15711 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make sure that Gnus
15712 doesn't suddenly decide to fetch the active file anyway.
15714 @item gnus-nov-is-evil
15715 This one has to be @code{nil}. If not, grabbing article headers from
15716 the @sc{nntp} server will not be very fast. Not all @sc{nntp} servers
15717 support @sc{xover}; Gnus will detect this by itself.
15721 @node Slow Terminal Connection
15722 @subsection Slow Terminal Connection
15724 Let's say you use your home computer for dialing up the system that runs
15725 Emacs and Gnus. If your modem is slow, you want to reduce (as much as
15726 possible) the amount of data sent over the wires.
15730 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
15731 Set this to @code{nil} to inhibit Gnus from re-centering the summary
15732 buffer all the time. If it is @code{vertical}, do only vertical
15733 re-centering. If it is neither @code{nil} nor @code{vertical}, do both
15734 horizontal and vertical recentering.
15736 @item gnus-visible-headers
15737 Cut down on the headers included in the articles to the
15738 minimum. You can, in fact, make do without them altogether---most of the
15739 useful data is in the summary buffer, anyway. Set this variable to
15740 @samp{^NEVVVVER} or @samp{From:}, or whatever you feel you need.
15742 @item gnus-article-display-hook
15743 Set this hook to all the available hiding commands:
15745 (setq gnus-article-display-hook
15746 '(gnus-article-hide-headers gnus-article-hide-signature
15747 gnus-article-hide-citation))
15750 @item gnus-use-full-window
15751 By setting this to @code{nil}, you can make all the windows smaller.
15752 While this doesn't really cut down much generally, it means that you
15753 have to see smaller portions of articles before deciding that you didn't
15754 want to read them anyway.
15756 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
15757 If this is non-@code{nil}, all threads in the summary buffer will be
15760 @item gnus-updated-mode-lines
15761 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not put information in the buffer mode
15762 lines, which might save some time.
15766 @node Little Disk Space
15767 @subsection Little Disk Space
15770 The startup files can get rather large, so you may want to cut their
15771 sizes a bit if you are running out of space.
15775 @item gnus-save-newsrc-file
15776 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never save @file{.newsrc}---it will
15777 only save @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
15778 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
15781 @item gnus-save-killed-list
15782 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not save the list of dead groups. You
15783 should also set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{ask-server}
15784 and @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} if you set this
15785 variable to @code{nil}. This variable is @code{t} by default.
15791 @subsection Slow Machine
15792 @cindex slow machine
15794 If you have a slow machine, or are just really impatient, there are a
15795 few things you can do to make Gnus run faster.
15797 Set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
15798 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make startup faster.
15800 Set @code{gnus-show-threads}, @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} and
15801 @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{nil} to make entering and exiting the
15802 summary buffer faster.
15804 Set @code{gnus-article-display-hook} to @code{nil} to make article
15805 processing a bit faster.
15808 @node Troubleshooting
15809 @section Troubleshooting
15810 @cindex troubleshooting
15812 Gnus works @emph{so} well straight out of the box---I can't imagine any
15820 Make sure your computer is switched on.
15823 Make sure that you really load the current Gnus version. If you have
15824 been running @sc{gnus}, you need to exit Emacs and start it up again before
15828 Try doing an @kbd{M-x gnus-version}. If you get something that looks
15829 like @samp{Gnus v5.46; nntp 4.0} you have the right files loaded. If,
15830 on the other hand, you get something like @samp{NNTP 3.x} or @samp{nntp
15831 flee}, you have some old @file{.el} files lying around. Delete these.
15834 Read the help group (@kbd{G h} in the group buffer) for a FAQ and a
15838 @vindex max-lisp-eval-depth
15839 Gnus works on many recursive structures, and in some extreme (and very
15840 rare) cases Gnus may recurse down ``too deeply'' and Emacs will beep at
15841 you. If this happens to you, set @code{max-lisp-eval-depth} to 500 or
15842 something like that.
15845 If all else fails, report the problem as a bug.
15848 @cindex reporting bugs
15850 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
15852 If you find a bug in Gnus, you can report it with the @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}
15853 command. @kbd{M-x set-variable RET debug-on-error RET t RET}, and send
15854 me the backtrace. I will fix bugs, but I can only fix them if you send
15855 me a precise description as to how to reproduce the bug.
15857 You really can never be too detailed in a bug report. Always use the
15858 @kbd{M-x gnus-bug} command when you make bug reports, even if it creates
15859 a 10Kb mail each time you use it, and even if you have sent me your
15860 environment 500 times before. I don't care. I want the full info each
15863 It is also important to remember that I have no memory whatsoever. If
15864 you send a bug report, and I send you a reply, and then you just send
15865 back ``No, it's not! Moron!'', I will have no idea what you are
15866 insulting me about. Always over-explain everything. It's much easier
15867 for all of us---if I don't have all the information I need, I will just
15868 mail you and ask for more info, and everything takes more time.
15870 If the problem you're seeing is very visual, and you can't quite explain
15871 it, copy the Emacs window to a file (with @code{xwd}, for instance), put
15872 it somewhere it can be reached, and include the URL of the picture in
15875 If you just need help, you are better off asking on
15876 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}. I'm not very helpful.
15878 @cindex gnu.emacs.gnus
15879 @cindex ding mailing list
15880 You can also ask on the ding mailing list---@samp{ding@@gnus.org}.
15881 Write to @samp{ding-request@@gnus.org} to subscribe.
15884 @node A Programmers Guide to Gnus
15885 @section A Programmer@'s Guide to Gnus
15887 It is my hope that other people will figure out smart stuff that Gnus
15888 can do, and that other people will write those smart things as well. To
15889 facilitate that I thought it would be a good idea to describe the inner
15890 workings of Gnus. And some of the not-so-inner workings, while I'm at
15893 You can never expect the internals of a program not to change, but I
15894 will be defining (in some details) the interface between Gnus and its
15895 backends (this is written in stone), the format of the score files
15896 (ditto), data structures (some are less likely to change than others)
15897 and general methods of operation.
15900 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
15901 * Backend Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
15902 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
15903 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
15904 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
15905 * Group Info:: The group info format.
15906 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
15907 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
15911 @node Gnus Utility Functions
15912 @subsection Gnus Utility Functions
15913 @cindex Gnus utility functions
15914 @cindex utility functions
15916 @cindex internal variables
15918 When writing small functions to be run from hooks (and stuff), it's
15919 vital to have access to the Gnus internal functions and variables.
15920 Below is a list of the most common ones.
15924 @item gnus-newsgroup-name
15925 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-name
15926 This variable holds the name of the current newsgroup.
15928 @item gnus-find-method-for-group
15929 @findex gnus-find-method-for-group
15930 A function that returns the select method for @var{group}.
15932 @item gnus-group-real-name
15933 @findex gnus-group-real-name
15934 Takes a full (prefixed) Gnus group name, and returns the unprefixed
15937 @item gnus-group-prefixed-name
15938 @findex gnus-group-prefixed-name
15939 Takes an unprefixed group name and a select method, and returns the full
15940 (prefixed) Gnus group name.
15942 @item gnus-get-info
15943 @findex gnus-get-info
15944 Returns the group info list for @var{group}.
15946 @item gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
15947 @findex gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
15948 Adds the current buffer to the list of buffers to be killed on Gnus
15951 @item gnus-continuum-version
15952 @findex gnus-continuum-version
15953 Takes a Gnus version string as a parameter and returns a floating point
15954 number. Earlier versions will always get a lower number than later
15957 @item gnus-group-read-only-p
15958 @findex gnus-group-read-only-p
15959 Says whether @var{group} is read-only or not.
15961 @item gnus-news-group-p
15962 @findex gnus-news-group-p
15963 Says whether @var{group} came from a news backend.
15965 @item gnus-ephemeral-group-p
15966 @findex gnus-ephemeral-group-p
15967 Says whether @var{group} is ephemeral or not.
15969 @item gnus-server-to-method
15970 @findex gnus-server-to-method
15971 Returns the select method corresponding to @var{server}.
15973 @item gnus-server-equal
15974 @findex gnus-server-equal
15975 Says whether two virtual servers are equal.
15977 @item gnus-group-native-p
15978 @findex gnus-group-native-p
15979 Says whether @var{group} is native or not.
15981 @item gnus-group-secondary-p
15982 @findex gnus-group-secondary-p
15983 Says whether @var{group} is secondary or not.
15985 @item gnus-group-foreign-p
15986 @findex gnus-group-foreign-p
15987 Says whether @var{group} is foreign or not.
15989 @item group-group-find-parameter
15990 @findex group-group-find-parameter
15991 Returns the parameter list of @var{group}. If given a second parameter,
15992 returns the value of that parameter for @var{group}.
15994 @item gnus-group-set-parameter
15995 @findex gnus-group-set-parameter
15996 Takes three parameters; @var{group}, @var{parameter} and @var{value}.
15998 @item gnus-narrow-to-body
15999 @findex gnus-narrow-to-body
16000 Narrows the current buffer to the body of the article.
16002 @item gnus-check-backend-function
16003 @findex gnus-check-backend-function
16004 Takes two parameters, @var{function} and @var{group}. If the backend
16005 @var{group} comes from supports @var{function}, return non-@code{nil}.
16008 (gnus-check-backend-function "request-scan" "nnml:misc")
16012 @item gnus-read-method
16013 @findex gnus-read-method
16014 Prompts the user for a select method.
16019 @node Backend Interface
16020 @subsection Backend Interface
16022 Gnus doesn't know anything about @sc{nntp}, spools, mail or virtual
16023 groups. It only knows how to talk to @dfn{virtual servers}. A virtual
16024 server is a @dfn{backend} and some @dfn{backend variables}. As examples
16025 of the first, we have @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and @code{nnmbox}. As
16026 examples of the latter we have @code{nntp-port-number} and
16027 @code{nnmbox-directory}.
16029 When Gnus asks for information from a backend---say @code{nntp}---on
16030 something, it will normally include a virtual server name in the
16031 function parameters. (If not, the backend should use the ``current''
16032 virtual server.) For instance, @code{nntp-request-list} takes a virtual
16033 server as its only (optional) parameter. If this virtual server hasn't
16034 been opened, the function should fail.
16036 Note that a virtual server name has no relation to some physical server
16037 name. Take this example:
16041 (nntp-address "ifi.uio.no")
16042 (nntp-port-number 4324))
16045 Here the virtual server name is @samp{odd-one} while the name of
16046 the physical server is @samp{ifi.uio.no}.
16048 The backends should be able to switch between several virtual servers.
16049 The standard backends implement this by keeping an alist of virtual
16050 server environments that they pull down/push up when needed.
16052 There are two groups of interface functions: @dfn{required functions},
16053 which must be present, and @dfn{optional functions}, which Gnus will
16054 always check for presence before attempting to call 'em.
16056 All these functions are expected to return data in the buffer
16057 @code{nntp-server-buffer} (@samp{ *nntpd*}), which is somewhat
16058 unfortunately named, but we'll have to live with it. When I talk about
16059 @dfn{resulting data}, I always refer to the data in that buffer. When I
16060 talk about @dfn{return value}, I talk about the function value returned by
16061 the function call. Functions that fail should return @code{nil} as the
16064 Some backends could be said to be @dfn{server-forming} backends, and
16065 some might be said not to be. The latter are backends that generally
16066 only operate on one group at a time, and have no concept of ``server''
16067 -- they have a group, and they deliver info on that group and nothing
16070 In the examples and definitions I will refer to the imaginary backend
16073 @cindex @code{nnchoke}
16076 * Required Backend Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
16077 * Optional Backend Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
16078 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
16079 * Writing New Backends:: Extending old backends.
16080 * Hooking New Backends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
16081 * Mail-like Backends:: Some tips on mail backends.
16085 @node Required Backend Functions
16086 @subsubsection Required Backend Functions
16090 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-headers ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FETCH-OLD)
16092 @var{articles} is either a range of article numbers or a list of
16093 @code{Message-ID}s. Current backends do not fully support either---only
16094 sequences (lists) of article numbers, and most backends do not support
16095 retrieval of @code{Message-ID}s. But they should try for both.
16097 The result data should either be HEADs or NOV lines, and the result
16098 value should either be @code{headers} or @code{nov} to reflect this.
16099 This might later be expanded to @code{various}, which will be a mixture
16100 of HEADs and NOV lines, but this is currently not supported by Gnus.
16102 If @var{fetch-old} is non-@code{nil} it says to try fetching "extra
16103 headers", in some meaning of the word. This is generally done by
16104 fetching (at most) @var{fetch-old} extra headers less than the smallest
16105 article number in @code{articles}, and filling the gaps as well. The
16106 presence of this parameter can be ignored if the backend finds it
16107 cumbersome to follow the request. If this is non-@code{nil} and not a
16108 number, do maximum fetches.
16110 Here's an example HEAD:
16113 221 1056 Article retrieved.
16114 Path: ifi.uio.no!sturles
16115 From: sturles@@ifi.uio.no (Sturle Sunde)
16116 Newsgroups: ifi.discussion
16117 Subject: Re: Something very droll
16118 Date: 27 Oct 1994 14:02:57 +0100
16119 Organization: Dept. of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway
16121 Message-ID: <38o8e1$a0o@@holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no>
16122 References: <38jdmq$4qu@@visbur.ifi.uio.no>
16123 NNTP-Posting-Host: holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no
16127 So a @code{headers} return value would imply that there's a number of
16128 these in the data buffer.
16130 Here's a BNF definition of such a buffer:
16134 head = error / valid-head
16135 error-message = [ "4" / "5" ] 2number " " <error message> eol
16136 valid-head = valid-message *header "." eol
16137 valid-message = "221 " <number> " Article retrieved." eol
16138 header = <text> eol
16141 If the return value is @code{nov}, the data buffer should contain
16142 @dfn{network overview database} lines. These are basically fields
16146 nov-buffer = *nov-line
16147 nov-line = 8*9 [ field <TAB> ] eol
16148 field = <text except TAB>
16151 For a closer look at what should be in those fields,
16155 @item (nnchoke-open-server SERVER &optional DEFINITIONS)
16157 @var{server} is here the virtual server name. @var{definitions} is a
16158 list of @code{(VARIABLE VALUE)} pairs that define this virtual server.
16160 If the server can't be opened, no error should be signaled. The backend
16161 may then choose to refuse further attempts at connecting to this
16162 server. In fact, it should do so.
16164 If the server is opened already, this function should return a
16165 non-@code{nil} value. There should be no data returned.
16168 @item (nnchoke-close-server &optional SERVER)
16170 Close connection to @var{server} and free all resources connected
16171 to it. Return @code{nil} if the server couldn't be closed for some
16174 There should be no data returned.
16177 @item (nnchoke-request-close)
16179 Close connection to all servers and free all resources that the backend
16180 have reserved. All buffers that have been created by that backend
16181 should be killed. (Not the @code{nntp-server-buffer}, though.) This
16182 function is generally only called when Gnus is shutting down.
16184 There should be no data returned.
16187 @item (nnchoke-server-opened &optional SERVER)
16189 If @var{server} is the current virtual server, and the connection to the
16190 physical server is alive, then this function should return a
16191 non-@code{nil} vlue. This function should under no circumstances
16192 attempt to reconnect to a server we have lost connection to.
16194 There should be no data returned.
16197 @item (nnchoke-status-message &optional SERVER)
16199 This function should return the last error message from @var{server}.
16201 There should be no data returned.
16204 @item (nnchoke-request-article ARTICLE &optional GROUP SERVER TO-BUFFER)
16206 The result data from this function should be the article specified by
16207 @var{article}. This might either be a @code{Message-ID} or a number.
16208 It is optional whether to implement retrieval by @code{Message-ID}, but
16209 it would be nice if that were possible.
16211 If @var{to-buffer} is non-@code{nil}, the result data should be returned
16212 in this buffer instead of the normal data buffer. This is to make it
16213 possible to avoid copying large amounts of data from one buffer to
16214 another, while Gnus mainly requests articles to be inserted directly
16215 into its article buffer.
16217 If it is at all possible, this function should return a cons cell where
16218 the @code{car} is the group name the article was fetched from, and the @code{cdr} is
16219 the article number. This will enable Gnus to find out what the real
16220 group and article numbers are when fetching articles by
16221 @code{Message-ID}. If this isn't possible, @code{t} should be returned
16222 on successful article retrieval.
16225 @item (nnchoke-request-group GROUP &optional SERVER FAST)
16227 Get data on @var{group}. This function also has the side effect of
16228 making @var{group} the current group.
16230 If @var{FAST}, don't bother to return useful data, just make @var{group}
16233 Here's an example of some result data and a definition of the same:
16236 211 56 1000 1059 ifi.discussion
16239 The first number is the status, which should be 211. Next is the
16240 total number of articles in the group, the lowest article number, the
16241 highest article number, and finally the group name. Note that the total
16242 number of articles may be less than one might think while just
16243 considering the highest and lowest article numbers, but some articles
16244 may have been canceled. Gnus just discards the total-number, so
16245 whether one should take the bother to generate it properly (if that is a
16246 problem) is left as an exercise to the reader.
16249 group-status = [ error / info ] eol
16250 error = [ "4" / "5" ] 2<number> " " <Error message>
16251 info = "211 " 3* [ <number> " " ] <string>
16255 @item (nnchoke-close-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
16257 Close @var{group} and free any resources connected to it. This will be
16258 a no-op on most backends.
16260 There should be no data returned.
16263 @item (nnchoke-request-list &optional SERVER)
16265 Return a list of all groups available on @var{server}. And that means
16268 Here's an example from a server that only carries two groups:
16271 ifi.test 0000002200 0000002000 y
16272 ifi.discussion 3324 3300 n
16275 On each line we have a group name, then the highest article number in
16276 that group, the lowest article number, and finally a flag.
16279 active-file = *active-line
16280 active-line = name " " <number> " " <number> " " flags eol
16282 flags = "n" / "y" / "m" / "x" / "j" / "=" name
16285 The flag says whether the group is read-only (@samp{n}), is moderated
16286 (@samp{m}), is dead (@samp{x}), is aliased to some other group
16287 (@samp{=other-group}) or none of the above (@samp{y}).
16290 @item (nnchoke-request-post &optional SERVER)
16292 This function should post the current buffer. It might return whether
16293 the posting was successful or not, but that's not required. If, for
16294 instance, the posting is done asynchronously, it has generally not been
16295 completed by the time this function concludes. In that case, this
16296 function should set up some kind of sentinel to beep the user loud and
16297 clear if the posting could not be completed.
16299 There should be no result data from this function.
16304 @node Optional Backend Functions
16305 @subsubsection Optional Backend Functions
16309 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-groups GROUPS &optional SERVER)
16311 @var{groups} is a list of groups, and this function should request data
16312 on all those groups. How it does it is of no concern to Gnus, but it
16313 should attempt to do this in a speedy fashion.
16315 The return value of this function can be either @code{active} or
16316 @code{group}, which says what the format of the result data is. The
16317 former is in the same format as the data from
16318 @code{nnchoke-request-list}, while the latter is a buffer full of lines
16319 in the same format as @code{nnchoke-request-group} gives.
16322 group-buffer = *active-line / *group-status
16326 @item (nnchoke-request-update-info GROUP INFO &optional SERVER)
16328 A Gnus group info (@pxref{Group Info}) is handed to the backend for
16329 alterations. This comes in handy if the backend really carries all the
16330 information (as is the case with virtual and imap groups). This
16331 function should destructively alter the info to suit its needs, and
16332 should return the (altered) group info.
16334 There should be no result data from this function.
16337 @item (nnchoke-request-type GROUP &optional ARTICLE)
16339 When the user issues commands for ``sending news'' (@kbd{F} in the
16340 summary buffer, for instance), Gnus has to know whether the article the
16341 user is following up on is news or mail. This function should return
16342 @code{news} if @var{article} in @var{group} is news, @code{mail} if it
16343 is mail and @code{unknown} if the type can't be decided. (The
16344 @var{article} parameter is necessary in @code{nnvirtual} groups which
16345 might very well combine mail groups and news groups.) Both @var{group}
16346 and @var{article} may be @code{nil}.
16348 There should be no result data from this function.
16351 @item (nnchoke-request-update-mark GROUP ARTICLE MARK)
16353 If the user tries to set a mark that the backend doesn't like, this
16354 function may change the mark. Gnus will use whatever this function
16355 returns as the mark for @var{article} instead of the original
16356 @var{mark}. If the backend doesn't care, it must return the original
16357 @var{mark}, and not @code{nil} or any other type of garbage.
16359 The only use for this I can see is what @code{nnvirtual} does with
16360 it---if a component group is auto-expirable, marking an article as read
16361 in the virtual group should result in the article being marked as
16364 There should be no result data from this function.
16367 @item (nnchoke-request-scan &optional GROUP SERVER)
16369 This function may be called at any time (by Gnus or anything else) to
16370 request that the backend check for incoming articles, in one way or
16371 another. A mail backend will typically read the spool file or query the
16372 POP server when this function is invoked. The @var{group} doesn't have
16373 to be heeded---if the backend decides that it is too much work just
16374 scanning for a single group, it may do a total scan of all groups. It
16375 would be nice, however, to keep things local if that's practical.
16377 There should be no result data from this function.
16380 @item (nnchoke-request-group-description GROUP &optional SERVER)
16382 The result data from this function should be a description of
16386 description-line = name <TAB> description eol
16388 description = <text>
16391 @item (nnchoke-request-list-newsgroups &optional SERVER)
16393 The result data from this function should be the description of all
16394 groups available on the server.
16397 description-buffer = *description-line
16401 @item (nnchoke-request-newgroups DATE &optional SERVER)
16403 The result data from this function should be all groups that were
16404 created after @samp{date}, which is in normal human-readable date
16405 format. The data should be in the active buffer format.
16408 @item (nnchoke-request-create-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
16410 This function should create an empty group with name @var{group}.
16412 There should be no return data.
16415 @item (nnchoke-request-expire-articles ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FORCE)
16417 This function should run the expiry process on all articles in the
16418 @var{articles} range (which is currently a simple list of article
16419 numbers.) It is left up to the backend to decide how old articles
16420 should be before they are removed by this function. If @var{force} is
16421 non-@code{nil}, all @var{articles} should be deleted, no matter how new
16424 This function should return a list of articles that it did not/was not
16427 There should be no result data returned.
16430 @item (nnchoke-request-move-article ARTICLE GROUP SERVER ACCEPT-FORM
16433 This function should move @var{article} (which is a number) from
16434 @var{group} by calling @var{accept-form}.
16436 This function should ready the article in question for moving by
16437 removing any header lines it has added to the article, and generally
16438 should ``tidy up'' the article. Then it should @code{eval}
16439 @var{accept-form} in the buffer where the ``tidy'' article is. This
16440 will do the actual copying. If this @code{eval} returns a
16441 non-@code{nil} value, the article should be removed.
16443 If @var{last} is @code{nil}, that means that there is a high likelihood
16444 that there will be more requests issued shortly, so that allows some
16447 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
16448 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
16450 There should be no data returned.
16453 @item (nnchoke-request-accept-article GROUP &optional SERVER LAST)
16455 This function takes the current buffer and inserts it into @var{group}.
16456 If @var{last} in @code{nil}, that means that there will be more calls to
16457 this function in short order.
16459 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
16460 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
16462 There should be no data returned.
16465 @item (nnchoke-request-replace-article ARTICLE GROUP BUFFER)
16467 This function should remove @var{article} (which is a number) from
16468 @var{group} and insert @var{buffer} there instead.
16470 There should be no data returned.
16473 @item (nnchoke-request-delete-group GROUP FORCE &optional SERVER)
16475 This function should delete @var{group}. If @var{force}, it should
16476 really delete all the articles in the group, and then delete the group
16477 itself. (If there is such a thing as ``the group itself''.)
16479 There should be no data returned.
16482 @item (nnchoke-request-rename-group GROUP NEW-NAME &optional SERVER)
16484 This function should rename @var{group} into @var{new-name}. All
16485 articles in @var{group} should move to @var{new-name}.
16487 There should be no data returned.
16492 @node Error Messaging
16493 @subsubsection Error Messaging
16495 @findex nnheader-report
16496 @findex nnheader-get-report
16497 The backends should use the function @code{nnheader-report} to report
16498 error conditions---they should not raise errors when they aren't able to
16499 perform a request. The first argument to this function is the backend
16500 symbol, and the rest are interpreted as arguments to @code{format} if
16501 there are multiple of them, or just a string if there is one of them.
16502 This function must always returns @code{nil}.
16505 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "You did something totally bogus")
16507 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "Could not request group %s" group)
16510 Gnus, in turn, will call @code{nnheader-get-report} when it gets a
16511 @code{nil} back from a server, and this function returns the most
16512 recently reported message for the backend in question. This function
16513 takes one argument---the server symbol.
16515 Internally, these functions access @var{backend}@code{-status-string},
16516 so the @code{nnchoke} backend will have its error message stored in
16517 @code{nnchoke-status-string}.
16520 @node Writing New Backends
16521 @subsubsection Writing New Backends
16523 Many backends are quite similar. @code{nnml} is just like
16524 @code{nnspool}, but it allows you to edit the articles on the server.
16525 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, but it doesn't use an active file,
16526 and it doesn't maintain overview databases. @code{nndir} is just like
16527 @code{nnml}, but it has no concept of ``groups'', and it doesn't allow
16530 It would make sense if it were possible to ``inherit'' functions from
16531 backends when writing new backends. And, indeed, you can do that if you
16532 want to. (You don't have to if you don't want to, of course.)
16534 All the backends declare their public variables and functions by using a
16535 package called @code{nnoo}.
16537 To inherit functions from other backends (and allow other backends to
16538 inherit functions from the current backend), you should use the
16544 This macro declares the first parameter to be a child of the subsequent
16545 parameters. For instance:
16548 (nnoo-declare nndir
16552 @code{nndir} has declared here that it intends to inherit functions from
16553 both @code{nnml} and @code{nnmh}.
16556 This macro is equivalent to @code{defvar}, but registers the variable as
16557 a public server variable. Most state-oriented variables should be
16558 declared with @code{defvoo} instead of @code{defvar}.
16560 In addition to the normal @code{defvar} parameters, it takes a list of
16561 variables in the parent backends to map the variable to when executing
16562 a function in those backends.
16565 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
16566 "Where nndir will look for groups."
16567 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
16570 This means that @code{nnml-current-directory} will be set to
16571 @code{nndir-directory} when an @code{nnml} function is called on behalf
16572 of @code{nndir}. (The same with @code{nnmh}.)
16574 @item nnoo-define-basics
16575 This macro defines some common functions that almost all backends should
16579 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
16583 This macro is just like @code{defun} and takes the same parameters. In
16584 addition to doing the normal @code{defun} things, it registers the
16585 function as being public so that other backends can inherit it.
16587 @item nnoo-map-functions
16588 This macro allows mapping of functions from the current backend to
16589 functions from the parent backends.
16592 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
16593 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
16594 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0))
16597 This means that when @code{nndir-retrieve-headers} is called, the first,
16598 third, and fourth parameters will be passed on to
16599 @code{nnml-retrieve-headers}, while the second parameter is set to the
16600 value of @code{nndir-current-group}.
16603 This macro allows importing functions from backends. It should be the
16604 last thing in the source file, since it will only define functions that
16605 haven't already been defined.
16611 nnmh-request-newgroups)
16615 This means that calls to @code{nndir-request-list} should just be passed
16616 on to @code{nnmh-request-list}, while all public functions from
16617 @code{nnml} that haven't been defined in @code{nndir} yet should be
16622 Below is a slightly shortened version of the @code{nndir} backend.
16625 ;;; nndir.el --- single directory newsgroup access for Gnus
16626 ;; Copyright (C) 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
16630 (require 'nnheader)
16634 (eval-when-compile (require 'cl))
16636 (nnoo-declare nndir
16639 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
16640 "Where nndir will look for groups."
16641 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
16643 (defvoo nndir-nov-is-evil nil
16644 "*Non-nil means that nndir will never retrieve NOV headers."
16647 (defvoo nndir-current-group "" nil nnml-current-group nnmh-current-group)
16648 (defvoo nndir-top-directory nil nil nnml-directory nnmh-directory)
16649 (defvoo nndir-get-new-mail nil nil nnml-get-new-mail nnmh-get-new-mail)
16651 (defvoo nndir-status-string "" nil nnmh-status-string)
16652 (defconst nndir-version "nndir 1.0")
16654 ;;; Interface functions.
16656 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
16658 (deffoo nndir-open-server (server &optional defs)
16659 (setq nndir-directory
16660 (or (cadr (assq 'nndir-directory defs))
16662 (unless (assq 'nndir-directory defs)
16663 (push `(nndir-directory ,server) defs))
16664 (push `(nndir-current-group
16665 ,(file-name-nondirectory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
16667 (push `(nndir-top-directory
16668 ,(file-name-directory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
16670 (nnoo-change-server 'nndir server defs))
16672 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
16673 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
16674 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
16675 (nnmh-request-group nndir-current-group 0 0)
16676 (nnmh-close-group nndir-current-group 0))
16680 nnmh-status-message
16682 nnmh-request-newgroups))
16688 @node Hooking New Backends Into Gnus
16689 @subsubsection Hooking New Backends Into Gnus
16691 @vindex gnus-valid-select-methods
16692 Having Gnus start using your new backend is rather easy---you just
16693 declare it with the @code{gnus-declare-backend} functions. This will
16694 enter the backend into the @code{gnus-valid-select-methods} variable.
16696 @code{gnus-declare-backend} takes two parameters---the backend name and
16697 an arbitrary number of @dfn{abilities}.
16702 (gnus-declare-backend "nnchoke" 'mail 'respool 'address)
16705 The abilities can be:
16709 This is a mailish backend---followups should (probably) go via mail.
16711 This is a newsish backend---followups should (probably) go via news.
16713 This backend supports both mail and news.
16715 This is neither a post nor mail backend---it's something completely
16718 It supports respooling---or rather, it is able to modify its source
16719 articles and groups.
16721 The name of the server should be in the virtual server name. This is
16722 true for almost all backends.
16723 @item prompt-address
16724 The user should be prompted for an address when doing commands like
16725 @kbd{B} in the group buffer. This is true for backends like
16726 @code{nntp}, but not @code{nnmbox}, for instance.
16730 @node Mail-like Backends
16731 @subsubsection Mail-like Backends
16733 One of the things that separate the mail backends from the rest of the
16734 backends is the heavy dependence by the mail backends on common
16735 functions in @file{nnmail.el}. For instance, here's the definition of
16736 @code{nnml-request-scan}:
16739 (deffoo nnml-request-scan (&optional group server)
16740 (setq nnml-article-file-alist nil)
16741 (nnmail-get-new-mail 'nnml 'nnml-save-nov nnml-directory group))
16744 It simply calls @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} with a few parameters,
16745 and @code{nnmail} takes care of all the moving and splitting of the
16748 This function takes four parameters.
16752 This should be a symbol to designate which backend is responsible for
16755 @item exit-function
16756 This function should be called after the splitting has been performed.
16758 @item temp-directory
16759 Where the temporary files should be stored.
16762 This optional argument should be a group name if the splitting is to be
16763 performed for one group only.
16766 @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} will call @var{backend}@code{-save-mail} to
16767 save each article. @var{backend}@code{-active-number} will be called to
16768 find the article number assigned to this article.
16770 The function also uses the following variables:
16771 @var{backend}@code{-get-new-mail} (to see whether to get new mail for
16772 this backend); and @var{backend}@code{-group-alist} and
16773 @var{backend}@code{-active-file} to generate the new active file.
16774 @var{backend}@code{-group-alist} should be a group-active alist, like
16778 (("a-group" (1 . 10))
16779 ("some-group" (34 . 39)))
16783 @node Score File Syntax
16784 @subsection Score File Syntax
16786 Score files are meant to be easily parsable, but yet extremely
16787 mallable. It was decided that something that had the same read syntax
16788 as an Emacs Lisp list would fit that spec.
16790 Here's a typical score file:
16794 ("win95" -10000 nil s)
16801 BNF definition of a score file:
16804 score-file = "" / "(" *element ")"
16805 element = rule / atom
16806 rule = string-rule / number-rule / date-rule
16807 string-rule = "(" quote string-header quote space *string-match ")"
16808 number-rule = "(" quote number-header quote space *number-match ")"
16809 date-rule = "(" quote date-header quote space *date-match ")"
16811 string-header = "subject" / "from" / "references" / "message-id" /
16812 "xref" / "body" / "head" / "all" / "followup"
16813 number-header = "lines" / "chars"
16814 date-header = "date"
16815 string-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
16816 space date [ "" / [ space string-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
16817 score = "nil" / <integer>
16818 date = "nil" / <natural number>
16819 string-match-t = "nil" / "s" / "substring" / "S" / "Substring" /
16820 "r" / "regex" / "R" / "Regex" /
16821 "e" / "exact" / "E" / "Exact" /
16822 "f" / "fuzzy" / "F" / "Fuzzy"
16823 number-match = "(" <integer> [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
16824 space date [ "" / [ space number-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
16825 number-match-t = "nil" / "=" / "<" / ">" / ">=" / "<="
16826 date-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
16827 space date [ "" / [ space date-match-t ] ] ] ] ")"
16828 date-match-t = "nil" / "at" / "before" / "after"
16829 atom = "(" [ required-atom / optional-atom ] ")"
16830 required-atom = mark / expunge / mark-and-expunge / files /
16831 exclude-files / read-only / touched
16832 optional-atom = adapt / local / eval
16833 mark = "mark" space nil-or-number
16834 nil-or-number = "nil" / <integer>
16835 expunge = "expunge" space nil-or-number
16836 mark-and-expunge = "mark-and-expunge" space nil-or-number
16837 files = "files" *[ space <string> ]
16838 exclude-files = "exclude-files" *[ space <string> ]
16839 read-only = "read-only" [ space "nil" / space "t" ]
16840 adapt = "adapt" [ space "ignore" / space "t" / space adapt-rule ]
16841 adapt-rule = "(" *[ <string> *[ "(" <string> <integer> ")" ] ")"
16842 local = "local" *[ space "(" <string> space <form> ")" ]
16843 eval = "eval" space <form>
16844 space = *[ " " / <TAB> / <NEWLINE> ]
16847 Any unrecognized elements in a score file should be ignored, but not
16850 As you can see, white space is needed, but the type and amount of white
16851 space is irrelevant. This means that formatting of the score file is
16852 left up to the programmer---if it's simpler to just spew it all out on
16853 one looong line, then that's ok.
16855 The meaning of the various atoms are explained elsewhere in this
16856 manual (@pxref{Score File Format}).
16860 @subsection Headers
16862 Internally Gnus uses a format for storing article headers that
16863 corresponds to the @sc{nov} format in a mysterious fashion. One could
16864 almost suspect that the author looked at the @sc{nov} specification and
16865 just shamelessly @emph{stole} the entire thing, and one would be right.
16867 @dfn{Header} is a severely overloaded term. ``Header'' is used in
16868 RFC1036 to talk about lines in the head of an article (e.g.,
16869 @code{From}). It is used by many people as a synonym for
16870 ``head''---``the header and the body''. (That should be avoided, in my
16871 opinion.) And Gnus uses a format internally that it calls ``header'',
16872 which is what I'm talking about here. This is a 9-element vector,
16873 basically, with each header (ouch) having one slot.
16875 These slots are, in order: @code{number}, @code{subject}, @code{from},
16876 @code{date}, @code{id}, @code{references}, @code{chars}, @code{lines},
16877 @code{xref}. There are macros for accessing and setting these
16878 slots---they all have predictable names beginning with
16879 @code{mail-header-} and @code{mail-header-set-}, respectively.
16881 The @code{xref} slot is really a @code{misc} slot. Any extra info will
16888 @sc{gnus} introduced a concept that I found so useful that I've started
16889 using it a lot and have elaborated on it greatly.
16891 The question is simple: If you have a large amount of objects that are
16892 identified by numbers (say, articles, to take a @emph{wild} example)
16893 that you want to qualify as being ``included'', a normal sequence isn't
16894 very useful. (A 200,000 length sequence is a bit long-winded.)
16896 The solution is as simple as the question: You just collapse the
16900 (1 2 3 4 5 6 10 11 12)
16903 is transformed into
16906 ((1 . 6) (10 . 12))
16909 To avoid having those nasty @samp{(13 . 13)} elements to denote a
16910 lonesome object, a @samp{13} is a valid element:
16913 ((1 . 6) 7 (10 . 12))
16916 This means that comparing two ranges to find out whether they are equal
16917 is slightly tricky:
16920 ((1 . 5) 7 8 (10 . 12))
16926 ((1 . 5) (7 . 8) (10 . 12))
16929 are equal. In fact, any non-descending list is a range:
16935 is a perfectly valid range, although a pretty long-winded one. This is
16942 and is equal to the previous range.
16944 Here's a BNF definition of ranges. Of course, one must remember the
16945 semantic requirement that the numbers are non-descending. (Any number
16946 of repetition of the same number is allowed, but apt to disappear in
16950 range = simple-range / normal-range
16951 simple-range = "(" number " . " number ")"
16952 normal-range = "(" start-contents ")"
16953 contents = "" / simple-range *[ " " contents ] /
16954 number *[ " " contents ]
16957 Gnus currently uses ranges to keep track of read articles and article
16958 marks. I plan on implementing a number of range operators in C if The
16959 Powers That Be are willing to let me. (I haven't asked yet, because I
16960 need to do some more thinking on what operators I need to make life
16961 totally range-based without ever having to convert back to normal
16966 @subsection Group Info
16968 Gnus stores all permanent info on groups in a @dfn{group info} list.
16969 This list is from three to six elements (or more) long and exhaustively
16970 describes the group.
16972 Here are two example group infos; one is a very simple group while the
16973 second is a more complex one:
16976 ("no.group" 5 (1 . 54324))
16978 ("nnml:my.mail" 3 ((1 . 5) 9 (20 . 55))
16979 ((tick (15 . 19)) (replied 3 6 (19 . 3)))
16981 (auto-expire (to-address "ding@@gnus.org")))
16984 The first element is the @dfn{group name}---as Gnus knows the group,
16985 anyway. The second element is the @dfn{subscription level}, which
16986 normally is a small integer. The third element is a list of ranges of
16987 read articles. The fourth element is a list of lists of article marks
16988 of various kinds. The fifth element is the select method (or virtual
16989 server, if you like). The sixth element is a list of @dfn{group
16990 parameters}, which is what this section is about.
16992 Any of the last three elements may be missing if they are not required.
16993 In fact, the vast majority of groups will normally only have the first
16994 three elements, which saves quite a lot of cons cells.
16996 Here's a BNF definition of the group info format:
16999 info = "(" group space level space read
17000 [ "" / [ space marks-list [ "" / [ space method [ "" /
17001 space parameters ] ] ] ] ] ")"
17002 group = quote <string> quote
17003 level = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
17005 marks-lists = nil / "(" *marks ")"
17006 marks = "(" <string> range ")"
17007 method = "(" <string> *elisp-forms ")"
17008 parameters = "(" *elisp-forms ")"
17011 Actually that @samp{marks} rule is a fib. A @samp{marks} is a
17012 @samp{<string>} consed on to a @samp{range}, but that's a bitch to say
17015 If you have a Gnus info and want to access the elements, Gnus offers a
17016 series of macros for getting/setting these elements.
17019 @item gnus-info-group
17020 @itemx gnus-info-set-group
17021 @findex gnus-info-group
17022 @findex gnus-info-set-group
17023 Get/set the group name.
17025 @item gnus-info-rank
17026 @itemx gnus-info-set-rank
17027 @findex gnus-info-rank
17028 @findex gnus-info-set-rank
17029 Get/set the group rank.
17031 @item gnus-info-level
17032 @itemx gnus-info-set-level
17033 @findex gnus-info-level
17034 @findex gnus-info-set-level
17035 Get/set the group level.
17037 @item gnus-info-score
17038 @itemx gnus-info-set-score
17039 @findex gnus-info-score
17040 @findex gnus-info-set-score
17041 Get/set the group score.
17043 @item gnus-info-read
17044 @itemx gnus-info-set-read
17045 @findex gnus-info-read
17046 @findex gnus-info-set-read
17047 Get/set the ranges of read articles.
17049 @item gnus-info-marks
17050 @itemx gnus-info-set-marks
17051 @findex gnus-info-marks
17052 @findex gnus-info-set-marks
17053 Get/set the lists of ranges of marked articles.
17055 @item gnus-info-method
17056 @itemx gnus-info-set-method
17057 @findex gnus-info-method
17058 @findex gnus-info-set-method
17059 Get/set the group select method.
17061 @item gnus-info-params
17062 @itemx gnus-info-set-params
17063 @findex gnus-info-params
17064 @findex gnus-info-set-params
17065 Get/set the group parameters.
17068 All the getter functions take one parameter---the info list. The setter
17069 functions take two parameters---the info list and the new value.
17071 The last three elements in the group info aren't mandatory, so it may be
17072 necessary to extend the group info before setting the element. If this
17073 is necessary, you can just pass on a non-@code{nil} third parameter to
17074 the three final setter functions to have this happen automatically.
17077 @node Emacs/XEmacs Code
17078 @subsection Emacs/XEmacs Code
17082 While Gnus runs under Emacs, XEmacs and Mule, I decided that one of the
17083 platforms must be the primary one. I chose Emacs. Not because I don't
17084 like XEmacs or Mule, but because it comes first alphabetically.
17086 This means that Gnus will byte-compile under Emacs with nary a warning,
17087 while XEmacs will pump out gigabytes of warnings while byte-compiling.
17088 As I use byte-compilation warnings to help me root out trivial errors in
17089 Gnus, that's very useful.
17091 I've also consistently used Emacs function interfaces, but have used
17092 Gnusey aliases for the functions. To take an example: Emacs defines a
17093 @code{run-at-time} function while XEmacs defines a @code{start-itimer}
17094 function. I then define a function called @code{gnus-run-at-time} that
17095 takes the same parameters as the Emacs @code{run-at-time}. When running
17096 Gnus under Emacs, the former function is just an alias for the latter.
17097 However, when running under XEmacs, the former is an alias for the
17098 following function:
17101 (defun gnus-xmas-run-at-time (time repeat function &rest args)
17105 (,function ,@@args))
17109 This sort of thing has been done for bunches of functions. Gnus does
17110 not redefine any native Emacs functions while running under XEmacs---it
17111 does this @code{defalias} thing with Gnus equivalents instead. Cleaner
17114 In the cases where the XEmacs function interface was obviously cleaner,
17115 I used it instead. For example @code{gnus-region-active-p} is an alias
17116 for @code{region-active-p} in XEmacs, whereas in Emacs it is a function.
17118 Of course, I could have chosen XEmacs as my native platform and done
17119 mapping functions the other way around. But I didn't. The performance
17120 hit these indirections impose on Gnus under XEmacs should be slight.
17123 @node Various File Formats
17124 @subsection Various File Formats
17127 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
17128 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
17132 @node Active File Format
17133 @subsubsection Active File Format
17135 The active file lists all groups available on the server in
17136 question. It also lists the highest and lowest current article numbers
17139 Here's an excerpt from a typical active file:
17142 soc.motss 296030 293865 y
17143 alt.binaries.pictures.fractals 3922 3913 n
17144 comp.sources.unix 1605 1593 m
17145 comp.binaries.ibm.pc 5097 5089 y
17146 no.general 1000 900 y
17149 Here's a pseudo-BNF definition of this file:
17152 active = *group-line
17153 group-line = group space high-number space low-number space flag <NEWLINE>
17154 group = <non-white-space string>
17156 high-number = <non-negative integer>
17157 low-number = <positive integer>
17158 flag = "y" / "n" / "m" / "j" / "x" / "=" group
17162 @node Newsgroups File Format
17163 @subsubsection Newsgroups File Format
17165 The newsgroups file lists groups along with their descriptions. Not all
17166 groups on the server have to be listed, and not all groups in the file
17167 have to exist on the server. The file is meant purely as information to
17170 The format is quite simple; a group name, a tab, and the description.
17171 Here's the definition:
17175 line = group tab description <NEWLINE>
17176 group = <non-white-space string>
17178 description = <string>
17182 @node Emacs for Heathens
17183 @section Emacs for Heathens
17185 Believe it or not, but some people who use Gnus haven't really used
17186 Emacs much before they embarked on their journey on the Gnus Love Boat.
17187 If you are one of those unfortunates whom ``@kbd{M-C-a}'', ``kill the
17188 region'', and ``set @code{gnus-flargblossen} to an alist where the key
17189 is a regexp that is used for matching on the group name'' are magical
17190 phrases with little or no meaning, then this appendix is for you. If
17191 you are already familiar with Emacs, just ignore this and go fondle your
17195 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
17196 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
17201 @subsection Keystrokes
17205 Q: What is an experienced Emacs user?
17208 A: A person who wishes that the terminal had pedals.
17211 Yes, when you use Emacs, you are apt to use the control key, the shift
17212 key and the meta key a lot. This is very annoying to some people
17213 (notably @code{vi}le users), and the rest of us just love the hell out
17214 of it. Just give up and submit. Emacs really does stand for
17215 ``Escape-Meta-Alt-Control-Shift'', and not ``Editing Macros'', as you
17216 may have heard from other disreputable sources (like the Emacs author).
17218 The shift keys are normally located near your pinky fingers, and are
17219 normally used to get capital letters and stuff. You probably use it all
17220 the time. The control key is normally marked ``CTRL'' or something like
17221 that. The meta key is, funnily enough, never marked as such on any
17222 keyboard. The one I'm currently at has a key that's marked ``Alt'',
17223 which is the meta key on this keyboard. It's usually located somewhere
17224 to the left hand side of the keyboard, usually on the bottom row.
17226 Now, us Emacs people don't say ``press the meta-control-m key'',
17227 because that's just too inconvenient. We say ``press the @kbd{M-C-m}
17228 key''. @kbd{M-} is the prefix that means ``meta'' and ``C-'' is the
17229 prefix that means ``control''. So ``press @kbd{C-k}'' means ``press
17230 down the control key, and hold it down while you press @kbd{k}''.
17231 ``Press @kbd{M-C-k}'' means ``press down and hold down the meta key and
17232 the control key and then press @kbd{k}''. Simple, ay?
17234 This is somewhat complicated by the fact that not all keyboards have a
17235 meta key. In that case you can use the ``escape'' key. Then @kbd{M-k}
17236 means ``press escape, release escape, press @kbd{k}''. That's much more
17237 work than if you have a meta key, so if that's the case, I respectfully
17238 suggest you get a real keyboard with a meta key. You can't live without
17244 @subsection Emacs Lisp
17246 Emacs is the King of Editors because it's really a Lisp interpreter.
17247 Each and every key you tap runs some Emacs Lisp code snippet, and since
17248 Emacs Lisp is an interpreted language, that means that you can configure
17249 any key to run any arbitrary code. You just, like, do it.
17251 Gnus is written in Emacs Lisp, and is run as a bunch of interpreted
17252 functions. (These are byte-compiled for speed, but it's still
17253 interpreted.) If you decide that you don't like the way Gnus does
17254 certain things, it's trivial to have it do something a different way.
17255 (Well, at least if you know how to write Lisp code.) However, that's
17256 beyond the scope of this manual, so we are simply going to talk about
17257 some common constructs that you normally use in your @file{.emacs} file
17260 If you want to set the variable @code{gnus-florgbnize} to four (4), you
17261 write the following:
17264 (setq gnus-florgbnize 4)
17267 This function (really ``special form'') @code{setq} is the one that can
17268 set a variable to some value. This is really all you need to know. Now
17269 you can go and fill your @code{.emacs} file with lots of these to change
17272 If you have put that thing in your @code{.emacs} file, it will be read
17273 and @code{eval}ed (which is lisp-ese for ``run'') the next time you
17274 start Emacs. If you want to change the variable right away, simply say
17275 @kbd{C-x C-e} after the closing parenthesis. That will @code{eval} the
17276 previous ``form'', which is a simple @code{setq} statement here.
17278 Go ahead---just try it, if you're located at your Emacs. After you
17279 @kbd{C-x C-e}, you will see @samp{4} appear in the echo area, which
17280 is the return value of the form you @code{eval}ed.
17284 If the manual says ``set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{some}'',
17288 (setq gnus-read-active-file 'some)
17291 On the other hand, if the manual says ``set @code{gnus-nntp-server} to
17292 @samp{nntp.ifi.uio.no}'', that means:
17295 (setq gnus-nntp-server "nntp.ifi.uio.no")
17298 So be careful not to mix up strings (the latter) with symbols (the
17299 former). The manual is unambiguous, but it can be confusing.
17302 @include gnus-faq.texi